Morning sunlight bled weakly through the shattered windows of the old building. The smell of instant rations filled the room as Mei and Kiana prepared a modest breakfast with the supplies Kouga had stashed.
Bronya sat stiffly at the table, her small hands resting on her lap. Though she managed to sit upright, her legs trembled faintly when she shifted, betraying the weakness left after Project Bunny's destruction. Kiana's eyes narrowed at the sight, her fork clinking a little too loudly against her tin plate. Mei, on the other hand, kept glancing at Bronya with a swirl of conflicting emotions—anger, pity, and something softer she couldn't quite name.
Kouga said nothing. He was busy collecting the broken fragments of Project Bunny, carefully packing them into bags and handing them to his support robots. When they were ready to leave, he crouched in front of Bronya without a word.
"Get on," he said simply.
Bronya blinked at him but, seeing no argument would change anything, climbed onto his back. Despite her stoic face, her arms tightened slightly around his shoulders as he stood.
Kiana groaned the moment they stepped outside. "Senpai, seriously?! Why are we dragging her along? She'll just slow us down."
Mei walked beside them, her eyes thoughtful. "I don't think Kouga would do this without a reason, Kiana."
Kiana folded her arms, glaring. "A reason better be worth it. I'd rather not babysit someone who tried to stab us in our sleep."
Kouga adjusted his grip on Bronya's legs, speaking calmly but firmly. "Leaving a kid behind in this mess isn't an option. Whether she likes it or not, she's coming. And whether you like it or not, she's our responsibility now."
Kiana clicked her tongue and looked away, clearly unhappy. Mei, however, gave Kouga a small nod of understanding, though her gaze lingered on Bronya—still unreadable, still silent—on his back.
The group moved on, the support robots trudging along behind them with Project Bunny's broken parts clanking in their arms.
The group pressed forward, Kiana blasting down any zombie that staggered too close. The support robots assisted without hesitation, their metallic arms stained red with gore as they tore through stragglers.
"Movement—twelve o'clock," Bronya suddenly reported, her voice flat but urgent.
At once, Kouga raised a hand, and the team slipped into cover. The ground trembled as something massive came into view.
It wasn't a zombie.
A Honkai beast emerged, towering over the ruined street. Its body gleamed white with streaks of pink, a monstrous shield in one hand, a massive lance in the other. Its levitating bulk was easily the size of a building, radiating menace with every motion.
Bronya's eyes narrowed. "Request: allow Bronya access to Project Bunny."
"Denied," Kouga said sharply, setting her down behind cover. "Stay with Mei and Kiana. I'll handle this."
Before either of the girls could argue, Kouga stepped forward. His belt gleamed.
"Henshin."
Armored plates slammed into place, encasing him in crimson—the Masked Form of Kamen Rider Kabuto. He sprinted toward the giant beast, drawing the Kabuto Kunaigun, and immediately slashed at its legs. The monster roared, enraged, focusing entirely on him.
"Senpai's showing off again…" Kiana muttered, though her lips curved into a grin as she stood protectively near Mei and Bronya.
The Honkai beast lunged, its lance tearing through buildings like paper. Kouga dodged swiftly, the weapon barely grazing him as he leapt across rubble. Then, he twisted his belt.
"CAST OFF!"
The heavy armor blasted outward, striking the Honkai beast like shrapnel. What remained was Kabuto's sleek Rider Form, streamlined for speed. The monster shrieked in fury and rushed, lance aimed straight for his chest.
Kouga calmly placed his hand on the belt."CLOCK UP."The world slowed to a crawl. Dust hung frozen in the air, the Honkai beast's charge reduced to a sluggish crawl.
In an instant, Kouga blurred across its body, slashing, striking, and tearing into every joint and weak spot with surgical precision. To an outside observer, it was as if Kabuto vanished completely—only for wounds to bloom across the beast's frame simultaneously.
Time snapped back to normal. The monster roared in agony, collapsing onto one knee.
Kouga leapt into the air, pressing the three buttons on his belt."1…2…3."
"Rider Kick."
Electricity crackled from his belt, surging into the horn before racing down to his leg. He dove from the sky, heel-first, slamming into the beast's chest.
"RIDER KICK!"
The explosion rocked the street, flames and dust consuming the monster as it disintegrated into nothing. Kouga landed smoothly, brushing off his armor as though nothing happened.
A whistle broke the silence. "Wow."
Kouga turned to see Kiana, Mei, and Bronya standing in awe behind the rubble.
Mei only sighed softly, unsurprised by yet another overwhelming display of Kouga's strength. Kiana grinned, arms crossed, as if she expected nothing less.
