• Published 20th Feb 2021
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The Eternal Blaze: Vicariously for Vengeance - The Bricklayer



Like a phoenix from the ashes, another Saber rose. And now began her quest to kill the immortal Swordsman. The pen, it seemed, was just as mighty as the sword! AKA Twilight is in way over her head.

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Volume 6: All Foul Things Come Forth

Author's Note:

Okay, I admit this is the shortest chapter of the lot but considering it's all one long fight scene I think it's forgivable right?

...whooo, can't believe I'm almost at the end of this story. That's... uh, that's a weird feeling. You know, it's kinda heartwarming in hindsight, now that I think about it. Given Slash had so short a run as a Rider, only ten episodes, I used Vinyl as them the last chapter.

Also... Elemental Dragon. Like... *wow*. I fully admit if I had started writing this story later, I would have used that as a main feature. Like Touma pulling Primitive Dragon's soul out of despair, befriending it? Haruto and Gentaro would have been proud. Power of Friendship and all that.

Rare was it when so many of the Sword of Logos met at once. Yet, deep in the arctic circle was a base hidden away amongst the snow and ice. And under the aurora-lit skies, knights gathered.

“Well, this is a fine enough mess we’ve made for ourselves isn’t it?” the current Kamen Rider Espada said, his voice a grumble as they irritably crossed their arms. Tossing gender norms to the wind, they wore a dress instead of slacks. “Okay, maybe I’m part of the younger crowd and don’t understand complexities but… is it too late to say, “I told you so?” Like, seriously.”

They were fiddling with their wonder ride book, opening it and then shutting it close again repeatedly in anxious fashion. They were pacing back and forth, their blade resting on a nearby table.

“Tri-Cerberus!”

They flicked the little book shut again.

“Speak your mind, kid,” Ryo said, looking in his direction. His blade rested up against some shelves. “Your generation always has something to say!”

“Damn right we do,” Grape nodded. “I told you so Mr. Ogami, that you should get out in front of Falchion and deal with him. Twilight’s been apparently the only one actually concerned about him from what I’ve been seeing.”

“Damn it, kid,” Ryo snapped, rising out of his chair like an angry god roused from his slumber. “What, do you think we’ve been just sitting on our asses ‘pooh-poohing’ the current state of affairs? We’ve been fighting him as well, and not well I might add. He kicked your ass as you well remember, you think stopping him is easy?”

“That was humiliating, but yes I do remember. I still got the aches from that ‘fight’, if you can even call it that,” Grape sighed. “I think my armor still has a few dents in it left!”

“Now you see the problem,” the current Kamen Rider Buster nodded. “Facing him alone is tantamount to suicide. Twilight and Vinyl related their experiences to us, it’s clear we must fight him as one.”

“And I for one…” Ryo let out a gasp as Vinyl stepped into the room, looking grimmer than normal and holding Noroshi in one hand. The legendary rapier shone under the starlight. Smoke seemed to gather under her feet like a fine mist. “Can’t wait. Toss a coin to your Rider, O' Valley of Plenty.”

“Well, it looks like you won’t have to wait long then,” Hayato burst into the room with Kurayami strapped to his waist. “Something’s happening in Israel.”

“Well, I always wanted to take a vacation there, maybe see the Red Sea,” Vinyl commented. “Maybe make a collab or two with the local musicians, drop some hot new tracks on you all. Mind, it looks like today I’ll be removing an idiot from his dance floor. It’s time for a battle, remixed with a brand new musician at the tables.”

“...did you understand any of what she just said?” Ryo leaned over to Grape, who could only shrug. “Funny, I thought she was speaking your language. Kids today…”


Tel Megiddo, the sign of the biblical end of days where all hell broke loose as a dragon swallowed the sun under a storm of bloody rain.

...now while Grape doubted anything quite so spectacular would happen today, things they knew could get worse if left unchecked.

Now, under a burning sun was the time to draw swords together.

