Mei and Kiana raced through the streets of Arc City, heading straight for the signal tower at the city's center.
But the World Serpent had prepared for their arrival.
One group of mechs and armed guards appeared ahead, blocking the road. Before Mei and Kiana could even catch their breath, the enemies raised their weapons and opened fire.
Mei glanced at the approaching enemies, then reached for the violet crystal necklace around her neck.
Mei: "We don't have time for this."
The crystal glowed.
Violet light gathered beside her, forming the silhouette of a familiar warrior.
Kamen Rider W!
The transparent warrior materialized, his green and black armor gleaming beneath the flickering streetlights. Without wasting a second, W stepped forward to intercept the enemy forces.
Mei and Kiana continued running.
Behind them, W charged into the enemy formation, his fists and kicks scattering the mechs while his precise attacks dismantled their defensive line.
They didn't look back.
Another group of mechs emerged from a side street, accompanied by armed guards who immediately moved to surround them.
Mei raised her hand again.
Mei: "Please take care of them!"
Her violet crystal flashed once more.
Kamen Rider Ryuki!
A red-armored warrior appeared in a burst of light, immediately turning toward the approaching enemies. As Ryuki charged into battle, Mei and Kiana slipped past the confrontation and continued toward the tower.
They had barely made it around the next corner when an even larger force blocked the street.
Mei's expression tightened.
There were simply too many enemies.
She grasped her necklace again.
Kamen Rider Blade!
Kamen Rider Hibiki!
Two warriors materialized in violet light. Blade charged straight into the enemy formation, his sword flashing as he cut through the mechs' defenses. Hibiki followed with powerful, disciplined strikes, smashing through the remaining machines and forcing the guards to scatter.
Mei and Kiana dashed past them.
For a moment, the road ahead seemed clear.
Then another group appeared.
Kiana's expression twisted in frustration.
Kiana: "Seriously?!"
Mei summoned another warrior.
Kamen Rider Kiva!
The dark-armored Rider appeared before the incoming enemies. With Kiva holding the line, the two girls continued their desperate sprint.
They rounded another corner.
And found yet another group waiting for them.
Kiana nearly screamed.
Kiana: "How many Groups are there ???"
She grabbed the fire-colored crystal necklace at her chest.
Its light flared brilliantly, and two transparent warriors appeared beside her.
Kamen Rider Revi!
Kamen Rider Vice!
Revi immediately rushed toward the enemy mechs while Vice followed with his usual wild enthusiasm. The two Riders charged into the formation, creating enough confusion for Kiana and Mei to slip past.
Unfortunately, the World Serpent still had one more obstacle waiting for them.
A sixth group of mechs rolled into the street, their weapons already trained on the two girls.
Kiana stared at them in disbelief.
Kiana: "You've got to be kidding me!"
She clutched her necklace once again.
Kamen Rider Zero-One!
Kamen Rider Den-O!
Two more warriors appeared in a burst of fiery light.
Zero-One immediately accelerated toward the enemy formation, his powerful strikes knocking the front line of mechs aside. Den-O charged after him, engaging the remaining enemies and preventing them from pursuing the girls.
With the road finally clear, Kiana and Mei ran as fast as their exhausted bodies would allow.
The signal tower was getting closer.
At last, they emerged onto a broad avenue overlooking the city center. The tower rose above the surrounding buildings, its massive structure silhouetted against the smoke-filled sky.
Kiana's eyes widened with relief.
Kiana: "We're almost there!"
But the moment those words left her mouth—
BOOM!
Several cars along the road suddenly exploded.
The blast engulfed the avenue in fire and smoke, throwing Kiana and Mei backward.
Kiana twisted in mid-air and landed hard on the pavement. Her Void Drifter battlesuit absorbed the worst of the impact, allowing her to recover almost immediately.
Mei wasn't so fortunate.
She struck the ground painfully and slid across the road, her body battered by the explosion.
Kiana: "Mei!"
Kiana rushed to her friend's side.
As the smoke began to clear, a familiar figure emerged from the flames.
Raven.
Her bow was in hand, and her cold gaze settled on Kiana.
Raven: "Here we meet again."
Raven: "No one will stand in my way this time…"
Kiana ignored Raven for the moment, kneeling beside Mei.
Kiana: "Mei!"
Mei: "I'm fine, Kiana. Don't let me distract you from your mission."
Despite her injuries, Mei tried to reassure her.
Kiana carefully lowered her injured friend onto the ground before rising to her feet.
Her gray cape fluttered in the wind.
She stood between Raven and the fallen Mei, her gaze fixed on the woman who had once again placed herself in their way.
Kiana: "Move it!"
Kiana: "It isn't too late to stop! Your plans won't save anyone. You're just murdering them."
Raven's expression darkened.
Raven: "You? Accusing me of murder? You created the 2nd Eruption… you are the worst genocidal monster in human history…"
Raven: "You are a fiend! You have no right to accuse us of anything!"
Raven: "Have you ever heard the cries of those who suffered because of you?"
Raven: "Those who were infected by deadly Honkai energy?"
