Author's Note:

Well then, I never thought myself writing this considering the other five stories I'm currently juggling, but I liked the idea too much to let it go! Just a little shout-out, this piece of work is inspired by Kamen Rider Ryuki as well as my friend E.T Novem and his Rider fanfic, Kamen Rider Zero! Be sure look them up if you guys are interested! Well then, without further ado...

Chapter I: Just A Rabbit's Foot.

A thick blackness surrounds me. Each of my steps forward only echo in the dark, peeling away the painful silence. With what light I could muster from my torch, my fingers fumbled across the sculpted walls. The hieroglyphics depict that which I know all too well. Figures that stood out amongst the masses, champion of the people, chosen participants. Atop rabid beasts these 'Riders' wage war on ancient land so that the thirst of blood could be sated.

Then and only then, will the key make its appearance.

"Hey."

A tiny voice tried calling out to me, but it's meager appearance do little to capture my attention. Everything was in the text! Everything was preserved! And that means, the door itself can very well be located somewhere near these ruins!

"Oi, Kawaguchi!" The voice, in frustration lashes out at my ear before a small but forceful grip pulled me away from the walls. "What are your plans now, Kawaguchi?" The brawny man asked out to me, staring into my eyes. His grizzled exterior only masks the intelligence so often dismissed. My colleague and fellow researcher, Nishimura Nobu, is as much a man of science as he is a man of action. We've been in these ruins for close to five hours now, and he's already eager for us to collect our findings and leave.

Something about this place seems to creep him out, by the looks of his behavior observed. Perhaps bringing him with me was the wrong thing to do. I thought I might have need of his strength to traverse this place.

No matter, I need to go deeper. Only into the abyss shall I find that which I seek.

"Ah, I'm very sorry about all this, old friend." Pulling on the usual smile, I give a bow in apology before I continue. "But, we just need to go on a bit further." Nishimura only looked to the walls after hearing my response before turning back to me.

"Fine, just hurry it up! We've already discovered the ruins, we should get a team down here, secure the place you know?" Somewhat relieved at his answer I pushed on, making my way down the stone steps. "You know this as well as I do, Kawaguchi, ruins like this aren't exactly the safest place to be." As he finished, the floor beneath my feet seemed to buckle as we enter into what looks like a great hall. The main hall, in fact.

It's not that I disagree with you, my friend, but no one other than the two of us needs to know about the existence of these ruins.

"...not after finding this." The words mumbled out of my thoughts in excitement.

"What was that?" As his eyes flew to all sides, Nishimura's sharp ears caught my whisper, and he only asks out in confusion. "Whoa, what is that?" Suddenly, all manner of thought is lost as he lay eyes on the very same thing I'm making my way towards.

There in the middle of the open hall, is a monument that stands a little more than eight meters tall. Light gushing down from the cracked ceiling showed angels, beasts and demons alike, adorned all across its edges. Like an oversized tablet, its surfaced were marred, whatever symbols carved into stone withered by age, save for a single, crimson piece, sticking out from its center. The remnants of the previous war, ended before anything was achieved! The key sits firmly inside the lock...

Now if only I could just turn it... Eh? I can't turn it. It's...stuck?

The key soils crimson onto the palm of my hand, but no matter how much I try, success continues to elude me. Only upon closer inspection did I notice the hue of the key dulled and flaking. It's...incomplete?

"What the heck are you trying to do to the monument, Kawaguchi?" All of a sudden my thoughts are cut off by the voice calling from my back. My eyes pinned on the key, I could only heed the decision made in mind as I gave my reply.

"Nothing, nothing at all. Don't worry about it..."As my words ended, my voice trailed off while my arms started moving. They dug furiously into my satchel, looking for the tool I desperately need on hand right now. Just as I felt the presence of my friend behind me, my fingers wrapped around the runic hilt. I turned, and as the face of Nishimura came into my sights, my free hand grabbed hold of his shoulders before I plunged my ceremonial dagger right through his stomach.

"Riiippp!"

"Gragh-!" Before Nishimura's expression changed from one of curiosity to that of utter despair, pain eschewing itself into the light of his eyes, my grip tightened as I gave him another shove in order to create a deeper puncture. There is no other choice. With that line repeating itself in my mind, I tore out the dagger from the wound with complete focus.

"Skletch."

