DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kamen Rider or Fire Emblem. Both are properties of Toei and Intelligent Systems respectively. I do not own any of the characters who appear in this story, except for a few.

Characters Cody Aldrich, Justinia Pierson, Kojiro Yukihara and Kurogasa Kururugi are properties of FF do net authors striberx, Donjusticia, Daemon of Wrath and Fenikkusumaru respectively.

And yes, this story will include Original Characters as Kamen Riders. If you do not like the premise of the story or the inclusion of OCs becoming Kamen Riders, you are free to not read this story. Everyone has their personal taste and are entitled to their own opinions. Trust me, you will not hurt my feelings if you don't want to read this story. That being said, please offer me constructive criticism and no flames, if you would be so kind.

The Azure Moon has descended into the abyss…

As the clouds parted and slowly began to pull away, revealing the blue sky above, the shadows hovering over the battlefield began to recede. To the far west, emerging from the treeline, were several soldiers, garbed in silver steel and blue trims. Some were heavily armored and wielded axes, led by a towering dark-skinned man with a scar. Others rode atop their steeds, taking to either the sky with a blonde woman wielding a spar or riding on the ground with a red-haired man at the helm. The archers, together with a young man with gray hair, marched from behind with several mages, also led by women with orange and blonde hair. Soldiers who were lacking in armor and carried with them a blade followed behind a man with a fierce look in his eyes, hand never leaving the pommel of his sword.

At the head of this army, two people stood together. One was a man clad in dark armor with a blue cross-shaped mark resembling a scar, blonde hair swept back and pulled into a ponytail with somber eyes and a look of resignation about him. In hand was a spear seemingly made from bone, red energy cackling around its tip with a radiant orange glow in the sphere located at the point in which the shaft met the blade. At his side was an armored figure clad in blue-and-white armor, helm resembling that of a wolf while wielding a strange blue pistol in hand.

"This is it…" the blonde-haired man whispered, clutching his spear tightly. "To think this is how our reunion would go…"

"Are you alright, Dimitri-san?" the armored figure asked.

Dimitri smiled weakly. "I would be lying if I said I was... " His smile faded and turned his attention to Gronder Field, which would soon become a battlefield. "Come, Vulcan. It's time we put an end to this."

"...right."

The Verdant Wind has ceased to blow…

To the east, another army marched and bore golden colors. Men on horseback followed a man garbed in dark purple armor bearing a rose on his chestplate. Men with gauntlets and bows followed a burly man with rippling muscles and a young man wearing glasses respectively. Those garbed in robes and wielding tomes and primal arts dancing at their fingertips followed a girl with snow-white hair and another woman in elegant blue clothing. A woman bearing autumn-burned hair with a spear and bow at her back led soldiers with an assortment of weapons.

At the head of the army were three people. A woman with pink hair in pigtails marched forward, her once easy-going smile sour and holding the ax in her hand firmly with a fierce grip. Next to her, on the back of a wyvern, was a man dressed in yellow clothes, skin dark and eyes alight with mischief and schemes no longer. Around his head was a bandanna, two braids falling behind his neck. Another was another armored figure, wielding a pistol similar to Vulcan but wearing gold-and-white armor with a cheetah aesthetic.

"As far as class reunions go, this one has to be the worst in history…" the man riding the wyvern remarked, grip on his bow vice-like. "What do you think, Valkyrie?"

The armored figure said nothing, but their silence spoke volumes of what they thought about the present situation.

The Crimson Flower has begun to wilt…

To the north, a much larger army made its presence known. With them they brought an air of dread and worry among the other gathered armies. A man dressed in black smiled darkly as he, a woman dressed in red and the rest of the mage corps began to enact their rituals, intending to strike first blood. A man with shoulder-length hair rallied his soldiers with the intent to reach the battlefield first. A group of assassins readied their blades as a foreign woman glared ahead. Archers readied their bows at the command of the nervous but determined woman before them. Armored soldiers readied their axes as their blue-haired commander walked past them, eyes tired and steely. A green-haired man looked on sadly as he and his group of mages prepared for the bloodbath that was to come.

Standing at the head of the army, dressed in red and wielding a large bone-like ax, was a woman with pale skin, icy-blue eyes and snow-white hair, bangs swept to the right and a pigtail done on the right side, cascading down her shoulder. Beside her stood another armored individual, though this one was different compared to the previous two. Their armor was blue and silver, covering their upper torso, shoulders, forearms and legs with a black bodysuit underneath. The faceplate possessed purple eyes, hiding the person's expression.

"We once stood here as students and allies…" the woman murmured as she recalled bittersweet memories. "And now, here we are. Enemies."

The armored individual looked at her. "Do you regret walking this bloodstained path?"

"No." Her expression became fierce, eyes ablaze with determination. "Even if my beloved teacher and my former friends stand against me, I must move forward." She turned to her companion. "And what of you, Ichi-Gata? Do you regret following me?"

Their hand curled into a fist. "The only thing I regret was being unable to save Masao. Other than that… I have no regrets."

"I see…"

As the army prepared for battle, unknown to all combatants present, two more armored figures watched on, one wearing black-and-silver armor over a purple bodysuit with his arms folded over his chest while another watched eagerly, wearing a pink bodysuit underneath white armor.

"Hey, hey! Horobi! It's starting!"

Horobi nodded. "So it is…"

The Silver Snow has begun to melt…

To the south, another army approached. Their numbers were significantly smaller than the three armies ahead of them, all clad in white and silver garments and armor. A woman with blonde hair carrying an unearthly blade at her hip walked with a man dressed in armor with a beard, leading a group of warriors wielding axes and katanas. Overhead, a small group of wyverns flew alongside their riders, led by a man with green hair and wielding a silver spear. Not far behind him was a small girl riding atop a pegasus, also wielding a spear and leading her own group of flyers. Closer to the front, archers followed the lead of a woman with a sharp gaze, eyes locked firmly ahead of her.

At the very front of the army, two people stood and looked at the sight in front of them. To the left was a woman with shoulder-length bright green hair and eyes, wearing black attire and carrying a glowing sword. At her side was yet another armored individual, dressed entirely in gold, gray and silver armor. The headpiece bore spikes that resembled a crown, eyes purple and glaring. At their waist was a gold and silver belt with two items sticking out on either side.

The woman stared sadly at the approaching armies. The golden armored soldier looked at her in concern. "You okay, Sensei?"

"I would be lying if I said I was." she confessed. "Five years ago, these were my precious students. And now, they're our enemies. I wish it hadn't come to this."

Beneath the helmet, Thouser grimaced. "You and me both… But, this is what we chose. There's no more turning back for us, no matter how much we want to."

"I know...but that doesn't make me happy."

And yet…

Far above the battlefield and high in the sky, far higher than any flier to the point where the clouds hid them from view, a gigantic beast flew through the air and looked down upon the battlefield. It was no ordinary creature, far bigger than any Demonic Beast that roamed the land of Fódlan and resembled a griffon, its body four-legged and covered in feathers with giant wings the size of towers and talons primed to cut through concrete. Atop its back was its rider, a girl dressed in strange attire with shoulder-length black hair bearing white streaks.

"Damn it. We're too late!" the girl hissed. "The fighting has already started!"

"From the look of things, they're preparing for the first strike." the creature spoke in human tongue. "This feels too much like that day… Girl, if I were you, I-" It was cut-off when the girl leaped off of his back, startling it. "What are you doing?!"

"I'm not gonna let them kill each other!"

The girl fell through the air, hair and jacket flapping with the whipping winds. Further and further she descended, despite the fact that she was almost certain to become bloody paste on the ground. With some difficulty, she whipped out a strange belt from her backpack alongside what looked like a yellow cassette tape, slapping the belt around her waist before clicking the button on top of the tape.

[Jump!]

She pressed the tape up against the belt's right side.

[Authorise!]

The "cassette tape"'s face flipped open, revealing a picture of a skeletal frame of a grasshopper. A yellow light came falling down past the creature, surprising it as it dashed away in fear of being struck. In mid-air, the light formed into what looked like mechanical grasshopper marked in yellow circuits. It let out a cheery cry as it followed after her.

The girl gritted her teeth as she jammed the Progrise Key into the slot. "Henshin!"

[Progrise!]

Everyone is racing after the dawn of a new future…

Edelgard steeled her heart as she threw her hand out. "Forward, now!"

"Everyone!" Claude bellowed. "Move out!"

Dimitri readied himself for the slaughter that was sure to commence as he roared at his soldiers. "Solders! To arms!"

At that exact moment, a yellow light came crashing down in the center of the battlefield. Dust and smoke was kicked into the air, obscuring everyone's vision. Within the smoke, a faint yellow light could be seen.

[To-bia ga rise!]
[Rising Hopper!]
[A JUMP TO THE SKY TURNS TO A RIDER KICK.]

The smoke began to lessen, as red eyes filled with determination glowed.

Just like the man who plucked the fruit of heaven, you cannot change your destiny.

But you can change the fate of this world!

KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE:
EDGE OF DAWN

Part I: White Clouds

CHAPTER ZERO-ONE: Jump Up and Rise! The Girl From Another World Became A Kamen Rider?!

Northern Europe

December 18th, 2019

Snow descended upon the world in mid-December. Sidewalks and lambs developed thin sheets of ice while lake surfaces were frozen over. Piles of white began to blanket the roofs and streets of the city. Nearly everyone was dressed in heavy warm clothing, scarves and wool coats thrown over their bodies in an attempt to protect themselves from the cold.