“Right on schedule,” Sombra rumbled checking a fantastical watch that did not display time but the movement of the planets. Behind him, a pillar of pure magic rushed up into the sky. In went the pages of the Codex. “Well, there’s no such thing as fashionably late for you lot is there? I approve.”

“Oh, I’m falling all over myself at your approval,” Grape drawled, with Ikazuchi resting on his shoulder. “I’m just so sure that I will faint, like I will faint dead away at your oh so important approval. Now, do you want to give up or-”

“Or do you want to strike me down?” Sombra finished for him. “I think not. I also say ‘no’ to giving up, I’ve come too far now for you to just throw me in a hole to be forgotten.”

“There’s no way out for you,” said the Swordsman of Tremors, his blade resting on his back ready to be drawn. “You’ve escaped custody for too long, Phoenix Swordsman.”

“Escaping custody… Custody?” Sombra laughed. “I call it living free. The world’s about to change, for the better. You just don’t know it yet.”

“Oh, yes, I’m sure you’re a man of the people. You’re a credit to humanity,” Grape drawled slowly clapping. “How long have you spent smelling your own shit that it’s started to smell like roses to you?”

“Do not pretend to think you can talk with me,” Sombra snarled with a wave of his hand flooring the knights under a crushing oppressing wave of dark energy. “The Sword of Logos has no real strength. They bear no resolve for what must be done. The world is broken, my lads. Humans have been the dominant species for thousands of years, and… oh, look at what’s happened to your world. Overpopulation. Pollution. War. The mass extinction you fear is already beginning, you’re just too blind to see it. I aim to fix the world.”

“By murdering it,” Twilight seethed, her voice a hiss like a viper’s with her blade sparking in her grip. “You’re a real philanthropist.”

“As I said, no resolve,” Sombra sighed in disappointment. “Modern humanity is an infection. A disease to its own planet. I aim to bring about a cure.”

“Oh yeah, sure, go and basically quote Sylvester Stallone to us, ‘you’re the disease and I’m the cure’ and all that. You think yourself above us?” Vinyl said, now clad in a red coat displaying her true element. She pulled out a book and gently blew it open. Tossing it upwards, she let it land in her outstretched blade. “Let us bring you back down to our level.”

“I’ve seen human nature first hand over the centuries,” Sombra hissed as he drew his own blade. “we've been fighting for decades in one dirty war after another. I’ve been Macbeth, amongst others and I’ve seen what the worst of us can do. I'm here to tell you that it doesn't get any better. It just gets worse.”

“So you get to decide the fate of the planet then?” Twilight asked. “All of our fates? Do you want to play God? Then… shut up. You don’t get to decide how our story ends. When I took up this blade, I was given the responsibility to protect humanity’s story and sure I faltered but I intend to see this book till it’s end. To our final chapter. You don’t get to rewrite our story. Human lives aren’t your fanfiction to play with. You don't have to take my word for it, go read about what happens to villains like you in every story. Take a look, inside a book.”

Vinyl gave her a ‘really’ look at that last bit, but then an approving nod.

“Very well then…” Sombra said, transforming to his Rider form without another word. “So be it.”

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

All blades were drawn as steam covered the knights, and a singular word united them: “Henshin!”

“Stealing the light, the pitch-black sword ruthlessly conquers the dark dragon!”

“Rhyming! Riding! Rider! Welcome the Beast King! Rising! Lifull! King Lion Daisenki~!”

“Gekido: Remastered! The colossal armored sword fractures the earth, bringing forth the might of the North!”

“Unleash the smoke! Fly! Smog! Sting! Steam! Great Insect Encyclopedia~! The sword-point flutters forth!”

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

“The name of the divine beast handed down is! Crimson Dragon~! Three Rekka Books! The crimson sword pierces evil and burns everything!”

The smog from Sabela’s sword cleared like mists on a moor exposing the transformed Riders as they let out a war cry charging forth onto the sands. The air seemed to smell of burnt charcoal, even as dark storm clouds began to gather overhead crackling with gold light.

Wave after wave of silverfish like minions were thrown against them, erupting from a pillar of power as all foul things seemed to spring forth. Flesh met blade, magic in the air as power ripped through the ground.

