The Old Man was currently chasing a frantic hen around the studio when he accidentally bumped into the backdrop switch. The scene shifted instantly.
A new image settled on the screen: a deck of Undead cards.
Clearly, the next destination was the World of Kamen Rider Blade.
"Huh? Why is it all playing cards this time...?" Yusuke Onodera muttered, mistaking the card deck for a standard poker set.
A few days later.
Their brief respite had come to an end. Natsumi Hikari began ushering Raven and Tsukasa out the door to investigate this new world. Soon, the group was wandering through the city streets.
"It's been a while since we just walked around like this..." Natsumi murmured, instinctively leaning closer to Raven. Had it not been for the two "third wheels" walking with them, she likely would have linked arms with him by now.
"We aren't here for a stroll," Tsukasa said, fiddling with his magenta camera.
"I wonder where the Kamen Rider of this world is hiding..." Yusuke was pumping his fists, looking eager. He had been completely wiped from existence by the Time Vent in the Ryuki World; he wasn't about to let himself be a background character again.
At first glance, this world seemed perfectly ordinary. But just as that thought crossed Yusuke's mind, several motorcycles roared past, nearly clipping him.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" he yelled indignantly at the receding figures.
"Let's follow them," Tsukasa said, his eyes sharpening. His intuition told him something was up.
After walking only a few paces, Tsukasa's clothes suddenly flickered and transformed into a professional chef's uniform.
"A chef? Is that your identity in this world?" Yusuke asked, confused.
"Seems like it," Tsukasa replied calmly.
When the group caught up to the motorcycles, they found one of the riders locked in a desperate hand-to-hand struggle with a monster. In the heat of the brawl, the man finally transformed into a Kamen Rider to fight back.
"He's the one. The Kamen Rider of this world," Natsumi noted.
"Kamen Rider Blade," Tsukasa added, watching the blue-armored figure. This was the Rider he needed to establish a connection with.
The battle didn't last long. Blade successfully sealed the monster, a Buffalo Undead, into a card.
"The shutter on my camera feels stuck. I guess this isn't my world either," Tsukasa said with a sigh of disappointment.
"We should go investigate the Riders of this company," Yusuke suggested as he watched the bikers depart.
"Chef! Stop slacking off! It's time to work! Work!"
Suddenly, a loud, demanding voice echoed from nearby. Three women in chef uniforms were waving frantically at Tsukasa from beside a car.
"I think they're looking for you, Tsukasa," Yusuke said, giving him a nudge.
"Work? I have no interest in a day job," Tsukasa said, looking bored.
"You can't say that! Your job might be the key to meeting this world's Riders," Natsumi urged. "Don't forget your mission!"
"Fine. I'll go see what this is about," Tsukasa conceded. He climbed into the car alone.
"Let's follow them," Yusuke said curiously.
Following the car, Raven and the others arrived at a massive corporate building: BOARD.
Once inside, Natsumi and Yusuke were stunned by the corporate culture. Here, Kamen Riders were essentially salarymen. They fought to seal Undead just to earn promotions and bonuses. Every employee was ranked by the suit and number of a playing card. Currently, Tsukasa's rank as a cafeteria chef was the lowest: the Two of Spades.
"I can't believe it... Blade is an Ace-rank employee," Natsumi whispered, observing Kazuma Kendate, the man who transformed into Blade. Seeing him grinning ear-to-ear because he just received a bonus made her want to facepalm.
WEE-WOO—!
Suddenly, the company alarms blared. The scanners had detected an Undead near the building. Kazuma Kendate immediately snapped into combat mode, preparing to head out for a sealing mission. Tsukasa followed him at a leisurely pace.
"Wait, where's Raven? I haven't seen him for a while," Yusuke said, looking around. Raven was nowhere to be found.
"Honestly, he always disappears so suddenly!" Natsumi pouted, her heels clicking sharply against the floor in annoyance.
"Maybe he went to the bathroom," Yusuke suggested.
"Whatever. We can't just stand here. Let's go find the President of this company and warn them about the destruction of the worlds," Natsumi decided.
Yusuke and Natsumi took the elevator to the top floor to seek out the person in charge.
Meanwhile, Raven had already arrived at the Undead's location—an abandoned factory. He intended to use this chance to acquire the Blade cards.
However, as he observed from the shadows, he noticed another figure lurking nearby. Raven recognized him instantly. He was the "Second Rider" of the Decade series in every sense of the word.
Kamen Rider Diend: Daiki Kaito.
Ding!
[Mission Triggered: Defeat Diend! Eliminate the World Boss: Joker!]
[Rewards: Dark Decade (Violent Emotion) Card, Diendriver!]
"The Diendriver?"
Raven was momentarily stunned by the reward. He looked toward the distant Daiki Kaito, and a smirk began to play on his lips.
"Well, it looks like I have a very good reason to step in."
While Daiki Kaito was quietly enjoying the show below, a black-and-gold silhouette materialized silently behind him. It was Raven, already transformed into Dark Decade.
"Hm?"
Sensing something was wrong, Daiki Kaito's instincts flared. He whirled around, drawing his Diendriver in one fluid motion.
"Decade? No... something's different."
Daiki's expression turned grave. He knew Tsukasa was currently fighting below in his magenta armor. The black Rider standing before him was an entirely different beast.