Chapter 10: War! Reinforcements
Reality shattered, leaving shards of time and space in an endless void of chaos and madness. Within the void, the Ultimate Power Rangers gathered to learn the secrets of the End of All. Using Ranger Keys, they unlocked Time Shards to slowly unravel the history of existence’s downfall.
The Shards revealed this story.
Somewhere, Earth
The Dark One’s face filled the sky, the entire sky, for as far as the Red Ranger could see. It looked like a massive curtain of black fire, featureless except for two eyes larger than suns, burning red and hot just above the horizon.
The Red Ranger took a step back. Fear gripped his spine and nearly forced him to his knees. He felt terror as he had never known. His heart pounded in his chest, and his limbs numbed.
Quietly, he whispered. "Dear god…"
Spiritual pressure rumbled through the sky, earth and time. Massive chunks of land broke from the ground and started to rise, crackling with strands of dark energy.
Dragon Ranger didn’t know what to do, but knew he had to act.
He grasped his Thunder Gem and raised his sword into the sky.
"Red Dragon, arise!"
The Red Dragon Thunderzord swooped across the landscape, roaring with power, as if in defiance of the odds before him.
Dragon Ranger leapt onto the zord and leaned forward. Red Dragon snapped its tail and shot through the air, flying towards the horizon. Towards the Dark One.
Demon City
Long, a Forsaken, grew giant. His dragon form towered over Demon City with multiple heads. Golden scales covered his body.
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Below, Jungle Fury Red, Jungle Fury Blue, and Jungle Fury Yellow ran from the ruins of the temple Long destroyed. Their former enemies, Black Lion and Green Chameleon, followed.
Yellow Cheetah tightened her hands into fists. "We’ve got to take him down."
Red Tiger nodded. He looked to Black Lion and Green Chameleon. "Jarrod…Camille…we could use some help."
Black Lion said nothing. He merely looked towards the giant villain, and nodded.
The three Rangers slapped their right fists against their left palms, igniting their auras.
"Geki Beasts, emerge!" They thrust their hands and fired waves of energy shaped like their animal spirits. The spirits expanded and grew giant.
The Rangers leapt through the air and entered their Geki Beasts, which solidified and formed zords: Geki Tiger, Geki Cheetah, and Geki Jaguar.
"Geki Beasts unite!" they shouted. "Jungle Fury Fusion!"
The three zords shifted shape and combined to form a Megazord.
"Jungle Pride Megazord!" the Rangers shouted. "Geki Touja!"
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Geki Touja pounced with a flying kick. But Long breathed golden fire that swatted the Megazord from the air.
The Megazord crashed and skid backward, kicking up pieces of rock and debris- which floated instead of falling back down.
"What’s happening?" Red Tiger asked.
Pieces of ground tore from Demon City and started to rise, floating in midair like little islands.
Long breathed fire that smashed through several islands; they exploded and rained debris against the Megazord. Chunks of concrete and stone bashed Geki Touja, knocking it backward.
Below, Black Lion and Green Chameleon watched. They felt the ground shake as if in pain, and the air mist as if weeping.
"Do you feel this power?" Black Lion asked. "The Rangers are outmatched."
"Let them die," Green Chameleon said.
"Perhaps," Black Lion said. "But for now…we need their strength."
Black Lion and Green Chameleon slapped their right fists against their left palms. Their auras ignited with dark energy.
"Rin Beasts, emerge!" They thrust their hands and fired waves of energy shaped like their animal spirits. The spirits expanded and grew giant.
The two warriors leapt through the air and entered their Geki Beasts, which solidified and formed zords: Rin Lion and Rin Chameleon.
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"Alright, Jarrod!" Red Tiger shouted from his cockpit. "I knew you’d come through!"
The heroes slapped their right fists against their left palms.
"Jungle Beasts, unite!" they shouted. "Geki-Rin Fusion!"
Black Lion and Green Chameleon leapt through the air, shifted shape, and formed armor that wrapped around the Jungle Pride Megazord. The head of the Black Lion formed the chest piece, and the head of the Green Chameleon formed an attachment on the Megazord’s left arm.
"Jungle Fury Megazord!" they shouted, joined in the central cockpit. "Geki-Rin Touja!"
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Long roared and started to charge. But a spiritual pressure erupted, driving the monster to his knees. He flashed with golden power and reverted back to his human form. He kept his head low, shivering with fear.
"Great Lord…" he whispered. "Oh Dark One…"
Brajira dragged Troy by the shirt. He tossed the fallen ranger at Xanathor’s feet.
"Here," he said. "That’s the last of them."
Xanathor looked at all five members of the Seraph team, scattered across the dirt. "You didn’t kill them…"
"No," Brajira said. "I want them alive to see my New Creation. And then dead, just as their Earth becomes the new Hell."
"We are out of time," Xanathor said, his voice rumbling as he looked into the black sky. "The Dark One is free. I can feel his pull…dragging all of existence into his dark domain."
