Chapter Text
In the beginning there were two. Two that began alone. Two that thrived alone. Two that existed alone. For a time, that’s all that ever was. One did not know the other, and the other did not know the one. But a fateful day arrived, and suddenly, the two were not alone. The two now existed together. The two now thrived together. And the two now began anew.
The two became one. The two, now one, began alone. The two, now one, thrived alone. The two, now one, existed alone. For a time, they were all that ever was. But, as all things, one could not last forever.
In the beginning, there were two. Then, there was one. They existed as one, and were destroyed as one. From the destruction of one, there came many. Many that began alone, thrived alone, and existed alone. From the many, two would become one. They would exist as one, and would be destroyed as one. This cycle of destruction would come again and again, and eventually, the many would be too great to put to numbers.
In the beginning, there were two. Then, there was one. From the one, two were birthed. Two that began together. Two that thrived together. Two that lived together. The two explored the many, but eventually, the two explored alone. One sought to perpetuate the cycle of destruction, and one sought to bring the cycle to its end. One sought destruction. One sought protection.
In the beginning, there were two. In the end, will there be many? Or will there be one?
Kamen Rider DeCaliber - Reloaded
Chapter 1: The First Encounter
“And there you are. Thank you and have a good day!” Michelle put on a bright and pleasant smile as she handed the shopper their bag. As soon as they stepped out the door, she moved right on to the next. “Hi there! Find everything you needed today?” Much of the day went on like this for her; tending to customers, checking out their assorted goods and sending them on their way. All with the brightest smile she could manage.
It was tiring to say the least.
Hours on end, putting on the same smile, treating the customers as if they were always right (even when at times they weren’t). Mending and measuring dress after shirt after dress again... It was a lot of energy to put into what was essentially a pit stop on the road to greater things.
But a job was a job, and as long as she had it, she was going to do it right. So through all the hustle and bustle, through all the times she pricked her finger sewing something by hand, and through all the back-chat from unpleasant customers, Michelle Rivers put on the same bright smile.
It was a smile that became far more genuine when she finally clocked out of work. A smile that lasted as she hopped onto her bus, rode up to her apartment, climbed the stairs, turned her keys, and FINALLY plopped down face first onto her couch.
“Uuuuuuuuuuuugggghhhhh,” was the happy little groan she let out as she finally deflated from a hard day’s work.
“Well hello to you too, babe.”
Michelle jolted back up with a squeak. As soon as she did, a towel was tossed directly over her face. She sputtered a bit as she swung it off with her head, narrowing her eyes at the smug-faced gentleman crouching in front of her. “Mister Lucius Dracul,” she rumbled with the feigned air of a scolding parent, “You weren’t supposed to be home for another few hours!”
That got a cute smirk out of him, one that got her cheeks all red. “Yeah, I know. I just couldn’t bear to go another minute without seeing you, so I hurried home to be blessed by your gracious presence as soon as you got back home.” Before she could retort, Lucius got up and planted a kiss on her forehead, vanquishing any thought that may have been sprouting in her head. “Nah, I was let out early. Manager needed to look at our stock again, so he sent everyone home and closed up earlier than usual.” He sat himself down on the other end of the couch. “And that means I get to spend some more time with my beloved princess.” Michelle squeaked again as he punctuated his point with a poke on her thigh. He laughed from the playful swat against his arm she delivered before sidling up next to him. “Your hair looks good. Did you have it cut?”
Michelle smirked and cupped her her hair as if to show it off. “I’m glad you noticed! I decided to have it cut a little short before work. Makes it easier on me while sewing. Don’t have to constantly brush it all aside when I’m hunched over the table.”
“Ahhh. So how was work today anyways?”
“Stressful,” she sighed, “I don’t know what’s going on with the world right now, but it seems like everyone in their mother needed their clothes fixed!” She held up her hands and examined her fingers. “I feel like I lost enough blood from pricking my fingers sewing to fill a blood bag for donation.”
“Well, at least you’re getting a lot of practice in sewing things up. Soon enough you’ll be doing the same thing with flesh.”
Michelle groaned again, leaning her head against Lucius’ shoulder. “Well ‘soon enough’ doesn’t feel that ‘soon enough.’”
“You’ll get there eventually, babe. Just gotta keep at it.”
“I know...thank you…” she sighed, sinking into his embrace as he draped an arm over her, “I just wish medical school wasn’t so expensive.”
“You know you could always ask your parents. They’ve made it very clear that they’re willing to help pay for it.”
“Yeah, but they’ve done enough for me as is,” Michelle sat up and looked over to him, “They’ve taken me this far in life, and it’s my turn to do the same for them. I’m gonna pay them back all the love and care they gave me, and then some.”
Lucius held his hands up in defeat. “Alright, I know better than to argue with you on this. Either way, I know you’ll get there eventually.”
