Archive of Our Own ^beta

There was a land so magical, so fantastical, so wonderful that you’d think it was out of a fairytale. It was a land that was immersed in a deep natural beauty, with tall trees and wide-plentiful plains beyond the eye could see. Giant pterosaurs with bright-colorful eyes soared above, while pointy saber-tooth cats prowled in the jungles below. If this place was so beautiful, then why did it feel empty? If this place was so wonderful, then why was it devoid of any activity? That was quite an easy one to answer.

Because it wasn’t that world. The world renowned in tales of mystical balls, that granted any such wishes was a farce. At least for this place. The pterosaurs in reality, were fanged monstrosities that dovebomb the ground, only to get sent flying into rock formations. The saber-tooths were fanged humanoids that were getting sent crashing into rivers and trees. This was a world where combat and combat alone could only persist, where humanity might as well, have not even existed. Well, that is, with the exception of one being. When the last flock of winged hellbeasts came zooming in-

“Final Attack Ride: D-D-Decade!!!” resounded through the air. Projections of cards locked them in place, as a magenta & white warrior slammed into them with a potent diving kick. In the aftermath, explosions of fire and ash plumed into the air, as the warrior reverted to that of a normal man. And all in the subtle flash of magenta light. He looked up, eyeing the prairie with the nonchalant caution of a cat. And his senses weren’t the only trait those two shared.

“Where are those two…?” the man pondered to himself, turning his head to an empty clearing. He didn’t have any unique outfits in this world, rather his standard black jacket, with a pink undershirt that had a puffy collar. With black pants and shoes to match, he was at the very least…dressed for the occasion.

It was just a shame that he wasn’t invited to a dance.

But rather, a ballroom blitz.

(“Just where could they be?”) he thought to himself again. As far as the man knew, his friends Natusmi, Yusuke, Natsumi’s grandfather, had all vanished. After…some sort of battle with Dai Shocker, at least off of what he recalled. However, the man’s memories by this point were fuzzy. He remembered his name well enough.

Tsukasa Kadoya. He remembered well enough who he could transform into.

Kamen Rider Decade.

Countless adventures, a supposed destroyer who in all actuality, was actually linking the worlds. Creating a bond through his travels that transcended space and time. Forever on a journey, he at least had those friends to return to.

And if not that, friends across many worlds he forever treasured in his heart.

“Tsukasa Kadoya…” said a voice, both commanding yet…disarming. It came from someone young.

The aura. The raw energy emanating off of who Tsukasa saw, when he turned around, was unreal.

It was immense. It was intense. And the pressure Tsukasa felt, made it dense.

Standing there was a purple haired youth, around Tsukasa’s age, in a black trench coat with a maroon undershirt. Baggy green pants and black boots in compliment, he also had a sword tucked in its sheath, sashed over his shoulders. He also bore an expression that, in contrast to his age, made him seem…timeless. As though he had seen an endless amount of battles.

From the stone age, to the days of the shogun, all the way to the far future and beyond. A man that belonged to no era, but rather a goal that he would single mindedly strive towards no matter what. No matter the cost.

This caused the cat-tongued attitude of Tsukasa to erode slightly. He sucked his teeth, frustrated by how off guard he was and at what this situation probably was. He didn’t need Narutaki to tell him how much of a destroyer he was, for this new arrival fulfilled that role pretty well.

“I’ve come to destroy you.” declared the arrival boldly. As he did so, he raised his right hand, firmly gripping the hilt of his still sheathed sword. 

With an eyeroll, Tsukasa replied “Is that so? What makes you so sure I’m a destroyer?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Decade!” the arrival spat in restrained disdain. “I know you’re in league with Dai-Shocker!”

Tsukasa’s eyes widened. He definitely knew way more than someone who would belong to this world- or rather…was this world another connected to Dai-Shocker? To Wataru maybe? If this was his journey’s end-

“Hold on! Who are you…?”

“Trunks.” the man replied in respectful determination. “The man who will end your reign of terror!”

In an instant, Trunks unsheathed his blade, dashing towards Tsukasa in a blue blur of energy. The so-called ‘destroyer’ raised his forearm, narrowly blocking Trunks’ downward slash. The blade never made contact; Tsukasa’s forearm tilted it upwards by pushing against the hilt. A cloud of dust burst downward from the impact, with Tsukasa’s ragged breaths and Trunks’ annoyed grunt being the only sounds to spice up the…otherwise monotone blowing of the wind.

“W-Wait…” Tsukasa pleaded through gritted teeth. “How do you know Dai-Shocker?”

Trunks' response was quite apt. Tsukasa looked down, witnessing Trunks unleash a snapkick right for his gut. But, it was too fast. Like watching a train crash in slow motion, Tsukasa could only hope but watch as the attack connected And then: blur. Motion sickness. Dirt. Turmoil. All were a sensation that Tsukasa felt, a sight that he bore witness to. His body rolled and spun in the dirt like a ragdoll, only halting when momentum decided to cease its cruelty. More dust spewed where Tsukasa lay, with the man raising his head up in a haze.

Coughing, he groaned “Not much of a talker, are you…?” to himself. Trunks in that timespan had already vanished. Tsukasa blinked and there was Trunks, sword raised, only a few feet away from him, ready to behead the supposed tyrant. However, Tsukasa was already one step ahead. Digging into his pocket, he tossed a card at the oncoming blade. 

As fast- or even faster than Trunks, the card pinged across the blade, halting the warrior and causing him to flinch in confusion. The card ultimately rebounded into the hands of its owner: Tsukasa. When Trunks lay eyes on the ‘destroyer’, he noticed a belt wrapped around his waist. At the centerpoint was a white module with a red gem in its centerpiece. He was astonished by…just whatever it was.

Trunks was lulled into the same sense of awe as others of his kind were. Between foes like Frieza, enemies like Cell, or even his own unique opponents, the transformation was always something to bear witness to. However, he was different from that of his father.

Different from that of the average Saiyan.

Trunks didn’t watch problems, he finished them. Dashing towards Tsukasa again, Trunks shouted “I won’t let you!!!” blade prepared, and aura flaring up an intense jagged-blue. Conversely, Tsukasa merely tapped the card in his hand with his finger.

“Henshin!”

He immediately slid the card into his driver. After closing the open module on the belt, what was done was done. Trunks, as far as he knew, had slammed the sword down as hard as he possibly could, onto Tsukasa. He had to have killed him. Somehow, he just had to. However, the words “Kamen Ride: Decade!” obliterated any chance of doing so. The resulting cloud of smoke and dust evaporated, leaving only a shocked Trunks to see that same magenta warrior yet again.

The destroyer of worlds…primarily magenta, but with bar-code lines that veiled prominent green eyes, reminiscent of a grasshopper’s. Between the streaks of black traveling down his body, to the angular and elegant intersections of white, even traveling down the destroyer’s legs, Trunks was simply in awe.

Kamen Rider Decade. And here he was, holding Trunks’ blade with the mere tips of his index and middle fingers. “You won’t let me now?” the Rider mocked with an infuriating sass. 

Trunks grunted and yanked his sword back, coming in for another swing. However, Decade grabbed onto the blade with one hand, pulling back his other and slamming it into Trunks’ chest. The purple-haired youth was flung back considerably, but stopped himself by plunging his blade into the dirt. The moment he caught his breath, he looked up to see Decade leaping into the air, prepared to dive at him with a punch. At that moment, Trunks held his blade horizontally; one hand gripping the hilt, the other supporting the blade at the other end.

The resulting ping caused a burst of air pressure to ring throughout the land. Both warriors exchanged a stressed grunt before pulling back. Decade attempted to pursue; however, Trunks quick-shot golden energy blasts from his free palm. The magenta Rider weaved his head one way, then the other, narrowly avoiding what ended up destroying entire chunks of the field behind him. As the flames shot up behind him, Decade slammed Trunks’ attempt to stab his chest down with an axe kick. He then followed up with a jump kick; however, it was quickly blocked by Trunks’ elbow.

