“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.