The Eternal Blaze: Vicariously for Vengeance

Chapters

Volume 1: In the Beginning, there was a Swordsman of Fire
Volume 2: Beneath the Streets, a Secret
Volume 3: Shadow and Fire
Volume 4: Now Is the Right Time
Volume 5: For I am a Knight and a Kamen Rider
Volume 6: All Foul Things Come Forth
Final Volume: For In That Moment, The Swordsmen Advanced

Volume 1: In the Beginning, there was a Swordsman of Fire

“Bravery! Love! Pride! The divine beast with three powers has now arrived...!”

The proclamation rang out in the night, like a song heralding the arrival of a great beast. The silent streets were now singing with great sound, the air growing hotter with each passing moment. A knight, clad in shining rainbow armor rode into battle with her sword drawn and ready to strike down great evil.

“Rekka draw sword! The Loving Dragon! The Valorous Dragon! The Proud Dragon! Emotional Dragon! Divine Beasts, Unite! These feelings are overflowing...!”

She raised her blade, golden eyes shining out of the darkness and promising protection from all foul beasts that dared rise up from the netherworld. And what a foul beast it was, oozing slime and coating the streets in it’s slick gunk. The creature itself was a deep purple, an utterly evil shade of sapphire.

“I decide how this story ends! Books bring joy and wonder to the world, and here you are… corrupting them. Now, watch me master. Watch me burn onwards with crimson light, with Rekka!”

Fire erupted from her blade as she swung it out to her side and charged forwards, the monster in front of her cowering as it realized who it faced. Kamen Rider Saber, defender of the innocent and wielder of the Sword of Raging Flame, Kaenken Rekka.

Slashing forwards, blade met skin and sliced straight and true even as her opponent spat out a thick gunk, coating her helmet. The monster, with a roar leaped forwards and slashed through her armor with powerful claws, the knight letting out a yell of pain.

“...so you’re the new Saber,” the monster chuckled. “I’m not impressed, you still look green around the gills! Your story will be a short one!”

“We’ll see who has a short story,” said Saber, tearing away the gunk from her helm with a hand. Summoning her lovely shield, she blocked another shot of gunk, letting it coat her shield. “...ewwww, did nobody tell you to ever take a bath? Oh, if Nagare’s wielder was here, she wouldn’t be having any of this! Sadly, she’s not and you got me!”

Launching her shield, she nearly decapitated the monster before it ducked at the very last minute. Saber let out a growl of frustration, even as she ran forwards towards the monster. She ran up the wall, leaping over the salamander creature’s head in an attempt to retrieve her shield.

“I don’t think so!” the monster cried, spitting out more slime and coating her hands in it. Saber even dropped her sword, fumbling around on the ground attempting to retrieve it. In actuality, all she was doing was coating the street in more of the monster’s slime. “...hahahahaha, look at you! How can you defeat me if you can’t even touch me?”

“...we’ll see about that,” Saber muttered, drawing back her fist and punching forth.

“Oooooh, fisticuffs. Not very knightly,” the monster mocked even as the blow just slipped away from Saber, covering her armored gauntlet in more ooze. “...what would your Master think? About you falling to this level?”

At this, Saber saw red, kicking the monster in the stomach with an armored boot. Steam hissed off her armor, burning away the ooze which drenched it. Slime dried up, and she retrieved her blade slashing at the monster with fury. “...you have no right to talk about him, you foul beast. You’re just a Megid, designed to cause destruction and bring ruin. You’re like him. All of you. Hear this, this is my promise to the future! It is to bring all of you down, and protect the world from all like you.”

Gripping her sword with both hands, Saber leaped forwards slashing downwards slicing through the Megid. It asked of her: “...big words, but can you back them up?”

“On my honor as a knight, I swear…” said Saber, striking him again before spinning her blade above her head and slashing him for a third time. Launching her sword like a harpoon, she watched it pierce his side. “...I will uphold that promise. The fate of the world depends on it, words will save this world, and they are the words of a wonderful Rider.”

Leaping over his head, Saber flipped over the Salamander Megid and retrieved her shield. Bashing the monster upside the head with it, she then charged it with flame and launched the fireball at the Megid, knocking it off its feet. “And that is a promise as well!”

“Be careful, don’t get lost in your own words!” the Megid roared, taking a stance. Throwing back his head, it then fired a large glob of slime knocking Saber through brick and mortar. “...otherwise you may just reach Avalon a little too early!”

Gripping her sword, struggling to stand, Saber began to regain her strength. Dragging her blade behind her, the crimson knight left a trail of sparks on the floor. Raising her sword, she dragged it along the wall, rupturing through stone before she leveled it at the Megid. Rekka’s declaration was clear, burning into the monster’s mind like an inferno. Take heed, stand down or be destroyed. This was it’s last warning.

“If you really think I’m going to give up so easy, lay down and die, then you’re sorely mistaken,” Saber stated, asian skin tones peeking out from behind a cracked mask. “Go back to the netherworld, foul beast before I send you there myself!”

“LIKE SHIT!” roared the Megid, charging forth to meet it’s fate. Saber sighed, lowering her head and closing her eyes.

“...very well then.”

Sheathing her blade, then drawing it again she activated her finisher.

“Densetsu Shinjuu! Hissatsu Geki! Fire!”

And for a moment, you could see a silver-armored warrior doing much the same.

“Dragonic Hissatsu Geki!”

Golden dragons of pure emotion erupted from the ground and wrapped around the salamander megid, ensnaring him and some even biting into his skin. It was impossible to escape what came next, even as Saber was encased in fire and launching herself into a dive kick.

“RIDER KICK!”

“Naaaaaaaaaaaagggggh!” the Megid roared, even as it went up in a fireball. Saber sighed, implanting her sword in the ashes as a requiem for her fallen foe. And then her armor faded.

“Master, did you see me?” Twilight asked. “I’m one step closer to matching you. And one step closer to meeting that man in battle.”

Daybreak rose, with very few the wiser as to what had occurred the previous night. Oh sure, there would be speculation of course, but no concrete theories. Seattle slept soundly that night, and only a few would be guessing that something otherworldly had occurred.

“...Your power is otherworldly,” Searing Flames stated, his silver armor cracked while a wildfire blazed around him. “...but I will not let it stop me, Swordsman of the Void! Hope exists beyond your resolution!”

“A bold statement, Swordsman of the Holy Fire. But you will fall all the same, you said it yourself,” the dark warrior rumbled, his sword Kyomu in hand. “My power is that of the Void. It is beyond your comprehension! Now, stand aside and let me pass, give me what I desire.”

Searing would not have it, erupting forth clashing his blade with his foe. Crimson flames were on Rekka’s blade, showcasing how hot Searing’s resolve burned. The opposing sword, the unmarked blade of nothingness seemed to swallow those flames up inside itself, like a void. But dread would not set in for Searing, he would stay true to his convictions! A weapon, like a dragon’s skull appeared on his arm.

“One reading! Story of Kaenken Rekka! Flame, spicy!” it echoed, the book placed inside it and scanned.

Fire surged forth, like a flamethrower forcing the Swordsman of the Void back, his magma-toned armor even more crimson now. With a grunt of effort, Searing slashed rupturing armor and Falchion let out a roar: “...DAMN YOU!”

“The dragons of tyranny will not be yours.” Searing said.

“Oh, you misunderstand,” said Falchion, raising his sword high and a massive black hole began ripping through the temple. First went the shingles, then the rest of the roof with the fire itself bing sucked into the swirling massi. “...they’re only a stepping stone to my real goal.”

Searing thought for a moment before realizing. “...NO!”

He acted fast, letting his weapon scan two books one after the other. “Two reading! Osha Jizou San! Mix, spicy!”

Firing the blast up into the air, stone statues of children reigned down upon Falchion even as Searing made a break for the object of his desires…

“Hey, yo, Twilight, quit spacing out!” a voice shouted, bringing Twilight Sparkle back from the gloom. “...okay, jeez, quit nodding off like that! You sure you got enough rest last night or somethin’?”

“Yes, it is quite concerning,” Sugarcoat said, nodding in agreement as the threesome walked in the massive sprawling expanse that was the Northgate Mall. “It does in fact worry me as well, and quite honestly makes me wonder if you are truly ready for today. If you want my opinion, you should go home and crawl up under the covers. Get some rest.”

“...oh relax, I’m sure she’s fine,” Lemon laughed, bags in her arms. Inside each one, a collection of vinyl records. “You worry too much, girlfriend. She’s probably thinking up some new invention, that’s all! Isn’t that right Twi?”

“Be that as it may, having your head in the clouds is hazardous to one’s health,” Sugarcoat admonished. “What if we had been at a crosswalk, and what if a car was coming? Twilight would have failed to notice it, and then she would be in the hospital. If she was lucky.”

“...wow, you just got real dark there,” Twilight deadpanned, finally speaking. “Way to sour the mood.”

“I am just being realistic,” Sugarcoat said. “You must be mindful of your surroundings of all times!”

Every moment was a teachable lesson for Sugarcoat, in her mind if you asked Twilight. Her fellow swordswoman always was instructing her on something, not that she actually minded per se. It was just… well, she at times wished the Swordswoman of Clear Waters would loosen up at times, relax and enjoy herself.

“...yeah, and you would know all about that wouldn’t you girl?” Twilight asked. “For years, you were stuck inside your own little world, running experiments and not caring for friends. To say nothing of your other focus…”

...Twilight was grateful for her new friends honestly, as after graduation they’d made it their mission to pull her out of her shell. To say nothing of redeeming themselves after how truly crappy they’d been to her at Crystal Prep.

“I am mindful!” Twilight scoffed. “I’m as mindful as can be!”

“I will hold you to that statement, Twi… Lemon!” Sugarcoat suddenly groaned seeing her friend seemingly engrossed in her phone. “...you’re supposed to be setting a good example! Not leading our friend astray!”

“I know, I know, it’s just… well, look!” Lemon babbled excitedly, practically shoving her phone in front of Sugarcoat’s face. “No, seriously, look! Like, wow! So much for sleepy little Seattle.”

“I’m not sure I’d ever call Seattle ‘sleepy’,” Twilight commented, snark seeping through her words. “Tech start up capital of the world and all, maybe drizzly and depressing but sleepy? Bit of a stretch isn’t it?”

Sugarcoat meanwhile, was reading the news report that Lemon was so eager to show her. “Shock and mystery, mysterious cryptid caught in the night by shop security camera.”

“It's a bit repetitive, isn't it?” Twilight commented. “Two uses of mystery. I know a few pre-readers who would have a connection at that!”

“Yeah, yeah, but that’s besides the point!” Lemon continued to babble. “A real live cryptid in our city! Crawling the streets! This is as badass as someone seeing Bigfoot!”

“...okay, firstly there’s no proof Bigfoot exists. All evidence is circumstantial and based on what people want to see,” Twilight tried to steer her away from this, recognizing the monster in the footage and knowing Sugarcoat did too. “Secondly, that footage is so grainy! It could be anything. Someone in a costume, maybe?”

“Hush, don’t ruin it for me with your facts and logic!” Lemon groaned. “This is huge, huge I tell you! Oh, I am so V-Logging about this later tonight! Oh, I hope it’s a real monster, maybe then we could have a real Kamen Rider to come and save us! Like maybe OOOs in Denver?”

Oh yes, that. Lemon had been over the moon when the first news of Kamen Rider OOOs had trickled down into Seattle. Sugarcoat and Twilight were stunned however, albeit for different reasons. Sugarcoat for a Rider operating so openly, and foolishly getting her identity exposed and Twilight simply for who the Rider was.

...honestly, with the way Lemon was hollering and shouting you’d have thought she was the Swordswoman of Sound. She almost did wield Suzune, actually, if not for another wielder having been found first.

“Great, more monsters,” Sugarcoat drawled, deadpan and dry as ever. “Haven’t we suffered enough in this state? We, after all, just cleared out that infestation of glitter coated rats that called themselves vampires.”

“Sugar, you made a funny!” Lemon laughed, wheezingly. “I didn’t know you could!”

“Well, I rarely get the chance, given you and your status as a walking joke is often funny enough.” Sugar drawled.

“Ooooch, that stings girl,” Lemon said, feigning offense. “It really does, you really know how to hurt a woman!”

Again, Twilight was sent rocketing back into another flashback…

“...ouch, that really hurts,” groaned out a younger Twilight, arms heavy with the weight of the blade. “...you’re really pushing me to my limit here….”

“You’ve got a long road ahead of you, Twilight, if you want to become a knight,” Searing said, kindly but withholding no illusions. Autumn leaves fell all around them, and rising out of the orange-tinted forest was a temple standing tall and proud. “The Swordsmen and women of Logos are the absolute best of the best. I will not send you to them at only half-skill. It would reflect badly on me, and it would put you in danger if you were not fully prepared.”

“But the Megid haven’t been seen in centuries,” Twilight remarked. “Not since the Great Battle!”

“We must always be prepared,” said Searing, around his waist not just a sword but tiny silver disks. For what purpose, his student had yet to figure out. “Now, come at me again with that Hydra decapitation strike! Let’s see what you can really do…”

“What I can really do, huh?” Twilight wondered as they stepped out into the winter cold, hand reaching for a phantom blade. “...I wonder, can you see me now Master?”

“Hey Twi, you okay?” Lemon asked. “You sound like you’re mumbling to yourself, again. And you look pretty damn tense, if you want my opinion.”

“S-Sorry, just worrying about an invention of mine. That’s all!” Twilight lied, she hated not telling her friend the full truth but the less she knew the better. The more who knew about the Megid, the more who were targeted. And she would never forgive herself if Lemon was ever caught up in her war.

“See? HA! I told you I was right,” Lemon crowed triumphantly doing a little victory dance to Sugar. “I was right~! I was right~!”

“Please stop, you’re making a fool of yourself,” Sugarcoat groaned. “I didn’t think it possible for you to get any more embarrassing, but here you are. Here you go!”

Lemon’s response? A childish: “Phbbbttt.”

“Yes, really mature,” Sugarcoat said before turning to Twilight. “You see why I said she is a living joke?”

Twilight’s response was to roll her eyes. “She means well.”

“Yes, but must she be so annoying in the process?” Sugarcoat grumbled.

“...just let her be,” Twilight mused. “Blissfully unaware of the creatures that lurk in the shadows.”

“Some days…” Sugarcoat replied. “I wonder if we should ever let her know the full story. She, at least, has a right to the truth.”

“No, I don’t want to put her in danger,” Twilight said, gripping for that phantom blade again as she thought of them. “The Megid want to get to us, best we never give them an opening.”

“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet,” Sugarcoat whispered. “Matthew 24:6.”

“I didn’t know you were…” Twilight whispered back in shock.

“Religious?” Sugarcoat finished. “...yes, well, when your enemy is called the Megiddo, it does have a way of changing you.”

“You can’t know that they’re really… well, you know. Signs,” Twilight commented. “For all we know they were named that way by some edgelord emperor who thought he was being cute.”

Sugarcoat chuckled. “The Christian and the Atheist, we do make quite a pair don’t we?”

“...speaking of pairs, I can’t believe you got a certain book in your collection. Nothing good ever came out of it!”

“Well, apart from fun werewolf fantasies,” Sugarcoat drawled, somewhat shameless in this regard.

“Counter argument: 50 Shades of Grey started life as Twilight fanfiction and now we’re all paying the price,” Twilight drawled. “...that book is an abomination and should be burned to ash. Waste of perfectly good paper, my mom reads that crap and I’m fittingly traumatized by that.”

“Oh, do I pity you but I also have a counter argument: We got one of the greatest horror stories of all time,” Sugarcoat pointed out.

“...well, you’re not wrong there,” Twilight muttered in admitted agreement. “Though honestly, Twilight by itself is scary enough!”

“Oh come on guys, you’re falling behind!” Lemon called, pulling them out of their musings. Shouting to them, she gestured for the two Knights in Training to follow. “Keep up! Last one to the bus station has to buy the losers pizza! The extra greasy kind!”

“...well, I’m not going to be the one to buy us all fattening food!” Sugarcoat said, suddenly not at all bothered by the cold as she ran off.

“Hey, no fair!” Twilight whined, before with a groan, she ran after her.

“Hey, no fair!” a younger Twilight whined as she and her master galloped through the forest on horseback. “You didn’t say we’d be doing this today! I wasn’t prepared, I didn’t bring the proper books!”

“Sometimes, my student,” said Searing, calm as the two thundered through the forest. His horse took a running leap over a fallen log, his sword Rekka strapped to the side. “You must take your nose out of your books, and just live in the real world!”

“Ironic, considering where we draw our powers from!” Twilight called, trying oh so desperately not to fall off her galloping steed. “But I see your point, besides I’ve always wanted to learn to ride a horse! It does come with being a knight after all!”

“That’s the spirit,” Searing called back.

“Next thing you know, I’ll be learning to slay dragons!”

“Do not joke about the matter,” Searing Steel said sternly, “Dragons are no laughing matter, and the last thing you would want to do is approach one with any element of cockiness.”

“Oh… okay…” Twilight swallowed hard.

“So… who won?” Lemon asked, as the bus trundled home. “Who’s buying who pizza?”

“Not me!” Both Twilight and Sugarcoat said at once.

“A knight must have the proper diet!” thought Sugarcoat.

“Well, clearly, one of you lost the run! Man, Indigo would be so ashamed of you all right now. You were both slowpokes!” Lemon laughed.

“Yes, well, you cheated,” Twilight argued. “You didn’t even give us the 3, 2, 1!”

“Eh,” Lemon shrugged. “That would have taken all the fun out of it!”

“...that’s one way to put it,” Sugarcoat said, with a distinct and noticeable eye roll. “I agree with Twilight, you play dirty Zest.”

“It’s all in the spirit of competition!” Lemon said. “Can you blame me, I was pretty much born to win!”

“...I swear, I don’t know why you and Indigo haven’t started dating,” Sugarcoat commented. “You’re two of a kind!”

“She’s not wrong.” Twilight agreed. “...but yeah, born to win alright. God, we were raised so terribly, we didn’t even know what we were doing until it was too late.”

“Hey, shh, enough of that,” Lemon said budging up next to her. “We made up, we cried, we realized how stupid we were. All’s in the past.”

“Yeah, all’s in the past…” Twilight mused, thinking of her own past. One of swords, and corrupted magic suddenly gone wild. “If only we knew what Crystal Prep’s real purpose was, namely one of several schools to find the newest candidates for the Sword of Logos. The highest scoring students would be given an offer. It’s just that everything worked out that little too well…”

In her head, mad laughter and chaos given form as the barriers between worlds were ruptured. And then a bright light, warm and comforting. A few days later, Sugarcoat was the first to apologize and prostrated herself before Twilight, Nagare in hand. She said, and here Twilight would never forget the words: “My deepest apologies, Swordswoman of Flames. I am not worthy of my sword.”

“Yeah, enough reminiscing. Enough of the heavy stuff, let’s talk about the here and now, eh?” Lemon suggested.

“An admirable subject change,” Sugarcoat acknowledged.

“I do try!” Lemon laughed before slinging an arm around her friend. “So Twi, how goes life? Like, uh, heard you were grinding for an internship at some new company that arrived here in Seattle right? Oh… I forgot the name but it’s Japanese right?”

“Hiden Industries,” Twilight confirmed. “It’s a respectable company, blazing forth a new trail in the fields of robotics. They say their materials are of a secret Hiden metal, it’s high quality.”

“Ugh, puns. The lowest form of humor!” Sugarcoat groaned, the the Indonesian girl rolling her eyes.

“Heh, trust the egghead amongst us to go for the robots!” Lemon teased. “So when am I getting my own personal mecha, eh?”

“And a reaction like that is exactly why you’re not getting one!” Twilight thought.

“I mean, I heard they made them right? Gigers, isn’t that what they’re called? Oh man, at least you didn’t apply for ZAIA Enterprises,” Lemon said, before sucking in a breath. “The things I’ve heard about their CEO…? Yowzers!”

“I was… unlucky enough to meet Mr. Amatsu once,” Sugarcoat mused. “He was an… interesting individual.”

“The way you say interesting sounds like you’re underselling it a bit,” Lemon remarked. “Just a tad.”

“Alright, I admit it. His ego is way too big,” Sugarcoat said. “And he pushes his employees way too hard, always asking them to go for 1000%. Even if that were possible, I would not want to work under the man.”

“Gee, he sounds like such a swell Gai this Guy!” Lemon punned, prompting a groan from Sugar. “...what?”

“You’re terrible,” Sugarcoat said, without hesitation.

“Thank you, thank you,” Lemon laughed in a mock bow. “I’ll be here all night!”

“...well, if it drives Sugar up the wall a bit I’m hardly complaining,” Twilight thought. “Though I think it prudent Lemon and Hiden Aruto never meet! At all!”

With a sigh, she settled in and decided to watch the show. Namely, Lemon and Sugarcoat’s usual bickering.

“You just don’t understand the glory that is the pun, you’re a pun hater. Pun hater! You just want to be a glutton for pun-ishment!” Lemon mocked.

“No, I just have higher standards for humor. Puns are wordplay, rarely if ever cleverly thought out,” Sugarcoat said, adjusting her glasses. “They are the simplest form of humor.”

“Well, duh! Why do you think they work so well then?” Lemon challenged. “Admit it, you’re just too scared to make one, I bet if you tried the words wouldn’t even be able to come out of your mouth! You’re just chicken, buck buck buck! I found a new word for chicken! Sugarcoat! Yeah!”

“...and I wonder why we’re even friends,” Sugarcoat the chicken sighed. “You think you’re so clever don’t you?”

“Actually, yeah!”

Eventually, even this lost its humor and a book called her. Several, actually as soon as she could Sugarcoat summoned Twilight for a training session.

“You’re off-task today, spacing out as Lemon put it,” the Swordswoman of Clear Waters stated bluntly, placing a rather large book in her driver. “I aim to test if you’re still worthy of your blade. Wash away sins with cleansing waters, Nagare. Henshin.”

“Nagare, battou! Rhyming! Riding! Rider! Welcome the Beast King! Rising! Lifull! King Lion Daisenki! In other words, the artillery warrior!”

“Well then, you won’t be disappointed,” Twilight said with a bow as she drew her sword even as technological-themed armor coated her friend. “Blaze forth to a new story, Rekka! Hen… shin!”

“Rekka, battou! The Loving Dragon! The Valorous Dragon! The Proud Dragon! Emotional Dragon! Divine Beasts, Unite! These feelings are overflowing...!”

The burning crimson flame went against the flowing aquamarine waters, blades meeting in a shower of sparks.

Twilight pulled away, and rolled to the left even as Nagare slashed forwards sending a wave of water towards her. Her blade glowed as she leaped forwards, slicing through the waters before falling into a diving kick.

“Clever, but that won’t stop me!” Sugarcoat, AKA Kamen Rider Blades said, raising her sword to meet her enemy’s boot. She watched Saber flip backwards, and leveled her blade at her. “You still have much to learn, Swordswoman of Flames! If you ever hope to stop me, you must be strong! Resolute! Unforgiving!”

She punctuated each word with a slash, the three strikes not doing any real damage but they were enough for Twilight to get the point.

“Prove you’re worthy of your blade,” Sugarcoat said. “Prove it was not a mistake to give you that sword!”

Twilight saw red, locking blades with Sugar again.

“Good, better!” Sugarcoat praised, the lion-like Rider seeing her spirit now. She knew what she had to say was cruel, but it was what Twilight needed to hear to bring out her true power. Her drive. “That’s much better!”

Twilight let out a growl, stepping forwards and pushing Sugarcoat back with her own blade. Rekka burned with a determination, ready to snuff out evil wherever it hid. And as Twilight knew better than most, there was great evil hidden away in the world…

In any event, out came the Boosters, with a book of shining delight placed in Sugarcoat’s own. The lion ordained by royalty went forth!

“One reading! Sparking Vampire Twilight! Tansan Burst!”

Water burst forth, like bullets and it was all Twilight -the woman, not the book- could do to slash them apart. Water turned to steam on her blade, even as Rekka’s owner charged forwards scanning a book upon the blade.

“Osha Jizou San, mm-hm!”

“Two, reading! Tsuki no Hime Kaguyan! Mix Burst!”

Stone statues dropped from the sky, even as a tidal wave swept them away. Both Saber and Blades leaped forwards, their swords meeting in a shower of sparks. The weapons ground against each other even as the two jumped into the nearby woodland breaking apart once their boots touched the ground.

Into the trees they scattered, balls of fire and water meeting again and again. The forest was now coated in a fine mist, and it was only due to the sensors inside their helmets that the two Knights in Training could truly see.

Blades stormed out of the mist, sword drawn and Twilight ducked under the slash even as a tree came toppling down. She jumped, bounding off another tree’s trunk and met Blades’ blade. The two weapons ground against each other, Twilight twisting her arm in an attempt to disarm Sugarcoat.

“I don’t think so!” cried the blue knight, elbowing her in the face. Twilight staggered, left open for a sword slash. Sparks coated the misty forest floor, footprints left in the white snow. Sugar spun, and turned ready for another slash only for Rekka to meet her blade.

“If you think I’m going down that easy… think again!” Twilight said. “You’re right, I was given this blade and I intend to prove myself worthy of it!”

Blocking another slash with her shield, she stood her ground even as Blades used her shoulder cannons to launch globs of water at her. The Indonesian techno-knight would not give in, intent on proving she was the superior swordswoman. Twilight powered through the onslaught, her shield her protection.

Clad in crimson armor, she was the Swordswoman of Flames and she knew her title would stay hers. It had to. Otherwise, how could she draw him out, and defeat him? He would only challenge the wielder of Rekka and finish that battle he fought long ago. Viciously gripping her sword, Twilight lunged.

“I don’t think so!” cried Sugarcoat, Nagare meeting her blade. “Trust me, Twilight, there is plenty more where that came from. You have never beaten me before, and that will not change today.”

“We’ll see!”

“Yes,” Sugarcoat answered. “We shall.”

“Kouchuu Yuugi Blade Issatsu Geki! Water!”

