At the southern docks, the ocean winds howled through the wreckage of shipping containers and cranes. Waves slammed against the pier, spraying salt into the air as Yuriko, Gia, and Orion faced down the second monster — a colossal, eel-like creature with armored fins and glowing red eyes.
The monster's voice echoed like thunder.
"ARMADA RULES THIS WORLD! YOU WILL DROWN IN THE DEPTHS OF OUR POWER!"
Yuriko stepped forward, her fists glowing faintly blue as the Ladybug Gun materialized in her hand. "Not today. We've fought too hard to lose now!"
Gia grinned, summoning her weapon. "Let's show this overgrown fish who's boss."
Orion nodded, pulling out his blaster and taking aim. "Right behind you!"
The three charged together. Explosions lit up the docks as beams of light and energy strikes collided against the monster's armored scales. The impact shook the ground beneath them — but the creature barely flinched.
"Gia, cover Yuriko!" Orion shouted. "I'll flank it from the side!"
"Got it!"
Yuriko dashed forward, switching into her basic form, her silver and blue armor gleaming under the harsh sunlight. Every movement she made was fast, sharp, and confident — the battle rhythm of someone who'd faced impossible odds before.
But even with their combined attacks, the monster refused to fall. Its tail lashed out, smashing through cranes and metal structures. Orion leapt over the debris, landing hard but still firing blast after blast.
Then, without warning, the monster's chest glowed. A surge of energy pulsed outward — a shockwave that sent all three of them flying.
Yuriko hit the ground hard, her armor sparking. Gia rolled to the side, coughing through the dust. "That thing's not just strong… it's adapting!"
Orion pushed himself up, his hands trembling. "No… it's draining energy. Every hit we land, it absorbs."
Before Yuriko could respond, the monster roared and unleashed another surge of electricity — straight toward Orion.
"ORION!" Gia screamed.
The blast struck him full force. For a second, it felt like time froze. His armor shattered into silver light, his body outlined by blinding energy.
Then — something changed.
Yuriko shielded her eyes from the brightness. "Orion!?"
When the light faded, the figure that stood in the crater wasn't the same Orion they knew. The armor had reformed — sleeker, slimmer, and shimmering with radiant silver and gold highlights. The voice that echoed out was softer, higher, but powerful.
"I… I'm still here," said the transformed Orion — or rather, she was.
Gia's jaw dropped. "Wait — Orion!? You're—"
Orion looked down at herself, her voice trembling with disbelief. "I… what happened to me?"
The Ladybug Gun on Yuriko's hip glowed faintly, as if reacting to the transformation. Gosei's voice suddenly echoed through their communicators.
"Rangers, I'm detecting an unstable morphic resonance from Orion! The energy from the monster must've triggered a complete molecular rewrite — Orion's form has… shifted!"
"Shifted?!" Gia exclaimed, dodging another energy blast. "You mean Orion's—"
"Transformed," Gosei finished gravely. "The power he — now she — wields is beyond the usual Ranger morphing systems. It's tied to something… ancient."
Yuriko's eyes widened slightly. She remembered Stronger's words about "energy beyond Riders and Rangers." Maybe this was part of it.
But there was no time to think.
The monster roared again, striking the ground. "PATHETIC CREATURES! YOU THINK CHANGE CAN SAVE YOU?"
Orion stepped forward — her new armor pulsing with energy that matched the waves. "Maybe not," she said, her tone fierce and determined. "But I can."
She raised her weapon. Energy gathered around her, forming a storm of silver light.
"Super Silver Mode — ACTIVATE!"
With a burst of energy, Orion moved faster than ever before. Her strikes cut through the monster's defenses like lightning. Each hit sent shockwaves across the dock. She leapt high into the air, spinning mid-flight, and unleashed a massive energy slash that carved through the monster's chest.
Yuriko and Gia covered her from below, blasting through the monster's minions that crawled out of the water.
"Go, Orion!" Gia shouted. "End it!"
The monster roared, energy spiraling from its wounds. "NO! ARMADA WILL—"
"NOT TODAY!" Orion yelled, crossing her weapons. "GALACTIC SILVER STRIKE!"
A surge of blinding light erupted from her blades, cutting clean through the creature. The explosion was so massive it lit up the entire coast. When the smoke cleared, only waves remained — and silence.
For a long moment, none of them spoke. The only sound was the distant crash of the sea.
Then Gia finally exhaled, grinning. "Okay… that was epic."
Yuriko smiled faintly, walking toward Orion. "You did it."
Orion looked down at her hands, still trembling with energy. Her reflection on the water showed a different face beneath the helmet — still her, but not quite. "I… don't know what happened to me," she said softly. "But it doesn't feel wrong."
Gia stepped beside her, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Then don't overthink it. You saved all of us. That's what matters."
Yuriko nodded in agreement. "Maybe this change was meant to happen. Sometimes power finds us when we least expect it."
A faint, golden glimmer crossed the sky — unnoticed by the Rangers. Far above them, Kamen Rider Ohma Zi-O watched silently, arms folded. A low, approving hum echoed through the wind before he vanished in a flash of light.
---
Later, back at Gosei's Command Center, the others had returned — battered but alive. When Orion stepped into the room, everyone froze for a second.
Jake blinked several times. "Okay, I'm either concussed or Orion's… different."
Orion crossed her arms, a small smirk forming beneath her helmet. "Different's one way to put it."
Gosei floated closer, his expression serious. "Your transformation may not be temporary, Orion. But it appears to have stabilized your power levels far beyond what I've seen before."
Troy nodded thoughtfully. "Then it's a good thing. We'll need that strength for what's coming."
Yuriko turned toward him. "You mean Kamen Rider Fifteen?"
Troy's eyes hardened. "Yeah. He's not done. And after today… I think Ohma Zi-O's watching all of us."
The team exchanged uneasy looks. The war against the Armada — and the Riders who stood beyond time — was far from over.
Orion clenched her fist, the silver armor pulsing faintly. "Then let him watch," she said quietly. "Because the next time we meet Fifteen… we'll be ready."
The others nodded in agreement — and for the first time in weeks, the Command Center felt alive again.
Outside, the stars shimmered over Harwood City. Change was in the air — and destiny, once again, had chosen its champions.