P.S.: After finishing this chapter, I want to let everyone know that from now on I'll be updating with three chapters per week, so please don't misunderstand and think I'll be releasing daily.
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Japan, Fuyuki – Singularity F.
The night moon hung high, its silver glow spilling across the dense forest. Twisted, gnarled tree shadows stretched over the dim mountain path leading up to Ryuudou Temple, like countless blackened hands reaching out, eager to seize and imprison any who dared trespass. The air grew heavy; every breeze carried the scent of ash, as if the entire mountain had long become the graveyard of a perished civilization.
The Chaldea group walked in single file. Pebbles crunched beneath their steps, the sound mingling with the incessant chirping of insects, weaving together a dirge meant to unsettle the living.
"Um… Kagami." Ritsuka's hesitant voice broke the silence. She looked up at the armored figure of Eternal walking just ahead, her tone soft yet tinged with curiosity.
"That person you fought earlier… who exactly was he? You seemed to know him well."
Kagami didn't turn his head. Arms crossed over his chest, his voice rumbled low from behind the mask.
"You want to know? Very well… He is Kamen Rider Chalice, the embodiment of the Joker Undead."
"Undead… Joker?" Ritsuka's brows knitted, an icy chill running down her spine.
Kagami gave a slight nod, the azure glow in his visor flickering faintly.
"The Undead… are an ancient immortal race, the foundation upon which every form of life on my Earth was built. Each Undead represents a species—beast, insect, plant, and finally… humanity. They do not die, they do not age, they never wither. They exist only to fight in what is called the Battle Fight—a slaughter where all Undead and living beings clash to decide which species shall rule the world."
Ritsuka's eyes widened, her face paling as she trembled slightly.
"So… they're all immortal, just like you, Kagami? Then… how can they ever be defeated?"
A faint chuckle escaped Kagami, half in jest yet steeped in grim weight.
"True, they cannot be killed… but they can be sealed. Beat them down until they can no longer resist, then trap them with a Blank Rouse Card. That… is the only way to put an end to an Undead."
"Sealed… instead of killed…" Ritsuka muttered, her eyes glinting with fear. "Truly… creatures that terrifying exist? And yet you Riders… you still survived against them?"
Kagami tilted his head back, staring at the moon, before bursting out in booming laughter. His voice echoed through the frigid forest.
"Hahahaha! To be honest… we don't even know ourselves! Somehow, every time we're about to die, fate flips the script and we claw out a victory! It's all just… destiny's cruel joke!"
"That's your grand explanation?!" Ritsuka snapped, teeth clenched, her face flushing red with frustration at his maddening nonchalance.
Up ahead, Caster Cú Chulainn barked out a hearty laugh, spinning his staff before pointing it toward the path ahead.
"Quit your bickering, kids. We're here! The Holy Grail… lies inside that cave."
The group immediately lifted their gaze to where he pointed. Before them stretched a narrow mountain trail, cutting unnaturally into the wilderness. At first glance, it seemed wild and untouched, but upon closer look, the truth revealed itself—sections of earth had been deliberately cleared, sheer rock walls carved away to widen the path. It was unmistakable: human hands had shaped this trail, leading straight toward something hidden deep within.
The air thickened with tension. A cold wind howled from the mouth of the cave, carrying with it a damp, moldy stench… as though some ancient thing slumbered within, waiting for a fool to step inside and awaken it.
Kagami strode forward at an unhurried pace, his black cloak fluttering behind him. Bending down, he picked up a loose stone and hurled it into the darkness of the cave. The sound echoed back—clack, clack, clack…—fading only after a long while.
Without a word, he suddenly raised his boot and slammed it against the cave's outer wall. The earth shuddered with a heavy rumble; bits of rock and dust tumbled down in small showers, but the cave itself did not collapse.
Turning back with complete nonchalance, Kagami raised a thumb and spoke with casual confidence:
"Yoshi! This cave's solid. No chance it'll come down easy. You can all walk in without a worry."
"You insolent fool! Just what in the hell are you thinking?!" Olga Marie shrieked, veins bulging at her temple. "Who gave you the right to gamble our lives just to test the cave's stability?!"