The two warriors proceeded to exchange blows swiftly. For every punch placed with the full weight of the destroyer’s shoulder, Trunks had the hilt of his blade, and a raised leg to guard wholeheartedly. And for every attempt to slice and maim with the ki imbued longsword, Decade guarded with his forearm or slanted his head sideways to utilize well placed counters. 

The green prairies transformed into pockets of beige wastelands, countless flora torched through the sheer heat of the combatants’ attacks. 

During one of these said attacks, Decade intentionally leaned forward, baiting Trunks to swing at his head. When he did so, he pulled back, grabbing at the white Ride Booker at his side, and unsheathing a blade of his own.

“Attack Ride: Slash!” was announced before a thin blade appeared, clashing with Trunks’ and causing sparks to trickle downward from the deadlock. The two swung their blades in unison, persisting in their stalemate, with neither giving ground for even a moment. 

“A sword for a sword…” remarked Decade arrogantly. “You’re not too bad with that thing. It’s a shame you’re wasting it on fighting me…”

“Tch…this is far from over!”

“Unfortunately…”

In unison, the two kicked off of each other with endless force. It was so great, the two were flung back upward. Yet, the same viciousness that separated the two, united them once again. Trunks, now flying, dashed towards Decade. Decade, now hovering with limited time, surged towards Trunks.

The two reignited their duel, exchanging powerful swings without letting up in the slightest. Trunks ultimately pierced through their bout, swinging his sword down in a prominent flash of light. Decade was forced to guard as the purple-haired man ensued in a relentless onslaught. He was swinging so fast the slashes remained stagnant in the air, ever compounding on Decade’s blade like weights.

Sins the destroyer was to bear.

Sins the destroyer could only repent for, through his own destruction.

With the final bout of slashes, Trunk angularly placed his other palm towards Decade’s blade. As the sword was kept back, the magenta Rider could already feel the ki brimming in Trunks’ hand, ever closer to erupt in his face.

So, Decade made a decision in the split second, the violent blast was sprayed at him.

“Final Attack Ride: B-B-Blast!”

The blade was now a gun, pointed at Trunks’ palm in that second. Behind the mask, Trunks could detect a smirk from Tsukasa. However, it was too late to respond. Both blasts made contact, an explosion of magenta and orange-fire erupted in the air. As embers of rubble and charred carbon grains descended, the smoking bodies of the fighters were launched from the same cloud they caused.

There was no time for Tsukasa.

Trunks, blade pulled back, had already thought to intercept. He vanished with a ‘fssh’, immediately appearing behind the falling Rider. Decade swung back, attempting to cut down his assailant. However, Trunks immediately appeared in front of him. His blade was re-sheathed, allowing him to unleash a series of punches that forced Decade to keep his guard up. His sword did good for a few moments, but was soon swatted from his hand with a spin kick.

“Ah!” shouted Decade in surprise. As he was left open, Trunks spun that same leg back to kick the destroyer in the side of his head, sending him crashing into a mountain below.

Rocks and sand spewed into the skies as a cloud of dust formed over Tsukasa’s personal crater. Trunks without any hesitation vanished, seemingly teleporting directly over that cloud. Mercilessly towards the merciless, he opened his palm and unleashed a golden beam that pierced through the cloud. It surgically struck, igniting into a brilliant mushroom of ki and fire, ever-expanding over the mountain’s surface.

Hovering precariously over the torched mountain’s summit, Trunks briefly paused. He let out a relieved sigh, at peace now that the destroyer was done for.

(“I can report back to the Supreme Kai of Time now…”) he thought. She often got mad when missions took too long. Besides, she probably had another Time Patroller documentary she wanted to film. And he knew how those would be.

He was already sort of unnerved by the idea of her recording this engagement. Nevertheless, it was time to-

“Kamen Ride:”

Trunks’ eyes twitched. He immediately landed on the mountain, bursting through some of the smoke from the sheer speed. He cocked his blade back, preparing to sever Decade from the head, the side, down the middle, whatever it took. However, red eyes pierced through the smoke as his blade did.

Speaking of blade-

“Blade!”

Maintaining the same driver, but otherwise completely different, Decade burst from the cloud of smoke in the form of Kamen Rider Blade. Wielding the eponymous weapon of the Rider, the destroyer launched forward, clashing with Trunks yet again. However, the dynamic had shifted. The moment the broad face of Decade’s weapon smashed against Trunks’, the former followed up with an energy coated fist to fling the half-saiyan back.

In return, Trunks’ aura flared up, the warrior dashing towards Decade to do the same. However, Decade merely swung his right arm back, holding the blade just right. So, when Trunks came zooming in, he was immediately swatted down like a fly, just by the sheer force of Decade’s weapon. A small crater formed, but its occupant had already vanished. Spinning around, Decade immediately guarded against a sneaky stab attack from behind, using his own weapon.

Blade’s signature weapon was a wall of power. Its mere shape allowed Decade to keep Trunks at bay in deadlock, allowing him to snatch a card with his free hand. With a flashy twirl of the hand, Decade dropped the card into his driver, slamming it shut shortly after.

“Let’s see if you can keep up!”

“Attack Ride: Mach!”

Gaining the property of a blur, Decade immediately slashed downwards, forcing Trunks to guard promptly and accordingly. An exchange of fast-paced slashes ensued, both parties darting across the scorched mountain like it was a ballroom.

A ballroom blitz.

They dashed across the land, beyond the mountain event. Skittering on lakes like basilisk lizards, weaving around tree trunks both as cover from slashes and cover for slashes, and kicking off of stray boulders for more momentum. It was a violent skating rink, one where the skaters smashed into each other.

When one was shoved off kilter, the other would zoom back in an instant to return in kind, five times over. And again and again, exponentially increasing with every instance. It got to the point where the dueling warriors arrived in an empty city. Virtually untouched, yet so alive. It was a snapshot into human infrastructure and technology.

But without a single human present. It was as though every human being was plucked from it carefully, before the battle began.

They weren’t thinking about that now. One was simply trying to defend himself, the other was trying to defend others from him.  

A snapshot in the series of violent blurs. Decade in Blade’s form, smashed shoulders with Trunks, the two running in unison throughout the city at unreal speeds. Exchanging another frustrated grunt (though it had hints of acknowledgement), the two refused to let one get an advantage over the other. They shoved each other back, maintaining their motion-defying blitz in the streets.

Decade chuckled, sliding another card into his belt when he saw Trunks coming in with a slash to his side.

“Attack Ride: Metal!”

Decade came to a sudden halt, the silver plating on Blade’s armor shining to an obnoxious degree. When Trunks made contact, an ear-splitting ping detonated throughout the city. The warrior however steeled himself, only gritting his teeth.

Before the fact that Decade halted could register to either party, Trunks made a split- not even second, nanosecond decision. Inspired by Decade’s earlier action, he kept his blade in place, while using his free hand with all its might. Coated in an azure determination, a combination of Trunks’ aura, grit, and raw power shoved the hardened Decade, much to the ‘destroyer’s’ amazement.

“ACK!” he shouted, flung out of their superspeed duel and into some random bodega. His body smashed the front windows to pieces, dispersing glass all over the floor. Decade’s body ricocheted off tables and onto the wooden floor. Freshly prepared jasmine tea, toast and marmalade, bits of oden and fried noodles all covered his armor. He groaned, wriggling in the silted rubble and glass-stained floor beneath him. 

Outside, Trunks shouted “Take this!” Summoning a blue orb of ki, its bounty wasn’t going to be wasted like last time. He swung his sword with the precision of a 5 star chef, slicing the orb into separate pieces, yet keeping it stable the entire time. He slashed through it constantly and consistently, leaving the recovering Decade to only stumble anxiously. When chef Trunks was done, he complimented the meal by swinging his blade back, performing a full body turn. In that next second, the final slash sent the true attack flying towards the bodega’s interior.