A proud smirk crossed Michelle’s face. “I knew I loved you for a reason.”
That got an eye roll out of him. She let out a mischievous little giggle as he pulled her back into his embrace. “That aside, it sounds like you had your work cut out for you today. How about I treat you to dinner tonight?”
“Really?!”
“Of course! It’s the least I could do for my darling princess.”
Michelle smiled and clenched a fist against her chest. “You really are my knight in shining armor… Alright! Lemme get ready.” With a bit more pep in her step, she raced off to her room to get ready for a nice night out.
***
Elsewhere, a family of three was making their way home after a long but fun outing together. The glee had not yet left their child, who was practically bouncing off the sidewalk as they walked along the way. The mother and father held each other close as they watched him happily trot along.
Unbeknownst to them, they weren’t the only ones watching.
Shrouded in the darkness of the night, a single shadowy figure loomed from afar, drool dripping from its maw, and claws flexing in anticipation. Not yet. Just wait for a little longer. Wait for the perfect time to strike. These were the thoughts running through its head as it drew closer and closer to the unsuspecting family.
The child made one great leap and landed with a loud THUMP. He turned around beaming with pride, looking to his parents to see their happy faces. What he also saw, just behind his father, was a pair of giant fangs. Poised to strike.
And strike they did, plunging into his father’s back and drawing out a cry of pain. The mother screamed and fell back as her husband was drawn back by the fangs. Mother and child watched in horror as all color was drained from his body, turning him into a transparent, convulsing mass. The fangs drew him up and dangled him in the air, causing his limbs to flail wildly. All the while, the child could only stare up in horror as the life of his father was drained from his eyes.
When it finally stopped, and all traces of color were gone, the fangs withdrew, and the father fell to the ground, shattering to pieces and scattering all across the floor. In a state of shock, the child reached down and picked up one of the shards at his feet, staring at it as though it would do something.
“No! No PLEASE!” Then came another scream of pain, this time from his mother. Again, the child could only watch in horror as the same fate befell her. Another body soon fell, and more glass shards joined the pile. The child’s knees grew weak. As the fangs began to draw closer to him, he fell back, cutting his hands on the glass remains of his parents. He did not see the dark figure stalking closer and closer to him. And he did not see the wretched, filthy smile that crossed its muzzle as the fangs plunged into his body.
***
“The family of three was last seen in a nearby movie theater and were likely on their way home before their disappearance. Friends and relatives are struggling to come to terms with the situation, and police are left stumped over how the disappearance occurred. The only evidence left behind were the belongings they had on them when they went out, and large shards of glass scattered all around said belongings. An investigation is still underway while they seek out-”
“Michelle! You’re gonna be late!” Lucius’ call jolted her attention back into reality. With a bit of a start, she switched the TV off and snatched her apron off the couch.
“Thank you! Sorry, just got caught up in the news. A family disappeared near where we are. Kidnapping or something.”
“Oh really? Hopefully they turn back up soon then.”
“And lets hope the perpetrator doesn’t find us before then!” Michelle planted a quick kiss on Lucius’ cheek before heading for the door. “Have a good day at work, sweetie! I’ll see you when I get back!”
“You too, babe! See you at home!” After chugging down the last of his coffee, Lucius followed her out the door, sticking with her until they eventually had to split off from each other. They parted with another goodbye kiss, one that did not go unseen by others nearby.
That included the dark figure looming in the alleyways.
***
“OUCH!” Michelle hissed through her teeth as she took her hands off the sewing machine, trying to keep the blood from her pricked wound from dripping onto the dress she was trying to mend. She rolled her eyes and readjusted herself on her seat as she tried to get back into the rhythm she lost. To take her mind off the stinging pain that now riddled her finger, she listened in on a conversation going on between a fellow seamstress and the customer she was taking measurements of.
“So who’s the lucky bride or groom?” the seamstress asked.
“She’s my best friend,” the customer replied with a wistful smile on his face, “We’ve decided we want to spend the rest of our lives together.”
“Once again, congratulations! I hope for a long and loving relationship for the two of you!” The seamstress stood up to take a measurement of his shoulders. “Hopefully it doesn’t end tragically soon. You see the news today?”
“Yeah, it’s really sad. They have a son, right? Terrible that they all disappeared together. Hopefully it’s all just a big misunderstanding.”
“Y’know, it’s strange. I overheard the other day that someone spotted a really strange individual skulking around somewhere in the back alleys.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. They were apparently dressed in really odd clothing. Lots of rags and the like. Can’t help but wonder if that was the perp responsible. They’ve already got the cops looking into it.”
“Guess only time will tell, then.”
“Fingers crossed…” the seamstress sighed, “Alright, arms up, please.”
***
For whatever reason, Michelle couldn’t shake the report out of her head. Every bite she took out of her sandwich was paired with thoughts over it. What could’ve happened to them? Why an entire family? What was all the glass for? What would she do if the same thing happened to her and Lucius?
