The three of them continued driving until the sun had sunk over the horizon. Kate then turned her car down an alleyway and through a gate, which opened automatically. Kate drove until they reached the end of the alleyway and parked the car outside an old complex that looked to have been abandoned long ago. She turned off the engine and got out with Dante and Sunset following her lead. Kate turned to the two of them. “Welcome to the Order,” she stated.
“It’s not what I was expecting,” replied Dante.
“It looks like a bit of a dump,” added Sunset.
“That’s the idea,” deadpanned Kate. She entered a building by ducking under a half-open garage door that had graffiti spray painted onto it.
“Ah! The hiding in plain sight trick!” realized Sunset as she and Dante followed Kate into the building.
“The Phantom’s are among Dante, Sunset. They are enslaving mankind,” explained Kate as she walked up to a wall. She pressed her thumb against a certain spot that caused the brickwork to move to the side, revealing a keypad. Ironically, the bricks were graffitied to form a skull and the keypad was in its mouth. Kate typed in a code and the brickwork that made up the eye of the skull moved to the side, revealing a scanned which Kate pressed her eye too. “The world is asleep, brainwashed and helpless,” the whole wall moved away making Sunset gasped in awe. “We’re fighting back.”
Both Dante and Sunset followed Kate, with the former glancing up at a camera that was tracking them. “We are a small handful of freedom fighters. We are the last and the only line of defence.”
“Defence?” Dante ran his fingers along a wall and looked at the dust they had collected. “You’ve got no chance,” he flicked the dust off.
“We don’t leave things to chance!” snapped out Kate before she took a deep breath and calmed herself. While they had been talking they had walked up a short staircase into a room that was full of people dressed in white lab coats who were working on monitors. “We’ve accumulated vast intelligence on the Phantoms as well as the people who are collaborating with them.”
Dante and Sunset were looking around the place in awe. Well, Sunset was in awe but Dante was indifferent. “We can hit them where it hurts,” explained Kate as she folded her arms behind her back and walked through a pair of steel doors that slide open and into a room with a single occupant.
Standing in the centre of the room was another Kamen Rider. His helmet was silver with an orange circle shaped jewel for a faceplate that had silver outlines and a pair of silver goggle-like visors over his eyes. Over the helmet was white plating that looked like a white hood with golden outlines. His suit was pure white with attached white boots that had a black sole as well as black attached gloves with black armour on the back of them. He wore a white robe with golden outlines that stopped just above his ankles and was worn under a white waist-length cape with golden outlines. White shoulder pauldrons with golden outlines and a golden circle in the centre of them covered his shoulders. Onyx black wristlets and ankles with golden framework covered his wrists and ankles. Going down each side of his chest and looping under his arms was a pair of silver ring holsters. Around his waist was a Wizard Driver like Sunset’s only it was outlined in red. In his right hand was a silver cane that had silver buttons on the side and a golden spear on each end of it.
“Amazing,” he uttered. “Dante, Sunset, it’s really you two,” he greeted.
Dante just shrugged while Sunset gained a confused look as to how this third Kamen Rider knew them.
“You don’t remember me?” it was more of a statement than a question.
“No,” stated Dante bluntly.
After a few seconds of silence, the man asked: “How much of your childhood do you remember?”
“Not much,” replied Dante simply. “I had meningitis when I was seven. Wiped my memory, why?”
The Kamen Rider turned to Sunset who was looking at some of the computer screens. “And you Sunset?”
“Other than manners, how to talk, read and write as well as how to fight and some other bits of random information that don’t make a lot of sense? The first thing I remember is waking up in the Slip Dimension yesterday,” came the reply.
The Kamen Rider gave wince at Sunset’s story. “Ouch,” he then gave a mix between a scoff and a chuckle. “Hah! They told me that I had a car accident that resulted in total amnesia. Age: Seven,” he explained.
“I’m starting to see a pattern here,” muttered Sunset.
Dante sure as heck didn’t. “Your point?” he demanded, still confused as to where the other Kamen Rider was going with this.
The Kamen Rider stepped forwards. “Meningitis is a human affliction. You are not human Dante. Therefore you cannot be affected by it!”
“Not being human would explain how you're still alive after getting all of those injuries when we were fighting the Monkey Phantom,” muttered Sunset.
“All war is fought with deception and you have been deceived. Your past has been hidden from you for a reason,” explained the white Kamen Rider.
“Rewind a bit, how are you again?” interrupted Dante.
The Kamen Rider took several steps back. “My name is Vergil, Kamen Rider Vergil. I established The Order to fight the Phantoms,” the now named Vergil turned on his heel and gestured at the space around them.
“Besides with swords, bullets and magic you mean?” questioned Dante.
Vergil turned back to Dante and Sunset. “Such weapons can win battles, yes. But not the war. We use force, yes, but we also use intelligence, politics and propaganda,” he had started to pace at some point during his little speech.
Dante looked amused. “You really believe you can make a dent?” he questioned in no small amount of disbelief.
Sunset kicked him in the shin.
“OW! What was that for?!” demanded Dante as he hopped around on one foot in pain. Sunset’s kicks were hard!
“Mocking people that are risking their lives to try and save the world,” came the blunt reply.
Dante was about to snap at her when he realised something. Turning to Vergil he stated in an accusing tone of voice. “So that’s what this is about. You need us to help you fight the Phantom’s, help save the world.”
“What else were you planning on doing with your life?” asked Vergil.
Dante was about to say something, probably refuse.
Sunset spoke up. “I’m in.”
Dante looked at her in shock.
“What? The Phantom’s aren’t gonna leave us alone unless we destroy them. So why not join up with the people and Kamen Rider that also fights them and want all of the Phantom’s dead?”
Kate stepped forward and began to speak. “Dante, I don’t think you realise what is at stake here-”
Vergil raised a gloved hand, cutting her off. “If you want to leave, turn your back on me, then I’m powerless to stop you.”
Dante looked about ready to do just that.
“But at least give me a chance to show you. To show the both of you,” pleaded Vergil to his follow Kamen Riders.
“Show us what?” asked Dante after Vergil paused.
“Who you both really are.”
Hook, line and sinker.
Next Day
Kate drove her car through the gates in the wall of the ruins of an old mansion. The word ‘Paradise’ was woven into the archway over the gates.
‘Sure as heck doesn’t look like paradise,’ thought Sunset but was smart enough not to say it out loud.
“This was your home, for both of you,” stated Vergil once they were inside the ruin’s entrance hall.
“I don’t remember,” replied Dante.
“Me neither,” added Sunset as the untransformed Kamen Riders walked up beside Vergil who was still in his armour.
“You will,” replied Vergil. He turned to Kate. “Kate, open the gateway,” he ordered.
Kate nodded in reply. She took a roll of paper from the harness on her back and placed it onto the floor, unrolling it once she had done so.
Dante looked at Kate in confusion before asking. “What are you doing?”
Kate took out a spray paint can from where its holder was buckled to the side of her belt as she explained. “Our world and the Slip Dimension created by the Phantom’s are very closely super-positioned. They collide in places causing what we call rifts,” Dante and Sunset knelt down as Kate started spraying a white compound onto the magical circle that was cut into the paper. “It’s here, in the rifts, where we can create gateways to and from the Slip Dimension.”
Dante reached down, scraped up some of the compounds and sniffed it before pulling a face. “Doesn’t smell good. What’s in the can?” he questioned.
Kate peeled back the paper, revealing the magic circle that was now on the ground. “A compound I created based on an old Wiccan recipe. Sea salt, shark oil, iron shavings, desiccated squirrel semen, wolf hair-”
Kate would have continued, but Dante whipped his fingers on her jacket. “Good stuff,” there was no small amount of sarcasm in his voice.