The only exception to this, wearing only a leather jacket with a thin scarf, was 20-year-old Masaomi Kanai.

"Achoo!"

Masaomi let out a violent sneeze, nearly falling flat on her face and onto a pile of snow near her. Sniffling and wiping away the snot from her nose, she shuddered and tugged on her scarf in a vain attempt to warm herself up. She had been so tired lately that she had momentarily forgotten what the weather was like, and by the time she realized it she was already wearing clothes that did little to keep her warm. Her pants were thin and her footwear was little more than a pair of ratty sneakers, the jacket barely bigger than her white t-shirt. The only part of her that was warm was her neck, courtesy of her red scarf.

"Why the hell is it so damn cold?" Masaomi muttered to herself as she walked through the halls of the university, once again questioning why the teachers hadn't done anything to fix the heaters. "I get that we're in winter, but come on..."

She sighed to herself. She knew better than to argue with mother nature and simply accepted it for what it was and instead focused on what was in front of her. The semester had just begun, and this would be her final year at the university. Her time here in Europe as a foreign exchange student was nearing its end, and unlike the past few years she spent living in the states, this time she could not deny the wishes of her family.

Masaomi's relationship with her parents wasn't strained or anything like that. It was just that she thought they were too strict. Then again, unlike most children, she had mostly been raised by her uncle since her mother and father were rarely ever home on account of them often going overseas for business trips. Her uncle didn't live by traditions or adhere to most of the societal norms of Japan, having spent most of his life born outside of their homeland. As a result, he managed to rub off on her and grew up to be independent, much to her parent's chagrin.

She could still remember the day when they discovered she had decided to dye white streaks into her hair. She had never seen them so outraged before. At the time, it was horrifying, but looking back at it now she could only laugh upon remembering just how red their faces were.

It was mostly thanks to her uncle that she had achieved an education for a university in Northern Europe. In the admittedly short amount of time she spent here, she made good memories and made a great deal of friends. She was even part of a club here on the campus.

Masaomi went still.

"The club..." Her eyes widened in realization. "Crap! I forgot! The trip is today!"

A few weeks ago, the club supervisor had suggested to the club that they go on a trip out of state. At first, Masaomi hadn't been thrilled by the decision. Namely in part because she was not very big on long trips. She couldn't stand being in a car for several hours or sleep in a bed she had never been in for more than one night. She felt so restless, not helping the fact that she was hyperactive and diagnosed with ADHD. Several things caught her interest in seconds, but they were just as likely to vanish as was her mind finding something new to focus on.

She was not looking forward to the trip, but she couldn't flake out. She was determined to make the best of her last semester here at the university, so she simply gritted her teeth and braced what was to come. On the plus side, at least she wouldn't be alone. Her friends in the club would also be with her.

With that thought of reprieve, Masaomi made her way to the club room, where her friends and supervisor would be waiting.

The club Masaomi was part of was formed around the start of the previous semester and was still relatively new, comprising mostly of transfers and foreign exchange students. Cultural Studies, as generic as the name sounded, was skirting the line between being an official club and just being an excuse for the students to hang out under the guise of doing activities. While the students did fool around most of the time, the club was still official and they did do actual work, investigating and doing reports about the cultures of other countries and nations. More often than not, Masaomi spent writing about the criticisms and harsh reality of people who arrived in Japan to study, only to severely underestimate just how seriously the people of her homeland took academics.

It was not often to hear stories online about people who came to a Japanese prep school, only to undergo some kind of mental breakdown from the sheer pressure. There were many things to consider, specifically the difference between the courses and material taught in one country and the material offered in the other. Anyone unprepared for this was just begging for trouble.

Masaomi arrived early in the afternoon. She pulled the door open and stepped inside the small room, only to frown when she saw a single person currently in the room. It was a boy her age with messy blonde hair and bright blue eyes, a heavy pale-yellow jacket sitting over a gray hoodie and faded blue jeans. He was sitting by himself at the center table, reading a book with an animesque design on the cover.

Hearing the door open, the boy looked up from his reading. "Yo."

"It's just you?" Masaomi asked. "Where are the others?"

"They should be here soon." Cody Aldrich, a transfer student from California, told her with a shrug. "Why not take a load off while you wait? It isn't like we've got anything else planned for today."

Masaomi nodded and pulled out a chair from the side of the room.

Cody was one of the first people she met. He transferred from a university all the way out in Monterey due to troubles at home. She didn't know much about it, other than that it involved an argument with his grandfather that ended with him being cut off from any and all financial support. While he was doing well for himself, he didn't speak much about his family. She could tell that he loved his parents, but his grandfather was a touchy subject that she tended to avoid. Even now, she still knew little about what argument they had that had such a negative impact on him.

Regardless of that fact, Masaomi had gotten to know him in different ways. He was a bit of a goofball who tended to get distracted easily, and more often than not he followed his gut. On more than one occasion had he gotten into a fight with another student for one reason or another, be it because the aggressor was a bully or because they were doing something that Cody couldn't stand. However, he was also fiercely loyal to his friends as well. Anyone who had the gall to insult them to his face would be sporting a black eye the next day, even if Cody himself got the snot beat out of him for his troubles.

"So, got any idea what this trip is supposed to be?" Cody asked as he flipped to the next page in his book. "All I know is that it's supposed to be out of state, but I don't know anything past that."

Masaomi shrugged. "Nope, no idea. Pierson-sensei and Yukihara-sensei have been tight-lipped about the whole thing."

"I hope it isn't anything too big and grand." Cody frowned. "I'm not too big on going out of state. Remember what our last trip was like?"

Oh she remembered all right. It was a total disaster, as not only had their luggage somehow not arrived with them, but two members of the club ended up getting food poisoning during the plane ride. If that wasn't bad enough, but the teacher who planned the whole trip to begin with was something of a scatterbrain and unknowingly gotten tickets for the wrong flight. Masaomi would have enjoyed Los Angeles if her friends weren't sick and her baggage wasn't somewhere else. It took them over a week before they managed to salvage the situation.

Needless to say, the incident made the club wary of going out on big trips.

Masaomi fiddled with her phone, going over different news articles that were trending the web ranging from the American President's impeachment to decreasing violence in Afghanistan for the first time in years to a virus rampaging in China. She stopped briefly when she saw a piece detailing about an upcoming competition for aspiring musicians, staring at the article for a quick second before she scrolled past.

Eventually, she looked back up at Cody and looked at the book he was reading. "What are you reading?"

"Hm?" Cody looked up. "Oh, this? It's a light novel. Rising of the Shield Hero, do you know it?"

"Kind of. It's an isekai, right? Man, you've been hooked on reading those since our senpai let you borrow Overlord."

"Can you blame me?" Cody chuckled. "Getting taken to another world, become a hero with cool powers, what's not to like? I mean, granted, you would probably have to go through a lot of trouble before you could start living your dream life in another world, but if you ask me, it would be so worth it." A curious look sparkled in his eye as he set his book down and leaned in. "Hey. If you got taken to another world, what kind of life would you want there?"

Masaomi scoffed. "How about one where I don't have to fight for my life? Let me live a normal and peaceful life, somewhere out in the boonies where it's nice and sunny all day long and I don't ever have to worry about some shmuck coming in and screwing it for me?"

"Laaame."

The door leading into the room was thrown open violently as a student barreled his way in. "Sorry! Sorry I'm late! Whew!"

Masaomi and Cody looked at the newcomer. Like them, he was in his early twenties with messy brown hair, the fringe fanned out and eyes cobalt blue. He wore a dark blue hoodie with a dark gray scarf wrapped around his neck. Underneath the hoodie was a white shirt. Most of his messy hair was hidden beneath a black beanie with a design reminiscent to a wolf. His black loafers fit well with his gray sweats.

"Yo, Kuro." Cody greeted with a wave. "What took you so long?"

"I..." Kurogasa Kururugi wheezed. "I was running late. I damn near missed my train! It totally sucked. It really doesn't help the fact that my alarm never went off, so I almost slept in. The only reason I woke up was because my landlord was banging on my door and asking for next month's rent."

Masaomi frowned. "Again? But she just got your money barely a few days ago!"

"She's a vulture, what can you do?" Kurogasa shrugged with an expression that flat out told them there was no helping it. Even so, the two looked at one another in clear displeasure.

"Seriously man." Cody spoke up. "If you need a place to crash, I'd be more than happy to lend you my sofa. I'm fine with sleeping out on the couch for a few weeks, give or take."

Kurogasa shook his head frantically. "No, no way. I can't impose on you like that! Besides, you and the rest of the guys have done so much for me already."

"Dude, come on..."

Masaomi sighed.

Kurogasa was one of the more recent members of the club, having joined a few months ago. They were friends long before he joined the club, though. They met shortly after Masaomi began living in Europe through one of the club's supervisors, Justinia Pierson. They hit it off almost immediately, though at that point Kurogasa wasn't in college. He had actually dropped out of school to take care of his ill mother, taking on numerous part time jobs to financially support them. Unfortunately, tragedy had struck as his mother passed away only four months after they became acquainted with each other. Worst of all was that the financial debts from his parents' deaths quickly caught up to him. He had lost his home, and what friends he did have turned their backs on him. It was only thanks to Masaomi and the others that they managed to pull him out of whatever dark pit he wallowed within his mind.

