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A Rider Kick in Marvel Rewrite Ch 81
🕑 Added 2025-04-30 14:40:12 +0000 UTCThe bustling shopping mall is a cacophony of sounds and smells, a stark contrast to the sterile silence of the hospital room. Yellow police tape cordons off a section of the mall, creating an island of grim reality amidst the consumer frenzy. Curious onlookers crane their necks, whispering and pointing, their faces a mixture of morbid fascination and unease.
He follows Yuri and Koji through the crowd, his senses on high alert. He can feel the vibrations of the city, the collective anxieties of its inhabitants. But beneath that, a faint, discordant note—the signature of the Mirror World.
"This is the spot," Yuri says, her voice low and professional. She gestures to a shattered mirror lying on the floor, shards of glass glinting under the mall's bright lights. "A father vanished while he was shopping with his daughter. Witnesses say he was looking at his reflection when the mirror suddenly shattered. The daughter's traumatized. Can't say much other than 'Daddy disappeared'."
Ace kneels beside the shattered mirror, his fingers brushing against the smooth surface of the glass. The air around it feels cold, stagnant. He closes his eyes, focusing his energy, trying to reach out with his heightened senses. It's like tuning a radio, searching for a specific frequency amidst the static.
He scans the area, his gaze lingering on the reflective surfaces – the polished floors, the glass storefronts, the mirrored displays. He can feel the presence of the Mirror World, a distorted echo of reality, lurking just beneath the surface. It's faint, almost imperceptible, but it's there.
Yuri watches him intently. "Can you sense anything, Rider?"
He takes a deep breath, trying to filter out the noise and distractions. "Come on, focus."
Then, it hits him. A faint ringing, almost like tinnitus, but… different. It's high-pitched, metallic, resonating deep within his skull. He opens his eyes, his gaze snapping to a large department store mirror across the way.
"Yeah," he says, his voice barely above a whisper. "I hear something. A ringing… It's faint, but it's definitely coming from that mirror." He points towards the department store mirror.
Yuri exchanges a look with Koji, her expression tightening with resolve. "Alright, let's move."
They rise to their feet, Yuri drawing her weapon, Koji following suit. Ace takes the lead, his senses guiding him through the throng of shoppers, towards the department store mirror and the unknown danger that awaits.
The ringing intensifies with each step he takes, drilling into his skull. The department store mirror looms ahead, its surface shimmering with an unnatural light. The mall's noise fades, replaced by a high-pitched whine that seems to vibrate the very air around him.
Something's wrong, Ace thinks. Very wrong.
He quickens his pace, ignoring the stares of the shoppers. Yuri and Koji stay close, their expressions grim, weapons raised. The air crackles with tension, a palpable sense of anticipation.
As he gets closer to the mirror, he notices something… off. The reflection isn't quite right. The image is distorted, wavering like heat haze. He stops, his eyes narrowing, focusing on the mirrored surface.
There, in the depths of the reflection, a figure begins to coalesce. It's humanoid, vaguely, but… wrong. Twisted. Its skin is patterned with harsh black and white stripes, like a zebra, but the head is… skeletal. A skull with zebra stripes.
Zebraskull. A Mirror Monster.
Recognition slams into him, a jolt of adrenaline. He's seen images of it before, in old Kamen Rider encyclopedias. Zebraskull Iron, if I remember correctly. Dangerous. Fast.
He tenses, his muscles coiling, ready to transform. He opens his mouth to warn Yuri and Koji, but it's too late.
Zebraskull exists the Mirror World, its claws extended, lunging directly at him.
Zebraskull is impossibly fast, a blur of black and white. Its skeletal face is contorted in a silent snarl, its eyes burning with predatory hunger.
Ace barely has time to react.
Koji, ever eager, rushes past him, brandishing his weapon. "Get back you monster!"
Time seems to slow as Zebraskull hurtles towards him and Ace couldn't react in time.
"Koji, no!" he yells, but his warning is swallowed by the roar of the atrium.
Zebraskull barely acknowledges Koji. It swats the detective aside like an annoying insect, its claws leaving a long, bloody gash across Koji's chest. The sound of tearing fabric and a wet, sickening thud fills the air.
