"Hm, you've got good technique, kid."
The old woman in Tracen's cafeteria watched with a practiced eye as Tsutsumi worked the stove, effortlessly cooking up what could only be described as a mountain of food for Oguri Cap and the other Uma Musume.
She was the head chef of Tracen Academy, the only person on campus who could reliably keep up with Oguri's monstrous appetite without breaking into a sweat or running out of ingredients halfway through.
The sizzling never stopped. Pots were lifted, pans flipped, bowls filled and stacked with mechanical precision.
"Ever thought about becoming a chef?" she asked, clearly impressed.
"I worked as one before."
Tsutsumi replied simply as he set down a massive bowl of udon in front of Oguri, the steam still rising. Without missing a beat, he moved down the counter, placing additional bowls in front of the other Uma Musumes waiting nearby.
Oguri didn't even wait for the bowl to fully settle before digging in.
"This is really good." Mr. C.B. spoke up absently, already halfway through her own serving. "How about working part-time in the school cafeteria?"
"No thanks."
Tsutsumi answered instantly, sliding a ten-layer carrot hamburger toward Oguri. The plate landed with a solid thud. He then placed smaller carrot hamburgers in front of the others, appropriately portioned.
"I like traveling and taking pictures more."
"That's a waste."
Rudolf pointed her chopsticks straight at him, her expression sharp despite the food in front of her. "You have talent and strength that far surpass any Uma Musumes here, yet you refuse to run."
"It can't be helped." He shrugged, unfazed, as he placed bowls of fried rice on the table. "I just don't enjoy running like other Uma Musumes."
Rudolf stared at him for a moment longer, then looked down at her food and continued eating.
Still unsatisfied with his answer, she decided not to push it, for now. She had lost the race by an entire lap. Continuing the argument immediately afterward would only make her sound like a sore loser.
Despite transforming into an Uma Musume, Tsutsumi's version was technically male. His natural build had already been stronger than most Uma Musumes even before that. Training was unnecessary for him. As Decade, he could simply use a card and instantly gain the knowledge, talents, and skills others spent their entire lives working toward.
Even now, while Oguri was still active in her racing career, Tsutsumi already had access to her abilities as they existed in her retirement race.
And that wasn't even counting the fact that, back when he was just human, he could take an eighty-ton punch and walk away alive. Becoming an Uma Musume only made him stronger.
By the time their late lunch ended, most of the Uma Musumes had already headed off toward their evening classes. The cafeteria gradually emptied out, conversations fading into the background hum of Tracen Academy returning to its usual rhythm.
Hayakawa Tazuna, meanwhile, was walking briskly through the campus grounds, scanning every spot. Tsutsumi had skipped his classes again.
At a bench near an empty stretch of field, far from the track. Tsutsumi sat there with his hands resting loosely at his sides, looking up at the orange glow of the setting sun as it dipped toward the horizon.
"I'm quite surprised to find a creature like you in this world." His voice was calm as he turned his head to the left.
Sitting beside him was another Tsutsumi Ryoko.
"What are you even talking about?" The other Tsutsumi frowned, clearly irritated and somewhat confused. "Just what are you, anyway?"
"Just a passing-through Rider." Tsutsumi replied casually. "Henshin."
Form Ride: Decade!
The transformation completed in an instant.
Seeing this, the other Tsutsumi let out a nervous laugh, forcing confidence into their voice.
"I bet you can't hit yourself." They even reached out, tapping Tsutsumi's chest.
Without hesitation, Tsutsumi punched them straight across the face.
The imposter was sent rolling across the ground, tumbling several times before barely stopping.
"Y-Y-You actually dared to punch your own face!?" The imposter stuttered, scrambling backward in fear.
"You aren't the first one who dared to copy my face." Tsutsumi replied, already pulling out his Rider Book in gun mode, aiming it directly at the imposter.
Before he could fire. He suddenly turned around and raised his left hand, blocking a powerful axe kick mid-swing.
The impact echoed across the field.