Mash sighed, covering her face, while Ritsuka could only groan inwardly: Of course… only Kagami would dare use his own damned immortality as a cave-insurance test.
They were just about to step inside when—
"Fou! Fou!"
The little beast perched on Mash's shoulder suddenly bristled, fur standing on end as it growled low and vicious. Its ears shot up, eyes glowing with a primal warning.
"Fou? What is it—?" Mash tilted her head, but froze as the same suffocating pressure swept over them all. A killing intent, cold as winter steel, pressed down like a vice.
The group turned sharply, gazes drawn upward.
There, perched upon a jagged rock ledge under the pale moonlight, stood a lone figure. He wore light, pitch-black armor, with a crimson sash tied at his waist, fluttering in the wind. His skin was tanned and battle-hardened, his hair a shining silver like forged steel, and his eyes—sharp and merciless—looked down upon them without a shred of warmth.
"Well, speak of the devil and he shows up." Caster Cu Chulainn tapped his staff lightly against the ground, the corner of his mouth curling in mockery.
"Archer… Servant?" Olga Marie frowned, her body instinctively tensing with wariness.
The Archer's gaze swept over them, his voice carrying through the night, deep and cold:
"You are the same as ever… wandering into places you were never meant to tread."
"Oh? The same old gatekeeper routine again?" Caster shrugged, his tone weary but laced with provocation. "Are you guarding Saber… or that filthy thing itself? Either way… the game ends here and now."
Archer stood silent for a beat. Then, with measured calm, he raised his hand. From the void, a pitch-black bow materialized, along with a longsword laid across it to serve as an arrow. The motion was so fluid, so precise, it was as if he had repeated it thousands of times.
"My apologies… but I have no leisure to let you roam as you please." He drew the bowstring taut, the pressure around them crushing down like a mountain. His eyes, glacial and merciless, locked on the entire group.
"Your journey ends here."
Bang!!
The string snapped like thunder. The sword shot forth, transformed into a black streak of light that tore open the night sky as it hurtled straight down toward them.
"Ahh—!" Ritsuka screamed, while Olga Marie instinctively darted to the side. Mash, panicking, raised her massive shield in front of them. The piercing clang of metal rang out as the blazing arrow slammed into her defense, the impact forcing her back step by step.
Meanwhile, Kagami stood still like a spectator, hands in his pockets, tilting his head with mild interest.
"Ohh… not a bad shot with the bow, huh."
"Eihwaz!!"
Caster Cu Chulainn roared, his staff erupting with azure flames. A spiraling vortex of blue fire swallowed the arrow whole before it could pierce Mash's shield. In an instant, the devastating weapon dissolved into cinders in midair.
As the smoke cleared, Archer's gaze remained unshaken. His hand was already drawing another arrow onto the black bowstring. The air thickened, heavy with killing intent, as if the entire forest was holding its breath for the slaughter to come.
"Don't be so cold, Archer…" Caster narrowed his eyes with a mocking grin, voice dripping with provocation. "Or is it that you're not confident enough to fight me head-on?"
With that, he swept his staff in a wide arc. The night sky blazed red as runes spun like fiery wheels, bursting apart into a storm of flaming projectiles that rained down on Archer.
BOOM—!!
The ground quaked violently, dust and rubble exploding outward, tearing open the mountainside. But before the smoke could even settle, a shadow shot out of the blast—Archer soared high into the air, bow fully drawn, a black arrow blazing with energy aimed straight down at the group.
"Now's your chance—get inside!" Caster spun around and barked, staff raised high as mana flared around him. "Leave this place to me."
"Got it, Caster! Be careful!" Ritsuka shouted back, dragging Mash and Olga Marie toward the cavern entrance.
Mash didn't waste words, only nodding firmly, shield clutched tight in both hands. Olga Marie grit her teeth, quickening her pace as she followed them into the darkness.
"Oisu~! Watch yourself, blue-haired mage." Kagami slung Eternaledge over his shoulder, tossing out a lazy jab. "Don't get outclassed, or you'll be toast."
He was about to turn and follow—
Whsssh! Whsssh! Whsssh!