One last battle for the fate of all things, knights against the beasts of the apocalypse and their dark master.

Unearthly howls and shrieks filled the air as the sky grumbled with golden bolts striking in jagged streaks. Crimson flame erupted from smoke as great yawning chasms sucked monsters into shadow.

Atop a dragon, Kamen Rider Saber rode into the fray as Sombra mounted a burning phoenix. The two old rivals raced towards each other, blades drawn as blood was spilled in the sands below.

The ancient grounds were a mass of flesh, minion after minion sent into the chaos to slow down the armored warriors facing them. Rain poured, splattering on rainbow armor.

Kamen Rider Espada spun in the sand, kicking some into his opposition’s face in a perfect pirouette. He slid in the dirt, as they kicked up dust planting themselves against the oncoming terror.

Raising his blade high, they caught lightning with their sword glowing golden and crackling with energy. A pure destructive force, nature’s wraith at their command as they charged through enemies.

Up above, two legendary beasts clashed in the stormy sky as their riders rode into battle. Sombra’s mount slashed at the dragon it battled, digging its talons into a scarlet hide. Scales burned even as two blades locked in battle.

“You think you can stop the future?” Sombra thundered over the roar of the storm.

“Man, all I see is someone so hung up on the past they don’t want to see the future!” Twilight said, sparks flying as their weapons ground together. “Oh, the world is broken boo-hoo. Please your cynicism and pessimism at the door, please! We have to believe it can be fixed, otherwise, how can it become fixed?”

Her dragon broke away from Sombra’s mount, spiraling back up into the sky breathing out flame raining it down upon the supposedly Eternal Swordsman.

A phoenix charged up through the blaze, gusts of wind battering Twilight and her mount. A loud shriek ruptured the air, burning feathers tucked into a beast’s side as it dived towards them.

Twilight leaped off her dragon, flying towards her foe with her blade raised high above her head. Lightning flashed, illuminating her armor.

A dark void opened in the sky above, sucking all manner of light inside as even flames and lightning bowed to the black hole’s whim.

As she was sucked inside, Twilight locked blades with her opponent yet again before saying: “If we go, we go together. I’m ready, how about you?”

Then, she headbutted him. In the sky, even Sombra risked being sucked inside his own creation. He was forced to call it off, and he fell towards the Earth with Twilight going into a dive after him.

At last, even as the sands below rose up to greet him, he summoned his mount. But his escape didn’t last long, as with a snap of her fingers Twilight summoned her dragon. It appeared out of her books, the pages giving it power.

It charged towards Sombra, snaking through the sky before the great serpent snapped its jaws tightly around a certain phoenix’s wing. They crash-landed in the earth below, in the midst of the great battle.

Sombra leaped off his bird just in time as the two legendary animals slammed into the sand. Stepping backwards, he was swallowed up by his own foot soldiers as into the chaos he vanished.

Smoke covered the battlefield, and a figure vanished into it. Every now and again, you could see bursts of red and gold as smog and steam became her shield. She stung, again and again, Kamen Rider Sabela using her rapier to slice through the opposing forces.

“I’ve always hated you guys…” Vinyl said under her armor, scarlet eyes flashing as she tossed one of the Shimi off her. She vanished back into smoke, the mystical cloud covering the battlefield like a blanket. “Now how about you get off my dance floor eh?”

Steam erupted from beneath her feet, propelling her upwards as she flipped in mid-air over her foes.

Landing beside Kamen Rider Blades, they fought back to back. Cannons thundered atop the Swordswoman of Water’s back, the techno-knight taking down as many Shimi as she could.

Then, the army drew too close and her fellow knight brought her into her smoke. Like a doorway, Sabela brought her into her world. And then they were on the other side of the battlefield.

As Sabela raised up her blade, an impossibly loud buzz filled the air like a thousand locusts. She summoned all manner of insects to her side and leveled her blade at the army.