Brajira bowed low, pretending to serve. "I will hasten our plans. With the Enetron Matrices now in our clutches, nothing can stop us from forging a New Creation."
"And elevating a New Pantheon," Xanathor said. "Let the old gods tremble."
Corinith City
Demons possessed an army of Megazords.
The RPM Rangers’ High Octane Megazord, ValveMax Megazord, and Mach Megazord.
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The Digi Rangers’ Go-Buster Megazord and Buster-Hercules Megazord.
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And the Bio-Beast Rangers’ Bio-Mech Megazord and Bio-Mech Battlezord.
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The robos stood in front of the Enetron Matrix like silent, ominous guardians.
The Titan Rangers and Samurai Rangers entered the city and steered their zords to a halt.
"That’s not at all creepy," Samurai Green said sarcastically.
The Black Overdrive Ranger scoffed over the comm-line. "Scared?"
"Uh, yeah, it’s an army of evil Megazords," Samurai Green said.
Titan Red grasped his controls. But they refused to move. "Rangers, can you-"
His console sparked, as did the consoles of the other Titan Rangers. Their zords throttled out of control, crashing against one another.
The Samurai team retained control of their zords, more mystical than mechanical.
"Titan Red, what’s going on?" Samurai Red asked.
"Something’s trying to control us," Titan Red answered. "Just like those Megazords."
Ahead, the possessed Megazords started to move, their eyes ebbing with the color of midnight.
Samurai Red cursed beneath his breath. "This is not going to be pleasant…"
He swiped his morpher to write the kanji symbol for "combine" above his control pedestal.
"Origami assemble!" he shouted. "Samurai fusion!"
The five Samurai-zords shifted shape and combined, and the Rangers joined in a central cockpit.
"Samurai Megazord!" the Rangers shouted. "Shinkenou!"
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The High Octane Megazord charged with a burst of speed and swung its saber. The Samurai Megazord parried, barely; the impact sent the robo stumbling.
Explosions bashed the Samurai Megazord from behind. Shinkenou turned to see the Mach Megazord hovering in midair. The possessed Megazord fired missiles and energy blasts, hammering the Samurai Megazord with massive bursts of spark and fire.
The blasts forced Shinkenou backward, rocking the Rangers within their cockpit.
The Go-Buster Megazord moved in and lifted its prong weapon. The prongs emitted an energy field that suspended the Samurai Megazord in place.
The Bio-Mech Megazord and ValveMax Megazord moved in from behind. The Bio-Mech Megazord fired a beam of energy from the lion on its chest. And the ValveMax Megazord fired bursts of energy from its right arm cannon.
The blasts smashed the Samurai Megazord with bursts of spark, flame, and smoke.
"We need backup!" Samurai Pink said.
"Anthony, where are you?" Samurai Red asked.
"Coming!" Samurai Gold said over the comms.
The Clawzord scurried across the streets.
"Clawzord!" Samurai Gold shouted. "Rise up!"
The Clawzord shifted shape and assumed its humanoid warrior form. "Claw Battlezord! Daikaiou!"
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Daikaiou charged to assist the Samurai team. But the Bio-Mech Battlezord tackled the Claw Battlezord aside. The possessed zord swung volleys of punches, bashing the Claw’s armor with bursts of spark, forcing the zord back a step with each strike.
Samurai Green cursed beneath his breath. "Not helpful, Anthony! Not helpful!"
Meanwhile, the Overdrive Rangers struggled to regain control of their zords. Titan Red glanced at the Tracker to the right of his control wheel. Maybe they needed a boost?
The Red Overdrive Ranger pressed the "robo" key on his tracker: "FUSION SYSTEM, ON!"
He pressed the numerical keys for the individual zords.
"DUMP!"
"GYRO!"
"SPEED!"
"DOZER!"
"SUB!"
He swiped the tracker’s wheel, sparking a charge: "TITAN FORMATION!"
The five zords revved with power, fighting against the threat of possession. The Rangers took control long enough to assemble their zords into a giant robo.
"DriveMax Megazord!" the Rangers called out. "Titan Robo!"
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The High-Octane Megazord grabbed the Titan Robo from the right. And the Buster-Hercules Megazord grabbed the Titan Robo from the left.
Streams of demon smoke splashed against the Megazord, penetrating its armor and crackling with digital code. The zord shuddered and ejected the Titan Rangers, throwing them from the cockpit with bursts of spark.
The High-Octane Megazord and Buster-Hercules Megazord released their grip.
The DriveMax Megazord stumbled forward. Its eyes glowed black, demon possessed.
INET equipped dozens of soldiers with generic Rider Gears, calling them Riot Troopers. Demons possessed those too.
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The corrupt Riot Troopers patrolled the streets of Corinith, searching for any survivors of the initial assault.
After a crushing defeat, Corinith’s Ranger teams split up to keep the wave of villains contained, and ultimately, find and destroy the source of their possession.
Near the Enetron Matrix, Red Falcon and Digi Red fought back-to-back.
