The early morning sun barely pierced through the thick fog curling over the training grounds of Shrek Academy. Dampness clung to the earth and stone pathways, muffling the usual bustle of the academy's courtyard. A tense silence had settled in, punctuated only by the occasional call of a distant bird or the rustle of wind through ancient trees.
Li Wei stood quietly at the center of the courtyard, his hands clasped behind his back. His sharp eyes scanned his assembled opponents: Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Meng Yiran. Their breaths came out in frosty puffs, their gazes steady but laced with anticipation.
"Today," Li Wei began, his voice steady and commanding, "you face the Speed Team. Three Riders, masters of velocity and precision. Kabuto, Drive, and Zero-One." He flicked his wrist, drawing three cards and slamming them onto the Diendriver's side slot.
[KamenRide: Kabuto!]
[KamenRide: Drive (Type Speed)!]
[KamenRide: Zero-One!]
The air crackled with power as three Riders burst into existence before him. Kabuto red armor gleamed, crowned with its signature beetle-like horns. Drive sleek red-and-black body shimmered with aerodynamics and blazing jets. Zero-One bright yellow plating pulsed with an electric hum, his eyes glowing with tactical intelligence.
Li Wei tone sharpened. "To win, you must close the gap, disrupt their rhythm, and coordinate flawlessly. If you fail, you may—per the rules—rechallenge this trial after regrouping and strategizing this afternoon."
A flicker of determination crossed Meng Yiran face. "We understand. We'll do everything to overcome this."
Xiao Wu bounced lightly on the balls of her feet, voice bright with energy. "Bring it on!"
Zhu Zhuqing cracked her knuckles, a fierce glint in her eyes. "We won't back down."
Ning Rongrong hands hovered over her pagoda, a golden aura forming faintly. "We'll protect each other."
Li Wei nodded. "Then begin."
________________
The tolling of the academy's bell echoed sharply through the courtyard, signaling the start of the trial. Like unleashed storms, the three Riders surged forward, a blur of pure speed and precision.
Kabuto activated Clock Up, the flow of time seemingly bending to his will. His every motion was a cascade of bronze lightning strikes and evasions. Drive engaged Type Speed mode, his turbo jets spitting fire and leaving streaks of scarlet light in his wake. Zero-One flickered in and out of existence, his AI precision calculated to the microsecond as he launched rapid-fire micro dashes.
The three Riders struck as one, coordinated and devastating: Kabuto crushing Rider Kick smashed into the ground, sending shockwaves; Drive Shift Blaster erupted in a volley of three precise pulses; Zero-One Metal Slash rained down a flurry of slashes.
The assault was a whirlwind too fast to fully track.
Xiao Wu mind screamed, 'Dodge! Teleport!' She vanished in a puff of light, reappearing on the low stone altar at the courtyard's edge. Her movements were the epitome of grace and agility, the Soft Bone Rabbit teachings refining every step.
From the shadows, Zhu Zhuqing claws ignited with Hell Rush energy. "I'll draw their focus!" she called.
With a sudden burst, Zhu Zhuqing surged toward Kabuto. She slashed at his foot, forcing the Rider to leap back and avoid the strike. But it was a feint—her real intention was to scatter her Phantom Civet Legion clones around him, creating afterimages and confusion.
Kabuto snarled beneath his mask, stepping cautiously as the clones flickered around him. One booted the air where a clone had been seconds before.
Ning Rongrong quickly raised a shimmering golden dome—the Treasure Earth Barrier—shielding Xiao Wu from Drive next burst. The barrier hummed under fire, absorbing energy but trembling.
Li Wei voice cut through the chaos like a blade. "Xiao Wu, after you bait Drive burst, strike when his sensors reboot! Rongrong, prepare Agility Amplification on Yiran."
Xiao Wu nodded and vanished again, this time reappearing behind Drive. She struck quickly, a precise Waist Bow kick infused with charm energy. Drive staggered, his systems blinking as the charm interfered with his sensors.
"Now, Yiran!" Li Wei commanded.
Meng Yiran serpent cane transformed swiftly into the Tongue Blade, five mirrored copies shooting forward with venomous precision. They pinned Drive back and disrupted his balance just as his systems rebooted. Following up, she spun, weaving venom threads around his legs.
Drive pace faltered.
Xiao Wu's follow-up rabbit-kick sent him skidding backward. The Red Rider flickered out, defeated for this round.
Li Wei assessed the scene. "Drive down. Two remain."
_________________
Kabuto breath hissed beneath his helmet. "Clock Up!"
The world shattered into fractured moments as Kabuto unleashed his full Clock Up speed. Each strike was a meteor crash, too fast and brutal to evade by ordinary means.
Zhu Zhuqing heart hammered. She tried to anticipate his moves, but the sheer velocity was overwhelming. A powerful hammer-palm knocked her flying across the courtyard, the wind knocked from her lungs as she slammed into a stone pillar.