Cody and Masaomi had done their best to provide Kurogasa with living arrangements and as much financial support they could offer him. On numerous occasions, they even offered him a place at their homes, though each time he politely refused as he didn't want to become a burden. Masaomi understood that he wanted to repay his debts to his friends, as it was thanks to them that he managed to return to college and get back up on his feet. He was still tight on money, but he was doing better than he did when they first met. He was still taking on several part time jobs to make ends meet to get by, and it usually took them strong-arming him into accepting their money whenever he was strapped for cash.

It was heartwarming, Masaomi couldn't help but think. In a way, the club was like its own little family, dysfunctional and questionable parents aside.

"At any rate..." Kurogasa had dissuaded Cody by the time Masaomi returned to earth, though the blonde's face clearly told her that this was not the last time they were going to be speaking about this. "Another reason why I was late was because I ran into Yukihara-sensei and Pierson-sensei. They're waiting over by the parking lot, and the bus is ready to go."

"Seriously?" Cody groaned. "They couldn't have just, I dunno, texted us?"

"Well, they were kind of panicking." Kurogasa smiled weakly. "Apparently, our senpai called and told them they couldn't make it. They both came down with the flu."

"Are you serious? What the hell is it, flu season?!"

Masaomi smiled wryly. "Well, guess that just means we'll have to bring 'em back souvenirs then. Did they tell you where we're going?"

"I think they said we're going to London."

The two sighed in relief. It seemed their prayers had been answered after all. They grabbed their things and left the club room behind, though as Masaomi prepared to exit she paused. An odd feeling washed over her, coming from behind. She looked over her shoulder, and for a brief moment, she could have sworn she saw what looked like an armored figure staring back at her, eyes glowing red.

"Hey, Masao!" Kurogasa called out. "Get the lead out, or we'll leave you behind!"

Masaomi shook her head. the armored figure was gone as if they were never there in the first place. Was it just my imagination, then?

She didn't dwell on the matter for long. She closed the door behind her and quickly followed after her fellow club members, unaware that this would be the last time they would see this place for a very long while...

Masaomi and the club arrived at the parking lot as was instructed. Waiting for them were a pair of adults in the mid-to-late thirties, one Japanese and another of Taiwan heritage. The former was a towering giant, easily six foot three with dark hair and purple eyes. His hair was tied back into a ponytail, bangs curving off to the left side and covering most of his eye. He wore a dark trench over a pale blue turtleneck sweater, a button-up dress shirt underneath with black pants. There was a fierce look in his eyes, along with a small scar along the bottom-right side of his chin.

The Taiwan woman, on the other hand, stood at a full head shorter than Masaomi, who was just shy of five foot seven. Her hair was brown and cut short to chin-length, gray eyes steely. Like the Japanese male beside her, she wore a trench coat dyed in gray over a gray hoodie with orange streaks across the lower-right side at the bottom of the hoodie. She also wore partially-tattered jeans with thick brown boots.

They were Kojiro Yukihara and Justinia Pierson. Both were teachers who worked at the college, but the latter was the club supervisor and ran it like a tight ship. She tolerated little, if any, shenanigans unless she authorized it, and the times she did were whenever she was in a good mood. Or what they thought was a good mood. It was hard to tell with her, since she rarely ever smiled.

Masaomi made it a personal goal of hers to photograph a moment when she did smile and memorialize it for years to come.

"Sorry we're late." Kurogasa apologized.

Kojiro's face was like stone. It was hard for them to know if he was irritated or indifferent. "You're here now. That's all that matters. Have you gathered your belongings?"

"All packed and ready to go, teach!" Cody raised his duffel. "What are we doing in London, by the way? Aside from sight-seeing?"

"A history assignment." Justinia answered. "You'll be studying any topic that shaped London's history, from the plague to the Great Fire. Hell, write about Jack the Ripper if you want to. The essay has to be at least five pages long, double-spaced, Times New Roman and on my person by the time we are back on the bus and back here."

Cody groaned. "Forget I asked." He leaned in to Kurogasa. "You don't think I might be able to do what the upperclassmen did and say I just got a cold, do you?"

"If it were any other teacher, maybe." the brunette replied.

Cody sighed and resigned himself to his fate as he and the other two packed their things away on the bus. Once the items were stowed away in the back, they all climbed in and hopped inside. The teachers took seats in the front while the rest sat in the rows in the middle. It wouldn't be until another ten minutes before the bus departed, pulling out of the parking lot and out into the streets.

For the most part, the ride was fairly quiet. The teachers were busy discussing what they would be doing in London while they were studying while the trio themselves were busy doing their own thing.

Masaomi was once again fiddling with her phone, this time scrolling through YouTube in the hopes there would be something interesting to watch. None of the people she followed had uploaded anything recently. She had caught up on the gaming series some of them posted, one of which had inspired her to play the game herself whenever she had the time. In all honesty, though, it really did feel as if everyone's attention these days was almost always on their computers and phones. Why watch TV when you could catch up by way of streaming services?

Then again, she really didn't have much of a life. All she did was listen to music while practicing her self-training workout sessions.

Curious to see what the boys were doing, she glanced over to the seat on the other side of the bus in the same row as hers. Cody was reading his light novel while Kurogasa was listening to music, ear buds stuck in his ears while flipping through a manga she recognized as Fairy Tail.

Masaomi glanced down at her phone, then back at the boys.

I don't have much of anything else to do, and there's nothing interesting on the tube. Plus, listening to silence all the way to London's just boring.

She slid her phone in her pocket and stood up, sliding over to the open space between Cody and Kurogasa. The latter smirked. "Got bored?"

"More like suffering." Masaomi replied. "Can't stand sitting around while everything's as quiet as the walking dead. Which arc are you on?"

"Phantom. Natsu and the others just declared war and snuck inside Jose's big robot." he answered before he sighed. "Really don't get why so many people don't really like Fairy Tail. Characters are good, the action's awesome..."

Masaomi smirked. "And the girls are hot?"

"And the girls are-hey!" She snickered at his flabberghasted response. Recovering, he rolled his eyes at her before chuckling. "Okay, you got me. I do admit, some of the girls are hot."

Cody chuckled. "Let me guess, you got a hard-on for Erza and Lucy?"

"Back off, blondie. Do not mock my preferences."

"For the last time! It's goldie!" Cody snapped. "Get it right, will ya?"

Masaomi sighed. Here we go again.

Cody's favorite color was gold. When asked why, he answered that it didn't just signify wealth or status. People who were loaded didn't really need to own any gold of their own or dress in loud gold colors to let people know how filthy rich they were or where they stood in society. To Cody, the color represented a lot more than that. It represented compassion, among other things. The power to come to understand others and reach out to them. To the members of the club, they felt how well it suited him, especially since he was almost always trying to help his friends in any way he could.

That said, for whatever strange and weird reason, Cody liked being referred to as "goldie" instead of "blondie."

Kurogasa looked like he realized that they were about to get into another meaningless argument that would have no clear winner and instead focused on something else. "What're you reading?"

"He's reading a light novel, case you couldn't tell." Masaomi answered. "An isekai. Rising of the Shield Hero, was it?"

"Yep." Cody smiled. "Speaking of, I already asked Masao this, but if you were transported to another world yourself, Kuro my man, what kind of life would you want?"

"Depends. What kind of world am I being sent to?" Kurogasa asked. "If it's Earthland, and if I could use magic, you bet your ass I'd join Fairy Tail in a heartbeat. I mean, sure, they get into all kinds of crazy stuff, but could you imagine going on the kind of insane adventures Natsu and the others get themselves into on a daily basis? It'd be like an adventure that never ends!"

"Well, at least your answer was better than Masao." He laughed when the white-and-black-haired girl flipped him the bird. "Kidding, kidding! Though since you brought up being isekai'd to a show or manga or book or whatever, I say I'd want to try RWBY. Fighting Grimm, being a hero... It sounds pretty cool if you ask me."

"That, and you have a raging crush on Yang." Masaomi deadpanned.

"What can I say? We're both golden." Cody smirked. "Anyway, how about you Masaomi? Still the same answer as before?"

Masaomi was about to give him the response she did last time, but stopped to think. If they were going to be thrown into a world of their choosing, including any world set in a video game, manga, TV show or book, then she had more than a few options. Off the top of her head, she would have chosen peaceful worlds like those of Animal Crossing or even Jak and Daxter. The former because, well, the only real danger was just trying to keep a roof over her head and not starve, while the latter only required her finding a nice quiet village to settle in and live off the land. And maybe invest in some protection.

Thinking more on it, she didn't really see a reason to be sent to another world. Though if she were to have a reason...

"...I'm still not interested in the idea, but if I really do have to be sent to another world from a game or manga, I would want to meet the characters." Masaomi decided.

Cody and Kurogasa blinked. "Wait, really?" The latter looked surprised. "I mean, not that I don't understand. I'd give anything to meet and talk with Natsu, or heck even anyone from the Fairy Tail guild, but you want to be sent to another world to talk to the characters?"

"Granted, I'd still want to live someplace where my life isn't in danger, but I would like the chance to get to talk to some of the characters." she answered with a small grin. "If you ask me, stories don't just rely on world -building or the setting. They should also rely on a good cast of characters. That, and on the chance I couldn't find someplace nice and quiet to settle down, I can always stick around the people who can kick ass, yeah?"

Cody shrugged. "Got a point there." A pause. "...you know, I just realized. What we're talking about, it kinda sounds like we're the protagonists of a self-insert fanfiction."

