A punch came flying straight at my face.
I raised my hand and deflected it, then drove my fist into the Unique Shuuki that had dared strike me. A barrage of blows hammered into its chest before I seized it by the head and hurled it away without mercy.
The one wearing the angry mask, the black-skinned Shuuki lunged in next. Throwing a sharp left hook. I parried it downward and retaliated with a heavy chop to its neck. Pressing the attack, I dropped low and swept its legs out from under it, sending it crashing to the ground.
Extending my claws, I plunged them into its chest again and again. It let out a piercing shriek, but I paid it no mind, continuing my relentless assault.
Deciding to end it, I shifted my aim from its chest to its head.
"Go to hell!"
I raised my hand and brought it down. Only for the creature to block my strike, catching my claws in its grip.
I tried forcing my claws forward, pushing against its grip—but the Shuuki with the smiling mask, the white one, shot toward me like a bullet train and grabbed me around the waist.
Suddenly, my body was dragged backward as it carried me at full speed.
"You left your back wide open, moron!!!" I shouted.
I drove my claws into its back, feeling them tear through flesh.
In response, it tightened its grip and slammed me hard against a massive rock behind us.
I flinched.
That actually hurt.
It released me immediately and dashed away. At the same time, the Shuuki wearing the sad mask—the gray one—leapt forward. While still in the air, it drove a vicious knee straight into my face.
They were coordinating.
The black and white Shuuki clenched their fists and rushed me together. Power gathered into a single point as they struck simultaneously. One into my stomach, the other into my chest.
Taking the full force of it, I felt my consciousness waver.
They tried to follow up, but I snapped back to my senses before they could land another blow. I ducked just in time. Their combined strike missed me and instead smashed into the rock behind, shattering it completely.
Using the power of the grasshopper, I leapt away from where the three are and landed in an open spot. I bent forward, hands braced on my knees, catching my breath.
"This isn't looking good," I muttered, wiping my helmet clean with a quick sweep.
They were injured and my attacks had clearly done damage. But they were still strong. Worse, their blows were getting heavier the longer the fight dragged on.
Not only were they powerful, they had teamwork. They knew exactly how to respond whenever one of them was put in a bad position.
"Hideo!"
At the sound of my name, I looked up and saw Isadora holding a gray and yellow medal in her grasp.
She caught my attention and threw it toward me. I caught it perfectly.
Sensing the three enemies charging in again, I switched forms immediately.
[𝕋𝕒𝕜𝕒]
[𝔾𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕒]
[ℂ𝕙𝕖𝕖𝕥𝕒𝕙]
I beat my chest like a gorilla challenging its rival. When they reached me, I simply sidestepped to the left.
"Bingo," I smirked behind my mask.
The white Shuuki's guard was wide open.
I raised my fist and drove it into its back in a single explosive motion, slamming its face into the ground where it belonged. Not wasting the opening, I grabbed it by the leg and smashed it against the earth again.
With its two allies closing in, I used it as a living projectile and hurled the white Shuuki straight at them. Using my boosted speed and the added momentum, I followed through, launching myself forward and driving a straight punch into the black Shuuki with overwhelming force, sending it flying to kingdom come.
Something struck me from behind.
I turned.
The gray-skinned Shuuki.
"That hurts, you know," I said. "Let me return the favor."
It tilted its head slightly.
I lowered my fist—then used that brief moment of distraction to unleash a devastating uppercut. My knuckles connected cleanly, and the impact sent it soaring into the air.
"Ha… ha…"
Right after, I dropped to one knee, drawing in heavy breaths.
For now, they were knocked out.
But I didn't know how long that would last.
I was relieved I had weakened them earlier before unleashing this brute force. If I hadn't, this thing I did might not have worked the way I intended.
What troubled me most was not even this.
The Shuuki surrounding the area hadn't moved since I arrived. In fact, they froze the moment the white Shuuki pounded its chest.
Do they follow its command?
If that's the case, what would happen if I killed it? Would they start moving ag—
"WATCH OUT!!!" Isadora's voice cut through my thoughts, sharp with urgency.
Flabbergasted, I froze for half a second, confused about what she meant.
Then I understood.
A black snake shot out from my blind spot, its jaws snapping as it lunged straight for my neck.
That was way too close for my comfort!
Snakes began emerging from every cardinal direction, slithering out of cracks and shadows alike. I had no intention of finding out what kind of venom they carried—suit or not. Better safe than sorry.
I dashed away from the encroaching swarm.
"Ara, not too shabby per se."
The voice slid into my ear like silk over a blade.
A mass of black sludge bubbled up in front of me, rising and twisting. From that disgusting pool emerged a woman—petite, pale, and deceptively cute. Black hair framed her face… except it wasn't normal hair.
They were made of snakes.