A Riot Trooper slashed Digi Red to the ground. The Rider leapt towards the fallen Ranger and chopped. But Red Falcon stepped in, blocked the blow, and kicked the Rider backward.
"You suck," Red Falcon said to Digi Red. He spun and slashed a Rider to the ground. "Seriously, you are so bad at this."
Blasts slammed against Red Falcon, hurling him backward.
He hit the ground and skid backward. "Son of a-"
When he looked up, he saw his attackers: Kamen Rider Kaixa, alongside Kamen Rider Delta. Demons possessed both Rider gears.
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Red Falcon used his sword for balance and climbed to his feet. He sighed. "You people exhaust me."
Nearby, the Titan Rangers had crashed to the streets, having been ejected by their Megazord. Riot Troopers scrambled to attack them as soon as they hit the ground.
Titan Red climbed to his feet just in time to flip a Trooper and side-kick a second attacker.
Riders armed their daggers and slashed Titan Yellow and Titan Blue.
The Black Overdrive Ranger armed his hammer and bashed a soldier’s faceplate.
Titan Pink armed her blaster and fired, striking Troopers with bursts of spark.
From above, two blurs leapt to the scene. They slammed against the Troopers with kicks, punches, and slashes, moving faster than the villains could counter. The attackers skid to a halt, and the Overdrive team recognized them: RPM Gold and RPM Silver.
The two Rangers armed their daggers. "Rocket Daggers!" They flipped their weapons’ No. 2 switches. "Ice Mode!"
They slashed through streaks of frozen energy, emitting mist that solidified into a wall of ice.
"That should hopefully-"
"-buy us some time-"
"-to regroup-"
From behind, the Gold and Silver Digi Rangers leapt to the scene.
"Not for long, though," Digi Gold said. "There’s another wave heading towards the Matrix. They’re really protecting that thing…"
Titan Black tilted his head at the sight of the four Rangers. "Are you guys teaming up based on colors or something?"
"What?" Digi Gold asked. "No…" He looked to RPM Gold. "…at least not on purpose."
Titan Pink ignored the exchange. "What’s going on here?"
"The short version?" Digi Gold asked. "Demons can possess machines now. They took over the Enetron Matrix, and possessed our zords. The Riot Riders too."
The ice wall shattered.
Kamen Rider Drive, demon-possessed, bashed past RPM Gold and RPM Silver, hammering them backward.
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Azmodai’s Mansion
Dark forests surrounded Azmodai’s latest mansion.
The Hurricane Power Rangers- Lauren, Hunter, Blake, Justin, Rachel and Kou- hid among the trees. With them stood R.J., Jungle Fury Violet, Dom, Jungle Fury White, and Samuel, Simon Kaden’s younger brother and wielder of the Garo armor. Samuel had two of his fellow Hellfire Knights with him- Stefan, Knight Gaia, and Grayson, Knight Zoro.
Blake stuck to the shadows. He looked ahead, to where demon-possessed men and women guarded the perimeter.
"It’s a trap. Do I even need to say it’s a trap at this point?" Blake asked. "Because it’s a trap."
"But is it a trap?" Kou asked.
"May be a trap," Justin said.
"Guys, guys, hold on," Lauren said. "This could be a trap."
Blake sighed. "I hate you all."
Dom arced an eyebrow. "Are you guys always like this?"
Justin shrugged. "For the most part."
Hunter stared at them, his face serious. "We’re not here to make jokes. Focus."
R.J. nodded in agreement. "OK. How do we get in…?"
"Looks like they have every entrance covered," Hunter said. "Doors. Windows. Balconies…"
"Maybe-" R.J. started to say, but his vision twisted, as did the vision of the others.
Suddenly, space warped, and they found themselves in the middle of the mansion’s ballroom, massive and lavishly decorated.
They expected to face Azmodai, but instead, they faced Graendal, one of the Forsaken. She sat on a lush chair, leaning back while resting her legs on a servant’s back.
"Hello, dear Rangers," she said. "How nice of you to visit."
The heroes snapped into fighting stances.
Justin glanced at Blake. "Hey Blake?"
"Don’t say it," Blake said.
"You know what I’m thinking?"
"Don’t say it."
"I’m thinking this was a trap."
Blake sighed. "I’m so turning evil again when this is over."
Demon City
Bolts of energy shot from the sky like lightning, striking Long, imbuing him with power. The Forsaken laughed, tilting back his head as the power of Nightmare filled his veins.
The three Jungle Fury Rangers, Black Lion, and Green Chameleon watched from their cockpit.
"Long…" Black Lion growled.
Suddenly, drips of the Dark One’s evil rained from the skies, splattering across the ruins of Angel Grove. The droplets moved like oil and flowed together, rising to form humanoid shapes covered in black armor, so dark, it almost seemed to glow with the color of midnight.
