Back at the apartment—
"I'm not amused. I expected this fight to be a lot more challenging," Mei chided coldly, pressing her bare foot down on the face of the intruder sprawled on the floor. A sickening crack followed, accompanied by the hiss of purple lightning that danced over her body.
The Herrscher looked down at the man beneath her with disdain. "I can't believe the 1st Herrscher turned out to be such a pathetic lowlife," the Herrscher of Thunder said.
"This can't be! We're both Herrschers, but she's way more powerful than I am!" the man wheezed, grimacing in pain.
Mei didn't respond. She raised her hand, an orb of purple lightning forming in her palm. "I'm done playing with you. Time for me to fry a worm."
Before she could act, a terrible pain surged through her chest—originating from the bomb implanted near her heart. She gasped and fell to one knee, clutching her chest as sparks flickered erratically across her body.
The man she had just beaten struggled to his feet, wearing a smug grin."Hah… I guess they only taught you to talk tough at school, little Valk. So what's hurting you, sweetheart? You want papa to take a look? Papa's still standing while you're bent over, hurting and moaning like a baby. I guess that means papa wins," he taunted arrogantly.
Raising his hand, the man conjured his power to bind the Herrscher of Thunder in midair, holding her helplessly aloft.
"Papa's gonna teach that nice body of yours a few lessons for running your mouth, little Valk," he sneered.
"You strike like a wet floppy fish, you know that?" the Herrscher of Thunder muttered despite her restraints.
"A worm like you only got this far because some stupid bimbo nerfed me with a heart bomb," she added bitterly.
"So beautiful, so young, yet so rude and stubborn," the man mocked, his tone thick with arrogance. "Papa knows exactly where to strike now." He released a surge of electricity that coursed through her, drawing a cry of pain.
The Herrscher let out a bitter laugh between labored breaths. "I guess this is it for me. Hah! That means no more cooking for those stupid girls and that boy."
Her mind drifted as the pain overwhelmed her. She remembered how she came into this world, the memories of Raiden Mei she carried—the pain, the bitterness this world had given her. Yet through all that, she remembered the ones who stood beside her: the reckless girl, Kiana Kaslana, and the stubborn boy, Kouga. They had always been there, protecting and caring for her.
"How odd. It turned out there's someone I might miss if I were to die," the Herrscher of Thunder murmured to herself. Her expression hardened with determination.
Purple lightning began to surge violently around her. "You talk a lot for a worm, you know that?" she hissed.
The man's confidence faltered as he stared at the growing storm. "What?! What are you trying to do?!" he shouted, fear creeping into his voice.
"This world may be a putrid wasteland, but I must protect someone from the likes of you!" the Herrscher of Thunder declared, her voice filled with fierce resolve. "This stupid heart bomb implant isn't going to stop me!! I'll reduce you to cinders!"
"What the hell?!" the man cried out.
Before the Herrscher could unleash her power, the man was suddenly struck—first in the stomach, then the face—sending him crashing across the room.
The Herrscher of Thunder, now free from his grasp, began to fall, but before she could hit the ground, she was caught in a pair of strong arms. Looking up weakly, her vision focused on two familiar faces—Kiana, clad in her White Comet battlesuit, and Kouga, still in his KyoryuGold form but with his helmet off.
The beaten man looked up in disbelief. "A Valkyrie and a knight to kill?"
Kouga turned his gaze on the man, eyes burning with fury, while Kiana cradled Mei protectively.
"You messed with the wrong girl, fool," Kiana said, her voice cold as steel.
"Mei, are you alright?!" Kiana asked while Kouga looked on with concern.
"She's fine," Mei stated calmly, brushing her hair off to the side. "Right now, she's still sleeping, so I'm in control. I must keep my powers low to stave off the bomb, however."
"Drop control for now and rest, then," Kouga said, sighing in relief. "I'll deal with the invader." As he spoke, he re-equipped the Kyoryuger helmet and summoned the Serial Zyuden Sword, Zandar Thunder.