She wore a flowing kimono, her expression playful.
"Shikoku," I scowled.
She answered with a small, mocking smile.
"My, you do know my name. How expected, especially if you're with that woman," she said, glancing upward at Isadora, who remained silent.
"Why are you here? And are you the one who sent these three and all the Shuuki?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.
"Well, I did. Teehee~" She stuck out her tongue and lightly tapped her head in faux embarrassment.
My teeth ground together. My patience was boiling over.
Negotiation was less than zero and already deep in the negatives. Not that I ever intended to see eye to eye with this so-called Thunder God.
Her smile suddenly vanished.
Her face turned cold. Serious.
"Be honored," she began, her voice dropping, "that your demise will be delivered by a god like—"
"Could you please shut up?" I cut her off flatly.
Silence.
I must've struck a nerve.
"You and that red-haired woman, Isadora… you're truly no different from each other," she said calmly. But the killing intent in her voice was unmistakable.
She clapped her hands twice.
Nearby me, the three downed Unique Shuuki began to twitch.
"Arges."
"Brontes."
"Steropes."
At the sound of their names, they slowly rose to their feet. Their bodies were battered, but they moved as if they felt nothing.
"Let's teach this mongrel a lesson, shall we?" she said with a smile, snapping her fingers.
A sickening cracking sound echoed from their bodies.
Slowly, steadily, they walked toward one another. Their masks began to fracture, pieces breaking away as their glowing eyes became visible beneath.
They formed a circle and gripped each other's shoulders.
The cracking intensified.
An ominous aura poured from them as their limbs began to distort. Their bodies were merging into one.
I tried to rush forward to stop whatever they were doing. But before I could take more than a step, Shikoku summoned a wall of black sludge in front of me.
"Oh no you don't, silly~"
She flung it at me.
I twisted away just in time, the goo splashing against the ground where I had stood seconds ago.
That brief delay was all it took.
Their fusion was complete.
What stood before me was something unusual—unnatural even by Shuuki standards.
A three-headed Shuuki.
Its masks were cracked and broken, fragments clinging to distorted faces beneath. Its body was a grotesque blend of black, white, and gray, the colors swirling together like bruised flesh. Four massive arms extended from its torso.
And its presence—
It was suffocating.
Far more dangerous than before.
Even worse than the Shuuki I fought in Kofu.
One head faced right.
One head faced left.
And the center head stared directly at me.
All three pairs of eyes locked onto mine.
And for the first time in this fight—
I felt real pressure.
The heads on its left and right burst into laughter, shrill and unhinged, while the center head slowly extended an unnaturally long tongue from between its cracked mask.
Shikoku lovingly caressed one of its massive arms.
"Go," she commanded softly, pointing at me.
The three-headed abomination obeyed instantly.
It leapt high into the air and lunged for me. Caught off guard, I wasn't fast enough—
It grabbed me.
With terrifying strength, it hurled me high above the battlefield.
Before I could recover midair, it jumped again, clasped its upper hands together, and brought them crashing down on me like a hammer. The impact drove me into the ground. The earth shattered beneath me, forming a crater.
A shout tore from my throat on instinct.
I tried to rise but something tightened around my limbs.
My wrists. My ankles.
Black snakes.
They coiled around me, binding me to the ground, constricting so tightly I couldn't move.
"Stay down, will you?" Shikoku laughed, pure delight in her voice.
The three-headed Shuuki landed directly on top of me. The center head dragged its long tongue across my helmet before it rose slightly—
And began punching.
Blow after blow rained down mercilessly. My chest. My ribs. My shoulders. Anywhere it pleased.
I tried to block. Tried to twist away.
But the snakes wouldn't let me.
It hurt.
It hurt.
It hurt like hell.
Even with the gorilla medal reinforcing my body, each strike felt like being hit by a dump truck at full speed. They had been powerful individually—
Now fused?
It was on another level.
To make it worse, the side heads kept laughing hysterically, as if this was nothing more than entertainment.
As if my suffering was a show meant just for them.
As the snakes loosened their grip, the monster seized me by the neck and lifted me into the air. Its three faces stared at me, swaying side to side as if examining a broken toy.
"MUSHAHAHAHAHA!"
Laughing madly, it broke into a sprint. Reaching a raised stretch of earth, it slammed me down and dragged my body across the ground without mercy.
When we reached the edge, it hurled me again.
This time, Shikoku was waiting.
She appeared in front of me mid-flight, smiling sweetly—her eyes thin and menacing, like a serpent ready to strike.
Dark, sticky energy gathered in both her hands.
She thrust them forward.
The blast hit me point-blank.
"That felt good. Muahahahaha!" Shikoku said gleefully, then glanced at the three-headed Shuuki. "Again!"