Kate looked down to see Sunset weakly tugging at her socks, the look on her face showed that she was about to hurl. Kate sweatdropped. “I’m going to shut up now,” she turned to Vergil. “It’s ready.”
“Go ahead,” Vergil pointed to the circle. “The house holds secrets. I’ve found mine, now it’s your turn.”
“How will we get back?” asked Dante as he and Sunset stepped into the magic circle, which started to glow.
“We’ll handle that,” replied Vergil. “Be careful, it can get rough in there,” he warned the two of them.
Dante turned to Kate. “I like it rough,” he stated in a flirty voice that got him a punch to the head from Sunset. “OW!”
Once Dante and Sunset were in the Slip Dimension, Kate asked Vergil the question that had been plaguing her mind with doubt in her voice. “Is this really going to work? He doesn’t seem to care and she had no idea what she’s getting into.”
“Their both raw, just like you were when I first found you,” pointed out Vergil mildly.
Kate looked down, then at Vergil from under her hood as she gripped her arm.
Slip Dimension
Dante and Sunset appeared in the Slip Dimension. “Let’s go!” shouted Sunset. She ran forwards, only to be yanked back by Dante.
“First we transform so that we’re ready if a Phantom attacks us,” Dante pointed out.
Sunset blushed as both of them held their Driver On Rings over their buckles. [DRIVER ON!] shouted both of the buckles as Sunset’s added. [PLEASE!] A magic circle appeared in front of each buckle as they grew out. Dante’s was an angelic blue circle, inside a demonic red eight-pointed star. They were inside a second circle that had two layers, the inner layer was demonic red while the outer layer was angelic blue, between the two layers was text made of the two colours. Sunset’s circle was her active magic circle.
Sunset pressed the left Shift Lever turning the Wizard Driver’s Hand Author to the left. [MAGICAL TOUCH HENSHIN!] “HENSHIN!” shouted Sunset as she held the Active Ring on her left hand across the Wizard Driver’s Hand Author. [ACTIVE PLEASE!] She held out her left hand to the side and the active circle appeared, passing over her and transforming her into Kamen Rider Symbol Active Style. [LET’S GO!]
Dante punched the Nephilim Ring into his Driver’s left slot. [SET!] “Henshin!” he turned the ring, making the gate-shaped Driver open. [OPEN!] The magic circle appeared in front of him and moved back towards him. [N-E-P-H-I-L-I-M] Once it passed through he had transformed into Kamen Rider Dante.
Now that they were transformed they were able to get a look around. The house’s bricks and floors were now coloured blood red and black crystals were climbing up the walls. Phantom goo was splattered on the floor and walls in various place indicating there had been a battle here at some point in the past. ‘From the amount of damage, it was clearly a big one,’ thought Symbol.
“Well, Kate was telling the truth, we’re back in the Slip Dimension,” Symbol spoke aloud. She was not sure how to feel about that. Part of her was glad to be getting some answers about her past. But the rest was annoyed to be back in the place in which she had been attacked.
“Let’s get this over with,” replied Dante. They started running down the hall, after several seconds they arrived in what looked like a lobby. It had a sun-like pattern painted on the floor, a stairway was positioned at the far end and split two leading up to a pair of balconies which a door at each end of them both.
“So this was our home?” muttered Dante.
“Well, show us your secrets!” shouted Symbol. She got a strange look from Dante since she was talking to a building. They ran up the first flight of stairs and came to the split. “Left or right?” asked Symbol.
“Left,” replied Dante. They ran up the rest of the stairs and through the door. They followed the hall around to the left and into a room which had been trashed. Directly opposite the door was a portrait of a man in a suit holding a sword, but the face had been clawed off. “I remember this place,” realised Dante.
“Me to,” added Symbol.
Their memories pulled up images of a room with chairs, a sofa, a desk and several bookcases that lined the walls. Along with rich red walls that had golden ivory patterns painted into them, white marble columns, along with the walls having three white borders. They also remember another pair of sofas and a coffee table along with red curtains at the windows.
After a few seconds, Symbol and Dante snapped back to the reality of a ruined room, bare of any furniture and faded walls that had been scorched, especially around the painting where the walls were black. They both were a bit shaken but shook it off as they walked towards the painting.
“And who the hell are you?” asked Dante.
Symbol nudged him with her elbow and pointed towards the bronze nameplate at the bottom of the frame.
“Sparda?” muttered Dante. Then his visors went wide as he remembered what the Monkey Phantom had called him. “My dad?” he questioned.
Both of them now wished the painting’s face hadn’t been clawed off. The tender moment was destroyed when the Phantom’s appeared. “Great,” muttered Dante as his visors narrowed in anger.
“Let’s get them!” shouted Symbol as she pulled open the Active Blade’s Hand Author. [COME ON A SLASH SHAKE HANDS!] Then she scanned the Active Ring across it. [ACTIVE! SLASH STRIKE!] Red lightning crackled around the blade. Symbol pulled it back and then slammed it down. “Red Slash!” a Lesser Blade Phantom had a red line cut through the centre of it before it exploded.
Dante fired at another Lesser Blade Phantom with Ebony and Ivory before drawing Rebellion and punching his ring into the base of the handle, making the mouth open. [FIVE!] Revealing five red and blue circles. [NEPHILIM SABER STRIKE!] Red and blue energy covered the length of the blade. “Stinger!” with that roar Dante stabbed the Lesser Blade Phantom in the gut, making sparks come from its stomach as it staggered backwards.
With an opening, Dante punching his ring into the sword’s base, making the mouth close and then open again. [SIX!] This time an extra red and blue circle was revealed. [NEPHILIM SABER STRIKE!] Red and blue energy covered the blade as Dante ran forwards at high speed. “Trillion Stabs!” he shouted as he stabbed so fast that his arm turned into a blur making a continuous amount of sparks come from the Phantom which then exploded.
Another attack came from behind Dante, he quickly punched his Nephilim Ring into the hammers of Ebony and Ivory. [EBONY AND IVORY STRIKE!] White energy gathered around the barrel of Ivory, while black energy covered Ebony’s barrel. Dante spun around and fired. “Ricoshot!” a pair of bullets that were spiralling around each other slammed into the gut of the Lesser Blade Phantom. Sparks exploded as it was sent flying backwards, being damaged by the drill effect of the two charged bullets.
Dante flipped the sword into a reverse grip as he pulled the trigger on it. The eyes shone as the red and blue energy covering the blade reached critical. [NEPHILIM SABER STRIKE!] Dante slashed the blade down. “Drive!” firing a large crescent of energy that slammed into the Lesser Blade Phantom making it explode.
The Slasher and Aqua Rings appeared on Symbol’s right index and ring fingers respectively. Symbol pressed the right Shift Lever making the Wizard Driver’s Hand Author switch to that side. [MAGIC TOUCHIE HENSHIN!] She then scanned the two rings across the Wizard Driver’s Hand Author. [SLASHER AQUA PLEASE!] Symbol threw her hand out to the right and the two magic circles appeared, moving through her and transforming her into the Active Slasher Aqua Style. Symbol slashed at one Lesser Blade Phantom several times. She grabbed its shoulder with one hand and then stabbed it in the gut, repeatedly with the other hand’s Slash Tidal Claws. An uppercut slash sent the Lesser Blade Phantom into the air where it then exploded.
Then Symbol turned to the other Lesser Blade Phantom and slashed at it with several wide swings before kicking it away and pressing the right shift lever. [MAGIC TOUCHIE GO!] Then scanning her right hand across the Wizard Driver’s Hand Author. [SLASHER AQUA MAGIC PLEASE!] She jumped into the air and held her Slasher Tidal Claws out to the side as she spun like a top. “Spinning Claws!” the Lesser Blade Phantom was cut to ribbons by the attack.
