Both Tsutsumi and Wiseman charged headlong, fists and kicks clashing in bursts of impact before they leapt back to reset.
Chain! Now!
Wiseman's ring flared, magic circles bloomed around Tsutsumi, spitting chains to bind him in place.
Attack Ride: Invisible!
Tsutsumi's body vanished before the bindings could snap shut. Wiseman scanned the field, amber mask sweeping for a target. The mage placed another ring over his driver.
Dupe! Now!
With a shimmer, the mage split into a clone, just in time for it to catch a blade aimed at his back. Tsutsumi spun away, but two more Wisemans flanked him, staves swinging inward.
Attack Ride: Dark Shadow!
Black wings of shadow burst from Tsutsumi's back, clawed arms spreading wide to snare both staves.
Attack Ride: Slash!
Steel sang as Tsutsumi spun, his blade flashing through both clones, shattering them into fragments of light. Tsutsumi placed the blade on his other palm and wiped it.
Special! Now!
Wiseman's ring flared again, summoning a blazing magic circle. A stream of fire surged forward, hunting Tsutsumi like a living beast. Jumping back, he began running away from the flame only to see it was following him closely from behind.
"Homing…?" he muttered, already sliding a card into his Driver.
Form Ride: Faiz Axel!
The inferno grew closer toward him.
Start Up!
His body disappears in a magenta blur just before the fire could hit him. Wiseman's eyes widened beneath the mask, struggling to follow the streak of light.
Attack Ride: Invisible!
The blur vanished. Silence. Wiseman's grip on their staff tightened as they swapped rings.
Final Attack Ride: F-F-F-Faiz!
Barrier! Now!
Wiseman quickly activated their defensive magic, creating a magic barrier right behind them to block the photon drill coming right behind them. Seeing that his surprise attack was blocked, Tsutsumi canceled his Rider Kick as he retreated back.
Unsurprisingly, a battle with a proper mage this was proving harder than expected. A Kamen Rider with magic was trouble enough; add spell versatility, and it became infuriating.
Truly, magic is annoying.
Still, the him in Miyu's words is also a magus, studying magecraft and learning how to use magic. Even if his spell pool is small and around the basic level, he still knows how to use a form of magic.
"Trace On."
His eyes locked on Wiseman's ring.
Judging the concept of creation.
Hypothesizing the structure.
Duplicating the material.
Imitating the craft.
Sympathizing with its growth.
Reproducing its years.
Excelling every process.
Bringing his palm out, an identical copy of Wiseman's wizard ring appears in his hand.
"What?" Wiseman faltered, surprised to see an identical copy of their ring appear in the other party's hand. Still, on a closer look, they noticed the ring is a degraded version of their own ring.
"A counterfeit," he said coldly. "Do you really think you can use a fake to defeat me?"
Even with the ring in his hand, he can't use it, seeing how he doesn't have Kamen Rider Wizard's driver. Still, that didn't mean he didn't have any other way.
"Is that so?" Tsutsumi asks, as the Wiseman's ring in his hand turns into a Rider card as he raises it up to show the other party.
"Henshin!"
Kamen Ride: Wiseman!
A magic circle surged beneath him, climbing upward. His magenta coat bled into a white robe, overlaying his Decade form with Wiseman's mantle. The inner lair is still his Decade's clothes, but the outer lair is that of Wiseman.
"Who said a fake can't beat the original?" Tsutsumi taunted, blade raised as he lunged forward.
Attack Ride: Teleport!
Using Wiseman's own power, he blinked from sight, reappearing behind Wiseman with a downward strike.
Teleport! Now!
Using the same magic, the mage slipped away just as quickly. Tsutsumi followed close by, as they teleported across the area.
Explosion, fire, and lightning roar from their magical attack before they both disappear again.
Both fighters keep appearing and disappearing in the blink of an eye; each time they reappeared, a quick clash happened, fists cracked, weapons rang, and the ground shook..
Wiseman's staff stabbed into Tsutsumi's chest. Tsutsumi's blade slashed across Wiseman's shoulder. Both attacks landed, blasting the Riders apart.
Tsutsumi's form shifted back into his Decade clothing. They both pushed themselves back up.
"Even with a counterfeit, you still manage to hold your ground against me. Impressive." Wiseman admitted, voice low. Before reaching into a magic circle and pulling out a red ring. With a flick, they tossed it toward Tsutsumi.
Catching it, Tsutsumi eyed the ring.
"You have the potential to become a mage. Don't disappoint me." Wiseman intoned.
With that, Wiseman disappeared through a magic portal, and Tsutsumi was sent back into Beacon's library, the same place where he was taken from.
Tsutsumi scanned his surroundings, his purple gaze shifted through the quiet library, seeing no other threats, he returned to his original form, his gaze shifted down to the red ring in his hand before it glowed, turning into a Rider Card.