Koji cries out, clutching his chest. He stumbles backward, his face pale, before collapsing in a heap on the polished floor.
"Damn it, Koji!" Ace's anger flares.
Ignoring the shoppers’ screams and gasps, he pivots, focusing all his rage and power on Zebraskull. He ducks under a wild swipe of its claws and lunges forward, channeling his energy into his fist.
His punch connects with Zebraskull's jaw, sending a shockwave up his arm. The Mirror Monster reels backward, its skeletal head snapping to the side. It staggers, momentarily disoriented, before regaining its balance.
Ace doesn't give it a chance to recover. He follows through with another punch, then a kick, driving the Mirror Monster towards the nearest reflective surface – a large decorative mirror adorning the wall of a luxury boutique.
Zebraskull claws at the air, trying to regain its footing, but Ace is relentless. He unleashes a final, powerful kick, sending the Mirror Monster crashing into the mirror as it's sucked back into the Mirror World.
Silence descends upon the atrium, broken only by the sobs of the injured and the terrified whispers of the onlookers.
Ace turns his attention back to Koji. He rushes to his side, kneeling beside him. The detective's face is ashen, his eyes wide with pain. The slash across his chest is deep, crimson blood soaking through his shirt.
"Koji!" Ace says urgently, checking for a pulse. It's weak, but steady. "Stay with me!"
Relief washes over him. The injury isn't fatal, but it's bad. Very bad.
Yuri is already there, tearing strips of fabric from her coat to apply pressure to the wound. "He's losing a lot of blood!" she says, her voice strained with concern.
Ace watches her, his jaw tight. He is relieved that Koji will live, but frustrated by his recklessness.
Ace turns to Yuri. "Take care of him. Get him some help. I'll go after the Mirror Monster."
"Alright, be careful, Rider," Yuri calls after him, her voice laced with concern.
He gives her a curt nod, his focus already shifting to the task ahead. He turns towards the shimmering portal, the gateway to the Mirror World.
He hesitates for a fraction of a second. The Mirror World. A twisted reflection of reality, a haven for monsters. It's a dangerous place, unpredictable.
But he can't let Zebraskull roam free. Not while it poses a threat to innocent people. And the people here reminds him of the time when he first became Kuuga...
He takes a deep breath, steeling his resolve. He steps through the mirror.
The world shifts.
The mall, once bustling and vibrant, is now a desolate wasteland. The colors are muted, drained of life. The bright lights have dimmed, casting long, distorted shadows. An unsettling silence hangs in the air, broken only by the faint, rhythmic hum of some unseen machinery.
It's the Mirror World.
The familiar landmarks are still there – the storefronts, the escalators, the food court – but they're twisted, warped, like a funhouse mirror reflection. The polished floors are cracked and broken, littered with debris. The air feels heavy, oppressive, charged with an unnatural energy.
Ace scans his surroundings, his senses on high alert. He tightens his grip on the Dragsaber, the curved blade feeling reassuringly solid in his hand. He can sense Zebraskull nearby, its presence a dark, malevolent shadow lurking in the periphery.
He moves forward cautiously, his boots crunching on the broken glass. The silence is unnerving, broken only by the echo of his own footsteps. He rounds a corner and stops dead in his tracks.
There, in the center of the desolate atrium, stands Zebraskull.
The Mirror Monster is even more grotesque in the Mirror World. Its zebra-like stripes shimmer in the dim light, its skeletal face contorted in a silent snarl. Its eyes burn with an eerie green light, fixed on him with predatory intensity.
From its forearms protrude two retractable swords, gleaming menacingly. They are long, wickedly sharp, their edges reflecting the faint light.
The two adversaries face each other, sizing each other up. A silent battle of wills. Ace can feel the monster's hatred, its hunger. He steels himself, preparing for the inevitable clash.
The silence stretches, thick and suffocating. Ace stares down Zebraskull.
Ace reaches for his Advent Deck, sliding out the Sword Vent card. The Dragvisor is still attached to his left arm.
[Sword Vent]
With a metallic clang, the Dragsaber materializes in his right hand.
He tightens his grip on the Dragsaber, his knuckles turning white. He adjusts his stance, his feet planted firmly on the cracked floor, ready to strike.
