A group of young teenagers had taken up arms against the Gorgom. Dressed in torn jeans and T-shirts, the teens scattered across the warehouse district to take down the bat mutant.

Three teens ran down the street to lure out the bat mutant, who swooped down from the surrounding buildings.

About a dozen teens fanned out from opposite sides of the street, took cover and opened fire at the bat mutant with handguns, shotguns and assault rifles stolen from an abandoned gun shop.

Bullets sparked harmlessly against the bat mutant as he flew towards the teens. Koumori Kaijin's eyes flashed, and invisible bursts of energy exploded around the teens with bursts of spark that drove them back.

"Run!" one of the boys shouted.

The teens ducked beneath a parked semi, ran down an abandoned drive and turned deeper into the industrial park. They ran around a massive pile of crates and into the open, skidding to a halt when they saw who approached from ahead: the High Priest Darom.

Darom slowly stalked towards the teens.

"Fire!" one of the boys shouted.

They opened fire, their gunshots blasting against Darom with bursts of spark. But the Gorgom kept stalking forward.

"You would stand up to the Gorgom?" he grumbled as he extended his hand. "Let me show you the consequences..."

Darom blasted an invisible wave of energy that slammed against the boys and knocked them off their feet.

The High Priest continued his advance, but stopped when he heard the sound of a motorcycle roaring closer. 

Hikaru sped onto the scene and skid his bike to a halt between the High Priest and youth militia. He looked over his shoulder to the boys. "Run! Now!"

The boys scrambled to their feet and fled from the industrial park.

Hikaru dismounted and glared at the High Priest. "This suffering ends. Now."

"Silence, Minami Hikaru!" Darom shouted.  "I don't want to speak. I want to avenge the fallen: Baraom. Bishium."

The High Priest thrust his palm forward and fired an invisible energy blast that Hikaru dove to evade.

Hikaru rolled to his feet, leapt forward and somersaulted through the air while grasping the tainted energy raging within his gut. "Black Sun!"

He transformed into Kamen Rider Black and launched a flying punch at Darom.

Darom sidestepped and parried the blow. Black Sun landed, turned, and snapped a roundkick against the High Priest. Darom staggered back, and Black Sun snapped into a fighting stance.

The Kamen Rider prepared to push forward, but stopped. He felt a dark chill wash over his body.

Black Sun looked over his shoulder to see Shadow Moon standing on top of a semi-trailer.

"Black Sun..." Shadow Moon said, his voice like ice. "Finally...the day of our battle is here."

Shadow Moon leapt from the trailer, and Black Sun pounced from the ground. The two Riders clashed in midair; Shadow Moon swung a knife-hand chop that Black Sun blocked, and Black Sun swung a back-fist blow that Shadow Moon knocked aside. The Riders' momentum carried them past one another.

In mid leap, Black Sun shouted: "Battle Hopper!"

The Rider's motorcycle throttled into the area, and Black Sun landed on the vehicle. Tires screeched against the pavement as Black Sun whipped the cycle around, drove forward, and leapt his bike through the air towards Shadow Moon.

Shadow Moon stepped aside, and Battle Hopper landed against the pavement. Black Sun opened his throttle to full and sped away from the scene, leaving Shadow Moon standing.

"Black Sun..." Shadow Moon said as he watched the Rider turn out of sight. "Until you fight me...the city will remain in darkness.

Night fell across Tokyo, making the landscape even darker. Hikaru stood on the roof of an old warehouse and looked towards the sky. The warehouse below served as a temporary base for the youth militia, whose members were torn and tattered. Many had died.

Hikaru had tried to dissuade them from taking any action, but they adamantly disagreed.

He knew more would die. Teenagers.Children.Men.Women. More would die, until he fought Shadow Moon.

Hikaru rolled his hands into fists. He's not my brother. Not anymore,he told himself for what seemed like the thousandth time. Only this time, he started to believe himself.

Kyoko walked onto the rooftop, a sweater wrapped around her body to keep away the cold. She stayed at the warehouse to watch over the youth militia, despite Hikaru's objections. Katsumi had joined her, after Hikaru allowed her to hear the entire story of Saske and the Gorgom.

"You'll catch cold out here," she said softly.

"Probably," Hikaru said. "That's the least of our problems."

He turned to face her. "Saske-"

"Saske's dead," Kyoko said. "He's not my brother. Not anymore. Katsumi agrees, and she loved him more than anything."

Hikaru nodded. "I want you to leave the country. Both of you."

"Leave?" she asked. Then she realized what Hikaru was really saying. "You've decided to face him, haven't you? And you don't want us here to see..."

"Kyoko-"

"No," she said. "I won't leave you behind."

"But we can only battle until one of us falls," Hikaru said.

"No..." she broke down, crying, and pulled Hikaru into an embrace. "I don't want this...I can't leave you to this. I can't."

Emotions raged inside of Hikaru, but he pushed them down. He couldn't afford to be soft or weak. He had to accept his face and battle his brother. No...Shadow Moon. He had to become Black Sun. Fully and unquestionably.