The air screamed as a volley of golden arrows tore through the night. Kagami reacted instantly, snapping Eternal Robe forward in a wide sweep.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions erupted all around, the ground cracking open as clouds of dust and arcs of golden lightning swallowed him whole. When the smoke cleared, Kagami still stood, the black robe falling heavy at his sides, his voice low and rough with irritation:
"Haa… looks like the plan's ruined. You go deal with Saber… I'm the one they're after."
"Kagami, you mean—?" Ritsuka began, but the answer revealed itself before the words could finish.
In the distance, space warped and twisted, a gray static-riddled screen tearing open the earth. From within it stepped a shadowed figure—armor of deep black gleaming under the moonlight, a scythe-shaped bow gripped in his hand.
Twin eyes, blood-red, burned like fire. A voice, deep and familiar, echoed across the battlefield:
"…We meet again, Eternal."
Kagami rolled his wrist, Eternaledge flashing with azure light. His reply was equally cold:
"Chalice…"
"Hmph." Chalice spun the Chalice Arrow in his grip, streams of energy dripping from it like bloodied mist. "Looks like I came just in time. That brat… at least had some worth, dragging me back to this place."
His eyes narrowed, lips curling into a murderous grin.
"Let's finish our battle, Eternal!"
"Kagami–!!" Ritsuka cried out in panic, hand unconsciously reaching toward him.
"Go! Don't waste time here!" Kagami roared back, flinging an arm to drive away their hesitation. The blue glow of his eyes behind the visor never once left the dark figure standing tall ahead.
Ritsuka bit her lip, then nodded hard. "Be careful… Kagami." She turned and fled with Mash and Olga Marie into the darkness of the cavern.
Now, only the moonlit clearing remained. Two Riders, face to face. The air grew so heavy it seemed even the dust had frozen midair.
"Come on, then… Chalice!!" Kagami gripped Eternaledge, his battle cry tearing through the night. "That sneak attack of yours—I'm still burning over it, you bastard!!"
He stomped down hard—
BOOM!!
The stone beneath shattered as his body burst forth in a streak of azure light, surging forward at blinding speed. The Eternal Memory was drawn and slammed into the Maximum Slot of Eternaledge.
[Eternal! Maximum Drive!]
The mechanical voice echoed, low and ominous, like the toll of a death bell. Eternaledge flared, a storm of azure energy whirling around its blade, power enough to cleave the sky itself. His black cape flared wide as Kagami became a comet of blue light diving down upon his foe.
[Eternal Requiem!]
CRAAASH—!!!
The entire mountainside quaked. A sweeping arc of blue energy ripped through space, the ground splitting apart into glowing fissures. Dust and ash spiraled skyward, a raging storm flattening the forest.
But Chalice did not falter. His crimson eyes blazed as he raised the Chalice Arrow to block, the black armor shuddering violently as cracks spiderwebbed along the weapon's blade.
"Hmph… don't think I'll be broken so easily!"
He slashed a Rouse Card across the Arrow—
[Reflect!]
A silver radiance enveloped the Chalice Arrow, and then—
BOOOM!!
The torrent of blue power was hurled back! Eternal Requiem, instead of annihilating its target, recoiled like a cursed blade, ripping back toward Kagami himself.
"Damn it—!" Kagami snarled, body twisting midair as Eternal Robe snapped outward, forming a shroud that devoured most of the blast. Even so, the backlash struck his chestplate head-on.
CRAAASH!!
The white Rider was hurled like a cannonball, smashing through the ruins behind. Concrete walls crumbled to dust, rubble raining down as a whole sector of Fuyuki was swallowed in smoke and debris.
Within the choking dust, Chalice's crimson eyes still burned bright. Raising the Chalice Arrow, he snarled with seething hatred:
"Get up, Eternal! The game has only just begun!!"
"Kagami-san!!" Mash screamed from the distance, her voice trembling with fear, but Ritsuka gritted her teeth and pulled her along. Together with Olga Marie, they didn't stop, plunging deeper into the cavern as planned.
Chalice gave Kagami no time to breathe. With a cold flick, he slid a card across. In the next instant his body blurred, vanishing into a streak of black that shattered the night sky, the air exploding with the crack of supersonic speed.