As soon as I saw the silver blade stained with crimson blood I turn back to the key, smearing it all over the key. As if awakened the artifact gorged down the blood as if it hadn't fed for centuries, literally sucking the blade clean! As the sliver of blood vanished, the key seemed to glow a faint light, and a loud hum pulsed forth. Mild tremor shook the very ruins as I gave the key a forceful twist once more...

"Click." With little to no effort, the key slips into place, unraveling the lock with a subtle click that seemed to echo in the silence that surrounds the ruin.

And then, nothing. The darkness linger and the silence resumed. Suddenly, light shimmer out between the edges of every symbol sculpted on the monument. In a surge of power, the crimson light broke the oversized tablet in half, and threw the pieces each to the sides! A thousand voices beyond description screamed forth from the light, and a force unlike any other flowed out from its core. Like a hand it threatened to tear my body apart, crushing down on every part of my body!

"Augh-! Kaawwaaggguuucchhiiiii!" At my back, Nishimura is thrown off his feet by the sheer backlash of the force, screaming out my name. A single glance showed me his bloodshot eyes, half-fallen into unconsciousness. Removing the last remnant of him from my memory, my focus went back to the monument itself. Images poured through, some in grief while other raged, but all in all, the gate itself showed no sign of dying down.

As light all but swallowed the entire ruin, I found my grip slipping. And yet, there remained but a smile on my face...

Nagasaki-shi, Japan – Main street.

Even amidst shadows I find myself assaulted by the faint smell of grass and the constant chirping of the birds. It wasn't long before the heat got to me, puling me out of the dazed sleep I often find myself drawn into. With half-opened eyelids, I tossed my arms to the sides, giving my body a nice stretch as I pulled my straw-hat back. When my vision rose beyond that of my tiny little table set up before myself, however, I come face to face with a young lady.

A high school girl in uniform, with flowing bangs and a bag slung over her right shoulder. She bears the common look of wonder and curiosity on her face, mired by a small hint of disbelief. In other words, the face of my usual clientele!

"Pyromantic Fortune-telling? What is that? Is that even a real word?" The girl shoots me a lot of questions, but took a seat before me nonetheless. "Is this legit? Where's the tools you need, your crystal ball or tarot cards?" Youths and their overwhelming curiosity, she await her divination with skeptic eyes and her hands pulled to her sides.

She looks as though she's gonna pounce at the very first sight of a mistake!

"Heh, good afternoon to you, my dear customer. My name is Kawaguchi Yuudai." First thing's first, the appropriate formalities of course. "Now, to answer your original question, all I need is this." Looking into her eager eyes, I brought up the only thing I need.

"A matchbox?" Her eyes sharpening, I can see her growing even more doubtful of my craft. "It's not that thing?" As her gaze shifted, she pointed towards a dangling memento attached to the side. It's an old, furry rabbit's foot, adorned with crafted metal and attached to lengthy chains.

True, it would seem more believable I guess if I used this as my foci instead, but I'm not much of a Scryer, though.

"Nah, that's just a rabbit's foot. On the plus side, look, no smoke and mirrors! I'm even doing it in broad daylight, at the side of the street! You can't find a more genuine article than this, young lady!" As best I could I reassure her with pride, hoping to drive away her doubtful thoughts. "Now then, my young flower, what's your name?" As politely as I could, I started the ritual, stretching out my hand. The ocular process will need something to root out the desired results.

"Um, it's Yamada, Yamada Kasumi." She mutters out after a few seconds of contemplation, and as each syllable is heard, I had them carefully etched into my mind.

"Huh, nice name." The comment is given out with a smile as with a sharp stroke I lit up a single match. Piercing through its roaring blue flames, I peered for an image, and answer, using Yamada's name to draw it out.

And in that instant, everything else around me was gone, shut out and ignored. The table disappeared, as did the glare of the late-afternoon sun. All that's left was just me sitting in a void of darkness, and the flame dancing before my eyes...

Within the saturated hues, something flickered to life. Images started forming, and the first thing I see is Yamada being...frightened? Her eyes were blown open, and the severe shock left her unable to move, her entire body slumped on the ground. As the images zoomed ever closer to her, I watched in horror as a claw reached for her face, and without hesitation, gouged out her eyes, nose and mouth. Specifically, the entity craved for her young, luscious face...

