The ground trembled beneath the weight of Zorc's dark energy. A suffocating wave of dread rippled through the Whispering Woods, turning vibrant leaves to ash and blackening the ancient trees. Elara's face drained of color, her emerald eyes wide with terror as she grabbed Lumi tightly.
"We need to escape!" she cried, her voice thin against the roar of flames.
Even Tsukasa, ever the bold and reckless warrior, felt an unnatural chill crawl down his spine. This… this was unlike anything he'd faced before. Not a Rider, not a Phantom, not even a God. Zorc was something older, something primal — a nightmare pulled from the darkest corners of legend.
And it was awake.
He clenched his fists and nodded. "Run. Now."
"This way!" Elara pointed urgently toward a hidden path behind a waterfall, the glimmer of falling water barely visible through the thick smoke. Without hesitation, the three of them plunged into the burning undergrowth, heat licking at their skin. Branches clawed at them, flames snapping hungrily at their heels.
Lumi zipped through the trees ahead of them, her tiny frame darting nimbly through gaps and over roots. The air crackled with dark magic, and the cries of dying creatures were swallowed by the ever-growing roar of Zorc's power.
They burst through the final wall of flame, reaching the waterfall's cool mist. Behind the cascade, a narrow cave yawned open. One after another, they dove inside. The rush of water masked their presence, the oppressive heat giving way to a damp, icy darkness.
Breathing hard, they huddled together, their bodies slick with sweat and soot. The cave walls shimmered with moisture, the steady rhythm of the waterfall a frail barrier against the devastation outside.
Elara's voice trembled. "That's… that's Zorc. The legend of the Whispering Woods. A beast of unimaginable power. We… we thought it was just a story."
Tsukasa exhaled a sharp breath, brushing ash from his hair. "A story that just became very real."
He opened his Rider Deck, the cards reflecting the flicker of distant firelight. His brow furrowed. "We can't fight him head-on. Not like this."
Lumi's wings drooped as she perched on Elara's shoulder. "But we can't stay here forever. Zorc's magic… it's spreading. He can feel us. If we wait too long, he'll consume this forest, and we'll be trapped."
Tsukasa knew they were right. This wasn't just a battle anymore — it was a war. And if he didn't act soon, this world would fall before he could find a way back to his own.
He drew a card from his deck, one he rarely used.
"Henshin."
The transformation rippled through the cave, ancient power awakening in the air. The armor of Kamen Rider Ryuki materialized around him, crimson scales gleaming. The dragon sigil on his chest pulsed with a primal glow, filling the cave with a soft, eerie light.
Elara's breath caught. "A… a dragon…? In our world, dragons are sacred. The most powerful of ancient spirits. Their magic is beyond even our greatest sorcerers."
Lumi's eyes widened. "I've never seen power like this…"
Tsukasa gripped his Drag Blazer — a dragon-shaped sword thrumming with restless energy. He could feel it now, deep within his bones. This world's magic resonated with Ryuki's power in a way he hadn't understood before. Dragons weren't just creatures here. They were gods.
And Ryuki was their avatar.
The ground trembled again, heavier this time. The air grew thick, like a storm pressing against their skin. The mouth of the cave darkened as Zorc's shadow stretched toward them, the malice in the air almost tangible.
The wall of rock exploded in a shower of stone and dust.
Zorc stood framed against the firelit world, his crimson eyes burning like twin suns. The cave itself seemed to recoil from his presence.
"I smell your fear, warrior," Zorc rumbled. "You should have fled when you had the chance."
Tsukasa stepped forward, the Drag Blazer glowing in his grip.
"I don't run from monsters like you."
Dark energy radiated from Zorc, filling the cave with crushing pressure. Tsukasa felt it weighing down on him, threatening to smother his resolve. But then — a pulse from the Drag Blazer, a heartbeat of ancient power.
Without warning, light erupted from the blade. A colossal, ethereal dragon surged forth from its edge, its scales like burning starlight. It coiled in the air, eyes locking with Zorc's, and the very earth beneath them shuddered.
Elara and Lumi gasped, their faces pale with awe and terror.
The spectral beast let out a roar so loud it shook the cave walls, the sound ancient and primal, older than language. The power it carried wasn't just Ryuki's — it was the magic of this world, answering the call of a champion.
Zorc snarled, his voice a furious storm. "You dare summon a spirit dragon against me?! I'll crush you both!"
He unleashed a wave of dark energy, a black tide that threatened to consume them all. The ethereal dragon met it head-on, the collision of light and darkness blasting the cave apart in a shockwave of pure force.
Stone cracked. Fire surged.
And in the heart of that fury, Tsukasa charged, sword raised, determination in his eyes.
The fate of a world and the path home hung by a single thread.
To be continued...