Inside the Armada's flagship, the air shimmered with a heavy, electric tension. The throne room — a cavern of metal, flame, and shadow — trembled faintly with the low hum of the ship's engines. Red and violet light illuminated the high walls, casting sharp reflections across rows of alien soldiers standing at attention.
At the far end sat Emperor Mavro, his golden armor glinting like a dying sun. His piercing eyes burned with fury as he stared down at the figure kneeling before him — Kamen Rider Fifteen.
The Rider's black armor was scarred and cracked from battle, his breathing shallow but steady. He knelt in silence, the tip of his skeletal sword resting against the floor.
Mavro's voice echoed across the hall.
"You return without victory again, Rider."
Fifteen lifted his head slowly, the golden crest on his helmet reflecting the crimson light. "The battle… took a turn I did not foresee."
Admiral Malkor stepped forward, wings flaring. "You were defeated by humans — again?" His tone was sharp, dripping with mockery.
Fifteen turned his masked gaze toward him. "No. Not by humans alone. The Silver Ranger… changed."
The hall fell silent. Even the constant hum of machinery seemed to pause.
Mavro leaned forward slightly. "Changed?"
Fifteen nodded once. "Yes. The Silver Ranger — Orion. During combat, he was struck by a surge of morphic energy unlike any I've ever encountered. It rewrote his body's energy pattern. When the light cleared, he was… no longer the same. The Silver Ranger has become something new. Something stronger."
General Damaras narrowed his eyes. "You're suggesting the humans have evolved their power?"
"It wasn't human technology," Fifteen said, his tone low and deliberate. "The energy came from somewhere else — beyond the Rangers' morphers, beyond their power keys. I sensed it the moment it happened… it was the same aura as his."
Mavro's eyes flashed. "You mean Ohma Zi-O."
"Yes," Fifteen replied. "The King of Time."
Murmurs rippled through the room. The mention of that name always carried weight — even among the Armada's mightiest.
Fifteen rose to his feet, placing his weapon back into its sheath. "Ohma Zi-O was there. Not in body, but in presence. His power touched the battlefield. I believe he is observing the Rangers — and the one called Yuriko, the Electronic Wave Humanoid Tackle."
The Emperor stood, his cape flaring as he descended from his throne. "Then this means our suspicions were correct. Ohma Zi-O interferes with this dimension."
"He is watching the war," Damaras said grimly. "But why help them? Ohma Zi-O cares nothing for mortals."
"Perhaps not for mortals," Fifteen answered, "but for her."
The hall dimmed as he activated his wrist device. A hologram appeared, showing Yuriko mid-battle — transforming into Kamen Rider Nadeshiko, her blue-and-silver armor shining with cosmic light.
"She wields Rider energy," Fifteen continued. "Yet she is neither living nor dead. A remnant of another time — a Rider reborn in a Ranger world. Ohma Zi-O's involvement with her cannot be coincidence."
Emperor Mavro studied the image, his expression unreadable. "A Rider… who fights for humans." His voice was like grinding stone. "Blasphemy."
Malkor sneered. "Then we destroy her. Crush this 'Tackle' before her presence spreads corruption through our ranks."
But Damaras shook his head. "No. If Ohma Zi-O's hand is truly behind her return, direct confrontation could bring consequences beyond this universe."
Fifteen's tone hardened. "We cannot run from him forever. If Ohma Zi-O sees Yuriko as his pawn, then removing her from the board will draw him out."
Mavro paced slowly, the floor vibrating under each step. "And you believe you can defeat her? After your failure?"
Fifteen's hand tightened on his weapon. "I fought her when she drew power from Nadeshiko. It was not enough to destroy me, but she has grown stronger since then. Her heart burns with purpose — the same kind that fuels Riders. If we strike again, I will not face her unprepared."
Mavro turned away, gazing out through the massive observation window. The stars stretched endlessly, a black sea of silence. "Then prepare. But this time, Rider, you will not fight alone. I will lend you the might of the Armada's newest war beasts. If this Silver Ranger and this Yuriko stand in our way…"
His gaze turned cold and sharp. "…then we will erase their world entirely."
Fifteen lowered his head. "As you command."
But before he could leave, Damaras spoke again, his tone quieter. "There is something else, Emperor. Our sensors have detected unusual morphic energy readings from the human city — similar to the aura that appeared during Orion's transformation."
Mavro looked over his shoulder. "More disturbances?"
"Yes," Damaras said. "Short bursts of energy… as if someone, or something, is testing the dimensional barrier."
Fifteen's eyes glowed faintly behind his mask. "Then the boundary between worlds is weakening."
Mavro's expression darkened. "So, the chaos spreads."
He turned to Fifteen once more. "You will watch them. Study Yuriko, study this new Silver Ranger form. If Ohma Zi-O is truly shaping events, then we must understand his design before we strike."
Fifteen bowed deeply. "Understood. But know this — when next I face them, I will not hold back. The Riders' legacy must not stand in my way again."
With that, he vanished in a burst of black and silver light, the sound of his teleportation echoing through the chamber.
The Emperor returned to his throne, eyes gleaming with fury and curiosity. "A Rider who fights alongside Rangers… a Silver Ranger who defies his form… and the shadow of Ohma Zi-O watching it all."
His metallic fingers clenched the armrest of his throne. "This world is becoming… interesting."
Damaras bowed. "Shall we increase patrols, Emperor?"
"No," Mavro said slowly. "Let them believe they have peace. When the next storm comes, it will swallow them whole."
The lights dimmed, and the ship's engines roared to life, shaking the stars themselves. Far below, on Earth, Yuriko and the Rangers rested unaware — their next trial already written by fate itself.
And high in the void, unseen and eternal, Ohma Zi-O watched with silent amusement.