His purple eyes locked onto the Uma Musume in front of him, black hair, black cap, and a glare sharp enough to cut.
Seeing her attack blocked, she instantly jumped back. "Bastard! How dare you attack an Uma Musume in the middle of Central Tracen, no less?"
Tsutsumi didn't recognize her. More importantly, he didn't care.
He shifted his gaze back toward the imposter, who had already started running. Raising his gun, he opened fire, the shots striking the imposter and sending it rolling across the ground again.
Smoke rose from its back.
Seeing that Tsutsumi didn't stop, the black-haired Uma charged forward.
She threw a powerful punch. Tsutsumi sidestepped it cleanly. Another punch followed; he moved left. An axe kick came down next, cracking the pavement where he'd just been standing as he jumped back.
"Fenomeno! How is Tsut...sumi?"
Tazuna rushed in, then froze.
The one Fenomeno was fighting had Tsutsumi's face, but something was off. Wearing a magenta coat with a magenta bandana. Horns protruding from the forehead.
"Be careful, Miss Tazuna." Fenomeno said, still tense. "That… person is armed. They are really strong too. They even shrugged off my attacks."
Tazuna looked at the Tsutsumi lying on the ground, staring at her in fear.
Then she looked back at the Tsutsumi standing calmly, weapon in hand.
For some reason, the latter felt more familiar.
She didn't dwell on it. One of them was armed and clearly trying to kill the other; that was enough.
Soon, more Uma Musumes came running after hearing that Tsutsumi had been attacked. From among them, Tsutsumi could see familiar faces from the Student Council, with many others he didn't recognize.
None of that mattered. What mattered was finishing off the imposter and finding the Riders in this world.
"Can you move?" Tsutsumi asked flatly, staring directly at Symboli Rudolf, who stood in his way. "Getting in my way is just annoying."
Rudolf looked unsettled. Like Tazuna, she was clearly troubled by the sight of two Tsutsumis.
"Why do you have her face?" she asked. "What is going on here?"
"Did I Eclipse you too hard, that you can't recognize the face that beat you anymore?" Tsutsumi replied, causing her expression to shift lightly.
From the corner of his eye, he saw the imposter running again.
Tsutsumi raised his gun, aiming straight past Rudolf.
Attack Ride: Trigger Full Burst!
He pulled the trigger, and multiple yellow bullets of light burst out.
Time seemed to slow as a red figure rushed in front of Rudolf, stopping just long enough to notice the bullets veering away from her before ignoring them entirely and charging straight at Tsutsumi.
The impact knocked him back, but he recovered quickly, lifting his gaze to the armored figure in red and black.
Large blue eyes stared back at him.
"You are… Decade, correct?" They asked.
"So what, Kabuto?" Tsutsumi replied.
An explosion echoed in the distance.
Everyone turned just in time to see the imposter Tsutsumi explode into fragments, leaving nothing but scorched remains on the ground.
"Those bullets…" Kabuto muttered. "They're homing."
Only then did Kabuto realize none of them had been aimed at Rudolf but at the other Tsutsumi. Yet on a closer look, there was no body or remains left.
"So she was a Worm…" Kabuto murmured. "That shouldn't be possible. Worms can't mimic Uma Musume. They're protected by the Three Goddess' blessing."
He shifted his gaze toward the other rider.
"So what now?" Tsutsumi asked. "Are you just gonna stand there or what?"
Kabuto calmly raised his right index finger above his head.
"Grandmother said this: When a man starts something, he should see it to the end."
Tsutsumi wasn't impressed. Kabuto in his memory always quoted his grandmother anyway. Nearby, Symboli Rudolf's face turned crimson.
"I won't let a demon like you destroy my world." Kabuto finished.
Clock Up!
He vanished in a blur.
In the next instant, Kabuto had Tsutsumi by the neck, dragging him far away from the others before tossing him across the ground.
Tsutsumi rolled, then rose immediately, one knee planted firmly.
Kamen Ride: 2099!