The Specters of the Dark One’s evil formed an army, fueled by his essence, his energy, known as the True Power. They looked humanoid with Greek-style plates of armor so dark they almost seemed to glow with the color of midnight. Some plates of armor had appendages, and others had wings of metal. Beneath the armor, their skin looked tar black.
Four of the Specters pulsed with black energy and grew giant, surrounding the Jungle Fury Megazord. The creatures went by the names of Worm Raimi, Deep Niobe, Gorgon Ochs, and Minotaurus Godon.
"Four of them?" Red Tiger shouted.
"It’s more than that, look," Yellow Cheetah said, her gaze towards the streets below. "They’re everywhere."
The four Specters charged to attack, closing in on the Jungle Fury Megazord.
"We need some elbow room," Red Tiger said. "Fierce Slash!"
The Megazord’s upper body spun like a drill, swinging its blade, slashing the Specters with massive bursts of spark.
Worm Raimi snapped seven tendrils that wrapped around the Megazord, pulling it aside, and holding it in place.
"What are those things?" Yellow Cheetah asked.
"Best not to ask," Blue Jaguar said.
The tendrils tightened, nearly snapping the Megazord’s armor.
The Rangers fell to their knees. Red Tiger rolled his hands into fists; he refused to collapse.
"It’s time for some serious back-up," he said as he and his teammates climbed to their feet.
They slapped their right fists against their left palms.
"Geki Beasts, emerge!" They thrust their hands and fired auras shaped like animal spirits, which solidified into zords: Geki Gorilla, Geki Gazelle, and Geki Penguin.
"Geki Beasts unite!" the Rangers shouted. "Jungle Master Fusion!"
The zords combined to form a second Megazord. Red Ranger leapt from Geki Touja into the second Megazord’s cockpit. "Jungle Master Megazord!" he shouted. "Geki Fire!"
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Minotaurus Godon charged like a comet.
The Specter rammed Geki Fire, hurling the Megazord backward. The Megazord crashed and skid across the ground, whipped back into the air, and fell into a deep crater that crackled with dark energy.
The Army of the True Cross moved on Demon City. Exorcists- spell-casting Arias, sword-wielding Knights, and gun-toting Dragoons- marched behind the lead battalion.
At their head stood Arthur Angel Paladin of the True Cross, and holder of the Kamen Rider Cross powers.
One of the Knights, Shura, moved away from the group. She walked across the scene of Xanathor and Brajira’s battle, and saw the members of the Seraph team, strewn about and unconscious.
"I need an Aria!" she shouted as she ran to their side.
An Aria came and used spells and magick to heal the rangers, waking them up.
"What…just happened?" Troy asked, his voice even and face void of any emotion.
"Oh my god!" Jake said. "Troy’s dead! No wait, that’s just Troy."
"You’re Rangers, right?" Shura asked.
Noah nodded. "We are. Seraph Rangers. Saint Task Force"
Shura nodded. "Good." She pointed towards the distance, where the Jungle Fury team’s Megazords battled the Specters. "Then you can help with our giant problem."
"Whoa…" Jake said. "That’s a giant giant problem."
Gia rolled her eyes. "I swear to god, Jake."
Troy grabbed his morpher. "Let’s get back to the fight."
They spread out and slid their morphing cards into their Totem Morphers.
"Seraph Summon!" They snapped their morphers shut, triggering waves of energy that morphed them into their armor.
The five Rangers leapt into the distance and landed on a pile of rubble, closer to the battle.
"Summon Totem Zords!" the Rangers shouted. They slid their zord cards into their morphers, which spoke the command: "SUMMON ZORDS."
Their Totem Headers flew through the air and took shape, forming zords. The Seraph Rangers jumped into their cockpits.
"Totem Zords assemble!" the Rangers shouted. "Gosei Fusion!" Seraph Red slid his Gosei Great card into his morpher: "SUMMON MEGAZORD"
The zords flew through the air and combined, forming a single Megazord.
"Totem Megazord!" the Rangers shouted. "Gosei Great!"
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Simon Kaden walked from the rubble of the temple Long destroyed. Nearby, he saw Long in his human form on his knees, trembling with fear and crackling with dark energy. He heard the sounds of the Seraph Rangers and Jungle Fury Rangers battle the giant Specters.
None of it mattered, he realized. In the back of his mind, the Final Secret screamed, having been revealed by Tommy on the Astral Plane while Simon watched, through the power of the three Tablets.
The former ranger looked up. The sky looked black. The Dark One, finally free, gripping the world, and the universe, and dragging both into the Dark Astral Plane.
Simon reached out with his empathic senses and touched the Dark One. Ice-cold fear shot through his body and dropped him to his knees. Grief balled in his throat, nearly choking him. His heart thundered in his chest with waves of dizziness and numbness. He vomited black ichor, and screamed with tears.
His breakdown caught the attention of Kamen Rider TheBee, regrouping with several ZECT Troopers after the battle against Xanathor and several of his Worms.