The abomination clapped its hands playfully before grabbing me once more. It punched me repeatedly, then casually slapped me aside, tossing me through the air.
Like a volleyball.
Each time I was airborne, Shikoku would reappear and spike me back with power no one would expect from her slender frame.
The impacts were relentless.
My vision blurred.
My thoughts grew heavy.
At this rate, losing consciousness wasn't a possibility—
It was inevitable.
The fact that I could still think at all felt like a miracle.
If only there were something—
Or someone—
Who could help me right now.
=========
=========
Isadora POV
I was already keeping an eye on Shikoku and the brown-skinned one from afar; however, she did something that even escaped my vision.
I gritted my teeth as I watched the scene unfold before me.
Hideo was being toyed with like a doll by that black bitch and the absurdly powerful Unique Shuuki at her side. Thankfully, the normal Shuuki remained frozen in place. For now, I only had those two monsters to worry about.
"You," I called out sharply. "When will your backup arrive?"
The injured Vice Chief of the Third Unit frowned at my question, clearly irritated.
"Our neighboring Fifth and Second Units were already notified," she replied, frustration heavy in her voice. "But bad news. Sudden gates opened on their side so they're occupied."
She clenched her fist.
"It'll be several more minutes before we can expect reinforcements."
I exhaled through my teeth.
We didn't have that kind of time.
I knew exactly what was happening. Shikoku might look delighted right now, but beneath that playful smile was pent-up fury. She was venting it all on Hideo because of me.
"What should we do?" the Vice Chief asked urgently, her gaze fixed on my partner as he was brutally tossed around. "At this rate, the Kamen Rider won't last."
"I know," I answered quietly.
There was only one option left.
I had told myself I would only make him use it in an absolute emergency.
Well—
This was that emergency.
Two Core Medals materialized in my hand: the Stag Beetle and the Praying Mantis. I stared at the green gleam of the metal before clenching them tightly.
He already had the Grasshopper. All that was left was to swap out his current three medals.
"I have a favor to ask," I said, turning to the Vice Chief.
She looked at me, confused but resolute.
"Can you distract them? Even for just a little while?"
She hesitated for a fraction of a second, then nodded.
"I can try. But what are you planning?"
I allowed myself a faint smile.
"I'm just sending my partner his present."
=======
=======
Hideo POV
I dropped to one knee, my body screaming as it reached its limit.
"Now, don't tell me you're already done?" Shikoku teased, licking her finger. "We're just getting started, you know."
"Like hell I am," I shot back, forcing myself upright despite the tremble in my legs.
She wasn't wrong.
I was one step away from collapsing.
But was that a reason to stop?
Hell no.
I would rather die than let them lay another finger on the women of the Defense Force.
Just as I braced myself—
Something fell from the sky.
I looked up.
A small sphere.
It hit the ground and exploded in a burst of red smoke. The shockwave blasted me backward, separating me from Shikoku and the three-headed abomination.
"Who was that?!" I shouted.
A voice answered almost immediately.
"HIDEO!!! USE THE GRASSHOPPER WITH THIS!!!"
Isadora.
Something came flying through the smoke. I caught it on instinct.
Two Core Medals gleamed in my palm.
"Beetle and Mantis?" I muttered.
Then I remembered what she said.
Use it with the Grasshopper.
My eyes widened behind my helmet.
That meant all green.
"Does she want me to use a Combo?!" I exclaimed, completely flabbergasted.
For all the times she warned me not to use it. Now she's telling me to activate it? Not that I'm complaining.
With the state I'm in, I'll take anything—anything—to get out of this nightmare.
I don't have much time. It won't be long before Shikoku and that abomination come charging back through the smoke.
I reached to my side and pulled out the Grasshopper medal.
Now in my hands:
Stag Beetle.
Praying Mantis.
Grasshopper.
No point overthinking it.
If this is going to be my first Combo then let's make it count.
I removed my current medals and swiftly replaced them with the three green Core Medals. As the last one clicked into place, they began to shine. Each glowing in its respective hue before the light dimmed into a steady pulse.
I won't sugarcoat it.
Even in this battered state.
I was excited.
And nervous.
The smoke cleared.
Shikoku and the fused Shuuki stared at me from a distance.
"It's time for payback, you bastards!"
I grabbed the scanner and dragged it across the medals.
The familiar colors of the Core Medals erupted around me but this time, it was different. They didn't feel like what I usually feel.
Instead—
I felt it.
Power.
Raw, surging power flooding through every vein in my body.
[𝕂𝕦𝕨𝕒𝕘𝕒𝕥𝕒]
It rose sharply.
[𝕂𝕒𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕚𝕣𝕚]
It intensified by being denser, sharper.
[𝔹𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕒]
And then It exploded within me.
(To be Continued)