Ace was taken aback by Scissors' sudden appearance. He'd suspected Volcancer was a contract monster, his intuition stemming from knowledge he gained from watching Kamen Rider Ryuki, where Volcancer was the contract monster for Kamen Rider Scissors, a Dark Rider. To now see Scissors standing right in front of him was quite a shock.
Dark Riders were Kamen Riders who used their powers for evil. Many appeared throughout the years, and Ace had also collected their gear to add to his collection in his original world.
Scissors was one of the earliest Dark Riders and had been defeated by Kamen Rider Knight. In the Ryuki show, Volcancer ate the original Scissors after his Advent Deck broke, so Ace could only assume that this Scissors was a completely different person entirely, likely from another world or timeline.
Ace tensed, ready for a fight, but Scissors held up a hand—a gesture of peace?
"No need for hostilities," Scissors says, his voice deceptively calm. He spreads his hands, a gesture of peace that doesn't fool Ace for a second. "I am Kamen Rider Scissors. I only wish to talk."
Talk? In this desolate reflection of reality? With a monster at his back?
"What do you want?" Ace asks, his voice tight. He keeps his stance low, ready to spring.
Scissors chuckles, a low, grating sound. "An invitation, young Rider. An opportunity. Join Dai-Shocker."
Dai-Shocker. Ace's blood turns to ice.
"Why would I ever do that?" he demands, his grip tightening on the hilt of the Dragsaber. "I know who you are, what you are. What Dai-Shocker is."
"Oh, but you're misunderstanding me," Scissors says, a hard edge creeping into his tone. "Dai-Shocker… we're the only ones who see the grand scheme of things. This world is descending into chaos. A narcissistic playboy, soaring around with his dangerous tech. A monster born from radiation, roaming around terrified, a walking disaster. And I'm sure you recall the monster that showed up in Harlem, a testament to unchecked power. It's nothing but chaos."
Ace scoffs. "And you think Dai-Shocker is the answer? An organization that unites every evil force across the multiverse? An organization that seeks to conquer everything?"
Scissors spreads his hands again. "Order. That's what we offer. A structured world, a world without these… accidents. No more Hulks. No more unchecked Starks. Just… order."
"At the cost of freedom?" Ace counters, anger rising. "At the cost of choice? You'd enslave everyone under your twisted ideology?"
"Sacrifice," Scissors corrects, his tone hardening. "Order requires sacrifice. A few must be guided for the good of the many."
"Guided? Or controlled?" Ace spits out, his disgust palpable. "People have the right to choose their own path, even if they stumble. They have the right to be free. You can't force order, it has to come from within."
Scissors' smile falters. "Naive," he says, his voice losing its composure. "You're blinded by sentimentality. The world doesn't work that way. People need to be led, or they'll destroy themselves. Look at the mess they've already made!"
"And Dai-Shocker's any better?" Ace retorts, his voice rising. "You're just trading one kind of destruction for another. At least chaos can create something new. What does order create? Stagnation. Oppression. Death."
Scissors' face is now a mask of frustration. "You're so close-minded! You can't see the bigger picture, the potential for true peace!"
Ace stands firm, his grip unwavering on the Dragsaber. "There is no peace in tyranny. No freedom in chains."
Scissors sighs, a long, drawn-out sound of exasperation. "It's a shame, really," he says, shaking his head slightly. "Such potential, wasted."
"So be it," Scissors says, his voice flat. With a speed that belies his earlier calm demeanor, he lunges, the scissor-like claw on his left arm glinting ominously in the dim light of the Mirror World.
Ace barely has time to react. He raises the Dragsaber, meeting Scissors' attack with a shower of sparks. The force of the blow reverberates up his arm, numbing his fingers. Scissors is strong, far stronger than Ace anticipated.
He dances back, trying to create space, but Scissors is relentless, pressing the attack. Ace is forced to parry again and again, the Dragsaber a blur of silver as he struggles to defend himself. He can feel the heat of Volcancer's presence behind Scissors, a looming threat that adds another layer of pressure to the fight.
Ace has fought stronger opponents, but Scissors' fighting style is… different. Brutal, efficient, with a focus on overwhelming force. Ace realizes he can't win this fight with brute strength alone.
He changes tactics, focusing on agility, using the Dragsaber's reach to keep Scissors at bay. He ducks under a wild swing, the claw whistling past his head, and retaliates with a quick jab, catching Scissors in the side. The orange armor sparks, and Scissors stumbles back, momentarily surprised.
Ace presses his advantage, darting around Scissors, using the desolate landscape of the Mirror World to his advantage. He leaps onto a shattered pillar, using it as a springboard to launch himself at Scissors, the Dragsaber aimed at his chest.