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"Well, well…" TheBee said. "It’s my lucky day. Simon Kaden. No. 1 on INET’s Most Wanted List. Or maybe it’s No. 2? OK, there’s no list, but if there was, you’d be right there on-"
Simon shot to his feet and stabbed TheBee through the chest. He tore off the Rider’s Zector and crushed it, shattering the Rider’s armor with bursts of spark and energy, sizzling like lightning.
Simon twisted his blade, pushing it deeper into Marx’s chest, until the Rider gasped his final breath and died.
The remaining ZECT Troopers dropped their guns and ran.
Simon lifted his hand and tightened his fist. The troopers exploded into pieces of flesh, bone and blood.
The former ranger collapsed to his knees. He looked up, towards the Dark One, and narrowed his eyes.
Gosei Great charged at the Worm Raimi Specter.
"Dragon Sword!"
The Megazord armed its sword and slashed the Worm Specter with bursts of spark, bashing him aside. The blow knocked the villain’s tendrils away from Geki-Rin Touja, freeing the Jungle Fury Megazord.
Gosei Great hopped backward and landed alongside Geki-Rin Touja.
A Specter, the Deep Niobe, lifted its hand, summoning crimson fog that washed across the landscape. The fog seeped into the Megazords, dropping them to their knees as explosions sparked against their armor.
The poison seeped into both cockpits, weakening the Rangers.
"What is that?" Seraph Pink shouted.
"It reeks!" Seraph Black shouted.
In Geki-Rin Touja’s cockpit, Jungle Fury Blue and Jungle Fury Yellow slapped their right fists against the left palms.
"Geki Waza! Dai Gan Gan Ken!"
The Megazord extended its arms and spun its upper body like a tornado, blowing the poison clear.
The Specters didn’t give the Megazords a chance to counterattack. Gorgon Ochs extended stalks from his helmet, which opened fire with a barrage of energy beams.
Blasts smashed the two Megazords, sparking against armor and ripping through the landscape.
The Gosei Great Megazord shifted its stance and started to launch its Header Attack. But Minotaurus Godon charged in, back-fisted Geki-Rin Touja off its feet, and slammed Gosei Great backward.
Xanathor walked towards his temple, a black spire that extended into the skies.
"Hey!" a voice shouted from behind.
The villain looked to see Nat, leader of the DECA Rangers, standing alone.
The ranger narrowed his eyes and rolled his hands into fists. "We weren’t done…"
Xanathor seemed taken aback by the ranger’s audacity. "You? Alone? Your powers come from a toy badge you carry in your pocket. My powers are the powers of a god."
Nat grabbed his morpher. "Is that a challenge?"
"It’s a death sentence. Yours."
Nat snapped into his transformation stance. "SPD! Emergency!"
Energy flashed around him as he morphed into DECA Red.
He aimed his D-Magnums, charged forward, and opened fire, bullets striking Xanathor’s armor with bursts of spark.
Kamen Rider Kabuto and Kamen Rider Gattack stood in the bulky armor of their Masked Forms.
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A wave of Worms swarmed towards them. Gattack grabbed his shoulder cannons, and Kabuto aimed his blaster; they opened fire, blasting through the Worms with massive bursts of spark and flame, ripping them to pieces.
Slowly, another wave of Worms stalked through the smoke and ashes.
Gattack cursed beneath his breath. "There’s no end to them."
The two Riders flipped their bucklers.
"Cast off."
"Cast off!"
Their bulky armor shot off their bodies, revealing their slender Rider Forms.
"CHANGE BEETLE."
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"CHANGE STAG BEETLE."
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Two Worms molted, emerging as Geophilidae Worms.
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The Riders shifted stances. "Clock up." They slapped the sides of their belts: "CLOCK UP"
Their powers distorted time and space, so they moved at hyper-speeds. They shot towards the Worms, and the monsters shot back.
A Geophilidae Worm swiped its tendrils at Kamen Rider Kabuto. With ease, Kabuto dodged and landed a volley of punches against the creature.
The Rider dodged another swing, and round-kicked the Geophilidae, sending the creature staggering backward.
Nearby, Kamen Rider Gattack jump-kicked a Geophilidae, dodged its counter-strike, and round-kicked its side. They circled around one another; Gattack swung a trio of punches that bashed the monster’s chest.
The Riders and monsters exchanged blows as they circled around the floor, appearing as a blur to the outside world. But to them, they moved so fast, time seemed to slow to a near-stop.
Kabuto and Gattack activated their bucklers’ attack codes: "ONE, TWO, THREE."
"Rider Kick."
"Rider Kick!"
They flipped their bucklers, which crackled with energy. Kabuto snapped around with a reverse crescent kick, and Gattack hopped towards his opponent with a scissor kick.
The energized kicks smashed through the monsters with massive bursts of spark. The creatures collapsed, and secondary explosions tore them to shreds, just before they exploded with bursts of flame that incinerated their bodies into ash.
"CLOCK OVER."