"Ngh..hah..huff.." Before I know it I'm back to where I was, sweating out of fear and slight disbelief. The flame born from the ignition of the single matchstick had died out. Yamada, still seated at the other end of the table, is now looking at me with scrutinizing eyes, looking slightly worried and confused.

"Um...Kawaguchi-san? Are you okay? Did you see something?" As was the natural reaction, she started calling out to me as she started waving her arms to get my attention.

"S-Sorry." In an effort to regain myself, I can't help but fluster a bit as I tried to speak. "Yamada-san, ahead of you stands a great ordeal. Danger lurks ever closer. I have nothing more to say than to advise you to stay safe. Your youth and beauty will be hunted." The more I try to explain what I saw, the more ridiculous it ended up sounding.

"What are you talking about?!" Of course, in the face of such a divination, Yamada could do little but scream out agitated, and I can hardly blame her. "Are you saying I'm going get hurt? Because of my youth and beauty?! That's ridiculous!" By now, most of the people passing-by had their eyes pinned at the commotion happening at my little table.

"Crash!"

In her panic, Yamada had scrambled out of her seat, knocking over everything I had set-up in a sheer moment of folly. Even as it happened, I couldn't get myself to move. I found myself conflicted. Part of me felt pity for the girl, and wanted to help her avoid that fate. Another cursed the divination I got, even though it was all part and parcel of my line of work. Just as Yamada was stomping away, my body finally snapped out of it!

"W-Wait, listen to me, you have to be careful, Yamada-san!" In the end, I ended up screaming after her even as she dived into the crowds, unable to resign myself to inaction. With fear gnawing at her, Yamada only turned back with worrying eyes before she disappeared into the bustling streets.

Hours has passed since I last saw Yamada, her long, ebon hair flowing against the wind even as she rushed off in fear. The streets are now dyed with the orange tint of the setting sun, with both students and adults alike making their way home. As I sit here in a daze, they would carry on their chatter, finding joy in their lives despite not knowing what's to come. Unlike them, however, I'm plagued by the constant replay of what's going to happen to Yamada flashing across my mind.

If nothing else, the brutal violence is horrifying. I can't help but end up worrying for her.

"Dammit, just what the heck's going to attack her anyway?! If only I have some sort of clue!" I screamed out into the evening sky, somewhat scaring some of the passerby. The images had come and go many times now, but they never showed the face of the creature that craved for Yamada. Only the claw ever came into sights, and even then, they don't seem human at all! It looked gnarled and twisted, a hollowed visage.

I have no other choice, I have to do another divination, this time to figure out a way for Yamada to avoid that fate!

"Skritch."

In my haste, my fingers trembled as I went and tried to pull out a single matchstick, resulting in the whole box spilling out. It's a good thing I'm still doing it at my little table otherwise I would've been picking them up from the open road. In a sudden state of self-reflection I can't help but realize how off tangent I've gone in terms of my objectives for today.

The idea was to earn a little money so that I can find a place to stay, and now I'm desperately searching for a way to help a girl I just met today.

"Oh well, I guess it's no big deal." The words slipped out just as I recovered all of the matchsticks and drew out a new one. "I'm no hero, but it's nice doing something heroic for a change!" As thought changed to words, another swift stroke lit up blue flames amidst the orange landscape. My torrent of thoughts cleared as my eyes peered through the fire once more, pushing away all else in search of an answer. I'm not using a name this time, just a single desire...

Yamada must live!

Then, the same thing happened, a sudden transition, and I'm no longer in the streets of Nagasaki. Instead, the empty void spreads its darkness around me, creating this space of emptiness. No sound, no feeling, just this faint light coming from the flames before my eyes. Amidst the lashing, cackling embers, images started fading into existence once more...

"Aah!"

The presence of sound shook me into focus, as Yamada's piercing scream hit me hard. The creature, like before, ravished at sight of her fear as it approached her, clamping down on her neck and pulling her off the ground. Yamada would struggle with all her might, but it ended up looking like nothing more than an insect trying to break free from a lion's grip. She's just not nearly strong enough. Just as everything's about to end the very same way before, everything came to a grinding halt as the creature sensed something threatening!

A pair of amber eyes that hungers amidst shadows deep within the forest!