"Zhuqing!" Meng Yiran gasped, rushing to her side.
Xiao Wu voice was sharp. "Focus! He's baiting us to make reckless mistakes!"
Ning Rongrong pagoda glowed faintly as she formed another Treasure Earth Barrier, this time between Kabuto and the recovering Zhu Zhuqing. The shield absorbed the brunt of Kabuto's next attack but shimmered under the onslaught.
Li Wei voice was a calm anchor in the storm. "Remember, Clock Up can't last forever. Watch for his cooldowns."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded grimly, gathering strength and clones. Five shadowy replicas emerged around Kabuto, moving in synchronized circles.
Kabuto eyes narrowed—he raised his armored gauntlet and smashed through a clone. But the swarm was relentless. The clones darted around him, forcing Kabuto to expend energy blocking and retreating.
Meanwhile, Zero-One had taken a defensive orbit at the courtyard edge. His AI sensors scanned for weak points, calculating angles and timing with brutal efficiency.
"Rongrong! Barrier on me, now!" Xiao Wu shouted as she vaulted toward Zero-One, intent on disrupting his analysis.
Ning Rongrong didn't hesitate. Her pagoda's golden light wrapped around Xiao Wu, offering her protection while Xiao Wu prepared a teleport strike.
Zero-One responded with rapid-fire micro-dashes—blinks of yellow light that struck down clones and forced Xiao Wu to expend precious teleports to evade.
Meng Yiran moved like a coiled serpent, sliding beneath the micro-dashes. Her cane lashed out, coiling around Zero-One ankle and wrenching him off balance.
"Seal him, Zhuqing!" Li Wei barked.
Zhu Zhuqing's clones exploded around Zero-One, inflicting shadow damage and disrupting his systems. The Yellow Rider staggered and vanished in defeat.
Only Kabuto remained.
________________
Kabuto's breathing was heavy, armor scuffed and cracked. His eyes blazed as he activated Clock Up again.
The world seemed to slow for everyone except Kabuto, whose motions became a blur of red streaks. His attacks came in a relentless barrage: hammer blows, spinning lariats, and rapid kicks.
Zhu Zhuqing barely managed to block a hammer blow but was sent tumbling across the courtyard once more. Xiao Wu tried to intercept, but Kabuto lariat caught her mid-teleport and knocked her away.
Ning Rongrong barrier shimmered weakly as she used her last energy to protect the team.
Meng Yiran gritted her teeth and gathered her remaining strength. "We have to exploit the cooldown… wait for it…"
Kabuto blinked, his Clock Up energy flickering.
"Now!" Li Wei voice was sharp.
Zhu Zhuqing and Meng Yiran surged forward, buffs from Ning Rongrong flowing through their bodies. Zhu Zhuqing clones reappeared, confusing Kabuto senses. Meng Yiran serpent cane lashed out with Soulfang Venom, ensnaring Kabuto's legs.
Kabuto stumbled.
Xiao Wu teleported behind him, delivering a Waist Bow kick to the neck. Kabuto staggered and crashed into Ning Rongrong's barrier.
The courtyard fell silent for a heartbeat.
But then Kabuto eyes flared with renewed fury. With a roar, he slammed the ground, sending a shockwave that shattered the barrier and threw the entire team backward.
Li Wei summoned Riders flickered in and out, but the overwhelming speed and power of Kabuto left them vulnerable.
Kabuto advanced.
The team was scattered, wounded, and exhausted.
Li Wei voice, calm but resolute, rang out. "This trial ends here. You have shown courage and growth. But speed is a harsh master."
The team lowered their weapons, panting and beaten.
Xiao Wu wiped blood from her lip. "We lost…"
Meng Yiran's voice was steady. "But not defeated."
Zhu Zhuqing struggled to her feet, eyes burning with fierce resolve. "We'll win next time."
____________________
Late afternoon sun slanted through the high windows of the of the Shrek academy mess hall, casting long, warm beams across the polished stone floor. The air crackled with residual spirit power, mingled with the tension of anticipation. After their morning defeat against the speed-focused Rider summons, Team Two had goes to eat while discussing the strategy on how to defeat the riders. Now with renew vigors they get back at the training side.
Li Wei stood at the edge of the training area, arms folded, watching intently. He wore a calm expression—an observer ready to guide but not to interfere. At the side of of him, the Diendriver glinted at his belt, silent.
Within the area , Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, and Meng Yiran arranged themselves. Each carried the weight of the morning loss in their tired limbs and determined eyes.
"Remember," Li Wei called out, voice carrying across the area, "strategy wins more than brute force. Identify patterns, coordinate your attacks, and cover each other weaknesses. I'm here to observe—this battle is yours."