Bronya, however, stared wide-eyed, her monotone cracking for once. "Subject Kouga never demonstrated such ability when facing Bronya before."
Kouga gave her a sidelong glance, his tone calm but sharp. "Shows just how much mercy I gave you."
The next few days blurred into a rhythm of survival and uneasy companionship.
Sometimes, it was almost peaceful.Other times, chaos.
Bronya and Kiana bickered constantly, their voices echoing through the ruined streets.
"Idiotka," Bronya said flatly, arms crossed as she adjusted her broken Project Bunny's core.
"Bratya!" Kiana shot back with a grin, puffing her cheeks like a child throwing a tantrum.
Mei rubbed her temples, muttering to Kouga, "It's like babysitting two kids."
Kouga only smirked, though he didn't deny it.
Still, there were small moments of teamwork. When ammunition began to run low, Kouga let Kiana borrow his D-Magnums. The moment she fired them, her eyes lit up, laughter echoing as the twin pistols roared.
"Hah! These babies pack more punch than my whole stash combined!" Kiana declared.
Then the two magnums shifted, merging seamlessly into the Hybrid Magnum. The blast it unleashed tore a crater into the pavement, rattling windows in the distance.
"Ehh?! That's illegal!" Kiana whooped in disbelief, hugging the gun like a prized trophy.
Bronya, however, froze, her expression flickering with something rare—genuine shock. "…Physics do not support such firepower from weapons of that size."
"Better get used to it," Kouga replied casually, retrieving the guns before Kiana could hog them all night.
When night fell, the energy shifted again. The group huddled together inside an abandoned office, the wind whistling through shattered glass. The support robots stood guard, red optics glowing in the dark.
Kiana stretched out on her makeshift bedroll, sighing dramatically. "Ugh, this place is so boring. Can't we find another luxury hotel like last time? At least that place had working showers."
Mei chuckled softly, folding her blanket. "We'll look tomorrow. For now, just sleep."
Bronya was silent, curled up against the wall with Project Bunny's parts laid out before her like a ritual.
Kouga lay on his back, eyes half-closed, listening to their voices fade one by one. For a moment, it almost felt… normal. Like a family bickering before bed.
Almost.
The morning sun slipped through broken windows, painting faint stripes across the dusty floor. Bronya stirred first.
Kouga and Kiana were still asleep nearby, sprawled out like they hadn't a care in the world. The Kamen Rider support unit remained motionless, standing guard over the scattered pieces of Project Bunny, its glowing optics steady and vigilant.
But Mei was nowhere to be seen.
Bronya blinked, then quietly rose to her feet. At her side, a pair of support drones drifted to life, like floating familiars shadowing her every move. She didn't protest—they were Kouga's insurance, after all.
She followed the faint sound of movement until she found Mei crouched near a portable stove, preparing breakfast from their dwindling supplies. The savory smell of soup and rice filled the air, and for a moment it felt strangely… normal.
"Ah, Bronya," Mei said, looking up in surprise. "You startled me. Where are Kiana-chan and Kouga-kun?"
"Subject Kouga and Subject Idiotka are still in their slumber, Subject Mei," Bronya replied without hesitation.
Mei sighed gently, shaking her head. "Please don't call Kiana that. I believe you two could be good friends."
Bronya only gave her a blank stare, as if the concept itself was flawed.
"And another thing," Mei added with a small smile, "you don't need to call me 'Subject.' Just Mei-san… or Mei-chan, if you like."
"…Da Bronya does not understand," Bronya said softly after a pause. Her voice, usually sharp and mechanical, carried an odd fragility. "Why does Subject—Mei—still speak to Bronya with joy? With how much destruction was caused by awakening the Herrschers… should you not hate Bronya?"
Mei's hands stilled on the pot. Then she breathed out slowly, her expression gentle but firm.
"I was angry. And afraid," she admitted. "Back then, those emotions nearly consumed me. But holding onto them forever… it only binds you in chains. I want to let go. And I believe the first step is forgiving you, Bronya."
Bronya didn't respond, her gaze dropping to the ground. In that moment, she looked less like the emotionless soldier she claimed to be, and more like an ordinary girl—quiet, uncertain, vulnerable.
The sight tugged at Mei's heart. Without thinking, she reached out and patted Bronya's head gently.
Bronya stiffened, but didn't pull away.
"Why don't you go wake Kouga and Kiana for breakfast?" Mei said with a warm smile.
Bronya gave a small nod, her expression unreadable, then turned and padded back toward the sleeping pair.