"Nnggaaauuurrgghh!" A thunderous roar all but froze the creature where it stood, and as its eyes jerked towards it source, from the forest came a creature as big as a mini-van. It charges with such speed that I can't even make out most of its features, except for a pair of antlers that meanders off of the beast's head and a blur of black and maple fur. With the roads quaking at its every move, the beast would charge head first into-

-me?

"Guh!" There I stood, my curtained hair standing on their ends, in the same red and white double-sleeved shirt I'm wearing for today! Even as the beast stopped before the other me, he didn't run. All he's capable of is severe trembling due to the shock, his knees shaking even when seen from a distance.

"Neyargh!" With a piercing grunt, the beast towered over me, its shadow all but swallowed me up. There and then I caught a glimpse of the beast, with overbearing antlers that reached for the skies, and a pair of long ears flowing down its sides, before it rammed its head downwards, sending it crashing towards the other me. That got him moving, kicking the ground in a desperate attempt to dodge!

"Crack."

"Argh! Augh!" Unfortunately, the left leg got caught, and within seconds came a bloodcurdling scream of pain. The fact that it was my voice made it that much more unbearable to hear! Unrelenting, the creature which shared with me its sense of sight watched on as the beast raises its right claw, before promptly bringing it down, slashing across the chest of the other me.

"Skletch."

In horror, I watched myself thrown to the ground and squirming in pain, silent in shock. The last thing I could put myself through before my eyes just shut themselves, was my other self's final attempt to cling onto life. The hand clawed at the Beast's right antler before a sudden outrage tore my body in two!

"Ah! Gah! Aurgh!" The burst of reality struck me just as my eyes tore open, sound, sights and feel all rushing back in a torrent as my mind purposely ejected itself out of the divination! At the very same time I lost control of my motors skills, tossing my matchbox aside as well as tilting over the tiny table that was my stand, before falling on the side of the asphalt road flat on my behind. Drenched in sweat, the sight of the public turning their attention to me was only accompanied by the feeling that my heart is gonna burst out of my chest.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

"T-That was... way longer than what I expected..." Ignoring everything else, the first thing I tried to do is to regain myself. Still, even with the constant thumping gone, I still can't believe what I saw, what's going to happen.

You never quite feel the same after seeing your spine ripped in two.

"So I'm gonna die as well?" As if it wasn't depressing enough, I end up doubting my own divination. In my opinion, it's pretty healthy to wanna live. That's when the thought came to me.

This only happened because of my initial divination. Did my desire to help Yamada get out of her ordeal somehow shifted my fate? Certainly I had no previous indication that my death was near before just minutes ago. And now, my path has drastically changed...

Does this mean I'll be okay if I...if I leave Yamada alone to her fate?

"If anything, I know that whatever comes, you'll do the right thing."

In the chaos that was my thoughts, a voice long I thought I forgotten suddenly surfaced, a reminder of my past. For a moment, all my worries disappeared, the frightening images pushed aside to make way for a piece of memory held close in my heart.

"What's this, dad?" I called out to him while staring at the soft, fluffy thing he placed in my hands. It looked kinda funny.

"Well, that's a genuine rabbit's foot. It's for good luck!" As he patted me on my head, Dad gave me the explanation with a calm, gentle smile, something you don't see very often. "I'm sorry I have to leave you like this, Yuudai, but the destiny waits for no one." Behind his cryptic words, I saw sadness filling the light of dad's eyes, as young as I was. As if understanding what he meant, I gave him a small nod in reply.

"Learn all you can from your mother, and when your study's complete, come find me. In the meantime, this good luck charm's my way of looking over you." Dad continued as he gave me a final pat on the head, before turning to the door, but not before I raised my pinkie to seal the deal.

"Promise?"

"Heh, promise." Dad replied, locking his big pinkie with mine.

"You're a good kid. If anything, I know that whatever comes, you'll do the right thing." Those were his last words before he disappeared through the front door that day. And for whatever reason, I never want to be the one to break that promise!

For some odd reason, as the memory faded away, there was a peace in place of the chaotic thoughts before. As night approaches, and the streets gets more and more empty, I finally pushed myself up from the ground. Dusting away the grime and dirt, I found myself staring at my matchbox as I slowly picked it up...

On one hand, the right thing to do would be to go help Yamada out by preventing the event that is supposedly happening today, on the other, the smart thing to do would be to let destiny takes its course and I'll have chance to survive...