"Oh, please. Who'd wanna read a fanfic about a teenager who has no idea what the heck he's doing?"

The three laughed at that. As they laughed joyously and discussed different topics, such as what they would be doing once they got to London and were finished with their studies, the bus entered a tunnel. It vanished shortly after, sinking into the shadowy depths.

Several minutes later, the sounds of screaming panic resounded.

At around 3:15 this afternoon, a small-scale traffic accident occurred in a tunnel six miles close to the Prague Castle. Six cars were caught in a head-on collision while four vehicles were damaged in an attempt to avoid the accident. Thankfully, there are no injuries among those involved in the accident. The cause behind the accident is still under investigation, but officials believe that there was a technical malfunction in the bus' break system. However, five passengers aboard the bus have mysteriously disappeared.

The passengers were individuals traveling to London for a school assignment. The missing persons are three students and two teachers; Masaomi Kanai, Cody Alderich, Kurogasa Kururugi, Justinia Pierson and Kojiro Yukihara. Masaomi Kanai and Kurogasa Kururugi were Foreign Exchange Students at the Prague University, while Cody Aldrich was a Transfer Student from the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences in Monterey Bay, California.

Teachers Justinia Pierson and Kojiro Yukihara, the former being the supervisor of the Cultural Studies club, were originally Foreign Exchange Students from Taiwan and Japan. Justinia is the daughter of a United States Marine Officer, while Kojiro is believed to have ties to a yakuza family in Chiba.

If you have any information about these missing persons, please inform the nearest law enforcement station near you or dial the number on the screen.

"You... How much longer do you intend to sleep?"

Masaomi's eyes fluttered. Her body was heavy and drowsy, eyelids barely able to keep themselves up. Her mind was in a haze. She could hardly think, much less remember what she had been doing. She vaguely recalled joking around with Kurogasa and Cody when Justinia got tired of them yelling and told them to quiet down. After that, everything was a blur. She couldn't remember anything afterwards, save perhaps for a flash of light that swallowed the bus whole minutes after it entered the tunnel.

"Your body is awake. Your eyes must open now, and you must find the strength to stand upon those legs of yours."

She felt the coldness of crashing waves fall over her. She was floating in an ocean maybe, yet her clothes didn't feel wet at all. They were not soaking in the water. Through bleary eyes, she could see what looked like a cerulean blue sky hanging above her.

"Like so much rain, a pool of blood has fallen to the ground... As spears and arrows pierce the earth, it weeps. And even now...it weeps."

Faintly, Masaomi could see someone looking at her. Their hands were cupping her cheeks, but their face was shadowed. All she could see was their lime green hair and the black coat that sat atop their shoulders.

"In order to survive, they kill. And so, the people of this world are lost in an abyss of suffering. They weep as well."

What's going on...? Masaomi thought tiredly. I feel like I'm barely awake and dead tired at the same time. Who's talking? I can't tell...

"Listen. Can you hear it?"

Through the sounds of the waves, she could. Faint whispers, laced with sadness and despair. But they were so quiet she could hardly hear them. They were swallowed by the ocean waves.

Her vision slowly came into focus. The person cupping her face was coming into view. When their face was revealed, the sun peered out past their form and shone in her face.

"I can't do anything to save them anymore. No matter how hard I try, I can't change the outcome. If it were possible, I would never put this burden on you or your friends. But, this is my last option."

Masaomi squinted, trying to see through the sunlight. "Who...are you...?"

All she could see was a small smile on the person's face. Their lips parted, and suddenly her vision was once again engulfed in light.

"My name is..."

Fódlan

Great Tree Moon, 1180

"Sooo, what do you think we should do?"

"Come now, you can't expect us to just leave her here."

"Hey, I'm just sayin'. Her clothes are weird, and she doesn't look like she's injured or anything. Maybe she just found this place cuz its comfortable?"

"And you don't find the fact that she just so happens to be near our camp, when the instructors said they found no one nearby when they scouted the area, suspicious?"

"Sheesh. Always the skeptic."

Three voices, two boys and a girl arguing over her. Or at least she thought they were. They were being kind of loud, too. Masaomi had no choice but to stir awake with such an awful commotion. Unlike before, where it seemed like she was floating in the water, she was now lying on solid ground. Uncomfortably, she might add. She felt blades of grass tickling at the back of her neck. Slowly, she opened her eyes and found herself staring at three people, all oddly dressed. Had she not known any better, she thought they were cosplayers, what with them being dressed in black-and-gold uniforms with capes draped over their shoulders. One had blonde hair and striking blue eyes, the picture definition of a prince. The second male was roguishly handsome, skin tan and black hair messy, green eyes alight with mischief. The sole female of the group was beautiful, pale white hair falling down to her shoulders and clear blue eyes looking at the two in exasperation.

Okay, so either I'm dreaming or I hit my head and am dreaming. Masaomi thought as she watched the three bicker among themselves. She winced when she felt her head throb, the left side of her temple swollen and discolored. Ugh, my head... What happened? I could have sworn I was talking to Cody and Kuro when the teachers yelled at us, then a light came at us... Did the bus crash? Wait, this isn't one of those near-death experiences where I'm slowly dying in some hospital bed, is it?

"Oh, you're awake!" At last, one of them noticed her awake. The blonde knelt down with concern clear in his face. "Are you alright?"

The brunette of the group rolled his eyes. "Uh-huh. Sure, Dimitri. Ask the girl with the bruise on her forehead and lying on the ground if she's okay."

"Claude, please." Dimitri shook his head.

Masaomi stared at the three. Their lips were moving, but for some reason, their voices were out of sync. They were talking, but their lips were lagging behind. Then she noticed they were speaking fluently in Japanese. Or maybe I'm just hearing them talk in Japanese. Or maybe somebody's pulling a hell of a ventriloquist act.

Still, she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Her head was killing her. Metaphorically, of course. "I don't suppose you have something for headaches?"

"I believe we have some ointment at the camp." Dimitri said as he offered her a hand. "Here." She wrapped her fingers around his hand, only to yelp when she was suddenly pulled to her feet and wincing. She could have sworn she felt several bones in her hand break just now. What the hell kind of grip was that?

The white-haired girl frowned. "Are we certain this is the wisest course of action?"

"Oh, come on. What could she possibly do, Edelgard?" Claude looked at her. "We'll be surrounded by the Knights of Seiros and the instructor. Sure, they're just trainees and this is his first day on the job, but you seriously think she would try something with that many people around?"

Edelgard looked as if she wished to argue, but Claude's argument did have merit. She silenced her disagreemnts, but the look on her face made it clear that she wasn't entirely sold on the idea.

"Our camp is this way." Dimitri gestured for her to follow. "My name is Dimitri. This is Claude and Edelgard. What's yours?"

"Masaomi. My friends call me Masao."

Claude's eyes sparkled. "Oho? I thought your features looked different, but your name definitely gives it away. You a foreigner?"

"Depends on where in the fresh hell am I?"

Edelgard looked at her strangely. "You are in Fódlan, miss. Specifically, a few miles away from a nearby village called Remire."

Masaomi stared at her hard. The pain in her head grew worse, and it wasn't because of the swelling bump on her head. Rather, it was by the sheer ridiculousness of it all. Her mind was starting boot back up. She definitely recalled the conversation she had with Cody and Kurogasa, and while she was not very knowledgeable about certain books, she definitely knew the tell-tale signs of what the hell was happening right now.

Either somebody drugged her, kidnapped her and dumped her in some LARPER's fantasy, or...

...us and our big mouths.

Edelgard felt that something was off.

The training excursion was a last minute assignment, mainly a test to see how well she and the others could cooperate while also testing the mettle of the newly hired instructor. In her honest opinion, though, the man wasn't what she was expecting. He was too skittish, the type of person who looked ready to bolt at the first sign of danger.

Then there was the appearance of this outsider. The foreigner with the oddly-colored hair in odd clothes. She spoke fluently in their language, but she had an accent that she couldn't place. Her features were definitely unlike any of the natives of Fódlan's neighboring countries, and her clothes were made of materials she couldn't quite place.

An untested professor, the next rulers of the three countries, and a stranger just happened to appear within their parameter, well after the knights finished their sweep. She appeared clueless, but past experiences back during the Insurrection gave her plenty of reasons to be suspicious. The timing was just too convenient for her liking, and there was no guarantee that she wasn't here for some nefarious purposes. The knights obviously shared her concerns and checked her belongings, finding nothing of actual interest aside from some strange object in her backpack. Of course, another reason behind their suspicion was their natural hesitation towards foreigners in general.

Edelgard had nothing against outsiders, but that didn't mean she trusted them. Petra, a native of Brigid, she knew well enough that she could safely say she could trust her life with her in the event they were in a battle of life and death. She had time to understand and connect with Petra. If given time, she could say the same with others like her.

Still, regardless of her suspicions of this Masaomi, she did note how confused and out of placed she seemed. She looked at everyone just as strangely as they did her. They were in a tent, Dimitri applying salve and bandages to her forehead while Claude chattered with her animatedly. He was always the most eager to learn more about people from outside of Fódlan, not that she didn't blame him. It was always interesting to learn about new perspectives. If given the chance, she would ask Petra or Dedue, Dimitri's faithful retainer if he was ever willing to talk, about their country's culture.

