As the doors began to crack under the pressure of the horde, Kouga summoned the Bracerrottle onto his left arm. Without hesitation, he slammed it into place and transformed into Dekabreak.
He twisted the throttle—his left arm glowing with a fierce blue light—before releasing a miniature tornado blast that ripped straight through the wall, shredding the advancing zombies into nothingness. The path was clear, but he knew they had little time.
"Wait," Kouga said suddenly, raising a hand. "Before we move out, you need to know how those weapons work."
He turned first to Kiana, who was still grinning ear to ear with the D-Magnums in hand."These two can combine into the Hybrid Magnum. Once combined, the energy output is amplified—firing a massive beam capable of tearing apart even a heavy tank. It's best for wiping out groups at once, but don't overuse it unless necessary."
Kiana's eyes practically sparkled. "A giant beam cannon? Yes, please!"
Then, Kouga shifted to Mei, who was carefully holding the D-sword Vega."This blade is normally sealed. The wolf's head-shaped tsuba keeps it dull and safe—like swinging a bat. But once you release the seal…" he demonstrated the motion briefly, "…it becomes sharp enough to cut through anything. Don't keep it unsealed unless you're ready to fight. One slip could be fatal."
Mei nodded, absorbing every word with calm seriousness.
With their lessons complete, the three rushed out. Kouga smashed through the horde with brutal punches—occasionally savoring the irony when one of the zombies happened to be a bully who once tried to harm Mei. I need to watch myself, he thought, recognizing the dark satisfaction curling in his chest.
Meanwhile, Kiana was in her element. She fired the D-Magnums with gleeful precision, every shot obliterating zombies into chunks. "Woohoo! This is the best!" she cheered, spinning around mid-shootout like it was a game.
Mei, in contrast, fought with quiet grace. Each swing of her blade cut through zombies like butter—clean, precise, almost elegant. She remembered Kouga's warning and resealed the D-sword Vega after every skirmish, her discipline keeping her sharp.
Together, the three carved a path forward, pushing through wave after wave of the undead.
After cutting their way through the endless tide of zombies, the trio finally reached the school storage building. The place had been heavily reinforced, its doors thick and rusted, a relic from when ME Corp used it as a secret weapons depot.
Inside, the air smelled of oil, dust, and metal. Rows of weapon crates lined the walls, stamped with the ME Corp insignia.
Kiana's eyes darted around, still holding the D-Magnums with a greedy gleam."I'm keeping these, right?" she asked, hugging them like prized pets.
Kouga raised a brow. "No. Those are Dekaranger weapons. They return to me when I dismiss them."
"Ehh?!" Kiana groaned, stomping her foot like a child being told to give back a toy.
Meanwhile, Mei, calm as ever, returned the D-sword Vega and SP Shooter without complaint. She gave Kouga a polite bow of gratitude before turning to the weapon crates."It's better we use what's stored here. That way we won't rely too much on powers that aren't ours."
Kiana pouted but reluctantly placed the D-Magnums back in Kouga's hands—only to immediately dash over to the nearest crate. Within moments, she pulled out a sleek pair of dual pistols, ME Corp's more conventional but still deadly design."Oooh, shiny! Not as cool as the other ones, but these'll do!" she chirped, twirling them around like a show-off.
Mei chose more carefully. From one crate she lifted a katana sheathed in a plain black scabbard, testing its balance with a few quick swings. From another, she retrieved a shotgun—heavy, practical, and brutally effective for close-range encounters."A sword for precision. A shotgun for defense," she murmured, strapping both to her side.
Kouga crossed his arms, watching them both with a mix of relief and wariness."Good. Now you're armed with something that won't vanish mid-fight. Just remember—ammo runs out. Make every shot count."
Kiana gave a mock salute, grinning ear to ear. "Yes, Captain Stingy!"
Mei chuckled softly at the nickname while Kouga rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, She's going to be trouble.