Dante attacked another Lesser Blade Phantom by punching his Nephilim Ring into the base of his sword. [ONE!] The mouth opened to reveal a single red and blue circle. [NEPHILIM SABER STRIKE!] Red and blue energy covered the blade. “High Time!” Dante slashed upwards, sending the Lesser Blade Phantom shooting into the air, Dante used the sword’s momentum to carry himself after it.
He quickly punched the Nephilim Ring into the base of the sword. [FOUR!] The mouth closed and opened again, this time four red and blue circles were revealed. [NEPHILIM SABER STRIKE!] Red and blue energy ran up and down the right side of the blade. “Aerial Rave!” Dante slashed several times with the energized side of the blade. The Lesser Blade Phantom had micro explosions going off around its body but was not dead yet.
Dante punched his Nephilim Ring into the base of his sword. [TWO!] The mouth closed and opened revealing two red and blue circles. [NEPHILIM SABER STRIKE!] The sword’s eyes flashed as red and blue energy ran through the blade. “Roulette!” shouted Dante as he spun around, cutting into the Lesser Blade Phantom and making it explode at least.
As he landed back on the ground, two more Lesser Blade Phantoms appeared to gang up on him. Dante blocked the sword slash from one of them with his own sword and then shot at the other Lesser Blade Phantom with Ebony as he tried to buy time.
Symbol switched the Active Ring for the Burst ring and pressed the left Shift Lever, turning the Wizard Driver’s Hand Author to the left. [MAGICAL TOUCH HENSHIN!] Then she scanned the Burst Ring. [BURST PLEASE!] The burst magic circle appeared behind Symbol and moved through her. [CAST THE SPELL!] Transforming her into the burst style. With the transformation complete, Symbol pressed down on the left Shift Lever once. [MAGICAL TOUCH GO!] Then she scanned the Burst Ring. [BURST! C RANK SPELL!] Dante found that he didn’t have to buy any time as a trio of fireballs slammed into the Lesser Blade Phantom sending it flying backwards.
He glanced over a Symbol and saw her in burst style. “Got your back!” she called out making Dante nod.
Turning back to the Lesser Blade Phantom that he was locking blades with Dante punched the Nephilim Ring into the base of his sword’s hilt. [TWO!] The mouth snapped open to reveal a pair of red and blue circles. [NEPHILIM SABER STRIKE!] Red and blue energy covered the sword, Dante was able to break the blade lock. “Death Coil!” he hit the Lesser Blade Phantom with several spinning slashes and ended the combo with a hard downwards slash.
[NEPHILIM SABER STRIKE!] The last thing that the Lesser Blade Phantom saw was a blaze of red and blue energy roaring toward it. The last thing that it heard was Kamen Rider Dante shouting: “Drive!” before it exploded.
Another Lesser Blade Phantom ran at Symbol who fired several blasts of magical energy that blasted it backwards. It struggled back to its feet before another blast of purple magical energy slammed into its face and made it fall over again. “The finale!” shouted Symbol as she pressed the left shift lever twice. [MAGICAL TOUCH GO!] Then she scanned the Burst Ring across the Wizard Driver’s Hand Author. [BURST! B RANK SPELL!] Water in the air condensed and then froze over, producing four snowflake-shaped ice mirrors that floated around the Lesser Blade Phantom. “Ice Mirror Surround!” shouted Symbol. She charged mana into her hands then clapped them together before pulling them apart and forming a ball of ice blue mana between them. She fired it in a blast which shot into one mirror and came out of another slamming into the Phantom. Then the blast turned back into a ball that bounced off and back into the mirror before emerging from a different one.
“That’s that,” Symbol turned away as the ball continued the process as the Lesser Blade Phantom did its best to defend and failed miserably as whenever it blocked the ball, it just went back into a mirror and came out of another until the Lesser Blade Phantom fell over and exploded.
At that moment what looked like a Lesser Blade Phantom pulled itself out of the ground. It had spiky black hair, a skull mask with a single glowing red eye and thicker armour than a Lesser Blade Phantom. On its left arm was a circle shaped shield with jagged edges and it’s other arm had a blade with jagged edges in the place of a hand.
“If we’re going to call that thing something then it should be the Death Knight Phantom,” stated Symbol dryly.
“Call it whatever you want! Let’s just kill it already!” Dante opened fire with Ebony and Ivory, only for the bullets to bounce of the Death Knight Phantom’s shield. “Ok then, let’s try this!” he punched the Nephilim Ring into the hammers of both Ebony and Ivory. [EBONY AND IVORY STRIKE!] Black energy gathered in front of Ebony’s barrel while white energy gathered in front of Ivory’s barrel. “Ricoshot!” shouted Dante as he pulled the triggers, firing a pair of charged bullets that spiralled around each other like a drill. The Death Knight Phantom raised its shield and was forced back several feet but there was no damage to the Phantom nor to the shield.
“Ok, so the gun’s aren’t working, let's try the sword!” Dante drew said weapon and charged as he punched the Nephilim Ring into the base of his sword’s hilt. [THREE!] The mouth opened revealing three red and blue circles. [NEPHILIM SABER STRIKE!] Red and blue energy ran into both edges of the sword. “Hacker!” shouted Dante as he slashed at the Death Knight Phantom several times. But each blow was blocked by the shield “What the-?!” suddenly, the Death Knight Phantom thrust its shield forwards, knocking Dante off balance. The red energy gathered around its sword as it was charged and the Death Knight Phantom got ready for a downwards slash.
Seeing that Dante was in danger, Symbol pressed the left Shift Lever three times. [MAGICAL TOUCH GO!] Then scanned the Burst Ring across the Wizard Driver’s Hand Author. [BURST! A RANK SPELL!] She slapped her palm against the ground. “Earth Wall!” Dante would have taken a slash to the chest if a wall of earth had not burst from the ground. “Dante, fall back and wait for a good moment to strike! I’ll hold it off!”
Knowing that the Burst Style was not good for close combat, Symbol switched the Burst Ring with the Active Ring and pressed down on the Wizard Driver’s left Shift Lever. [MAGICAL TOUCH HENSHIN!] Then she scanned the Active Ring. [ACTIVE PLEASE!] She held out her left hand and the active magic circle appeared. [LET’S GO!] It moved over Symbol transforming her back into the Active Style. She then slid the Slash and Aqua Rings onto her right index and ring fingers before she pressed the right shift lever. [MAGIC TOUCHIE HENSHIN!] As the Wizard Driver’s Hand Author switched to the right Symbol scanned her right hand over it. [SLASHER AQUA PLEASE!] The slasher and aqua magical circles appeared to her right and moved through her, transforming Symbol into the Active Slasher Aqua style. Symbol attacked, she slashed at the Death Knight Phantom’s shield as fast and as hard as she could for about a minute before having to stop to take a breather.
Suddenly, the Death Knight Phantom charged up its sword and swung downwards. Symbol crossed the Slasher Tidal Claws over her helmet to block the blow, but she was shocked by the amount of strength that the Death Knight Phantom possessed. ‘What’s with this thing?! My slasher style boosts my strength and yet I’m still being forced back?!’ Symbol was able to reach down with her right hand and press the right Shift Lever once. [MAGIC TOUCHIE GO!] With her left arm trembling from the effort of holding the Death Knight Phantom back Symbol scanned her right hand across the Wizard Driver’s Hand Author. [SLASHER MAGIC PLEASE!] Red lightning covered her right arm’s Slasher Tidal Claws as Symbol slammed them into the Phantom’s chest. A beam of pure electrical energy and heat erupted from the claws, piercing through the Death Knight Phantom’s chest and forcing it to break off its attack as it stumbled back with sparks bleed from the wound while red lightning crackled over its body.
