The city was in chaos again. Sirens wailed as civilians scattered, their screams echoing off the skyscrapers. A hulking monster rampaged down the main street, its spiked body shrugging off the Rangers' combined attacks. Yuriko, already in her Rider form, stood with the team as explosions lit the air.
"We've fought strong ones before," Jake said through gritted teeth, "but this thing's on another level!"
"Stay sharp!" Troy shouted, spinning his sword to parry a swipe from the beast. "We can't let it reach the city center!"
But before anyone could move again, the air warped behind Yuriko.
She barely had time to react before a hand, cold and merciless, clamped onto her arm. The air itself cracked open like shattered glass, and a dark voice whispered:
"Your fight is with me."
Yuriko gasped as she was yanked backward, the city vanishing in an instant. The last thing she saw was Emma reaching out, screaming her name—
"YURIKO!"
Then silence.
---
Back in the city, the Rangers were left stunned. The monster roared and swung its claw, sending a shockwave that hurled Gia into the side of a concrete wall. She slid down, groaning, her body aching from the impact.
"Gia!" Emma shouted, but she and Jake were too occupied, blasting at the beast just to keep it distracted.
Gia forced herself onto her knees, gripping her blaster tight. "Not… done yet."
She pushed herself up to her feet, determination burning in her eyes. But before she could rush forward again, a golden shimmer broke the air beside her.
A figure stood there.
Tall. Radiant. Clad in golden armor that seemed to bend time and space itself. His eyes burned like a king who ruled everything.
Gia froze. Her heart thundered in her chest as recognition stirred. She had never seen him before, but deep down she knew—this wasn't an enemy. This was something greater. Something inevitable.
"Kamen Rider…" she whispered, barely able to breathe.
The golden Rider—Ohma Zi-O—slowly lifted his hand. No words. No movement. Just a single gesture, as though granting her a piece of his overwhelming power.
Light engulfed her.
Gia staggered, clutching her chest as energy coursed through her veins. Her armor shifted, glowing with new colors, new strength. When the light faded, she stood renewed—her form transformed. Sleek lines of power ran along her suit, radiating a strength she had never felt before.
She looked down at herself in awe. "What… what is this?"
When she raised her gaze again, the golden Rider was gone. Vanished as suddenly as he appeared.
"Gia?!" Emma shouted, pulling her attention back to the battlefield. "What happened to you?!"
Gia clenched her fists, power surging inside her. She didn't know what Ohma Zi-O had given her, but she could feel the change—it was like the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders, replaced by limitless strength.
"No time to explain," Gia said, her voice firm. "Let's end this."
She charged back into battle. The monster swung, but Gia moved faster than before, ducking under its strike and countering with a devastating slash that sent sparks exploding from its chest.
The other Rangers stopped mid-fight, jaws dropping as they watched her carve through the monster with impossible ease.
"Gia…?" Noah stammered. "When did you—"
"Later!" Gia barked, already delivering another blow that staggered the beast.
The team regrouped, reinvigorated by Gia's newfound power. With her leading the charge, their attacks finally began to break through the monster's defenses.
Jake grinned. "Okay, whatever just happened—I'm not complaining!"
Gia smirked under her helmet, her confidence unshakable. But deep down, a question gnawed at her. Why had Ohma Zi-O chosen her? And what did it mean that he had appeared here, now, in the middle of their war?
The monster roared one last time before collapsing under the combined might of the Rangers. Fire and smoke erupted into the sky, signaling their victory.
But even as they caught their breath, all eyes turned to Gia.
Emma stepped forward cautiously. "Gia… what did you do? What's with that new form?"
Gia shook her head, still trembling from the power coursing through her. "I didn't do anything. He gave it to me."
"Who?" Troy pressed.
Gia hesitated. Then, quietly, she said the name that hung over them like a shadow.
"Ohma Zi-O."
The Rangers exchanged uneasy looks. They didn't know what it meant. But they all felt it—the shift in the war, the weight of a power beyond their understanding.
And while the Rangers tried to comprehend Gia's transformation, Yuriko was still gone—taken by Kamen Rider Fifteen into the unknown.
The storm was only getting darker.