That last thought made a pit form in her stomach. It was a thought she’d rather have never come across, and one she didn’t savor spending more time on than this. She scarfed down more of her sandwich in hopes that the sheer amount of flavor would drown out the thoughts altogether. She almost immediately regretted the decision, as a sudden loud clamor nearly made her choke from the shock. “What in the world?” She set her lunch aside to check out what was going on, expecting some sort of rowdy customer, or an unruly group of teenagers.
That is not what she found.
What she found instead was Lucius, struggling to stand, and bleeding profusely from the arm. Michelle’s body acted on its own, barging through the customers crowding around him and rushing to his side. “Lucius?! Honey are you okay?!”
“Michelle,” he began through labored breaths, “I’m sorry to do this, but you were closer than the hospital.” He was gripping his wound tightly, with blood spilling from underneath his hand and onto the floor.
“What the hell even happened to-no, never mind that now!” She shook her head and pulled him along. “Come on, we have a first aid kit in the back!” The small crowd parted ways to allow the two of them to pass. Once in the privacy of the backroom, Michelle asked again, “What happened to you? How did you end up like this?!”
“That’s the thing, I don’t even know myself.” He kept a firm grip on his wound while Michelle rummaged around for the first aid kit. “I was just in the middle of delivering a package when I suddenly felt something stab into my arm. No one was nearby, so I thought I was shot and just didn’t hear the gun go off. I ran back to my delivery truck and drove over here.”
“You mean you didn’t even call the police or anything?!” This revelation made her slam the kit down on the table, “How long have you been bleeding for?!”
“I-I dunno, I rushed here in too much of a panic to keep track.”
“God dammit, Lucius! Here, raise your arms; I’m taking your work shirt off.” He wordlessly complied, holding his arms out as she pulled his shirt off by the sleeves. “Okay now ho-” She stopped as soon as she saw the wound. Not just from the shock of seeing it. The wound itself, and the area around it, was missing any and all color save for the blood spilling from it. “H-honey?” she began, her voice trembling with fear and confusion, “What...what is…”
When Lucius saw what she saw, he too found himself in a state of shock. “What...the hell?!”
Michelle violently snapped herself out of it and quickly got to bandaging the area tightly, treating it like any other wound. “Wh-whatever this is, we can get it treated at an actual hospital. Come on, honey. Just keep a tight grip on the wound. I’ll drive us to the-” A horrid scream cut her off, one that sent chills up their spines. And very shortly after, the sounds of shattering glass.
Before Lucius could move, Michelle held up a hand to stop him, electing to check what was going on herself. But as she moved to do so, the answer ended up coming to her. The man she’d seen earlier being measured crashed into the floor right at the doorway. “PLEASE HELP! That THING’S out to-URGH!” He lurched in pain, and right before their eyes, color began to drain from his face. Without warning, something out of sight yanked him away, leaving the two of them with nothing but his screams, at least until the sounds of shattering glass reached their ears. Outside, the screams of terrified customers still rang loud.
“We need to go. NOW!” Michelle didn’t even wait for Lucius to respond. She instead grabbed him and ran out the back with him, rushing through the back alleys like mice in a maze.
“What the hell WAS that?!”
“I-I dunno! But I don’t wanna wait around to find out!” Michelle and Lucius rushed around the corner, the screams in the distance sending shivers up their spines.
“Is...is that gonna happen to me?!”
“Wh-what?” Michelle glanced back at him.
“His...his whole body went colorless. Just like my arm. Is that gonna happen to me?!”
“N-no!” She suddenly stopped, scanning the area around them before planting her arms on his shoulders. “Listen to me. You’re gonna be fine. We’re gonna be fine! We’re gonna make it out of here, and we’re gonna figure out how to fix what happened to you.”
“...Y...you’re right,” Lucius nodded, “Yeah, there’s nothing to worry about. You know what you’re doing, and we’re gonna be okay.” She could still see the fear in his eyes, but she could also see the trust he was placing in her. It was a trust she wasn’t intent on betraying anytime soon.
“Good, now come on. We’ve still gotta get out of here.” She turned back around, ready to run again, only to stop right in her tracks. Just ahead of them was a lone figure dressed in ragged clothing, their face obscured by the hooded cloak they wore. But not all of them was hidden, Michelle noticed. Just beneath his cloak, she could see the outlines of claws jutting out of their fingertips. And peeking out from beneath the hood, she saw a furry, and very inhuman muzzle.
And they were headed right towards them.
Michelle spared no second in running the other way, hanging onto Lucius for dear life. “Hey, wait a sec!” shouted the mysterious figure. But she refused to listen. She refused to even look back. Not while she could hear him giving chase to the two of them. Her mind began to race. The pounding of her feet was drowned out by the pounding of her heart. Her lungs were begging for more air than she could give, and her muscles were screaming at her for reprieve. But she drowned it out. All of it out. The only thing she focused on was what mattered to her the most, which was getting Lucius out of here alive.