"So, stranger, where are you from exactly? And if I may ask, what brings you all the way out here to Fódlan?"

"Kind of wish I knew." Masaomi grimaced. Dimitri did the finishing touches and wrapped the bandages in place before stepping away. Strips of white cloth were now wrapped around her forehead. "One moment I'm with my friends and our teachers on a trip, and next thing I know, there's this light and I'm clocked out six ways from sunday."

Edelgard grew curious. "Teachers? Are you a student?"

"College student. Second year."

Claude whistled. "Suppose that'd make you our upperclassman. Still, you have no idea how you got here?"

"Nope. Never even heard of Fódlan until today."

Edelgard grew more and more suspicious. She didn't sound like she was lying, but the princess couldn't be sure. "Regardless, we found you by yourself." Dimitri pointed out. "We didn't see anyone near you. Maybe you were separated."

"Maybe..." Masaomi frowned. She looked at the untested professor, having insisted he watch the students tend to her injuries in the event she pulled something. "Is-is there a map maybe I could look at?"

"We don't have one on us." Dimitri answered in the professor's stead, much to his chagrin. "We do have a map, but it only shows the local area. However, I'm sure the Knights would be more than willing to help you search for your friends."

"W-with all due respect, Y-Your Highness..." the professor cut-in, his stuttering grating on the ears. "I-I don't believe the k-knights should waste their time on searching for a-a group of outsiders."

"Ah, come on professor. Look at her!" Claude gestured to Masaomi. "I don't think she could hurt a fly. Besides, what could she possibly do? Practically everyone here knows how to use a weapon, and she isn't armed."

"Weapon?" Masaomi flinched away fearfully. "W-wait, why would you guys need weapons? Don't tell me you guys fight monsters and bandits every day!"

"Depends on what's asked of us at the academy." Claude shrugged. "Honestly, we deal with different kinds of problems. Though it's been a while since we've seen any action. To be honest, I'm kind of getting rusty with my archery skills."

"As for the monsters, we do have them run about occasionally." Edelgard added. "Giant wolves, hawks and the occasional Demonic Beasts. The former two are exactly what they sound like, but Demonic Beasts are a little rarer. Thankfully, there's no been reports of such creatures roaming anywhere close to Remire. Speaking of Remire, I've heard there's a mercenary band stationed there for the time being. Do we have anything to worry about them?"

The professor shook his head. "N-no. In fact, t-they aren't dangerous in the l-least. The Sword Bearers a-are of world r-renown."

"Sword Bearers?" Dimitri scrunched his brow in thought. "Isn't that the group led by the man they call the Blade Breaker?"

Masaomi looked at the group, still fearfully but no less interested. "Blade Breaker?

In the shadows of the forest, a group of men gathered near the camp site where the three heirs of the ruling powers and one foreigner were staying. They were all dressed in ragged clothing and armed to the teeth, many bearing wicked looks. Their leader was built, muscles thick and hands big enough to crush a man's skull into paste. At his hip was a sharp ax.

"There's the camp, just like that weird guy said." one of the men said. "Our man did a quick check. It checks out. The princess of Adrestria, the prince of Faerghus and the Duke's grandson are all here. Heh, this is gonna be like taking candy from a baby!"

"What do you think, boss?" another turned to the brutish man. "I'm still skeptical about this whole thing. I mean, come on! Three blue bloods, all from freaking royalty. What if this whole thing is a trap?"

Kostas scoffed. "Relax. We made sure the Knights of Seiros aren't gonna interfere with this." He looked behind him and at the key behind the success of this operation. While the rest of his crew was unnerved by it, he couldn't help but wonder how much it would be worth. It was inactive at the moment, maybe sleeping, but once that thing was up and running, this was going to be a total slaughter. "That thing is gonna do its job, right?"

The person he was addressing was leaning up against a tree. The upper half of his body was hidden in shadow, revealing only a dark purple and black robe with black slacks, a sheathed sword at his hip.

"Rest assured, Kostas." the man said smoothly. "The Magia will fulfill his duty. You only need your job and separate the students from their protectors. It will take care of the rest. However, there may be some complications."

Kostas frowned. "What kind of complication?"

"A certain famed mercenary group is being hosted at Remire village. It's possible that they'll interfere."

"They won't get the chance." he huffed. The man shrugged and removed himself from the tree, receding into the shadows. Kostas scoffed as he watched his benefactor leave before he turned back to his group of bandits. "Alright, boys! Time to earn your keep!"

While the three in front of her continued to talk, seemingly trying to decide what to do with her, Masaomi once again delved into her thoughts.

Unless she was dreaming, she was in another world. A medieval world, or at least late Middle Ages. Still, none of this made sense. How did this even happen? One moment she was talking with her friends, and the next, bam! Here she was, clonked out in the middle of nowhere in some kind of fantasy world. It sounded straight out of one of Cody's isekai novels, but it didn't make sense. She wanted to believe she was just having a bad dream or in some kind of coma, but the throbbing pain in her head was proof enough that she was awake. Wherever in the world she was or why she was even here, she had no idea.

And out of everyone that could have possibly gotten isekai'd, why them? There was absolutely nothing special about her. She was just a college student for god's sake!

So help me, if the person or divine entity or whoever the hell is responsible for bringing me here going to tell me I've been summoned for some grand purpose, I am going to punch them in the face!

Another passing migraine erupted in her head. They were steadily growing worse despite the aid Dimitri gave her. Had she suffered some internal damage also?

"At any rate, we should probably turn in for the night." Claude suggested. "We'll be heading back to the monastery at daybreak."

Edelgard glanced at Masaomi. "And what about her?"

"Sharing a bunk with us. Again, I'd like to stress that-"

Whatever he was about to say stopped dead as something pierced through the tent. Masaomi felt wind rush past her cheek and yelped when she saw the reason why. An arrow landed on the ground, its tip coated in flame. The hole it caused upon entry was quickly set ablaze and began to spread, eating away at the cloth.

"Fire!" she yelled. "The tent's on fire!"

Edelgard cursed. "Everyone out!"

They scrambled out of the tent and back into the wild. They soon saw that the tent was not the only one set ablaze. The other tents were being consumed in the flames and was quickly spreading. In a matter of minutes, the whole camp was a blazing inferno. The soldiers were scrambling about, rushing to grab buckets of water or rushing off somewhere. It was absolute chaos that no one could keep track of.

"What the hell's going on..." Dimitri gaped. "Are we under attack?!"

"How?" Claude demanded. "Nobody's supposed to know we're out here!"

"Look there!"

At Edelgard's cry, they turned their attention to the back. From the treeline were several men, all armed with axes and swords. Masaomi stared fearfully at them, slowly backing away. Each and every one of them looked at the group with malicious intent. Their intentions were clear as day. At the head was a burly man with messy hair and a thick carpet of a beard. In his hand was a large ax, eyes focused on them.

"Bandits..." Edelgard grimaced. "How much do you want to bet they're after us?"

"That would be a fool's bet." Dimitri's eyes were cold, hands twitching. "We should grab a weapon and make a break for it. Miss Masaomi, can you fight?"

"W-what?" She looked at him as if he were crazy. Could she fight? Of course she bloody couldn't! Sure, she practiced self-taught karate, but how was that going to be of any use against men with weapons?!

Before she could form a proper response, Claude seemingly made the decision for them. He turned on his heel and dashed straight through one of the blazing tents. "Claude! What are you doing?!" Edelgard asked bewilderingly. The tanned student escaped the tent, this time carrying a wooden bow in his hands with a quiver full of arrows on his back. He never stopped his sprint, even as he spun on his heel and grabbed one of the arrows from behind his back, knocking it back and setting it loose.

It was a thing of beauty, really. He did all of that within the span of a second, only stopping his movement in that instant. Better yet, the arrow struck one of the bandits currently in pursuit in the shoulder, stopping him dead in his tracks and knocking him down to the ground.

Sadly, the magic didn't last for very long. Claude's action incited fury and released the rest of the horde. Masaomi could only think of one thing to do while the bandits came rushing at them. It came to her almost immediately, turning straight on her heel and following after Claude.

"Quick! After them!" she heard Dimitri call. She didn't dare turn around, instead running as fast as her legs could carry her.

She had no idea that the bandits were going to be the least of her worries.

A battlefield. Chaos. Utter destruction reigned as two armies clashed, swords and spears shattering and piercing the earth. In the midst of it all, eleven crimson lights shone as they brought death and destruction. In the middle of this great clash, unlike any skirmish she had seen before, she saw a lone woman watching on eerily passive. She was remarkably calm in the midst of the chaos, not even reacting when a man leaped at her, sword ready to cut her down. He was stopped when an armored individual slammed into him feet-first, soaring through the air and crashing back down on the earth, surfing atop the body before leaping off.

The armor was black and yellow, designed in a way that it complete covered the body. Two antenna stretched out from what looked like the faceplate, crimson eyes peering out and daring anyone to approach the woman.

On the other side of the battlefield, two similarly armored individuals were blazing their way through the waves of bodies. Their armor brought to mind a wolf and cheetah respectively, one clad in blue-and-white armor and the other dressed in orange-and-white. In their hands were bizarre weapons, functioning similar to a bow and shooting projectiles, but each time they shot something out there was only a deafening boom akin to a thunder strike.