Xanathor pommeled DECA Red’s faceplate, knocking him to the ground. The villain lifted his foot and stomped towards the Ranger’s head. But DECA Red managed to roll away just in time.
The Red Ranger flipped open his morpher. "SWAT Mode, on!" Energy flashed around him as he morphed into his SWAT armor. The Red Ranger powered up again. "Battlizer!"
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His Battlizer armor snapped around his body and formed a long-rifle. He leapt into the air and aimed downward.
"Battlizer! Fire Drive!" He triggered a massive bolt of golden energy that shot towards Xanathor.
Xanathor extended his hand and caught the blast. He magnified its power and hurled it back at the Red Ranger.
The blast slammed DECA Red with bursts of spark and strands of electricity that hurled him from the air.
The Red Ranger crashed and tumbled across the ground, skidding and slamming against pieces of rubble and debris.
Saying nothing, Xanathor turned back towards his palace.
Suddenly, the palace started to crumble into chunks of stone and dirt that floated into the dark skies. The villain scowled. The Dark One’s power was spreading faster than expected.
Xanathor lifted his arm and tightened his fist. His gauntlet glowed with icy energy, summoning a pillar of ice and stone that rose towards the skies. Frozen stairs sprouted from the spire and wrapped around it.
Xanathor started to climb up the stairway, to ascend to the top of the pillar, and then, to ascend into a New Godhood, to become the lord of a New Pantheon.
"Hey dickbag!" a voice shouted.
Xanathor looked down to see Kamen Rider SaSword.
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"Little Rider…" Xanathor grumbled. "Have you come to taste death?"
"Tasted it already, needs salt," SaSword said. "Here’s the thing. You ruined my life. I thought I was human…but I’m not. I’m a Worm. One of the creatures you made. You sent us out from Demon City. You gave us the drive to kill. You turned us into monsters. Now…I don’t belong anywhere. Not here, too human, even for a freak. And not out there either. The other Riders don’t trust me, never will."
"Pathetic ant," Xanathor said. "Look above you. The Dark One is free. This world has already fallen into darkness. Your people, monster and human alike, are doomed."
"Don’t care much about that," SaSword said, twisting his grip on his saber. "I just want to kick your ass."
He leaped to attack.
The Jungle Master Megazord climbed from the crater and back onto the streets. Ahead, Geki-Rin Touja and Gosei Great battled the four giant Specters.
"Ok…" Red Tiger breathed deep. "You can do this…"
Geki Fire charged and bashed two of the Specters, knocking them aside. Geki-Rin Touja and Gosei Great stood side-by-side and each slashed outward, striking the other two Specters with bursts of spark.
A Specter kicked Geki-Rin Touja, hurling the Megazord into the air. The other three Specters smashed Geki Fire and Gosei Great with volleys of punches and kicks.
Geki-Rin Touja crashed hard and skid backward. The impact knocked Rin Lion and Rin Chameleon from the Megazord. The two zords crashed and tumbled, dissipating into energy.
Black Lion and Green Chameleon crashed to the ground.
The Worm Specter looked down and stabbed one of its tendrils towards the fallen warriors.
"Look out!" Green Chameleon climbed to her feet and pushed Black Lion clear.
The tendril smashed Green Chameleon, knocking her backward.
Nearby, Brajira floated into the air. His wings spread and flared with light, nearly blinding the Rangers within their cockpit, and distracting the giant Specters.
"You have already lost!" the dark angel shouted. "Your world is covered in darkness! The universe is covered in darkness! The only hope is my New Creation! I am the savior of your race, and all the races!"
Three giant stakes fell from the skies and stabbed into the ground, summoned by Brajira’s power. The stakes glowed with energy, siphoning the power of each Enetron Matrix across the globe.
The Enetron Matrices could warp the very fabric of reality. Brajira called upon that power.
Invisible waves of energy ebbed from the spires and converged on Xanathor, as he battled Kamen Rider SaSword.
The villain’s column of black ice started to expand, growing into a mountain of ice and stone that rivaled the height and scope of Mount Olympus.
SaSword started to tumble down the mountainside. Xanathor leaned down, lifted the Rider by the neck and squeezed.
Explosions sparked against Xanathor.
He looked down to see DECA Shadow, DECA Break, Seraph Knight, Kamen Rider Kabuto and Kamen Rider Gattack scrambling up the mountainside to attack.
Corinth City
Dr. K finally managed to open a comm-line with the Ranger teams in Corinith.
"I have them," she said.
The other lead techs- Miss Fairweather and Colynn- breathed sighs of relief.
"Finally," Miss Fairweather said.
Dr. K arced an eyebrow. "Is that commentary on my competence and speed?"
"Wha-" Miss. Fairweather actually stammered, a rarity. "Wha- I- no, of course not."
"Good," Dr. K. said. She turned her attention back to the communications channel. "Rangers, this is Dr. K. The corrupt coding that’s infiltrating the circuitry in Corinith isn’t just infecting the Enetron Matrix. It’s coming from the Matrix. You need to stop the code at its source."