[Mach!]
The Chalice Arrow split into twin blades. He struck down in a storm of slashes, each blow cascading like a hurricane meant to tear the world apart. The edges carved the air into ribbons, shockwaves sending rocks and branches flying in chaos.
Kagami burst free from the rubble, Eternaledge swinging up to meet the onslaught.
CLANG!! CLANG!! CLANG!!
Steel rang out, sparks bursting like meteors scattering across the night, lighting the forest with their furious duel.
"Too slow!!" Chalice roared, eyes blazing scarlet. Another card flicked—winds of gold erupted, spiraling around his blades, doubling their speed and crushing weight.
[Tornado!]
Whirling blades of storm pressed Kagami backward step by step, white armor now marked by scorched lines. But from behind his visor, Kagami let out a low, mocking chuckle.
"Wanna play with wind…? Fine by me!!"
His left hand shot into the Maximum Jacket, pulling out the T2 Cyclone Memory.
[Cyclone!]
He slammed it into the Thigh Max Belt. At once, azure lightning surged, a violent gale howling around his form.
[Cyclone! Maximum Drive!]
A tempest of blue wind burst outward, his black cape unfurling into a raging vortex that shredded Chalice's tornado apart. Kagami charged forward like a meteor, Eternaledge descending in a deadly arc fueled by the cyclone's might.
Chalice crossed his twin blades in defense, but the crushing weight of the strike fell like thunder.
BOOOM!!
The overwhelming power slammed into him, hurling the black-armored Rider like a living cannonball. His body smashed against a colossal tree.
CRACK—!!
The trunk split apart, exploding into shards of timber as the giant collapsed. Chalice vanished beneath the avalanche of splintered wood, dust and smoke rolling in waves to cover the forest.
"Hah… not bad!" Chalice growled, his black armor trembling as cracks lit up with crimson glow, instantly knitting back together—Undead instinct forbade him from falling. With a sharp swipe of the Bio Card, writhing green tendrils burst forth from his armor, slimy and serpentine, like a living forest come alive, lashing straight for Kagami.
[Bio Plant!]
Shhk! Shhk! Shhk!
Dozens of tendrils coiled around Kagami, constricting his limbs and chest. The crushing pressure made his white armor creak and crack, energy draining from him as if his very lifeblood was being siphoned away. Pain seared through his body, Eternal Wave within him flaring desperately to resist the leeching.
"Ghh—trying to drain me?! Keep dreaming!!"
He roared, yanking out the Heat Memory and slamming it into the Arm Max Belt.
[Heat! Maximum Drive!]
BOOOM!!
Flames of searing orange erupted from his right arm, spreading across his entire body in a blazing inferno. The Bio tendrils sizzled on contact, burning to ash with a stench of charred rot as the firelight painted both warriors in crimson. Chalice howled in pain, his tendrils recoiling—only to shrivel into black dust, scattering in the blaze.
Kagami ripped free of the binding and launched forward, his right fist blazing with roaring Heat energy, unleashing a Rider Punch brimming with fury.
"Chalice—take this punch straight from me!!"
CRAAASH—!!!
The fiery blow slammed into Chalice's chest, detonating in a red-hot explosion. His black armor was hurled skyward, tumbling through rows of trees that splintered and collapsed one after another. Chalice crashed down, his armor scorched, smoke billowing from his form in thick, choking clouds.
"Kh… khhh… not bad… but you're still far from defeating me!!"
With a vicious swipe, he drew the Wild Card. Instantly, black-violet light erupted, engulfing him in a storm of shadow.
[Wild… Chalice!!]
BOOOOM!!
From the vortex of darkness, a new form emerged—jagged black wings unfurled, sharp horns jutted from his helm, his armor twisting into a feral, grotesque beast-like shell radiating raw savagery. The Chalice Arrow warped into colossal twin blades, their edges sparking with golden lightning.
[Wild Slash!!]
He slashed wide, the twin blades carving arcs of storming gold that spiraled into a roaring tempest, tearing through the night as though a bloodthirsty predator had unleashed its death cry—hurtling straight for Kagami.