“Never before had there been such a plague of locusts, nor will there ever be again. They covered all the ground until it was black. They devoured all that was left after the hail—everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees.” Blades recited as she watched the proceedings, stingers striking down those before her.

“I didn’t want to be the bouncer and throw these guys out, but…” Sabela shrugged. “They were throwing off my groove. Sorry all.”

Golden flashes came from another part of the battlefield, the Knight of Thunder and Lightning flipping backwards to avoid the Shimi trying to swarm them. He leveled his blade at his foes, and a bolt of lightning ripped down from the sky and shot straight through them.

Back to back, two old soldiers fought. Earth and Shadow united, yawning chasms erupting from before them as dark tendrils pulled Shimi down to the underworld.

“Boy, this brings back memories doesn’t it?” Kamen Rider Buster said, his massive blade easily cutting down all who got too close. “Us, battling back to back!”

“I was hoping not to relive those memories, actually,” Hayato murmured as his blade flashed as it struck down another enemy. “I wanted a nice retirement.”

“Agreed, I was hoping to be just a simple father to my son,” Ryo nodded in turn, swinging his blade with a low grunt. “But again I’m dragged back to battle. Alright, you guys. Listen up. One: evil rascals... Two: shall feel the earth's rage... Three: It's already decided, so there's no point in arguing!”

More foes fell to his blade before scarlet lightning forced him to stand his ground.

“The veteran, how quaint,” Storious said, striding forth rubbing his chin in thought. “Did they drag you out of retirement or did you come willingly? It doesn’t matter in the end, you’ll still fall.”

He drew a blade of his own, separating into three as his eyes flashed a sharp green.

“So, you’re involved in this as well?” Hayato said, the Swordsman of Shadows holding off the two clones. “Why am I not surprised?”

“Well, I decided to get in on the ground floor of Sombra’s scheme, and it sounded interesting enough to me,” Storious commented, one of his clones speaking for him. “All of humanity dead, now doesn’t that sound good?”

“They thought you up, you know,” Ryo said heaving his blade over his head and bringing it down. The original Storious sidestepped the slash, if not he would have been cleaved in two. Small explosions ruptured forth where Buster’s blade landed. “Stories of demons and devils. They all led to you. They’re like your parent in a way. So you want to help commit parenticide? Is that it?”

“Yes, well, it’s always a child’s job to be better than those who came before him,” Storious remarked, with a tilt of the head. He threw a magic blast from his spellbook, Buster cleaving it in two. “Isn’t that right? You, as a parent, know this. You can empathize.”

“Don’t you dare compare my situation with yours!” Buster roared cutting a clone in two with his sword. “Man, clearly your parents didn’t discipline you properly. Allow me to correct that.”

He charged forth, ready to defeat his opponent.

Red chains tried to hold him back, but they snapped under his strength. His blade shined, a finisher activating as he raised the sword above his head.

“Genbu Shinwa! Ka-bam! Critical Gekido indiscriminate reading attack! Ka-Bam!”

The earth gave way, and an explosion sent Storious skywards before Kamen Rider Calibur ran forth and leaped into a side-kick. His boot sparked with dark energy, a dragon’s head forming around it ready to bite down on his target.

“Jaaku Hissatsu Geki! You are over!”

Dark energy ripped through Storious’ body and fire burst forth from his body.


Sombra saw the rising smoke, and the erupting fireball. He knew the knights were getting closer.

But he didn’t know how close, as smoke swirled around his feet before reforming into a shape.

“So, what do you think?” Kamen Rider Sabela asked leveling her blade at him as her fellow Rider stepped out of the smoke. “Drowned… or choked by smog?”

Blades’ cannons hummed, glowing blue as her fellow Crystal Prep high alumni landed next to her with wings retracting into her armor.

“Or incinerated,” Espada suggested as they walked up. “That works too. Really, there are so many ways we could go about this. I’m not picky.”

Six knights stood before him.

“It’s over Sombra,” Twilight said. “You’ve lost.”

“Not YET!” Sombra snarled taking off in a storm towards them as another black hole threatened to suck them in. He scanned Jaou Dragon, golden serpents erupting from the book and snaking towards his fellow Riders.