I am a weapon,he told himself. I am Kaman Rider Black.

The morning came, and Hikaru knew exactly where to face Shadow Moon. He could sense his former brother waiting.

Hikaru rode his motorcycle into the rugged, mountainous landscape outside the city. He saw Shadow Moon alongside High Priest Darom on top of a cliff, looking downward.

"I've been waiting a long time for this, Black Sun," Shadow Moon said. "Our final moment has finally come."

Hikaru stepped off his bike and looked up to face Shadow Moon. "Saske," he pleaded. "I'm begging you one last time. Break free. Be human again."

"Enough idle banter."

Shadow Moon armed a golden-hilted saber with a blood-red blade. He swung the sword down, and the weapon fired a blade of red energy towards Hikaru. The energy blade exploded against the dirt as Hikaru dove and rolled aside. Another energy blade exploded against the ground with enough force to hurl Hikaru through the air.

Hikaru crashed against the ground but rolled to cushion the impact. He rose back to his feet and turned to face Shadow Moon.

"You won't even listen if I beg?" Hikaru shouted.

He rolled his hands into fists and pulled on the tainted power within his body. He slowly swung his arms through his transformation stance. "Black...Sun!"

Energy surged through his veins as he mutated and transformed into his armor. The Rider snapped into a fighting stance. "Kamen Rider Black!"

Shadow Moon leapt from the Cliffside and landed on the ground below to face his opponent. "Start the battle, Black Sun."

Black Sun and Shadow Moon slowly started to circle around one another. Black Sun shifted stances, probing his brother's stance for signs of weakness. Shadow Moon looked almost too casual, standing with his sword held at his side. But his posture was rigid. Strong.

Shadow Moon shifted his blade. The evil Rider leapt through the air, and Black Sun pounced forward. Shadow Moon swung his saber towards Black Sun, but Black Sun passed over the blade while bashing his heel against Shadow Moon's back. The Riders passed one another and landed back-to-back.

Shadow Moon turned, lunged forward and chopped his blade towards Black Sun. But the Rider dove aside, and the blade cut through a nearby boulder with bursts of spark. Kamen Rider Black rolled into a crouched fighting stance, and Shadow Moon chopped his sword towards the Rider's head. Black Sun lifted his arms, blocked the blow, and knocked his brother's sword arm away while spinning to his feet.

Black Sun snapped a roundkick at Shadow Moon, Shadow Moon snapped a reverse axe kick, and their legs interlocked. The dagger-like spurs on Shadow Moon's boot caught Black Sun's ankle. Shadow Moon whipped out his leg to flip Black Sun onto the ground.

The Rider landed back-first, and Shadow Moon chopped his blade towards the Rider's chest. Black Sun snapped a kick that parried the blade. Kamen Rider Black started to rise to his feet but had to duck and dive to avoid the swing of Shadow Moon's sword.

Black Sun rose to full height just in time to block Shadow Moon's sword and grab hard onto the sword arm. Keeping hold, Black Sun hopped up while bashing a kick against the back of Shadow Moon's head.

Nearby, Kyoko and Katsumi ran onto the scene. They had followed Hikaru, determined to stay at the Rider's side. They kept a safe distance away from the battle while crouching behind a massive boulder. Their eyes fixed forward in horror at the scene: two people they loved dearly, fighting to the death.  

Black Sun hopped past Shadow Moon while kicking the villain in the side. Kamen Rider Black landed and ducked as Shadow Moon's saber swung over his head.

Shadow Moon lunged forward while swinging his sword through a wide arc, but Black Sun leapt forward, somersaulted over the attack, and landed behind Shadow Moon.

Kamen Rider Black turned and faced his brother while snapping into a fighting stance. Shadow Moon stepped back and held his sword across his chest. The Riders dashed sideways, facing each other, then skid to a stop.

Shadow Moon swung his sword and fired a blade of red energy. Black Sun leapt into the air as the energy blade exploded beneath him with a massive burst of spark and flame.

Kamen Rider Black somersaulted forward, landed with a roll, and rose while turning to face his brother. The Rider pounced through the air with a flying fist attack.

Shadow Moon extended his sword, and the blade fired tendrils of orange energy that grasped onto Black Sun, strangling his body. The energy tendrils intensified and swung Kamen Rider Black onto the ground hard. The Rider heard the sound of his own bones cracking as the tendrils squeezed even tighter.

Shadow Moon swung his sword and used the energy tendrils to whip Black Sun through the air. The tendrils released, hurling Black Sun towards the side of the cliff.

Black Sun twisted in midair, landed his feet against the side of the cliff, and pushed off with a flying sidekick.

Shadow Moon leapt through the air towards Black Sun and swung his sword at the Rider. Black Sun kicked the sword from his brother's hand, lunged forward, and tackled his shoulder against his brother's chest.

Shadow Moon crashed chest-down onto the ground, and his saber fell dagger-first into the dirt. Black Sun landed on his feet and snapped into a fighting stance.