Then she saw it; their chance. As soon as it was within reach, she yanked backwards a stack of random rubbish, causing it all to scatter across the ground. Among the rubbish was a bag of expired flour, one that burst into a huge puff of smoke upon impact. The clouds obscured the figure, disorienting him and causing him to sputter to get the contents out of his lungs. It was only after she saw him run past them did she finally release the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in. She leaned back against the wall, still crouched behind a bunch of empty crates.
“Okay, I sent a text to the police line. They told me they’re on their way now. Are you alright, Lucius?”
“Yeah, I think so…” he replied, tenderly caressing his bandaged wound.
“How does it feel? Does it still hurt?”
“A lot, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. What about you? Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Good… Good…”
“...Lucius?”
“Yeah?”
“Look at me. Please.” There was hesitation in his eyes. But eventually, his finally met hers. She could still see it. Despite the brave front he was trying to put up, she saw the fear in his eyes. She scooted closer to him and gently laid a hand on his wounded arm. “Honey, it’s gonna be okay. Whatever it is that thing did...we’re gonna figure it out together.”
“I...I know, princess…” A soft smile formed on his lips. “Y’know, it’s kind of funny. Right now, it feels like you’re the one in shining armor.”
That got a smile out of her too. “Well, regardless of the one wearing it, you’ll always be my prince.”
“And you, my princess,” he smiled back, this one a little less put on than the last. “...I love you, Michelle.”
“I love you too, Lucius.” Though they were already close, the two of them drew closer and closer. They looked into each others’ eyes, the fear previously riddling them now drowned out by love. Michelle’s hands drifted from his wound to caress the sides of his face. Their foreheads touched, their eyes closed, and soon enough, their lips met. They held each other close as they shared a soft, passionate kiss, relishing each others’ embrace. For that moment, everything felt at peace. For that moment, the two had become one. When their lips finally parted, and her eyes once again opened, Michelle looked into the eyes of her lover, happy to find that earlier fear was no longer present.
And she saw, just behind him, a pair of fangs floating in the air.
She opened her mouth to shout, to warn him, to tell him to get out of the way. But before the words could leave her mouth, the fangs struck, and they plunged into his back without resistance. Lucius cried out, coughing blood onto her shirt. Realizing what was happening, he shoved Michelle backwards and sent her rolling. The back of her head banged against the concrete, throwing her into a daze. Her vision swam as she watched her lover get drawn up high, limbs flailing as he hung in the air. His cries of pain and agony filled the air as all color was slowly and painfully drained from his body.
Michelle didn’t even realize she was screaming.
When he finally stopped moving, the fangs drew back, and his glass body plummeted to the ground. But it never reached it. It was instead shattered to bits by the claws of a hideous beast, one with a hide of colored glass, almost reminiscent of a glass mural. It gnashed its fangs at her in a twisted smile.
“Aaaaaaahhhhhh,” the beast sighed in sickening satisfaction, “There it is. That look of yours. The one I relish in seeing.” It used the back of its large claws to wipe away the drool from its muzzle. The beast hunched over, slowly stalking towards her with a perverted hunger in its eyes. Michelle could do little more than back away. “You know, it’s people like you that I can’t stand the most. People with happy homes, with loving families. You people just love to rub my misfortune in my face…”
The glass beast raked its claws across the brick walls surrounding them, leaving behind deep gashes in their wake. “I love nothing more than to see that look in your eyes right now. That look of heartbreak. That look that says your whole world has just been torn apart. The look of someone whose most beloved has just been ripped away from their lives. It’s a look that I simply can’t get enough of… Mostly because it can only last for so long. Because once they realize they’re next, they give me a different look…” The beast stopped, raising its giant hand to point a single claw at her. “It’s the look you’re giving me right now.”
Michelle ran.
It was all she could do now. As her heart ached for a lover who was no longer there, as giant fangs lashed at her to try and have her join him in the afterlife, and even as her heart ached to be with him again, it was all she could do. “Run all you like!” the beast snarled, “You’ll just taste all the sweeter when I finally catch you!” A cry of fear left her throat as one of the fangs barely grazed the back of her head. She planted both hands on her head and ducked as she ran, making erratic turns whenever they came across a corner. But eventually, there were no more turns to make. Just a straight shot into the open.
Would it follow her out there? Would it risk being seen by so many people? Whatever the answer was, she had no choice but to take this gamble. So with her lungs burning, her head spinning, and her knees on the verge of giving out, she pushed herself one last time. She ran as fast as her legs would allow. “RUN, little mouse, RUN!” The beast cackled from behind, the sounds of its fangs still striking near. Every fiber of her being tingled with disgust. She was playing right into that thing’s deepest perversions, and she hated every second of it. But she couldn’t afford to stop. She couldn’t waste the opportunity Lucius gave her as his final act of bravery. She had to keep running. She had to make it out alive.