In the very center of the bloodshed, where a menace was quickly approaching, a battle had come to a close. Two armored men fought and clashed, with only a single coming out the victor. A man wearing a black bodysuit with blue and silver armor fell on his back, struggling to stand up. A foot pressed down on his chest and pressed down, pinning him where he was before a javelin pierced through the cracked faceplate and killed the man instantly. His killer was clad in gold and silver, their faceplate bearing dark purple eyes and a crown.

However, when such mysterious armored figures should have been the center of her focus, the coming menace made itself known. He descended to the battlefield, sword crashing into the ground and summoning forth a torrent of flame. He rose from the ground, his sword glowing red while glaring back at the army before him. In his way stood the golden-armored warrior, who raised his javelin.

The man gave only a bloodthirsty smile before he launched himself at the armored warrior. He swung his sword and she watched as it suddenly split open, extending out like a whip. The warrior defended against the attack, but found himself quickly pushed back. As he regained his bearing, the man was already in front of him and grabbed him by the helm, lifting him into the air and bringing him straight down. The ground cracked beneath the force of the slam. In an act of defiance, the armored warrior attempted to skewer the man, only to find it blocked by the same hand that grabbed his helmet.

The armored warrior let out a weak gasp as the unearthly blade pierced his body. He could only glare back at the man before his head rolled to the side and the life left his body.

"Lady...Seiros..."

His final words went unheard, the man not bothering to hear them as he tore the sword out from his corpse. He looked up and saw the woman, Seiros, approaching with a sword in hand. Her tranquil expression was replaced by a look of utter hate. At her side was the yellow-and-black armored warrior who defended her.

"Stand down, Zero." Seiros growled. "He is mine!"

Her words were final and left no room for argument. She shot forward and locked blades with her opponent, fully intent of killing him here and now. Steel met unearthly steel, blades departing and reuniting each time. At first glance, they looked equally matched. Whereas the man struck with such brutality and force, she met his assault with fluid grace. The duel quickly approached its climax as the man swung his sword, the blade extending and wrapping around hers.

He smiled wickedly, as if thinking victory was assured. However, his gloating was premature as the woman threw her sword away, pulling the man's own weapon out of his hands and leaving him defenseless. In his bewildered state, he barely had any time to defend himself as she struck him with her bare hands, a fist knocking into his chin and quickly followed by a knee strike to his abdomen, leaving him breathless. A kick knocked him to the ground in a daze.

He attempted to stand up, but the woman's knee pinned him to the ground. She glared down at him, a knife held in hand. "Tell me, Nemesis, do you remember the Red Canyon?!" she asked angrily. The man's eyes widened at her words. Before he could utter a word, her knife plunged into his chest. Over and over she cut her way into his flesh, cutting away at his heart.

After seconds of laying there, panting heavily and atop the corpse of the man who robbed her of everything, daybreak finally arose. The light shined atop the battlefield and the clouds parted. The army beneath her command let out a glorious cheer while the opposing force was quick to either lay down their arms or flee. The two armored figures bearing the resemblance of a wolf and cheetah were among the dead, somehow slain in the midst of the confusion.

Seiros looked up and saw Zero standing over her, hand held out. She stared at it for a moment, then wrapped her hands around it. He pulled her up to her feet. She looked at the fallen body of Nemesis, unsure of whether or not he was truly dead, before her laid her eyes on his discarded weapon. She approached where it sat amid the mud and gently plucked it from the earth, running a hand over its blade. Her eyes were water as she pressed the sword, still bloodied, against her cheek.

"It's done. He's gone now, mother..."

The dream reached its end. A woman of around twenty years of age stirred awake, bluish-purple eyes fluttering open. As she rose up from her bed, her dark green hair flopped about comically while she rolled her neck, ridding her of any annoying cricks.

"Good, you're awake." She turned her head and saw a man standing in the doorway of the lodgings she and her father's band of mercenaries acquired. He was a like a bear, his body massive and covered in muscles and scars while clothed in an orange tunic with a typical pair of trousers, leather and metal covering his body. "Were you having that dream again?"

Byleth nodded as she pulled herself out from the bed. "Yes. The same one as before. The one with the armies and the people wearing strange armor."

Jeralt grunted. "From the way you described it, it sounded like a war. But there hasn't been a battle of that magnitude in centuries. And I've never heard of people wearing the armor you've described to me. At any rate, hurry up. We're leaving the village at daybreak. Our next job is in the Kingdom."

"The same client as before?" Byleth asked despite knowing the answer.

"Yeah. Count Gautier has been having bandit troubles in his territory lately. He figured he could ask us to deal with it." Jeralt rubbed his chin as a thoughtful glint danced in his eyes. "It's odd, though. The count's never had this kind of trouble before, especially since his territory is practically next door to Lord Fraldarius'."

"Perhaps the bandits have a skilled leader?"

"Maybe. Either way, go grab your stuff. The men are already-"

Jeralt was cut-off when one of his men barged in. "Beg your pardon, sir!" the mercenary apologized quickly to both her and her father. "There's trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" Jeralt narrowed his eyes.

"Bandits. A group of kids are outside asking for your assistance."

"Kids?" The old man narrowed his eyes in thought, as if pondering what to do. After a moment, he nodded and looked back at the mercenary. "Tell them we'll be there shortly." He nodded and left the lodgings, quickly returning to where their new guests were waiting. He then turned his attention back to Byleth. "Looks like that job will have to wait."

Byleth nodded in understanding. As important as work was, they couldn't really ignore something like this even if they weren't getting any coin out of it. Gratitude was enough. She followed her father out of her lodgings and outside. The Sword Bearers were all gathered and moving about, gathering their belongings and packing them into their carts and horses. Some were already armed and prepared to defend the village. The villagers were confused and unsure of what was happening, though the warnings of Jeralt's men quickly eased their worries as they retreated to safety.

Four people were gathered in front of the main entrance. Two boys and two girls, one looking older than the rest. Three were all wearing the same clothing with colored capes draped over their shoulders. The older of the four was a foreigner judging by her looks, hair black with white streaks and dressed in odd clothing. She also looked incredibly panicked and confused in contrast to the calm, if tense looks the others were sporting. Notably, she was the only one without a weapon whereas her companions were armed with a bow, spear and ax respectively.

"I'm terribly sorry for waking you at such an hour." the boy in the blue cape apologized as he bowed deeply. "We wouldn't have disturbed you if it wasn't important."

Jeralt grunted. "Mind telling me what the devil is going on? What's this about bandits?"

"It is as we said." the girl with white hair answered. "A group of brigands attacked our camp and set it ablaze. We fled, but I'm afraid they've given chase."

"And as you might expect, they're after our gold and maybe our lives." the tanned boy with the bow remarked. Byleth noted how he was sporting a slight smile that betrayed the nervousness in his eyes. "We ran when they attacked and got separated from our fellows."

Jeralt nodded. "I see. You're all remarkably calm in such a situation as this." He stopped when he looked more closely at their attire. "Wait, that uniform..."

"Um, not to worry everyone or anything..." the older girl said as she glanced over her shoulder. She had a slight accent, but her Fódlan was perfect. "B-but shouldn't we be getting the heck out of here? The bandits could be here any second."

Byleth looked at her father. "What do we do?"

Jeralt didn't hesitate in the slightest. "Gather the men. Have them set up a parameter around the village. Keep the villagers close to the center. Tell Devrim to guard them with his life. Byleth, you're coming with me." She nodded. Jeralt then turned back to the group in front of him. "I assume you all can fight?"

"We can, but I don't know about Masaomi." the boy with the boy said. Jeralt looked at her. She quickly shook her head and stammered. A quick look at her posture and body language told Byleth she had never held a weapon a day in her life.

"Alright. Masaomi, was it? Go with the villagers."

"A-are you sure?"

"Unless you fancy taking to the battlefield with us, I suggest you follow the man's orders." the boy with the blue cape said gently. Masaomi looked uncertain, but she nodded and followed their suggestion. Devrim, the mercenary who informed Jeralt about their arrival, quickly led her to where the villagers were being gathered. "So, miss, I take it you can fight too?"

Byleth's hand went to the sword at her hip.

"Alright, then we will follow your lead, sir." the girl with white hair bowed her head.

Jeralt nodded. "Alright, then. Come on, kids. Let's go."

Even when the battle was so far away, Masaomi could still hear it clearly. The clashing of steel, the battle cries and the death throes. Just outside the village, an actual village similar to the ones in the rural areas untouched by modern civilization of her homeland, people were fighting with the intent to kill. There were corpses being made and blood being spilled.

The atmosphere was heavy. Tension was thick in the air. The villagers were all gathered about, looking on with uncertainty and questioning whether or not they were really safe. Masaomi was in a similar state, but the reality of the situation was starting to sink in. If there was any definite proof about what was happening, it was here.

But she still couldn't understand it. Why had she been brought to another world? Where were her friends? Were they in the same world as her? Were they safe? Were they alive?

That last one made her cringe.

They're fine. They have to be fine. she tried to assure herself. Our sensei, they should be with them. Right?

Instead of easing her fears, her thoughts only made them worse. And the present turn of events was not helping matters. These men looked capable, but what if they failed? What if they died and left them defenseless?

What if she died here? What if she never got to see her uncle or parents again?

Her hands began to tremble.

"Miss?" Masaomi felt someone grab her hand. It was another person's, but it was tiny and rough and covered in dirt. She looked down and saw a child staring up at her. "Are you okay?"

She smiled sadly. "No, I'm not. I have no idea what the heck is happening or why I'm even here. I don't even know where my friends are."

