As Wizardragon and the dragon-class Honkai Beast collided in midair, shockwaves rippled through the storm clouds.
Riding atop Wizardragon in his Kamen Rider Wizard form, Kouga raised his arm and shouted, "The finale!"
He reached for the Kick Strike Wizard Ring, ready to end the battle in one decisive blow—
When a brilliant streak of light tore across the sky.
The dragon Honkai Beast abruptly twisted in midair, abandoning Wizardragon entirely as it let out a furious roar and chased after the mysterious light.
"…What?" Kouga muttered.
Below, everyone froze in confusion.
Kouga didn't hesitate. He leapt from Wizardragon, dispelling the summoned dragon mid-flight, and landed cleanly back on Helios, regrouping beside Himeko.
Himeko immediately opened a channel. "What's that streak of light? Did you call for reinforcements?"
Theresa's voice came back uncertain. "No… I don't think that ..."
A warning alarm blared, cutting her off.
"Careful!" Theresa shouted. "Honkai Beasts approaching"
Right on cue, swarms of Honkai Beasts slammed onto Helios's deck from every direction.
Kouga groaned. "Seriously? These things are getting annoying."
In a flash of motion, he shifted forms—Kamen Rider Wizard dissolving into Kamen Rider Build: RabbitTank Form. The Drill Crusher materialized in his hands as he charged forward alongside Himeko.
Together, they tore through the first wave—drills spinning, blades flashing—but the numbers kept coming.
Then Theresa's next transmission only made things worse.
"Himeko, Kouga—the next wave is approaching!"
Himeko grit her teeth as she cleaved through another beast. "Dammit. Is there no end to this thing? Think of something smart to do, Theresa! This is getting out of hand."
Kouga pull out the RabbitTank Sparkling , ready to escalate—
When an unfamiliar voice cut into the channel.
"Your solution has arrived, Miss Himeko."
Before either of them could react, multiple Anti-Entropy mechs slammed down onto Helios's deck. They surged past Kouga and Himeko without a glance, immediately opening fire on the Honkai Beasts with ruthless efficiency.
Explosions lit the deck as Honkai Beasts fell one after another.
Himeko blinked. Kouga did the same.
They exchanged a stunned look.
With the arrival of new allies from Anti-Entropy, the tide of battle finally began to turn.
One of them was a sharp-tongued woman with red hair tied into twin-tails, each secured with bright red bows. Her red eyes, framed by matching red glasses, reflected constant irritation and confidence in equal measure. She wore a crisp white shirt beneath a black dress-like vest and skirt, white tights, and brown business shoes. A red tie hung neatly at her collar, and a distinctive red gauntlet covered her left hand.
Her name was Tesla.
Beside her stood Einstein, a short and slim woman with messy, wavy blue hair and dark blue eyes that always seemed lost in thought. She wore a grey blazer over a blue sweater, paired with grey shorts and black stockings held up by garter belts marked with the letter "E." Her boots were fitted with small wheels in their heels, and around her neck hung a lanyard bearing the letters "EMC²."
Not long after Anti-Entropy's arrival, the Hyperion descended into the battlefield in all its glory, its presence alone shaking Schicksal's remaining defenses.
With their combined support, Kouga and Himeko pushed straight through Schicksal Headquarters, carving a path toward the control tower and systematically destroying every defense bot in their way.
Tesla followed close behind, accompanied by several mechs she had personally deployed.
Inside the tower, Himeko surveyed the room and said,"This looks like the control room. I'll leave this to you, Tesla... oh?"
Tesla stepped up to the console, cracking her knuckles as she examined the system."Hmph, obsolete models. I'll get through them in 5... no, 2 minutes!"
Before she could continue, the sound of heavy metallic footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Kouga immediately rushed outside to intercept the incoming enemies, while Himeko turned back to Tesla and said,"Hurry up. Those things outside are less patient than me and Kouga."