"Hmph, the answer's always been as plain as day!" With a wry smile, I quickly packed up my stuff and broke off into a dash, with the one destination clear in mind.

The moon lingers in the night sky devoid of any clouds. Like a pale face, it watches over like a bad omen to the foreseen events that was about to occur. With the roads so close to the forest, it's known to be deserted at night, devoid of anything besides the number of lit lampposts littered along the corners. And yet, tonight would serve to break that rule, as a young teenager wanders the path, having taken her dog for a walk and having taken a detour from her usual route.

"Oh man, why'd you pull me all the way here tonight, Koro?" The girl's familiar voice rang out into the silence, and even amidst the clambering footsteps, the scene is so quiet it's almost painful. "Are you okay? You seemed distraught..." Her voice filled with worry, she took a moment to comfort her furry little friend. Indeed, the dog has its eyes all over the place, and a certain wariness to its every step.

They seem unharmed. Good, I was afraid I could have been too late!

"Grr..." Suddenly, as if it caught a scent with it nose, the white canine took a stance, his growling growing ever more furious. The next moment came as it burst into full-blown barking! Tugging along its leash, it had its eyes staring into the trees leading into the forest, and as my own eyes followed, a ghastly figure came into sights.

"W-What is it, boy?" Obviously catching on, Yamada stiffened her shoulders as she glanced in the same direction, only to see naught but trees. "I don't understand, there's nothing there..."

Of course, she can't see the spirit. As it faded into existence, I watched from a distance behind them, my mind screaming for a plan. There was hardly a presence from the thing, it looked humanoid, with arms and legs with a white, torn robe draping over its body. The hair, perhaps the most disturbing sight, would dance and sway with a life of its own, its ends jerking around endlessly. And then I came to see its face...

Well, if it had any. I certainly couldn't see anything, just an inhuman pale skin over where its eyes, nose and mouth should be.

"So that's what it is, a Noppera-Bo. One of those faceless ghosts..." Right, in my studies I've learned of spirits like these. Mostly harmless, they derive a thrill from frightening people, usually by masquerading as their friends or family before pulling off their faces, leaving only skin where the features should be.

But, if it's a Noppera-Bo, then I don't understand. Records never said anything about these spirits hungering for the living, nor do they gouge out the face of their prey...

All of a sudden I'm met with the weight of a glare. It chills me down to the bones. A seething presence that regards me not as a person, but as nothing more than a fly, and if I'm worthy of being its prey! Gritting down on my teeth, I finally forced movement!

There! Amidst the trees! The same amber eyes gazes out, as if piercing into my very soul! Distracted for a second, I failed to catch the sudden burst of pale, purple light that seemed to pour forth from the Beast! When it ceased, a ball of spectral energy spiked forward, ricocheting at every turn before impaling the Noppera-Bo in the back! With beads of sweat flowing down my neck, even I can't accept the sheer impossibility of the current situation enough to predict what's going to happen next!

"Urf..urf, urf.." A sudden shift of behavior, almost unbelievably so, drove Yamada's dog into fear. Its barking now reduced to small whimpers, it now sought to hide behind Yamada as if to shield itself from a fearsome threat.

And that is never a good sign.

"Gi-gi-gi-gi-gi-gi-gi..." The very scene sent shivers down my spine. Before me, the Noppera-Bo undergoes a metamorphosis. Its skin becomes rotten, and its limbs grew gnarled and twisted, blackening into the hue I remember from my divination. The spiritual body convulses violently as if it's in pain from being overwhelmed by the alien power now coursing through its veins. "Ge-ge-geyargh!" No longer just a spirit, it forces its way into the physical realm just as a monstrous mouth ripped itself across its previously empty face!

Immediately after, it lunges towards Yamada with this overbearing, lustful presence completely unlike anything before!

"Aah!"

"Yamada!" Just as the very same scream struck me once more, everything began playing back. The things I saw, what's going to happen next. The sheer terror of it all as enough to shock me into action, kicking the ground hard as I broke into a sprint, hoping to get to her first before that thing!

"Nnggaaauuurrgghh!" Then came the roar that shook the earth! And every thing I had in mind just broke into pieces. As the Beast charged out of the forest in the distance, my body refused to move. Whether it's from fear or resignation, I couldn't tell.

Ba-dump.