“Let’s hope this works!” muttered Symbol as she pressed the left Shift Lever down four times. [MAGICAL TOUCH GO!] The Wizard Driver’s Hand Author turned to the left. [VERY NICE!] Symbol then scanned the Active Ring across it. [ACTIVE! S RANK SPELL!] Red mana then covered her left boot. [THE BEST!] Then Symbol pressed down on the right Shift Lever four times. [MAGICAL TOUCH GO!] The Hand Author turned to the right. [VERY NICE!] Symbol then scanned the rings on her right hand across it. [SLASHER AQUA MAGIC!] The energy from her boot was pulled into the Slasher Tidal Claws. [THE BEST!] Ocean blue water was pulled from the air and wrapped around her body as a maelstrom of mana erupted from Symbol’s body. “Tsunami Claws!” Symbol jumped into the air holding the Slasher Tidal Claws over her helmet and spinning like an ocean water covered drill. She rocketed towards the Death Knight Phantom looking like a tornado of water The Phantom brought up its shield which Symbol smashed into. Sparks flew through the air as Symbol’s attack drilled against the shield. “Come on! Come on! Come on! COMING THROUGH!” shouted Symbol as with a loud cracking noise cracks spread through the shield before it shattered! The Phantom was sent skidding backwards as Symbol’s attack ended.
Symbol landed on the ground but then flinched as red, blue and green lightning crackled across her body, making her fall to her knees. The Death Knight Phantom saw an opening and charged at her with its sword glowing red from the amount of power it’s user had charged into it.
Why did it feel like it was forgetting something? [NEPHILIM SABER STRIKE!] Oh that was why. [GO! KICK STRIKE!] The Death Knight Phantom turned just in time to see three waves of red and blue energy racing at it. “Overdrive!” the last thing it heard before being forced to explode was Dante shouting that.
Once the Phantom was dead, Dante turned to Symbol. “Why didn’t you do that sooner if you had an attack like that?!” he demanded.
“Because, ARGH!” micro explosions ignited across Symbol’s body as she collapsed to the ground.
“Sunset!” shouted Dante as he ran over to her.
Symbol robe, claws, wristlets, shoulder pauldrons and chest armour vanished. Her faceplate greyed out and her suit turned completely grey as well. “That’s why!” gasped out Symbol as she switched the Active Ring for the Burst Ring and pressed the left Shift Lever. [MAGICAL TOUCH HENSHIN!] She scanned the Burst Ring. [BURST PLEASE!] The burst magic circle appeared behind her and moved through Symbol. [CAST THE SPELL!] Transforming her back into the Burst Style. “I had a feeling that using two S rank spells would talk a lot out of me and might have done something like this!” she held up the Active Ring showing that its colours had all greyed out.
“What happened to it?” asked Dante in shock.
“No idea,” replied Symbol. Suddenly her HUD lit up. “Now my HUD’s telling me that it's drained and it will be a while before I can use Active Style again.”
“And that’s your more powerful form thanks to the Slasher and Aqua Rings. Are you ok to continue?” asked Dante.
“I’m not just going to let the loss of two forms for half an hour stop us from finding answers,” Symbol shot back.
Dante helped her to her boots and they walked up to the picture which started glowing. “What are you trying to show us?” Dante asked. He noted that an engraving at the bottom of the frame looked like the tattoo on his back and that the circle part was glowing demonic red.
Curious he reached out and put his hand on the circle, only for it to suddenly get pulled the last few inches a stick! “What the fuck- ARGH!” shouted Dante as demonic red energy started lancing into his Nephilim Ring, up his arm, down through his spine and into his Driver!
“DANTE!” shouted Symbol as she ran forwards to try and help. Suddenly, a beam of red energy shot out of a portrait, right into the centre of the Wizard Driver. Symbol froze up as her body started to transform! A magic circle that was identical to the active and burst magic circles except it was green with the letter in the centre being a G appeared under her boots. [GIGA PLEASE!] It started to rise up through Symbol. [BREAK THROUGH!] Changing her body into its new form.
Her faceplate was now an orange square with silver outlines that had runic text engraved into them. In the centre of her forehead the coin had turned into a bronze square with the two antennae still forming into a V. Her helmet had turned dark green and the circles over her ears had morphed into silver squares. The sides of her suit turned dark green and the outside of its legs became an emerald green. Symbol’s anklets and bracelets turned green and her chest plate became an emerald green square, in the centre of which was bronze square. The inside of Symbol’s robe turned emerald green and the chest now had a pair of green emerald’s on either side of that formed the corners of a square. On her left middle finger was a silver ring with a square-shaped emerald in the centre of it that had an orange framework.
“Woah!” Symbol looked over her transformed body, it felt much heavy but far more powerful than her Active and Burst Styles.
[OPEN!] Symbol looked up just in time to see Dante’s Driver summon a demonic red magic circle in front of him. [A-R-B-I-T-E-R!] It passed through him, turning all of his light angelic blue armour into thick demonic red armour. On his back a demonic red and black battle axe appeared, the grip was pitch black with the blade being large and curved over some of the shaft just like many bearded axes. Also, the Nephilim Ring had turned into the Demon Ring, it was completely red with a pair of demonic horns coming out of the sides of it.
“Hell yeah!” shouted Dante.
“Nice axe, what are you gonna call it?” asked Symbol.
“Does it need a name?” asked Dante.
“Yes!” shouted Symbol with enough fierceness in her voice to make Dante jump back in fright.
“Well, what would you suggest?” he asked.
“How about Arbiter?” asked Symbol after a moment of thought.
“Arbiter,” Dante tasted the name. “Sounds about right,” then he realised something. “Where did you get a name like that?!”
Symbol got a bit sheepish. “I don’t know, it just came to me.”
Dante shrugged. “Well, it sounds cool, so sure let's use that as a name.”
All of a sudden, another Death Knight Phantom pulled itself from the ground.
Dante moved to engage it in combat. He punched his Demon Ring into the back of the axe’s blade, making part of it pop open. [ONE!] Red Energy gathered around the axes blade. [DEMON AXE STRIKE!] Dante only just noticed how close the Death Knight Phantom was and swung Arbiter. An energy version of the axe’s blade was sent spinning at the Phantom. It impacted the shield with enough force to make the Death Knight Phantom stagger backwards, breaking its guard. Had Dante been a bit closer then it would have been a great opportunity to get some damage in.
“Woah! I’m gonna call that one Flush!” shouted Dante in awe at his new attack. He slammed Arbiter down onto the Death Knight Phantom’s shield making it crack. “Not so tough now!” shouted Dante as he punched the Demon Ring into the back of Arbiter’s blade. [THREE!] The blade popped open revealing three red circles. [DEMON AXE STRIKE!] Red energy coursed through Arbiter. “Time to face Judgement!” shouted Dante. He slammed the axe down once, denting the shield, a second downwards swing shattered the shield and a third impacted the Death Knight Phantom making it stagger backwards in pain with sparks coming from its body.
“Not so tough now! Let’s try this!” Dante punched the Demon Ring into the back of Arbiter’s blade again. [FOUR!] It popped open to reveal four demonic red circles. [DEMON AXE STRIKE!] Red energy gathered around Arbiter’s blade as Dante ran forwards and jumped into the air before bringing the bearded axe down. “Trinity Smash!” he looked like a demonic meteor as he slammed Arbiter down. The bearded axe cut a line into the Death Knight Phantom which sparked for a second before the Phantom exploded.
Then the next wave of Phantom’s appeared.