Without looking away from the screen, Tesla snapped back,"Find a way to hold them off for me! Toss that butterknife. You need bigger toys to kill these bugs."
The moment she finished speaking, Kouga hurled the severed head of a defense mech into the room. It crashed to the floor with a loud clang as he called out,"It's done now finish it."
Tesla and Himeko both glanced at the scattered remains of the destroyed defense mechs outside the room.
Then, without another word, they nodded.
After some time, the last of Schicksal's defense systems finally went offline. One by one, the others entered the area—Theresa, Mei, Sakura, and Einstein, who was still piloting one of Anti-Entropy's mechs.
Even with everyone reunited, one crucial question remained unanswered.
Kiana was still nowhere to be found.
Kouga wandered through the corridor while Himeko coordinated with the rest of the team. As he passed by, fragments of conversation reached his ears—and for the first time in hours, there was good news.
Bronya's surgery had been a success. She was still weak and would need time to recover.
Even more surprising was Mei's decision to have the bomb implanted near her heart removed. Hearing that lifted a weight Kouga hadn't realized he was still carrying.
Lost in thought, Kouga considered what powers or forms he might need next—what would be enough for whatever waited deeper inside the headquarters.
That was when Himeko called out to him.
Kouga turned and asked,"Any updates, Himeko?"
Himeko met his gaze, her expression serious but steady."You and I will head out and shut down the Honkai power core. Once the shield drops, Hyperion can fly straight through the breach."
Kouga nodded without hesitation, already accepting the plan.
Before they could move, Tesla strode over, arms crossed and irritation written all over her face."Wait. I went over the number of operable mechs. I can divert some to support you. I'll join you as well. Someone has to lead the mechs."
Himeko shook her head."Leave them all on the Hyperion. They'll need more firepower than us."
Tesla scowled, clearly unimpressed."I don't like it when people counter my decision. Find me outside when you're ready."
With that, she turned on her heel and walked away.
Kouga glanced at Himeko and let out a quiet sigh.
Without another word, the two of them followed after Tesla.
The three of them moved out together toward the Honkai power core, accompanied by Anti-Entropy mechs under Tesla's direct control.
As they entered deeper into Schicksal territory, warning indicators lit up around them.
Himeko glanced at the surrounding defenses and asked Tesla,"Entering the firing range of Schicksal defenses. Any battle plan, Dr. Tesla?"
Tesla replied with sharp sarcasm,"Battle plan? Yeah, we should call Otto, and ask him to shut down all Honkai powercores."She continued without missing a beat,"Then lay down the red carpet and prep the champagne while we waltz into the lab. What do you think?"
She let out an annoyed huff before adding,"Pfft. Plans. My plan is simple. If it moves, smash it."
Himeko looked at her, then chuckled and said,"I like that plan."
Kouga stared at the two women, completely dumbfounded, before shaking his head.
Tesla waved a hand impatiently and told Himeko,"Lead the way!"
Himeko took point, guiding them toward the Honkai power core.
As they advanced, she spoke up,"We must first confirm the location of the Honkai powercore. There should be a terminal nearby, let's search for it."
The three split up, moving through different corridors in search of the terminal.
It didn't take long before Himeko found it. She contacted the others and said,"I've found the terminal, we should be able to use it to pull up a map of the area."
After accessing the data, she added,"This place is further than I thought. How's things over there?"
Kouga replied plainly,"No idea."
Tesla's voice followed immediately, confident as ever,"Doing better than people with no sense of direction. I hacked into the system and located the Honkai powercore."
Himeko sighed and said,"You talk like a pain in the butt."
The three regrouped and headed toward the power core's location.
When they arrived, a thick barrier surrounded the Honkai power core. Schicksal defense robots blocked their path, forcing them into combat once again.
Kouga transformed into Dekaranger Dekared, summoning the D-Magnums and firing precise shots that tore through the robots. Himeko charged in alongside him, her greatsword cleaving enemies in half, while Tesla directed the Anti-Entropy mechs into the fight.