Seeing Mei and Kiana test their new weapons, Kouga frowned. Between the katana, the shotgun, and Kiana's twin pistols, they looked armed—but not prepared. Not enough ammo. No way to carry extra. In a fight, that could get them killed.
"Stay here. Guard the door," Kouga ordered firmly.
Mei gave a short nod, understanding immediately, while Kiana tilted her head. "Uh, where are you going, bossy-senpai?"
"Getting bags. You can't fight long without supplies."
Before either girl could argue, Kouga slipped out. His armored steps echoed down the hallway before fading. Mei and Kiana stood back-to-back near the barricaded door, weapons at the ready. The silence outside was unnerving, but luckily, no zombies came scratching at the door.
A few minutes later, the door burst open—not with undead claws, but Kouga dragging in the two largest bags he could find, slung over his shoulders. He looked like a soldier ready for a long campaign.
"Alright," he said, setting them down. "Fill these. Weapons, ammo, whatever you can carry."
The girls got to work, packing the bags with spare clips, shells, and even a few grenades they found in one crate. Mei handled it methodically, stacking neatly. Kiana, on the other hand, tossed things in with zero order.
When the bags were full, Kouga swung one over his shoulder and gave Mei the other. He glanced at Kiana, who smirked and crossed her arms.
"You know, Kouga-senpai," she teased, "you're way too paranoid. It's just zombies, not an army."
Kouga shot her a dry look. "And that's exactly why you're still alive, Kiana. My paranoia."
Kiana stuck out her tongue playfully. Mei, hiding a small smile, tightened her grip on her weapons. Deep down, she was glad Kouga thought ahead—because she had a bad feeling they'd need every bullet they carried.
Kiana tilted her head, spinning one of her pistols lazily around her finger."So… what now?"
Kouga adjusted the strap of the bag over his shoulder. "We head home first."
Both girls gave him a flat look.
Kiana broke the silence first. "Uh, no offense, senpai, but I don't think we'll find much at home besides dusty bedsheets."
Mei nodded softly. "She's right. It doesn't sound… practical."
Kouga sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "For your information, I'd rather have clean clothes instead of wearing the same thing every day. And, maybe more importantly, a bath would be nice."
The two girls blinked, then glanced at each other. For the first time since the chaos started, they both gave a small laugh.
"…Okay, he's got a point," Kiana admitted."A bath would… feel good," Mei agreed with a faint blush.
So they made their way back. Kouga, armored as Dekabreak, tore through any zombies that wandered too close—every punch and blast turning the streets into smears of red paint. The horde barely slowed them.
Kiana puffed out her cheeks in mock annoyance. "Then why even bother carrying bags full of bullets if you're just going to solo everything?"
Kouga didn't answer, just kept walking with that same focused stare. Mei hid a quiet chuckle behind her hand.
By the time they reached the house, night had already settled over the city. The sky was dark, the silence heavier than the day's chaos.
"Bath first," Kouga ordered as they stepped inside. "You two, go ahead."
Kiana started to argue, but one sharp look from him shut her down.
While the girls headed to clean themselves up, Kouga summoned his Kamen Rider support units to stand guard. One by one, the machines appeared—Plamonsters, CanDroids, and others. But instead of shining armor or polished frames, they were drenched in gore. The Plamonsters especially were caked so thick in blood that their original colors were barely visible.
Kouga's eyes lingered on them for a long moment. They hadn't stopped fighting… not even when he wasn't watching. A grim reminder of the world they were trapped in.
"Guard the perimeter," he ordered. The machines obeyed instantly, marching off into the shadows around the house.
Exhaling, Kouga stepped back inside. The faint sound of water running upstairs told him the girls were safe for now.
"You two, get some rest in your rooms," he called out. "We'll move tomorrow."
Without waiting for an answer, Kouga lowered himself onto the couch in the living room. His body was heavy, his mind frayed. He closed his eyes, letting the weight of exhaustion pull him down—just for a little while.