I had hoped to do something before this sequence started, but now that it's already happening, all I can think of is the tragedy that would befall me in mere seconds. Strange as it might be, it feels as though the Beast's charge is slowing down as my mind is being strangled with information. First I'm gonna lose my left leg, then I'm gonna get mauled, and finally, torn apart like some soft toy?

Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

I already know how all of this is gonna go down, don't I?

Stricken with an overbearing heartbeat that sought to tune everything out, I felt like a headless chicken staring at the face of death, only I wasn't moving, not one bit. Even time dragging on will eventually pass, and after what felt like an hour later, the beast finally stopped before me, towering over me with its bestial visage. Down to the very few seconds I find myself strangely admiring the antlers that grew gracefully off the top of its head.

That, and I finally realized what this beast is from the sight of its giant bucktooth...

"Not today, Jackalope."

"Neyargh!" There it is, the grunt, that's the signal! Immediately my body leaped at my command, scrambling back at quickly as I could, something I could do only because I've seen it all happened before! At the edge of my eyes, the monster has already gotten Yamada around its nasty grip, looking to tear at her face! That was when the Jackolope's head came rushing down, crashing through the asphalt road itself, barely missing me by a mere inch!

"Crash!"

"Take this!" Without hesitation, I followed through with the hastily made plan in my mind, raising my right elbow to strike down on the Jackalope's head!

Crack.

"Ngargh!" With but a simple shrug I'm pushed back, with only a small grunt from the beast to ascertain whether the blow had any effect at all. And I think I heard my elbow joint crack. Without breaking momentum, the Jackalope's already raising its right claw, lunging right at me with what felt like a gaze of disbelief, and renewed anger! With a burst of adrenaline, I twisted to the sides, making sure I'm safe from where the claw would land. Just as its head came close, I remembered the final sight before, and wrapped my left fingers around the Jackalope's right antler!

"Hragh!" Before it would pull me off the ground, I countered with a preemptive strike, using momentum to throw my body upwards!

In the confusion, the Beast would break out into a rampage, thrashing all around in an effort to throw me off its back. Barely holding on, it felt as though my arm's gonna rip right off as my body barely missed the horny spikes sprouted from the antlers! Driven into panic, the Jackalope would restart its charge, hoping to throw my off from the force alone!

"Ngh...alright, now you listen to me! Hhhrraaagghh!" Heaving with all my might, I somehow managed to tug hard enough on its antlers to slightly shift the direction of the charge. Now, it's headed right for that thing that's just about to start gouging at Yamada!

"Gyyeehhh!"

"Nyargh!"

With a wild crash, that thing and I are thrown into the air. The monster ended crashing a good few meters away while I tumbled towards Yamada, the rocky road scraping against all sides. As my vision cleared and the dizziness died down, I saw Yamada coming over and pulling me up.

"Kawaguchi-san! Are you okay?!" She called out my name, partly-screaming and partly-crying. Between each syllable I could hear her voice cracking down.

"Huh! Cough! Cough! Hah...I'm fine, I'm okay!" Before long, my blocked throat cleared, and so did the slew of pain from that reckless act. I'm surprised that I didn't made a sound when I fell off of the Jackalope! Pulling myself up, we found ourselves trapped between that mutated Nappera-Bo already recovering itself in the distance, shaking off every injury with a painful crack, and the Beast now towering over the two of us, staring with its glowing amber eyes!

"S-So what's the plan?!" Clinging to my arm, Yamada's now literally screaming into my ears!

"I-I don't know! I didn't know I was gonna get this far!" Of course, that doesn't mean I'm any more calmer than she is, so I ended up yelling back. For some reason, my hands reached out for the rabbit's foot dangling at my side and yanked it off the. Twitching at my movement, the Jackalope geared itself for another ramming attack, looking to bring its antler crashing down on the two of us! The only thing I managed do was raise my arms in a meager attempt to block!

...

Except the impact never came.

"Shiiing..."

I opened my eyes to the sight of a blinding light shining forth, as well as a soft humming hitting my ears. The light felt safe, warming me up as it wrapped emanated from the source, which was apparently my right hand. In our surprise, Yamada and I were left speechless as we came to see the Jackalope now pressing its forehead at my Rabbit's foot, almost as if giving me acceptance and respect. The raging beast from before had vanished, and within seconds, the Jackalope was absorbed into the light, disappearing into my tiny good luck charm!