After a prolonged exchange, one of the destroyed robots dropped its core. Tesla's eyes lit up as she examined it and said,"Wait, it seems that we could make use of this core."
She quickly began hacking into it, muttering before speaking up again,"...Hey! That's just what I was thinking. It's connected to the mainframe. We can use it to hack into the Honkai powercore control system..."
Before she could finish, Himeko shouted,"Watch out! Reinforcements have lived."
Tesla snapped back without looking up,"Can you buy me some time here! I have a big surprise for my old Schicksal colleagues"
Kouga groaned in annoyance,"Well , be quick then."
Himeko added, clearly exasperated,**"I feel like all I'm doing
today is buying you time, Dr. Tesla!"**
Kouga continued firing at the incoming mechs, blasting them apart, while smashing aside those that got too close. Himeko fought at his side, cutting through the machines with relentless precision.
At last, Tesla shouted,"Hah, got it! Honkai powercore down. Quick, let's get out!"
Their path, however, was immediately blocked by another wave of mechs.
Himeko raised her weapon and said,"Then we'll have to take care of these guys as well!"
Before she could rush in, Kouga shouted,"get back"
Himeko and Tesla moved behind him as Kouga raised the Hybrid Magnum and fired. The blast obliterated every mech in their path, leaving nothing but scorched debris behind.
Himeko and Tesla stared at the aftermath. Himeko smacked Kouga playfully on the back and cheered,"Nice jobs Kouga."
She then turned to Tesla, who was still staring at Kouga's weapon, and said,"Every obstacle has been taken care of. Time to withdraw."
Tesla snapped back to reality and scoffed,"Hah. Schicksal is pathetic. Calling these wrecks mechas is an insult to my mighty Titans."Though, deep down, she couldn't help but wonder whether even her Titans could survive a blast from Kouga's Hybrid Magnum.
Before they could move, a figure appeared, standing atop one of the Anti-Entropy mechs.
She spoke calmly,"Oh my, is this Anti-Entropy's new mech unit? Cleaning up this one might be slightly... more difficult, I presume."
The figure revealed herself as Rita Rossweisse. She leapt down, slashing the Anti-Entropy mech apart mid-descent. It exploded behind her as she landed gracefully on the ground.
Kouga and Himeko immediately moved to shield Tesla.
Himeko warned,"Careful, Tesla!"
Just as Kouga prepared to engage, something latched onto his back. Iron chains materialized out of nowhere, shocking him with thousands of volts. His nervous system shut down instantly, and he collapsed face-first onto the ground.
Himeko cried out,"Kouga."
Before she could reach him, a calm voice spoke from behind her,"This is where it ends, Major. Give up and surrender."
Standing there was Fu Hua.
Fu Hua stepped forward in her Shadow Knight battle suit as she fixed her gaze on Himeko.
"Lay down your weapons. I will not help you. You made a mistake. Kiana—"
Himeko cut her off immediately.
"She's not the real Kiana. Theresa and I already knew about this."
Fu Hua stiffened, then tried again, her voice firm but conflicted.
"Her powers are unstable. She could rampage at any moment and threaten humanity as a whole."
Himeko didn't waver.
"Strong words. You're trying to kill an innocent girl, you know that?"
She met Fu Hua's eyes head-on.
"Is this the type of justice you stand for, Fu Hua?"
For a brief moment, Fu Hua hesitated—then answered coldly.
"Sacrifices are inevitable in the Honkai War. You know that better than me, Major. Showing mercy to the wrong people can be disastrous."
Himeko looked down at her own hand, fingers tightening slowly around the hilt of her greatsword.
"You have no idea what 'sacrifices are inevitable' means," she said quietly."The tragedy is not how many people have died…"
She raised her head again, eyes burning.
"…but how we've grown accustomed to the idea that people must die for others to live."
The air between them hardened.
Himeko took her stance, greatsword igniting with power.Fu Hua shifted smoothly into her Edge of Taixuan stance, aura flaring around her.