Scissors recovers quickly, blocking the attack with his claw, but Ace is already moving, flipping backwards and landing lightly on his feet. He grins, a flash of defiance in the gloom.
"You're stronger than I thought, Ryuki," Scissors admits, a hint of surprise in his voice. "But strength alone won't win you this fight."
[Strike Vent]
Scissors jams a card into his claw. The air crackles, and a monstrous appendage materializes on his right arm—the Scissorspinch, a massive claw ripped straight from Volcancer itself.
Damn. Ace thought, seeing the scissor blade that can cleave through concrete.
Scissors lunges, the Scissorspinch aimed directly at Ace's head. Ace ducks, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike, and retaliates with a sweep of the Dragsaber. Scissors blocks with the monstrous claw, the metal grinding against metal in a shower of sparks.
The battle intensifies, each blow carrying the force of a wrecking ball. Ace darts around Scissors, trying to exploit any opening, but Scissors is relentless, the Scissorspinch a constant threat.
He slashes, aiming for a joint in the armor, but Scissors deflects it with the claw, then counters with a savage swipe. Ace barely manages to block with the Dragsaber, the force of the impact sending him staggering back.
The air is thick with the smell of ozone and burning metal. He pants, sweat stinging his eyes. Scissors stalks forward, the Scissorspinch dripping with sparks.
The scene is now fast-paced, and Ace realizes they've reached their time limit in the Mirror World.
Ace glances at his vambrace. The red and silver armor flickers, pixelating at the edges. Time is running out.
"We're out of time. Your lucky. This isn't over, Ryuki," Scissors says, then raises a hand, and Volcancer moves to block his path.
"Get out of my way!" Ace shouts. He needs to stop them, needs to understand what Dai-Shocker is planning, but Volcancer is an insurmountable wall of chitin and rage.
Suddenly, Volcancer unleashes a barrage of explosive bubbles from its mouth. The bubbles rocket toward Ace, each one crackling with destructive energy.
No time to dodge. Ace raises the Dragsaber, deflecting as many of the projectiles as he can, but the explosions are deafening, blinding. A searing pain blossoms across his chest as one of the bubbles connects, throwing him back.
He struggles to his feet, vision swimming, but Scissors and Volcancer are gone, vanished into the shadows of the distorted mall.
The air crackles with the echoes of their departure, leaving Ace alone in the oppressive silence of the Mirror World.
Ace spits on the ground, frustration boiling in his gut. He glances down at his shaking hands, then clenches them into fists.
"Damn it." He mutters, the word lost in the eerie silence of the Mirror World. He hates losing. He hates feeling helpless.
With a sigh, he glances toward the mirror. He's been in the Mirror World for too long already. Time to get back.
Ace steps through the reflective surface, the distorted world dissolving around him as he returns to the familiar alleyway. Yuri is there, leaning against her car, her face etched with concern.
Her eyes snap to him as he emerges, her hand instinctively moving towards her holster. "Rider? What happened? Are you okay?"
He nods, though he knows he looks anything but. "I'm fine. I fought Scissors."
Yuri's brow furrows. "Scissors? Like, the cutting tool?"
Ace shakes his head. "Kamen Rider Scissors. A Dark Rider." He explains the encounter, the offer to join Dai-Shocker, and the fight that he almost lost.
Yuri listens intently, her expression growing graver with each word. "Another Kamen Rider… Wait! Do you mean there is someone else like you? That's not good."
"No," Ace agrees. "It's not. Scissors controls that crab-looking monster called Volcancer, just like how I control Dragreder."
The news seemed to pile up, one disaster after another. "It just got worse," Yuri says, her voice grim. "Where do these guys even come from?"
Ace wishes he had answers. He knows about Mirror Monsters, Grongi, but Riders? From other worlds, other realities?
"I don't know," Ace admits, his voice flat. He glanced around the alleyway. "Where's Koji?"
Yuri nods towards the street. "He went to send the civilian away."
As if on cue, Koji appears, jogging back towards them, his expression tight. "What happened? I heard explosions."
Ace grimly relayed what he just told Yuri. "Another Rider," Ace said. "Working for Dai-Shocker."
Koji's eyes widened. "That's… a problem. A big problem."
Yuri sighs. "We'll have to discuss this next time," Yuri said, "They got away, and we need to regroup."
Ace nods, already turning to leave. He has a bad feeling about this. And he needs to train.
***
Leave a comment and review of your thoughts
Give some power stones to support this novel.
Advance chapters are in my P@|r3on - Najicablitz