Then, before my eyes the charm just disintegrated, vanished in the palm of my hands, leaving me rightly confused at this sudden turn of events.

"Gi-gi-gi-gi-gi-geyargh!" The creaking voice captures our attention, and just in time I turned back to the mutated Noppera-Bo only to receive its piercing shriek once more as it flew right at me! Like an animal, its twisted claws slashed at us without mercy or remorse!

"Skletch!"

"Augh! Ouch!" By reflex I had raised my arms up once more, and like paper, my skin was torn and my flesh ripped. From the pain came a wave of nausea, disorienting me as I stumbled backwards, arms now instinctively wrapped around my body!

"Set, aaand locked!"

"Kawaguchi-san, are you okay?! You're bleeding!" Just as the mechanical voice caught me by surprise, Yamada rushed to my side, concerned over my ravaged arm. Still, I can't help but push her back, the further away from the Noppera-Bo the better!

"Ack..hah..I'm..hah..I'm fine.." With the Jackalope gone, my death must have been averted. Now all that's left is Yamada's fate!

"What is that?" Suddenly, she started crying out again, pointing towards my waist. Following along her line of sight, another strange occurrence came to light. A strange, techno-organic belt buckle is now wrapped along my waist. Its design, that of a black emblem sculpted with the full-body profile of a rabbit etched with pink lines, is unlike anything I had ever seen! A stripe of nine orbs lined from the bottom right to the upper left edges, all chained except for the first one where a lever sits, locked behind it. The only moveable parts are the rabbit's horns and it's tail...

"Wait a minute, horns? Antlers! It's not a rabbit, it's a Jackalope!" The revelation hits me pretty hard just as the Noppera-Bo lunged at me once more!

"Skletch!"

"Gah, that was my favorite arm!" Strange that I could muster such nonsense even as I fell to my knees from the pain. The blow had torn through a good chunk of flesh, and the blood is already pouring forth! With my vision wavering I pulled myself right back up in time to throw a cross at old faceless!

"Geh!" For some reason, the blow connected, with my knuckle striking its row jagged teeth, sending it stumbling back in what seemed like disbelief. I'm starting to regret it when the pain from my ruined right knuckle rushed back at me, though. As my eyes flew all over the place, searching for options, they somehow ended up on the alien thing around my waist.

Two moveable parts, and it seemed as though the horns have already clicked into place, I wonder what happens if I flicked the tail?

"Ngh..hah.. Yamada-san, maybe you ought to stand back, I have no idea what's gonna happen next..." I muttered out before throwing a quick glance towards my back. I'm glad to see her listening to me, scrambling a few paces away from me and the mutated Noppera-Bo. Betting everything on this chance, I steeled myself as my eyes turned back towards the agitated monster once more and my right hand reached for the tail...

The suspense is killing me...no wait, that's the pain...

Click.

"Rider unleashed!"

Once again, I'm assaulted by the same mechanical voice, this time as clear as day. Distracted, I failed to notice the surge of light rushing out of the emblem, engulfing my whole body in the manner of seconds. That's when the strange sensation started, the feeling of armor and leather going over the surface of my skin and clothes. In a blink of an eye my vision went from purple to yellow, until I finally realized I'm now wearing a helmet, complete with its own mask!

When everything died down, the pain disappeared, and my body felt lighter than ever.

No wait, that's wrong. I feel empowered!

"Whoa, Kawaguchi-san, what did you do?!" A good five meters away, Yamada suddenly called out to me in awe, and for the first time tonight, her voice stopped quaking in fear. In response, I couldn't help but look down my own body.

"N-No way..." I can't help voicing my surprise as I saw everything. I'm now fully armored, from head to toe, with a metallic cuirass resembling that jackalope's face from before, silver with two amber stripes and pink linings etched along the edges. My helmet is spiked up from my ears, sliding slightly to my back with two oval shaped amber pieces that forms the visor. Gauntlets and a pair of half-greaves bearing the same color palette are wrapped around my arms and legs, with the same belt in the center holding everything together.

"Geh.. Geyargh..." As if sensing something out of my presence, I turned back only to see the mutated Noppera-Bo took a stance, hissing away as if threatened. Suddenly, knowledge of what I'm to do next just comes into mind, and the next thing I know I'm already making my way to confront the monster.