“My turn!” shouted Symbol as she ran past Dante, her Giga Style’s signature weapon appeared in her hands. It was a green axe with a silver blade and a black handle, it had a black Hand Author that was curled into a fist with the thumb sticking out. The Hand Author also worked as the connection joint where the axe blade connected to the axe handle. This was the Giga Axe.
“Here we go!” shouted Symbol as she brought the weapon down, drawing sparks off a Lesser Blade Phantom before bisecting it at the waist with a horizontal swing. Symbol quickly pressed down on the left Shift Lever. [MAGICAL TOUCH SPELL!] The Wizard Driver’s Hand Author turned to the left and Symbol scanned the Giga Ring over it. [GIGA C RANK SPELL!] Green mana covered Symbol’s left hand as she curled it into a fist and decked a Lesser Blade Phantom in the face with enough force that it exploded the second her fist made contact.
The final Lesser Blade Phantom struck her across the back but hardly any sparks were drawn. “I barely felt that!” Symbol struck the left Shift Lever once. [MAGICAL TOUCH SPELL!] Then she scanned the Giga Ring. [GIGA C RANK SPELL!] Green mana collected around her left fist. “Giga Fist!” she pulled it back and punched the Lesser Blade Phantom, it was sent flying into the air and exploded.
Then a pair of Death Knight Phantom’s burst from the ground.
“One for each of us!” shouted Dante as he ran forwards punching the Demon Ring into the back of Arbiter’s blade. [TWO!] It popped open to reveal a pair of demonic red circles. [DEMON AXE STRIKE!] Demonic red energy started to get pulled from the air and into Arbiter’s blade. “Tremor!” shouted Dante as he slammed the bearded axe into the ground. Out of which exploded a wave of demonic red energy that fired the Death Knight Phantom into the air.
Dante quickly swapped the Demon Ring for the Nephilim Ring and punched it into the left slot of his Driver. [SET!] He turned it backwards making the gate close and then forwards making it open. [OPEN!] The Nephilim magic circle appeared in front of him. [N-E-P-H-I-L-I-M!] Then it moved back through him, transforming Dante back into his Nephilim Style. He jumped into the air as he drew his sword and punched the Nephilim Ring into the bottom of its handle. [FOUR!] The mouth popped open, revealing four demonic red and angelic blue circles. [NEPHILIM SABER STRIKE!] Dante started swinging the blade making sparks fly from the Death Knight Phantom with each swing as it was unable to use its shield to block while in the air.
As the Death Knight Phantom started to fall to the ground, Dante switched the Nephilim Ring for the Demon Ring and punched it into his Driver’s left slot. [SET!] Then twisted it backwards causing the gate to close before twisting the ring forwards making the gate open. [OPEN!] The demon magic circle appeared in front of him. [A-R-B-I-T-E-R!] Then it moved back through Dante transforming him back into the Demon Style. He pulled Arbiter off his back and punched the Demon Ring into the back of the blade. [FIVE!] Which popped open to reveal five demonic red circles. [DEMON AXE STRIKE!] Demonic red energy covered the blade as he swung it down. “Drop!” Arbiter’s magic increased the speed at which Dante dropped as it slammed down onto the Death Knight Phantom like a gillouhteen making the Phantom explode.
Symbol slammed the Giga Axe down onto the shield of the Death Knight Phantom that she was fighting. Before blocking an attack with the Giga Axe’s shaft and kicking the Phantom back. She pressed down on the left Shift Lever twice. [MAGICAL TOUCH SPELL!] Then she scanned the Giga Ring across the Wizard Driver’s Hand Author. [GIGA B RANK SPELL!] Her left hand was covered in green mana as she pulled it up and brought it down in a chop. “Seismic Smash!” Her chop cut the Phantom’s shield in half, only for its sword it snap up into her chest plate. “Argh!” shout Symbol as sparks came from the impact.
Not used to this armour yet she lost balance and fell over. Looking up she saw the Death Knight Phantom towering over her with its sword raised up and about to bring it down on her chest plate. Symbol quickly hit the left Shift Lever three times. [MAGICAL TOUCH SPELL!] Then scanned the Giga Ring. [GIGA A RANK SPELL!] Her hand was covered in green mana as she grabbed the Death Knight Phantom’s sword, stopping it with ease. “Giga Embodiment!” shouted Symbol as she squeezed the blade, shattering it and making the Death Knight Phantom stagger backwards.
Symbol got back to her boots and pressed the thumb on the Giga Axe’s Hand Author making it spring open. [COME ON A SMASH SHAKE HANDS!] Then she scanned the Giga Ring across it. [GIGA SMASH STRIKE!] Green magical energy gathered around the Giga Axe’s blade as Symbol brought it roaring down, making the Death Knight Phantom go up in an explosion.
As they got their breath back the two Kamen Rider’s heard a childish giggle. “Who’s there?!” shouted Dante. He ran through a door with Symbol following. Suddenly the hall extended away from them opening a hole right under their feet. “Woah!” shouted Dante as they fell down. He landed first and Symbol landed on top of him.
“I’m sorry!” shouted Symbol as she got off Dante. “Guess we can’t go back that way,” she commented as the hole closed up behind them. Then she tilted her head. “Why did I see a girl in healer armour when I apologised?”
“I don’t know and I don’t care!” replied Dante as he ran through a door and into a square-shaped room with Symbol following. Before going out another door and having to jump down another hole. “Where the hell are we now?!” shouted Dante. They jumped up some rubble that had formed into a makeshift stairway and through another door that lead right back into the entrance hall. “...I don’t believe it! We’re right back where we started!” raged Dante.
Then the Death Knight Phantom’s and their escorts arrived.
“Less talk and more fight!” ordered Symbol.
“Yeah, yeah,” replied Dante as he ran at a Death Knight Phantom, he punched the Demon Ring into the back of Arbiter’s blade. [THREE!] Which popped open to reveal three demonic red circles. [DEMON AXE STRIKE!] Red energy gathered around Arbiter as Dante brought it down in an overhead swing. “Judgment!” The powerful single hit strike made contact with the Phantom’s shield and sent out a red energy shockwave which made it shatter into pieces.
Dante then punched the Demon Ring into the back of Arbiter’s blade again. [TWO!] Which then opened to reveal a pair of demonic red circles. [DEMON AXE STRIKE!] Red energy was pulled from Dante’s body as he slammed the axe into the ground. “Tremor!” a wave of red energy ripped through the ground and shot the Death Knight Phantom up into the air.
Dante swapped the Demon Ring for the Nephilim Ring and punched it into the left slot of his Driver. [SET!] He turned the ring backwards closing the Driver’s gate and then twisted it forwards opening the Driver’s gate. [OPEN!] The Nephilim magic circle appeared in front of him. [N-E-P-H-I-L-I-M!] Then it moved backwards through him. Now in his lighter armour, Dante jumped into the air, reaching the height of the Phantom with ease as he punched the Nephilim Ring into the bottom of the sword’s handle. [FOUR!] The mouth snapped open revealing four red and blue circles. [NEPHILIM SABER STRIKE!] Red and blue energy covered the blade. “Aerial Rave!” shouted Dante as he slashed the Phantom four times making sparks fly with each slash.
The Death Knight Phantom started to fall back towards the ground as Dante punched the Nephilim Ring into the sword’s hilt again. [ONE!] The mouth closed and then snapped open again, this time only a single red and blue circle was revealed. [NEPHILIM SABER STRIKE!] Dante shot down. “Helm Breaker!” he slammed his sword down in an overhead swing, making the Death Knight Phantom explode.