"You mean we'll deal with the invader," Kiana said as she gently laid Mei down.
"He has the powers of the 1st Herrscher," Mei warned. "He's shown only gravity control currently, but there should be more capabilities under his authority."
Kouga and Kiana nodded before sprinting toward the crash site. It wasn't far — the man hadn't landed too far from them. The 1st Herrscher, eyes twitching and black lightning crackling around his form, angrily patted dust off his coat as Kouga came to a stop.
"You little punk," the man growled.
Kouga moved first — a blur of motion — appearing at the man's side in an instant, swinging his blade. But the sword clashed against a transparent barrier — the same one Hua had once faced. Sparks flew as Kouga's eyes widened. The 1st Herrscher's scowl shifted into a smirk.
Kiana fired her twin pistols, bullets crackling with energy — but none of them pierced the shimmering shield.
"You snuck up on me twice, little rat. Don't think I'll let you try it a third time."
Kouga flipped backward, evading the familiar finger-flick that unleashed crushing waves of gravity. The ground shattered beneath the point of impact, a deep rift cutting through the concrete. Landing beside Kiana, the two were forced to dodge a barrage of gravity bursts, the attacks ripping through the air like invisible hammers.
Kiana growled in frustration and brought out her heavy weapon. A metallic hum filled the air as she summoned the Gungnir — then fired it at maximum power.
The beam roared forward — only for the man to conjure a swirling black hole before him. It devoured the blast entirely.
"You dare think of me as a brush-off?! Me, the lord of gravity, who bends and twists the laws of physics and scoffs at physical constants?! Do you even know who I am?!"
Kouga and Kiana shouted back in perfect unison, "A moron with a high ego."
A vein pulsed on the 1st Herrscher's forehead, his fury boiling over. "I'm the 1st Herrscher, you worthless cretins! In comparison to you worthless pions, I'm a damn GOD!"
He thrust his hand forward — unleashing a storm of gravity blasts like a deadly danmaku. Explosions tore through the battlefield, shaking the air. When the dust cleared, Kouga struggled to his feet. He turned — and froze.
Kiana lay motionless on the ground, blood trickling down from a wound on her head.
"KIANA!" Kouga shouted, rushing to her side. He knelt beside her, checking for signs of life. She was breathing — but barely.
A cold fury began to rise inside him. No — fury was too soft a word. It was rage, molten and boundless.
The 1st Herrscher's laughter rang through the chaos."SEE?! THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DARE TO DEFY GOD!" He threw his head back, laughing maniacally.
"God, you say?"
The laughter stopped. The tone of that voice made the Herrscher freeze. His body stiffened — an instinctive chill ran through him.
He looked down — and saw Kouga. The KyoryuGold armor was gone, Kiana carefully placed aside. A dark red aura now surged around him, swirling like wildfire.
"Let me show you what a God is," Kouga said, his voice low and dangerous.
Light burst around him — red and black intertwining — until his form shifted into something new. When the glow faded, standing there was Kamen Rider Geats Boost Mark 3. Three massive fox tails of pure dark energy flared behind him.
He waved his hand gently over Kiana's body — and the wounds on her head vanished in glowing light. Then, with slow, deliberate steps, he turned toward the man who had hurt her.
The 1st Herrscher's confidence faltered. Sweat rolled down his temple."WHAT TRICK DID YOU VALKS PULL OFF THIS TIME?! PAH! IT MATTERS NOT TO THE 1ST HERRSCHER! I SHALL CRUSH YOU WITH THE FORCE OF THE BLACK HOLE!"
He thrust both hands forward, space itself twisting in response. A miniature black hole formed right above Kouga, pulling in debris and light alike.
The man smirked. "Well, that was an underwhelming—"
His words froze as fingers — Kouga's fingers — tore straight through the black hole, ripping it apart in a burst of black mist.