Slashes of many kinds swarmed inside. Some pointed diagonally towards the ceiling, others were horizontal cuts. However, one fact remained across all of them. They were energy cuts designed to slice through Decade with ease, and he had at the absolute most: half a second to react. They were going to destroy his cards at the very least.

(“What…what…what should I-”)

Decade grumbled, eyes fixated on the broken glass.

(“That’s it!”)

Amidst the shards’ gleam, he saw opportunity in their reflection. Decade quickly utilized another card: and just in time.

“Kamen Ride: Ryuki!”

Before the red-rider could be fully seen, Decade plunged into a mere chip of glass on the floor, in a whirling flash. With each slash burning through the building, Decade would pop out of a shard, only to hop into another. Bending, ducking, weaving, and dancing out of the way of every slash, as though it was slow motion. Even if he made it look easy, it put his body through hell just to pose that much. As far as Trunks knew, the bodega had been promptly sliced through. No doubt, some of the buildings’ foundations were put into question. With burning marks etched into the very bodega, it was clear they had connected. However, he remained vigilant. He held his sword steady, prepared for any mishaps. Any sudden transformations, any-

The glint of Trunks’ blade illuminated disaster. He set his gaze upon his weapon, astonished at what he was seeing. The half-saiyan saw a red-rider, reminiscent of a dragon in its reflection, coming at him with a powerful punch. He tried to snap his head in the other direction, assuming his foe was attacking from behind. However, his first assumption was horrifically correct.

The Kamen Rider’s fist popped out of the sword, striking Trunks in the face. He twisted his head back a little, fist still deeply implanted. Upon instinct, he slammed his sword all the way down, separating the fist from his face. But all this did was prompt the Rider to perform a full reveal. Decade sprung from the sword in full, feet keeping it planted down, allowing him to wail on Trunks senselessly with a flurry of blows to the face.

When Trunks let go of his sword to counter, launching his own offensive of blows, Decade retracted back into the blade. This caused the purple-haired youth to stumble forward, leaving him open for Decade’s returning series of bicycle kicks to the chest, flinging Trunks backwards. Luckily, he stamped his feet in the ground, reducing his flight to a mere skid in the streets. Fists raised like a boxer, Trunks stood right where Decade could see him. In his timeline, Trunks saw people use this stance before. Children his age fighting each other for what little power they could grab; adults doing the same for what little scraps they could snatch. Prepared, he raised his arms quickly when he saw Decade lunging from another set of mirrors. In a city chalk full of buildings, in what was a business district no less, this wasn’t a metropolitan.

It was a warzone.

Decade unleashed a menagerie of merciless blows. Strikes that Trunks had to raise, lower, bend, do anything with his arms, hands, knees, and even shins, to guard. If that was enough, Decade would leer back into a separate mirror, only to pop out the moment Trunk even thought to relax. But, despite the resounding pounds resonating through the area, detonating off of Trunks’ limbs, there was a rhythm being developed. Eventually, Decade’s blows just became a constant. His attacks were a routine. They hurt already, but not by that much. This period of endurance was not the trial that the destroyer assumed it was. It wasn’t long before Trunks was merely performing a supersonic sway in wake of Decade’s attacks; he was avoiding them with ease. Bobbing and weaving like a certain heavyweight champion, he was a butterfly in this battle.

And the sting wasn’t far away.

Decade saw the writing on the wall and began to spice up his attacks.

Influenced by the serpentine form of the eastern dragon, Decade used Ryuki’s form to its absolute limit. He hit a straight, using the backhand as the main force of the attack. Trunks guarded accordingly, using his palm to do so. A broad ping crashed throughout the city, as Trunks eyed Decade with both caution and contempt. The latter went at it again, jumping back before launching forward with an elegant spin kick. Trunks raised his shin, guarding, and once again causing a loud ping to burst throughout the city. Their punches created shockwaves shattering the car windows. As their sirens blared, Decade upped his intensity, unleashing flurry upon flurry once again, but this time specifically striking Trunks’ arms, hoping the widdle down his defenses.

With each strike, they actually began to hit harder and harder. Trunks began to shuffle back, prompting Decade to surge force in his onslaught. This would-be escalator slid across the business district of the abandoned city, Trunks ever on the defensive. But this was intentional. When Decade cocked his fist back for one potent punch, Trunks leapt into the air with the agility of a ballerina.

“What?!” grumbled Decade, as he got the full brunt of Trunks’ black trench coat. Still gloved, the half-saiyan re-attached the sash carrying his sword, now being left with his maroon no-sleeve shirt. Trunks tried to capitalize off of Decade’s confusion, coming down with a brutal kick. However, he could feel something aside from the Rider’s body, as the cloaked destroyer fell to his knees.

Trunks could faintly hear a muffled “Attack Ride: Strike Vent!”

Before he could react, his coat was ripped off of Decade’s body, as the face of a dragon appeared on his right arm. And in that same moment, a stream of fire the likes of which Hell could never match, burst from said dragon. The flames spewed and immediately engulfed Trunks, with Decade shouting “HAAAAA!!!!”,  putting his all into the torrent. It was focused, purely composed of nothing but will to burn.

Asphalt melted under their feet, grains of dirt and sand hardened into chips of glass. Sides of nearby buildings began to droop down, dropping heaps and tars of melted concrete onto the streets. The torrent began to bubble with the emerging liquid asphalt, shooting sky-high as a pillar of heat. As the pillar of heat kissed the heavens, Decade maintained his onslaught.

“You’re ever the troublesome one…but maybe this’ll put you down!!!”

However, even Decade could detect something was off. Through the ever-rising spiral of heat, something began to stir. Pockets of gold glimmered within its body. The roars of the flames began to be overpowered by Trunks’ scream.

But it wasn’t in pain.

It wasn’t in terror.

It was something else.

Looking below, Decade noticed the ground where Trunks would’ve been standing began to sink. The asphalt was crushed by a gravitational pressure incomprehensible. 

Rocks levitated around the spiral, Decade unable to do anything but contribute more heat.

Though it was no good. 

“HA!!!!”

The glimmers of gold turned into embers themselves. A jagged aurum energy pierced through the fire like a spear, superseding it in its entirety. The pillar of fire burst apart instantly, dispersing in the skies above, before raining down in mere kindling, unable to ascend again. Decade, startled, stumbled back and ceased his output. Before him was something…inhuman.

(“Is…that…”)

“Is that…a…kaijin?”

A jagged golden aura wrapped around the man who gave Tsukasa his answer. 

Blue eyes, spikey golden hair. Trunks looked at Decade, expressionless. With his fists clenched, he brought one forward, addressing the destroyer directly.

“No.” he answered simply. “This is Super Saiyan.”

Decade didn’t hesitate. Immediately after receiving his answer, he did away with his Strike Vent. He slid in another card, the Driver announcing “Attack Ride: Sword Vent!” as he summoned a new blade. This one was shorter, more in the image of a Chinese Dao. 

Dragsaber in hand, Decade swung down with all his might-

Trunks raised his right forearm.

Crack.

By merely raising his forearm, the blade was halted.

Worse, it chipped. Pieces of it dropped to the floor, as Decade remained frozen. The aura of the Super Saiyan had subsided, giving Trunks’ hair a bleached blond color instead.

Trunks’ calm fury pierced through the armor and into Tsukasa’s soul. As soon as the dread sunk in, the half-saiyan acted. His aura burst in a golden lightshow as he thrust forward, scoring a dreadful gut punch that made Tsukasa within wretch.

Twisting his fist in for extra effect, Trunks sent Decade flying back tremendously. His body bounced and ricocheted off cars, smashed through buses, and slammed into traffic lights. The only thing that stopped him was the Rider placing a hand on the mirror of a building.