She stopped.
At the other end of the alleyway, something else was sprinting towards her. The cloaked inhuman thing they’d ran into before. These two beasts weren’t the same being. There were two of them. Two killer beasts, headed right for her. Then and there, the tiny glimmer of hope she’d hung onto was blown out like a candle in the wind. Her knees gave out and she hit the ground. She didn’t even have the strength to get back up. She didn’t even have the will to look. She just closed her eyes, covered her ears, and waited for the end.
First came a gunshot. Then the sounds of shattering glass. Then she felt one of them pounce on her. Then came the sound of flesh being torn into, and then a cry of pain. One that wasn’t hers. She opened her eyes, finding herself being sheltered by something. She looked up and saw one of the fangs embedded in something. It was the shoulder of the cloaked beast. With a snarl, the cloaked beast, thrust forward a bright yellow gun and let loose a single shot. It struck against the glass beast’s thigh and forced a howl of pain out of it. The fang seemed to recoil from its pain, and it ripped itself out of the stranger’s shoulder, tearing off their cloak in the process. That allowed her to finally get a proper look at her strange savior.
Just as she’d seen, the beast had black fur, looking very much like a panther with the body structure of a human. He was dressed in drab and tattered robes, almost like one would wear in a traditional Japanese era. His bright yellow eyes burned with a fierceness to them she’d never seen before. And his teeth were bared in what looked to be pain. She’d been right the first time. This was no human.
But this was no monster either
The beast man did not stop there. He kept firing until the glass beast sought out cover. Once it had fully retreated, he got himself and her back on their feet. “Are you alright?” he asked, clutching his wound as best he could with a gun in his hand. Or paw, rather.
“I-I’m fine, but-”
“Good, then get out of here! We’re still not safe yet!”
“Wait but what about your-” She didn’t get to finish on account of him shoving her backwards, and one of the fangs zipping right by her face. The stranger whirled around and opened fire again, blasting apart the fangs before they could strike. Out in the distance, they could hear the pained howls of the glass beast.
“I’ll be fine, just GO!” He rolled out of the way of another set of fangs, blasting them apart like the rest. All the while, the red spot on his sleeve was growing larger and larger. Michelle tore her eyes away from the wound he’d taken for her and headed for the open.
“Wait, what do I call you?!”
Glass rained onto the floor as another set of fangs was blown apart. “My name’s Rai! Rai Vagabound!”
“Thank you Rai! You saved my life!”
Hearing this lit a fire in his eyes. “Until I’ve taken care of this guy for good, I haven’t saved you yet!” But he was determined to make it so. Spotting movement further down the alley, Rai charged ahead with a sleeve drenched in blood and a fierce desire to hunt this monster down. With his back to her, Michelle could no longer see his beast-like features.
All she could see was a hero running to face danger.
***
Rai dove for cover as a pair of fangs darted over his head. He rolled upon landing and planted his back against the large crates now serving as his cover. The glass beast, who now prowled about the courtyard, sneered at him with venom in his voice. “Who the hell are you?! Are you like me?!”
The sheer thought of that disgusted him to his very core. “In every sense of the word, HELL no! But I am like the person that helped you turn into that monstrosity! Hand over the card he gave you and turn yourself in to the local authorities, or I’ll be forced to take you out of this world!”
“I’d love to see you TRY!” Rai’s feline senses got him to leap out from his cover before it was obliterated by a set of large claws. The glass beast only kept at the offensive, pursuing him even as his stray shots blew off more and more bits of his glass body. “This form’s given me everything I’ve ever wanted; the ability to bring the misery I’ve felt for years onto others!”Another venomous smile spread across his muzzle, seeing Rai head straight towards a wall. “A misery I’ll soon bring to YOU!” With little space between them and the wall left, the glass beast thrust his claws forward in hopes of skewering Rai alive.
But all his claws found were the crumbled bricks of the wall he stabbed. With quick reflexes, Rai ran up the wall and leapt off of it, firing off several rounds into his back as he fell back down. Like the felines he resembled, he landed cleanly on his feet and fired off even more rounds. “That form doesn’t belong in this world! And frankly, I’m starting to think you don’t belong in this world either!” His feline instincts kicked in again, making him duck beneath the mass of bricks the glass beast flung at his head. But when he raised his head, it was the beast himself that came at him next. Rai stepped forward threw his arms up cut short the ferocious swings of his massive claws.
“THIS WORLD MADE ME WHO I AM!” the beast snarled directly in his face, his vile spit hitting his brow, “IT ONLY MAKES SENSE TO RETURN THE WORLD IN KIND!”