"Rider Punch!" Kamen Rider Black shouted as he leaned back to leap towards his opponent.

"Lord Shadow Moon!" High Priest Darom shouted from above.

"Don't interfere!" Shadow Moon shouted back.

Kamen Rider Black leapt through the air with another punch, aimed directly at Shadow Moon's head.

The voice of the Creation King suddenly drilled through Shadow Moon's mind. It seems you need my help, indeed.

Strands of energy pulsed around Shadow Moon and forced him to his knees. The strands of power stripped away Shadow Moon's armor-and all that remained was Saske, in his human form.

Black Sun landed and stood in shock at the sight. "Saske...Saske!"

The Rider ran towards his brother and kneeled down while placing his hands on Saske's shoulders. "You're back...how?"

Saske smiled and placed a hand on his brother's wrist. "Hikaru...I don't-"

Strands of energy flashed like lightning across Saske, and he transformed back into Shadow Moon.

Shadow Moon knocked the Rider's arms away. He swung his elbow blade across the Rider's chest with a burst of spark that cut through armor and flesh. The blow knocked Black Sun aside, and he rolled into a crouched defensive stance while clutching his wounded chest.

Shadow Moon leapt through the air with a flying punch. His fist radiated with pale-green energy. "Shadow Punch!"

Black Sun lunged forward and swung his fist, radiating with crimson power. "Rider Punch!"

Their fists crashed against each other with an explosive discharge that knocked them both off their feet.

Shadow Moon recovered, rolled to his feet, and leapt through the air with a flying kick. The kick radiated with pale-green energy. "Shadow Kick!"

Black Sun leapt into the air with a kick of his own. "Rider Kick!"

Their kicks bashed against each other with an explosive discharge that knocked them from the air. They crashed against a cliff side and rolled downward, tumbling back towards the ground. The two Riders hit the dirt hard and rolled back to their feet, facing each other while snapping into fighting stances.

Black Sun felt his stance falter.

The Rider collapsed to his knees, clutching his wounded chest. He could feel the wounds burn through his mutated body, and the pain nearly knocked him unconscious. Not like this,he thought to himself. I won't...I won't

Shadow Moon slowly walked to where his sword had fallen and slid the blade from the ground. He turned, facing Black Sun, and walked towards his opponent.

Black Sun tried to move, but he could barely will himself to stay upright. 

Shadow Moon swung his sword through a diagonal arc that sparked through Black Sun's armor. He swung again, his sword cutting through the Rider's damaged bio armor and into the mutated flesh. The blow whipped the Rider's body backward, and he crashed onto the ground.

"Saske!" Katsumi shouted from their cover.

"Saske, stop!" Kyoko screamed. "Please!"

Shadow Moon chopped his blade onto the Rider's shoulder and pushed down, his saber tearing through armor and flesh with massive bursts of spark.

Kamen Rider Black collapsed to his knees, then onto his back, his body broken.

"Black Sun," Shadow Moon said as he slowly walked towards the fallen Rider, savoring each step. "The final hour has finally arrived."

"Saske," Black Sun gasped, his lungs failing. "The world...it won't belong to the Gorgom. It won't."

Shadow Moon stepped next to the Rider's fallen body. The villain lifted his sword and twisted the blade downward. Shadow Moon hovered the blade over Black Sun's chest. He lifted the sword, placed both hands tightly around the handle, and plunged the blade through Black Sun's gut with a massive burst of spark.

"I won..." Shadow Moon lowered his sword, then looked up to the skies. "I won!"

The Creation King's voice rubbed across Shadow Moon's mind. Well done, Shadow Moon. Come...cut open Black Sun's body and retrieve the King Stone. You will become the next Century King.

Shadow Moon reached down, but hesitated. He couldn't stop an image from flashing through his mind. The image of the man behind the mask.Hikaru.His brother. He shook his head to clear the weak, human memory. But the memory wouldn't fade.

"What is it, Lord Shadow Moon?" High Priest Darom asked as he stepped behind his master.

"I...even without the King Stone, I can become the perfect Century King.

Fool, Sousei-Ou spoke within Shadow Moon's mind. You allowed the memories of your human form to taint you when you reverted.

"No, that's not it..." Shadow King walked away from Black Sun. "I don't need to scavenge a relic. I am the next Creation King!"

The evil Kamen Rider and Darom teleported away from the battleground with thick bursts of lightning that scorched the ground, ripping through dirt and stone.

When the smoke cleared, Kyoko and Katsumi ran to the fallen Rider's side.

"Hikaru!" Kyoko shouted as she leaned down and traced her hand along his helmet. "Hikaru...hold on..."

"No..." Black Sun whispered. "I'm dying. I've..." He tried to turn his head towards Kyoko, but could not. "You have to leave Japan. Now. Once I'm gone, no one will be able to protect..."

The Rider swallowed, and fought for a breath. "Kyoko..." he whispered. ""It's because of you I was able to fight this long...go this far. Thank you..."

Black Sun's body went lip, and his last breath escaped from his lips.

To be continued...Chapter 08