In the split second he was supposed to hit it, he vanished into the mirror world.

Mirrors.

Decade reverted to his normal Ride form, coughing heaps under his mask. Luckily, this vacant mirror of the previous world was tolerable. While most lifeforms would perish shortly, Decade had a similar tolerance that Ryuki and the other Riders of his sort had.

This allowed him to recollect himself, grinding his fingers into the pavement as he reflected on the battle. Everything hurt. He still felt the twisting pain in his stomach that made him want to vomit everything under his skin out. He could feel tears building up in his eyes, burns somehow appearing despite the armor. He briefly wobbled as he tried to stand to his feet, but found himself slumping back to his knees yet again.

“That guy…is something else…I doubt any other Kamen Rider would work on him…”

Holding his stomach now, Decade shook his head in frustration. From Kuuga to Kiva, no Kamen Rider had the power to contest with Trunks for long. Then again…Kabuto had impressive speed. Then again…Hibiki had superb firepower. Furthermore, Den-O had ranged attacks that could keep Trunks at bay.

While Kuuga, Agito, and Kiva were questionable uses, they still had their own purposes. Maybe if he did something like that, he’d stand a chance. But it wasn’t about victory, now was it? Tsukasa felt a burning will contorting inside his spirit. But, it wasn’t spite from the pain. There was a look in Trunks’ eyes that above all else, made him feel something odd. It was a sensation as compulsive as a frog latching its tongue onto a fly.

An instinct that overpowered all reason.

The desire to connect. The desire to protect.

Trunks had the same eyes of-

(“Natsumi!”)

The Natsumi of that Nega World, the one who had to so desperately survive as one of humanity’s remnants. Day in and day out, the Riders would torment and eradicate humanity. And she was the sole survivor of that incident. She entrusted everything to his Natsumi, to Tsukasa himself. They were the eyes of someone who lived day to day, not knowing when it would be their last.

But living it to the fullest regardless.

Not because they didn’t know when they’d die.

But, because they had an obligation. As long as the flames of their heart burned bright, humanity had a torch left to carry.

As long as that flame was lit…hope for humanity would never fizzle out.

Decade slimmed his fist into the ground, causing dust to shoot up minorly. 

“Tch!” he growled in frustration. “Damn it all…!!!”

That was the damning thing about this situation. He didn’t much care for Trunks viewing him as a destroyer, nor for the situation itself. He had friends he wanted to see again, after everything. Truthfully, it felt like his body was going to fall apart.

Completely.

But, that’s why he was a Kamen Rider.

A ‘destroyer’ in name only, who only destroyed himself to defend lives.

Justice was irrelevant.

For the life of a human, no matter where they were from, was more important. With that in mind, the destroyer rose again, turning to face one of the many vacant mirrors in this world. He was going to set the record straight.

Not so he could save himself.

But so he could see it.

So he could see someone like Trunks smile again.

“Damn you…for making me do this…” Tsukasa cursed under his breath. With that, the magenta Rider transformed into Ryuki once again. “Kamen Ride: Ryuki!” And he leapt back to the real world.

But what would meet Trunks, would be no mere Dragon Rider.

Outside, Trunks merely waited in the abandoned city. It had only been a minute or so; he had spent that time scanning the area for Decade. His ki was incredibly troublesome to sense. It would vanish in an instant the moment he leapt into mirrors, not to mention, the way he could change form. He was familiar with fighters like him to an extent, hell, there were a bunch of Great Saiyamen at the Time Patrol.

However…it just didn’t feel right.

It just didn’t.

Decade and other ‘Kamen Riders’ from what he saw, changed forms more drastically. Their abilities weren’t linked to their ki, but random assortments of powers.

(“Not to mention…his ki signature changes with each form. It’s almost like he gets coated in some sort of thing that veils his energy. It’s troublesome…”)

It did Trunks no good to stare at a city like this. He had spent most of his life viewing that sight. And while he had gotten over it, between threats like the Androids and Goku Black, doing it with Decade at large was just a no-go. And, he didn’t have to wait long. Only a few feet away, separated by lingering fire, melted asphalt, and toppled over cards, was Decade again. He had left that strange world of mirrors again, still in the form of Kamen Rider Ryuki.

However, he reverted to his normal state shortly after.

Trunks’ aura had subsided, but it briefly flickered when he saw Decade again. He was planning on going for the attack, but Decade spoke.

“You want to destroy me, right?”

Trunks didn’t respond, he merely stopped. After seeing the half-saiyan’s attentive glare, Decade opted to continue.

“I don’t know where you got your information from -or even where you’re from for that matter- but, Dai-Shocker are my enemies.”

“You expect me to believe that?” replied Trunks coldly.

“Yeah: what other source would you have? See any man with glasses and a top hat lately?”

Trunks shook his head, retorting “Narutaki has nothing to do with my decision making! Time scrolls recorded you destroying your comrades one by one mercilessly! You were groomed as Dai-Shocker’s leader!”

“‘Time Scroll’”? Decade pondered, tilting his head. “Just what are you?”

Having had enough, Trunks grabbed his sword, pulling it out and pointing it at the ‘destroyer’ with contempt. “I’m a Time Patroller! And it’s my job to keep timelines safe from the likes of you! Dai-Shocker has already been attempting to breach into other worlds, worlds where there aren’t Kamen Riders!”

Trunks was going to continue with “Even if the scrolls were corrupted, we know that’s y-”

“I get the gist of it!” interrupted an annoyed Decade. Pointing a finger at Trunks, he declared “We can continue! I know someone like you can’t be convinced with mere words. But know this: I’m not in league with Dai-Shocker!”

“Really? If not, then what are you?!”

Unveiling a card with his free hand, Decade tapped it knowingly. “Just a passing through Kamen Rider. Remember that!”

“Henshin!”

“Kamen Ride:”

Once again, the battle commenced. Trunks dashed forward, launching his sword towards the transforming Decade. However, in an instant, a red flash of light enveloped the magenta Rider. Two black hands managed to catch the blade, stopping it just before his face. Even if it was a tenuous struggle.

“Kuuga!”

In the form of Kuuga, Decade sprang into the air by leveraging Trunks’ sword. He scored a blow directly to his forehead; however, Trunks wasn’t moved even an inch. The Rider immediately leapt back to narrowly avoid the slash of a sword, quickly utilizing another card.

“Form Ride: Kuuga Dragon!”

Kuuga’s form was now a deep blue, not to mention, Decade was now sporting an elegant azure rod. He twirled it around, using its edges to bat away Trunks’ powerful sword strikes. He leapt into the air once again, pressing the middle onto Trunks’ blade, using the momentum of Trunks shoving back to catapult into the sky. Trunks however, didn’t let up. He immediately entered pursuits, leading to the two trading swift attacks in the city’s skylines. Decade was on the defensive, unable to breathe, unable to talk, unable to even think. His sole purpose was defense, being blessed with the ability to even perceive Trunks, but cursed with the inability to actually compete in the same ballpark, when it came to such dazzling speed.

Sparks sizzled between their weapons, until decisively: Trunks knocked the weapon from Decade’s hand, flinging it into some office building somewhere. There was enough time, there was enough momentum for Decade to stay in the air.

But this was also enough time for Trunks to unleash a “Big Bang Attack!!!” at near point blank ranges, unleashing the blue energy blast with intent to kill.

Like a cockroach, Decade just knew how to stay alive. 

On instinct, he slid another card into the driver; two actually.

“Kamen Ride: Hibiki!”

“Final Attack Ride: H-H-Hibiki!”