“I guess you’re right!” Rai snarled back, “You were a monster LONG before you were given this form! That’s why, in the name of natural order, and in the name of all of those you’ve slain, I’m removing you from this world altogether!” He reeled back and SLAMMED his forehead into the glass beast’s snout, resulting in a sickening CRUNCH as his face was smashed in. As he recoiled and howled in pain, Rai rammed the barrel of his gun into his gut and pulled the trigger. The shot tore into the beast’s body and sent him sailing backwards, crashing through the hole in the wall he’d created with his claws just moments prior.
And there it was; the chance Rai was waiting for.
Swiftly, Rai reached up and pushed a button on his gun, causing the black compartment within it to pop out. With his offhand, he reached down to his belt and smacked open the metal book hanging off of his hip. Within it was a single open slot, and from it was dispensed a single card. In a single motion, Rai snatched it up, slotted it into the compartment on his gun, and slammed the compartment back in.
>>> KAMEN RIDE <<<
Rai spun the gun on his finger before swinging it forward, taking aim right as the glass beast leapt out from the rubble in blind fury. “HENSHIN!” was what he shouted before pulling the trigger.
>>> DECALIBER!!! <<<
What flew out of the barrel was not a tremendous blast. What flew out wasn’t even a bullet. What flew out and struck the glass beast aside was a giant deck of black cards. Cards that shuffled themselves together as Rai became covered in a dull gray set of armor. And cards that slotted themselves into a V-shape onto his helmet and torso as yellow and white flooded into his form. The glass beast clawed back to his feet and beheld the being who now stood before him. He was a being not of this world, but rather a being from a world beyond worlds. A being he himself would not know, but many other worlds would. He was a Kamen Rider.
Kamen Rider DeCaliber.
“What the hell is-ARGH!” The beast could barely get a word in on account of being blasted in the face. And more kept coming with DeCaliber firing off round after round, his barrel steady and his aim true. Now it was the glass beast who ran for cover. But the fangs hanging in the air kept that from being true for much longer. They darted at the armored feline from all sides, forcing him to dive and roll out of the way. But they were quick, and gashes on his armor were rapidly piling up.
He snatched the metal book off his belt as he dove out of the way of their deadly hurtle. When he landed, it was no longer just one gun he held in his paws; it was two. He used them both to blast away at the onslaught of airborne fangs, littering the ground with shards of glass and filling the air with the pained howls of the glass beast. Beneath his mask, Rai narrowed his eyes in focus, trying to mentally block out the added pain in his wound the second gun was causing with its recoil.
“GOTCHA!” Feline senses kicking in too late, DeCaliber turned around in time for the glass beast to pounce upon him. He grabbed him by the arms and held them up high, keeping the barrels of his guns aimed well away from him. As they struggled to overpower one another, and the glass beast snapped his jaws at his masked face, DeCaliber could hear another set of fangs take position behind him. Knowing they were poised and ready to strike, the armor-clad feline tossed his second gun into the air. When he caught it again, the “book” part of his gun extended out further, and from its corner emerged a long and slender blade.
A blade that pierced deep into the glass beast’s torso and brought out of him a familiar pained howl. DeCaliber kicked the beast backwards and whirled around, blasting apart one fang and slashing the second clean out of the air with his new sword. He whirled around again to take aim at the beast, only to see it making a break for the other direction. “You’re not getting away that easily!” he shouted before running after him.
***
“I know what it sounds like, but you have to believe me!” Michelle shouted into the receiver of her phone, “There’s a monster on the loose, and it’s responsible for that family’s disappearance! You have to hurry and send someone before more...people...” She trailed off upon hearing the panicked screams of the public. She looked up to see flocks of people running as fast as they could in one particular direction. What they were running from became very clear as soon as the glass beast stumbled out into the open. Immediately, Michelle hid herself behind a nearby flower arrangement.
In the ensuing chaos, one of the runners was knocked over by another and fell to the ground. Michelle’s heart sank once she saw a vile smile creep up the monster’s muzzle. In a matter of seconds, it was upon her, sinking its teeth into the poor woman’s shoulder and dragging her to her feet. He whirled around with her still in its jaws, and a familiar set of fangs hung over the two of them. “STOP RIGHT THERE!” The beast spat, the woman’s blood dripping from his teeth. “One wrong move and she dies!”
Soon after, another strange figure stepped into view. At first, she didn’t recognize him on account of the bright yellow armor he wore. But as soon as she saw the gun he was aiming at the glass beast, she knew for certain that it was Rai.
“You damn COWARD!” Rai snarled behind his mask, “Stop hiding behind the innocent and accept your fate!”
“NOT while I have the chance to escape it!” the beast sneered, “Now I want BOTH hands in the air! Right now! Or she GETS IT!” The fangs plunged forward and dug into the woman’s shoulders, drawing out cries of pain from her. Rai’s paws were trembling from how hard he was gripping his weapons. The sight of the glass beast cackling in his face whilst the woman gave him a look that begged him to save her was a sight that filled him to the very core with fury.