But instead of water, came blue lightning at sonic speed. Nagare rushed forth, Rekka meeting it in a spectacular show of power. Blades drove her blade into the earth, and Twilight whirled out of the way even with her heavy cladding. Just in time too, as a blue bolt erupted from out of the snow.

“Previous Riders? Really?” Twilight asked, disbelievingly.

“They are stories too,” Sugarcoat replied. “All is permitted short of us actually killing the other.”

“In that case…” Twilight grinned under her helmet.

“Densetsu Shinjuu! Hissatsu Geki! Fire!”

“King Lion Issatsu Geki! Water!”

The two Riders leaped forwards, ready to knock out the other with their respective Rider Kick. Energy gathered in their boots, each Rider slamming into the other and a burst of energy toppled over trees like toothpicks. Finally, all was quiet and neither stood victorious with armor fading away.

“You… you did good, but that still wasn’t a victory.” Sugarcoat panted out.

“Yes, let’s call it a draw…” Twilight agreed.

“And an impressive one at that,” came another voice, as into the clearing stepped another Sword. Hayato Fukamiya, the Swordsman of Shadows. “You two grow stronger every day.”

“You remind me of my son, both of you,” Hayato commented as the two exhausted Knights in Training followed him back. “Always determined to better yourselves, and aces with your blades.”

“Well, I should think we should be,” Sugarcoat said. “We both have devoted our life and soul to the sword.”

And as they passed through a portal, crossing time and space to the other side of the world, Sugarcoat couldn’t help but spare a glance to her fellow swordswoman.

“Some of us…” she mused of her. “More than others.”

And from Seattle, to Japan they arrived on top of Tokyo, in one of the richest apartments you could buy. Normally reserved for princes and oil barons, the Sword of Logos could spare the funds for it’s best warriors. And truly, Hayoto’s devotion to the blade was on display with multiple swords on the walls and books of great knowledge stacked neatly near them.

“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Sugarcoat continued to think.

They placed their swords next to Kurayami, the blade of shadows. Even now, it seemed to pulsate with dark energy, and seemingly peer into your very soul and judge you. There were always rumors, of course about the Sacred Sword of Shadows. About how it had always been a little bit different from the other blades, bordering on alive. Sugarcoat had never put much faith in those stories of course, as even in a world of magic how could it possibly be? ...or rather, did she even want the rumors to be true?

Honestly, the Swordswoman of Clear Waters wasn’t really sure…

While night had fallen in Seattle, here in Tokyo the afternoon was only just beginning. From deep black skies to clear blue. From the Space Needle piercing the night, to the Tokyo Tower breaching the day.

Twilight let out a low whistle. “...to quote a certain movie, we’ve spared no expense! Like, uh… I mean I’m not exactly a lower class lout but compared to this? I feel like I’m slumming it!”

“Well, only the best for the Sword of Logos’ best,” Sugarcoat observed. “Master Hayato has earned his place at the table, which we may someday yet earn ourselves if we can prove to be masters of the blade. However, hold no illusions, Twilight, that shall never be easy.”

“Yeah, I’ve worked that out,” Twilight said, eying a TV that displayed the idol group known only as Franchouchou working it on stage. “...my sores have sores, my bruises have bruises. Did you have to go so far?”

“Yes, I did, for if you are not up to snuff then you shall never be worthy of your blade,” Sugarcoat said, blunt as always with Twilight flushing a beet red. “Also, I find it curious that Master Hayato is interested in idol groups of all things. I never knew he was interested in Kawaii.”

“We all have our hidden passions,” Hayato said, peeking his head back in. “Though really, if you want to talk behind someone’s back, make sure they are not in the room first!”

Sugarcoat looked ashamed, bowing in apology while Twilight snickered a little.

“So why did you bring us all the way out here?” Twilight had to ask. “Is there something we’re missing?”

“The Sword of Logos meets tonight, and I apologize for not notifying you ahead of time but I only now just found out myself truth be told,” Hayato explained somewhat embarrassed. “...honestly, I’m worried. I don’t quite know what’s going on, but Lady Sophia seemed to be… incredibly worried. The last time something like this happened…”

He trailed off, obviously about to say something but decided against it as he stroked his beard in thought. Internally, his thoughts were focused on what happened the last time a meeting had been called this hurriedly. “If it’s what I think it is, I really hope Lady Sophia knows what she’s doing. Yes, Twilight has a right to the truth, but all the same I worry about what she’s going to do. No, I must have faith in her, and believe she will do the right thing.”

Sugarcoat eyed her fellow Knight, looking suspicious. “What’s he keeping from us? ...or, no. That’s not right. What’s he keeping from Twilight?”

She had noticed the worried glances he sent Twilight, that thankfully the woman herself seemed to miss.

“Unless… yes, that has to be it. He has been sighted again, hasn’t he? Oh, this will not turn out well. Master Hayato now has two options. Keep this secret from Twilight and hope she isn’t angry with him when she inevitably does find out or B, tell her the truth and hope she doesn’t do anything rash. Not very good options if you ask me.”

Normally, the Swordswoman of Flames was calm and cool under pressure. However, there was one thing in this world that ignited her like an inferno. That man, and while he hadn’t been seen in years Sugarcoat held no illusions that one day her arch-enemy would appear again. Power was seductive like that, and Sugarcoat also suspected that that man desired the ultimate duel. And only the welder of Rekka could give it to him.

“Revenge, the most worthless of causes,” Sugarcoat thought to herself. “I hope Twilight one day soon realizes the same thing that I have. Yes, that man must be stopped for the good of humanity but living vicariously for vengeance? Well, that’s not living at all is it?”

There was a reason, Sugarcoat surmised, that Twilight’s chief book was called Emotional Dragon. She’d heard the stories of course, that it was an evolution of another book but had never been able to confirm that fact for herself.

In any event…

“Mhmm, you’re a good cook!” said Ryo Ogami, another one of the Swordsmen over dinner. “You’ve got to give me your recipe, like I’m certain Sora would love this!”

“It’s a family secret,” Hayato said, taking a sip of his noodles. “If I gave it up, well now it wouldn’t be a secret anymore now would it?”

“You could at least tell me how you brought out the flavor!” Ryo asked.

“You might say it was done… like lightning,” Hayato remarked with a chuckle.

“...Oh, I see!” Ryo laughed, his truly massive greatsword resting on the wall behind him. “You’re a clever bastard!”

“Using Ikazuchi to help cook,” Sugarcoat commented. “How wonderfully mundane.”

“Bah, anyways,” Ryo shrugged gently sliding his bowl to the side. “You know why we were even called here? Lady Sophia didn’t seem too keen to explain over the phone.”

“Quite honestly, she wasn’t too talkative with me either,” Hayato replied. “I’m beginning to get worried.”

“All will be revealed, in time,” Sugarcoat said. “It’s useless to get worked up over things that may turn out to be nothing at all.”

Truth be told, she doubted her own words. If Lady Sophia refused to explain over the phone to Mr. Ogami or Master Hayato, it definitely worried her as well.

“Eh? Nothing at all you say?” Ryo asked, adjusting himself. “You really think it’s nothing to be worried about?”

“I’m sure everything’s fine,” Twilight agreed, though if you listened closely you could detect a notion of suspicion in her tone. Now that she thought about it, Master Hayato seemed to be awfully tense all throughout dinner… “Sugarcoat’s right, we shouldn’t get worried. Not yet at least. It may be nothing, she may just wanted to come ask us about our lives!”

“Do you really believe that?” Ryo asked. “...well, maybe you’re right. I don’t see the Swordswoman of Echoes nor the Swordsman of Wind here so maybe everything’s okay!”

“...no, Lady Vinyl said she had a concert she couldn’t miss and to just text her the details,” Hayato shook his head.

Yeah, Lady Vinyl. That sometimes took a bit of getting used to, Twilight mused. Especially when you’d gone to high school with the woman. She was definitely not Noble material! Nor did she ever pretend to be!

“...while Ren is on a training retreat, deep in the forests of Yakushima Island. We won’t be able to reach him for days. ...sometimes I really wished that boy owned a phone.” Hayato shook his head.

“Nah, he’ll never own one. Not while he has those disk animals that he loves so much,” Ryo shook his head. “I must admit, I can see the appeal. The Takeshi group creating them was really a stroke of genius, I wonder what their secret is…”

“We may never know, they don’t seem keen on talking,” Hayato mused leaning back. “Do they?”

Twilight was in the bathroom when Lady Sophia arrived, much to her embarrassment. But nonetheless, she did overhear the tail end of the conversation.

“...we really should tell her, you know,” Sugarcoat said, with her fellow Knight in Training pressing herself to the door, curiosity overtaking her. “Lying and keeping secrets does no one good!”

“Yes, but in this case I think it’s prudent! She doesn’t need to know,” said Mr. Ogami. “If she finds out that he is active again, what will she do? Ever since that day her emotions have ruled her! ...Kamen Rider Falchion, he struck at our heart, but she was the most affected alas.”

Twilight gasped, no it couldn’t be. He was back? Her fists clenched, tightly with her knuckles white.

“Damn him!”

“In any event, Twilight or no, we have to recover that page of the Codex before he does! The Knights Templar did a wise thing, hiding away the missing pages of the Devil’s Bible,” Mr. Ogami said. “But eventually, all secrets must come to light.”

“Yes, they must eventually do!”

“Honestly, I think Twilight has a right to know,” Sugarcoat said. “Yes, she’s reckless but better to keep an eye on her than risk her anger by hiding this fact from her. Kamen Rider Falchion, she can’t possibly hope to face him alone. Not after… You know.”

“We’ll see about that, won’t we?” Twilight thought to herself, grabbing Rekka.

“Those diggers in Acre don’t know what they found,” Hayato said. “And it’s best they never do. We have to recover that page!”

“No, not we,” Twilight thought to herself, opening a portal. “Just me.”

The flames finally died out, with Falchion chuckling as he finally found the object of his desires. Gripping the dark book in his hands, he opened it. Dark energy pulsed upon its opening, with the Rider nearly knocked to his feet and the book growling out its purpose.

“Jaou Dragon! Release the power hidden by many dragons clad in the darkness of ultimate evil. In short, the dark dragon messenger invades! No one can escape…”

Shutting the jasper-shaded book, his armor faded away to reveal an ancient evil. A fallen emperor of a long forgotten realm, Sombra now wielded the blade of nothingness, Mumeiken Kyomu. And now he was once step closer to regaining his former power.

His latest victim lay behind him, battered and broken.

“So, what was that about hope?” Sombra laughed.

“Master!” Twilight cried, running over to Searing and shaking him. “Please, you’ve got to get up, and stop him!”

“Nobody can stop me now, little squire,” said Sombra. “Your master tried, and credit where it’s due he pushed me farther than anyone else has before. But in the end in, it’s all for naught. In the end, the only thing that matters is the fall of shadows. That’s all there is to it.”

“I… I will stop you!” Twilight declared, tears in her eyes.

“Yes, you will most certainly try,” Sombra said, handing Rekka to her. “I look forwards to meeting you one day in the thrill of combat. Until then… Goodbye for now.”

And he laughed, his greatest foe vanquished and leaving a student broken and brimming with rage.

And she struck, transforming into a draconic warrior but Sombra easily caught her blade. With one kick, he knocked her out of her transformation. “Don’t try and get up, at least not yet. You’re nowhere near my level, little squire.”

And Twilight sobbed, and a book was transformed now telling not of a knight but of three dragons brimming with emotion.

Author's Note

Okay, so yeah, I've been sitting on this idea for a while and working out how to do it exactly. (And thank Fruit Jesus that the Rider wiki has actual translations for the Ride Books)

Now, don't worry, this isn't one of those stories I plan to leave unfinished. ...okay, I say that with every story but this time I have a plan? For weeks I've been working on chapters in my spare time. Like, I said to myself I wouldn't put this up until I had at least five chapters done.

And so I do. With luck, these should go up weekly feeding you while I work on the remaining pieces of this miniseries. See, I know what I'm doing.

This is going to be fun. Like, I'm enjoying the logical conclusion of this idea, like Twilight and a book-themed Rider go together so well. Has no one else really done this yet? That's... surprising I think.

(Not even trying for fame on this one, this is just for fun!)

Volume 2: Beneath the Streets, a Secret

The Codex Gigas was an interesting piece of literature by anyone’s standards, given how impossibly huge it was requiring two adults to just turn a single page. While it’s exact origins were shrouded in myth, it was generally believed to have been transcribed Benedictine monastery of Podlažice, in Bohemia in the early part of the 13th century.

It also went by another name, the Devil’s Bible. Why soon became clear if you looked at it, as one page was a full spread depiction of his Satanic Majesty. On the other, a depiction of heaven creating a juxtaposition of Good and Evil. This tied into the legend behind the book’s creation, as everything about it felt… unnatural, due to impossibly uniform writing.

The legend went that a mad monk named Herman the Recluse committed unspeakable acts, and either he was to be walled up alive or he was to write all of human knowledge in one night. Now, obviously, this was an impossible act so he enacted a deal with Lucifer thus committing his soul not to heaven but to hell.

The ultimate tome of mystery, it had been passed around through several owners and wherever it went disaster followed. Nowadays, it was on loan to the Czech National Library and so far… so good, right?

Right?

“...oh boy, those diggers have no idea what they’ve truly stumbled across,” Twilight mused, brushing away the dirt from the lost page. Behind her, a portal closed and sealed itself away in one of her books. “...the Knights Templar did a good thing, hiding away these missing pages. The legend is true, at least to some extent. This book is an evil thing, a cursed object and the spells hidden in it were safety spirited away so that they may never be completed.”

She had to get this out of here, before…

“But now they shall.”

...before he showed up.

“I see the little squire’s all grown up,” Sombra said, his voice deep and almost soothing in a way. Reassuring, like a purr. But that was all an act, Twilight knew. Beneath the surface lay a monster just waiting to erupt like a volcano. “I admire that, you came all the way here, to Acra to try and foil my plan. Bravo. And you brought Rekka with you, so that must mean you’re going to attempt to stop me!”

“Sombra,” Twilight said, gripping her driver as it wrapped itself around her waist. Rekka was sheathed inside it, ready to be drawn. “You… You killed my master. I will avenge him today.”

“You will most certainly try,” Sombra chuckled in a low tone, his driver appearing from the void encased in darkness. Like Twilight, his own sword was sheathed inside it ready to be drawn in an instance. “But as ever, you will fail. Many swordsmen have fallen before me, you will not be the last. I am the Immortal Swordsman, you are merely nothing. No mere man can kill me.”

“Well, it is a good thing I’m not a man isn’t it? Blaze forth to a new story, Rekka,” Twilight said drawing her blade. “Hen… shin!”

And Sombra drew his.

“Burn away the path to this new world and blaze eternally Kyomu,” Sombra said slowly, drawing his sword and gripping the blade in his hands tightly enough for it to cut into him and draw blood. “Henshin.”

“Rekka, battou! Tornado Dragon Eagle! Extra Book! Osha Jizou San! Two Rekka Books! A raging pterosaur that burns everything with a hellish flame!”

“Draw a sword! Eternal Phoenix! Void! The jet-black sword returns to nothing.”

Eagle clashed with phoenix in the partially uncovered church, hidden deep beneath the streets of Acra. Fire erupted from Twilight’s blade upon transformation, coating the makeshift arena around them in a ring of fire.

The blades ground against each other, nothingness meeting fire. Sombra’s ultimately superior strength soon began to win out, pushing his opponent back into the flame, before his sword pulsated with a dark energy. Grinning under his helmet as Kyomu began swallowing up the flames, the black knight said this.

“It is impossible to win, I have the experience of the ages and you… you’re just barely beginning to walk young squire. Go back to your little pointless job, in your little pointless city in your little pointless life. Words will not save this world. Everything dies in the end, and is swallowed up by the void.”

Twilight’s back was against the wall, the blades still interlocked and steel meeting steel.

“So, little dragon,” Sombra asked. “What will you do? Will you take my advice, and wisely decide to head home to live what’s left of your life? Or will you stand and face me, in the ultimate folly.”

“What…” Twilight said, slamming her boot into the wall behind her. “...do you think?”

Pushing herself off it, she flipped overhead and landed behind him. Sombra, with a growl whirled around to meet her blade forcibly shoving it down into her armor with Kyomu.

Twilight let out a scream of pain, her sword beginning to slip from her grasp and Sombra pressed his advantage. He cut into her, slashing into her shoulder.

“You do have some tricks, but…” Sombra stood over her, his blade still lodged in her shoulder. “But only just a few. I meanwhile… Have everything. The void swallows all, but every now and again it allows an escape.”

And with that, he released his stored fire sending Twilight flying back with an eruption of flame. Rekka flew from her grip, lodging itself in a nearby pillar even as Sombra charged out of the inferno.

“FACE FRONT TWILIGHT SPARKLE, KAMEN RIDER SABER!” he roared, raising his sword over his head and pulsating with dark power. Slashing downwards, the swordsman thundered out: “Fight me, or be stricken down like all those who came before!”

Twilight raised her gauntlet, allowing herself to catch his blade in between the small little figures that jutted out of it. Each depicted the soul of a lost child, in fitting with the Jizou legend. And then she shoved her arm upwards, and Sombra staggered, almost losing his grip on his blade. It was then Twilight thrust her arm outwards, each little figure opening his or her mouth.

As Sombra was bombarded with spiritual fire, Twilight advanced before grabbing her sword.

“Hgnh…” Sombra said, picking himself out of the dirt. “Clever, but you won’t catch me by surprise like that again. Does your soul still burn Twilight Sparkle? I know mine still does!”

Saber’s eyes widened.

“Impossible, after an attack like that he shouldn’t be standing nearly as well as he is! But… Is it true? Is he really immortal? No, it can’t be true. I’ll just have to up the ante then!”

At this, she activated her finisher. “Brave Dragon, Storm Eagle, Osha Jizou San! Sansatsu Geki! F-F-F-Fire!"

Leaping forwards, she slipped into a diving kick slamming into Sombra. He staggered back, and she flipped in midair slamming her boot into his shoulder via an equally powerful axe kick.

“You…” Twilight whispered, landing on the earth. “...will be surprised when your sword lays broken from just my fiery soul. I decide how this story ends. Not you.”

And Sombra started chuckling, picking himself up off the ground as Twilight took a few steps back in horrified silence. No, it was impossible, she hit him with two finishers one after the other! And still he rose… like a phoenix from the ashes.

“Is that what you believe?” Sombra said trudging forwards, blade still in hand seemingly impossible to remove. “Again I rise. Again I march forwards to conquer. When I’ve obtained the ultimate power, I ask you, what kind of world do you think will be reflected in my eyes?”

“I won’t let you, everyone has to die sometime. You’ve lived too long, power has corrupted you,” Twilight said, keeping a steady grip on Rekka despite her fear. She was a Knight, a member of the Sword of Logos and she would hold her ground against this seemingly unstoppable foe! “I shall finally lay you to rest.”

“I was born in the fires of battle, and the void of chaos left after it. Every war leaves behind a seed of sadness you know?” Sombra remarked. “In time, it matures and I arose from the chaos to put a shattered kingdom back together. But they rejected me! And cast me out.”

Twilight dodged his swing by leaping atop some rubble, before managing to slash him across the side. She swung again, only for her opponent to grab her blade in his hand.

“A foolish endeavor, I was the only thing to save them. If you want to run away then just leave this battle, it’s not easy to make your dreams come true. Especially if your dream is to kill me. The unkillable. Everyone aims for a future they wish for.”

He slashed, Twilight diving beneath the strike and sliding in the dirt before spinning and taking to the skies upon ruby wings.

“And the future that I wish for is one without you in it!” Twilight roared, diving towards him with blade alight. Sombra raised Kyomu, holding back her sword with it.

“My future… the one that I wish for,” Sombra said. “It is one where everyone can live without despair, in harmony and as equals.”

“Like hell!” Twilight said, lining up to kick him in the stomach. She heard Sombra let out an furious cry of pain, and then slashed him across the stomach.

“It’s true though,” the Dark King continued to pontificate. “I only wish to rebuild my kingdom, lead the world into a great new age with me front and center! Won’t it be glorious?”

As their blades clashed, Twilight uttered: “I doubt it.”

“Oh, it’s alright,” Sombra said, leading her on a chase through the tunnels. “Your vision is limited!”

“I can see just fine, thank you!” Twilight shouted back, the two emerging into a huge underground water storage tank somewhere beneath the modern-day streets. Several others lay beyond, through very small openings. They had very little room to move, right now and she hated it. “You are the blind one.”

Twilight ran up a wall, leaving scorch marks behind her in her fury even as Sombra followed. Their blades met again and again as they ran, before finally Sombra summoned a phoenix. With fiery force, the massive bird rammed her and sent her flying into the opposing wall spiderweb-style cracks rupturing out from where she landed.

Her armor was covered in burns and dented in some places from the sheer power that her opponent exuded. Twilight leaped forwards, even as Sombra did the same with swords meeting in mid-flight. But the lock was broken, the current Kamen Rider Saber leaping upwards and kicking her opponent square in the face.

His armor cracked from the blow, but did not break and Sombra rocketed upwards throwing a hand around Twilight’s throat. Once again, she found herself slammed into a wall, Sombra impaling her with his blade. She felt her life began to burn away, growing weaker with each passing moment.

“I… I have to do something, but…” Twilight thought, feeling her hold on life began to slip away. Her blade dropped to the floor with a clatter. Her vision began to blur, with Sombra’s orange helm just a faint shade of peach now. “...but what? Master Searing, I’m sorry, but I failed you. I couldn’t stop him, I couldn’t avenge you!”

Moments flashed by, her life going before her eyes. Smiling faces, warmth and light replaced by only the cold. Her blood began turning to ice. And then? “Take my hand, Twilight. Let me show you there's another way... just like someone once did for me.”

Love. Pure unadulterated love for every little thing on this earth, welcoming it all. Warmth and fire, rising from the ashes like a phoenix to help all of those who needed it. It was her… Not just Searing that inspired her to finish her training and become a true Knight of Logos. And Twilight’s soul was now filled with that same light, and her foot launched forwards.

Sombra dropped to the floor with a howl of pain, even as his blade clattered to the earth next to him.

“...you think you can stop me?” Twilight asked replacing one group of books for another set of stories. “My soul is burning with resolve right now. Now let’s blaze forth to a new story! HENSHIN!”

“Rekka battou! The Loving Dragon! The Valorous Dragon! The Proud Dragon! Emotional Dragon! Divine Beasts, Unite! These feelings are overflowing...!”

With both sword and shield in hand, she charged forwards glowing with gold light. With each slash, she summoned a dragon of energy to strike at Sombra, and chased him into the next room.

“Where did you get this power?” Sombra asked, dodging another summoned dragon. Twilight waved her sword like a conductor’s baton, directing an entire orchestra of emotion. “Was it from him?”

“No, it’s from my resolve…” growled out Twilight chasing him into another room. “TO DEFEAT YOU!”

“Emotional Hissatsu Geki!”

Rekka declared this, sending a massive dragon hurtling towards Sombra. He grinned.

“Your resolve eh?” he asked, enveloping the room and the gold light in a dark void. “LET’S TEST THAT!”

When the shadows faded, they were in another corridor, wooden planks beneath their feet creaking and groaning with every step. Lights illuminated their path, reflecting on their blades and making them shine brightly. The light was dampened somewhat, however, by the book that Sombra brought out.

“Jaou Musou Giri!”

He too sent dragons towards his foe, letting them wrap and ensnare around her like snakes. The shadowy serpents bit into her, snapping at her armor and pulling at it attempting to tear it away and expose the vulnerable human inside.

“Now… for this.” Sombra said re-sheathing and then unsheathing his sword for a finisher.

“Eternal Phoenix Musou Geki!”

“You…” Sombra said, summoning dark flame around his sword. “Will be a sacrifice for the greater good. My greater good. It is over, do not resist.”

And then he struck, but to his surprise his blade hit only empty air.

“WHAT?”

Twilight laughed, and Sombra whirled around to see her holding a ride book themed after The Tale of the Gallant Jiraiya sucking in air. “A simple matter, it was easy to clone myself with ninja technique. Ren isn’t the only one who’s cornered the market on such things.”

“Clever,” Sombra admitted with a chuckle. “So you can think ahead.”

“Tactical planning never fails. Smart is the new sexy,” Twilight grinned under her helmet. “And what was it you said? Oh yes, it is over and do not resist. It is indeed over, for you anyways.”

As she readied to scan Emotional Dragon again, Sombra suddenly began chuckling.

“Why’s he laughing?” Twilight through worriedly. “What’s so funny?”

“You’re quite right, actually. Smart is the new sexy, but you’re not the only one who can plan ahead,” Sombra remarked. “You see, I had a thought. There was the possibility you could beat me, and stop my plan before it comes to fruition. I’m sorry, but I can’t allow that.”

“What did you do?” Twilight asked in a low tone.

“Oh, it’s not what I did,” Sombra replied, circling her like a vulture, or indeed a furious phoenix. “But it’s what some friends in some very high places did. It pays to make connections, really. I’d get going, if I were you. I think you can start to hear the screams.”

“What?”

And screams there were, as in the streets above as what looked to be a dragon and a druid walked through the ancient pathways in each hand holding blackened and charred books. Upon their opening, duck-like monsters spilled out of the pages.

“Well, it’s about to get completely quackers around here, isn’t it?” one of the duck megid mocked. “Let’s get quacking!”

“Oh no, they speak in puns,” Storious, looking like a druid but with the mind of a devil said in a frankly bored, uninterested tone. “Duck puns at that, however will we survive?”

As their white-feathered army set about kidnapping people and throwing them into white books, the dragonic Legeiel rolled his eyes. “...personally, I thought we should have used goblins. Much more interesting, and much more entertaining. I bet that furball is over the moon that you’re using his speciality.”

Indifferent to Legeiel’s grumblings, Storious smirked. “Whatever gets the job done, and in any event we’re just a distraction anyways.”

“A distraction huh?” Legeiel asked, sounding a bit furious but staying mostly composed. “You really think that idiot Sombra or Falchion or whatever he calls himself really has a good plan?”