"Yeah we’ll get right to that."
Red Falcon twirled his blade, parrying the strong and powerful slashes of Kamen Rider Kaixa. Each blow sparked on impact and forced the Red Ranger back several steps.
"Ya know-"
Swords clanged.
"I-"
Clanged again. And again.
"Can you just-"
Red Falcon blocked a high blow and low slash.
"I’m trying to be witty here!" He countered with a wide slash the Rider blocked.
Blue Dolphin and Yellow Lion fought nearby, as did Green Rhino and Black Bison. Other Ranger teams- Overdrive, RPM, Digi Rangers- joined the fray too, having regrouped only to face a bottleneck of enemy troops.
Kamen Rider Drive, also possessed, pressed the attack. Supercharged with speed, he charged and moved low, kicking the legs out from beneath RPM Black and RPM Green.
The Rider dashed to his right and pommeled RPM Red and RPM Yellow with volleys of hyper-speed punches, hurling them through the air. They crashed and skid across the war-torn street.
RPM Ranger Blue shot at Drive like a bullet. But the Rider spin-kicked the Ranger aside, whipping him through the air.
Nearby, Kamen Rider Delta closed in on the Digi team.
The possessed Rider placed a clip on his blaster, which spoke the command: "EXCEED CHARGE"
The blaster charged and hummed with power. Delta triggered an energy burst that splashed against the Digi Rangers, forming a cone of white energy.
Kamen Rider Delta somersaulted through the air with a flying side-kick, shooting through the cone. He streaked with power; his kick smashed the Rangers with massive bursts of spark, hurling them backward.
Suddenly, explosions sparked around the possessed Riders, clearing a path. The Rangers looked up to see the source of the attack: The Time Flier.
The three Time Force Rangers leapt from the Flier and landed with their backs to the villains. They snapped around one-by-one.
"Time Red!"
"Blue!"
"Pink!"
They thrust their badges. "Time Rangers."
Red Falcon sighed. "You don’t have to introduce yourselves, just fight. Christ…"
"Don’t be a smart-ass," Time Blue said.
"Get to the Matrix," Time Red said to the younger teams. "We’ll hold the line."
The three Time Rangers attacked.
Time Red armed his Chrono Sabers, slashing through Riot Troopers with bursts of spark, moving so fast he appeared as a blur. He leapt into the air and charged his weapons.
"Time Strike!"
His blades energized with red light. He swung one blade horizontally and one vertically, each through a streak of red power. The slashes tore through Riot Troopers with bursts of spark, hurling them backward and knocking them out of their armor with flashes of light.
The Pink Time Ranger armed her cannon weapon.
"Vol Sniper!"
She triggered bursts of pink energy, aiming for the Riot Troopers’ belt bucklers. The blasts tore through bucklers, shattering the possessed gears and armor.
Time Blue combined his swords into a double-bladed weapon. "Chrono Sabers!"
He slashed through streaks of power, hacking Riot Troopers with bursts of spark.
The three Time Rangers regrouped. Before they could attack again, the earth shook. They stopped in their tracks; they notices pieces of earth tear from the streets and start to float.
"That can’t be good," Time Blue said.
Time Red tightened his fists. "It’s the Dark One…Tommy was right."
Waves of distortion washed across Corinith, knocking down soldiers of allied and evil forces alike.
Before the city ripped apart, a massive dome of energy surrounded it, keeping it contained, for now. The source of the dome, Tranza, who floated in midair.
The villain landed, standing arrogantly with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Your dimension has always been frail," he taunted as the Riot Troopers and possessed Riders started to regroup, recovering from the waves of distortion that had assaulted the city. "It’s time to make something new from this boil you call a home."
The Time Rangers recognized him from the Silver Guardians’ files.
"Aren’t you supposed to be brain dead?" Time Pink asked.
"That’s what your precious-"
Sonic booms sounded from above. Tranza looked up and narrowed his eyes, recognizing the sound.
"Jet Force…"
The Aero Rangers’ zords flew overhead. Jet Force jumped from their zords, dove through the air, and snapped open their wings, gliding downward.
They landed and snapped into fighting stances.
"Red Hawk!"
"Black Condor!"
"Yellow Owl!"
"White Swan!"
"Blue Swallow!"
"Jet Task Force!" the Red Ranger shouted. Together they called out: "Aero Rangers!"
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Demon City
The giant Specters surrounded Geki Fire, Geki Touja and Gosei Great. They pommeled the Megazords, blows sparking on impact.
Worm Raimi wrapped his tendrils around the Megazords; his companions fired energy blasts, peppering the Megazords’ armor with massive bursts of spark.
The Worm Specter used his tendrils to lift the Megazords and hurl them through the air. They crashed and skid, smashing through massive piles of rubble and debris, secondary explosions sparking against armor.
Suddenly, a growl shook the streets, vibrating through the air with intense sound and spiritual pressure.
