The Armada never allowed peace to last long.
By morning, the sky over Harwood City boiled with storm clouds that weren't natural. The Rangers assembled in the plaza, their helmets back on, weapons drawn. Beside them, Yuriko stood, her crimson armor gleaming faintly in the dawn light.
A column of energy crashed into the street, carving a crater. From the smoke emerged a towering figure—half-machine, half-beast, clad in black and chrome. Its eyes glowed like molten steel, and its voice was a grating snarl.
"I am Kraggor, breaker of worlds! By order of the Armada, I will crush this city… and anyone who stands in my way!"
Civilians screamed and scattered. The Rangers moved to intercept, but Yuriko stepped forward instinctively, electricity already crackling at her palms.
"Stay close!" Troy ordered, his voice sharp. "We'll take him together!"
The battle erupted.
---
Kraggor swung a massive hammer, sending shockwaves that split the pavement. Jake and Gia darted in, their blades clashing against the hammer's shaft to deflect its deadly arc. Noah fired blasts from his Super Mega Blaster, forcing the monster back a step. Emma launched into the air, striking with precision.
But even with their coordination, Kraggor's strength was overwhelming. One heavy blow sent all five Rangers sprawling across the plaza.
Yuriko's heart pounded. They're strong… but he's stronger.
She ran forward, sparks dancing around her fists. "Electro Wave Punch!"
Her strike connected with Kraggor's chest, sending a surge of electricity ripping through his circuits. The monster roared, staggering back.
Orion took the opportunity to leap in, his Silver Spear striking hard. "Nice opening, Yuriko!"
The Rangers regrouped, forming a circle around Kraggor. Troy raised his sword. "Together now!"
Yuriko nodded, electricity flooding her veins. Their attacks combined in a dazzling storm of power—blasters firing, blades slashing, her energy crackling at the core. The explosion shook the plaza, and when the smoke cleared, Kraggor collapsed, sparks bursting from his body.
The monster let out a final mechanical screech before falling silent, his form dissolving into smoke and flame.
The Rangers lowered their weapons, breathing hard but victorious. Yuriko exhaled, her body trembling but alive. For the first time, she had fought alongside them not as a stranger—but as part of the team.
---
"Come with us," Troy said afterward. His voice was calm, but it carried weight. "There's someone you need to meet."
They led her beyond the city, into a hidden cave where a vast chamber hummed with light. In the center floated a giant face within a glowing frame, his eyes kind yet powerful. At his side stood a small robotic figure—Alpha 6—who buzzed nervously at Yuriko's arrival.
"Rangers," the great face intoned, "you have brought a new ally."
Yuriko stared, caught between awe and confusion. "What… are you?"
Emma stepped forward with a smile. "Yuriko, this is Gosei, our mentor. He guides us in the fight against the Armada."
Gosei's gaze fixed on her, his expression unreadable. "You are not of this world. I sense an energy unlike anything in this dimension… yet it resonates with the power of justice."
Yuriko felt her chest tighten. The Rangers had accepted her without demanding too much. But this presence—this being—felt as though it could see directly through her. She swallowed hard.
"I… should explain."
---
The Rangers gathered around as Yuriko told her story. She spoke of Japan, of the battles she fought. Of Destron's evil forces. Of the man she had fought beside—Kamen Rider Stronger—and how together they had defended their world against darkness.
Her voice softened when she spoke his name. Stronger's bravery, his stubbornness, the way he had once extended his hand to her when she was lost. She smiled faintly, lost in memory.
"He believed in me… even when I didn't believe in myself," she said. "We fought side by side, and I gave everything I had for that fight."
The Rangers listened quietly, each of them sensing the weight behind her words.
Jake broke the silence first. "So basically… you're like a Ranger from another world?"
Yuriko let out a soft laugh. "Something like that."
Gia tilted her head. "And this Stronger… he was your partner?"
Yuriko's smile faltered, but she nodded. "Yes. He was more than a partner. He was… family."
She stopped herself there. She couldn't tell them the whole truth—not yet. That she had died, and that her presence here was a second life she didn't fully understand. That truth was still too heavy to place upon them.
But she had told them enough.
Gosei's deep voice resonated through the chamber. "Your courage and sacrifice mirror that of the Power Rangers throughout history. Yuriko Misaki, your presence here is no accident. You were brought to this world because Earth needs you—just as your own world once did."
Yuriko bowed her head slightly. "Then I will fight. For this Earth… and for Stronger."
Troy stepped forward, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Then you're one of us."
For the first time since waking in this strange new world, Yuriko felt her place begin to take shape. She wasn't a lost soul anymore. She was part of something again.
Part of a team.