“He does have lofty ideals, yes,” Storious agreed with a nod. “But if his plan works, the Swords of Logos will be history.”

“He takes too long,” Legeiel grumbled. “Much better to have instant results!”

“Now now,” Storious commented, smiling a satanic grin as he held a black book of spells. “Let’s see how all of this plays out eh?”

“Agreed,” Legeiel admitted. “The Sword of Logos isn’t the only group who knows how powerful words are!”

“Indeed…”

“What have you done?” Twilight demanded, her hands shaking in fury before they gripped Rekka ever tighter. “Who have you allied with?”

“For a woman supposedly so smart, top of your class right?” Sombra remarked in a tone that honestly made Twilight feel a bit sick. “...you are incredibly slow on the uptake right now.”

Twilight’s mind ground to a screeching halt as she suffered a horrific realization, one that honestly made her feel sick. “...no, you couldn’t have. You allied with the MEGID?”

“Ding ding ding, tell her what she’s won,” Sombra grinned, full of menace. “Of course, I wouldn’t call our relationship being allies. I would barely call it a relationship. More like… oh, they think they’re using me but I’m using them. They provide ample distractions for the Sword of Logos, namely you, while I get down to brass tacks as they say.”

“Why you…” Twilight started locking blades with Sombra. “You’re a monster.”

“Whatever it takes,” Sombra replied cordially. “But what will it be, me or them? Do you kill me, or at least attempt to kill me anyways, and let the innocent civilians die? Or do the happy people of Acra live to see another day while I go off and prancy my merry way into the sunset? Your choice! Now what would a hero do?”

It was a devil’s choice, impossibly sadistic. But it wasn’t even a decision at all was it?

“Damn you!” Twilight hissed before breaking into a sprint as she made her way into the shining sun of the streets above.

“A true knight in shining armor, maybe there’s hope for her yet,” said Sombra, turning into shadow. “We’ll see, maybe she’ll grow to impress me yet. But right now, I’ve got a new chapter to read!”

Meanwhile, Twilight found herself sprinting through the streets with her armor shining in the sun. No longer was she a warrior fighting from the shadows. Now her sword was seen by all, and it was cutting through evil villainy.

“Okay, to borrow one of my fellow knights’ favorite phrases… One: evil bastards... Two: shall feel the earth's rage... Three: It's already decided, so there's no point in arguing!” Twilight said, leveling her blade at the duck megid. “Now, I shall decide how this story ends!”

“Oh, now will you?” asked a certain druid stepping in front of her. “It’s a honor and a pleasure to have Saber him… or rather, herself in front of us today. Apologies. I heard about your master. A true tragedy.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you’re overcome by emotion,” Twilight drawled. “You’re going back to hell, devil, and I’ll be all too happy to send you there!”

“Excuse you, I’m a druid, and you won’t be sending me anywhere!” Storious remarked, and sent arcs of red lightning towards her, the bolts erupting from his fingertips. “You however, you’re going somewhere far away. And just a couple of thousand miles deep.”

Twilight was bracing herself, using her shield to absorb the lightning.

“Aw man, Storious,” Legeiel groaned. “You’re not letting me have any fun?”

He jumped in, sword in hand absorbing the lightning and using it to power up his slash. There was a horrible bang, like a thunderclap and Twilight flew backwards sliding on stone and kicking up dust.

“Two of you?” She asked, her voice faint and numb from shock.

“Yep,” Legeiel remarked resting his blade on his shoulder. “Two. The more the merrier I say, as I heard there would be a swordswoman or swordsman out today and I just had to come see for myself. See, I have a simple task. Keep you distracted while our minions do their work.”

“Not the brightest bulb in the basket are you?” Twilight deadpanned, ducking under a swing. “Should you really be explaining your plan?”

“Well, either way it’s a win win situation for us. You either foil Sombra and get rid of a very annoying thorn in our side,” Storious commented. “Or you foil us and allow him to continue his plan.”

“Meaning…” Legeiel jumped in, running alongside Twilight with their blades poised to strike. “It’s a lose-lose situation for you!”

“Damn it, he’s right,” Twilight mused to herself. “So which do I choose?”

She knew what her master would say, that the needs of the many always outweighed your own. So, that meant for now at least, Sombra would have to wait another day. Wonderful.

“This is quacking hilarious!” one of the duck megid laughed, he and his siblings leading a crowd of frenzied people exactly where they wanted them. “Look at them run! It’s like they don’t even know what’s in store for them!”

“Exactly, quack! These idiots are so amazingly stupid, quack!” agreed another. “It’s almost too pathetic to watch!”

“Almost!” agreed a third member of the paddling. And for those of you asking, yes that is the accurate term for a group of ducks. “Now let’s get quacking onto rounding them all up!”

“They’re not cattle!” Piped in a fourth.

“No, but they’re close!” said the third.

“Quack, man they’re stupid, quack.” said the second. “And they don’t even know about the best bit!”

“The best bit?” asked the fourth.

“Yes, you idiot! The best bit,” the second remarked. “Our hidden sibling! Watch, they think they can escape!”

Sure enough, when several people tried to run down another alley, an invisible and mysterious figure knocked over crates directing them back where the duck siblings wanted them. “...and now for part 2!”

Holding open another blackened and charred book, the duck released a reborn salamander megid into the world…

“Aaaaah, it’s so good to be back in the game!” the sapphire slimer laughed, evolved into a more powerful form. Gunk dripped from his fingers, and at his waist was a chainsaw-like blade. “Now let’s get sticky!”

Meanwhile…

“Emotional Hissatsu Geki!”

Twilight slashed, sending a nest of serpentine dragons towards her foe. Legeiel slashed them apart with a laugh. “What’d you think that would do? I’m the master of legendary beasts, and that includes dragons you foolish little girl!”

So arrogant in his abilities was he, that Legeiel didn’t stop to wonder if that was Twilight’s true attack. And it most certainly wasn’t.

“Densetsu Shinjuu! Hissatsu Geki! Fire!”

Twilight launched herself towards Legeiel, boot glowing with power as dragons pinned him down. “RIIIIIIDDDEERRR KICK!”

“Aw, crap…” Legeiel sighed, resigned to his fate but he held up his blade, letting it take the kick. Twilight bounced off of it, the Asian woman flipping in midair and ignited her blade slashing downwards. Metal met metal, a massive golden dragon plummeting down towards Legeiel.

“I don’t think so!” Storious declared firing off more arcs of red lightning, Twilight screaming out in pain as they wrapped around her like chains and lifting her up. “You won’t stop our plans, the Swords of Logos have interfered for too long in matters. You’re ancient, outdated and you can’t stop what’s coming. Now, it is time for your final page.”

Thrusting his hand forwards, he sent Twilight crashing into a building slamming her into what was once somebody’s living room. Picking herself up out of the rubble and using her sword to steady herself, the Swordswoman of Fire and Flames gave a small growl. “Druids, dragons, neither one will stop me. I am a Knight of the Swords of Logos and shall defend truth and justice. All who seek to disrupt the peace will fall by my blade.”

Leaping out of the hole that was now in the wall, she strode through the ruined street ready to take on the two Megid Generals.

“Well, I’ll give her this,” Legeiel commented, impressed. “She can take a beating.”

“Yes, but she’s stupid enough to come back for more!” Storious added.

“Or simply that determined,” Legeiel replied. “I admire that in a warrior.”

“But…?” His partner pressed.

“Determination only gets you so far,” Legeiel agreed. “Now let’s see just how determined she is!”

Slashing through the air, ice fired like needles from his blade and sliced through the air, whistling towards Twilight. Like pins, they seeked to implant in her armor and rip into it drawing blood. Their target knew she had to act fast, and find something to melt the ice. Not wings of emotion, but ones of fire.

“Rekka Battou! Tornado Dragon Eagle! Extra Book! Jackun-to-Domamenoki! Two Rekka Books! A raging pterosaur that burns everything with a hellish flame!”

Wrapped around a stone-grey arm, was a little green vine that traveled up and wrapped around the horn on her helmet. With one swing she let it wrap around Legeiel’s sword like a whip, pulling it from his grip. With a running leap, she took to the skies as a stalk launched her forwards up and above the ice, firing seeds like bullets.

“Oh, cute, real cute,” Legeiel said, bracing himself as he was pelted by hardened seeds. As Twilight slashed her sword, the seeds became larger raining down like bombs. “Creative, but real annoying.”

“Then allow me to help you,” Storious said, opening up his spellbook and allowing fire to scorch the giant seed shells bombing them. Raising himself up on wind, he rose to face his foe.

Directing a blast of wind at Twilight like a hurricane, the devil druid watched in stunned silence as she powered on through the battering gale. All to punch him square in the face, and with a crack he was sent hurtling towards the ground. Storious quickly righted himself, launching a fireball at her, and Twilight spiraled out of the way before flying high up above another thrown fireball.

...before being slammed into another building by a manifested dragon from Legeiel. “What, did you think you could just forget about me?”

As she tried to recover, another blast of wind from Storious sent Twilight sprawling.

“Too easy,” he remarked. “Hmph.”

With a grunt of strength, Twilight sent more seeds shooting through the air even smashing through a thrown boulder from Legeiel.

“Alright, enough of this…” Twilight muttered seeing Storious high above her. “I don’t have time for you.”

“Brave Dragon, Storm Eagle, Jackun-to-Domamenoki! Sansatsu Geki! F-F-F-Fire!”

A truly massive beanstalk sprung up from under her, binding Storious in vines. With a war cry, a truly massive crimson blade of energy erupted from Twilight’s boot as she shoved it through the druid monster. He was sent flying via explosion, landing in another part of the city even as Twilight descended to earth.

“...oh well, the plan’s progressed enough so that I’m not needed,” the Megid General decided. “I’ll just leave those quacking fools to it.”

Vanishing, he left only the scent of musty old paper and burning sulfur behind.

“Now, where were we?” Twilight asked, leveling her blade at the remaining general. “En garde!”

In another part of the city, deep underground was Sombra. Brushing off dirt from the ages-old page, he allowed himself another grin as his armor faded away. “Finally, another piece of the puzzle.”

“Yes, it is like a puzzle isn’t it?” Storious mused, stroking his chin in thought. Sombra, with a growl whirled around drawing Kyomu. “Now now, let’s be friends here. We’re all after the same goal, the end of all civilization as we know it right?”

“Finally got bored fighting off the Swordswoman of Fire?” Sombra remarked. “I never thought you’d not want to kill a Knight of Logos?”

“Knight in Training,” Storious corrected him. “Even as fun listening to her ramble on about truth and justice and all that is, I lost interest. Besides, the plan doesn’t need me anymore so why bother sticking around?”

“You ran away scared, that’s it isn’t it?” Sombra chuckled. “The mighty Storious, running away scared from a little squire!”

“She’s not a little squire anymore, you’d do well to remember that,” Storious replied. “She’s not the same little girl you slaughtered her master in front of.”

“Are you saying she actually has a chance at stopping me?” Sombra asked, keeping one hand on his Haken Bladriver and patting it. “Hello, what part of my title of The Immortal Swordsman don’t you get?”

“Immortal, not invincible,” Storious replied. “There is a difference.”

“Not with me,” Sombra nearly growled out. “She won’t even come close to stopping me, there’s only one person who’s ever given me a difficult fight, and that’s…”

“Searing Steel?” Storious replied. “What’s that they say about the apprentice surpassing the master?”

“Not this time,” Sombra seethed. “She will be cut down before she even has a chance to prosper!”

“That’s what I’m saying.” Storious replied. “What if she already has?”

“Bullshit! I’m unstoppable, no-one has ever felled me and that little squire will certainly not be the one to do so,” Sombra returned with a snarl. “I’d like to see her try though, she’s rash and reckless and determined she may be, I am far stronger. I wield the blade of nothingness, Mumeiken Kyomu and all will be swallowed by its might.”

“All?” Storious asked, raising an eyebrow.

“All,” Sombra confirmed. “Including you, if you get in my way.”

“Careful now, be wary of who you challenge,” the druid replied. “You need me, remember? As powerful as your driver is, it has it’s… drawbacks. One slot, one instead of three. And you can’t fit Jaou Dragon into that slot. Like it or not, you need my help in turning that book into something more… let’s say biblical.”

“Indeed…” Sombra admitted through gritted teeth.

“Rekka Battou! Tornado Dragon Eagle! Extra Book! A Very Deathly Quiet Christmas! Two Rekka Books! A raging pterosaur that burns everything with a hellish flame!”

Waves crashed against the two warrior’s feet as they fought sword to sword upon the sea wall. Once part of a large fortress, now only hints of its past remained. Trading vines for a scythe, Twilight fought.

The armor they wore gleamed in the sun, a crashing wave nearly knocking Twilight off balance. It was next to impossible to fight in these conditions, and she knew exactly that was what Legeiel was counting on.

The dragonic warrior leaped through another wave, blade encased in ice drawing the water from the sea. His sword was truly gigantic, and next to impossible to dodge.

The sword shattered against armor, making Twilight stagger. “...so what, are you overcompensating for something there?”

“The obvious joke,” Legeiel remarked, cracking his neck. “It’s never funny.”

She needed a new defence, the woman was swift to realize as she swapped out books. Thank God for the fact that everyone had duplicates of another swordsman’s ride books, otherwise this might never have worked.

“Rekka battou! The miraculous Saiyuu Dragon! Extra Book! Needle Hedgehog! Rekka: Two Books! The Buddha's monkey meets and dances with the sword of flames!”

Now the power of a true epic of literature was on her side. Raising an arm, a gold pole extended out from it blocking Legeiel’s next strike. However, Twilight slipped on the wet stone, and tumbled into the ocean.

With a laugh, Legeiel waved his blade like a wand and summoned stone hands to pull her out of the deep, and clutch her close. He mimed them lining up a fastball, and threw her.

“Oh no…” Twilight whispered, the Swordswoman of Flames thinking fast and extending Wukong’s staff. It slammed into the earth, and she swung around ready to slash and strike. Retracting the pole, she dived towards her enemy, blade on fire.

And Legeiel encased his own in ice launching a rock towards her. Twilight slashed it apart, meeting her blade with his own before spinning away careful not to get washed away again. With a single slash, quills shot towards the Megid General crackling with electricity.

He stood firm, allowing the hit.

“Now for the real fun!” he laughed, Twilight’s eyes widening.

“What does he…?” she wondered before Legeiel launched the quills at her. They stung, like a thousand Japanese hornets and Twilight screamed in pain.

“You think you’re ready to go up against The Immortal Swordsman?” Legeiel asked. “Look at you, you’re determined yes. But you’re way too single-minded, laser-focused on one goal!”

He continued lecturing her, even as he struck again and again.

“Haven’t you wondered where all the people went?” he asked, approaching Twilight and readying another sword slash. “Where in the Wonder World they’ve gone? And who took them?”

And Twilight hung her head in shame, knowing he was right. She’d been so focused on the generals she’d forgotten the footsoldiers, not even looking at what they were like! Legeiel readied another slash, raising his sword above his head.

Twilight let out a yell of pain as the dragonic warrior slashed downwards, striking true. “But you’re been so focused on striking me and Storious down, you’ve forgotten haven’t you? While I admit you’ve given me a challenging fight, you make a pretty poor knight!”

Before he could strike another blow, a dark dragon appeared from the seas erupting from the waters below. It slashed and stuck at him, biting through armor with fangs of shadow.

“No, it can’t be!” Twilight thought to herself.

Legeiel’s roar of shock rang out even as a darker knight leapt from the waters emerging from a swirling portal. In his hand, Kurayami, the Blade of Shadows.

“Enough critique, words are no longer necessary,” Kamen Rider Calibur, AKA Hayato Fukamiya said as the portal vanished back into the book from whence it came. Water dripping off his deep purple armor, silver adornments shone in the sun. “You are not welcome here, Megid. Leave her out of this, why don’t you try fighting with someone else for a change? I guarantee I’ll give you the challenge that you’re after.”

“So, the dark dragon emerges from the shadows?” Legeiel asked. “Come to save what’s left of your student’s dignity?”

“We’ll have words later,” Hayato said, Twilight bowing her head in shame. “Right now, my only focus is on you.”

Charging his sword, he slashed wordlessly through Legeiel’s armor shattering it with a single strike. The sun gleamed off his blade, and he thrusted forwards like a champion fencer doing more damage. Legeiel staggered, but was not free from the onslaught as Hayato raised his blade above his head, slashing downwards.

“I would advise you to leave, now,” Hayato said. “I won’t ask again, and if you’re a wise Megid you would heed my advice.”

“Agreed,” Legeiel replied, vanishing into flame.

Canceling out his transformation by removing his book from his driver, Hayato walked up to Twilight who bowed before him.

“I’m sorry, Master.”

“There will be time for apologies later,” said Hayato, tilting her head to look him in the eyes. His sword was now strapped to his waist, ready to be drawn again at a moment’s notice. “Right now, we have a city to save. Don’t you agree, my student?”

Author's Note

Okay, so yeah now that we're actually in the real meat of the story I can talk more.

I didn't want to make Twilight too unsympathetic, show there's still a good person underneath all of this grief and revenge. So I gave her a really sadistic choice. The ability to possibly strike down Sombra or save the city.

...well, we know what a real Kamen Rider would do right?

I had a great time making a few of my own Ride Books, like uh doing a Hogfather themed one was such a Life Goal.

Also, yeah, there will be a globe-trotting theme to this. I wanted it to partially feel like a classic adventure novel in some areas after all.

Volume 3: Shadow and Fire

Just a few dimensions to the left, and following that second star to the right between the walls of the worlds, lay a place where only your imagination was allowed. A wonderful world where fairy tales reigned, a kingdom ripped right out of Arthurian myth where truth and justice was law. Where creatures of darkness scurried back into the shadows and where all tales sprung forth.

Of course, wood tended to rot every now and again, old papers being chewed away by wood lice. Regular upkeep and repair was needed, the books needing regular tending if they were to be saved for the next generation. To make matters worse, new chapters were always being added to these stories so there was always more to save.

That was where the Sword of Logos stepped in, their goal was to defend this wondrous land of myth and magic from those who would do it harm. And harnessing the powers of the elements, they brought sharp steel to the megid who would bring about this land’s apocalypse.

And Twilight, for her part, brought flame as well. Clad in full crimson armor, she strode through the forest slashing down anyone who got in her way. Her opponents were literal bookworms, the megid’s footsolders. Silver, marionette-like beings wearing tattered cloaks who easily fell by her blade.

“Rekka, battou! The name of the divine beast handed down is Crimson Dragon! Three Rekka Books! The crimson sword pierces evil and burns everything!” her belt rang out in the silent forest.

Raising her blade, the knight charged passing through the footsoldiers as easily as a hot knife would pass through butter. Several tried to swarm, and dogpile her but Twilight slammed Wukong’s staff into the earth. Rising above them, she scanned a book before slashing through the air as if she held a wand not a blade.

Needles of lightning rained down upon the low-level megid as from above the crimson warrior fell back to earth. Her sword was impaled in the ground, releasing a shockwave which quickly ignited into flame. Pulling it from the earth, Twilight slashed in a circle quickly eliminating any who remained.

Gasping and panting for breath, she nearly fell to the ground before being helped up by her fellow swordsman.

“You need to pace yourself, Wonder Ride combos are taxing,” Hayato reminded her. “Even veteren swordsman sometimes struggle with them. And you have been going through several combos in the span of a few short hours. I’m amazed you’re still standing.”

“Relax, I’ve still got a fire burning inside,” Twilight said, gathering her strength. “What I’m worried about is finding the Megid who kidnapped all of those people. More to the point, why did he want them?”

“There could be several reasons, really,” Hayato remarked. “I’ve heard legends of dark spells that can be performed by human sacrifice, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Storious knew all of them.”

At that, Twilight picked up the pace.

“And what do you intend to do?” Hayato asked. “Search the whole forest?”

“If I have to, yes,” Twilight replied. “Those people were under my protection and I failed them once. Never again! On my honor as a knight I will save them.”

“This forest is huge, searching it on foot is an exercise in futility,” Hayato said bluntly, honestly reminding her of Sugarcoat. Maybe like master like student Twilight supposed? “Remember your training. There’s more than one way to skin a cat, or in this case a salamander.”

Remember her training? ...what was that supposed to mean? Unless… Oh! That would work!

“Rubrum flamma ardeat! Ego autem testem draco!” she chanted, and summoned her most loyal ally. A crimson serpent now searched the skies scything through the air with ease and scorching it. It was soon followed by a similar beast made up of shadows, inky black in color with eyes as bright as the moon.

With twin dragons brought forth, no evil would be able to hide for long…

“Let us out of here!” someone cried, Storious paying their pleas no mind. Behind him were at least 30 Acra citizens trapped in bubble-like eggs, ready to be converted.”Please!”

“Hahahahaha, they honestly think they’re going to be released,” the salamander megid commented, sitting on a nearby tree stump with his blade resting nearby. “Their naivety, it’s almost too pathetic! I kinda feel sorry for them, really…”

“Take heart, humans,” said Storious before setting down his spellbook as he stroked one of the eggs softly, gently his voice like syrup. “Your lives, normally going to waste, will feed our grand plan. You should be honored, not many are given such an opportunity.”

“Tch, I hope they’re all worth it,” Legeiel remarked, standing off to the side with his armor slowly starting to regenerate from Kurayami and her blows. “We’re wasting time here, I’m trying to keep a cool head here but I worry. Each second we waste brings those idiots from the Sword of Logos one step closer.”

“Spells take time,” Storious said, a runic circle drawn all around them just touching the edges of the clearing. “You cannot rush them. Thankfully, we have nothing but time as those two knights have a whole forest to search.”

“And with each passing second they grow ever closer,” Legeiel reminded him. “I’d rush this spell along, just this once. Tch, can’t believe that girl is no longer alone. The Swordsman of Shadows is here now.”

“As your armor can attest,” Storious said, running a hand down the partially-destroyed dragon’s armor. Placing his hand on Legeiel’s shoulder, the druid shook his head. “Are you that surprised? Where one swordsman goes, the rest are soon to follow correct?”

Legeiel pulled himself away. “Yes, but all I’m saying is we need to hurry up. Those little woodworms you sent after the two won’t last forever. They’re not meant to. They’re only meant to be a hindrance, and to fully-trained swordsmen they’re nothing more than a bother.”

“If you’re so worried, why don’t you go after them yourself?” Storious remarked, behind him now and running his hand down Legeiel’s arm. “They won’t find you so easy to stop. ...maybe.”

“Maybe?” Legeiel scoffed. “I’d give them an actual challenge!”

“Perhaps, perhaps not,” Storious shrugged before going back to his spellbook. “You barely lasted five minutes against Calibur.”

“Tch, only because that little lady give me quite the fight,” Legeiel replied. “She’s stronger than she looks. Stupid, but fairly strong. Her fighting Sombra and surviving is evidence of that.”

“She is determined isn’t she?” Storious admitted. “In the end, I think, Sombra created his own worst enemy. That day he slaughtered Searing Steel was perhaps a mistake.”

“You think she’ll beat him?” Legeiel asked, surprised. “Saber I mean?”

“Only time will tell, really,” Storious replied, more focused on his spellbook than the actual conversation. “Let’s wait and see, it should be interesting no matter what the outcome really!”

“I hate to interrupt, but it looks like we’ve got company!” the salamander megid said, gesturing upwards where roars split the skies. Twin dragons circled above, before flying back to their masters. “Legeiel was right, looks like you shoulda hurried up that spell!”

“Damn,” said dragon admitted. “I hate being right…”

Now emboldened and reassured, two knights charged forth with blades in hand. The forest seemingly parted to let them by, ferns and undergrowth moving aside as fire and shadow surged through the mystical land.

Perhaps ordained by magic herself to free this world from rotting corruption, they knew their purpose. More importantly, they knew where their targets had decided to hold up. While their plans were still currently unclear, they would break through the mist and let the sun shine on their darkness.

Kurayami, supposedly forged in the hearts of several stars bore a blade of gold that seemed to shine impossibly bright in moonlight. And despite its association with the shadows themselves, it brought brand new days of peace and security, all dark creatures falling before it. Just ask the megid.

“Hissatsu Read! Jaaku Daishougun Momoichirou!”

The blade bellowed it’s proclamation, the tale of a little peach boy leading his army against a demonic general. Calibur waving his sword like a wand, he cut through wood worms bringing a rain of peaches down upon them.

“Oh come on, you’re hogging all the fun!” Twilight said, scanning a book on her own blade.

“A Deathly Quiet Christmas, mm-hm!”

Rekka called this out, even as several of the footsoldiers were taken on a sleigh ride by a laughing skeleton.

“And to all a good night!” Twilight called out, wondering if Sir Terry ever guessed that his books would be used like this. Grinning under her armor, she couldn’t resist the quote. “IT'S A SWORD, said the Hogfather. THEY'RE NOT MEANT TO BE SAFE.”

“Indeed,” Hayato agreed. “Why would you give a child a sword unless you knew how dangerous it was?”

Twilight laughed. “And as Death himself said, if they cut themselves it would be a valuable lesson.”

“And you two children shouldn’t be playing in the forest, running with knives,” said a voice from atop a hill, Legeiel leaping down off the hill and landing in a babbling book. “It’s double dangerous, I hear!”

“What, so one beating wasn’t enough?” Twilight asked. “There’s two of us now!”

“Don’t get cocky, Twilight,” Hayato warned. “He’s still dangerous!”

“Yes, don’t get cocky Twilight!” Legeiel mocked, running forwards and breathing fire. As both knights dived to the earth to avoid the flame, he laughed out: “I’m still dangerous!”

Kurayami rose up to meet his blade. “You taint this world, Megid. I’ve been tending to the papers, repairing them for over 30 years. Fixing the wood rot.”

Ice met shadow, Legeiel’s blade growing to an impossible size as it was encased in frost. He raised it above his head, and slashed downwards as Calibur staggered letting out a cry of pain. Ice slashed through his shoulder, nearly shattering armor.

Twilight knew she had to act fast and raced to grab a fallen novel, before scanning it across her sword.