An energy circle appeared in front of the Big Bang Attack, halting it briefly. Eliciting a “What?!!” from Trunks, Decade in the form of Hibiki twirled his demonic drumsticks swiftly. He pounded on them in a rhythm reminiscent of a certain song, before capping it off with a double slam on the energy circle. Empowered with oni energy, the reflected Big Bang spat into Trunks’ face; however, he caught the attack with one hand. Under minor strain, lightning began to crackle and surround Trunks as his hair spiked even further. “HAAAA!!!” he shouted as the glimmering aura of Super Saiyan had lightning dancing around it frantically. A shocked Decade gasped in surprise as the reflected attack, once again, was set to come back to him.

But no.

It wasn’t.

He began to fall.

Even if it didn’t matter for the purposes of the blasts, that was still a good thing. For, it meant that Decade’s plan would succeed.

Just as Trunks unleashed a series of homing energy blasts, each partitioning a bit of the enhanced power, charging forward like heat-seeking missiles, Decade once again employed others cards at his disposal.

“Kamen Ride: Kabuto!”

“Attack Ride: Clock Up!”

Slow. Down. The world was slow, and Decade was beyond it all, faster than all. The new lord of speed, he weaved and dashed out of the homing blasts. Even if they were keeping up with him, he was just confidently faster. Explosions slowly sprouted by his side, expanding and consuming countless buildings in sight. 

However, that wasn’t all. Trunks still saw him. Somehow. Ascending further, further, further, even further beyond. In motion slow beyond belief, lightning struck, thunder brewed in the darkened clouds above, and Trunks’ screams were drawn out to a degree that graded on Tsukasa’s ears. But regardless, Trunks would become more than just an annoyance now.

For, his hair was longer.

His eyebrows were gone.

And the intensity of the lightning only grew further.

“GET BACK HERE!!!!” he declared in a gruff voice, appearing beside Decade. While he was caught off guard, Decade quickly adapted. The two went back and forth as they raced up buildings, raced down into sewers, and briefly smashed their feet against each other in a brutal series of kicks. Streaks of mutually intense scarlet and golden streams of light darted around the city. Tasmanian devils that accumulated twisters of dirt and debris, consuming and shredding buildings inside-out in their vicious battle.

During one of these exchanges, they ended up in an office building. Trunks tried to swing at him with his sword, only for Decade to pull at a Kunai, guarding the attack. Since he was wielding it in a backhanded grip, Decade leveraged that to shove the blade down, allowing him to score twenty right hooks to Trunks’ face. However, after the last one, Trunks shoved his cheek forward, nearly pushing Decade’s shoulder out of socket. As the Rider reeled back, his foe snap kicked him in the face, before spinning around and elbowing him in the throat.

The force flung Decade back; he smashed through a window, seemingly fated to fall off the edge.

But he didn’t. Pounding his feet against the side of the building, he desperately tried to gain traction. More and more and more- until he succeeded. He gained momentum, running in place briefly before doing a front flip and bursting back to where he came. Coming in with a real deal Rider kick, he drop-kicked Trunks’ sword out of his hand, rebounding off of that to properly land. Before Trunks could react, Decade unleashed his counterattack. A series of violent jumping kicks, almost as though he was running on top of Trunks’ arms. 

However, Trunks wasn’t going for that again. His aura burst violently and Decade was once again repelled, further by a wave of air pressure after Trunks pushed his hand forward, sending the Rider flying out the building once more. Trunks once again threw Decade for a loop. He picked up his sword, launching it out the same window Decade had flown from. The ‘destroyer’ just barely weaved his body down, narrowly avoiding the blade for good. When it was removed from Trunks’ momentum, it merely slowed to a creep, only a few feet ahead from the descending Kamen Rider.

At that moment, Trunks appeared, dashing towards him. Even with his guard raised, nothing stopped Trunks from slamming his elbow into Decade, punting him to the concrete below in a slow-acting cloud of ash. He then appeared in front of his sword, twirling it around with his fingers, before kicking it to the ground like a pro-soccer player.

On the ground, Tsukasa had already recovered. Looking upwards, he saw the incoming projectile, zooming back and tilting his ahead, avoiding it completely. He then looked to see where the half-saiyan was, only for-

(“Wait! Why would he throw it at me if we’re moving this fast?! Unless…”)

Suddenly, the ground began to rumble. The Earth- No, more than that began to shake. For some reason, Tsukasa felt as though every planet in the Solar System was quivering in its own right. He turned around to see that Trunks was already there, enshrined in a violent purple energy, thunderbolts spraying debris and scenery alike in the form of swift and potent kisses. 

“GAAAALICCCCK…GUN!!!!!”

Decade’s heart froze. His first instinct was to put the kunai to the beam itself. However, that was stupid. It would just engulf him, right? No, no wait. There was something else to it as well. Tsukasa trusted his first instinct, slamming the tip of his weapon to that of the beam. But, rather than try to overpower it, or conquer it head on, the passing through Kamen Rider did something else. He went along with it. He went in motion with it. Rather than conflicting with what was to be, he made a compromise.

Shoving it slightly, using all of the upper body strength he could: pushed the beam upwards. A purple ray of energy shot into the sky before detonating, painting the world a bright violet. As he looked up, that’s when he heard a “Clock Over” in his mind. When he returned his gaze to Trunks, both their forms had receded.

Trunks was now in his normal purple-haired state.

And Decade was now, Decade again. No longer Kabuto.

Both of them were clearly exhausted. Sweat dripped down Trunks’ forehead as he panted, trying his best to hide it from the magenta marauder. Conversely, Decade noticeably slacked his shoulders, trying his best to catch a breather with his foe’s presence in mind.

“Those transformations, they’re awfully taxing on you, aren’t they…?!” asked the ‘destroyer’ from afar. 

“Huff…I could say the same for you…!” replied the hero from the future. 

(“But that’s not your limit, is it?”) they both noted to themselves. (“There’s more to you.”)

(“I can’t stop him from transforming…”) thought Tsukasa. (“But…now that I’ve exhausted him a little, I can distract him…”)

(“I’ll have to do everything in my power to stop him…even if it takes everything I have!”) thought Trunks. (“Though…is he really a destroyer?”)

Kamen Riders mercilessly, brutally beaten back to their worlds. A man who betrayed his friends, and for what? For a spot as the leader of Dai-Shocker. It was sickening. But, the blows Trunks felt, they weren’t strikes borne of hatred nor even irritation. Rather than feeling a presence reminiscent of Frieza’s malice, Cell’s greed, or Buu’s madness-

Or even Zamasu’s zealous ramblings.

It was…like-

(“Gohan…”)

No. More accurately-

(“Piccolo… Piccolo was the Reincarnation of the Demon King. Maybe…just maybe there’s more to this than what the scrolls say. But, I thought that he overrode them when we found out.”)

On Decade’s end, he could only think (“You’re probably understanding it now, Trunks. But, I owe you this battle’s conclusion. No matter who wins.”)

The Rider reached back, pulling out what looked to be a phone. But Trunks knew better than to assume that. Instantly, an overwhelming pressure burst throughout the land. From space, those could probably see a pillar of red heat bursting into the sky, before dispersing. Ethereal orange and scarlet flames, twinkling hair of a similar red color, and a young warrior unleashing blast after blast at his magenta enemy.

This was a god.

A Saiyan God, taking on the Destroyer of Worlds.

However, Decade had accounted for this. Immediately, he slid another card into his Driver.

“Attack Ride: Illusion!”

One Decade became several, most of them lunging towards the Saiyan God with all their might. With an “Attack Ride: Slash!” “Attack Ride: Blast!”, the cavalcade of Decades tried to slash at Trunks’ body, only for one slash to cleanly cut all the destroyers with blades in half. The others unleashing a series of blasts were a different story. Trunks set his blade aside, merely vanishing and teleporting in front of the other Decades. Before they could even pull the triggers on their weapons, one swift slash was all it took to dismember their guns. Another off-handed slash was all it took to dispose of them as well, a pillar of flame bursting from their bodies in the aftermath.

