Kallen, still perched on Kouga's helmet, suddenly spoke up."Sakura?"
The pink-haired woman's ears twitched at the familiar voice. Her gaze lifted to the tiny doll sitting atop the armored Rider's head.
"K–K–Kallen?" Sakura stammered, disbelief flashing in her blue eyes.
In an instant, Sakura rushed forward, scooping the small doll from Kouga's helmet and clutching her tightly against her chest.
"Kallen!""Sakura!"
Both exclaimed, their voices overlapping in pure joy as the two old friends finally reunited after centuries.
"Uhm," Kouga cleared his throat, trying not to interrupt the heartfelt moment. "Don't want to ruin the reunion, but Theresa needs treatment now."
The urgency in his tone pulled Sakura back to reality. Her expression turned serious as she quickly guided them to a nearby building—a small, traditional house that had somehow survived the chaos around Nagazora.
Inside, Kouga carefully carried Theresa to the bedroom and laid her on the bed. He then turned to Sakura."Stay outside for now. Let me handle this."
Sakura's sharp eyes narrowed with suspicion, clearly not comfortable leaving her friend alone with a stranger.
Kallen, still in her palm, spoke up gently, "It's alright, Sakura. Kouga's a good person. You can trust him."
Reluctantly, Sakura gave a short nod and stepped outside, cradling Kallen as she waited.
Once the room was quiet, Kouga took a deep breath and transformed into Kamen Rider Fourze. He activated the Medical Module, and streams of cosmic energy shimmered from his arm. The soft blue light surrounded Theresa's body, flowing through her wound and cleansing the Honkai poison from her bloodstream.
Within moments, Theresa's breathing steadied, her face regaining color.
Kouga glanced at the scanner on his arm. "Vitals stable," he murmured in relief.
Satisfied, he finally deactivated his transformation, pulling up a nearby chair. For the first time since the mission began, he allowed himself to relax, watching over Theresa as she slept peacefully.
Kouga could hear faint voices coming from outside the room — Kallen and Sakura talking softly together. Smiling a little, he decided to give them privacy.
After a while, when the conversation quieted, Kouga stepped out to check on them. What he saw made him pause — Kallen's small doll-like body rested gently in Sakura's palm, while Sakura's forehead touched Kallen's tiny head. The two looked lost in their reunion.
Kouga cleared his throat with a deliberate cough. Both jumped slightly, Kallen flustered while Sakura merely chuckled.
"Theresa is stable now," Kouga said, his tone even. "Thank you, Miss Sakura, for your help."
Sakura suddenly winced, a flicker of irritation crossing her face before she composed herself again. Kouga noticed but said nothing.
"My name is Yae Sakura," she introduced herself once more, her voice calm but distant. "You may not believe me, but I am someone from 500 years ago."
Before anyone could react, Sakura winced again, this time more sharply. She muttered under her breath, "Quiet, fiend."
Kouga frowned. "Okay, that's it."
In an instant, his armor ignited with spectral light — Kamen Rider Ghost took form. The transformation startled Sakura, though not nearly as much as what both saw next.
A shadow began to swell behind her — a massive fox spirit, its presence thick with malice. Though smaller than the mountain-sized fox Kouga had once seen in another world, it was still huge — taller than a man, longer than the bed, with five swaying tails etched in red streaks of energy.
"Oh, you can see me?!" the fox exclaimed, its deep voice echoing through the room in surprise.
Kouga's visor flared. "Nope."
He snapped his hand into the Rider's signature seal, releasing a surge of purifying energy that erupted across the room. The blast struck the fox squarely, forcing it out of Sakura's body and throwing it to the floor in a burst of spiritual light.
When the glow faded, the once-towering fox lay still, motionless.
Kouga looked back at Sakura, whose eyes were wide in disbelief, then back at the fallen spirit. "So… am I in the wrong for doing that?" he asked carefully.
Before Sakura could respond, the fox began to shrink — its enormous frame collapsing into a smaller, humanoid form. When the light dimmed, a small creature now stood in its place: female in shape, with pink hair streaked in red, short jagged fox ears, and several pink-red tails tipped in yellow. Her large head, light blue eyes with white pupils, and white kimono trimmed in red gave her a mischievous, almost childlike look — but her aura still hummed faintly with power.
Kallen's tiny voice spoke up first, her tone curious."Who is that?"
Kouga blinked beneath his helmet, turning toward her. "Wait… you can see her?" he asked, surprised.
"Uhm, yeah," Kallen replied matter-of-factly, tilting her little head. "She's right there, isn't she?"
Sakura, still processing what just happened, slowly crouched down and gently picked up the small fox girl. The creature stirred, letting out a faint groan before her light-blue eyes fluttered open.
She looked around in confusion, her gaze landing on Sakura's face.
"Are you… my Aneki?" the fox girl asked softly.
Everyone froze. Kouga blinked. Kallen gasped. Sakura's eyes widened in surprise.
It seemed that whatever Kouga had done — expelling the spirit by force — had erased most of the fox's memories. The once-mighty and malevolent presence now looked like a lost, innocent child, her mind blank except for a faint instinct tying her to Sakura.
The sound of the door sliding open made everyone turn.
Standing there in the doorway was Theresa, pale but steady on her feet, her weapon slung across her back. Despite the bandage still wrapped around her side, her eyes were sharp and determined.