“Daishougun Momoichirou, mm-hm!”

Her sword became like a baseball bat, as she launched a massive peach towards Legeiel not just beaning him in the head but knocking him over completely. “Annnnnnnnnnnd it’s out of the ballpark! She races around the bases and it’s a home run! The Seattle Mariners win the World Series!”

“Ugh, I hate sports…” a certain megid groaned, rubbing his head as Twilight danced around happily. “And I’m beginning to hate you even more.”

“I know you mean love!” Twilight said, riding atop a cloud and racing towards him. Legeiel lashed out with his blade, and would have cleaved her in two if not for a last second jump. Flipping over his head, she landed back on her cloud as it circled around for another pass.

“Get over here!” Legeiel hissed out.

“If you say so,” Twilight shrugged, Wukong’s staff propelling her forwards. “Time to slay a dragon!”

“Don’t get too full of yourself,” Legeiel said ducking a sword slash as Twilight landed near him. Whirling away from another slash, he blocked a third with his own blade. “I can still defeat you easily. I’m not like Storious who relies solely on his magic. I, on the other hand, know exactly how to wield a sword. After all, as they say… when in Rome! It takes a swordsman to defeat another swordsman after all.”

“You do realize that applies to me as well right?” Twilight asked, the two continuing to clash swords. Legeiel, perhaps realizing her point broke away and led her deeper into the forest.

The chase continued, eventually leading to a stone bridge -no trolls underneath!- that led across a lake. The waters were like glass, literally reflecting into another world. If you peered into the waters, you could see our world skyscrapers rising tall and proud.

“Look at it,” Legeiei said. “All concrete and steel. It’s truly horrendous isn’t it? You’ve forgotten myth and magic, and it’s rather disappointing. It used to be you could put up an actual challenge against us. But now, to you, magic is only in fairy tales! Wizards no longer roam the land, and knights are almost a thing of the past.”

“I didn’t know you cared,” Twilight remarked.

“It was a better time,” Legeiel lamented. “If you’d lived it, you’d understand…”

He slashed, ice screaming through the air. Twilight ducked under it, the freezing missiles rocketing overhead.

“So you’re basically just a grumpy old man,” Twilight said, engaging her finisher. “Is that it?”

“Brave Dragon, Storm Eagle, Journey to the West! Sansatsu Geki! F-F-F-Fire!”

Leaping forwards, orange fire gathered around her foot with Legeiel bracing himself. Absorbing the blow, he directed it back outwards. The sheer energy backlash was enough to sent Twilight into shock, her whole world going white.

When she finally regained consciousness there stood a man in front of her, clad only in robes like an old world warlock.

“...where? Where am I?” she wondered.

“In a land that only exists in one’s imagination,” said the man, in heavily accented Japanese. “I thought you knew that!”

Okay, why did she want to punch him?

“You disappoint me, you are a Kamen Rider right?” the man asked.

Okay, now she really wanted to punch him.

“Why do you care?” Twilight shouted. “And how do you know who I am?”

“Let’s just say I’ve had experience, but you are a Kamen Rider right?” the man asked again. “Saber, they call you right? Well, you need to shape up if you’re going to defeat Legeiel, never mind Sombra. I really guess I shouldn’t, but you’re in need of some help.”

He held out his hand, and golden energy manifested in it forming a book, blank white with its subject unknown.

“To borrow a certain quote: “It's dangerous to go alone! Take this.” You’ll come to understand what it means in time,” the wizard(?) said. “Now go forth!”

“W-Who are you?” Twilight stammered out, in awe of such raw magical power.

“Oh, just a wizard passing through,” said the man. “Nobody really all that important.”

With that, he snapped his fingers and Twilight found herself back in the thick of battle. With a yelp, she narrowly dodged a slash from Legeiel before blocking his blade with her own.

“Now, let’s do this right!” Twilight cried. “This ends now!”

“Oh, there’s that fire!” Legeiel laughed. “Maybe you’ll be an actual challenge this time!”

“Oh, I intend to be…” Twilight replied. “Brace yourself! My emotions are at their peak, and my pride as a knight is on the line!”

Slamming a large book into her driver, she transformed from a crimson warrior to one of raw emotion.

“Rekka, battou! The Loving Dragon! The Valorous Dragon! The Proud Dragon! Emotional Dragon! Divine Beasts, Unite! These feelings are overflowing...!”

Smashing through a thrown rock with her shield, Twilight swapped defence out for offence. Her master’s old booster appeared on her wrist, the maw opened wide.

“Living for someone using my power for someone and fighting for that someone? Protecting them with my own two hands?” Twilight said, clenching her fist. “That is what being a knight is truly about.”

Slamming a book into the booster, she let it be scanned.

“One reading! Journey to the West! Flame spicy!”

Thrusting forwards, she launched a flame from her wrist keeping it steady as the booster breathed fire. Legeiel encased his body in ice to defend against it, but slowly but surely his defense began to melt away.

“Two reading! Storm Eagle! Mix spicy!”

More flames shattered his defense.

“And now, the finale!” Twilight called out.

“Three reading! Brave Dragon! Draconic spicy!”

The blast sent Legeiel sprawling, rolling along the ground.

“I am willing to give everything to the people I love to protect them,” Twilight said. “Are you I wonder? I doubt it very much, given you don’t have anyone to protect, and for that reason I feel truly sorry for you. My desire to become stronger… it comes from the very people I want to protect!”

“One day you’ll understand,” Legeiel snarled, his cool head vanishing for a moment. “There are things that require sacrifices.”

“I doubt that very much,” Twilight said, leaping forwards to slash him across the stomach. “As I said, I truly pity you if that’s what you truly believe.”

“Tch.”

And with that Legeiel vanished into the fire. But even with him gone, Twilight could not rest. She still had a certain amorphous amphibian to deal with.

She honestly thought she was going to be sick gazing at his new form. It was bad enough that he'd returned at all. But did this megid now have to look like something out of a fever dream?

Seriously, he looked like something that crawled out of the gaping maw of H.P. Lovecraft's worst nightmares. Or maybe Gigers's. She wasn't sure.

Nope. Lovecraft's. The magic wasn't nearly phallic enough. (Though that sword was probably overcompensating.)

“I’m really starting to get tired of salamanders…” Twilight uttered, even as she flipped and rolled several times to avoid lobbed balls of gunk. Spinning like a ballerina, she ducked behind a tree trunk, slicing it down and letting it topple atop the megid. However, she’d forgotten about it’s own sword.

“You think that’ll stop me?” asked the salamander monster. “Maybe Legeiel gave you one too many blows to the head!”

Twilight flipped over a fallen log, and then spun again to dodge two more gunk shots. And they weren’t super-effective! She shoved her sword into the ground, pulling it upwards as a dragon of fire raced towards her foe. However the megid gathered dark energy in his sword, slicing it apart.

Cailbur leaped out of the gloom, he and Saber locking their swords with the Megid’s own.

Behind them, in the eggs, the captured citizens uttered: “Masked Riders?” in Hebrew. The cheering soon began, them chanting out the names of their saviors.

“You hear that Megid?” Hayato asked disdainfully, sparks flying off Kurayami as steel ground against steel. “That’s what you’ll never have, glory and admiration.”

“Bah! I’ll take fear and horror, thank you very much!” the megid responded.

“Very well then!” Hayato replied he and Twilight breaking away before charging their finishers.

However, before they could there came a sharp shriek. Both knights clutched their heads in pain, Storious standing atop a ledge and reciting a spell. Blades clattered into the dirt.

“Not this time,” Storious uttered, eyes glowing green with evil. “Fire and shadow will not stop me, the twin dragons shall be slain.”

He split into three, his two doubles binding the two Riders in chains of lightning even as the salamander megid struck them again and again.

“No…” Hayato said in a low tone.

“No?” Storious laughed, confident in his victory. “What can you even do to stop me?”

“Oh, you’d be surprised,” Hayato said slamming his boot into Kurayami’s hilt making it flip up into his hands. Slicing himself and Twilight free, he readied his finisher. “Now as I was saying…”

“Hissatsu Read! Jaaku Dragon!”

A great arc of dark energy cut through the forest, tearing apart the salamander megid and sending Storious fleeing for his life. “Your stories are over.”

After this, of course, Hayato reasoned his student needed a few days off. Some time to cool her head, and basically just work out who she really wanted to be. A true knight, or an agent of vengeance.

“I’m disappointed in you, young Twilight,” Mr. Ogami had said. “I thought you knew better, to never strike out in anger and rage! Your training as a knight forbids it.”

She knew he was right, of course. It’s just… well, her Master cried out to her. He had to be avenged! If that wasn’t enough, she’d realized that Falchion was now one step ahead of her. He had a page of the Codex Gigas. The question was… why did he even want it?

“Okay, now I’m beginning to see what Master Hayato meant. I need time to cool down, work things out. Just… maybe not think about being a knight for a bit eh?” she mused to herself, in the backseat of a limousine. Instead of her usual clothes, she wore a nice party dress. “Go back to my normal life. It’s just… well, hopefully fate will cooperate, because with my luck I’m not going to be able to sit down and relax…”

Especially not with Lemon’s terrible singing.

“...And we keep dreaming of a time
When good is all that we can find
We need a, we need a hero!” Lemon sang along to screaming, squealing guitars.

Twilight groaned, so wishing she could block out what had to be considered torture under the Geneva convention.

“Ugh, God,” Sugarcoat mumbled beside her, wearing a little black cocktail dress. “Can she just shut up?”

“So what, are you going to tell her?” Twilight asked.

“No, I may be a knight but I’m nowhere near that brave!” Sugarcoat admitted.

“So you won’t stop the microphone megid?” her friend teased her.

“You’re lucky I’m covering for your absence the past two days,” Sugarcoat replied, looking Twilight directly in the eye. “And even luckier that I didn’t vouch to have you thrown out of the organization.”

Twilight swallowed nervously.

“It was a mistake?” she squeaked out.

“No, you had every intention of striking out on your own, on your foolish quest for revenge,” Sugarcoat replied, her voice as cold as an arctic blizzard.. “If it were up to me, Twilight Sparkle, your sword would be taken from you and given to someone else.”

“But…” Twilight tried to argue, even if she knew it was probably futile.

And Sugarcoat’s voice softened, just a little. “Don’t be like Sombra, and fall to darkness. Don’t corrupt your own blade.”

Twilight knew what she was talking about. Long ago, Kyomu had belonged to the Sword of Logos. That is, until Sombra stole and corrupted it. From embodying perfect zen, it now was shrouded in the power of the Void.

“I don’t ever want to see that,” Sugarcoat whispered. “Ever.”

Any further discussion was cut off when the limousine pulled to a halt, outside a place known as Club Contour. Lemon’s voice breached their ears, as the Arabic woman called out: “We’re heeeeeeerrrrreee! Now, let’s have some fun girls okay? It’s time to get loose, and paaaaaaaaarty~!”

“Whoopee…” Sugarcoat drawled even as they stepped out of the car and into the club. Almost immediately, they were greeted by flashing lights and a wall of pure sound. As they moved through the sea of grinding bodies like it was a maze, hearing and personal space was almost a luxury.

“Well, I mean…” Twilight tried to help her friend see on the bright side. “It could be worse?”

“Yes,” Sugarcoat admitted. “It could be much worse. It could be grunge!”

“Hey, Keanu Reeves fronted a grunge band once. Dogstar remember?” Twilight reminded.

“...nope, not even he could save grunge,” Sugarcoat replied. “Not even him.”

“Hey, he saved Cyberpunk!” Twilight tried to argue.

“Cyberpunk and Grunge are two totally different animals.”

Lemon had already started busting her moves on the dance floor, banging her head and apparently lost in her own little world. As she moved, she slid and she stepped in time to the pounding beat before spinning like a woman possessed seemingly hit by a jolt of electricity.

Raising her fist to the sky, she threw her head back almost like she was in orgasm in a show of feminine power. All the while, Sugarcoat and Twilight just watched, slightly embarrassed and somewhat enthralled from the upper balcony.

“...She knows how to dance, and this is how she chooses to show it?” Twilight questioned, watching Lemon grind up against another dancer. Right now, she really wished she was somewhere else, with a good book. “Honestly…”

Sugarcoat just took a long, and deliberate sip of her margarita. “Maybe if I keep drinking, I’ll just forget what’s happening in front of me. Can’t hurt, can it?”

“We are so out of place,” Twilight admitted. “Now I don’t mind dancing, but that’s not what this is. This is… this is… well, I don’t know what this is. It’s not a ballroom waltz, that’s for sure!”

“Well, at least Lemon’s having a good time…” Sugarcoat tried to see on the bright side.

“So that’s what we’re doing?” Twilight asked, adjusting her glasses. “Standing on the side lines, looking pretty in a show of solidarity?”

“Something like that!” Sugarcoat drawled.

“Yeah, something like that,” Twilight agreed. “Hmm, fighting a megid or watching this show? Hmm, what’s more painful?”

“I’ll take the megid,” Sugarcoat replied watching Lemon continue to bump and grind. “Yeeeeep, definitely the megid.”

“I’m…” Twilight paused to take a sip of one of the house wines, god knows she needed it. “Starting to agree.”

The song switched, from a glitch hop number to a dance take on ‘Seven Nation Army’ as Twilight began bobbing her head.

“What?” she asked, Sugarcoat giving her a look. “At least it’s got a good beat to it.”

“Just don’t go turning into… well, that!” Sugarcoat replied, the Indonesian girl turning to look again at Lemon.

Twilight laughed, the Asian shaking her head. “Don’t worry, I won’t!”

“Well, at least your former classmate is doing well for herself,” Sugarcoat noted, turning to look all the way across the room. “I gotta admit, outfit aside she’s having fun!”

Sure enough, there was a face Twilight recognized. Perhaps she shouldn’t have been so surprised, given this was her kind of scene. There was Vinyl Scratch, perhaps better known to the public at large as DJ-Pon-3. She was a blur of motion as she manned her tables, dressed only in a halter and short pants, her famous shades covering her crimson eyes.

Doing a spin for the crowd, she bumped up the beat and the sound came faster and harder. Spinning her records, she was ever the masterful DJ and the life of the party. “Hey, yo, what’s up peeps? This is DJ Vinyl Scratch coming at ya, master of this party and your one way ticket to Nirvana!”

The lights flashed against her pale skin, the woman writhing to the sound of her own beat.

“It’s so good to see so many new faces in this crowd tonight, man!” Vinyl shouted into her mic. “So glad to know your friends know who’s who and who’s hot. Namely, me! Am I right, or am I right? Now prepare yourself, because ready or not here comes the drop!”

Sound crashed as lights flashed, the woman punching the sky and not unlike Lemon throwing her head back as if she’d just reached her peak.

“I can’t believe I’m watching this,” Sugarcoat groaned. “Oh god, now there’s two of them.”

“You’re only now just realizing this?” Twilight deadpanned.

“Man, I’d hate to be next door over,” Lemon laughed as she walked up, a lightning bolt running down her arm. “Like, ouch, I pity the flies on the walls! This sound is hot tonight, and I gotta say, so is the DJ!”

“Get a room, why don’t you?” Sugarcoat drawled. “Both you and your egos.”

“Well, now there’s an idea!” Lemon grinned, the Arab licking her lips at the thought.

“...why do I even bother?” Sugarcoat asked, hitting her head against a pole. “I shoulda known I’d give you an idea…”

“Well, to be fair, it is a very good idea!” Lemon replied, making Sugarcoat groan even louder. “Like, you’ve got killer taste, Sug! Too bad though, cause I call dibs on Vinyl. Like I want a piece of that! Because oooooh her taste in sound! Like, she knows how to do a drop!”

Twilight suddenly got an image of her classmate doing Lemon right on her mixing table. Which, honestly, she wouldn’t be surprised if she saw that during the next hour. Fighting back the blush, she managed to choke out: “Have fun!”

“Hey, you alright?” Lemon asked, walking over in concern. “You sound like you’ve got something in your throat! You need me to perform a heimlich?”

“No… No,” Twilight swallowed as Sugarcoat wheezed out a laugh, the traitor. “I’m good!”

“If you say so,” Lemon shrugged. “Anyways, back to being the life and soul of the par-tay~!”

Some people graduated high school, Twilight mused. Some people never seemed to stop acting like they were still living it.

“Right, should we be worried about Ferris Bueller over there?” Sugarcoat pondered as she watched Lemon wade back into the shark-infested wat… sorry, the crowd.

“No, I’m sure she’s fine. Lemon’s many things, but she’s not stupid,” Twilight replied.

“The jury is still out on that!” Sugarcoat replied.

She wasn’t sure how, maybe it was the wine but Twilight soon found herself joining her friend out on the dance floor. She brought what she hoped was an element of class to happy hour, spinning like a ballerina.

Several dancers considerately moved aside to let her have some room as Twilight did a little pirouette. Spin and turn, she remembered from her classes as a young girl. Spin and turn. Her fight style had often incorporated some of these graceful steps to keep her on the move while in a duel, directly out of an opponent’s reach even as her sword flashed its steel.

Right now though, it was less of a fight for survival and more a fight for this night to keep some semblance of dignity. Honestly, if Lemon intended to represent the art of dance she was doing a terrible job of it.

Even as the beat pounded in her ears, threatening to make them burst in a show of sound, Twilight went into an assemblé. Lifting off on one leg, and and landing on two she shut her eyes to the crowd before spinning again and trying to block out the noise as beast as she could. Maybe a grande jeté next?

“You’re at a club, Twi, not at a ballet hall,” Lemon said pulling her close, her head pressing against the lime-haired girl’s shoulder. Twilight blushed as she felt her friend’s breasts press into her bare back. “As much as I appreciate you showing your style, you need to loosen up and have a little fun! Go on, get loose! Act like you want to be here.”

“And what,” Twilight replied, spinning around so she could look Lemon in the eye. “You think I’m not enjoying myself already?”

“Listen, all I’m just saying is there are different styles of dancing for different situations,” Lemon replied, breaking away and writhing her hips. “Ballet is for recitals, street dance is for clubs.”

“So you assume I want to make myself look like some harlot?” Twilight drawled, amazed Lemon was able to hear her over the noise.

“...Pretty sure nobody’s used the word harlot in ages, dear,” Lemon deadpanned.

“Well, I just used it. And I know Rarity uses it!” Twilight sputtered.

“Yes, well Rarity is Rarity,” Lemon replied.

“Will you get to the point?” Twilight hissed.

“I am, don’t worry,” Lemon rolled her eyes, even as she boogied down. “All your life you’ve been so serious, and I respect that. You do you, okay? But there comes a time in life you’ll have to let down your hair just a tad, have a bit of fun. You only live once, so don’t let life pass you by eh?”

Lemon Zest was actually making a point. Twilight wasn’t sure how she exactly felt about that.

“But she’s right,” the woman mused to herself, doing her best to let loose just a bit. Her club dance moves were lacking, but it was the spirit that counted maybe? “Someday I’ll defeat Falchion, but… what then? What then? Have I even stopped to consider what I’ll do next?”

Honestly, she hadn’t. That was the scariest part. Her whole life had been probably ruled by this one man, and her training and when she defeated Sombra… where would she go next? Would she just jump to the next battle with another megid and then the next? Would she devote her whole life to the blade, block the rest of the world out?

“Good to see I’m getting to you,” Lemon observed as they made their way back to the bar. “See, I’m not as dumb as I look. Listen, I won’t pretend to understand what you get up to in your spare time. I know Sugarcoat’s lying out of her ass though. She’s great at being honest, but she’s terrible at the other thing. Her only failing really.”

“You sound like you admire her!” Twilight noted.

“Heh, course I do. She’s always been the one with the high grades, she’ll probably go far. She’s already been offered so many colleges of her choosing,” Lemon laughed bitterly. “Meanwhile, I just barely passed high school and took it easy through college. Doubtful I’m going anywhere fast!”

“No, don’t say that…” Twilight frowned.

“Don’t patronize me dear,” Lemon said. “Now I don’t know if it’s the alcohol talking or maybe I’ve suddenly decided to get real deep with you hon, but honestly? I worry if I’ll peak before I hit 30. I’ll just be the party girl, contribute nothing to our little band.”

“Well, you got into Crystal Prep so-”

“Only because my parents are super rich,” Lemon pointed out. “I got in only because of that. Not because of any good grades or anything. Yeeeep, bet my parents are really disappointed in me. I’ve hardly lived up to their expectations. The only thing I do is wind up in the papers every odd week!”

Well, yes, that was true but she wasn’t about to agree with Lemon. “You’re still pretty impressive, drunken escapades or no. You’re the life of-”

“Don’t say it, yeah yeah I’m the life of the party,” Lemon muttered.

“It’s true though, you bring such light into everyone’s lives,” Twilight pointed out. “Buuuuuut, if you really want to do something with your life? Go do it. Sitting here complaining about it won’t solve anything. There are those who moan about their lot and life and there are those who do something about it. Which are you?”

“Well, when you put it that way…” Lemon laughed. “...guess we’re both giving out advice that we should honestly heed eh?”

“Probably,” Twilight admitted. “See, you’re not so dumb. You actually give out great advice. Maybe you could publish a self help book or two?”

“And here I thought you were the only one who wanted to do something with books!” Lemon laughed. “Me, an author. ...interesting thought. Well, I kinda do got that sort of face, good for the cameras and all. Perfect for giving autographs!”

“You’d be surprised, words are perfect for saving the world,” Twilight replied. “Pen being mightier than the sword and all that.”

“And you’re honestly saying I could save someone else’s world from crashing down all around them?” Lemon thought, before smiling appreciatively in such a world that her smile lit up the whole room. “Thanks, Twi. Genuinely, thanks.”

“What I’m here fo…” Twilight said, before letting out a yelp as Vinyl pulled her away. “Hey!”

“No kidding!” Lemon said. “I was supposed to be the one getting lucky tonight!”

Vinyl met her in an alleyway.

“I… I hate to dash your hopes, Vinyl, but I’m just not into you like that,” Twilight said. “I mean, I guess you’re cute but…”

“No, I’m hot, get it right. But that’s not what I’m here to talk about, even if I am awesome,” Vinyl said. “You disrespected your blade yesterday, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Oh, this again?” Twilight groaned. “Look, Sugarcoat already gave me the low down. I stay in line, don’t do anything stupid or I’m out of the Sword of Logos.”

“Good, then she’s smart as ever,” Vinyl replied. “Please, don’t do anything else Twi. Let the rest of us handle Falchion. Don’t do anything stupid, otherwise… I may just have to come and stop you.”

“I… see.” Twilight swallowed.

“Please,” Vinyl said. “Don’t make me raise Suzune against another knight. I never want to even consider doing that. Just… please, give it some thought okay? Don’t let your life be ruled by that one man. Trust me, revenge isn’t worth it. Be a Kamen Rider, not an agent of vengeance.”

Author's Note

You're free to speculate what that book is. All I'm saying... it's not a Legendary Rider's ride book.

But yeah, this chapter was mostly to wind down a little after the action packed chapter wide city brawl. It hints at future developments, but for the most part it's pretty lowkey.

Also, loved expanding Lemon's character a bit, making her more than just this party hardy girl. Make her have... doubts about herself, wonder if she's peaked and is a disappointment.

Volume 4: Now Is the Right Time

Author's Note

Huge huge thanks to my sister RuinQueenofOblivion for her help in co-writing this chapter. Especially with a certain special guest star.

Also, trigger warnings on this one for Panic Attacks. If you're not wanting to read those, please hit the back button.

Volume 4: Now Is the Right Time

Winter had bitten with a vengeance, biting cold arriving up from the north like a demonic beast. The city was covered in snow, a blanket of white coating the streets none too gently. Traffic had ground to a halt, the streets more clogged than LA in rush hour as everything seemed to come to a stop overnight. It was bumper to bumper, the streets resembling a rainbow as cars of all colors were stuck in one spot for practically hours on end.

What a day to start her first week of work at Hiden, Twilight mused with a laugh as she found herself braving the winter weather. The skies above her were coated in grey, no light peeking through and offering no hope for warmer weather. Bundled tightly, her scarf hiding the bottom half of her face, she felt like Randy from a Christmas Story, barely able to move.

It wasn’t exactly like she had a choice, believe me. If she had her way, Twilight would have been home with a mug of cocoa and not even thinking of going inside. But alas, she didn’t always get what she wanted.

“Move to Seattle, they said. It’s a hub of new start ups. I was supposed to nail my dream job,” she thought, Rekka disguised as an umbrella. “...yeah, pffft, they didn’t mention this did they?”

She’d been living in Washington for just under several years now, and she swore every winter just got that little bit worse. Oh well, she supposed it could be worse. She could be dueling Falchion at this very moment.

Gripping Rekka just a little bit tighter, she wondered if that might have been preferable. ...what was Sombra doing right now anyways? Scouring the world for another page of the Codex doubtlessly. “I should be out there, on the front lines trying to stop him. Instead I’ve been benched. ...like I don’t even matter! I know Sombra better than anyone, and yet I’ve been told to stand aside!”

Rekka, even under disguise soon began to spark as it matched her agitation. Taking several deep calming breaths, Twilight sighed.

“...but Vinyl and Sugarcoat are right. I’m risking this running my life,” she thought. “...I need to take a step back, let them do their job. I’m not the only swordswoman in the world, not the only one trained. But all the same! I know how Sombra thinks, right? How he fights. I… I should at least be around to offer advice.”

It stung, honestly, not being even thought of. ...but maybe Sugarcoat had a point. Oh who was she kidding? Twilight knew the Swordswoman of Clear Waters was right. She’d let Sombra run her life for ages. Until… until she didn’t know what it was like to just stop thinking of him. Even now, her thoughts were revolving around fighting the Immortal Swordsman. It was like an addiction, unhealthy to the end. Dark fire was threatening to consume her, like an inferno did a forest. Soon there would be nothing left but ash.

“Was this what it was like for OOOs, a few years ago? Spending every waking moment thinking about how to stop the Greeed?” Twilight wondered. “I should visit her, honestly. Try and learn her secret. How not to think of fighting, and try to slide back into civilian life.”