Twilight and Grape combined energies, fire and lightning burning the gilded snakes before their combined might rushed towards Sombra.

Phoenix held back dragon and genie, magic clashing against magic. Cannon fire thundered, globs of water throwing Sombra off balance as his black hole vanished back into nothing.

“Now…” Vinyl said, smoke swirling about her blade. “As we were saying...”

“A fire that fuels creation and gives purpose where there is none. Conflict has always been this way,” Sombra sighed. “Even I must admit this in the end. It is the rule of your world. Now come… face my blade Riders! Fight, and show me your purpose.”

“Gladly!” Twilight said back, fire swirling around her and erupting into an arena. A ring of fire now surrounded itself around the Riders.

Sombra raised his blade to block Noroshi and Ikazuchi. His blade, Kyomu began to groan under the strain even as the sword of shadows joined the lock. The three blades began forcing the sword down.

Kyomu itself was beginning to crack, the three knights throwing arcs of energy towards its wielder. Sombra held them back, buffering himself against the onslaught and standing his ground.

“Good! Good…” Sombra chuckled. “Maybe you’ll impress me yet!”

He swung wide, Vinyl spinning in mid-air as she leaped above the slash. She landed behind Twilight even as she charged forth.

Saber’s blade ignited once more, Rekka living up to its name as fire scythed through the night.

Dark energy swarmed Kyomu as the clash of blades meeting rang out with a metallic sound. The two stood their ground, neither giving in. Twilight twisted her arm, in an attempt to disarm the Rider.

Sombra knew what she was doing, and pulled away before kicking his opponent in the stomach. Behind him, the column of power continued to arc high into the sky with glowing cracks reaching out like veins.

From within, his phoenix erupted with a loud ear-splitting shriek. Talons extended, it tried to pull Twilight apart.

Her dragon appeared from the pages of her ridebooks, and slammed it into the earth. The phoenix broke away, flying upwards and the two legendary beasts resumed their battle.

“Look at this, isn’t it glorious?” Sombra said, holding back the blades of Espada, Buster and Blades. Earth, Lightning and Water tried to conquer the void. “The old world meeting the new. The newest generation of Knights fighting against one of the very first. Magical isn’t it?”

“Sure, that’s the term we’ll go with!” Espada said, before they punched him in the face. Sombra staggered as Shadow and Smoke surged forth. Sabela and Calibur ran him through with their blades.

Phoenix and dragon tusseled, spinning overhead as they tried to pull each other apart. The phoenix pecked at his opponent’s scales attempting to stain them even more scarlet. Sombra leaped over them even as they continued their brawl.

“You need to stay still…” Sabela muttered, shooting spider silk from her blade. “I’m sorry, but your dancing needs a bit of work. Take classes.”

Spiders’ legs erupted from her back, each striking at Sombra before he burst free.

“It’ll take more than that I’m afraid!” he said, swinging his sword only for it to pass through the crimson and gold Rider as if he were slashing but through fog. Several wild swings, each passing through Sabela as if she were only smoke.

Then her body hardened, as she brought her knee up to his chin with a CRACK!

Sombra’s helmet shattered, the right half of his face now visible. Again, Sabela shot string from her sword pinning him to an ancient stone wall. The Rider leaped forwards, spinning like a cyclone into a kick.

Calibur swung his sword, firing off a purple arc of energy towards Sabela boosting her forth.

“She is beauty, she is grace, she will sting you in the face!” the insect-themed Rider bowed as Falchion went flying. He smashed through another wall, covered in rubble. “Thank you very much, you’re a great audience! But I’m afraid this show is ending, I got time for one last number though. So pick your tired and weary bodies off the floor, it’s time to drop the bass.”

“Or just drop you,” Calibur said, activating another finisher as he ran towards the now recovering Falchion.

“Jaaku Hissatsu Geki!” his belt proclaimed even as he slid along the earth into another kick.

“I think not!” Sombra said, shoving his sword into the earth in one quick movement. A void now threatened to swallow up the Swordsman of Shadows.