"Your friends?"

"Yeah. We...we got separated. I just woke up and suddenly they were gone. We..." She sucked in a breath. "We aren't even supposed to be here. I mean, we joked about this happening, but we never thought it would actually happen."

It was like a nightmare. And she had no idea what to do.

Another stinging pain erupted in her head. She cradled her temple in her hand. Unlike before, the pain wasn't lessening or fading away. It was lingering. Urgh, my head... I must be suffering from some kind of concussion. Do the doctors here know anything about that? Where would I even find one?

What was she even supposed to do in this kind of situation?

Masaomi practiced the exercises she had been taught. She took a deep breath and exhaled, then repeated the process. She continued to do so until she felt the tension slowly leave her body. All the while, the child held her hand as if trying to comfort her.

Okay, okay. Just, try to think about this, Masao. You're in another world, you're all alone, you're in a life-or-death situation. Just...just try and think positive.

That thought immediately came to an end when the unmistakable sound of an explosion occurred and rocked the ground. The earth shook as if an earthquake had struck. Masaomi and many others nearly lost their balance, some falling to the ground. In the distance, a plume made of orange fires and gray smoke rose. The unmistakable sense of danger shot through Masaomi's spine.

What happened? What could have caused something like that?!

"W-what was that?" someone among the crowd asked. "What just happened?!"

"I don't know." a mercenary replied, but no less confused and worried. "That smoke...that's where the captain and Byleth are."

A sense of unease grew. Masaomi stared at the smoke.

The image of dead body at her feet appeared at the forefront of her mind. Corpses of the teens she had just met, all lying in pools of their blood. Fire was spreading among the forest. The perpetrator could not be called human as it stared at her wickedly, scythes ready to cut her down.

The image faded as quickly as it had appeared. Her skin went pale. W-what the heck was that just now?

She continued to stare at the area where the battle was taking place. A place where people were fighting for dear life, for their own sake and the sake everyone standing here, hoping they would succeed. Masaomi could do nothing. She didn't know how to swing a sword. She knew how to throw punches and kicks, but only for the sake of self-defense. She could never muster the strength or thought to seriously harm or kill someone. She was useless in such a situation.

And yet...

She couldn't stand it.

This feeling, this foreign feeling burning deep in her breast, was eating at her. She bit her lip, body shaking.

Oh god what the actual fuck am I doing?

She couldn't help it. That feeling had sparked something she didn't know existed inside of her. Her legs suddenly went into motion. She could no longer stop herself.

"H-hey! What are you doing?!"

The shout of a surprised mercenary entered her ears, but she ignored it as she continued to run towards where the teenagers and mercenaries were fighting. All the while unaware that, for a brief moment, her eyes turned bright blue with circuits closing in on her pupils.

What...what is this monster?

That was the thought on everyone's mind as things took a sudden turn for the worst.

The tide had gone in their favor at first. The bandits were swiftly culled until only the bandit leader and some of his men were left. Byleth had her blade poised to deliver the fatal blow, even managing to disarm him. The kids who warned them; Edelgard, Dimitri and Claude their names were, held themselves up well in battle. When things got too hairy, Jeralt was there to deliver the killing strike and defend them. She was confident this would be a short affair.

Then, without warning, that thing came and practically blew her aside. The attack came out of nowhere and so suddenly that she had no time to defend herself against it. She was thrown to the ground after a spinning green crescent wave struck her in the side and defended the bandit leader, who took the opportunity to save his skin and flee, all the while leaving them to deal with what was in front of them.

It wasn't human, but it was shaped like one. A jet-black body with a metal skeleton over its body, green straps running across various parts of its body. Its head was shaped like a mantis, bulbous yellow eyes on either side of its head glowing menacingly while its arms were nothing more than sharp green blades, wicked and capable of cutting straight through flesh with ease.

"What in the name of the Goddess is that?" Claude asked. "S-some kind of Demonic Beast?"

Dimitri readied his spear. "Whatever it is, it is dangerous! Sir Eisner, Lady Byleth! What do we do?!"

Byleth rose to her feet unsteadily, grabbing hold of her sword. She looked at her father, who appeared uncertain as he stared at the monster. They were trying to figure out how to best deal with this thing, but before either could make a decision, the monster took a step forward and raised its blades threateningly.

"KILL. KILL ALL BEASTS!"

"What the-!"

Before they could even begin to process what the monster had just said, it swung its blades and released another crescent wave. Jeralt rolled out of the way and proceeded to charge at it, his spear ready. Byleth followed his lead and trailed close behind. Once they were within range, they struck. Jeralt aimed for what he assumed was the throat while she struck with the intent of severing its arm.

To their shock, neither attack succeeded. Instead, their blades were blocked. Faster than what should have been humanly possible, the monster's blades intercepted their attacks and knocked them aside before counterattacking. Jeralt was kicked away with amazing force and was thrown quite a ways aside before it swung its blades down at Byleth. She blocked one of the blades, but soon found that even her trusted iron blade could not withstand the pressure. A single strike and cracks had begun to form.

It took all of her strength to stand her ground, glaring back and attempting to push the monster away.

The monster pushed her blade aside and struck again, the flat of its blades striking her and sending her flying. She quickly regained her senses and rolled out of her tumble and into a crouch, only to frown when she saw that her blade was of no use any longer. It was too cracked. Parts of it was already beginning to fall off.

"Now what to do..." she mumbled as she thought of a way she could turn this situation around.

The monster stared at her for a moment, then turned its attention it saw the approach of another threat. Edelgard took advantage of its attention being on Byleth and attempted to strike it from behind, but to her shock, the monster saw her coming and spun around in a perfect half-circle, one blade striking down at her ax and shattering it to pieces while the other struck her shoulder and sent her flying.

"Edelgard!"

The girl landed on the ground painfully, clutching her bleeding shoulder. The cloth of her uniform was torn, blood leaking out from the gash. Thankfully, the cut wasn't too deep. She quickly got back up to her feet and attempted to plan a retreat, but the monster was already in action. With a swing, another crescent arc was flung her way.

I can't dodge it in time! Edelgard cursed before closing her eyes, accepting the end while apologizing to her father and family for failing to accomplish anything.

It came as a surprise to her, however, when she felt her body being thrown to the ground and someone smashing into her. The crescent arc shot over her and exploded against a tree, shattering it completely and sending its remains all over the place. Dazed, the princess of the Adrestrian Empire looked up and gasped. Masaomi, dazed and looking utterly panicked, was over her.

"Are..." she gasped. Sweat caked her face. She looked exhausted like she just ran a marathon. "Are you...okay?"

Edelgard was too stunned to say anything. She wanted to ask what she was doing here when she should back in the village, but she couldn't really find any way to voice those thoughts. All she could think was about how this girl had just saved her life.

The moment did not last for long as the shrill, inhuman cry of the monster reminded them where they were. It raised its blades once again, intent of cutting them down.

What the holy hell am I doing here?!

Masaomi wanted to scream. This was so insane she should have been put in a mental hospital. By all rights, she should be dead. In fact, she wanted to kill herself. Seriously, what possessed her to go running out by herself and towards a battlefield and now currently up against some kind of mechanical monstrosity?! Okay, granted, she just saved a girl from dying, but now they were going to die together. What did she think she could accomplish by doing this kind of thing?! She had no chance!

So why, then, did she feel as though there was a chance?

As the monster prepared its next assault, and sure their last, Masaomi looked around for anything that could help them. A sword, or hell, maybe a way out. A quick escape. Her eyes stopped and fell upon an item that was just laying there on the ground. It was so out of place that she wondered if someone had dropped it or if it was always there, hiding in plain sight. What Masaomi didn't realize, however, was that the item she was staring at had been in her backpack since she arrived on Fódlan. The knights who investigated and searched her belongings had thought none of it, and she knew nothing of it ever being on her person.

It looked like some kind of belt buckle, albeit very weird. It didn't look anything like a normal buckle, black with a silver triangular edge in the middle with a red marker on the left side. On the right side was a yellow circle.

At first, Masaomi wanted to ignore it and look for something else, but something in her stirred.

"Go on."

A faint whisper in her ear, almost like whistling wind. That foreign feeling from before that stirred her into action rose back to the surface. Once again, she felt as if her body was moving of its own accord as she pulled herself off of Edelgard and quickly scrambled to grab the buckle. Once she had it in her hands, she got back up to her feet and stared the monster down. It paused briefly when it saw the item in her hands, but then resumed its previous motions.

Masaomi glanced down at the buckle.

...I really have no idea what the hell I'm doing, but I'm seriously hoping this works.

Trusting her instincts and the feeling that led her this far, she slapped the buckle over her waist and-

[Zero-One Driver!]

In that moment, Masaomi felt her mind blank out. Suddenly, the whole world came slowing to a crawl. She watched in fascination as the monster moved in slow-motion, its blades glowing and about to send another crescent wave of energy straight at her.

Whoa, what's happening? Everything's happening so slowly...a-and, wait, what is this? Zero-One, Rider, Tutorial... What the heck's going on? It feels like someone's dumping information in my brain!

ACTIVATION CONFIRMED
LINK WITH SATELLITE ZEA HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED
SCANNING USER
ID CONFIRMED
LOCKING BIOMETIC DATA
CONGRATULATIONS, MASAOMI KANAI
YOU ARE A VALID USER

"W-what?! How can this be?!"

"What's wrong, Odesse?"