Seething with hatred, Rai relented and slowly held his paws up in the air, the barrel of his gun pointed high above his head. Seeing this brought out another amused cackle from the beast. “Don’t worry, Miss,” Rai spoke to the woman, “Everything’s gonna be alright.”
“HA! I wouldn’t be so sure about that!” The woman cried out again as the fangs were slowly drawn out of her, dripping with her blood, “These fangs of mine still hunger for another, and I know JUST who can satisfy its needs!” The beast took a step forward, and Rai took a step back. “I said DON’T MOVE! You’re gonna stay right there and let this woman watch the big, strong hero get put down like some piss-old house cat!”
Despite the burning hatred that flared from within him, despite his instincts screaming at him to move, and despite wanting nothing more than to pummel this monster into the dirt, Rai held himself back and stayed put. All he could do was watch the fangs hanging over them to draw closer and closer with each of the beast’s drawn out steps. He could tell just from that alone that he was enjoying this. Every second of it. It filled him to the brink with disgust.
A disgust that was matched in kind by Michelle, who hadn’t been able to take her eyes away from the scene. The pit that had formed in her stomach while watching only grew in size the closer that monster drew to Rai. She had already seen that monster take away the love of her life. She knew that it had already taken countless other innocent lives before and after. What she didn’t know was if she could bear to watch it take yet another.
She didn’t even realize that she’d begun to scoot back, almost in preparation to run. Not until she felt her hand brush against something on the ground. She wouldn’t have paid it any mind if she hadn’t realized what it was. It was a set of gardening shears, probably from one of the gardeners for the shop she’d hidden behind. And it was a large set at that, probably large enough to-
No other thoughts crossed her mind; she knew what she had to do. Without a hint of hesitation, she snatched them off the ground and took off running. The glass beast remained none-the-wiser as he boasted in the victory he already believed he achieved. “You were an idiot to trust my word, hero! As soon as I’m through with you, I’ll make sure this bitch is met with the same-ARGH!!!” He howled out in pure pain as the shears were driven through his back. Michelle grabbed the hostage as he reeled in pain and ran off with her.
“GO FOR IT, RAI!”
“RIGHT!” Not allowing a second of this chance to go to waste, DeCaliber tossed his sword aside and pumped the hammer of his gun.
>>> FINAL IGNITION! <<<
A powerful wind swept through the area as a tremendous amount of energy was sucked into the barrel of his gun. DeCaliber planted both feet firmly on the ground and held on with both paws for dear life. The glass beast, very quickly realizing what was going on, tried to make a run for it in the other direction. However, the powerful vortex made the idea of escape nothing more than that; an idea. Once DeCaliber steadied his paws and took aim, he pulled the trigger.
>>> D-D-D-DECALIBER!!! <<<
All at once, the built up energy that had been gathering in DeCaliber’s gun was unleashed in a single, thundering torrent of light. The sheer force that rocked through the glass beast rapidly tore his body apart, shattering limb by limb until all that remained of him was little more than glass dust. When the blast dissipated, the only evidence of the glass beast’s presence was a single card fluttering towards the ground, a card that DeCaliber shot clean out of the air.
Michelle couldn’t stop herself from shouting out in glee. The nightmare was finally over, and the beast was finally slain. And with the fight over, DeCaliber felt safe enough to holster his gun and cast his armor aside. The now unarmored feline couldn’t help but smile as he watched her cheer and jump around in spite of everything that had just transpired.
But it was a smile that quickly faded as the both of them heard the sounds of sirens steadily approaching. Michelle’s eyes met Rai’s. With not even a trace of the glass beast’s remains, all the blame was going to fall on…“Run for it! Don’t let them catch you!”
Rai didn’t need to be told twice. He rushed over to where he’d tossed his sword. But when he bent down to pick it up, his vision suddenly began to swim. His paw missed entirely before he himself fell to his knees. It felt like the world itself was spinning around him as he knelt there, his blood-drenched sleeve staining the concrete beneath him. It wasn’t long before he collapsed entirely.
Michelle had reached him before she’d even realized it. “Hey! Are you alright?! Wake up! They’re gonna be here soon!” But no matter how much she shook him, he would not wake. Her mind began to race. She couldn’t just let him get taken away, not after everything he’d done here. Left with little choices and even less time, she tore off his bloody sleeve and tied it tightly around his wound before hoisting his arm over her shoulder and taking him to the only place she could think of.
A home which had just grown a little more vacant…
***
Michelle sat silently on the bed, staring at the clothes she’d laid out before herself. A pair of shoes, a set of jeans, a t-shirt, and a furry-hooded jacket. All of which belonging to Lucius. Belonged… She shook her head; there’d be a time for that later. For now, she shook her head, gathered up the clothes and left the room. Out in the living room was Rai, who much to her relief, had woken up from his initial slumber. His eyes met hers, and she put on a soft smile.