The Eternal Swordsman leaped over his own creation, blade held high above his head.

Twilight in one quick movement directed her dragon towards him. Latching his jaws onto the knight’s body, he slammed the dark warrior into the earth.

“No, your battle is with me,” Twilight stated, her blade at the ready. “It’s always been with me, ever since you struck down my master.”

“Oh, I quite agreed,” Sombra nodded, slashing at her as Twilight stepped back to avoid the blade. “It’s always been you, as you said. Only you have been there to stand against me, and stand against me you have. Your blade has always matched mine. I commend you for that.”

“Thanks for the compliment,” Twilight said, slashing at him only for Falchion to duck under the attack. Their blades met again and again and again, three times the blows perfectly matched. “But I think I know by now that your words mean nothing. I don’t need your praise.”

The other knights could only watch as the duel commenced.

“This.. this is it isn’t it?” Hayato realized. “The final duel?”

“Yes, it seems so!” Ryo nodded. “Be careful Twilight, do not let your guard down even once!”

Twilight rolled to the left to avoid a strike which cleaved a rock in half sending rubble flying only for an energy arc to knock two books out of her driver. She was now in her most basic form, Brave Dragon.

Sombra’s phoenix rushed towards her, jaws open wide. Then, another ride book shot out to meet it, slamming into her driver and glowing blue. Twilight’s eyes widened.

“A certain knight king swings down the sword of poetic justice…” the blue book stated as Twilight let the power of it overtake her. “Rekka, battou! Wonder Rider! King Arthur! The power of a certain story lies within the sword!”

One side of her was blue, and in her other hand was a legendary sword. Both of her blades easily slayed the supposedly immortal phoenix, and Sombra’s mount was only ashes in the wind.

“Now…” Twilight said, clutching both Rekka and the legendary sword of kings in her hand. “Let’s blaze forth to a new story!”

Sombra could barely withstand the onslaught even as Twilight shifted forms to Emotional Dragon with Excalibur in hand.

“This is for everyone you’ve killed,” Twilight said with one strike, before slashing again. “And this is for every life you’ve ruined.”

One final strike came true. “And this is for my Master.”

Sombra’s armor shattered. Falchion was no more, his driver laying burnt in the earth.

“Very well then…” Sombra’s hand shot out, blasting Twilight back with a bolt of magic. “You’ve forced me to use this. I’m proud.”

Dark energy swirled in his hands as a blank white book became crimson. A sense of ominous foreboding washed over Twilight as the new book echoed out: “Revelational Dragon!”

“Oh boy…” Twilight swallowed feeling a bit weak at the knee.

“What the hell?” Espada called out barely able to stand from the waves of energy and using their sword to support themselves. “What is that?”

“My final evolution,” Sombra rumbled. “The pages of the Codex Gigas… they contain the powers of heaven and hell!”

A sickening smirk crawled up his face, worming its way onto his features.

“Allow me to show you.”

“You don’t know what you’re doing!” Hayato shouted, reading the title. “Stop, or you’ll bring disaster to us all!”

“Oh, I know exactly what I’m doing, every moment has led to this!” Sombra shouted, tossing his new book and Jaou Dragon into the air. “You can’t create a new world without tearing the old one down! All will return to nothing, the great black void before I remake the world! You said I couldn’t play God? ...well, watch me!”

The books pulsed, combining into a great tome which landed before Sombra sucking him inside. Revelations came, his final plan unfolding as a blast of energy erupted from inside the book. Time began to unwind, this moment currently the end of things. Outside this battlefield, nothing else existed.

A great beast appeared, snake-like heads rising out of the flame. A great howl erupted into the atmosphere calling out to the void.

“And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads.” Sugarcoat recited, Twilight joining her as she remembered the verse from the back of her mind.

And lo and behold, a similar beast rose up before them blotting out the sun as he seemed to strike the very stars from the sky.


Storious weakly looked up at the seven dragon heads rising out of the abyss and roaring to the heavens. And he laughed.