Symbol smashed one Lesser Blade Phantom with the Giga Axe and then grabbed its arm before throwing the Phantom into another one. Suddenly, she was struck in the back by a third Lesser Blade Phantom, she lashed out with a kick sending it flying. Symbol was then struck by the other two Lesser Blade Phantoms that she had just manhandled. Then there was trouble, whenever she swung her fist or the Giga Axe at one of the Phantoms she would be blindsided by the other two throwing off her aim and causing her to miss. “This isn’t good,” suddenly the Active Ring appeared on her left middle finger once more. “It’s about time!” shouted Symbol as she pressed the left Shift Lever. [MAGICAL TOUCH HENSHIN!] Then scanned she scanned the Active Ring. [ACTIVE PLEASE!] She threw her left arm out to the side, making the Active magic circle appear. [LET’S GO!] Which then passed over her transforming her back into the Active Style.
Symbol slashed the Lesser Blade Phantom several times and pulled open the Hand Author on the Active Blade. [COME ON A SLASH SHAKE HANDS!] Then scanned the Active Ring. [ACTIVE! SLASH STRIKE!] Red lightning covered the Active Blade. “Red Slash!” Symbol gave a single, hard, downwards slash that cut a red glowing line into the Lesser Blade Phantom that made it fall over and explode.
The other two Lesser Blade Phantom’s ran at her. Unfortunately for them while the Active Style was nowhere near as powerful or as heavily armoured as the Giga Style, it was much faster and better balanced. She slashed one of the Lesser Blade Phantom’s with the Active Blade in two quick slashes before hitting the left Shift Lever twice. [MAGICAL TOUCH GO!] Then scanned the Active Ring. [ACTIVE! B RANK SPELL!] Red lightning covered her left hand. “Lightning Impact!” she punched one of the Lesser Blade Phantom’s in the face that made it explode.
Symbol then slid the Slasher and Aqua Rings onto her right index and ring fingers before pressing the right Shift Lever. [MAGIC TOUCHIE HENSHIN!] Once the Wizard Driver’s Hand Author had turned to the right Symbol scanned her right hand across it. [SLASHER AQUA PLEASE!] The slasher and aqua magic circles appeared to her right and moved through Symbol transforming her into the Active Slasher Aqua Style. Symbol used the Slasher Tidal Claws to attack the final Lesser Blade Phantom with several slashes that sent it staggering backwards. Symbol pressed down on the right Shift Lever Twice. [MAGIC TOUCHIE GO!] Then Symbol swiped her right hand across the Wizard Driver’s Hand Author. [AQUA MAGIC PLEASE!] Ocean blue water covered the Slasher Tidal Claws before Symbol pulled her arms back and then threw them forwards, crossing them over each other as she did so. This action launched six crescents of ocean blue water that slammed into the Lesser Blade Phantom and caused it to explode.
With the last of the Phantom’s gone the two of them heard the childish laughter once more. “HAHAHAH! Wooo!” they looked up to the right balcony and saw a pair of ghostly children playing with wooden swords.
“This way Dante!” shouted one to the other cheerfully.
“Ok! Can’t catch me!” they ran through a door that was then covered by a barrier of red crisscrossing energy.
“Dante? Did I hear that right?” questioned the male Kamen Rider.
“If you didn’t ten neither of us did,” replied Symbol.
They ran up the staircase and up to the door when they both clutched their helmets in pain as information made its way into their brains.
“So Arbiter and the Giga Axe can break through this red energy,” muttered Symbol once it was finished.
“Let’s try it!” shouted Dante as he brought Arbiter around in an overhead swing and smashed down the door, turning it to splinters.
“Overboard!” shouted Symbol as she raised an arm to block the wood chips which went flying everywhere!
Dante rolled his visors as they ran through the door, following the corridor around to the right and catching up with the ghostly children. “Let’s keep going!” they followed the children around to the left and into a room that looked like it was a bedroom at one point before it had been trashed just like the rest of the mansion.
Dante smashed Arbiter into the shield of a Death Knight Phantom, but before he could press his attack he was hit in the back by a second Death Knight Phantom and a third gave him a shield bash to the faceplate. Dante punched the Demon Ring into the back of Arbiter’s blade. [THREE!] Which then popped open to reveal a trio of red circles. [DEMON AXE STRIKE!] Dante pulled back Arbiter as red energy gathered around the blade. “Judgment!” he ran forwards and slammed the axe down at one of the Death Knight Phantom’s but was hit in the back by a second Death Knight Phantom, causing him to miss completely.
“Dante clam down!” shouted Symbol as she switched the Active Ring for the Giga Ring and pressed the left Shift Lever. [MAGICAL TOUCH HENSHIN!] The Wizard Driver’s Hand Author turned to the left as she scanned the Giga Ring across it. [GIGA PLEASE!] The giga magic circle appeared under Symbol’s boots and rose up through her. [BREAK THROUGH!] Transforming her into the Giga Style. Symbol then slammed the Giga Axe down into the shield of a Death Knight Phantom before pressing the left Shift lever three times. [MAGICAL TOUCH SPELL!] Then she scanned the Giga Ring. [GIGA A RANK SPELL!] Green magical energy covered her body. “Giga Embodiment!” Symbol then used her forearm to block a blow and kicked the Death Knight Phantom backwards.
Then she pulled the Giga Axe’s blade so that it was facing forwards, transforming it into the Giga Spear. She gave it several thrusts, shattering the shield of one of the Death Knight Phantom’s.
“Why should I?!” shouted Dante as he punched the Demon Ring into the back of Arbiter’s blade. [TWO!] It popped open to reveal a pair of demonic red circles. [DEMON AXE STRIKE!] Red energy was pulled from the air and into Arbiter. “Tremor!” Dante pulled it back and slammed it into the ground, firing a wave of demonic red energy that threw one of the Death Knight Phantom’s into the air. Dante was about to jump after it, but sparks flew from his backplate as he was slashed across the back by one of the other Phantom’s.
“Because I know you could have dodged that if you were acting calmly!” shouted Symbol as she pulled open the Giga Spear’s Hand Author. [COME ON A STAB SHAKE HANDS!] Then she scanned the Giga Ring across it. [GIGA! STAB STRIKE!] Green energy was pulled into the Giga spear before Symbol thrust it forwards. “Piercing Giga!” a spear of purple green magical energy was fired forwards and slammed into the Death Knight Phantom, tearing through its shield and caused it to explode.
Dante took a deep breath before opening his visors, only now they displayed their normal fire. “Thanks, Sunset!” he shouted as he punched the Demon Ring into the back of Arbiter’s blade. [THREE!] The blade opened to reveal a pair of demonic red circles. [DEMON AXE STRIKE!] The axe blade closed as demonic red energy gathered around it. “Judgment!” Dante spun Arbiter in a circle, forcing the Death Knight Phantom to back off.
Before they could close in he had punched the Demon Ring into the back of Arbiter's blade again. [FOUR!] The blade popped open to reveal four demonic red circles. [DEMON AXE STRIKE!] The blade closed as red energy started to gather around the axe. “Trinity Smash!” shouted Dante as he ran forwards towards the Death Knight Phantom and the three hit combo shattered its shield.
With the Phantom’s shield broken, Dante swapped the Demon Ring for the Nephilim Ring and pressed it into his Driver’s left slot. [SET!] He turned it backwards making the gate close, before twisting the ring forwards making the gate open [OPEN!] The Nephilim magic circle appeared in front of him and then moved backwards. [N-E-P-H-I-L-I-M!] Returning him to the Nephilim Style. Dante drew his sword and punched the Nephilim Ring into the slot in the base of its handle. [FIVE!] The mouth opened to reveal five red and blue circles. [NEPHILIM SABER STRIKE!] Red and blue energy ran down the length of the blade. “Stinger!” shouted Dante as he stabbed the Death Knight Phantom in the gut making sparks burst from the impact point.