“Here you are,” she said, placing the clothes tenderly on the coffee table for him, “Should do better than the rags you’ve been touting. Hopefully they fit you well enough.”
“Th-thank you,” the feline man replied with an awkward bow, “I really do appreciate this.”
“Don’t mention it. It’s the least I could do.” He picked up the offered clothes carefully and moved for the other room. As he passed her, Michelle’s gaze fell to the wound on his arm, the blood on its bandages having since dried up since applying them. She sat down on the couch as Rai got changed out of eye-shot. “Y’know, you had me worried for a minute there. I didn’t know if that glassing thing would ever wear off or not.
“I wish I could tell you myself,” he called from the room over, “I just know that my species is pretty resilient when it comes to injuries.”
“You guys have a name you could refer to them as?”
“If we did, that didn’t seem to make it into my memories.” Michelle saw him coming of the corner of her eye. A strange mixture of emotions came over her as he emerged from the room wearing what she’d given him. Something similar seemed to be going on with Rai, who couldn’t help but pick at his new clothes a little. “...S-sorry, I’m not at all used to doing stuff like this. Most of the time humans meet me they...well, yeah.”
Michelle waved the notion off, putting on another polite smile. “Don’t worry about it; I’m not exactly used to talking to cat-men… It...it looks good on you though. Should give you an easier time blending in than the old tattered robes you were wearing.”
Rai nodded in agreement and gingerly sat himself down next to her. “So then, now that we’re at least a little better acquainted with each other, are you ready for the full story?”
Michelle nodded firmly. “Yes, please. For my own peace of mind, I want to understand what took Lucius away from me.”
“I understand. And again, I truly am sorry for your loss. I wish I’d been able to save the both of you in time…”
She shook her head. “Don’t worry about it; you did everything you could have. It’s fine.”
And Rai frowned. “Well...if it ever isn’t, I hope that one day it really will be.” Michelle didn’t respond, so the feline moved on after clearing his throat. “So, as you probably guessed, neither I nor that monster you saw are from this world. I’m a traveler of sorts moving across the multiverse in pursuit of people turning into monsters not native to their own world.”
“Turning into? So that guy…”
Rai nodded. “He was from your world, but the form he took on is another story.” He reached down to his belt, pulling out the book she’d seen hanging off his hip. When he opened it, a hologram of a page flared to life displaying the monster in question as well as info pertaining to said monster. “That monster in particular is called a Fanigre. They’re a race of monsters with a glass-like appearance with traits similar to what you would call vampires.”
“So…” Michelle paused to chew on the info she’d just been given, “if he wasn’t that monster to begin with, then how’d be turn into one of them?”
The hologram on Rai’s metal book vanished, and a card was dispensed from the compartment hiding behind it. He drew it out and held it up. “He used one of these. I call them ‘Dimension Cards,’ and they have the ability to turn people into beings from other worlds, which I call ‘Dimension Card Dwellers.’ Or just ‘Dwellers’ for short. Left in the wrong hands, these cards can leave behind very...destructive results.”
Michelle’s fists clenched slightly at that. “So...how did he get one of those?”
Rai put the card back in his book and stashed the whole thing away. “There’s someone else out there like me traveling the multiverse. He’s been going into other worlds and intentionally giving these cards to people that he knows will wreak havoc. For what reason? I don’t know. All I know is that it’s my job to hunt him down and stop him.”
Michelle chewed on this information for a bit longer. “And...that’s all you remember?” To that, he nodded. “How long have you been at this for?”
“As far as I’m aware, at least the past ten years. But I have no clue if time moves differently between worlds or not, so for all I know, I might’ve been at this for way longer.” He sighed, leaning back into the couch, “But at least from my perspective, it’s felt like ten years. And those ten years are all I know…”
Michelle sat back as well. This was...a lot to take in. “So then...with that monster taken care of, does that mean your job’s done here?”
“Yep, all I gotta do now is wait for my portal to appear to take me to the next world.”
That got her to tilt her head a little. “Wait? Why would you need to—” The two of them jolted violently from the violent pounding at the door. Very shortly after, the sounds of hounds barking reached their ears. The both of them shot to their feet when more pounding rang out.
“OPEN UP!” barked someone from the other side of the door, “Open up now or we’ll have to force our way in!” Their gazes met, and Michelle’s mind began to race. How was she going to explain the giant cat-man in her apartment? Would they even question him to begin with our just gun him down on the spot? Would she be able to hide him from them with their hounds sniffing around? She was so focused on running through all of the possibilities in her head that she didn’t register Rai’s frantic shouts. By the time she did, there was a giant wall of mist hanging over their heads. And by the time she opened her mouth to question what it was, it descended upon the both of them. Michelle’s door was busted open very soon after, and a swarm of officers flooded into her apartment.
All they found was Rai’s discarded clothes.