Yami {36}

A tremor ran through the air, a ripple of disruption in the monstrous symphony Aaron conducted. The once playful hero snapped his head towards the source, the crimson glow in his eyes momentarily flickering with confusion. There, silhouetted against the burning cityscape, stood three figures – Ikki, Sakura, and Daiji.

Their arrival was a beacon of hope in the midst of the nightmare, but the hope quickly curdled into dread. The sight of Aaron, his form crackling with an unnatural energy, sent a shiver down their spines. Even from a distance, they could sense the raw, unbridled rage that emanated from him.

Ikki, ever the fearless leader, stepped forward, his voice ringing with authority. "Aaron! Stop this madness! We can still fix this! He doesn't have to die we can still rescue your sister"

A chilling silence descended upon the rooftop. Aaron, or rather, the entity that now called him host, tilted his head, a grotesque parody of curiosity. The crimson light in his eyes pulsed once, casting an eerie glow on his twisted smile.

"Leave," the voice that emerged from his throat was no longer Aaron's. It was a guttural rasp, laced with a demonic amusement that sent shivers down the spines of the three heroes. "Leave before you get hurt."

The voice itself confirmed their worst fears. This wasn't Aaron. This was something far more sinister, something fueled by a power beyond their comprehension. Ikki's hand instinctively tightened around his Vistamp Driver, his gaze hardening with resolve.

"Who are you?" Sakura demanded, her voice trembling slightly despite her bravado.

Aaron, or Yami as he now called himself, let out a low chuckle, a sound devoid of any warmth or humor. "Aren't you guys smart?" he rasped, his voice dripping with a twisted amusement.

He took a step forward, the crimson light intensifying around him. The city below trembled as the amplified screams of its citizens reached a fever pitch. Yami raised his hand, the tendrils of crimson light weaving around his fingers like malevolent serpents.

"You can call me Yami," he declared, his voice echoing across the rooftop. His crimson gaze fell upon them, a predator sizing up its prey. "And the fun," he continued, his smile widening to reveal elongated, razor-sharp teeth, "has just begun."

Yami's grin stretched wider as the three transformed, their signature suits materializing around them – Ikki as Kamen Rider Revi, Sakura as Kamen Rider Jeanne, and Daiji as Kamen Rider Live. But a discordant note pierced the tension. Vice, Ikki's flamboyant Vice, usually buzzing with chaotic energy, materialized beside him trembling. Lovekov, Sakura's ever-optimistic bat familiar, materialized whimpering and hid behind her leg.

The sight sent a fresh wave of amusement coursing through Yami. These weren't the confident heroes he'd expected. Fear, raw and primal, radiated from their Vice and Vistamp companion.

"Looks like the little demons are scared," Yami taunted, his voice dripping with sadistic glee. He gestured towards the terrified Vice and Lovekov with a cruel flick of his wrist. "Maybe they understand what's coming better than you weaklings."

Ikki, his eyes blazing with a mixture of anger and concern, knelt beside his trembling Vice. "Vice, what's wrong?" he whispered, his voice laced with worry.

Vice, his usual bravado replaced by a whimper, could only stammer, "This power... it's... it's scary, Ikki!" Lovekov peeked out from behind Sakura's leg, her large eyes wide with terror.

Yami's amusement morphed into a chilling cackle. Fear, it seemed, was contagious. He relished the sight of these once-confident heroes shaken by the power he wielded. The symphony of pain might have emboldened him, but the terror in their Vice and Vistamp companions was a sweeter melody to his monstrous ears.

"See?" Yami bellowed, his voice echoing across the rooftop. "Even your little demons know you can't win! This city is mine to play with, and you're nothing but flies trying to swat a giant!"

He raised his hand, the crimson tendrils crackling with renewed energy. "Now," he hissed, his voice laced with a promise of excruciating pain, "Now let's see how long you three failed abortions can give me"

The heroes, despite the fear radiating from their companions, stood firm. Ikki, ever the leader, placed a hand on Vice's shoulder, offering silent reassurance. Sakura knelt beside Lovekov, whispering words of comfort. Daiji, his gaze unwavering, tightened his grip on his Vistamp Driver.

//

Yami's maniacal laughter echoed across the rooftop as the three heroes charged. Ikki, a blur of crimson and gold, led the attack, his signature Revice Kick aimed squarely at Yami's chest. Sakura, a whirlwind of pink and blue, followed suit, her Jeanne Saber extended with a determined glint in her eyes. Daiji, ever the strategist, brought up the rear, his Live Beater blaster poised to deliver a precise energy blast.

But their valiant attempts were met with a chilling display of power. Yami, with inhuman reflexes, tilted his head just enough for Ikki's kick to graze his shoulder. A single crimson tendril lashed out, wrapping around Jeanne's wrist and effortlessly disarming her. Live's energy blast, fired with pinpoint accuracy, was absorbed by another tendril, the light fizzling out harmlessly in Yami's grasp.