The four nodded solemnly. Xiao Wu flashed a grin. "We've got this!"
Li Wei stepped back away from the fighting area. He closed his eyes briefly, putting the card into the side slot of Diendriver gun calling the three riders: Kabuto, Drive (Type Speed), and Zero-One, poised at the opposite end of the field. Each emanated an aura of pure velocity.
"Let's see…" Li Wei mused silently. "Their speed will be overwhelming. They'll target the weakest point first. Prevent isolation."
"Now begin." Li Wei said to start the fight.
As the que rang, the Riders launched forward.
"Go!" Xiao Wu shouted. Their strategy divide into few part.
Forming the Decoy.
Meng Yiran sprang into motion, Serpent Cane extended into five mirrored copies. She darted left, luring the trio attention toward her. The Riders obeyed: Drive accelerated in a blur, Zero-One calculated angles and flanked, and Kabuto activated Clock Up to pursue.
At the same moment, Ning Rongrong unleashed a Treasure Earth Barrier, its crystalline dome painting shimmering hexagons beneath her. The barrier absorbed a flurry of slashes and strikes, protecting Meng Yiran long enough to slip behind the shield.
Xiao Wu teleported through the barrier shadow, grabbing Yiran arm and booking it toward Zhu Zhuqing's flank.
"Phantom Civet Legion!" Zhu Zhuqing called, Hell Civet spirit roaring.
Ten clones of her formed in a spiral, rushing the Riders with synchronized strikes. Each clone exploded on death, sending ripples of shadow that forced Zero-One to recalculate his movements mid-dash.
Yet Drive plowed through one clone, Buffaloing a crater in the ground, while Kabuto sidestepped another with Clock Up. The speed of the attacks kept the team disoriented.
Identifying the Lead
Li Wei's sharp eyes noted the chaos. "They're adapting. Drive is protecting Zero-One flank. Kabuto is hunting Xiao Wu's signature moves." He tapped his fingers together. "Time to adjust."
On cue, Ning Rongrong glowed again. "Agility Amplification!" The team's movements quickened, letting them dodge by hairbreadths.
Now, when Drive overran them, Zhu Zhuqing vanished, reappearing behind him to slash at his heels, forcing him to brake—momentarily.
"Charm!" Xiao Wu seized the chance, striking Drive shoulder. Though brief, the daze caused by her Soft Bone Rabbit spirit forced Drive to stumble.
Kabuto reacted, speeding in to attack Xiao Wu—only to encounter a barrier clone conjured by Rongrong second shield. Kabuto skidded to a halt, momentarily pinned.
"Now!" Meng Yiran hissed.
Coordinated Strike
Under pressure, the four converged. Zhu Zhuqing clones herded the Riders into a tight circle. Xiao Wu blinked behind Kabuto to unbalance him with quick kicks. Meng Yiran Soulfang Venom webbed the ground, ensnaring Drive wheels. Ning Rongrong amplified strength on Zhu Zhuqing, letting her real body charge through the entangled mess.
Kabuto fell first, swatted aside by a Hell Hundred Claw.
Drive roared, shredding through venom threads, but his momentum carried him into an Zhuqing clone—a placeholder image conjured by internal coordination—causing a misstep.
Zero-One, analyzing the battlefield, targeted Rongrong barrier with precision strikes. The barrier cracked.
"Strength Amplification!" she shouted, resiliently reinforcing her shield-like pagoda.
The barrier held long enough for Xiao Wu to ghost through Zero-One side—her Teleportation precise—and slash the Rider's flank, stunning his processor.
Drive and Zero-One stumbled in unison, giving Meng Yiran the opening to spin her Serpent Cane in a dazzling arc.
"Soulfang Venom—Chain!" She unleashed a web that leapt from one Rider to the next, paralyzing them.
Zhu Zhuqing final strike, empower by Ning Rongrong strength amplification, cleaved through the haze, sending all three Riders crashing to the ground.
Triumph and Reflection
As dust settled, the four stood panting, bruised but victorious. The Riders faded, leaving behind only residual energy signatures.
A hush fell over the training area. Team Two members dispell their martial spirit, chest heaving.
Li Wei stepped close to them, clapping slowly. "Well done. You fought not as individuals but as one mind with four bodies. That's how you overcome overwhelming speed."
Xiao Wu laughed breathlessly. "That was insane!"
Zhu Zhuqing's face cracked in a rare smile. "We did it."
Ning Rongrong wiped sweat from her brow. "Coordination… is our greatest weapon."
Meng Yiran beamed. "Thanks for guiding us."
Li Wei shook his head. "You guided yourselves. I only set the stage."
As the sun dipped low, casting long shadows over the arena, Team Two gathered under Li Wei's supervision. They were stronger now—battle-tested, united, and ready for whatever challenge came next.