Dante then punched the Nephilim Ring into the slot in the base of his sword’s handle once more. [SIX!] The mouth closed and opened again reveal six red and blue circles. [NEPHILIM SABER STRIKE!] The eyes flashed as red and blue energy covered the sword. “Trillion Stabs!” Dante then started stabbing the Death Knight Phantom at such speed that his arm blurred, a continuous amount of sparks came from the Death Knight Phantom until it exploded.
Dante then turned to the last Death Knight Phantom.
[COME ON A SMASH SHAKE HANDS!] [GIGA SMASH STRIKE!] Just in time for an axe wreathed in green magical energy to shatter its shield.
“Sunset move!” yelled Dante as he swapped the Nephilim Ring for the Demon Ring and punched it into his Driver’s left slot. [SET!] He twisted his wrist backwards, making the gate close, before turning it forwards forcing the gate to spring open. [OPEN!] The demon magic circle appeared in front of him and moved back. [A-R-B-I-T-E-R!] Transforming Dante into his Demon Style. He punched the Demon Ring into the back of Arbiter’s blade. [ONE!] It popped open revealing one red circle. [DEMON AXE STRIKE!] Dante jumped into the air and swung the axe, firing a spinning energy version of Arbiter’s axe head. “Aerial Flush!” he shouted as the construct made contact, making the Death Knight Phantom explode.
Dante ran up the Symbol. “Thanks for the advice. It’s just-”
Symbol cut him off. “Your so close to finding out about your past that you can’t think of anything else?” she giggled at Dante’s look of disbelief. “You're not the only one missing memories.”
Suddenly they both saw the ghostly children duck under the bed.
“That was me!” gasped Dante. “I remember this!” he realised. Dante reached down under the bed and pulled out a wooden kite shield that had what looked like a copy of the tattoo on his back painted onto it.
Suddenly, the two of them were blinded by a bright light. When they could see again they were in a place that looked like the Slip Dimension. But at the same time, it looked nothing like the Slip Dimension.
In the centre of the space was a statue of a man that had four chains around his neck and a pair of females statues on either side of him.
The two Kamen Riders were standing on a platform that floated over a large body of water and unlike the Slip Dimension, the sky was now blue like it would be in the real world during the day.
“Where are we?” muttered Dante in confusion.
“Are we dreaming?” questioned Symbol. Her helmet shifted back into her human head as she reached up and pinched herself. “OW! OK, not a dream!” she grunted as her head transformed into her helmet once more.
“I could have told you that,” stated Dante.
“Then why did you?!” demanded Symbol.
Dante shrugged and ran off.
Symbol growled in anger and followed him.
The two Kamen Riders ran along the platform that looked like the side of a house and jumped a gap onto another platform that also looked like part of a house wall. Before jumping off that platform and onto another the looked like a floor with a pair of pillars off to one side also, a red circle was painted into the floor in the centre of the platform.
Unfortunately, this was where the good luck that the two Kamen Riders had been experiencing so far ran out.
The gap between this platform and that of the next platform was way too far for either of them to jump, no matter which forms they took.
“What now?” asked Dante.
“I have no idea,” replied Symbol.
Suddenly, the handle of Arbiter turned and the axe started to shift. The blade changed angles so that it was straight instead of vertical then it began to spin as it glowed red. Suddenly, it split into three blades that returned to their vertical points so that they were in the points of a triangle. The bearded parts moved from the bottom of the blades to the top of them turning them into claws. Last but not least the handle segmented turning it into a long cable with several circles around it every other inch. This grappling claw is called the Demon Pull. [GRAPPLE MODE!]
Symbol had no time to awe at the new weapon as a new pair of rings appeared on her right index and ring fingers. The first was red with an ice blue gem in the centre that had a snowflake engraved into it with dark blue outlines. The ring on her ring finger was red with the gem being orange and had a chain engraved into it with silver outlines. “Let’s hope this helps out,” muttered Symbol.
She swapped the Giga Ring for the Active Ring and pressed the left Shift Lever. [MAGICAL TOUCH HENSHIN!] As the Wizard Driver’s Hand Author turned to the left Symbol scanned the Active Ring across it. [ACTIVE PLEASE!] She threw her left arm out to the side and the active magic circle appeared before passing over her. [LET’S GO!] Transforming Symbol into her Active Style. She then pressed down on the right Shift Lever turning the Wizard Driver’s Hand Author back to the right. [MAGICAL TOUCH HENSHIN!] Then Symbol scanned the two new rings across the Wizard Driver’s Hand Author. [ICE BIND PLEASE!]
Two new magic circles appeared to her right. The first was coloured ice blue, in the centre was a snowflake logo, inside a circle, inside an eight-eight pointed star, inside a second circle that had two layers between the layers was runic text. The second magic circle was orange, in the centre was a chain logo that was inside a circle, inside an eight-pointed star, inside a second circle that had two layers, between the two layers was a lot of orange coloured runic text.
They both moved through Kamen Rider Symbol transforming her into her new Active Style as a light bell-like chime and a chain rattling came from the Wizard Driver.
Her left shoulder pauldron gained scale-like patterns with silver outlines as did her left forearm guard. Also, the armour on the back of her left glove turned scale like as well as turning orange and her left palm gained scale like armour with a silver circle in the centre of it. Orange scale like armour covered her the fingers of her left hand, they gained silver points on the end of them and a silver line now ran through the finger armour. Symbol’s right shoulder pauldron turned ice blue with an ice blue square on the right side of it that had dark blue outlines. A dark blue armoured band appeared on her right upper arm attached to the band was an ice blue square shaped piece of armour with dark blue outlines. Symbol’s right forearm armour turned ice blue with dark blue outline as did her right wristlet. The circle in the centre of her chest plate turned into an ice blue snowflake and an orange chain.
Symbol was now in her Active Ice Bind Style. Her left arm armour is the Grapple Gauntlet and her right arm armour is the Icy Bracer.
“Wonder what this thing does,” muttered Symbol as she looked at the palm of the Grapple Gauntlet. The Icey Brace had white mist leaking out of it, clearly showing what it was made to do. Suddenly, an orange chain made of energy shot out of the Grapple Gauntlet! “Woah!” Symbol jerked her helmet back, making the spike on the end of the chain just miss it. “This could be useful for getting around,” she nodded to Dante. “Just like your Demon Pull will be.”
Dante stared at Symbol. “How the hell do you come up with these names?!” he demanded in shock.
Symbol shrugged. “It’s a gift,” she replied.
Dante gave up and threw out the Demon Pull, yanking a piece of rubble back from the bottom of the next platform.
The two of them then jumped onto it and from it to the platform. Symbol and Dante then ran up the stairs and to another piece of stairway.
Symbol shot a bind chain out of the Grapple Gauntlet and pulled a piece of rubble from what looked like part of a house wall towards them.
The two of them then jumped onto it and to the next platform that looked like a door which was floating horizontally. They leapt off that and to the next platform that looked like a large bit of floor, it had three circles that were red painted into the brickwork and several pillars on one side as well as a piece of a wall opposite where the two Kamen Riders had landed.
Dante then used the Demon Pull to grab another piece of rubble that was floating in the air and pull it closer to them.
They jumped onto it.
Symbol used a bind chain to yank another on another piece of floating rubble that was above and ahead of them. She expected it to come down to their level, but that didn’t happen. “What in the-?!” their platform went zooming forwards and smashed into a much bigger island that looked like part of a building.
Dante hadn’t seen that coming as the impact sent him flying off and he was only just able to grab back on. “A little warning next time!” Dante pulled himself back up and ran along a stone pathway on the side of the building.
“It’s not like I expected that to happen and that’s really weird,” Symbol defended before trailing off and looking up at a building that was bent across the sky.
Dante stared at her. “We’re fighting Phantom monsters! How is an oddly shaped building any weirder than that?!”