So lost in thought was she, that Twilight failed to notice she’d stepped inside Hiden Industries right up until she slammed into someone. Collapsing to the floor, Twilight let out a groan of pain as Rekka clattered at her side.

“...you see, now look at what you’re doing!” the Chinese woman chastised herself. “You’re making a fool of yourself, embarrassing yourself like this on your first day of work!”

“Do you require assistance?” A soft feminine voice asked and she looked up to see the woman she had run into offering her a hand.

“Y-Yeah, thanks,” Twilight said, taking the offered hand, and using her other hand to dust herself off. “Again, I’m so sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going. I’m supposed to be starting work here today, fine first impression I made. Everyone must be staring at me like I’m some kind of clutz!”

The woman tilted her head a little as if she was thinking before nodding. “Yes, Ms. Twilight Sparkle, you are scheduled to begin work as a technician today.”

Honestly, there was something… off about the woman, now that she thought about it. Twilight wasn’t exactly able to place it. Maybe it was the eyes, glassy and seemingly all-knowing. Wait, was she wearing headphones? ...wasn’t exactly very professional, contrasted with her sharp suit. Wait, those weren’t headphones! No, those were earpieces. Oh, she was a humagear!

Several years ago, Hiden Industries had wowed the world with the introduction of the type-1 humagear at the CES Trade Show. They designed to do the jobs a human could not. Or rather… would not. Lifelike, they seemed designed to supplant the human workforce and would never tire. One day soon, over half of the world’s jobs would be done by Hiden’s humagears, Twilight had calculated. ...she wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about that.

Yes, there was always the possibility that everything would go well, but… Twilight honestly worried. Would the human race grow fat on it’s pride, laying on couches instead of working for a living? Or would the two races grow and meet an understanding? That was the question, that, honestly, had been on the whole world’s minds since Korenosuke Hiden debuted his greatest creation. And right now? Nobody was sure of the answer.

Of course, until that time there was always a place for the human workforce even within Hiden itself. After all, machines did need regular upkeep and maintenance. Which was where she stepped in. Even if, as they said, the humagears were made of a secret material of such high quality. Didn’t matter if they were swarming the world like locusts, -harsh but true- they still needed to be repaired.

“Yes, that’s… that’s right,” Twilight finally answered. “...how did you know?”

“I have access to employee records, it is standard and helps me in my duties,” the woman answered. “Please follow me.”

Her heels clacked against the floor, as Twilight followed. She wasn’t exactly afraid of humagears, not really. It was just a reasonable concern for them to take over too many jobs. Hell, honestly? Twilight was actually amazed at the sheer advancement in robotics. A few years ago, robots like this were nothing but constrained to the pages of sci-fi novels. Now a dream had been realized. Nerds of the earth, unite!

“Take off towards a dream, right?” Twilight mused, reading the company motto displayed prominently above her. “...yeah, that seems about right! Respect, Korenosuke.”

“What first interested you in working here, Ms. Sparkle?” The humagear asked. “Your resume is impressive.”

“W-Well I wouldn’t say it’s that impressive…” Twilight stammered, blushing red and pressing her fingers together nervously. Some things she’d never been able to outgrow unfortunately, and people talking her up always turned her into an embarrassed wreck. Like she was worth something.

“You would not be here otherwise,” the humagear replied. “I am sure that you will fit in here just fine, Ms. Sparkle.”

““If… if you say so,” Twilight replied, still nervous. “...I guess I’m honored to be here, really. This is like a dream come true for me.”

At this, the humagear seemed to look a bit curious. Well, as curious as a machine could actually look anyways.

“Please elaborate.”

“What I mean is…” Twilight stammered. “...well, oh how do I explain this one? It’s like, uh… oh god. I grew up around science fiction you know?”

“No, I don’t know,” the humagear replied. “I don’t know you personally, only your accomplishments. Your paper on the applications of distributed intelligence and multi-agent systems in the development of advanced computer systems in particular caught our attention. The idea of utilizing such systems to improve on…”

The praise sorta faded out to her ears, but it was a reminder. A reminder of the fact that, oh right, she did have a life besides the sword. It could have been a full-time job, if she wanted it to be. Instead, again and again she found the art of the blade pulling her back in. She was going to have to be pulling double duty now. ...something would have to give soon, and honestly? Twilight didn’t know which part of her life she’d have to sacrifice. Honestly, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know which part it’d be.

“Are you alright, Ms. Sparkle?” The humagear asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine…” Twilight lied, hoping the humagear wasn’t a living lie detector.

“Very well, let us continue,” the humagear said as the two continued walking together.

“In any event, this is like a dream come true as I said,” Twilight went on. “What was once a dream is now reality.”

For a moment Twilight swore she saw a slight smile on the humagear’s face. Maybe she was imagining it, she didn’t know. “I believe you will do well here then, dreams are important here at Hiden Industries.”

“Dreams are important here huh?” Twilight thought. “...so, it makes you wonder what they’d think of mine? Of Falchion lying dead at my feet. God, I’ve got to get myself back on track, try to stop thinking like a madwoman and start thinking like an actual swordswoman. Vinyl, Sugarcoat… they’re quite right. It’s an obsession.”

The worst part is, Twilight realized, she didn’t know how to stop obsessing. Hopefully, a few days at Hiden would fix that. Instead of catastrophizing about Sombra, she could put her mind towards more important matters.

“By the way, I never caught your name,” Twilight admitted. “Seems awfully rude of me. I’m embarrassing myself again aren’t I? ...a fine start to my week here!”

“It is alright, I take no offense, my name is Izu,” Izu said as she bowed slightly.

Twilight bowed in turn, before meeting Izu’s eyes. “Izu, as in Is?”

Izu blinked a little and tilted her head. “I do not know, it was the name given to me when I was created.”

“It’s a good name.”

“I believe that Twilight Sparkle is not a normal name for a human either, Ms. Sparkle,” Izu commented.

Twilight could only laugh nervously. “...that’s the first time anyone’s ever said that to me!”

“I have to ask, why come to Seattle?” Twilight pondered, actually rather curious. “I know it’s popular for tech start ups. Amazon, Nordstorm, Redfin, Getty Images, I could go on. Pretty large competition. ...unless, oh, I see. Hidden’s planning to sell humagears to every one of these companies aren’t they?”

“That is correct.” Izu replied with a small nod.

“It’s genius, really,” Twilight began to ramble. “I mean, think about it. Every one of these companies could use humagears to minimize the workload. Take over simply menial tasks that humans would tire quickly over, and as humagears never tire… they could slave for hours on end. ...well, I’m not sure slave is the right word, it sounds like you have no choice? Do you have any choice? I presume you do, given nobody’s complained yet. Yeah, you have a choice, and ‘slave’ was a bad choice. Toil, yeah, that’s better right?”

Annnnnnnnd she was babbling again. Lovely.

“You do have a tendency to do what humans call ‘babbling,” Izu commented. “I would recommend you slow down, take a breather.”

“Yeah, yeah, sorry,” Twilight apologized with another bow. “Again, deeply sorry. I don’t know what got into me!”

“You worry too much,” Izu also noted. “You are afraid of making a bad impression on Aruto-sama and reflecting badly on the company.”

“Straight to the point…” Twilight said. “You remind me of a friend of mine, something tells me you two would get along great.”

“Oh?” Izu asked. “Who is that?”

“A friend of mine, you wouldn’t know her. Incredibly blunt, believes the truth will set you free. She will tell you exactly what she thinks, no matter how improper it probably is.”

“I see, interesting, what is her name?”

“Sugarcoat Wright,” Twilight replied. “Again, I doubt you’ve heard of her.”

Izu paused a moment and tilted her head, internal machinery whirring as she thought to herself. “Sugarcoat Wright, no I do not know her, though she has a large number of posts on social media.”

Okay, good, so Izu wasn’t aware of everything apparently. It seems she wasn’t aware of Sugarcoat’s double life, and for that matter her own. That was… honestly relieving. Here was one place she wouldn’t have to think about the Swords of Logos!

But, of course, outside these walls, life went on...

Far away, at the very other end of the US was mile after mile of white sandy beaches and clear blue waters. The locals didn’t even think about snow, instead they thought about permanent vacations and tropical drinks.

A candy cane-toned lighthouse rose high over the green plants, miles of calm tranquil water stretching out for as far as the eye could see. A dark-skinned person, wrapped in a sarong dug in the sand as if searching for pirate treasure.

...no, that wasn’t accurate. He knew something a bit more precious lurked just beneath the sands. With a grunt, the man pulled an ancient chest out of the earth. Wiping the sweat off his brow, they chuckled. “...well, it may not be Captain Kidd’s treasure, but still, pretty impressive. Best I get this back to the Northern Base before anyone I don’t want comes snooping around.”

Preferably, ancient tyrants in burning orange armor. Picking up a wooden guitar resting nearby against a palm tree, it crackled with golden lightning in his hands. Reshaping itself, it revealed its true identity. Ikazuchi, the Sword of Thunder.

While using it to pry open an ancient chest was hardly dignified, it wasn’t like anyone was around to bitch at them for it. Besides, he didn’t bring a crowbar!

Footsteps in the soft sand made him raise his head, and ready their sword.

“I’ll thank you for doing all the hard work for me,” Sombra smiled, his tone one of false reassurance.“Now Swordsman, step aside. If you’re nice about this, we can end this without a fight.”

“..and if not?” Grape Vine, the Knight of Thunder asked, their Swordriver flashing into existence. Now, obviously, he didn’t believe a word out of the Immortal Swordsman’s mouth. He wasn’t that dumb.

“If not…” Sombra replied, readying Kyomu as his Haken Bladedriver appeared from out of the void.“Well, you can’t say you were warned. Don’t be a fool, those kinds of people… vex me.”

“Right, right,” Grape replied, tossing their jacket aside, exposing a black halter underneath. Adjusting his glasses, he then said: “Classic evil overlord speak. That sorta thing. Whatevs. I bet losing a page of the Codex will ‘vex’ you even worse! Can we just skip the banter and get down to it? Resound, with a thunderclap Ikazuchi! Henshin!”

“Ikazuchi, battou! Demonstrate the true power of the lamp genie! Golden Alangina! Three Ikazuchi books! The sword of lightning shines and the thunder grumbles!”

“Very well then,” Sombra sighed. “I tried to bring glad tidings, of a world made free. But it seems you aren’t in the mood to listen.”

And with a clap of thunder, the battle began…

“Aruto-sama, Ms. Twilight Sparkle is here to speak with you,” Izu announced as she led Twilight into the office. The door opened with a quiet hiss, reminding the Chinese woman of those old doors from Star Trek actually.

Aruto hardly looked the part of a professional CEO really, all hurried and frantic as he took his calls dressed in a hoodie over his suit. It… really hadn’t been what she was expecting, hell he looked really young. Like, younger than her. In the back of her mind, she vaguely remembered the passing of a tech giant, passing his entire company down to his grandson.

“Um, hello?” Twilight asked, not even sure if the man could hear her over the phone. “...Um, Aruto? Sir? Are you there?”

Right, well, should she tap him on the shoulder or something…?

“Does he even hear me?” Twilight whispered to Izu, somewhat concerned. “...should we come back later or something? I mean, you can finish the tour right? Maybe by then he’ll be free…”

Twilight’s attention briefly cast itself to the floor below, where below glass rushed humagears dressed in sharp suits. They seemed awfully frantic, even as they dressed themselves in clean lab wear, the kind of thing you’d normally wear if you wanted to avoid contamination.

“Aruto-sama!” said Izu, this time louder and more forcefully making the man jump, nearly dropping his phone. “Your five-o-clock is here!”

“What? OH!” Aruto said, getting up. “I’m sorry, we’ve just been busy here lately.”

“So I see…” Twilight mused, casting another glance down to the floor below. “Well at least business is booming. So, that’s a good sign right…? That this company is still on the up and up?”

“Of course it is, I’d be worried if it wasn’t right?” Aruto said. “Honestly, I wanted to be a banker, but then I lost interest really.”

It took Twilight several moments of awkward silence before she realized he’d punned.
“Yes, because bank accounts will gain interest, much like how a person may gain or lose interest in something,” Izu said.

“Izu, what have I said about explaining the jokes?” Aruto nearly whined. “...it always ruins the punchline!”

“But is that not a show by Aruto?” Izu asked, striking a little pose. Twilight somehow guessed this was a regular thing for them and wondered what she was getting herself into. ...maybe Apple still had openings? She was reminded of her high school days and Dash cracking puns left and right.

“...a pun?” She couldn’t help herself.

“Yes, a pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect,” Izu explained. “These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use of homophonic, homographic, metonymic, or figurative language.”

“I-I know what a pun is,” Twilight quickly explained. “I… I was just shocked, that’s all. I wasn’t expecting it, surprised y’know?”

“You will quickly learn it is normal,” Izu explained. “Aruto-sama did have dreams of being a comedian, however… it soon became evident he was having minimal success as a performer.”

“Savage!” Twilight thought with a sweatdrop.

“Did you really have to tell her that?” Aruto asked with an exaggerated sigh.

“So, uh…” Twilight clapped her hands together hoping to break the awkward silence. “...when do I start?”

Back in Fernandina Beach, Grape groaned as he lay in the sand as their armor faded away in yellow light.

“...as I said, fools like you, thinking you can stand in my way vex me,” Sombra said, barely turning back to look at them as he collected the page. “You should have stood aside when you had the chance. You’re lucky I’m letting you live, Swordsman of Thunder.”

“Someone…” Grape spat at him. “Someone will stop you.”

“Perhaps,” Sombra chuckled. “But not today. I’d actually like you to give a message to the Sword of Logos. Tell them to send Twilight next time to stop me. ...I want an actual challenge.”

“Like hell,” Grape returned trying to grasp his sword for one more round. “You’ve tormented that girl long enough.”

“She does want to fight me, you know,” Sombra replied. “She can’t escape her destiny… her obsession. It’s self-destructive I know, even a bit foolhardy but I have to admire her determination.”

“So you’re going to compliment her, or are you going to kill her?”

“Oh, kill her of course,” Sombra replied. “Then take over the world. You know, classic evil overlord speak. Whatevs.”

As Grape slipped into unconsciousness, they could only watch as the Swordsman of the Void vanished through a portal...

“You will work around 40 to 50 hours a week, normal hours will be around eight per day from nine to five,” Izu explained as she and Twilight went through the building. “On average and not taking into account overtime.”

“Trust me, you won’t have to worry about me turning up late,” Twilight reassured. “I try to keep a stable work ethic, a good schedule.”

“Of course,” Izu said with a slight nod. “Is there anything else you wish to know?”

“...I, uh, actually yeah,” Twilight admitted, rather curious. “...I saw some humagears dressed in suits, you know the kind you’d use if you didn’t want to get contaminated? What was that? Should I be worried?”

“No, of course not, they are simply studying some artifacts that we recently acquired,” Izu answered with a slight shake of her head. “It is nothing for you to be concerned about.”

“Which is of course code for me to be completely concerned,” Twilight deadpanned, having had bad experience with artifacts. “...sorry, it’s just… I’m on edge. There’s been a rash of thefts recently of old artifacts. The last thing I want is my new job to get involved in that sort of thing.”

“Do not worry, we do not normally deal with old artifacts, it was merely a curiosity,” Izu said dismissively. “And we have exceptional security to deal with any such things.”

Twilight took a deep breath, reassured. Izu was probably right, it probably wasn’t even the artifact she was thinking of. She really needed to stop catastrophizing so much, stop thinking about Falchion. He wasn’t here and he’d never be here.

“Are you alright, Ms. Sparkle?” Izu asked. “Your biometric readings indicate a high level of stress and anxiety.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m…” Twilight took a deep breath, again counting to ten. “I’m fine. Just nerves, you know?”

“Yes, many new employees have these nerves as you call them,” Izu replied as they reached a workspace. “This is where you will be working.”

It was nice, clean, and pretty organized. That was something she could always get behind, Twilight mused. Mind, she doubted it would stay that way for long. She remembered days in her own lab… well, really her shed and pretty quickly things usually were a mess of parts and small nuts and bolts. Oh well, the life of an inventor, right?

Resting her ‘umbrella’ on a stand, Twilight fussed with it for a bit before nodding thinking it was good. Hopefully though, nobody would work out who she was here. Here, she wasn’t the Swordswoman of Fire. Here, she was Twilight Sparkle, a technician.

Browsing through the drawers, she inspected them to make sure everything was easily accessible. Okay, yeah, she knew everything was in its place but she was also the kind of person to just inspect everything in a paranoid frenzy. There had been several times she’d nearly freaked upon realizing her ride books weren’t where they should have been.

Speaking of…

When Twilight was sure nobody was watching, especially not Izu she fished a certain blank book out of her bag. It was… odd, even several days on she still hadn’t worked out what this book was for. It certainly felt weightier than the others, and every so often it crackled with power. But for the most part, it was oddly dormant, she guessed she could describe it as.

Even opening it produced little result. She fussed with it several times, maybe hoping the book would reveal its secret but… nothing. “...the wizard who gave this to me, he could have at least been a little less cryptic. Like, seriously, what is up with this book?”

Running her finger down its spine, she felt a jolt. Another hint at what lay hidden inside. Oh well, presumably in time this book would show its secret. No matter, here she was not to think about magic but mechanics. Oh, the irony here. From a fairytale-themed knight to someone working with robots!

“But then… Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic as Clarke stated. And really, if this was a few hundred years ago, they’d call me a witch!”

As she grabbed a lab coat and threw it on, her co-workers filed in seemingly abuzz with wonder. Twilight gave a gentle wave.

“Oh hey, you must be the new employee,” one of them said as he waved back. “I’m guessing Izu gave you the nickel tour.”

“Yeah, she did,” Twilight said. “Met Aruto, had to endure one of his puns. ...I’ve heard worse.”

“You’ve heard worse than the boss’ puns? I find that hard to believe,” one of the other workers said with a slight chuckle. “I half expect someone to hit him with a green slipper or something for all his puns.”

“Yeah, that would go real well,” the first one said. “I swear he and Izu are dating…”

“Him and the robot girl?” the second scoffed in disbelief. “No way!”

“I dunno, they seem awfully close…” the first begged to differ. “...I mean, it’s not like I’m judging and neither should you!”

“Whatever,” the second said with a shake of their head. “...what I’m more interested in is that thing they dug up under Tel Megiddo. You’ve heard the rumors right?”

“Oh yeah, I heard that’s real hush-hush,” the first one said. “Weird rumors around it though, I swear one guy who was on the recovery team said it was some old piece of paper. I don’t know what the big deal about that is.”

Twilight’s breath caught in her throat. No, it couldn’t be. Not here!

“Anyways, apparently the boss has some translate-type humagears on it, not sure why,” said the second. “...it’s just an old piece of paper, who cares right?”

She cared! Especially if it was what she thought it was. What she hoped it was not.

“Have you no respect for history?” the first asked. “This could be the find of the century!”

Okay, yeah, that was it. She had to get out of here. Like a hurricane, Twilight rushed out of the room in a blur. She was breathing hard, not really paying attention to wherever she wound up and what her co-workers must have thought of her. Her heart raced, and she felt a bit dizzy honestly.

Sliding back up against a wall, she was barely aware of a voice calling out to her.

“Twilight, can you hear me?”

She barely recognized the owner, Izu. Her chest felt constricted, twisted almost as if an impossibly massive snake was squeezing the life out of her. Chills ran down her spine. She had… she had to get out here, before he showed up. She was trembling, she knew it. Adrenaline was rushing through her, like an inferno as she debated running or standing her ground and saving what was left of her dignity.

“Are you there?” Izu requested. “Tell me what you can see? List five things.”

“White walls, black hair… Your earpieces. Tile floors. A… a toilet. God, it smells so rank in here, is this the men’s?”

“Focus on me, okay?” Izu requested. “Focus on my voice.”

“Y-Yeah, I hear you,” Twilight replied, struggling to pull herself up and eventually sliding back down against the wall. “I hear you.”

“Do not move, stay right there,” Izu told her.

“...how did you even find me?” Twilight asked.

“When you had the anxiety attack, the other workers called for assistance and I was nearby,” Izu answered. “How are you feeling?”

“Embarrassed mostly…” Twilight admitted. “...terrified as well, I… I don’t even know what set it off. One minute everything was fine and the next…”

Izu tilted her head a little as she examined her. “I asked your co-workers what happened, they did not know either. Apparently, they were talking about the artifact you asked about earlier. I am sorry if it caused you any distress.”

“...that page, it’s from the Codex Gigas isn’t it?” Twilight asked, shakily. “I have to get out of here, before… before I put you all in danger. He’s coming, he always knows where the pages are. I don’t know how but…”

“Kamen Rider Falchion?”

Twilight’s throat was dry. “How… how do you know that name?”

“I have heard of your story, Kamen Rider Saber,” Izu explained. “Aruto-sama always keeps tabs on his fellow Riders. OOOs in Denver, Colorado, for example.”

“So you did know,” Twilight responded, helped up by Izu. “From the very beginning. Both of you, the moment I stepped into this building. Both of you knew who I am.”

“Yes, we did,” Izu replied. “We had hoped that it would not be a problem, and given the discovery of the page around the same time you applied, Aruto-sama believed that it would be better safe than sorry.”

“...you don’t know what’s coming for you, either of you,” Twilight replied. “You may think you know, but he’s not known as the Immortal Swordsman for anything.”

“Immortality is not likely,” Izu replied. “In nature, there is nothing natural that points to such things. It is a human desire, a human wish to achieve immortality but in the end, it is futile. All things die. Only machines are truly immortal.”

“That’s both surprisingly creepy and speciesist of you, Izu,” Twilight pointed out. “..and completely wrong. How… how do you explain Sombra showing up through the ages then? Time travel?”

“Perhaps!” Izu replied. “I shall have to consult Satellite Zea on this matter. In any event, I do not believe you are faced with an immortal foe.”

“...yeah, tell that to the Swords of Logos,” Twilight replied. “They believe it!”

“Then perhaps they believe wrong,” Izu replied in turn. “In any event, you really should not worry about Sombra. Even if he does get in here, he will find himself in for quite a surprise. His reign of terror shall not last.”

“You’re not the first to say that,” Twilight said, even as she felt a book placed into her hands. “Nor will I doubt you will be the last.”

“Now that… Is where I beg to differ,” Izu replied, and for the first time, Twilight inspected the book. On it was a picture of a lime green Kamen Rider. It’s title? Hiden no Hiden Monogatari.

For a time, Twilight was at peace. The cycle was simple, be handed a damaged humagear and repair them. All sorts of requests came through her lab, all sorts of repairs to be made. She barely had time to think beyond this, never mind thinking about Sombra!

And on rare occasions, she did find time for herself.

“Oh wow, like daaaaaaaamn girl!” Lemon lauded her as she walked her home, the moon high in the night sky and casting a glow upon the snow. “Like, uh, you’re one of the head technicians at Hiden’s Seattle branch! You’re movin’ up in the world! Talk about you not hiding your talent!”

The Arabian girl just laughed long and hard to herself at her frankly poor pun.

“...ugh, please don’t,” Twilight groaned. “...your puns are about as bad as my boss’s.”

“A man after my own heart then!” Lemon seemed encouraged. Going to a newsstand, she looked on the cover of WIRED. “...dang, he’s young isn’t he? Like, I knew he’d been left the company by his grandfather but wow. He’s just barely out of High School! I swear, the CEOs get younger every year right?”

She let out a low whistle, her breath visible in the cold air.

“So Kamen Rider 01 and CEO of Hiden Industries and Manufacturing. Man can do it all!”

“Yeah, he is pretty admirable isn’t he?” Twilight admitted. “...though something tells me he’d be a nervous wreck without his secretary. She seems more on top of the company than anyone else.”

“Who, the robot girl?” Lemon asked, vaguely remembering her standing off to the side of Aruto in a news report. She’d never seemed to be seen without him. “...oh yeah, her. She’s cute isn’t she?”

“Down girl!” Twilight chided.

“What, I’m just saying. You can’t deny that Izu is as cute as a button,” Lemon said before laughing at her own pun. “Ooooh, two in several minutes. I’m on a roll!”

“Remind me never to put you and my boss in the same room together…” a certain Swordswoman groaned.

“Relax, cool your jets girl. I don’t even like him that way!” Lemon laughed. “Pretty sure Izu would ‘kindly escort’ me out of the building before I even thought about it.”

“I would have her ‘kindly escort’ you out of the building anyways,” Twilight replied. “...you’d be embarrassing me in front of my coworkers if you even came in the building! Like, I wouldn’t be able to show my face for days!”

“Ooooh, spicy,” Lemon replied, the two now having gone for a drink at a pub fittingly named Unicorn. “But let’s get real here, there’s something going on between robot girl and your boss right? Like, seriously, give me the deets!”

“Ugh, you think that too huh?” Twilight rolled her eyes. “...like, between you and half of the guys in my lab… Like, I don’t get it. I haven’t seen any evidence of-”

“Yeah, you just need to open your eyes,” Lemon shook her head. “Man, for a girl so smart you can be amazingly dumb at times. Like, please tell me you ship it. Like, those two are so cute together.”

“I simply don’t care,” Twilight sniffed. “It’s not really my business.”

A humagear, conveniently or perhaps not was refilling their drinks. He was dressed like a carnie, to go with the whole theme of the bar.

“Suit yourself,” Lemon shrugged. “I mean, it’s not like I’m judging Aruto who he dates. Not like she’s a sex bot or something.”

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that,” Twilight muttered, her face an interesting shade of red. “...great, now I gotta get that image out of my head.”

“You’re welcome!” Lemon laughed. “But seriously, I’m so glad you’re living the dream. You actually seem… happier. Like, before this there was always this storm in your eyes. You never seemed truly happy with yourself, like there was always something on your mind. Now the fog seems to have cleared away a,little. I’m glad for you.”

“Thanks,” Twilight nodded, genuinely appreciative. “Like, seriously, thank you.”

“...damn, this means I can’t start cracking my unemployment jokes anymore around you. Oh well, it’s not like any of them ever worked anyways!”