(“Come on…come on…!!!”) frantically thought Decade, who was hiding behind a building during the fact. He frantically slid his fingers across the buttons on the ‘K-Touch’ as it was dubbed.

“Kuuga! Agito! Ryuki! Faiz! Blade! Hibiki! Kabuto! Den-O! Kiva!”

“I WON’T LET YOU! I WON’T LET ANYMORE WORLDS SUFFER AT YOUR HAND!”

Trunks clenched his fists, stamping his feet into the concrete. Flames danced around his body as he shouted to the heavens, an ever increasing bubble of fiery ki rising off of the Saiyan. Just like his father did against Toppo, just like Piccolo did against Goku, he’d flush out Decade once and for all, so that this could just be over. In an instant faster than you, or I could ever hope to perceive, a mushroom cloud popped into the air, kissing the very clouds. In its place, a sweeping wave of heat energy engulfed the entirety of the city. So much so that Trunks made the continent look like it had a big-boil on its ‘face’. Only, this boil melted buildings apart, charred the streets, and swept anything and everything inside clean. As the wave made its sweep, Trunks merely stood in the charred aftermath. Smoke did rise off of his arms, but it was of no matter to him.

That was merely a fraction of this god power. There was still more where that came from. 

“Final Kamen Ride: Decade!”

This wasn’t a look of surprise. It was a look of knowing, of understanding. In the tatters and rubbish that was once a city, Trunks merely watched Decade emerge from the rubble, smoke brimming off of his body.

This wasn’t from his explosion, no.

This was steam rising off of the destroyer’s soul.

He was just as fired up as he was.

Decade now had an appearance befitting of the destroyer. The King of the Heisei Riders, at least at this point in time.

Magenta greatly reduced across his body, outlining regalia that had symbols of his nine predecessors on his chest. Himself? His card was relegated to the prestigious crown atop his head. Everything else was gunmetal gray, a striking silver. In place of his Driver, the K-Touch was now on his waist. 

“Surprised to see me?” taunted Decade.

“Not really.” replied Trunks, shaking his head. “If you’re one thing, it’s tenacious.”

In the place of words, rainwater filled that void. Clouds darkened above them, and rain poured on the remains of the city. As water drenched the two combatants, they merely exchanged gazes. You could say they lasted hours were you there, but it was only a matter of seconds really. Types like them, their gazes could be days worth within a minute.

The pitter-patter.

The way the droplets slid down Decade’s armor, or were torched by Trunks’ godly aura, producing pockets of steam along his body.

It was all preparation.

A soothing calm, before the story they could wrought upon the planet. This strange fantastical world.

“I could say the same.” abruptly said Decade, picking up from their earlier exchange.

“Yeah.”

“Well, shall we get started?”

With that, it was decided. Trunks immediately sped forward, attempting to strike Decade off guard with a strong right. However, Decade immediately did a hand stand, backflipping before twirling around, launching a mid-air spin kick at Trunks. The half-saiyan blocked with his left arm, unleashing a burst of snapping kicks that flung the magenta destroyer back. Trunks swiftly sped after him in hot pursuits.

The momentum allowed Decade to fly back on his whim. But whimsical was the last thing you could call this battle. The destroyer guarded against a series of blows with his arms. Each one hurting more than the last. (“Tch! Tch! This guy won’t let up!”) Tsukasa groaned to himself. He let Trunks build up his own rhythm before finding the right time to strike. And soon, it came. When Trunks switched his flow up to hit a spinning left hook, Decade struck; he slammed his fist into the time patroller’s cheek with all his might, sending him into an ever-widening crater.

However, the sound of a ‘whisp’ ended Decade’s hope of ending the battle. Trunks was already behind him, sidekicking him thousands of miles away. He came diving in for another kick, only for Decade to launch his leg forward the best he could. Rather than a kick, he pressed it against Trunks’ allowing for them to both fly back in opposite directions. Flung about by their own strength, Trunks’ ability to fly, and their own speed, the two became violent ping pongs, smashing across the lands in any way seen most destructive. The continent didn’t have a big boil at that point. No, instead it was a full breakout of measles. Pillars and walls of fire erupting from the blows, before being snuffed out in response by counterattacks of a similar caliber.

During one of these trade-offs, Trunks suddenly whipped out his sword, attempting to bisect Decade. The Rider caught the blade with the clasp of his hands, sharply kicking Trunks in the shins and the stomach to get him to stop. However, the half-saiyan remained determined. His aura flared up, he surged with a “HUAAAA!!!!” and got off a slice. Sparks shrieked off of Decade’s body as he screamed. The Rider was flung back yet again, though he got off a mean kick to the chin, flinging Trunks back in turn. This trade-off was curiously enough, near a mountain range.

Something that Trunks took full advantage of.

Etched into a mountain courtesy of Decade, Trunks removed himself from it and turned around, observing the natural landmark with promise.

This was the perfect opportunity.

He sliced the mountain up, each cut imparting a flaming aura upon its pieces. When he was done, he twirled his blade about, pointing it in Tsukasa’s direction. The destroyer himself was still mid-air, unable to stop himself from Trunks’ attack. And he had little time to brace himself. The time patroller dashed towards him, levitating flaming boulders in turn. And these weren’t any ordinary boulders. They were the size of small buildings at the smallest, and all were poised to crash into Decade somehow.

Not even accounting for Trunks himself.

But Decade wasn’t going to give up here.

“Den-O!”

“Kamen Ride: Liner! Final Attack Ride: Den-O!”

Trunks was mid-dash, ready to have the rocks collide all on Decade. If they crushed him, he could part him in a few more cuts. However, all he had on his mind when he saw Decade was: (“Is that…IS THAT A TRAIN?!”)

Mid-air, there were tracks, and sure enough, a train of pure energy set to smash into Trunks. Furthermore, Kamen Rider Den-O in his own final transformation, was right by Decade’s side. With two blades in hand, the train buckled and weaved under projectiles flung at them by Trunks. No ki blasts or rocks could stop them. Besides. What were mere boulders going to do to the power of two Kamen Riders? With one potent Rider Slash, they burst through all the boulders, sending heaps of flaming rocks below in a brilliantly horrifying shower. But it still persisted. The train continued on its course, Decade smashing his blade onto Trunks, with Den-O doing so in turn. The time patroller was already thrown off, allowing for the train to take him on a ride. “It’s my turn!” roared Tsukasa as he pressed further, tilting the Den-Liner downwards and shoving the both of them on a set course for the Earth.

They pierced through the Earth’s crust like a flaming spear, plunging underground. When they had torn through the dirt and rocks below, Den-O had vanished. It was now just a frantic slash-off between the two combatants. The sparks of a Kamen Rider and the blood of a Saiyan God sprayed alike underground, the two constantly freefalling, and free fighting at the same time. They chartered new courses for the Earth, each new slash, an opportunity to explore, as it was to destroy.

Of course, not even this world could confine their battle.

“Agito!”

Agito appeared alongside Decade in an instance, exchanging deviously potent slashes with Trunks. The half-saiyan was able to endure a slice to the shoulder, allowing him to score a devious gouge to Decade’s mid-section. 

“FINALLLLL FLASH!!!!!”

“Faiz!”

Both on the precipice of falling into the planet’s mantle, the two unleashed powerful beams above it. The resulting attacks smashed into each other. The entire planet rumbled and shook for what seemed like centuries, before the attacks tilted. Their force so great, they could only go down, piercing into the mantle and causing a violent explosion upwards.

A pilgrimage of ash and fire was undertaken to the planet’s surface. Reminiscent of Planet Namek when it was set to explode, only fire, lava, and forcibly erected, horrible mountains were in the place of any serenity or nature. And yet, Trunks was seen flying above, wiping sweat and blood from his cheek. And yet, Decade merely ground blood and pus in his hand, crushing it like dust in the wind.

They were not done yet.

“Kame…hame…ha!!!!!”