"You think you're the only one with an upgrade form?!" Kagami stood tall, voice brimming with arrogance.
He raised the Zone Memory and slammed it into the Maximum Slots on the side of his Lost Driver.
[Zone! Maximum Drive!]
BOOOOOM!!
The air around them convulsed violently, Eternal Wave erupting in a torrent so intense it warped the very fabric of space. Kagami ripped the Eternal Robe from his shoulders and flung it high—instantly, the cloak dissolved into motes of azure light.
Vwoooosh—!!
All 26 T2 Memories orbited around him, each slamming into the Max Jacket, Arm Max Belt, and Thigh Max Belt with explosive force. BANG!! BANG!! BANG!!—bursts of light flared like fireworks with every connection.
Through the billowing smoke, the sharp clicks of machinery echoed—Clack! Clack! Clack!—until at last, a figure emerged.
Kagami now bore the full Strengthening Armament System, his gleaming white armor studded with glowing T2 Memory slots, azure flames flickering like ghostly fire across the battlefield. Every step he took split the ground beneath him, raw pressure grinding rubble to dust.
"Chalice… let's see who the real predator is this time!!"
Reality warped, the night itself tearing apart as Kagami unleashed the Zone Memory. His form flickered like an afterimage, teleporting in rapid succession across the field.
Vwshh—!!
In an instant, Eternal appeared behind Chalice, Eternaledge cleaving down in a searing arc of blue light. Shhk! His crimson-black back armor split open, Undead blood spraying like glowing rubies beneath the moon.
Vwshh!
Gone again—he reappeared at Chalice's flank, his fist wreathed in azure power. BOOM!! The Rider Punch exploded into his ribs, black armor splintering apart in shards.
A final flicker—Eternal manifested before him, spinning into a blazing Rider Kick that slashed the air with sapphire fire. CRACK! The hook kick smashed under Chalice's jaw, forcing a guttural howl from his throat as his head snapped sideways, crimson Undead ichor scattering like burning droplets.
"GAAAAHHH!!"
Chalice roared like a beast driven to the brink. He thrust his arm skyward, swiping two cards in quick succession.
[Float! Lightning!]
BOOOOM!!
His Wild wings snapped open wide, propelling him skyward. Above, black-violet thunderclouds split open as bolts of storming lightning rained down like the wrath of gods, hammering the battlefield in blinding, ear-splitting cascades of destruction.
Kagami stood below, head tilted back, his voice cold as steel:
"You think thunder and lightning can frighten me?"
He yanked out the Eternal Memory and slammed it into the Maximum Slot at his waist.
[Eternal! Maximum Drive!]
BOOOOM—!!
The Eternaledge blazed alive, torrents of azure energy erupting from the blade like an apocalyptic tide. [Eternal Requiem!!] —blue light devoured the black-violet storm, shredding every bolt of lightning, blasting the heavens apart in a cyclone of annihilation.
Kagami launched himself skyward, his white-blue armored body igniting into a blazing streak. The soles of his boots shone like suns as he unleashed his ultimate Rider Kick:
[Never Ending Hell!!]
THUUUUD—!!!
The sapphire inferno kick slammed straight into Chalice's Wild form chest, detonating like a meteor striking the earth. A cataclysmic explosion ripped Fuyuki's night apart, shockwaves scouring the mountainside, splintering trees and hurling stone into the air.
Chalice's body was hurled down like a falling star, crashing into the earth with a deafening impact that carved a charred crater. His crimson armor was cracked beyond repair, fragments tumbling off to expose the writhing Undead flesh beneath, desperately regenerating.
"Hah… hah… Not bad… Eternal…" Chalice knelt on one knee within the pit, chest heaving, his voice hoarse but his crimson eyes still burned with pride, refusing to yield. "You… are still that strong…"
Kagami descended, landing on the crater's rim. Eternaledge leveled straight at Chalice, its blade gleaming with condensed azure fire. His voice resounded across the shattered battlefield, cold and absolute:
"You as well, Chalice… But this second round—"
He stepped forward, blue flames roaring to life around him.
"—ends here."