Kouga emerged from the dissipating void, unharmed, his red eyes glowing like burning coals.
"How—" the Herrscher began, but the question never finished.
Kouga appeared in front of him in an instant.
The next moment was nothing but brutality.Each punch shattered bone, each strike sent the man flying — only for Kouga to teleport behind him and hit him again. The assault blurred into a storm of motion, until a circle of afterimages surrounded the Herrscher — each one slamming into him with relentless, inhuman precision.
Finally, Kouga caught him by the throat, lifting him high. The 1st Herrscher's body was ruined — bleeding, broken, barely recognizable.
"Ple--e-ease… mercy," the man croaked weakly.
But his plea was drowned by silence. Kouga's expression didn't change as he conjured a black hole in his palm. The void expanded, engulfing the man completely — until there was nothing left. Not even dust.
The dark aura faded. Kouga drifted back to the ground as his transformation dissolved, his body returning to normal. Pain tore through him — muscles screaming, nerves burning — but he ignored it.
He staggered toward Kiana, knelt beside her, and smiled faintly.Then his strength gave out.
Kouga collapsed beside her — and the world faded into darkness.
Meanwhile, not too far away from the battle site…
"Well, this went better than expected."
Joachim stood behind a tree overlooking the courtyard, eyes fixed on the two unconscious figures lying amidst the ruins of the battlefield. He had originally come as insurance — to intervene if Kouga and Kiana failed to defeat the intruder — yet he'd instead witnessed the complete annihilation of said intruder.
It was eerily similar to the plan he had once used against Cocolia's pet clone.Still, Joachim found himself quietly relieved. Things had resolved faster than he had anticipated.
He turned to leave — only to stop as someone stepped into his path.
"It's good to see you well, my Sovereign," said a young-looking woman, her voice calm and precise.
Joachim's eyes widened slightly in recognition.
Her blue, messy hair framed a pale face, one stubborn bang falling between sharp, intelligent eyes. Fair-skinned fingers tapped against a translucent blue holographic screen that flickered before her. A dark-gray coat fluttered in the soft night breeze, revealing a light-blue vest with a blue-gray necktie and crisp white shirt beneath. Form-fitting shorts, black thigh garters, and tall socks completed her look — practical yet unmistakably her.
"Einstein," Joachim greeted, sounding both relieved and surprised. "Are you certain this is a good time to meet?"
"Perfectly," Einstein replied, swiping her holographic screen shut. Her eyes glinted with curiosity and quiet amusement. "Theresa accepted my offer, so we're unofficial allies now — though having to pretend to side with Cocolia was nauseating. Was Cocolia's clone dealt with?"
"Not by my hand, but yes."
Einstein raised a brow, prompting Joachim to chuckle softly. "Kouga is rather powerful. Though I will admit, Cocolia is improving with those clones. This one even had his powers."
"They aren't him, however," Einstein said bitterly. "Nor will they ever be."
Joachim nodded in agreement, his gaze lifting to the moon glowing above the battlefield. "Still, this invasion brought a revelation. I can see Cocolia will take an interest in Kouga. We'll need to keep both him and Raiden Mei far from her reach."
"Don't worry," Einstein assured, the faintest hint of a smile playing on her lips. "Tesla and I will keep her in check."
As she spoke, her body began dissolving into streams of purple code — starting at her feet, rising slowly upward until she was nearly transparent.
"Just make sure to take care of your health," she said, voice fading with her image.
Joachim gave a small nod as the last trace of her vanished. Then, for a moment, he remained where he stood, gazing up at the moon once more. Slowly, he extended his hand toward it — fingers curling into a quiet, determined fist.
"I must complete the Moonlight Throne," he whispered to himself.
Then he turned, cloak brushing against the ground as he started walking toward the courtyard.The mission could wait — for now, his priority was clear.
He needed to get Kouga and Kiana to the clinic before their condition worsened.