That set off an actual round of laughter from Twilight.

“...so, does this mean we’ll be seeing you in Starbucks with overpriced coffee air instead of the usual cafes?” Lemon asked. “I mean… uh, hashtag Crazy Rich Asians lifegoals?”

“Ewww, no, like you said. Overpriced coffee air,” Twilight laughed. “Overpriced. Coffee. Air.”

“Yeah, you right,” Lemon agreed. “Never forget where you came from girl, when you’re successful and all.”

“...I can agree to that. Next round on me?”

“I can drink to that!”

And for a time, all concerns were forgotten. Not once in a week did the name Sombra ever cross Twilight’s mind. Perhaps it was a mistake to let her guard down. Or maybe she was finally not letting him rule her life anymore. Who was to say?

But all things came to an end eventually. Izu would soon find her earlier statement put to the test a few days later as an explosion rocked the building. The fire alarms blared and even as Twilight’s co-workers scrambled out of the building Twilight didn’t run. At least, not out of the building.

No, she ran towards the danger, grabbing her umbrella and found Sombra in full armor carving a path through the hallways.

“Sombra!” Twilight shouted, and the swordsman turned only to see Twilight rushing up to greet him. She tapped her umbrella on the floor, and with a shower of sparks it changed into it’s true guise.

“Ah, I was wondering when you’d show,” the Immortal Swordsman spoke, raising his blade to meet Rekka even as Twilight raced up the side of a wall. He was unable to dodge the slash, it cutting through his armor like a hot knife would through butter. “I see you have been unable to give up your quest, this dangerous obsession of yours and still you fight alone. Have all your fellow swordsmen given up on saving you?”

“She does not fight alone, so your statement is incorrect,” said Izu’s voice, a lime green Driver wrapping itself around her waist. “I would advise you to leave, and never return. It would spare you what the humans call a ton of humiliation I believe.”

Pulling out what looked like a cassette tape, she opened it at the push of a button revealing it to be a key of some sort. This action alse made it proclaim: “ZERO-TWO JUMP!”

As the belt began to proclaim how it would give her power, Izu slotted the key into it. Twin mechanical grasshoppers leaped through a window. One green, and one dark red, each shattering apart to form armor shards.

“Zero-Two Rise! Road to glory has to lead to growin' path to change one to two! Kamen Rider Zero-Two!” the belt continued to say even as Izu punched Falchion, armor shards still beginning to cover her. Twilight could only watch in awe, realizing just how awesome the secretary really was. As Izu punched Sombra again, her transformation finished as the belt stated: “It's never over!”

The end result looked like a modernized, streamlined version of Kamen Rider Nigou himself. Maybe the colors were a bit brighter, but the homage was obvious enough. Right down to a ‘scarf’ of sorts.

Twilight suddenly remembered she too was a Kamen Rider: “Rekka battou! The miraculous Saiyuu Dragon! Extra Book! Needle Hedgehog! Rekka: Two Books! The Buddha's monkey meets and dances with the sword of flames!”

And the sword was of flames, slashing into Sombra’s armor only to break away for Izu to deliver a series of rapid punches. It was one thing for Sombra to be dealing with one Rider, Twilight realized. But it was another for him to be dealing with two! Never mind one who was so completely different from what he was used to!

Throwing her arm forwards, Sun Wukong’s staff erupted from it slamming into Sombra’s chest. He crashed into a wall, spider-web style cracks erupting out from behind him. He saw Twilight rushing towards him, her sword still alight with flames.

He rolled to the left even as she slashed the wall, only to leap upwards and kick her across the face. Twilight staggered back, falling into Izu’s arms.

“We must continue working together,” the humagear advised. “It is the only possible way to defeat him.”

“Yeeeessss, work together,” Sombra taunted, sounding like he knew something that they didn’t. “Try and defeat me.”

Twilight’s breath caught in her throat. Despite the many wisecracks she could probably make against the dark knight, she… she was actually pretty worried. Just what was he hiding from them?

“Be careful Izu,” Saber warned her partner. “...he’s hiding something!”

Not that Izu had really any time to process this information, as Sombra’s sword grew to impossible size. With one single slash, it swept the room. Twilight slid under the slash, but Izu? She was nowhere to be found.

“Did he…” Twilight thought fearfully. “...did he really scrap her? Just like that?”

Then she saw the red streamer trail of energy coming from behind Sombra. Izu whirled around, slamming her armored fist into Sombra’s gut. He nearly doubled over, recovering just enough to slash at her again with Kyomu. Izu flipped above the swing, before landing and shoving her knee into Sombra’s chin.

The armored knight staggered, Izu never letting up as she continued to deliver a series of lightning fast punches and jabs at inhuman speed.

“Geez, you’re brutal!” Twilight uttered.

“I was programmed, created to assist Aruto-sama in all matters,” Izu/Kamen Rider 02 replied. “Including defending his company and it’s assists from all attackers.”

But through all of this, Sombra never seemed to be really taking any damage. Twilight would have sworn that anyone else’s armor would have outright shattered under the onslaught.

“So what the hell is going on here?”

Sombra was chuckling darkly. “...I see you’re starting to work it out. I cannot be damaged. I have erased the very concept of pain and hurt itself!”

“He’s… he’s got to be joking. ...that’s impossible right?”

With one kick, he sent Twilight reeling nailing her in the throat.

“You don’t believe me, do you?” Sombra said, seemingly reading her mind. “What you speak of, it has to be a jest of some sort right? Ask yourselves, if it was really a jest, wouldn’t you have defeated me by now? Doesn’t it vex you?”

“No, it does not,” Izu replied. “What you speak of, it is simply an impossibility. Erasing a basic concept is beyond the power of anyone. You are a mortal man, your armor simply just takes more damage than I would have anticipated. But in the end, you will fall.”

“We’ll see! Have at thee!” Sombra challenged slashing at her several times. But each time Izu dodged, simply leaving behind a trail of green hard light in her wake. And each time she came around for another attack, hitting Falchion with a kick or a punch.

“Twilight, you need to change up your strategy,” Izu advised. “Never let yourself grow complacent, keep Sombra guessing!”

Twilight, unable to speak but with a weak wheeze said: “I… I understand.”

Her belt cried out: “Wonder Rider~!” as her armor became tricolored. Latching onto Sombra, they tumbled into a portal into a parking garage somewhere below.

“Brave Dragon, Needle Hedgehog, and Peter Fantasista! Sansatsu Geki! F-F-F-Fire!”

A massive, and pretty buff fairy was swung around on a chain, coated in a fiery aura as it smashed through support pillars. Finally, Twilight let it fly, and it latched onto Sombra. Shoving the dark rider into the ground, the fairy exploded covering him in sparking electric quills.

Sombra was staggering, before he was barely able to stand as a green blur rushed by him nailing him with a powerful right cross. Izu tilted her head at Twilight, rather quizzically, before speaking. “An unconventional attack, to be sure, but it seems to have worked.”

“Trust me, there’s more where that came from,” Twilight said, still barely audible but advancing as she slashed through a thrown car. “Unconventional is the name of the game here, right? You said keep him guessing.”

“That I did.”

“Thou, take thine neighbor's hand!” Twilight still continued to wheeze out in that weak tone. “And embrace it as you would a friend’s.”

Izu kept up the onslaught of kicks and punches, only to break away leaving behind trails of light in her wake. She did this several times, each time Sombra just only managing to keep track of her. Of course, he was keeping track of her, not track of Twilight.

And each time he focused his attention on Izu, each time he opened himself up for a sword slash from Twilight.

“Like they say,” she said, her voice beginning to return. “Two is better than one!”

“Is it?” Sombra chuckled darkly, raising Kyomu high as a black hole began to swallow up everything in the garage. Cars soon turned to spaghetti as pure gravity crushed them in a lifeless void. “...that also means there are more bodies to be left behind.”

Izu swung a sword, bright green. Metal erupted from it, becoming like locusts as it swarmed Sombra. As they bit and snapped at him, trying to rip into his armor Twilight knew she had to act fast, and scanned a book.

A whip-like fire erupted from her blade, wrapping itself around Sombra. Only for the knight to snap his fingers, and everything the black hole had swallowed up? It spat right back out.

Twilight leaped over one car tossed her way, before ducking under another. Izu was a blur of light, leaving green in her wake as she slashed apart one car before kicking a second back towards Sombra.

Twilight and Izu shared a nod, before Izu sped off. Spin-kicking Sombra, she sent him flying into the air. Even as this happened, Twilight was leaping on platforms of metal scanning another book on her blade.

“Frozen Princess Castle, mm-hm!”

Shards of ice rained down upon Sombra, turning into hailstones. They battered his armor growing larger and larger with each passing moment. Until, finally, one smashed into him with enough force that a wall gave way.

“Be like Elsa,” Twilight remarked. “...let it go. Like, seriously, let it go. You’re outmatched!”

The battle continued in another section of the garage, Sombra holding back both Izu and Twilight’s blades with his own sword. The two riders broke away, Twilight slashing wide.

Sombra ducked under the slash only to catch Izu’s fist in his hand. He nearly threw up from the knee she planted in his stomach. Izu then broke away as Twilight scanned another book.

He could barely hear the title called, even as the Swordswoman of Fire leveled her blade at him. An army of ghosts came charging out of the shadows and on instinct he ran. But that same whip of fire pulled him back and into their awaiting arms. They dogpiled him, pulling at his armor.

And try as he might, the supposedly immortal swordsman couldn’t escape. Just like Izu wanted. Activating a finisher, she pulled on her sword’s hilt.

“Progrising Strash!”

Electricity ran through his body, shards of metal striking him like needles. He, with a roar charged through the attack with dark energy surrounding his boot as he thrust his leg forwards.

Izu held back the finisher with her blade, only for Sombra to leap backwards in a flip. He grabbed his sword, and with another roar charged forwards.

“Artificial intelligence empowers the sword! Wonder Rider~!”

The call cut through the darkened garage and Twilight bore new armor. Blue had been replaced by a familiar shade of lime green, a grasshopper’s head as her shoulder armor. And in Twilight’s hands? A second blade, namely 01’s Attache Calibur.

Like an armored Musashi, she charged forwards keeping Sombra on the ropes with her twin sword style. He was barely able to hold it back, and then a third sword joined in. All three blades ground up against his single one, forcing it downwards.

“Like the company motto says…” Twilight grinned, leaping forwards and throwing her second sword like a spear. It impaled Sombra, implanting itself in his chest plate. “Take off towards a dream. And my dream is this. Nobody will ever have to see your madness and fear your tyranny ever again!”

“Brave Dragon, Needle Hedgehog, and Hiden no Hiden Monogatari! Sansatsu Geki! F-F-F-Fire!”

Both Riders were now leaping forwards, their feet glowing with energy. And then they impacted, the room erupting in an explosion and a cloud of smoke. A spiraling galaxy was visible, and a voice rang out. “02 Big Bang!”

Sombra crashed to the floor, rolling along but looking undamaged. “...like I said, I have removed the very concept of pain. You cannot defeat me. ...not that I was planning on it. You were just a distraction. So, until the next time… Adieu.”

And with that, he vanished into shadow. Later, Izu and Twilight would discover what he meant. The security cameras told the whole story, two of the duck megid coming in and stealing the page right out under their noses.

“...we played right into his hands…” Aruto muttered. “What a knightmare! Annnnnnd that’s how you know it’s Aruto!”

“Ah, a pun, based on the similar sounds of knight and night,” Izu explained striking a pose similar to Aruto’s. “Additionally, a nightmare is a bad dream, and this could be considered such due to the actions of a dark knight.”

“Izuuuuuuuuuu, what have I said?” Aruto whined. “Don’t explain the joke!”

And Twilight gripped her sword, it looks like her fight was far from over.

Volume 5: For I am a Knight and a Kamen Rider

Author's Note

Again, huge thanks to my sis in all but blood for Izu's lines here. *shoots a Kuuga thumbs up*

Also, there's a certain revelation about a character here that I *admit* is last minute and half-assed but I wanted to include as soon as I saw it in the show proper.

Like seriously, this was a fucking cool henshin am I right?

Volume 5: For I am a Knight and a Kamen Rider

Twilight’s fists thundered against the punching bag, sweat beading down her face in thick droplets. Her toned arms were like lightning, moving in a blur as they slammed her fists into the punch bag.

“So he is as tough as we have heard,” Izu noted, surveying the damage from her and Twilight’s fight with Falchion. “This may prove difficult in future encounters.”

“No kidding!” Twilight said as her armor burned away from her in cinders. “He totally tanked everything we threw at him!”

“I will do what I can to analyze the battle for future encounters,” Izu said simply. “Every fighter has a weakness, it is simply a matter of finding it.”

“You’re… you’ve got spirit. For a humagear I mean,” Twilight said hoping that didn’t sound too racist. “...but I’m not sure he has a weakness. I’ve been fighting him for a while, I’ve barely been able to make him stumble. He just keeps on coming.”

Izu tilted her head a little as she went over the options in her head. “Option 1, Boxing technique referred to as Rope a Dope. Utilized by Muhammed Ali by using defensive stances in order to tire out an opponent.”

Twilight vaguely remembered Izu doing some boxing maneuvers in her fight against Sombra. The punches had come fast and furious, at simply impossible speed. If it were a human performing those punches… She shuddered unconsciously. They might have torn their arms apart, shredding their muscles.

“Are you alright, Ms. Sparkle? I detected a sudden spike in your readings,” Izu commented.

“Yeah, just… just reminded of how scary you guys would be if you ever rose up against us,” Twilight admitted. “Like, uh, wow. If I were to ever punch at that speed, I’d be in the hospital. Yet you never even looked tired.”

“I am not human, therefore I am not bound by such limits,” Izu replied simply.

“Yeah…” Twilight nodded with a nervous swallow, still rather shocked by what had just transpired. There was Falchion, apparently boasting he could remove the very concept of pain. Before, she would have thought it just simple bragging. But now? Watching him stand several finishers she was inclined to believe him.

“If Falchion is human, then he must have an upper threshold,” Izu added. “I will do what I can to help you figure out what that is.”

“I mean, he must!” Twilight nodded in agreement. “But… but how can you stop someone who can erase simple concepts?”

Izu paused a moment as if she was thinking about it. “I do not know, not with the information we have currently.”

“As you said, he must have an upper limit. There… there has to be a catch, right?” Twilight theorized. “He can’t do it all of the time right? It might require laser focus concentration. ...which speaks to his skills as a fighter really, if he’s able to keep his focus in the heat of battle.”

“I will study what I can of similar combat styles, perhaps that will give us some insight,” Izu suggested.

“T-Thank you…” Twilight nodded. Maybe at last there was light.

Her fists continued thundering against the punching bag, before she had to stop and take a breather. Grabbing her water bottle, she took a relieving sip.

“Duuuuuuude, did you hear about the attack on Hiden Industries?” Lemon said to her over drinks that night. “...Please tell me you weren’t there? Like I saw it on the news. Some crazy rando in armor decided to break in. Nobody even has an idea even why!”

“I was hiding under my desk,” Twilight lied. “I heard the commotion, but I didn’t get a good look at the guy.”

“Man…” Lemon muttered. “World’s gone crazy. Like, what did he even want? Was he one of those anti-humagear guys? Those people from Humanity First?”

“Possibly?” Twilight lied again, she hated keeping the truth from Lemon. But it was for her own safety. “Like, I don’t know. Like, the only thing I saw was people rushing out of the building. I was trying not to be seen.”

“Yeah, good plan. Chances are you’d be thought of as a ‘traitor to humanity’ or something like that,” Lemon mused with a roll of her eyes.

“Gee, thanks for the nightmares!” Twilight scoffed.

“Did you hear though?” Lemon asked. “Apparently there was a Kamen Rider or two on the scene. Like two of them! Man, if it weren’t for the fact that nut in armor was there… How much do you want to bet he works for Shocker? Like I can’t think of anyone else he might be working for, not since Foundation X went under. They’re hugely into body mods right?”

“Please!” Twilight mocked. “Shocker is *soooo* last century!”

“I dunno, they seem to keep coming back. Like full on Hydra type deals, as in cut off one head and two more grow back!” Lemon shook her head. “I dunno man… Where do you think they’re at now? Super Nova Mega Shocker this time? How many names have they gone through by this point?”

“Too many to count!” Twilight laughed before snarking: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. So what does that say about Shocker?”

“That they’re not composed of Einsteins?” Lemon suggested and the bar descended into laughter.

Unable to help herself, Twilight poured the rest of the bottle over her head letting cool refreshing waters soak her. The liquid cascaded down her body, soaking into her tank top and washing sweat away.

Nearby, her Brave Dragon ridebook peeked out of her bag with it’s red spine distinct to the eye. An umbrella rested up against a bench, obviously Rekka under a simple disguise.

On the news, a newscaster from CNN reported on The Gutenberg Museum receiving several found copies of ancient texts. In the back of her mind, a possibility nagged at her. But so did an earlier warning.

That if she didn’t stop, someone would come to stop her.

Twilight tested 02’s blade, feeling it for herself as she slashed at the air. It wasn’t Rekka, but it wasn’t a bad sword.

“Are you interested in that, Ms. Sparkle?” Izu asked from behind her.

“Why lime green?” Twilight had to ponder looking over the blade. Her face was reflected in it’s steel. “It’s so… so bright.”

Izu blinked and tilted her head for a moment. “That information is not in my files. It was an aesthetic choice I believe. In that respect, I must ask you, why red?”

“Fair enough…” Twilight admitted. “So, what have you found?”

“I have studied Falchion’s fighting style from the fight with him as well as what you were able to tell me,” Izu answered. “As you said he appears to attack relentlessly, it is a style that is difficult for a normal human to do. I am unsure of what his threshold is just yet, but I believe that regardless of how high it is, it cannot handle a prolonged fight, but I do not know how long it would take.”

“So you’re just saying I have to outlast him?” Twilight theorized.

“Yes, that is exactly what I am saying,” Izu tilted her head. “But again, I do not know for how long.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence…” Twilight drawled. Apparently, Izu missed her snark.

“But I did not vote for anything,” Izu replied. “A vote of confidence is a vote showing that a majority continues to support the policy of a leader or governing body. There is no governing body here.”

“That was sarcasm, Iz,” Twilight said, still in a deadpan.

“Oh, I see. Sarcasm. The use of irony to mock or convey contempt,” Izu replied. “I shall have to study this, and add it to my abilities.”

“I’d like to see that!” Twilight laughed.

“There is one other thing that may give you an advantage,” Izu commented. “An aggressive, relentless combat style does have one weakness. Because it relies heavily on a strong offense, it has a weak defense, if you can catch Falchion off guard or hold off against the assault long enough, it may be enough to give you an opening.”

“Yeah, that… that makes sense,” Twilight mused. “I did notice when you fought him that the longer you fought him the less easy it became to defend against his attacks. You were wearing him out.”

“Yes, but you will need to replicate that,” Izu commented. “That will require more training and preparation. I will do what I can to help with that. I can… replicate some of Sombra’s moves, some of them that I have spotted and studied.”

Twilight let out a low whistle. “I gotta ask, why are you so skilled at fighting? You’re just Aruto’s secretary. You’re… please forgive me, little more than a glorified maid. At least in programming.”

“I was programmed to be prepared for anything, and once the need arose I was able to adapt and prepare for when it was needed,” Izu replied.

“The benefits of foresight, I guess?” Twilight shrugged. “One of these days I am going to ask how you got your belt. One of these days.”

“But not right now, I assume,” Izu said, picking up the progrise hopper blade. In a perfect monotone, she continued with: “Now, as I believe they say… Have at thee.”

The benefits of someone actually wanting to help her, not impede her. As the training continued, Twilight felt a distinct sense of unease settle over her. And it did not go unnoticed.

“Are you alright?”

“There’s a loaded question if I ever heard one,” Twilight uttered, Izu looking confused by the terminology. “...never mind, we won’t get into explaining that right now. It’s just… well, I’ve been forbidden from going after Sombra. If I do, someone from the Sword of Logos will come and… Segeta me I guess?”

She shrugged.

“Segeta you?” Izu asked. “I assume you are referring to Segata Sanshiro, a man in the Sega Saturn ads who would relentlessly harass and beat up the subject until they played the Saturn. If that was ever done in the real world, I must state, he would be brought up on assault charges.”

Twilight snorted.

“I fail to see how it is humorous.”

“No, not that,” she clarified. “It’s just… Well, does Segata look familiar to you? I swear he does, like I’ve seen him somewhere before! Like, he cuts a heroic figure, I swear.”

“I doubt beating up people to play a game console could be qualified as ‘heroic’,” Izu remarked. “But what bothers you? Are you afraid to go after Sombra for fear of what your comrades might do?”

“Yeah, I mean… I guess?” Twilight shrugged. “I don’t wantto disobey orders, it’s just…”

“You feel you have to?” Izu guessed. “I believe this is where you must, as humans say, follow your heart.”

Twilight’s hands gripped the handle of her sword. She was done fighting for herself, that wasn’t how a Rider did things. She was a knight and a Kamen Rider. They fought for justice, nothing else.

“So… to that end…”

Sombra would take more lives before he was done on his mad quest. He had to be stopped.

“I see you are making up your mind,” Izu surmised. “I see you have found what could be called your ideal.”

“No, that’s not right. I found it again,” Twilight corrected her opening up a book and a portal revealing itself. It led to Germany. “It was just lost for a time. I lost my way. Now I’m going to do this right. For too long I’ve been stumbling around in the dark, time to step into the light.”

“Then I wish you the best of luck,” Izu said. “Something tells me that you will need it.”

“You don’t know the half of it!”

Twilight knew the next page of the Codex was here. What better place to hide it than in plain sight? You see, the Gutenburg Museum held actual replicas of two original Gutenburg bibles from the 15th century amongst other valuable texts.

So hidden amongst the other pages was something equally as ancient, but far more powerful.

The skies were bright and sunny, clear as far as the eye could see creating a sea of endless blue. It gave quite a contrast to the dark deeds that could be committed with the Codex’s power.

“Knowing Sombra, given he’s as smart as I am… well, maybe not that smart but knowing how intelligent he is…” Twilight trailed off in thought. “He’s probably worked out the exact same thing I have. I don’t have long.”

And there were way too many guests for her liking. Too many people to get caught up in the crossfire and the clash of blades.

“Sombra may believe in civilian casualties, but I don’t!” she continued to think. “I won’t let him hold this place hostage!”

She spotted the fire alarm up against a wall.

“Never pull unless in case of emergencies right?” the knight mused. “Well, if this doesn’t count I don’t know what does!”

Placing herself carefully up against the wall, she eyed the security guards making sure nobody had eyes on her. And when she was sure nobody was watching… Twilight pulled it.

The alarm rang out clear and true, blaring and impossibly loud as crowds began scattering for the exits. Slipping behind closed doors, Twilight evaded being caught up in the hurricane of motion.

Striding down the empty corridors as the thunder of footsteps came from outside, Twilight began inspecting every exhibit. She ran her fingers across the glass all the while clutching her geode. Cameras suddenly found themselves non-functional and guards began looking the other way.

It was all too easy just to investigate each and every page on display. No luck so far, but she’d know when she found it.

“I don’t have long, they’re already moving pages out to trucks,” the woman thought. “They’ll work out this is a false alarm sooner or later, so I have to move fast.”

Her eyes widened as she came to a large room, skylight filtering sunlight down like an angelic halo over the center of the room. On a plinth, behind glass was the object of her quest.

“...well, that was easy,” Twilight thought to herself even as smoke appeared from out of vents and began enveloping her. In her head, faint alarm bells were beginning to ring. “Like I thought, plain sight!”

She moved to smash the glass, before she heard the whistling of air and raised Rekka to block another blade. Sombra?

No, this was worse.

“What’d I tell you?” Vinyl asked, clutching Suzune, the Gun-Blade of Echoes in her hand. Implanted in the ground, off to the side was the Rapier of Mists Noroshi. “You should have backed off Twi, let the rest of us handle this. Now I have to come and stop you.”

“This is ridiculous!” Twilight whispered antstly. “We’re wasting time fighting amongst ourselves. Sombra’s coming for this page you know!”

“I’ll handle him when he arrives,” Vinyl said. “Relax girl, you don’t need to be trippin’. I’m as trained as you are. But you’re busted, so why don’t you just sit back so this DJ doesn’t have to spin you right around.”

“So we’re fighting then, is that it?”

“Well, if you don’t clear the dance floor…” Vinyl remarked. “I’ll be having to bust some moves on you. Take my advice. Go home. Unless you want to get served!”

“Hate to break it to you, but I have a promise to keep. To my master. I swore I’d stop Sombra,” Twilight replied. “And I can’t have any of you getting caught in the crossfire.”

“It’s revenge then?” Vinyl asked, one hand on her pocket and ready to pull out her ridebooks even as smoke and mist swirled around the two at their feet. “...hardly the behavior of a knight!”

“Justice, there’s a difference,” Twilight said. “I’m doing this so no more lives will be lost. Yeah, it was revenge at first. I admit that. But I remembered how worthless of a cause that is. I was lost for a while, but now I’ve found my way again.”

“Cute, nice speech,” Vinyl replied, resting Suzune over her shoulder. Twilight knew she was holding back, avoiding using Noroshi unless she absolutely had to. Smoke angrily breathed out from the blade, almost as if it sensed its owners emotions. “But as I said, you gotta clear the dance floor. This is your last warning, because I don’t want to be the bouncer and throw you out. That’d just ruin the party, you dig?”

“And this is your last warning,” Twilight replied. “I don’t want to have to hurt you.”

“And neither do I…” Vinyl sighed and for a moment Twilight thought she was stepping aside. Then she tossed a purple ride book in the air, and let it land in a spin into a slot on her sword. “...but you leave me with no choice! Drop the beat, Suzune! Henshin!”

Fire the Gun-Sword! Go! Go! With the gun! No! Go forward with the sword!/Going with the sword! Gun-Sword of Sound, Suzune!” the blade proclaimed even as lights enveloped Vinyl before she stepped out in her armor. “The sugary enchanted gun-sword slices and dices by the beat of the sweet rhythm!”