The Rangers glanced into the distance. Through their viewports, they saw the Red Galaxy Ranger standing on top of his Star Beast.
The other four Star Beasts stepped into view, each ridden by one of the Galaxy Rangers.
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The mighty Taurozord also stomped onto the scene, ridden by the Magna Defender, KuroKishi.
Galaxy Red ebbed with fiery power; the same flames washed across his zord. He thrust his hands. "Mane of Flame!"
Ginga Lion breathed a stream of fire, washing across the giant Specters with massive bursts of spark and pushing them backward, block-by-block, as secondary explosions scorched their armor.
The Jungle Fury team watched from their cockpit. Red Tiger opened his eyes wide beneath his helmet. He practically stuttered. "That’s…that’s…"
"The Galaxy Rangers!" Blue Jaguar shouted. "No way!"
Galaxy Red lifted his Kiba Dagger into the air. "Zord Transform!"
Energy shot from the air, struck the Rangers’ Kiba Daggers, and washed across their Star Beasts. The animals morphed into powerful suits of armor, becoming Galactazords.
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The Rangers dropped into their cockpits.
Galaxy Red placed a hand over his console.
"Star Beast Fusion!" he shouted. "Gingaiou!"
The zords rushed forward. They shifted shape and combined, forming a massive Megazord.
"Galaxy Megazord!" the Rangers shouted. "Gingaiou!"
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The four Specters charged to attack, hulking monstrosities fueled by the energy and essence of the Dark One. Butt he Galaxy team didn’t flinch.
"Galaxy Megazord Saber!" Galaxy Red shouted. "Blazing Slash!"
The sword energized and swung through a rapid volley of slashes, tearing through the Specters’ armor with massive bursts of spark and sending them staggering.
The Seraph and Jungle Fury teams moved to help their predecessors, willing Gosei Great, Geki Fire and Geki Touja to get back on their feet.
Seraph Red slid a card into his morpher and snapped it shut: "SUMMON VICTORY CHARGE"
"Victory charge!" the Seraph Rangers shouted. "Seraph Strike!"
Red Tiger slapped his right fist against his left palm within Geki Fire. "Geki Waza! Gan Gan Nakkuru Otoshi!"
Yellow Cheetah and Blue Jaguar slapped their right fists against their left palms. "Geki Waza! Dai Gan Gan Kyaku!"
Gosei Great energized its sword and slashed through a streak of power. Geki Fire spun its arms, energizing its fists with fire. And Geki Touja leapt through the air with a spinning drop kick, spinning its lower body like a drill.
The attacks slammed the Specters with massive bursts of spark; secondary explosions ripped through their armor as they staggered backward.
Galaxy Red crossed his fist over his chest. "Shine! Lights of Orion!"
The Rangers powered up into their golden-trimmed armor, powered by the Lights of Orion. The green gem on Galaxy Red’s armband pulsed with power that washed across the entire Megazord.
"Galaxy Megazord!" he shouted. "Power-up Mode!"
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Golden light washed along the blade, enveloping the saber with light.
"Galaxy Megazord Saber!" Galaxy Red shouted. "Ginga Dai Juo Kiri!"
The saber slashed through a streak of power, ripping the Specters in half. Their bodies exploded with bursts of spark and fire, vaporizing the monsters into mist.
Earth?
Red Dragon dove into darkness, waves of black tinted with the darkest shades of purple and violet. The wave of black, the essence of the Dark One himself, smashed the Dragon Ranger off his zord.
He flailed through the air as secondary explosions sparked against his armor.
He heard rumbling like thunder. The sound felt like a blender mincing his brain, and sandpaper scraping the insides of his skull.
The Dragon Ranger floated to a stop in the midst of the darkness, which crackled with the occasional burst of violet lightning.
DRAGON RANGER, the Dark One’s voice rumbled in the Red Ranger’s mind, like a roaring furnace, but also like a whispering snake. I WATCHED YOU…FOR SO LONG…
"From your prison," the Red Ranger said. "Where you belong."
The Dark One’s spiritual pressure intensified, nearly crushing the Red Rangers skull. He screamed as pain shot through his body.
I COULD CRUSH THIS ENTIRE PLANET WITH A THOUGHT. DO YOU THINK I FEAR YOU?
Dragon Ranger bit past the pain. "I don’t really care what you fear. I-" His breath caught in his throat. His vision blurred. "I-"
YOU HAVE LOST.
YOU ARE ALONE. AND YOU HAVE FAILED. YOUR WORLD IS COVERED IN DARKNESS. EVEN NOW, IT IS PULLED INTO MY DARK DOMAIN. THE DARK ASTRAL PLANE, THE REALM OF NIGHTMARE AND DESPAIR.
The Red Ranger grit his teeth. "Will…stop…you…"
THERE IS NOTHING TO STOP. IT IS DONE. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE WHAT THE WORLD WILL BECOME? HOW I WILL RESHAPE THIS FRAIL EXISTENCE YOU CALL CREATION?
WATCH…
—To be continued…