Raven: "Those grieving widows robbed of their husbands?"
Raven: "Those children torn from their families and turned into soldiers?"
Raven: "YOU HAVE NOT! You are deaf to the weeping and the howling and the gnashing of teeth!"
For a brief moment, Raven's expression faltered.
Beneath her anger, beneath the cold certainty with which she carried out her mission, a trace of sorrow surfaced.
Raven: "Once our plan succeeds, humanity will no longer need to fear you and whatever you might represent."
Kiana's fists tightened.
Kiana: "Move it! I won't say it again!"
The fire-colored crystal around her neck began to glow.
Flames of light gathered beside her, coalescing into the form of a transparent warrior.
Kamen Rider Vram.
The Rider held the Vrambreaker in its bow form.
A cluster of blue energy tentacles erupted from his hands, shooting across the avenue.
Raven reacted instantly, leaping backward to avoid being ensnared.
The tentacles tore through the space where she had stood before retracting toward Vram.
The Rider turned his helmet toward Kiana.
She understood his intention immediately.
Kamen Rider Vram: "Go, Leave this to me."
Kiana nodded.
She turned toward Mei and looked into her eyes.
Mei's lips trembled.
She seemed to understand the choice Kiana had made. The silence and sadness in her eyes conveyed everything she wanted to say.
She knew Kiana wouldn't stop.
And she knew that, no matter how much she wanted to keep her friend by her side, she couldn't stand in the way of Kiana's determination.
Kiana gave her one last look.
Then she turned and rushed toward the central tower.
Raven's eyes widened.
She raised her bow, drawing an arrow and aiming at Kiana's retreating figure.
Raven: "Don't you dare run."
Before she could release the shot, she was forced to jump aside as several blue energy tentacles lashed toward her.
The tentacles swept across the avenue, striking the pavement and sending fragments of concrete flying.
Raven landed in a crouch and turned toward the Rider.
The tentacles retracted into Vram's hands.
The Rider stood between her and Kiana's retreating figure, the Vrambreaker raised and ready.
Raven's eyes narrowed.
She understood.
This warrior wasn't going to let her pursue Kiana.
If she wanted to stop the girl from reaching the tower, she would have to defeat him first.
Raven moved first.
She drew several arrows in rapid succession, releasing them toward Vram. The projectiles cut through the air, their explosive payloads primed to detonate upon impact.
Vram raised the Vrambreaker.
THWIP! THWIP! THWIP!
Blue energy arrows streaked from his weapon.
Each one intercepted an incoming projectile, striking Raven's explosive arrows before they could reach him.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The explosions blossomed in mid-air, filling the avenue with fire and smoke.
Raven didn't pause.
She shifted her stance and fired another volley, spreading the explosive arrows across multiple angles in an attempt to overwhelm Vram's defenses.
But the Rider moved with astonishing precision.
He fired one energy arrow after another, destroying the projectiles before they could converge on him.
Every explosion illuminated his armor for an instant before the smoke swallowed him again.
Raven gritted her teeth.
She reached for another arrow and released it directly at his chest.
This time, Vram didn't shoot it down.
He simply reached out.
His gloved hand caught the explosive arrow in mid-air.
Raven's eyes widened.
BOOM!
The explosion engulfed Vram's hand in a brilliant flash.
For a moment, smoke and fire obscured his upper body.
Then the smoke drifted away.
Vram remained exactly where he had been standing.
His hand was still extended.
The explosion hadn't affected him in the slightest.
Raven stared at him in disbelief.
Vram slowly lowered his hand, the destroyed arrow reduced to fragments.
He tilted his helmet slightly, as though silently asking whether that was the best she could do.
Raven's expression hardened.
She abandoned her bow's ranged advantage and charged forward, drawing a blade for close combat.
Her first slash came from the side.
Vram turned his body and deflected it.
She followed with a second strike, then a third, each attack delivered with the speed and precision of a trained assassin.
Vram parried them effortlessly.
When Raven attempted to slip past his guard and strike his exposed side, Vram caught her wrist.
Before she could break free, he twisted her arm aside and drove a powerful blow into her midsection.
THUD!
Raven staggered backward.
She barely managed to regain her footing before Vram advanced.
His next strike knocked her weapon aside. A swift kick sent her skidding across the pavement.
Raven grunted as she hit the ground.
She forced herself upright, breathing heavily.
She had fought powerful opponents before. She had survived countless battles and endured hardships.
But this opponent was different.
Raven tightened her grip on her weapon.
She wouldn't surrender.
Raven charged.
The Rider rushed toward her at the same instant.
With a sharp movement, Vram transformed the Vrambreaker.
Its bow form shifted, reshaping into Sickle Mode.
Their weapons met in a shower of sparks.
CLANG!
Raven swung again, aiming for his neck.
Vram ducked beneath the strike and countered with a sweeping slash. Raven twisted away, narrowly avoiding the blade, then attempted to strike him from the opposite side.
Vram turned with her movement.
Their weapons clashed again.
CLANG! CLANG!