"Theresa?!" Kouga said in surprise. "You should still be resting."
"I've rested enough," she replied, stepping into the room. "We can't let that pseudo-Herrscher run free. I can still fight."
Kouga frowned under his mask and crossed his arms. "No. You're staying here. You're still recovering from that poison. I'll handle this alone."
Theresa raised an eyebrow, her expression halfway between irritation and disbelief. "Alone? Don't get reckless, Kouga. That thing may not be a full Herrscher, but she's still dangerous. You can't just—"
"—Did you forget what I can do?" Kouga interrupted, his voice calm but firm.
Theresa stared at him for a moment, then sighed, realizing she couldn't argue with that. "Right. You are basically walking overkill in armor."
Kouga chuckled softly at her tone. "Glad you remember."
"Fine," Theresa said, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe. "Go. But don't make me drag your half-dead body back here if things go south."
"I'll be fine," Kouga assured, turning toward the door. "Just keep an eye on things here. And… take it easy for once, alright?"
Theresa shook her head with a small smirk. "Yeah, yeah. Go do your stuff."
Kouga gave a two-finger salute before walking out.
As Kouga's footsteps faded down the hall, the room grew quiet again.Sakura, still holding the small fox girl in her arms and with Kallen perched comfortably atop her head, turned to Theresa with a faint crease of concern on her brow.
"Are you certain it's wise to let him fight by himself?" Sakura asked, her tone calm but edged with worry. "That pseudo-Herrscher's energy feels… unstable. Even for someone as strong as him."
Theresa, who had returned to sit on the bed, just gave a tired shrug. "Oh please. From what I've seen of Kouga, he doesn't fight battles—he ends them. If anything, I'd probably just get in his way."
Kallen tilted her little head, resting her hands on her tiny hips. "He's that strong?"
Theresa smirked, looking toward the window where the faint shimmer of wind could be seen—the telltale sign of Kouga moving fast. "Strong enough that calling him overkill is an understatement."
Sakura blinked, glancing down at the tiny fox girl now asleep in her arms, and then back to Theresa. "Then let us hope that confidence of yours isn't misplaced."
Theresa chuckled softly, lying back on the bed again with her arms behind her head. "Trust me, if anyone's going to walk back through that door in one piece… it's him."
The next morning, the school grounds were eerily quiet. Dew still clung to the grass, and the air carried an uneasy calm.
From the main entrance, the pseudo-Herrscher slowly stepped out, her gaze sweeping over the empty courtyard. Just as she crossed the threshold, a familiar voice echoed behind her.
"Well, well… leaving so soon?"
She froze, then turned around. Kouga was standing there, calm and composed, hands in his pockets as if he'd been waiting for hours.
The pseudo-Herrscher's lips curled into a sly smile. "Oh, how noble. You came alone. Tell me—do you not regret leaving your little friend to die from my poison?"
Kouga chuckled lightly. "Please. That poison of yours? I cured her long ago."
Without another word, he raised his hand, and a burst of red light flared around him. His armor shifted, his stance sharpened—Kouga had transformed into Shinken Red.
The pseudo-Herrscher tilted her head, curious. "Really now? You sound confident. Do you truly believe you can defeat me on your own?"
Kouga's visor glinted in the morning light. "Confident?" He raised the Shinkenmaru. "Let me show you my answer."
In the blink of an eye, he vanished.
A sharp sound cut through the air—like a single stroke of lightning. The pseudo-Herrscher stiffened, her eyes widening in disbelief.
Kouga reappeared behind her, the Shinkenmaru already at his side. For a heartbeat, there was silence—until something thudded softly onto the ground.
Her right arm.
The pseudo-Herrscher looked down in shock as the severed limb fell between them. She staggered back, her composure crumbling into fear.
Kouga turned slightly, his voice calm but edged with cold certainty."You really don't know what you're fighting against."
He lifted the Shinkenmaru once more. "Now, let's finish this."
Fear consumed the pseudo-Herrscher. Her eyes widened in panic as she let out a trembling scream.
"Stay away from me!"
Dozens of vines erupted from the ground, writhing like serpents as they lashed toward Kouga. Each one shimmered with venomous sap, the air quickly filling with the sickly scent of poison.
But Kouga stood unfazed. With a calm breath, he raised the Shinkenmaru, the blade gleaming in the morning light.
Slash!Slash!Slash!
Every vine that came near him was instantly severed, sliced apart with flawless precision. The flowers that bloomed from the severed vines released clouds of purple mist—but Kouga walked through it as if it were nothing.
"You're wasting your strength," he said coldly, eyes narrowing.
In the blink of an eye, he dashed forward again. Another flash of red—another clean strike.
The pseudo-Herrscher screamed as her other arm fell to the ground. Panic overtook her completely.
"I must… I must get out of here!" she cried, stumbling backward, desperation twisting her voice.
But before she could take another step—Swish!
Her body froze. A second later, her head slipped from her shoulders, falling softly to the ground.
Silence settled over the courtyard. The wind carried the faint scent of dust as the pseudo-Herrscher's body disintegrated, fading into golden particles that drifted away.
Kouga exhaled slowly and sheathed the Shinkenmaru at his waist. Then, with quiet respect, he clasped his hands together.
"May you find peace… in the next life."