Decade avoided the beam, quick firing with his gun, before switching it back to its bladed form. Trunks hovered above the lava while Decade bunny hopped on it. He could endure it for now, the two continuing their violent version of ‘the floor is lava’ Hopping from rock to rock, they traded a slash or two before Decade decided to kick things up a notch.

“Hibiki!

Decade raised his sword to the sky as Hibiki raised his drumsticks. Lava and fire coiled around their very bodies, making Trunks nothing more than a speck in comparison. In the brief moment Decade was mid-air, a hulking fortress of magma and flame hundreds of meters in size had engulfed his figure. 

This would’ve been overwhelming for some.

But not this time patroller.

Not Future Trunks. Between Cell-X and Hirudegarn, this attack was child’s play. He merely raised his sword, his aura bursting in a surge that surprised Decade. His aura grew briefly to match the size of the attack, before it immediately condensed. All the power, compartmentalized, focused in one blade. One decisive cut to slice the attack apart.

Not discouraged, Decade and Hibiki flung the giant fortress of magma at Trunks, expecting to crush him beneath their size. Yet, that aura grew again. Yet, that magma halted. As the lava surrounding them began to act up, as entire volcanoes around them began to erupt, the fortress was halted by Trunks’ mere blade. (“He’s gonna send it back to me if I’m not careful!!!”) thought Tsukasa, and he acted as quickly as he thought.

“Kuuga!”

Kuuga in Ultimate, a black Rider with power in spades, appeared next to Decade. The two merely raised their palms, prepared to eradicate. Prepared to destroy. Flames shot from their hands, spiraling into the fortress. Rather than fuel it, they dispersed it. The fire when it pierced the fortress, let out a light ‘fsssh’ before everything erupted. Above the lava, everything detonated, lighting a fireworks show billions of years in the making. A surge of everything hot and fiery burst across the surface of the world, cooking anything in sight.

If you were on the moon.

If you were on Mars.

If you were on Venus.

You could still see it.

The arch of fire that changed the world.

And yet at its epicenter, the main target was unharmed. The curtain of the explosion, the veil of ground zero: only Decade was in danger. Trunks had kept his blade steady, but now that his foe was in his sights: he struck. At incomprehensible speeds, Trunks arrived directly in front of Decade, and like always: the destroyer had essentially no time to act.

Nanosecond, picosecond, it didn’t matter. He acted all the same. No matter what time he had left.

“Kiva!”

An Emperor assisting him and yet: Decade was still on the backfoot. The god-power surged through Trunks’ blade, shoving both Decade and Kiva’s efforts back tenfold. As Decade was flung back, he and Kiva shot out an energy slash, however a “Finish Buster!!!” did away with the attack in no time. To make matters worse, a spiral of scarlet dashed all the way to Decade. And there was Trunks again, scoring a diabolical gut punch into Tsukasa, making his stomach twist and wretch all kinds of ways, a second time no less. He burst up into the sky, breaking through the tortured clouds, the tattered atmosphere and allll the way into outer space. Meanwhile, on the ground, Trunks was already there, hands in the sky, aura of a god all riled up.

He would do Decade like he did Cell.

Do away with him for good, even with his doubts.

“I’m putting my all into this: HEAT DOME…ATTACK!!!!”

And true to his word, he did. The godly power of the time patroller engulfed the entire world. Akin to Goku’s God Bing technique Trunks was familiar with, a planetary, a global variation had covered the entire planet. And this was just the beginning. The dome part of the attack rose and rose, up until all Decade could see of the planet was just fire. Was just the ki accumulating, the energy gathering for his own destruction, his demise. Trunks was putting his everything and all, caution be damned, and thrown to the wind like dust. And what was Decade to do, just sit there and take it? To accept that the best thing here was to die?

Trunks’ smile, would he see that in death? Would his death bring such smiles?

Maybe as a destroyer, that’s what it meant. Within his heart, Tsukasa’s sank at the thought. Natsumi, Yusuke, Natsumi’s grandfather, all the Riders he met on his travels. Would their smiles be met with his demise? Maybe, maybe that was just what it meant. Maybe destruction was a two way street that could only offer smiles at one conclusion or the other. There was no ‘all’, only one or the other.

But…

No.

That’s bullshit.

(“Yusuke…Natsumikan…K-Kaito…”)

You put your life on the line for smiles. Just as he put his life on the line for a home. And he would return home, because that was his journey. He belonged somewhere and he had a place to return to. There was no greater reason for fighting right now. Just returning home to see the smiles of the people waiting for him. Just seeing Trunks’ smile in the aftermath, for whatever reason he wanted to justify that. Just as killing didn’t need a motive, neither did protecting. And in order to do either:

He had to fight.

“Fine…” he grumbled to himself. Motionless in space, he resolved with a “I’ll fight just like you! I’ll put everything on the line because…MY JOURNEY DOESN’T END HERE!!!! IF IT MEANS RIDING THE WIND TO DEFEAT YOU, THAT’S WHAT I’LL DO! BECAUSE…BECAUSE:”

“Final Attack Ride: D-D-Decade!”

“I’M A KAMEN RIDER!!!!”

Card-like projections came phasing through the brimming ki attack somehow. The mechanics of it didn’t matter, Decade got ready, diving down with a powerful drop kick. But not just any, it was his Rider Kick, his attack to settle things once and for all. Trunks’ energy surged below as the pillar of ki finally launched, making contact with Decade’s foot. And it hurt, it hurt like hell for all involved. When Decade pushed further and further down with his leg, it felt like was being immersed in the pits of wrath himself. Yet, embers inside his soul burned hotter than any fire Trunks could conjure. His desire, his will, the soul of Kamen Rider persisted in his spirit.

And for Trunks, the thought of protecting everything was all he needed. His arms strained, his muscles burned, some of his shirt began to scorch off, but it didn’t matter. He remembered those times when people ate cat food just to get by. The face of his mentor drenched in blood and drain water, dying alone and afraid. His own mother telling him stories of a father he’d never get to meet in the flesh. All of them surged, imprinted themselves onto Trunks’ energy. This destroyer had to go, by any and all means.

Even if it cost his own life.

Behind, a projection of that hero arose. Next to Trunks, projections of Vegeta, the proud Saiyan warrior and Gohan, the scholar that never was. It didn’t matter if they were real or not, together they surged forward, encouraging their student, their family to go even further beyond. Even if Decade wasn’t a destroyer, Trunks still had to surpass his limits. He had to show them what a Time Patroller could do. What a student of the Turtle School could do. What a student of the Demon Clan could do.

But most importantly.

A pride vested in his own line, a pride that transcended timelines and generations.

He had to show Decade what a Saiyan could do!

As for Decade, he pushed on. He kicked with all his might until his legs strained. Projections of Kamen Rider Ichigo, Kamen Rider Nigo appeared by his side. Warriors who fought for justice; justice not being the law of the land: but the people living in it. They were destined for evil, but spun that destiny into a legacy of heroism and kindness. Hiding their sorrows under the veil of a mask, they swore justice upon their arms and struck evil with those very fists. Their vow was against destruction, their vow was against tyranny.

But.

Above all else.

They reached out to others! No matter what!

Even if Decade was a destroyer, he was a Kamen Rider. He could defy that very mission, if it meant that others like him, others without a true home, had a place to stay. Even if he could never return to his own world:

Maybe his world was just that.

Destroyer and hero. The destroyer pressed forward and the hero pressed back. Beams? Kicks? They were all irrelevant. Beyond the twirling of fire, rupturing of land, and their throat bleeding screams: at their core, it wasn’t about their ideals. So much as it was, proving the ideals of others around them. This fight was a conversation.

And, as Decade pierced through the beam, parting it in-half and diving further and further, preparing to strike the beam at its source:

The conversation had concluded.