"Gragh!" Breaking into feral madness, the Noppera-Bo finally jumped at me, throwing its claws out at me in a rampage! Unlike before, however, I need not panic, and with a calm mind I raised my gauntlets up to block once more.

"Ka-shink!"

"Hragh!" Barely feeling the blow, I geared up for a counter attack, this time throwing that thing an uppercut! Taking the full brunt of the blow, enhanced by armor, the Noppera-Bo was sent reeling back, stumbling in disorientation. Going with the flow, all it took was a little spring to my steps for me to leap towards the monster, closing in on it to connect with a side-cross! As the very ground cracked at my every bound, my assault continued, lunging back at the thing once more before finishing up with a roundhouse kick!

The most surprising thing is that I probably would've failed at those moves on my own. One way or another, this suit is somehow enhancing my capabilities!

"Gack!" With a pained cry, the monster is sent smashing into the ground, throwing up sand and dust by the clouds! However, as those very clouds cleared, the same fiendish purple light appeared, smoldering forth from the Noppera-Bo itself! "Geeyyyaaarrrggghhh!" As the power peaked, I could feel the murderous presence cutting through, even with all my armor! With another piercing howl, it lunges right at me once more, power literally seeping from its claws!

"Krank!"

"Thunk!"

The thing popped right in front of me in an instant, and the next thing I know, sparks were flying as the slashes cut right through my new armor, ripping even into my flesh and skin! By the time pain gushes forth, I'm already smacked off of my feet and into the air!

"Augh!" This time, It was my turn to smash face-first into the ground, the very road breaking apart as a million stones ground themselves into my back! That's when I realized I can't drag this on, not if the monster's gonna keep growing just like before!

"Hagh!" As soon as my vision stabilized, I mustered all my strength and burst free of the pile of rocks, soil and stone atop of my head. As soon as the ravenous thing came into sights, my legs pushed to the ground once more, and launched myself towards it in a massive, earth-shaking pounce! Instincts taking over, my body twisted as my leg is stretched out, mustering all the energy I have into a single, high jump kick! Indeed, it wasn't just an idea in my mind, as light particles seemed to swarm themselves around my right leg, glowing pink and growing hot as the power is accumulated!

"Haah!" The scream burst out just as the kick slammed right into the Noppera-Bo's chest! Energy sparked from the blow, and as I gave it a second kick to launch myself backwards, I saw its skin ripping apart, and the purple energy overloading from its very veins!

"Ge-ge-ge-geeyyyaaaarrgghh!" Unable to handle the alien energy after sustaining my kick, the Noppera-Bo broke down and self-destructed before my very eyes!

"Kaboom!"

The explosion tore into the roads, setting everything ablaze as the very night sky turned orange fore a few seconds! Relieved that it's finally over, a sudden wave of exhaustion gnawed at every inch of my body as I turned and started making my way towards Yamada, who ended up staring through the fight with awe and disbelief. As she ran up to me, still taken aback by my transformation, I somehow found my hand reaching for the tail once more.

Click.

In another silent surge of light, everything came off in an instant, just like before. Unfortunately, the pain came back as well, piercing from the few throbbing wounds littered across my two arms.

"Oh my gawd, Kawaguchi-san, your arms!" It's good to hear her voice. By now it's the only thing keeping me awake, pushing away the nausea. As Yamada somehow got my arm around her, lending me her support, my eyes fell only to see the wounds before no longer bleeding.

That's good, no more leaking out any of the good stuff...

Of course, my mind started to wander after that. Next thing I know Yamada's voice drowned out, and my vision began to blur. Still, what happened tonight felt so surreal I wondered if there was any chance it could have all been a dream. Though I guess the pain kinda negates that theory. Soon everything kinda zoned out, with my mind slowly going silent, my line of thought coming to a halt. Next thing I know I'm on the ground, and every cell in my body screamed for me to sleep. As my blurry eyes finally closed, the final line of thought that kept repeating itself finally went out...

I'm so glad I managed to keep Yamada safe.

And cut! The first episode finally comes to an end! That's right, every chapter will comprise of a whole episode! A rabbit(well, Jackalope really)-based rider is something I always wanted to see! What do you guys think of Yuudai? Or maybe you have something to say about Yamada? I would love to hear your thoughts in your reviews! As always, I'll find time to update the next chapter as soon as I'm able!