“I never said that and you know it!” shouted Symbol.
Dante rolled his visors and used the Demon Pull to get another platform from the side of a building. “Out you come!”
They jumped onto it and then onto another platform before moving onto a much bigger platform that was much bigger.
A Valkyrie Phantom appeared in the air.
“Get over here!” Dante used the Demon Pull to yank the Phantom from the sky and into sword range. He switched the Demon Ring for the Nephilim Ring and punched it into the left slot of his Driver. [SET!] He twisted it forwards and then backwards, making the gate open and close. [OPEN!] The Nephilim magic circle appeared in front of him and then moved back through him. [N-E-P-H-I-L-I-M!] Transforming Dante into the Nephilim Style. Dante drew his sword and punched the Nephilim Ring into the base of its handle. [THREE!] The mouth opened, revealing a trio of red and blue circles. [NEPHILIM SABER STRIKE!] Blue and red energy ran through the blade. “Hacker!” shouted Dante as he slashed the Valkyrie phantom three times making it explode.
A Lesser Blade Phantom then burst from the ground. Symbol responded by pulling open the Active Rifle’s Hand Author. [COME ON A SHOOTING SHAKE HANDS!] Then she swiped the Ice and Bind Rings across it. [ICE BIND SHOOTING STRIKE!] The Active Rifle fired a glowing orange chain. “Ice Chain!” it stabbed into the Valkyrie Phantom and froze the Phantom solid.
Symbol then pressed the right Shift Lever four times. [MAGICAL TOUCH GO!] The Wizard Driver’s Hand Author turned to the right. [VERY NICE!] Symbol then scanned her right hand across it. [ICE BIND S RANK SPELL!] Icy white magical energy gather around her right boot. [THE BEST!] An orange chain shot out of the Bind Ring and grabbed the Phantom, pulling it into a sidekick from her right leg that caused it to explode. “Freeing Bind Kick!” shouted Symbol.
Dante attacked another Lesser Blade Phantom. He punched the Nephilim Ring into the base of his sword’s hilt. [TWO!] The mouth snapped open to reveal a pair of red and blue circles. [NEPHILIM SABER STRIKE!] Red and blue magical energy surged through the blade. “Oh yeah! Death Coil!” shouted Dante as he slashed the Lesser Blade Phantom with several spinning slashes and a single strong slash.
Dante then punched the Demon Ring into the left slot on his Driver. [SET!] He turned his hand backwards, making the gate shut and then forwards causing it to open. [OPEN!] The demon magic circle appeared in front of him. [A-R-B-I-T-E-R!] Then it moved backwards transforming him into the Demon Style. Dante punched the Demon Ring into the back of Arbiter’s blade making it spring open. [TWO!] Revealing a pair of demonic red circles. [DEMON AXE STRIKE!] Energy gathered around the blade as Dante brought it back. “Tremor!” He slammed it into the ground, making a shockwave of demonic red energy tear through the ground and catapult the Lesser Blade Phantom into the air.
Dante opened fire at the Lesser Blade Phantom with Ebony and Ivory, juggling it in the air. Then he swapped the Demon Ring for the Nephilim Ring and punched it into the left slot of his Driver. [SET!] He twisted his wrist backwards and then forwards, making the gate close before opening. [OPEN!] The Nephilim magic circle appeared in front of him. [N-E-P-H-I-L-I-M!] Then moved back into Dante transforming him. Dante drew his sword and punched the Nephilim Ring into the base of the handle. [ONE!] The mouth opened revealing a single red and blue circle. [NEPHILIM SABER STRIKE!] Demonic red and angelic blue energy covered the blade as Dante slashed upwards. “High Time!” on contact it fired the Lesser Blade Phantom back into the air.
Dante swapped the Nephilim Ring for the Demon Ring and punched it into the left slot of his Driver. [SET!] Then he turned his hand backwards making the gate close, before turning it forwards to open the gate. [OPEN!] The demon magic circle appeared. [A-R-B-I-T-E-R!] Then went back through him, transforming him into the Demon Style. Dante grabbed Arbiter and turned the handle. [GRAPPLE MODE!] Transforming the axe into the claw. He grabbed the Phantom and slammed it into the ground. Before turning the handle again. [AXE MODE!] Transforming the Demon Pull back into Arbiter. Dante then punched the Demon Ring into the back of Arbiter’s blade. [THREE!] The blade opened to reveal three red circles. [DEMON AXE STRIKE!] Red magical energy gathered around Arbiter as Dante swung it around. “Judgment!” the Lesser Blade Phantom got up just in time to see the axe head slam into its face and causing it to explode.
Symbol fired off several shots for the Active Rifle that hit one of the Valkyrie Phantoms. She turned the Active Rifle into the Active Blade and pulled open its Hand Author. [COME ON A SLASH SHAKE HANDS!] Then she scanned her right hand across it. [ICE BIND SLASH STRIKE!] Symbol slashed down and several orange chains shot out of the Active Blade, they speared through the Phantom and froze it before it exploded.
The other Valkyrie Phantom hurled a bomb at Symbol. She swapped the Active Ring for the Burst ring and pressed the left shift Lever. [MAGICAL TOUCH HENSHIN!] Then she scanned the Burst Ring across it. [BURST PLEASE!] The burst magic circle appeared behind her. [CAST THE SPELL!] Then it moved over Symbol, transforming her into the Burst Style. Symbol pressed the left Shift Lever four times. [MAGICAL TOUCH GO!] The Wizard Driver’s Hand Author turned to the right and then the left. [VERY NICE!] Symbol scanned the Burst Ring over it. [BURST! S RANK SPELL!] Making purple magical energy build up around her body. [THE BEST!] Then the purple magical energy around her body flared, hiding Symbol from sight when it cleared she was nowhere to be found. The Valkyrie looked around as it pulled out another bomb. Only for several beams of purple magical energy to hit it, making the bomb explode in its hand. The Valkyrie Phantom twisted around and saw Symbol standing on the ground behind it revealing that she had teleported in an instant.
Symbol struck the left Shift Lever once. [MAGICAL TOUCH GO!] Then she scanned the Burst Ring across the Wizard Driver’s Hand Author. [BURST! C RANK SPELL!] Symbol finished the Valkyrie Phantom off by firing four fireballs that exploded and caused the Phantom to do the same.
“It that it?” asked Symbol when no more Phantom’s appeared, that had been a VERY short fight by their standards.
“I guess so,” replied Dante.
They jumped to the next platform, then onto and up to a platform that looked like a flight of stairs before running up them. At the top of which was a large stone that was connected to a pair of stone arms which were holding one of the chains which lead to the statue’s neck.
“What now?” asked Dante.
“That stone has the same energy which was on the door you smashed down earlier. Arbiter should be able to break it,” muttered Symbol.
“And if it can’t?” asked Dante.
“Then we try something else,” was the blunt reply.
Dante shrugged as he punched the Demon Ring into the back of Arbiter’s blade. [SIX!] Which opened to reveal six demonic red circles. [DEMON AXE STRIKE!] Arbiter was covered in energy as Dante spun it around. “Arbiter Smash!” He slammed it down on the rock, shattering it.
The arms dropped the chain and it fell into the water, causing the statue’s head to turn towards them.
“Well that’s not creepy at all,” there was no small amount of sarcasm in Symbol’s voice.
The statue’s eyes glowed and they found themselves back in the bedroom.
“Was that real or was it a dream?” asked Symbol. She did not realise that she said it aloud and not in her head.
Dante grabbed Arbiter’s handle and turned it. [GRAPPLE MODE!] Transforming the axe into the Demon Pull. “I’ve still got this so I’d say it was real,” replied Dante. “Ok, so what else have you got?” he spoke to the air.