His clothes shifted, white boots and gauntlets, a black inner-layer suit with a single white line running down each side, dark green chest plating, and a white futuristic grasshopper mask with glowing crimson eyes.
Behind him, two flowing red digital scarves waved upward, trailing in the air.
The two Riders stared at each other in silence, neither moving first.
Kabuto was the one who broke it.
He surged forward, leaving behind nothing but a crimson blur. Tsutsumi shifted his weight and sidestepped, but Kabuto immediately changed direction, charging again. Tsutsumi rolled to the side and threw a punch toward where Kabuto should have been.
The red Rider adjusted mid-movement, slipping past the strike and reappearing behind Tsutsumi. A kick came up toward his head.
Tsutsumi turned just in time, blocking it with his forearm before throwing a counterpunch. Kabuto stepped back, narrowly avoiding it.
The ground cracked where the punch landed.
Clock Over!
Kabuto landed several meters away, skidding slightly before regaining his footing. Tsutsumi straightened up across from him, posture relaxed but alert.
"This really is going nowhere." Tsutsumi muttered under his breath.
Form 2099 let him see Kabuto while Clock Up was active. His reactions were fast enough to respond. But speed was a different issue. It didn't matter how hard he could hit, harder than a collapsing building; it's pointless if the hit never connected.
From the corner of their vision, the two noticed movement. Rudolf, Tazuna, and several other Uma Musumes were already closing the distance between them.
"You can't keep up without Clock Up." Kabuto said calmly. "You can't win."
He sounded confident, but he hadn't missed the danger behind those punches. Every near miss carried weight. As long as Tsutsumi couldn't land one, though, that danger stayed theoretical.
"Oh?" Tsutsumi raised another card. "How about I keep you company… for ten seconds?"
Form Ride: Faiz! Axel!
Crimson light engulfed him, replacing the previous armor in a sharp flash. The new suit settled into place, the chest plate opened up, revealing many circuits beneath.
"Brother, wait!" Rudolf called out.
Neither Rider acknowledged her.
Clock Up!
Start Up!
Both vanished.
To everyone watching, only afterimages remained, red and crimson streaks tearing across the ground, colliding and separating again and again. Dirt erupted, chunks of pavement flew, and shockwaves rippled outward with every clash.
Inside the accelerated space, Tsutsumi and Kabuto were still trading blows, punches deflected, kicks narrowly avoided, each movement calculated and precise.
1. 2. 3.
Electricity crackled along Kabuto's horn, traveling down his body and concentrating into his right leg.
"Rider Kick."
Rider Kick!
Kabuto launched forward, leg extended, the air screaming from the force behind it.
Attack Ride: Invisible!
Tsutsumi vanished just before the kick connected. Kabuto twisted midair, scanning for his opponent.
Behind him, large golden and blue cards materialized, forming a straight path aimed directly at his back.
Final Attack Ride: De-De-De-Decade!
Kabuto barely had time to turn as Tsutsumi's foot slammed into his head.
The red horn shattered instantly, fragments scattering as the impact triggered a violent explosion that swallowed both Riders.
"Soji!" Rudolf yelled, sprinting toward the blast site as she saw the broken Kabuto horn fall to the ground.
Smoke cleared just enough to reveal a body lying motionless. She reached him and dropped to her knees, grabbing his shoulders.
"Soji! Soji! Do you hear me!? Wake up!"
She shook him with far too much force.
"Sis…" He coughed, eyes fluttering open. "You're breaking my arm."
Rudolf froze, then let out a long breath before pulling him into a tight hug, tight enough to make him wince as a few ribs cracked.
Nearby, at the center of the explosion's remains, Tsutsumi stood in his human form.
During the fight, he'd heard Rudolf shout brother.
Since his sister was Oguri Cap and only she knew that he was a male, that meant the rider he was fighting was Rudolf's brother.
He didn't want trouble for Oguri after he left this world. So instead of destroying the man, he destroyed the armor.
Tsutsumi ignored the stares around him and looked down at the card in his hand.
Kamen Ride: Kabuto