"It...it's one of the Satellites. Satellite Zea has come online!"

As the world returned to focus, Masaomi felt light-headed. She almost passed out then and there as the sudden dump of information came to an end. There was so much knowledge in her head that she almost couldn't believe it. And as much as she would have loved to question what was happening or how this was even possible, she had more important things to be worried about. Namely, the fact that this thing was still in the process of getting ready to kill her and Edelgard.

[ID Confirmed / Target: Berotha Magia / Threat Level: Minimum / Mission: Destroy the Target]

The words lit up in her vision and immediately understood what she had to do, only hoping she didn't somehow screw this up. She reached into her backpack, ruined and torn to shreds when she threw Edelgard to the ground. The backpack was torn open by the attack, evident by the gaping hole. That made it easier to grab the object she needed, an item that looked very much like a cassette tape.

"Here goes nothing." Masaomi whispered to herself and left everything in the hands of fate as she pressed the button on the top side of the item.

[Jump!]

Berotha swung its blades and launched the crescent waves of energy straight at her. As it did, she pressed the item up against the belt buckle's left side.

[Authorise!]

The attack that drew closer was deflected by the timely appearance of a yellow light that came shining down straight from the sky, landing directly in front of Masaomi and intercepting the attack. When the light faded, everyone in attendance gasped when they saw what it was.

"That..." Claude whispered. "...is one big bug."

It was a grasshopper, easily as big as a human but seemingly made out of metal. Its eyes were glowing red, the majority of its body covered in neon yellow lights. It let out a cry as it began to bounce around the battlefield, yet never straying too far from Masaomi. The girl sucked in a breath as she let the tension in her body leave, an odd sense of calm overwhelming her senses while raising her arms, crossing them while slowly bring them in front of her before swinging her arm forward, opening up the face-plate of the item and revealing the skeletal frame of a grasshopper.

"Henshin!"

Without further ado, she slammed the Progrise Key into its slot and let the Driver do the rest.

[Progrise!]

The belt opened up and revealed a center piece showing the head of a grasshopper - the same as the design printed on the key. Black armor formed across her body, surrounded by holographic blue screens. The grasshopper leaped above her before it suddenly exploded into different pieces and began breaking down into streams of light, converging on her body. Yellow pieces of armor began to form over her, mainly over her chest, face, shoulders and thighs. The screens shattered as the light solidified and revealed Masaomi's new look in full, the red eyes on the faceplate glowing menacingly.

[To-bia ga Rise!]
[Rising Hopper!]
[A JUMP TO THE SKY TURNS TO A RIDER KICK.]

"W-what?!" Edelgard stared at Masaomi with large eyes of amazement and awe while the girl herself, equally as stunned, took a moment to stare at her form.

She could feel it. Power. Strength. It was all surging through her.

...I could get used to this.

"No way..." Claude stared at Masaomi's armored form in amazement. "That looks just like..."

Berotha let out a strangled, angry roar as it charged at her, breaking Masaomi from her thoughts. As it charged, she could see various pages of data light up in front of her, showing off diagrams and instructions in real-time. For anyone else, this would have taken minutes to understand. But Masaomi could somehow understand it all in a second. It was as if her brain was running at top speed. She acted immediately and met Berotha's charge head-on and delivered a powerful haymaker to its head.

The force behind the punch was enough to knock it off its feet and send it flying.

"Whoa!" Masaomi stared at her fist in shock. "Holy crap... How much strength am I rocking here?!"

She looked back at Berotha and saw it was getting back on its feet, rushing toward her with its blades ready. It swung for her head, but she dodged it easily and countered with a swift round house, this time to its side. The blow stunned it long enough for her to deliver another kick to its chest and once more send it flying, this time noticably farther than when she punched. Unlike before, Berotha managed to regain its senses and slow its retreat by stabbing its blades into the ground.

With another cry, it launched more crescent arcs her way. Another recommended action appeared in front of her and she followed the suit's suggestion, leaping right over it.

Only...

"Holyshittoohightoohighwaytoofreakinghigh!"

She flailed while soaring several feet in the air before she finally landed back on the ground, stumbling while regaining her footing. She didn't have much time to readjust as Berotha slashed at her unprotected backside, making her cry out in pain. She growled angrily and whirled around, going for a roundhouse kick that was blocked by the blades. The impact did force it back somewhat, giving her space. She proceeded to charge and go for another punch, knicking its head as it attempted to dodge, following up with a knee-strike that struck it in the abdomen.

The blow knocked it upwards and allowed her to punch it dead on the face, throwing it far. Berotha smashed straight through two trees before it crashed back on the ground, flailing about angrily as it got back up. Its blades glowed, but instead of sending out arcs, it surprised her by shooting off a beam of energy.

"Crap!"

Masaomi leaped out of the way and avoided it, only to be forced to run as the beam continued to follow her. Berotha cared nothing of the damage it was causing as the beam seared its way through the environment, cutting through trees and burning away at the ground.

I need to find a way to get close, but how? Masaomi thought. Just then, the system gave her another suggestion. She blinked. ...okay, here's hoping I still know some parkour!

Her legs tensed up. Like a rocket after its springs were uncoiled after being wound, Masaomi launched off the ground and towards the trees, feet smashing up against the trunk before bouncing off towards another tree. And then bouncing off towards another. Before long, she was bouncing off of trees like they were trampolines, all the while evading the beam Berotha was shooting at her.

When the beam drew near, now closer to the Magia than before, the system gave her another message. A vicious grin spread across her lips as she kicked herself off the tree just as the beam was about to hit her, letting her body slide across the ground and underneath the beam before reaching the mechanical monster before her. In mid-transit, she pushed the Progrise Key further. At that same moment, the power flowing through her grew stronger.

[Rising Impact!]

She came to a stop and rose to full height, slamming her heel straight into its head and knocking it straight into the air. She jumped and gave pursuit, quickly reaching it and flying above it before slamming her heel back down and throwing it straight towards the ground. Despite the absurdity of it, she kicked off the air and went after it, rotating her body at an angle and straightening her leg out, coming at the Magia like an arrow pursuing its target.

The attack connected. Her foot tore straight through its body, tearing apart wires and gears and its metal body. Its freshly-made corpse exploded into flames behind her as she came straight back down to earth.

R
I
S
I
N
G
IMPACT

Masaomi returned to the ground, still sliding and tearing up the ground while attempting to slow down and stop...only for her ankle to bend in the wrong direction and cause her body to go into a tumble, bouncing off the ground and breaking through a tree in the process before coming to a rolling stop at the foot of a tree. Embarassingly, her backside was hanging in the air along with her legs, her face somehow planted in the ground before she fell back to her backside.

"...ow."

As the power high faded, Masaomi groaned and realized what just happened. Her brain caught up to her recent actions and concluded she was insane.

It was official.

"...being isekai'd rocks."

Unknown to Masaomi, Jeralt, Byleth or the three royals, the fight was not without further spectactors. The man Kostas had been speaking with watched the whole battle from the shadows. And he was not alone. Another person dressed in dark robes with a hood over his head watched the battle unfold. While the destruction of the Magia was disheartening and disappointing, they had witnessed something worth much more.

"That was so freaking cool!" the hooded man exclaimed excitedly as he bounced around like a child. "I mean, it sucks that we lost a Magia, but that was so freaking cool! Did you see that, Horobi?!"

"I did, Jin." the man replied, a cold smile appearing on his face. "I did. So, after all this time, you've finally returned have you?"

He slowly raised his hand, as if reaching out towards the armored Masaomi.

"I suppose some congratulations are in order... Welcome home, Zero-One."

JIKAI, KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE!

"K-kaa-chan, please... Don't go..."

"I won't let you do as you please to those under my protection!"

"I have to find my friends!"

"So, this is a new world, huh...?"

"HENSHIN!"

The Bullet is Fired! A Boy Howls in this New World

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Special thanks go to striberx for his beta work and contributions.

As I've said before earlier, this story will not be suited to everyone's tastes. This format has been done before countless times, and based on reviews I've read of other stories that I follow, some are not fans of the whole idea of an OC becoming a Kamen Rider and being sent to another world.

Despite that absurd wall, I do want to give this story a try. And yes, I am fully aware that Zero-One has yet to finish its run so details like future Riders and upgrades might not make it into the story...but, my writing schedule revolves around me not working or not having school. And that's usually around every two months or so.

Still, I'll let this story sit for a while and see what reception it gets. If it somehow proves to be popular, I'll make it one of my priority stories to update whenever I have the chance.

Fun fact: Ashbel Longhart's character, Haru Yamamoto, was originally going to be featured in this fanfic, but Ashbel ultimately decided he was not a good fit for what I had planned. I honestly couldn't blame him, considering the original version of the story. I was originally going to mention Haru and another character as being the upperclassmen who got the flu, but I did have some concerns. striberx agreed and I ultimately decided to have the upperclassmen remain unnamed.

Still disappointed I couldn't feature the likes of Cody, Kurogasa, Haru and Enrique together. Would have been so freaking awesome. I'm quite a fan of the stories they are involved in.

One last thing. I have a new poll up on my profile page. Currently, a fanfic focusing on the Ashen Wolves is in the works, but it is still a work in progress since the Cindered Shadows DLC has yet to drop. Simply put, the story has the Ashen Wolves become an actual house, though since there only appears to be four students, I have a poll up asking which students from the three houses should join the house. Please choose only one character from each house if you choose to vote.