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There’s a familiar shatter around Decade’s actions during the fight that inevitably occurs when two Riders meet. A rogue idiot with black market ZAIA tech, luckily, but still. Aruto notes with the machine like analysis in Zero-One the way Decade’s hand shakes slightly, before the fight.
“Thank you for the help,” he says after. Still used to being on his own. Decade pauses.
“Those are rare words,” he says.
“Why?” Aruto asks.
“I am one of the most dangerous men alive,” Decade says calmly. “I used to fight it. Now I…”
He trails off, hesitant as if not sure of his next words.
“Then you’re in good company,” Aruto replies. “I may or may not have nearly caused a race war.”
“How the—”
“Public figures have public feelings.”
“Ah.” Decade considers him. “Who saved your soul?”
Aruto thinks Decade is looking into his, right now. Still, it’s impossible to deny his presence.
“My partner,” he says. “Izu. I held onto her memory. I fixed things. And I have her back, now.”
Decade hmms.
“Good,” he says. “Congrats on the reunion being so soon.”
Aruto doesn’t know what to do with that.
She’s browsing the book shelves and Touma wouldn’t blink were it not for the fact that the Wonder World now tied to his soul screamed about her. Which is curious. Usually it’s a whisper, because everyone has a story to tell.
This is screaming.
She turns. Their eyes meet. One of hers flashes red, for a moment, her hair blonde. She’s a goddess, he understands. A fusion of two impossibly dangerous powers. She knows he holds the key now, too.
“Kamen Rider?” She asks. He blinks.
“You too?” He asks, and she nods. Like Kento, several powers bathe her. Several stories. “Why are you here?”
“We recently… got custody of a struggling young boy,” she says. “I’m looking for books. Stories that’ll help. It always comes back to stories. And choosing fate.”
She’s fought destiny and won, he suddenly knows. Just like himself.
“I have a set of children’s books I’ve made,” he says. “There’s one about a duck who was supposed to be a villain…”
He knows she understands, too.
Onodera Yuusuke smiles like a man used to being used and utterly uncaring about it. Ikki doesn’t know how to feel about that. Makes him want to help, but the only foe right now is George fanboying over the poor man.
“You’re the rare Kuuga of another World,” George says. Yuusuke laughs.
“Maybe here on World of Heroes,” he says.
“No, you’re—”
Yuusuke’s eyes widen, and Ikki steps in.
“Welcome here at the bathhouse,” he says, interrupting whatever George was set to reveal. Yuusuke smiles.
“Thank you,” he says. “You’re a nice… person.” Oh right, Natsumi is his wife. Natsumi from the group chat Vice dumped him in. “Deserving of the legacy.”
“Thank you,” Ikki replies. “I’m always happy to help.”
Yuusuke’s smile softens.
“Reminds me of my husband,” he says. “Even if now, at 33 years old, he still won’t admit it.”
“Ikki’s the best though,” Vice says. “Obviously.”
“He sounds interesting,” Ikki says.
Yuusuke nods.
“You use our power, it just so happens,” he says. “Lion is my brother’s Kuuga, but Megalodon is Tsukasa.”
“Hey! Our first win!” Vice exclaims.
“Oh, really?” Yuusuke asks. “That’s nice. I was Tsukasa’s.”
Vice swipes at the Rolling Vistamp in the blue Rider’s hand.
“Hey!” They say, “you can’t take that! Even the viewers will be on my side, if you take that!”
Karizaki is taking photos , of course, because he sucks, and Sakura and Daiji aren’t here because this was an ambush!
The blue Rider hmms.
“I did take it, though,” he says. “And if I remember correctly, you alone can’t transform without it.”
Vice growls, pulling out Rex and their Driver.
“I can try,” they say. But the transformation makes it half way before blowing them off their feet.
“Vice, calm down,” Ikki says.
“Absolutely not!” Vice says. “I won’t let him have Ikki!”
“Oh,” the Rider says. “This has a person in it?”
“No!” Vice says, “well, yes. Kind of? I can’t possibly get Ikki back without it.”
The blue Ride looks between the stamp, and Vice, and he sighs.
“Fine,” he says. “I understand a treasure like that.” He tosses it back to Vice. “Got anything good to trade?”
Vice pauses. Do they?
“And why should I even give you one?” They ask.
“Because I came here for a treasure,” the blue Rider responds.
“Vice,” Ikki says. “Give him Kangaroo.”
Vice laughs. Ikki can be wonderfully crafty sometimes.
“Long as you don’t go making demons, here,” they say. “This is a special stamp.”
“Fine, fine,” the blue Rider says. Catching it when tossed. “Tell Natsumelon I said hi, by the way.”
And then he leaves. Oh. Oh that’s the thief, Daiki, isn’t he? Vice has had some fun conversations with the guy on HeroGetter. He’s so much more annoying in person.
“From you?” Ikki teases. Oh. They said that out loud.
“I’m the best,” Vice replies calmly. “Well, besides you. So of course I’m not annoying!”
Would like a different voice actor, though.