Nearby, Tesla barked orders, directing her Anti-Entropy mechs as they prepared to engage Rita Rossweisse.
But before the first blow could be struck—
Something went wrong.
Kouga's body twitched.
Everyone turned toward him.
His limbs moved unnaturally, jerking as if pulled by invisible strings and snap the chain binding him. Then, without warning, a belt materialized around his waist—the Build Driver.
Three objects floated out from his body:
the Rabbit Full Bottle,the Tank Full Bottle,and finally—the Hazard Trigger.
The Hazard Trigger flipped open its Security Clear Cover on its own.
"Hazard on."
It snapped into the Build Driver.
The Rabbit and Tank Full Bottles followed, locking into place.
"Rabbit! Tank! Super Best Match!"
The Vortex Lever began to spin wildly by itself.
"Gata gata gotton! Zuttan zutan!"
Then the belt announced, its voice distorted and ominous:
"Are you ready? Uncontrol switch! Black Hazard! Yabei!"
Dark energy erupted.
When the light faded, Kamen Rider Build — Black Hazard Form stood before them.
Silence fell.
A cold, primal fear crawled up everyone's spine—as if a steel monster, devoid of reason, now stood among them.
Himeko swallowed hard and spoke.
"I want to ask something."
Fu Hua glanced at her, confused but answered.
"What is it?"
Himeko's voice was steady, but tight.
"How did you manage to take down Kouga?"
Fu Hua frowned.
"Otto created a device that binds the target and shuts down their nervous system."
She paused, then asked,
"Why do you ask?"
Himeko didn't answer immediately.
Her mind slipped into memory.
Flashback
Back at the dorm, long ago, when things were peaceful.
Himeko had asked casually about Kouga's Putotyra form—whether he had others like it.
"Oh, you want to know more of my berserk forms?" Kouga had.
She nodded.
"Well… to be honest," he said thoughtfully, "I've got a few more."
Some of them, he explained, were terrifying.
But one stood above the rest.
A form he could never control.
A form that activated only when his nervous system was shut down—turning him into a mindless fighting machine that would destroy everything, ally or enemy alike.
Himeko remembered the chill that ran through her as she asked when he would ever use it.
Kouga had chuckled.
"Don't worry. It only happens if I'm knocked unconscious by an outside force. My body activates it automatically to protect itself."
"The only way to stop me," he added seriously, "is to overpower me… or remove the Hazard Trigger from my belt."
Flashback ends
Reality snapped back.
Himeko tightened her grip on her greatsword.
Before anyone could react, Build Hazard moved.
His hand slammed down on the Hazard Switch.
"Max Hazard on!"
The Vortex Lever spun violently.
In a blink, he vanished—
—and reappeared behind them.
"Ready, go! Over Flow! Yabei!"
A storm of destruction erupted.
Anti-Entropy mechs were torn apart in seconds, explosions chaining together. The shockwave hurled Tesla into a wall, knocking her unconscious instantly.
"TESLA!" Himeko shouted.
But Build Hazard was already in front of her, fist drawn back.
At the last second, Fu Hua intervened—slamming into Himeko and knocking her clear as the punch obliterated the ground where she stood.
Rita leapt in beside Fu Hua, scythe unfolding as she regrouped with them.
Sweat beaded on Fu Hua's brow as she asked urgently,
"Major—what's happening to Kouga?"
Himeko answered grimly.
"This is one of his berserk forms. He has no control. His nervous system is completely shut down. He'll attack anything in range—ally or enemy."
Her expression darkened.
"And the longer he fights… the stronger he gets."
Understanding dawned on both Fu Hua and Rita—along with fear.
Fu Hua asked again, voice tight,
"Anything you can give us, Major?"
Himeko straightened, raising her greatsword and pointing directly at the Hazard Trigger on Build's belt.
"Yes," she said firmly."Either overpower him… or remove the Trigger."