Spark. Decade and Trunks made contact. An eye-blinding white spread across the planet, across the solar system. The intensity of the fires, the rampant ki explosions, the heat rising off of Decade’s armor, they had all vanished. Wiped away under the sheer power of these two extraordinary men. There was nothing else left to do. There was nothing else left to say. These two had done the unthinkable, they had done the impossible. Titans among their peers, they settled things. Even if it meant, an explosion of that caliber had to take place. It wasn’t a spark of power, but a spark of their raw souls.

Two such souls that would’ve never met in eons.

But somehow managed to.

And that spark meant something.

Presently, the land was gray. Dirt was ash, trees were stumps, and the water was tainted beyond belief. Inside a nebula of dust, there lay the victor and loser. There lay the two who had put everything on the line in their battle.

No one can say who won that battle. For when the cloud of smoke vanished, there stood Tsukasa Kadoya. There stood Trunks. And there they were, dapping each other up. Despite their tattered, raggedy clothing. Despite their bruising and bleeding, they didn’t care. Rather than an exchange of glares, it was an exchange of smiles.

And upon seeing Trunks’, Tsukasa beamed.

A few minutes later, the two men were squat at a makeshift campfire. Charred wood was kindling, remaining logs were makeshift seats. The two sat on opposite sides, only the small twinkling of the burning campfire separating them. Neither said anything at first, they were still adjusting to the pain of it all. They were still adjusting to the fact neither of them were interested in fighting.

But eventually, the time had to come for one of them to speak.

“I’m sorry I came in like that…” Trunks apologized. “We had thought you were-”

“I get the gist.” assured Tsukasa, grunting slightly in pain. “Though…” He coughed dreadfully, in whooping fashion. “You did a number on me…”

“I could say the same…Wait a second!”

Trunks dug into his pocket, revealing a bag. He untied the knot at the top, reaching into the small bag to take out two green beans. Tying the bag back up and setting it aside, he tossed it over to Tsukasa. Naturally, he caught it without an issue.

Tsukasa opened his palm, eyeing the bean with curiosity. “What’s this?”

“Eat it.” Trunks calmly replied. “It’ll fix your injuries.”

“A bean that fixes my injuries? That’s-” Tsukasa instantly remembered his travels. After realizing the dissonance in that statement, he shut himself up and ate. A crack, a crunch, and then a swallow. After Tsukasa swallowed the bean he felt…he didn’t even know what it was. It felt like getting a relaxing 8 hour sleep, exfoliation and all in one day. It felt like five weeks of a spa all in one moment.

It was…excellent. While the bean tasted alright, the sensation it gave Tsukasa was wonderful. Looking down at his cut knuckles- His eyes widened. (“My injuries…they’re…”) He placed his hand over his stomach, the same place struck by Trunks countless times. 

“My injuries are-”

“Taken care of.” finished Trunks with a grin. He ate the bean himself, gaining much in the same effects. He clenched his fists slightly out of excitement, before taking a deep breath and settling down. The time patroller then gave Tsukasa a nod.

“It’s a Senzu Bean. They come in really handy for situations like these.”

“I’ll bet…” remarked Tsukasa as he leaned forward. “If I had anything like that on my travels, I think my journey would’ve ended a while ago.”

“About that…You’re a ‘passing through Kamen Rider’?”

Snapping his fingers like a movie star, Tsukasa replied “Don’t forget it.”

“Right.” affirmed Trunks with a nod. “Well, I suppose you should get back to your journey then. I’m sorry for bringing you here.”

Tsukasa raised an eyebrow. “Wait. You brought me here?”

Trunks shrugged his shoulders.

“More like…a superior of mine did. We decided to bring you to a neutral world, devoid of life, so our battle wouldn’t cause any harm. And given what happened…”

They both eyed the area in ruin. Trunks blushed slightly while Tsukasa let out an unnerved sigh, surprised at the fact he was capable of this much. But then again, that’s who he was. Looking back at Trunks, he said “It’s fine. With the information you had, that’s all I was. Besides…”

“Besides?”

Leaning back, Tsukasa added “That’s kind of what I am supposed to be. ‘Destroy the Rider worlds’. Before creation, comes the destruction I bring upon.”

“I see…So you’re like a God of Destruction…”

Tsukasa gave an awkward laugh.

“A god? Well…I wouldn’t go that far…even if it’s kind of fitting.”

“Either way, you’re not far off from one. In Super Saiyan God, the red haired form, you canceled my attacks out, and I did the same for you. Had neither of us fought with our all, we would’ve ruptured the dimension completely.”

The patroller sighed. “It’s…happened before.”

“Sheesh…and they call me the destroyer. Well-”

“Actually!” interrupted Trunks, reaching his hand out, stopping Tsukasa from leaving. “Time in this dimension is slowed down. So you don’t need to be in a rush. I want to talk to you some more…but I know off of that basis alone, you won’t stay. So…”

He reached into his pocket, taking out a small capsule. Before Tsukasa could say a word, Trunks tossed it on the ground. In a puff of mint-smelling smoke: an entire picnic’s worth of food lay out in a massive feast. The most elegant cutlets of beef and beef wellington, the best chopped and seasoned vegetables in the multiverse. The sweetest juices and the finest wines.

“This is a whole feast!” shouted Tsukasa, both appalled and astonished by the amount of food. “Did you plan on feeding my corpse?!”

Trunks shook his head. “It was just a meal for me and a friend, but…we can eat while we’re here.”

“H-How much do you and your friend eat…?!”

“It’s a Saiyan thing.”

“R-Right…” nodded Tsukasa, accepting the madness. “A Saiyan thing…” he then muttered to himself.

He would’ve declined the offer, but…the grumbling in his stomach told him otherwise. With that, the two spent the next hour eating and chatting about their adventures. Tsukasa told Trunks about his mission, his destiny to destroy the Rider worlds in order to bring about new ones. Yet, he had defied that destiny numerous times, helping out his fellow Riders however he could, uplifting them so that their stories could begin. 

And Trunks informed Tsukasa about the Time Patrol. While the organization didn’t preside over Tsukasa’s side of the multiverse, they kept the universes they were in charge of in check. Between the Time Breakers, Fu, Hearts, they were all threats in their own right that both the Time Patrol, and the Z Fighters had to combat. He also mentioned Dai-Shocker, who had a few sects defeated by some Great Saiyamen of theirs.

When all was said and done, the two were full, the two were content. After coming to an understanding through their heated battle, through their hearty meal, they stood up. Holding their heads high, the two came to give a mutual nod and smile.

“Well, I’m glad we were able to clear this up, hehe.” laughed Trunks. “I’m sorry about the trouble I caused you.”

“It’s fine.” nodded Tsukasa again. “Dai-Shocker are troublesome…so I’ll be sure to crush them for your sake.”

Trunks brought out his time scroll, prepared to teleport. Meanwhile, an Aurora Curtain opened up where Tsukasa was. It looked like it was about time for him to return. When the ‘destroyer’ was going to walk in, Trunks shouted “May we meet again, Tsukasa!”

Tsukasa merely turned around, replying “Yeah. We’re all on a journey. Sometimes we meet, sometimes we part. But, there’ll always be a time where we can meet again.”

“And when that time comes…make sure to give me all you got for a rematch.

Tsukasa chuckled. “Hehe, I’d like that. Later, Trunks.”

Trunks left everything in the destroyer’s hands. Tsukasa left everything in the patroller’s hands. The two heroes left without another world, vanishing from this forgotten land

Do you want to know why this world was fantastical?

Because. It forged a bond, it created a link between those two worlds.

Kamen Riders. Dragon Balls. When it comes to journeys, they form bonds, create friendships, form unbreakable chain links. Time may sever you from your memories, your strength, even your own wits.

But never forget.

It can never sever these bonds. 

There are those who watch over our journeys and ensure we reach our destinations. And, I for one, am glad Kamen Rider Decade and Future Trunks, are such those.

Only one can wonder, when these legends may cross paths again.