Her armor was as sweet as it was said to be, covered in candy with her shoulder pads resembling a gingerbread house. Fitting, considering the fairy tale Vinyl drew from really. Her sword echoed with the squeal of an electric guitar as she slashed forwards.

Twilight reeled back as she realized she had no choice but to defend herself. “So be it! This is what we’ve really come towards is it? Drawing blades against the other?”

“Rekka battou! The Loving Dragon! The Valorous Dragon! The Proud Dragon! Emotional Dragon! Divine Beasts, Unite! These feelings are overflowing...!”

Holding the sword to her lips like a flute, she blew on it and waves of sound battered Twilight nearly slamming her into the floor. But she stood against the storm, striding forwards.

Blade met blade, sparks flying before Vinyl retreated. Leaping atop one of the display cases, she leapt down in an attempt to slash through armor with her sword at the ready.

Twilight ducked under the slash before meeting another strike with her own blade.

“Your heartsong is all out of whack, I can hear it,” Vinyl remarked. “It’s erratic, barely a tune.”

“Yeah, because I’m fighting you,” Twilight replied. “We’re not meant to do this, draw swords against the other.”

“And yet we do…” Vinyl admitted as they locked blades, sounding surprisingly somber. “Be careful Twilight… My blade's got a different rhythm compared to all of the others!”

Twilight twisted her wrist, attempting to disarm Vinyl even as she forced her blade down. But no such luck, and she received an elbow to the face for her troubles.

The Swordswoman of Sound spun, her blade still squealing as she slashed into Twilight’s armor over and over again. Sparks flew even as Suzune ripped into crimson metal, Vinyl still whirling around like a human hurricane.

Twilight knew she had to act fast, swapping out her shield for more offensive power. Her gauntlet let out a cry of: “Spicy!” even as it blew out a stream of flames.

Vinyl vanished into the flames, but as the firestorm died away a wall of brick had sprung up between Twilight and her target.

The flames began to die, sprinklers spraying water to calm the blaze and quell the raging inferno. From behind the bricks leaped Vinyl, now bearing a shield of red brick on her right arm.

Caught in her surprise, Twilight was unable to dodge the slash and Suzune cut through her armor once more. Thinking fast, she shoved another book into her gauntlet.

“One reading! Frozen Princess Castle! Flame spicy!”

But instead of flames, she breathed out ice and snow and Vinyl’s armor was encased in frost. Finding it impossible to move, she realized how open to attack she really was.

“Two reading! Kaenken Rekka! Mix spicy!”

Even as hotter fire came over Vinyl like a wave, Twilight found herself under attack. Two copies of the Swordswoman of Sound came at her from either side blades drawn. One bore a shield of straw, the other of sticks.

Twilight let out a shout of pain even as she blocked one blade with her elbow and the other with her own sword. Slash #2 kicked her in the stomach while #3 slammed her fist into her helmet with a powerful right hook.

Before anything else could happen, both vanished into green mist as the original broke free of her confinement. Twilight knew she had very little time to react and readied a finisher of her own.

“Then I guess I’ll have to huff, and I’ll have to puff, and I'll have to blow your house in!” Twilight uttered to herself as she slammed in another book.

“Three reading! Daiyokozuna Kinzaburou! Dragonic spicy!”

The two powerful finishers collided, the end result blowing both knights backwards in a wave of energy...

Vinyl was the first to regain her footing, shoving Suzune into the ground as she slid backwards ripping up the tile floor. She saw that Twilight had much the same idea and soon both were standing.

“Okay, so you want me?” Twilight asked using Peter Fantasia in one quick movement as vines wrapped themselves around her fellow knight. “...you’re going to have to come and get me.”

In another quick movement, she’d retrieved the Codex page smashing through the glass and was out through a side door.

Slashing apart the vines, Vinyl chased after her before switching Suzune to it’s gun form. Firing several shots, the walls began to close in. As Twilight ducked under one shot, she kicked out with her foot sending metal shelving toppling on top of Vinyl.

As the DJ pulled herself out of the wreckage, she continued her pursuit still firing. Another series of metal shelving came crashing down via a shove from Twilight, and slowed her roll. Vinyl was forced to leap over the wreckage legs splayed wide like David Lee Roth at one of his concerts.

Barely in the air for a minute, she touched ground again and the chase resumed. She saw the crimson and white armor of Twilight round a corner. Once again, ice sprang up between the two.

“She’s not even trying to fight me!” Vinyl realized. “She’s just trying to stop me while she gets away. If she was really wanting to go all out, and clash blades with me… I might not be able to stop her. She’s holding back, she really doesn’t want to fight me…”

Smashing through the ice with a shoulder charge, Vinyl switched ridebooks. The tale of Urataros called to her, and throwing her arm back a fishing rod materialized on it in a shower of water.

“Sorry Twi, but I’m going to have to reel you in…”

Letting the fishing line wrap around Twilight’s leg, she gave a tug and the knight crashed to the floor. With another tug, Vinyl pulled her close. Then, sparks caught and the line burned away.

Twilight was off again, but not for long as another fishing line wrapped around her arm. Vinyl tugged again, and Twilight slammed into a wall cracking it. She began to be pulled closer and closer.

The Swordswoman of Flames slashed with Rekka cutting the line in two. She blocked shots from Suzune deflecting every shot easily. Escaping out another side exit, she ascended up some stairs.

VInyl followed, switching her weapon back into it’s sword form spinning it in her hand. As she ran, she threw her arm out to the side with Suzune slashing through air.

The two clashed blades atop the roof, meeting and breaking away every so often again and again. Sparks flew. Twilight ducked under a slash, before kicking Vinyl in the shin.

The Swordswoman of Sound hopped around in pain, before recovering. Blades met again, metal grinding against metal.

Twilight broke away from Vinyl, spinning around so that the pommel of her blade would smash into Vinyl’s helm. Her fellow Rider staggered, before shoving a fist into Twilight’s stomach.

Spinning her blade in her hand, Vinyl struck Twilight again. The knight staggered and Vinyl elbowed her in the face. Next, she grabbed her and shoved the woman into an air conditioning unit.

“Please stop, I don’t want to do this,” Vinyl said, charging up a finisher. “I hate this dance floor.”

Twilight ducked under the finisher letting it smash through the air conditioner. “Same, and I want to stop this duel. Form a Parley. You know why I’m doing this, so please… just go.”

And before Vinyl could answer, there was an explosion and the roof gave way…

Storious chuckled as he watched the news begin to feed out of Germany. Rider VS Rider.

“Those fools are so caught up in their personal squabbles they never have time to realize what was unfolding beneath their very noses.”

Then, a glow caught his attention and he watched as the Codex pages and Jaou Dragon began to merge…

“So, it seems his long awaited plan is starting to come together,” the devil-like megid mused. “Now let us see if it blossoms and bears fruit.”

His sickly green eyes drifted towards the book, it’s title just now becoming visible. For however brief a moment, he could see the final page of this story.

“Oh, now this is interesting…”

As the dust cleared, the dark phoenix rose from the ashes.

“Sombra!” Twilight hissed out.

“Draw sword! Eternal Phoenix! Void! The jet-black sword returns to nothing.” Sombra’s belt practically growled out even as his armor formed around him from dark flame.

“As ever, you can be relied upon to make my job easy for me,” the Eternal Swordsman mused. “You fight amongst yourselves, never realizing my presence until it is too late. The Swords of Logos and their ‘justice’ are such a farce.”

He strode forwards raising his arms to the sky.

“So, what will you do? Stop me… or fight some more? It’s clear you have some issues to work out,” he chuckled. “Hardly the behavior of a proper knight. Honestly, the Sword of Logos these days has gone so downhill.”

Vinyl recovered, blasting him a few times with gunfire from Suzune.

“There, that’s more like it!” Sombra chuckled, drawing his sword and letting it blaze with dark fire. “That raw determination, that’s what I like! Maybe there’s hope for you yet!”

Vinyl switched modes, locking blades with him.

“Vinyl…” Twilight whispered, picking herself up out of the rubble. She’d lost sight of the Codex page, that… was concerning. “...run. Get out of here. I’ll handle him.”

Vinyl slides away, switching modes again and firing from the hip. Sombra very easily deflected her shots with his sword.

“Yes, run. Run away in fear, run away in despair against my might,” Sombra chuckled. “You’re not who I even want to fight anyways.”

He shoulder-charged her, and sent her slamming into a pillar.

“You’re not even worth my time, Swordswoman of Sound. This modern incarnation of the Swords of Logos…” Sombra mused. “They’re so disappointing.”

Vinyl locked blades with him. “Oh shut up. Yeah, we get it. You’re so superior, you sound like a broken record at this point.”

Twilight joined the blade lock, two swords holding back the darkness now. “I’m starting to agree!”

“Rekka battou! The name of the divine beast handed down is! Crimson Dragon! Three Rekka Books! The crimson sword pierces evil and burns everything!”

“We can’t fight him in here,” Twilight instructed as the two knights pushed him back with slash after slash. “Not… not with all of these rare texts around! We’d risk burning them to ashes.”

“I have an idea!” Vinyl said, pulling out another book before tossing it up in the air and letting it land on her blade. “Let’s get shakin’! Time to rock this town!”

“Bremen no Rock Band! Tin music movement! A sweet and charming bayonet cuts the beat with a strange rhythm!”

A pure blast of sound pushed Sombra into an open portal, and soon he was in the middle of a square. All around him, downtown Hamburg bustled with life as car horns honked. Vinyl knew it wasn’t ideal but she couldn’t think up anything better on such short notice.

Her sword out to her side, she advanced on her opponent before slashing through his armor. Or, at least attempting to. Despite several slashes and strikes, no real damage seemed to be done.

With a war cry, Twilight leaped out from behind Vinyl with sword ablaze. She struck, a pole erupting from her forearm and slamming into Sombra.

He flew through the air, smashing through a building and crashing onto a rooftop on the other side.

Twilight landed next to him, charging forth and they locked blades several times. But even as they dueled, another portal opened up behind Sombra. He was so focused on the opponent in front of him he didn’t see it. And Twilight kicked him through it.

With a crash, Sombra found himself in a deep dark forest.

They dueled in the shadow of the sun, under green leaves and in white snow. Footprints were left behind as the duel progressed deeper into the forest.

Snow melted with every strike, the flames burning bright.

Sombra spun, nailing Twilight with the pommel of his blade. Then a punch to the gut. The one two made her stagger, before she was kicked into a tree.

“Timber!” Sombra laughed as the pine toppled like a domino. “Now a riddle. If a Rider falls in the forest, and nobody hears it, does she really fall?”

A loud screech cut through the forest as Sombra scanned a book. A pure black horse with dead eyes galloped on by and he leaped up onto it’s back.

Twilight, after a swift recovery, leaped up onto an enchanted steed of her own coming from 1001 mystical tales.

Upon horseback they dueled, blades meeting again and again. Their horses leaped over a fallen log, and even as Twilight gripped the reigns with one hand she dueled with her other.

She slashed wide, Sombra ducking under the strike. His own sword blazed with flame, and Twilight’s horse galloped away in fear.

As the crimson-armored warrior struggled to get her horse back under control, she had to dive as flames rushed over her head. A steady stream of fire was erupting from Sombra’s blade, burning timberland to ash.

“Smokey the Bear won’t be very happy with you!” Twilight shot back at him, finally managing to get her horse back under control. She neared him, and again they locked blades.

With a thrust of her elbow, Twilight slammed it into Sombra’s helmet. With a crash, he fell off his horse and into the snow below.

Twilight leaped off her steed as it turned to paper and changed forms slightly.

“Tornado Dragon Eagle! Extra Book! Kobuta 3 Kyoudai! Tornado Dragon Eagle! Two Rekka Books! A raging pterosaur that burns everything with a hellish flame!”

“Well, let’s hope those long hours of Minecraft amount to something…” Twilight uttered, and with a wave of her sword summoned apparitions of three brothers.

Around Sombra, they constructed a homely little place. But then, tornado winds battered it.

“And I’m going to be huffing, and puffing, and blowing you away!” Twilight said as she waved her sword like a wand, sweeping away the dark knight.

Gunshots echoed throughout the forest, bullets piercing the Eternal Swordsman’s side. From out behind a tree stepped Vinyl.

Spinning her weapon in her hand, she blew some smoke off Suzune like an Old West gunfighter. “I even have a big iron on my hip, imagine that!”

Leaping down into the clearing she changed Suzune into it’s sword form. With a cry, she charged…

Back in Mainz, two ducks searched the rubble…

“Your unsightliness is hindering me. Get out of my way.” one of the megid muttered smacking his brother aside as he searched...

“One of these days…” the second duckling sighed.

Rubble was cast aside, bricks and mortar and wood but a hindrance. Soon, the object of their quest would become visible…

“Well, I’m no Segata Sanshiro, but I bet I’m good enough to kick your ass!” Vinyl grinned under her helmet, raising her blade above her head and slashing down.

Sombra slid backwards in the snow, still gripping Kyomu in his hand.

“No words? Nothing?” Vinyl said slashing down again. “I guess you’re not contributing anything to this song. So forgive me while I do a solo act.”

“Sounds like you’re going for an early encore…” Sombra said before stabbing her in the stomach with his blade. Bremen No Rock Band fell to the snow with her sword.

Vinyl’s armor turned a distinct ashy grey color as energy drained, it flashing away at times to reveal a dark-veined twisted parody of her. Her life was beginning to leave her and Sombra cackled in the moment.

“Do not grieve for your own passing,” Sombra said. “Your life energy is going towards a greater cause. Mine.”

“NO!” Twilight shouted, slashing him through the shoulder. For the first time, Sombra gave a cry of pain and crimson blood pooled in the snow below.

Twilight’s eyes widened, even as she supported her fellow knight. She was weak, but still alive. “He’s as mortal as you or I while performing that technique. He’s… human. But I can’t risk him doing that again to Vinyl. I have to find another way. ...what was it that Izu said? Oh yes. Rope a dope!”

She took a distinctly defensive posture even as in a rage Sombra went into a flurry of slashes.

She kept her guard up, even as it became evident Sombra was tiring. The blood loss beginning to catch up with him perhaps?

Her soul blazed, and so did her sword.

“Alright you bastard…” Twilight hissed out in her head. “No more! No more. You’ve taken enough lives, caught up enough people in your twisted scheme.”

And then, with one powerful slash downwards she directed her blade to Sombra’s already injured shoulder. He let out a cry of pain, a roar of rage as the blade sliced into his skin.

“DAMN YOU!”

His voice was thunderous in it’s fury.

“No… the only one damned here is… you!” another voice said, Vinyl summoning the last of her strength to shoot Sombra in the shoulder several times. Then, she slipped into a faint.

Taking advantage of his shock, Twilight ran Sombra through with her blade slashing him through the stomach. Sombra finally recovered, whirling around to meet Rekka with Kyomu.

The blades crackled with magical energy, the air thick with power. They broke away, the two knights sliding back in the snow. With a roar, Sombra charged before Twilight leaped over his head.

She grabbed the fallen book, and added it’s power to her own form.

Musical instruments erupted from Twilight’s armor, magenta replacing red. She slammed her blade into her driver, before drawing it again in a finisher.

“Brave Dragon, Storm Eagle, Bremen no Rock Band! Sansatsu Geki! F-F-F-Fire!”

Animals piled atop Sombra. First a donkey, then a dog, then a cat and finally a rooster. And then… a dragon. All crushed Sombra into the ground with powerful force. And a slash from Twilight’s sword finished the job shattering armor.

Sombra’s driver flew off him, his ride book flying into a bush. Finally, she’d managed to cancel out his transformation.

“So, now do you think I can’t defeat you?” Twilight asked, looming over him.

“No, but on the off chance I’m wrong…” Sombra chuckled, pointing behind her.

Twilight whirled around to see a megid resembling the legendary Medusa holding Vinyl.

“If you don’t want a new stone statue for your garden…” Sombra said, collecting his driver and book. “...I’d suggest you’d let me go.”

Twilight just spat at him.

“Riders these days…” Sombra said, him and the medusa monster vanishing into a portal. “...so predictable.”

As she helped Vinyl up, Twilight started at his retreating form. She’d been so close. But now she knew he was as human as her. Vulnerable.

“The question is… what do I do with this knowledge?” Twilight wondered as in her pocket a certain book glowed with a blue light. “And how do I take use of it without having to sacrifice anyone?”

Volume 6: All Foul Things Come Forth

Author's Note

Okay, I admit this is the shortest chapter of the lot but considering it's all one long fight scene I think it's forgivable right?

...whooo, can't believe I'm almost at the end of this story. That's... uh, that's a weird feeling. You know, it's kinda heartwarming in hindsight, now that I think about it. Given Slash had so short a run as a Rider, only ten episodes, I used Vinyl as them the last chapter.

Also... Elemental Dragon. Like... *wow*. I fully admit if I had started writing this story later, I would have used that as a main feature. Like Touma pulling Primitive Dragon's soul out of despair, befriending it? Haruto and Gentaro would have been proud. Power of Friendship and all that.

Volume 6: All Foul Things Come Forth

Rare was it when so many of the Sword of Logos met at once. Yet, deep in the arctic circle was a base hidden away amongst the snow and ice. And under the aurora-lit skies, knights gathered.

“Well, this is a fine enough mess we’ve made for ourselves isn’t it?” the current Kamen Rider Espada said, his voice a grumble as they irritably crossed their arms. Tossing gender norms to the wind, they wore a dress instead of slacks. “Okay, maybe I’m part of the younger crowd and don’t understand complexities but… is it too late to say, “I told you so?” Like, seriously.”

They were fiddling with their wonder ride book, opening it and then shutting it close again repeatedly in anxious fashion. They were pacing back and forth, their blade resting on a nearby table.

“Tri-Cerberus!”

They flicked the little book shut again.

“Speak your mind, kid,” Ryo said, looking in his direction. His blade rested up against some shelves. “Your generation always has something to say!”

“Damn right we do,” Grape nodded. “I told you so Mr. Ogami, that you should get out in front of Falchion and deal with him. Twilight’s been apparently the only one actually concerned about him from what I’ve been seeing.”

“Damn it, kid,” Ryo snapped, rising out of his chair like an angry god roused from his slumber. “What, do you think we’ve been just sitting on our asses ‘pooh-poohing’ the current state of affairs? We’ve been fighting him as well, and not well I might add. He kicked your ass as you well remember, you think stopping him is easy?”

“That was humiliating, but yes I do remember. I still got the aches from that ‘fight’, if you can even call it that,” Grape sighed. “I think my armor still has a few dents in it left!”

“Now you see the problem,” the current Kamen Rider Buster nodded. “Facing him alone is tantamount to suicide. Twilight and Vinyl related their experiences to us, it’s clear we must fight him as one.”

“And I for one…” Ryo let out a gasp as Vinyl stepped into the room, looking grimmer than normal and holding Noroshi in one hand. The legendary rapier shone under the starlight. Smoke seemed to gather under her feet like a fine mist. “Can’t wait. Toss a coin to your Rider, O' Valley of Plenty.”

“Well, it looks like you won’t have to wait long then,” Hayato burst into the room with Kurayami strapped to his waist. “Something’s happening in Israel.”

“Well, I always wanted to take a vacation there, maybe see the Red Sea,” Vinyl commented. “Maybe make a collab or two with the local musicians, drop some hot new tracks on you all. Mind, it looks like today I’ll be removing an idiot from his dance floor. It’s time for a battle, remixed with a brand new musician at the tables.”

“...did you understand any of what she just said?” Ryo leaned over to Grape, who could only shrug. “Funny, I thought she was speaking your language. Kids today…”

Tel Megiddo, the sign of the biblical end of days where all hell broke loose as a dragon swallowed the sun under a storm of bloody rain.

...now while Grape doubted anything quite so spectacular would happen today, things they knew could get worse if left unchecked.

Now, under a burning sun was the time to draw swords together.

“Right on schedule,” Sombra rumbled checking a fantastical watch that did not display time but the movement of the planets. Behind him, a pillar of pure magic rushed up into the sky. In went the pages of the Codex. “Well, there’s no such thing as fashionably late for you lot is there? I approve.”

“Oh, I’m falling all over myself at your approval,” Grape drawled, with Ikazuchi resting on his shoulder. “I’m just so sure that I will faint, like I will faint dead away at your oh so important approval. Now, do you want to give up or-”

“Or do you want to strike me down?” Sombra finished for him. “I think not. I also say ‘no’ to giving up, I’ve come too far now for you to just throw me in a hole to be forgotten.”

“There’s no way out for you,” said the Swordsman of Tremors, his blade resting on his back ready to be drawn. “You’ve escaped custody for too long, Phoenix Swordsman.”

“Escaping custody… Custody?” Sombra laughed. “I call it living free. The world’s about to change, for the better. You just don’t know it yet.”

“Oh, yes, I’m sure you’re a man of the people. You’re a credit to humanity,” Grape drawled slowly clapping. “How long have you spent smelling your own shit that it’s started to smell like roses to you?”

“Do not pretend to think you can talk with me,” Sombra snarled with a wave of his hand flooring the knights under a crushing oppressing wave of dark energy. “The Sword of Logos has no real strength. They bear no resolve for what must be done. The world is broken, my lads. Humans have been the dominant species for thousands of years, and… oh, look at what’s happened to your world. Overpopulation. Pollution. War. The mass extinction you fear is already beginning, you’re just too blind to see it. I aim to fix the world.”

“By murdering it,” Twilight seethed, her voice a hiss like a viper’s with her blade sparking in her grip. “You’re a real philanthropist.”

“As I said, no resolve,” Sombra sighed in disappointment. “Modern humanity is an infection. A disease to its own planet. I aim to bring about a cure.”

“Oh yeah, sure, go and basically quote Sylvester Stallone to us, ‘you’re the disease and I’m the cure’ and all that. You think yourself above us?” Vinyl said, now clad in a red coat displaying her true element. She pulled out a book and gently blew it open. Tossing it upwards, she let it land in her outstretched blade. “Let us bring you back down to our level.”

“I’ve seen human nature first hand over the centuries,” Sombra hissed as he drew his own blade. “we've been fighting for decades in one dirty war after another. I’ve been Macbeth, amongst others and I’ve seen what the worst of us can do. I'm here to tell you that it doesn't get any better. It just gets worse.”

“So you get to decide the fate of the planet then?” Twilight asked. “All of our fates? Do you want to play God? Then… shut up. You don’t get to decide how our story ends. When I took up this blade, I was given the responsibility to protect humanity’s story and sure I faltered but I intend to see this book till it’s end. To our final chapter. You don’t get to rewrite our story. Human lives aren’t your fanfiction to play with. You don't have to take my word for it, go read about what happens to villains like you in every story. Take a look, inside a book.”

Vinyl gave her a ‘really’ look at that last bit, but then an approving nod.

“Very well then…” Sombra said, transforming to his Rider form without another word. “So be it.”

“Unsheathe! Eternal Phoenix! Void! The jet-black sword returns to nothing.”

All blades were drawn as steam covered the knights, and a singular word united them: “Henshin!”

“Stealing the light, the pitch-black sword ruthlessly conquers the dark dragon!”

“Rhyming! Riding! Rider! Welcome the Beast King! Rising! Lifull! King Lion Daisenki~!”

“Gekido: Remastered! The colossal armored sword fractures the earth, bringing forth the might of the North!”

“Unleash the smoke! Fly! Smog! Sting! Steam! Great Insect Encyclopedia~! The sword-point flutters forth!”

“Demonstrate the true power of the lamp genie! Golden Alangina~! Three Ikazuchi books! The sword of lightning shines and the thunder grumbles!”

“The name of the divine beast handed down is! Crimson Dragon~! Three Rekka Books! The crimson sword pierces evil and burns everything!”

The smog from Sabela’s sword cleared like mists on a moor exposing the transformed Riders as they let out a war cry charging forth onto the sands. The air seemed to smell of burnt charcoal, even as dark storm clouds began to gather overhead crackling with gold light.

Wave after wave of silverfish like minions were thrown against them, erupting from a pillar of power as all foul things seemed to spring forth. Flesh met blade, magic in the air as power ripped through the ground.

One last battle for the fate of all things, knights against the beasts of the apocalypse and their dark master.

Unearthly howls and shrieks filled the air as the sky grumbled with golden bolts striking in jagged streaks. Crimson flame erupted from smoke as great yawning chasms sucked monsters into shadow.

Atop a dragon, Kamen Rider Saber rode into the fray as Sombra mounted a burning phoenix. The two old rivals raced towards each other, blades drawn as blood was spilled in the sands below.

The ancient grounds were a mass of flesh, minion after minion sent into the chaos to slow down the armored warriors facing them. Rain poured, splattering on rainbow armor.

Kamen Rider Espada spun in the sand, kicking some into his opposition’s face in a perfect pirouette. He slid in the dirt, as they kicked up dust planting themselves against the oncoming terror.

Raising his blade high, they caught lightning with their sword glowing golden and crackling with energy. A pure destructive force, nature’s wraith at their command as they charged through enemies.

Up above, two legendary beasts clashed in the stormy sky as their riders rode into battle. Sombra’s mount slashed at the dragon it battled, digging its talons into a scarlet hide. Scales burned even as two blades locked in battle.

“You think you can stop the future?” Sombra thundered over the roar of the storm.

“Man, all I see is someone so hung up on the past they don’t want to see the future!” Twilight said, sparks flying as their weapons ground together. “Oh, the world is broken boo-hoo. Please your cynicism and pessimism at the door, please! We have to believe it can be fixed, otherwise, how can it become fixed?”

Her dragon broke away from Sombra’s mount, spiraling back up into the sky breathing out flame raining it down upon the supposedly Eternal Swordsman.

A phoenix charged up through the blaze, gusts of wind battering Twilight and her mount. A loud shriek ruptured the air, burning feathers tucked into a beast’s side as it dived towards them.

Twilight leaped off her dragon, flying towards her foe with her blade raised high above her head. Lightning flashed, illuminating her armor.