The heroes stumbled back, a mixture of shock and disbelief etched on their faces. Yami, however, seemed to revel in their surprise. He threw his head back and roared with laughter, a sound that sent shivers down their spines.

"Pathetic," he boomed, his voice dripping with sadistic amusement. "Is that all you've got? You fight like children playing with toy soldiers!, I shouldn't have expected much for maggots like you"

He gestured dismissively with a hand, the crimson tendrils dancing around him like malevolent vipers. Ikki, ever the hothead, lunged forward again, a primal growl escaping his lips. But before his fist could connect, Yami flicked his wrist, sending Ikki flying through the air with an unseen force. He slammed into a pile of debris with a sickening thud, his Revice Driver flickering precariously.

Sakura, fueled by a surge of protectiveness, materialized beside Ikki, her eyes blazing with fury. But Yami, toying with them like a cat with a cornered mouse, simply backhanded her with a tendril, sending her sprawling across the rooftop. Daiji, the only one left standing, gritted his teeth and aimed another energy blast. This time, Yami didn't even bother to deflect it. He stood there, a cruel smile plastered on his face, as the blast harmlessly dissipated against his crimson aura.

"So weak," Yami taunted, his voice laced with a chilling boredom. "So utterly predictable. This is getting tiresome."

He raised his hand, the city lights flickering ominously as the tendrils pulsed with renewed energy. "Perhaps I should turn up the volume," he mused, his gaze flickering towards the city below. "A little more suffering will surely loosen you up."

///

A cruel glint flickered in Yami's crimson eyes as he surveyed the battered heroes. "Hm, let's see what else you can endure," he mused, a sadistic lilt in his voice. With a sharp inhalation, he drew in a massive amount of air, the wind swirling around him in a vortex that threatened to pull the debris from the damaged rooftop.

Before the heroes could react, Yami transformed the air itself into a weapon. With a flick of his wrist, he shaped the compressed air into a monstrous bow and arrow, the tip crackling with an ominous energy. The sheer force of the compressed air warped the space around him, distorting the very air molecules.

"Behold!" Yami roared, a thrill coursing through his monstrous form as he unleashed the attack. He released the compressed air in a single, explosive motion. The monstrous arrow transformed into a devastating wind blast, a howling hurricane that tore across the rooftop.

The heroes, caught in the direct path of the blast, were thrown back like ragdolls. Ikki, his Revice Driver flickering dangerously, slammed into the opposite side of the rooftop, his body a broken shield protecting a whimpering Vice. Sakura, flung through the air, landed hard against a piece of exposed rebar, a gasp escaping her lips as Lovekov clung to her arm in terror. Daiji, propelled backward, skidded across the rough concrete, his Live Beater blaster clattering uselessly beside him.

As the dust settled, the once bustling rooftop lay in ruins. Debris from the surrounding buildings rained down like a deadly hail, some fragments large enough to crush a man. Yami, standing amidst the wreckage, reveled in the destruction. A twisted smile stretched across his face as he gazed at the toppled buildings in the distance, their windows like shattered eyes reflecting the dying light of the cityscape.

"Amazing, isn't it?" he rasped, his voice dripping with a dark amusement. "The power of a single breath, wielded with enough malice... truly a masterpiece of destruction!"

///

Yami's grin, twisted with the promise of ending their suffering, faltered as he approached the fallen heroes. A chilling sensation washed over him – his power, the very essence that fueled his monstrous form, was receding. Confusion flickered in his crimson eyes, replaced by a sardonic amusement.

"Now let's end you," he rasped, his voice laced with a distorted playfulness. But the threat died in his throat as an invisible force pushed him back. He stumbled, his monstrous form flailing for balance against the unseen resistance.

A cruel smile stretched across his face. Instead of frustration, there was a twisted acceptance in his voice. "Why the fuck is he not letting me kill them, it's not like adding one more body to his body count would do anything?" He chuckled, a chilling sound devoid of humor.

His gaze drifted upwards, towards the bruised and battered Kamen Riders scattered across the rooftop. But his amusement was short-lived. He seemed to sense something, a presence beyond the physical realm. His crimson eyes narrowed, focusing on an invisible point in the sky.

Within Yami's subconscious, a battle raged. Not a physical one, but a desperate struggle for control. There, Aaron, the once playful hero, floated amidst a vast expanse of swirling water. He appeared disoriented, his form translucent and barely there, like a drowning man grasping at air.

But despite his weakened state, Aaron wasn't surrendering. His hand, small and childlike, clutched onto something unseen with surprising strength. A closer look revealed it wasn't an object, but a feeling – a flicker of hope, a spark of love, a faint echo of the bond he shared with his sister, Rui.

"Rui please don't leave me...."Aaron voice said as his childlike voice seem to be trembling