They leaped into the air, exchanging a rapid series of strikes above the ruined avenue. Raven attacked with everything she had, forcing herself to ignore the pain spreading through her body.
Vram remained composed.
He parried one final strike, shifted his weight, and delivered a decisive counterattack.
For a fraction of a second, their movements seemed to freeze.
Then both fighters passed one another.
They landed on opposite sides of the avenue without a sound.
Silence descended.
The battle had been decided.
Blood stained Raven's cape.
She staggered, one hand moving to cover her wounds. Her breathing became uneven as she struggled to remain standing.
She couldn't accept it.
After everything she had done, after everything she had sacrificed, she had still failed to stop them.
Vram turned toward her, the Vrambreaker lowered at his side.
Raven gave a bitter laugh.
Raven: "Go on, do it…"
Raven: "Kill me… just like how your master have been killing us all this time…"
Vram looked into his opponent's eyes.
She was probably about as old as Kiana and Mei were.
Yet those eyes had witnessed scenes of death and terror that no one her age should ever have been forced to endure.
Vram slowly lowered the Vrambreaker.
He wasn't going to kill her.
Raven watched him in silence before speaking again.
Raven: "…Our experiment has begun."
Her lips curled into a faint, bitter smile.
Raven: "Seem like your master still haven't make it in time."
Raven: "You and your master cannot stop it, no matter what you do."
Raven: "I win."
Raven gave a cruel smile.
Then, with what little strength remained to her, she waved her hand and released a cloud of smoke.
The avenue disappeared behind a thick gray veil.
Vram immediately shifted his stance, preparing to pursue her.
But by the time the smoke dispersed, Raven had vanished into the shadows of the city.
Vram could still have chased her.
He knew he might even be able to catch up.
But Kiana and Mei were still in danger, and the experiment Raven had mentioned had already begun.
He made his decision.
Turning away from the empty avenue, Kamen Rider Vram rushed back toward Mei.
Kiana's mission came first.
The Choice — Unleashing the Void
Elsewhere, Kiana continued running toward the central tower.
Every step grew heavier.
Her breathing was ragged, and her legs trembled beneath her. She had already spent nearly all her strength fighting through the World Serpent's defenses.
Now, with the tower finally within reach, her body was beginning to give out.
Kiana: "Grr… I can't believe I'm running out of time when I'm just so close…"
She stumbled, catching herself before she could fall.
The streets stretched ahead of her, but the distance suddenly seemed impossible to cross.
She had pushed herself too far.
Her Void Drifter battlesuit dissolved, its energy fading as she returned to her white-comet battlesuit.
Kiana stood alone in the smoke-filled street, struggling to draw breath.
Kiana: "There must be some other way… this is definitely the last place to get stuck in."
For a moment, there was only the sound of her breathing.
Then Fu Hua's voice echoed in her mind.
Fu Hua: "Kiana, you must unleash your Herrscher powers."
Kiana froze.
Kiana: "Fu Hua? What did you just say?"
Fu Hua: "Use your Void powers. We might be able to get there on time and stop the disaster."
Kiana lowered her head.
She knew exactly what Fu Hua was suggesting.
The power of the Void could allow her to cross the distance in an instant. It could give her the chance to reach the tower before the experiment unleashed its devastating effects.
But that power belonged to the Herrscher of the Void.
To Sirin.
And every time Kiana drew upon it, she risked losing control of herself.
Kiana: "I… I know exactly what your plans are… and I know it's the only way"
Kiana: "But you… you're hardly strong enough…"
Fu Hua had already sacrificed so much to keep Sirin suppressed.
Kiana couldn't ask her to shoulder that burden again.
Fu Hua: "Still strong enough to keep her persona in check, Kiana. Pay me no heed. Go ahead and use those powers."
Her voice was calm.
There was no hesitation in it.
Fu Hua: "I realised that you're right. We shouldn't always be running away from our problems."
Kiana remained silent.
Fu Hua: "Those who fell fighting the Honkai are gone. They will never see you making this world a better place."
Fu Hua: "But the living will see what you have done for everyone."
Kiana slowly raised her head.
The city was burning around her. Somewhere beyond the streets, people were waiting to learn whether they would live through the coming disaster.
She thought of Mei.
Of the friends waiting aboard the Hyperion.
Of everyone who had entrusted their hopes to her, even when she could barely believe in herself.
She had spent so long running from the power inside her.
She had feared what would happen if she let it loose.
But Fu Hua was right.
She couldn't keep running forever.
Kiana closed her eyes.
Within her consciousness, Fu Hua gathered what remained of her strength. Her will reached toward the slumbering Herrscher persona, forcing Sirin's presence back and sealing it away for the time being.
It was a fragile barrier, bought with the strength Fu Hua had left.
But it was enough.
Fu Hua: "Go ahead and do what must be done."
A single white-and-red feather drifted down through Kiana's consciousness.
Kiana raised her hand and gently caught it, pressing it against her chest.
For a brief moment, the fear in her heart eased.
She wasn't alone.
Even now, Fu Hua was standing beside her.
Kiana opened her eyes.
Kiana: "Thank you, Fu Hua."