A dark void opened in the sky above, sucking all manner of light inside as even flames and lightning bowed to the black hole’s whim.

As she was sucked inside, Twilight locked blades with her opponent yet again before saying: “If we go, we go together. I’m ready, how about you?”

Then, she headbutted him. In the sky, even Sombra risked being sucked inside his own creation. He was forced to call it off, and he fell towards the Earth with Twilight going into a dive after him.

At last, even as the sands below rose up to greet him, he summoned his mount. But his escape didn’t last long, as with a snap of her fingers Twilight summoned her dragon. It appeared out of her books, the pages giving it power.

It charged towards Sombra, snaking through the sky before the great serpent snapped its jaws tightly around a certain phoenix’s wing. They crash-landed in the earth below, in the midst of the great battle.

Sombra leaped off his bird just in time as the two legendary animals slammed into the sand. Stepping backwards, he was swallowed up by his own foot soldiers as into the chaos he vanished.

Smoke covered the battlefield, and a figure vanished into it. Every now and again, you could see bursts of red and gold as smog and steam became her shield. She stung, again and again, Kamen Rider Sabela using her rapier to slice through the opposing forces.

“I’ve always hated you guys…” Vinyl said under her armor, scarlet eyes flashing as she tossed one of the Shimi off her. She vanished back into smoke, the mystical cloud covering the battlefield like a blanket. “Now how about you get off my dance floor eh?”

Steam erupted from beneath her feet, propelling her upwards as she flipped in mid-air over her foes.

Landing beside Kamen Rider Blades, they fought back to back. Cannons thundered atop the Swordswoman of Water’s back, the techno-knight taking down as many Shimi as she could.

Then, the army drew too close and her fellow knight brought her into her smoke. Like a doorway, Sabela brought her into her world. And then they were on the other side of the battlefield.

As Sabela raised up her blade, an impossibly loud buzz filled the air like a thousand locusts. She summoned all manner of insects to her side and leveled her blade at the army.

“Never before had there been such a plague of locusts, nor will there ever be again. They covered all the ground until it was black. They devoured all that was left after the hail—everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees.” Blades recited as she watched the proceedings, stingers striking down those before her.

“I didn’t want to be the bouncer and throw these guys out, but…” Sabela shrugged. “They were throwing off my groove. Sorry all.”

Golden flashes came from another part of the battlefield, the Knight of Thunder and Lightning flipping backwards to avoid the Shimi trying to swarm them. He leveled his blade at his foes, and a bolt of lightning ripped down from the sky and shot straight through them.

Back to back, two old soldiers fought. Earth and Shadow united, yawning chasms erupting from before them as dark tendrils pulled Shimi down to the underworld.

“Boy, this brings back memories doesn’t it?” Kamen Rider Buster said, his massive blade easily cutting down all who got too close. “Us, battling back to back!”

“I was hoping not to relive those memories, actually,” Hayato murmured as his blade flashed as it struck down another enemy. “I wanted a nice retirement.”

“Agreed, I was hoping to be just a simple father to my son,” Ryo nodded in turn, swinging his blade with a low grunt. “But again I’m dragged back to battle. Alright, you guys. Listen up. One: evil rascals... Two: shall feel the earth's rage... Three: It's already decided, so there's no point in arguing!”

More foes fell to his blade before scarlet lightning forced him to stand his ground.

“The veteran, how quaint,” Storious said, striding forth rubbing his chin in thought. “Did they drag you out of retirement or did you come willingly? It doesn’t matter in the end, you’ll still fall.”

He drew a blade of his own, separating into three as his eyes flashed a sharp green.

“So, you’re involved in this as well?” Hayato said, the Swordsman of Shadows holding off the two clones. “Why am I not surprised?”

“Well, I decided to get in on the ground floor of Sombra’s scheme, and it sounded interesting enough to me,” Storious commented, one of his clones speaking for him. “All of humanity dead, now doesn’t that sound good?”

“They thought you up, you know,” Ryo said heaving his blade over his head and bringing it down. The original Storious sidestepped the slash, if not he would have been cleaved in two. Small explosions ruptured forth where Buster’s blade landed. “Stories of demons and devils. They all led to you. They’re like your parent in a way. So you want to help commit parenticide? Is that it?”

“Yes, well, it’s always a child’s job to be better than those who came before him,” Storious remarked, with a tilt of the head. He threw a magic blast from his spellbook, Buster cleaving it in two. “Isn’t that right? You, as a parent, know this. You can empathize.”

“Don’t you dare compare my situation with yours!” Buster roared cutting a clone in two with his sword. “Man, clearly your parents didn’t discipline you properly. Allow me to correct that.”

He charged forth, ready to defeat his opponent.

Red chains tried to hold him back, but they snapped under his strength. His blade shined, a finisher activating as he raised the sword above his head.

“Genbu Shinwa! Ka-bam! Critical Gekido indiscriminate reading attack! Ka-Bam!”

The earth gave way, and an explosion sent Storious skywards before Kamen Rider Calibur ran forth and leaped into a side-kick. His boot sparked with dark energy, a dragon’s head forming around it ready to bite down on his target.

“Jaaku Hissatsu Geki! You are over!”

Dark energy ripped through Storious’ body and fire burst forth from his body.

Sombra saw the rising smoke, and the erupting fireball. He knew the knights were getting closer.

But he didn’t know how close, as smoke swirled around his feet before reforming into a shape.

“So, what do you think?” Kamen Rider Sabela asked leveling her blade at him as her fellow Rider stepped out of the smoke. “Drowned… or choked by smog?”

Blades’ cannons hummed, glowing blue as her fellow Crystal Prep high alumni landed next to her with wings retracting into her armor.

“Or incinerated,” Espada suggested as they walked up. “That works too. Really, there are so many ways we could go about this. I’m not picky.”

Six knights stood before him.

“It’s over Sombra,” Twilight said. “You’ve lost.”

“Not YET!” Sombra snarled taking off in a storm towards them as another black hole threatened to suck them in. He scanned Jaou Dragon, golden serpents erupting from the book and snaking towards his fellow Riders.

Twilight and Grape combined energies, fire and lightning burning the gilded snakes before their combined might rushed towards Sombra.

Phoenix held back dragon and genie, magic clashing against magic. Cannon fire thundered, globs of water throwing Sombra off balance as his black hole vanished back into nothing.

“Now…” Vinyl said, smoke swirling about her blade. “As we were saying...”

“A fire that fuels creation and gives purpose where there is none. Conflict has always been this way,” Sombra sighed. “Even I must admit this in the end. It is the rule of your world. Now come… face my blade Riders! Fight, and show me your purpose.”

“Gladly!” Twilight said back, fire swirling around her and erupting into an arena. A ring of fire now surrounded itself around the Riders.

Sombra raised his blade to block Noroshi and Ikazuchi. His blade, Kyomu began to groan under the strain even as the sword of shadows joined the lock. The three blades began forcing the sword down.

Kyomu itself was beginning to crack, the three knights throwing arcs of energy towards its wielder. Sombra held them back, buffering himself against the onslaught and standing his ground.

“Good! Good…” Sombra chuckled. “Maybe you’ll impress me yet!”

He swung wide, Vinyl spinning in mid-air as she leaped above the slash. She landed behind Twilight even as she charged forth.

Saber’s blade ignited once more, Rekka living up to its name as fire scythed through the night.

Dark energy swarmed Kyomu as the clash of blades meeting rang out with a metallic sound. The two stood their ground, neither giving in. Twilight twisted her arm, in an attempt to disarm the Rider.

Sombra knew what she was doing, and pulled away before kicking his opponent in the stomach. Behind him, the column of power continued to arc high into the sky with glowing cracks reaching out like veins.

From within, his phoenix erupted with a loud ear-splitting shriek. Talons extended, it tried to pull Twilight apart.

Her dragon appeared from the pages of her ridebooks, and slammed it into the earth. The phoenix broke away, flying upwards and the two legendary beasts resumed their battle.

“Look at this, isn’t it glorious?” Sombra said, holding back the blades of Espada, Buster and Blades. Earth, Lightning and Water tried to conquer the void. “The old world meeting the new. The newest generation of Knights fighting against one of the very first. Magical isn’t it?”

“Sure, that’s the term we’ll go with!” Espada said, before they punched him in the face. Sombra staggered as Shadow and Smoke surged forth. Sabela and Calibur ran him through with their blades.

Phoenix and dragon tusseled, spinning overhead as they tried to pull each other apart. The phoenix pecked at his opponent’s scales attempting to stain them even more scarlet. Sombra leaped over them even as they continued their brawl.

“You need to stay still…” Sabela muttered, shooting spider silk from her blade. “I’m sorry, but your dancing needs a bit of work. Take classes.”

Spiders’ legs erupted from her back, each striking at Sombra before he burst free.

“It’ll take more than that I’m afraid!” he said, swinging his sword only for it to pass through the crimson and gold Rider as if he were slashing but through fog. Several wild swings, each passing through Sabela as if she were only smoke.

Then her body hardened, as she brought her knee up to his chin with a CRACK!

Sombra’s helmet shattered, the right half of his face now visible. Again, Sabela shot string from her sword pinning him to an ancient stone wall. The Rider leaped forwards, spinning like a cyclone into a kick.

Calibur swung his sword, firing off a purple arc of energy towards Sabela boosting her forth.

“She is beauty, she is grace, she will sting you in the face!” the insect-themed Rider bowed as Falchion went flying. He smashed through another wall, covered in rubble. “Thank you very much, you’re a great audience! But I’m afraid this show is ending, I got time for one last number though. So pick your tired and weary bodies off the floor, it’s time to drop the bass.”

“Or just drop you,” Calibur said, activating another finisher as he ran towards the now recovering Falchion.

“Jaaku Hissatsu Geki!” his belt proclaimed even as he slid along the earth into another kick.

“I think not!” Sombra said, shoving his sword into the earth in one quick movement. A void now threatened to swallow up the Swordsman of Shadows.

The Eternal Swordsman leaped over his own creation, blade held high above his head.

Twilight in one quick movement directed her dragon towards him. Latching his jaws onto the knight’s body, he slammed the dark warrior into the earth.

“No, your battle is with me,” Twilight stated, her blade at the ready. “It’s always been with me, ever since you struck down my master.”

“Oh, I quite agreed,” Sombra nodded, slashing at her as Twilight stepped back to avoid the blade. “It’s always been you, as you said. Only you have been there to stand against me, and stand against me you have. Your blade has always matched mine. I commend you for that.”

“Thanks for the compliment,” Twilight said, slashing at him only for Falchion to duck under the attack. Their blades met again and again and again, three times the blows perfectly matched. “But I think I know by now that your words mean nothing. I don’t need your praise.”

The other knights could only watch as the duel commenced.

“This.. this is it isn’t it?” Hayato realized. “The final duel?”

“Yes, it seems so!” Ryo nodded. “Be careful Twilight, do not let your guard down even once!”

Twilight rolled to the left to avoid a strike which cleaved a rock in half sending rubble flying only for an energy arc to knock two books out of her driver. She was now in her most basic form, Brave Dragon.

Sombra’s phoenix rushed towards her, jaws open wide. Then, another ride book shot out to meet it, slamming into her driver and glowing blue. Twilight’s eyes widened.

“A certain knight king swings down the sword of poetic justice…” the blue book stated as Twilight let the power of it overtake her. “Rekka, battou! Wonder Rider! King Arthur! The power of a certain story lies within the sword!”

One side of her was blue, and in her other hand was a legendary sword. Both of her blades easily slayed the supposedly immortal phoenix, and Sombra’s mount was only ashes in the wind.

“Now…” Twilight said, clutching both Rekka and the legendary sword of kings in her hand. “Let’s blaze forth to a new story!”

Sombra could barely withstand the onslaught even as Twilight shifted forms to Emotional Dragon with Excalibur in hand.

“This is for everyone you’ve killed,” Twilight said with one strike, before slashing again. “And this is for every life you’ve ruined.”

One final strike came true. “And this is for my Master.”

Sombra’s armor shattered. Falchion was no more, his driver laying burnt in the earth.

“Very well then…” Sombra’s hand shot out, blasting Twilight back with a bolt of magic. “You’ve forced me to use this. I’m proud.”

Dark energy swirled in his hands as a blank white book became crimson. A sense of ominous foreboding washed over Twilight as the new book echoed out: “Revelational Dragon!”

“Oh boy…” Twilight swallowed feeling a bit weak at the knee.

“What the hell?” Espada called out barely able to stand from the waves of energy and using their sword to support themselves. “What is that?”

“My final evolution,” Sombra rumbled. “The pages of the Codex Gigas… they contain the powers of heaven and hell!”

A sickening smirk crawled up his face, worming its way onto his features.

“Allow me to show you.”

“You don’t know what you’re doing!” Hayato shouted, reading the title. “Stop, or you’ll bring disaster to us all!”

“Oh, I know exactly what I’m doing, every moment has led to this!” Sombra shouted, tossing his new book and Jaou Dragon into the air. “You can’t create a new world without tearing the old one down! All will return to nothing, the great black void before I remake the world! You said I couldn’t play God? ...well, watch me!”

The books pulsed, combining into a great tome which landed before Sombra sucking him inside. Revelations came, his final plan unfolding as a blast of energy erupted from inside the book. Time began to unwind, this moment currently the end of things. Outside this battlefield, nothing else existed.

A great beast appeared, snake-like heads rising out of the flame. A great howl erupted into the atmosphere calling out to the void.

“And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads.” Sugarcoat recited, Twilight joining her as she remembered the verse from the back of her mind.

And lo and behold, a similar beast rose up before them blotting out the sun as he seemed to strike the very stars from the sky.

Storious weakly looked up at the seven dragon heads rising out of the abyss and roaring to the heavens. And he laughed.

Final Volume: For In That Moment, The Swordsmen Advanced

Author's Note

So... yeah, this is the end of things. I apologize for such a short chapter but honestly, I didn't think it needed to be any longer. I think things, for the most part, are wrapped up nice and tidy with a bow.

Sure, Storious is still out there and I guess that does count as a sequel hook but I'd like to imagine things progress to something resembling the canon show. After all, I never did say what the higher-ups in the Sword of Logos are like in this universe. YMMV.

Imagination is truly the greatest story of all, isn't it? I'd like you to imagine what happens next from here...

Final Volume: For In That Moment, The Swordsmen Advanced

Twilight looked up at the beast, seemingly staring into the abyss as it stared back at her. It’s seven heads coiled around each other like snakes, forked tongues hissing at her. Scales like crimson blood clad the beast, shining like newly-forged armor.

And then it struck, heads jabbing at the earth and striking again and again. Twilight rolled to the left, the hydra letting out a horrific screech that nearly shattered her ears. Her blade plunged into its skin, striking with intent.

Two heads reared up, with a tsunami of flames erupting forth and scouring the land. Twilight stood amongst the fire, bathed in the inferno as she buffeted against the onslaught. Slowly but steadily, she marched forwards with both Rekka and Excalibur in hand.

Massive feet slammed into the earth, something truly primitive before her. The kaiju’s tails lashed at the earth, slamming into it and sending rubble flying. This beast wore no crowns, unlike its biblical counterpart but it was clear it was king of the world. All hail it.

Sharp spines erupted from its back, like blades traveling all the way up its many insidious necks. Like steel, they glittered in the sunlight. They flattered against the beast’s scales as it slowly strode forwards crushing the earth underfoot.

“Oh boy…” Twilight looked nervous under her helmet, and she would admit her swords were trembling in her hands. “Okay, so you got big. Very very big in fact. But that’s the thing about us knights, we slay dragons. Just look it up, in a book. It’s in every fairy tale.”

But would this story end like every fairy tale she’d ever read?

“I’ve never been one for fairy tales, I admit. My life’s never been exactly like something out of one,” she would go on to say. “It’s been horribly depressing. For ages, I was consumed by rage. I’d been pressured into being something I wasn’t. But… That doesn’t mean I won’t discount the possibility of a happy ending.”

The dragon tried to incinerate her again, only for dark portals conjured by Kurayami to swallow up the flames.

“I’m not alone in this fight…” Twilight reminded herself as five other knights stood by her side. Fire, Water, Shadow, Earth, Lightning, and Smoke stood against the end of days. “I have my friends by my side. Though some of them may be gone, they still live on in my memory.”

One last time, they charged into battle darting between blasts of fire and dodging certain doom. A black hole shot towards them, the void hoping to swallow them up. But Kurayami brought that void to bear. It again created a portal, and the black hole began to be swallowed up.

“That’s the thing about stories right?” Twilight asked herself, as Nagare cut through dark flame and dowsed the inferno. “They keep memories alive, even when their source is dead and gone. Nobody ever truly dies, not really. That’s why our Ridebooks persist, why we persist. The written word is all that stands between memory and oblivion. Without books as our anchors we are cast adrift; neither teaching, nor learning. They are windows on the past, mirrors on the present, and prisms reflecting all possible futures. Books are lighthouses erected in the dark sea of time.”

Golden lightning arced down from an ever-darkening sky, striking the dragon again and again as it howled in pain and shrieked in rage. Smoke shrouded the knights, even as jets of flame tried to smash through the smog and hit their targets.

The smoke swirled and surrounded the monstrous dragon like storm clouds and indeed lightning flashed inside it. It arced out of the clouds striking the dragon again and again. Atop a bolt of lightning was a Rider, Grape’s sword crackling with energy as they struck his foe.

The dragon tried to incinerate him, but no such luck as the Knight of Thunder and Lightning was pulled into one of Kurayami’s portals.

“I’m not even sure we’re doing any damage…” Grape muttered, with them looking up at their foe. “Like, sacred swords or no, we’re barely scratching it!”

“Look, as much as I believe in the power of friendship as the next guy,” Mr. Ogami mused. “I’m not even sure that will be able to save us!”

“No…” Twilight said, tightening her grip on Excalibur. “I have to believe our friendship will save us. It saved me once before, when I was turned into that thing back in High School. A friend reached out her hand to try and save me back then!”

“So what?” Ryo asked. “You want to try and befriend the monster?”

“Let her speak!” Hayato barked.

“Friendship is the strongest sort of magic in the world, I know that now,” Twilight said. “No, I’m not suggesting we befriend the monster. But what I am suggesting is we use the magic of our friendship to defeat him. I have to believe we can make our own magic, write the ending of this story ourselves. Because if we can’t fall back on that, then what are we? I refuse to give up.”

“Well, I’ll put my blade behind yours, kiddo,” Mr. Ogami said. “You haven’t led us wrong thus far, and in lack of any better ideas…”

“Yeah, what he said,” Grape nodded.

“Hey, what I saw back at Crystal Prep and the Friendship Games…” Sugarcoat shrugged. “I’m convinced.”

“You’re in harmony with your own blade,” Vinyl said. “You’re not shrouded in doubt anymore, the fog of your mind has cleared away.”

“Then…” Twilight nodded before Excalibur hummed in her hands and crackled with power before it began to grow larger and larger. Soon it was the size of their opponent, and shifting in form and instead of an impossibly large sword now stood a knight the size of a building.

“What the hell…?” Hayato wondered in sheer amazement.

“Like the girl said,” Vinyl chuckled. “Friiiiiieeeeeeeeeeennnnnndship.”

Suddenly Twilight found herself shifting and changing, wielded by the massive mecha as a second sword. The robot stuck again and again, metal slashing into flesh.

“Hissatsu Dokuha! King Slash!”

The mecha proclaimed this even as another series of slashes coated in energy made the dragon stagger. Finally, visible damage. The mecha then tossed Twilight skywards, her armor’s own wings extending.

She was now dodging blasts of fire and void energy, the monster’s heads snaking around as it tried to incinerate her. Keen eyes spotted a chink in the creature’s armor, a place where the scales weren’t quite as thick.

“Tornado Dragon Eagle! Extra Book! Hiden no Hiden Monogatari! Two Rekka Books! A raging winged dragon that burns everything with a hellish flame!”

Twilight landed on one of the great beast’s necks, running her two blades through the scales leaving a trail of green light behind her. A certain mecha smashed into the kaiju, with a shoulder-charge throwing it off balance.

Twilight used this opportunity to strike again, the Swordswoman of Flames slashing into the monster’s hide. She shoved her sword into its neck, before leaping off the monster and activating a finisher.

“Rekka Battou! Osha Jizou San Issatsu Giri! Fire!”

A slash of flames cut through the dark sky, cleaving off one of the heads from its neck and making sure nothing would grow back. The head crashed to the ground with a mighty thud and the remaining ones howled in rage.

“Just six to go… wonderful…”

She flew forwards, readying her sword twice more.
“Hiden no Hiden Monogatari Nisatsu Giri! F-F-Fire!”

“Emotional Dragon Sansatsu Giri! F-F-F-Fire!”

And twice more, two heads crashed to the ground. Now only four remained.

A certain knightly mecha raised its hands above its head, bringing them down like a powerful hammer. Eight sets of eyes bugged out almost comically as the dragon crashed to the earth, dust and smoke stirred up like a sandstorm.

Ruins fell all around the dragon, spurred on by bolts of lightning and pinned it to the earth. Three portals from Kurayami sliced off three more heads. But in a burst of rage and indignation and humiliation, the dragon burst free before the job could be done.

And already, magic swirled around the stumps that were once its necks and little by little flesh began to spring forth. Bones came next, forming solid structures that the flesh and sinew could wrap themselves around with eyes finally glowing bright.

“I don’t believe it!” Ryo gasped. “How do we kill this thing?”

“We can’t,” Hayato said even as the Excalibur-borne mecha crashed to the earth. “We can only seal it away.”

The mecha shifted back to sword form, miniaturizing and clattering to the ground. Twilight retrieved her sword, remembering that chink in the beast’s armor and an idea beginning to form in her mind.

“Keep it distracted!” she barked charging forwards before stone and lightning pelted the beast.

“Alright kid, I don’t know what plan you have, but I’m all for it!” Ryo said, the current Kamen Rider Buster shoving his blade into the earth. Explosions erupted from his sword, igniting beneath the dragon’s feet. Fissures opened up, trapping the beast.

Twilight took to the skies once more, in one hand Excalibur and in the other her borrowed Attache Calibur in sword form. Rekka was strapped to her hips.

“Alright then…” Twilight said to herself before with a roar, she tossed one of her swords. Like a javelin, the Attache Calibur soared through the air.

The sword slammed into the beast’s hide, running it clean through. Magic crackled around it and this time Twilight tossed her other blade.

“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!” she shouted before activating one of Rekka’s finishers watching the second sword piece the beast’s hide. It had landed right next to the first.

“King Arthur, Hiden no Hiden Monogatari, Emotional Dragon Sansatsu Giri! F-F-F-Fire!”

Fire swirled around Twilight’s boot in a diving kick and she slammed into the two blades, driving them through the beast. An explosion of magic erupted, the energy released and swirling around in a storm.

Finally, when all of the dust cleared, there lay Revelatory Dragon impaled with two swords. And Twilight, knocked back to her base Brave Dragon form about ready to collapse.

Off to the side, lay the Eternal Phoenix ridebook crackling with leftover magic. It rose up, even as all that was destroyed reformed around. The world once broken, was now mending itself. But a spectre of its destroyer still remained.

“N-No…” Twilight stammered out, unable to believe it. “I… you were supposed to be destroyed.”

“Hahahahaha,” Sombra’s ghost chuckled. “Eternal Phoenix. It’s in the name. I’ve spent so long tying myself to this book that my spirit is forever linked to it. Strike me down, and I shall rise again. That is the source of my immortality. You did well, girl, foiling my plan as you did. It’ll take me a while to properly reform, probably another decade or so. But I’ll make sure you never get to see that.”

A ghostly version of Kyomu was forming in his hands, poised to strike.

Then, globs of water slammed into him, each impact apparently forcing the spectre back. Holy water from Blades, who stood firm and helped her partner up.

“Fire cannot destroy fire,” Sugarcoat said. “It’s obvious once you think about it. Only water can drown out the inferno. Even an irritatingly persisting one.”

Several slashes from Nagare seemed to do damage, but Sugarcoat paused.

“So? Destroy him!” Twilight said. “End this nightmare! I see now this is your destiny, not mine.”

“No…” Sugarcoat shook her head before tossing Nagare to her. “It’s still yours. It’s only right that you do this. He’s your archenemy, not mine.”

“T-Thank you…” Twilight gripped both of her swords, before slashing twice. The slash from Rekka made the spectre stagger. And Nagare removed him from the earth.

Finally, exhaustion and weariness began to catch up with her. Her vision grew darker and the ground soon rushed up to meet her. Finally, it was over and she could rest easily. Sombra would never again taint the world with his evil.

Time passed, and Sombra really became no more than a distant memory. Instead of swordplay, Twilight's mind was now focused on more mechanical matters. Hiden Industries would always need a dutiful employee after all.

“Your soul seems lighter, Twilight Sparkle,” Izu had noted. “There is… how you say, an extra spring in your step.”

“Yes, well, Sombra’s gone,” she mused. “Honestly, though? I… feel sorry for him. I never imagined I’d say that, but I just do.”

“Alright, I admit I am curious,” Izu’s head tilted with a noisy whir. “Explain. Define your pity for him.”

“It’s just…” Twilight sighed, running a hand through her hair. “He had all of that power, and he chose to conquer the world with it. I guess that’s it? The rest of us with our Sacred Swords, we choose to fight to protect innocent lives and preserve order. He could have been the same.”

“Quite a change in your mindset,” Izu replied. “Once, you would have been happy to see him dead but now you are sad about his demise.”

“I guess I just grew up,” Twilight shrugged. “I suppose spending all of that time in a world of hatred and revenge, I didn’t stop to think if Sombra was a victim himself. Maybe he could have turned out different.”

“Perhaps, we will never know,” Izu said with another noisy nod. “In any event, the storm has passed. What will you do with your life now?”

And Twilight smiled as she grabbed her shoulder bag. Inside it, was Rekka and her ride books. Hopefully, it would be a while before she'd ever have to use them again. “Live it.”

With that, she walked out into the shining sun and smiled. A new chapter of her life had opened. It was time to see where it took her.