Kamen Ride: Wizard
"…So, in this world…" Tsutsumi muttered, pocketing the card.
"…I'm Wizard."
The Aurora Curtain opened, and he stepped through, leaving the library behind.
Reappearing back in his own world, still the same day when he had skipped classes, Tsutsumi strolled home without a care, then decided to take Miyu out to the beach.
Time slipped by quickly.
"Oi! You pink bastard!"
A familiar bark cut through the air. Tsutsumi turned, spotting Bakugo storming toward him, explosions flickering at his palms. Kirishima and Jiro trailed behind.
"Yo," Tsutsumi greeted casually, then tilted his head back as a small explosion hissed past.
"You bastard of a Class President!" Bakugo roared. "Because of you, that hobo teacher made us do five surprise tests!"
"…Wait, what?" Tsutsumi blinked, actually thrown.
"You should really stop skipping, Ryo." Jiro sighed, crossing her arms. "All the extra pop quizzes are getting exhausting."
"Yeah, man," Kirishima added with a wry smile. "You're just piling pressure on us. I barely survived those tests…"
Tsutsumi didn't miss a beat. "Tch. Then study harder. All the muscles in the world won't save you if you're still an idiot."
Kirishima froze, wounded. "Harsh, bro. But you have a point."
"Onii-san, they are…?" Miyu's small voice piped up as she peeked out from behind him. The three froze when they noticed her.
"They're my friends from school," Tsutsumi introduced smoothly. "You already know Jiro. The redhead's Kirishima, and the angry one is Bakugo. This is my little sister, Tsutsumi Miyu."
"It's nice to meet you," Miyu said with a neat little bow.
Jiro crouched slightly to her level, smiling warmly. Kirishima grinned his usual lopsided grin. Even Bakugo, who normally couldn't stand kids, gave the tiniest grunt of acknowledgment, coming across less like a ticking time bomb, and more like a grumpy uncle forced to babysit.
Tsutsumi noted the way Miyu's face lit up while talking with them. The thought crossed his mind, maybe it was time to send her to school. She had been homeschooled her whole life, but being locked inside wasn't good for her. If she wanted to learn how to cross worlds like him, a degree hardly mattered, but learning how to make friends did.
Still… the memory of her being kidnapped once already clawed at him. The thought of letting her out again made his stomach tighten.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Ryoko carried Miyu on his shoulders, her hands resting lightly on his head as he walked through Musutafu's streets. He glanced up, and spotted a familiar figure perched on a rooftop.
Aizawa sat quietly at the building's edge, eyes half-lidded, observing. He could tell he hadn't made a sound, yet he had still been noticed. Ryoko's perception had caught him easily, even when the underground hero was in stealth mode.
This impressed him, but the teacher said nothing. Just watched.
So Tsutsumi kept walking, his sister balanced on his shoulders, heading home without another word.
...
The next day, Tsutsumi sat beside Jiro, the two of them flipping through their nominations list. Thanks to Nezu, his own list was already narrowed down to four Pro Heroes, each of whom had supposedly crossed paths with his mother back when she was still active.
Mirko – Ryukyu – Miyabi – Nixa
Mirko, the number 7 Pro Hero with a rabbit quirk. No agency, no staff, just raw fists and legs, hopping across the country and beating villains half to death.
Ryukyu, ranked number 18, a dragon quirk user. Unlike Mirko, she actually runs an agency… but it's female-only.
Miyabi, an underground Pro Hero who mainly works alongside the police. Fox spirit quirk, generating blue flames. Her agency is basically an extension of the police department.
And finally, Nixa, Pro Hero slash photographer. Gecko-like quirk that lets her vanish from sight, perfect for recon and intel. No agency. Freelancer.
Tsutsumi scanned the list, pen already moving. Nixa and Ryukyu got crossed off without hesitation. The intel Nezu gave was vague, it only confirmed these four had worked with his mother at some point. That could mean years… or just a single mission. He had to be prepared in case the oversized rat was setting him up.
Still, it was smarter to pick someone who could actually benefit him.
Nixa... He couldn't take a photo to save his life. Hard pass.
Ryukyu... Throwing a single male into an all-female agency sounded like a disaster waiting to happen, not to mention, there was no way she'd tolerate his personality.
That left Mirko and Miyabi.
Mirko was wild, reckless, and unstable, but she'd give him a lot of freedom since even she didn't follow many of the rules. Miyabi, on the other hand, was tied to police regulations. Tsutsumi Ryoko and a rule-heavy workplace that is like oil and water.
"Guess I'm picking that rabbit," he muttered, before glancing at Jiro. "What about you? Picked anyone yet?"
"Not really. I got an offer from Edgeshot, the current number six hero. But also one from Uwabami… and Momo's going there." She said it with a troubled look.
"So let me get this straight, you're torn between training under a top-tier ninja or… some fashion model who slapped the word 'hero' on her resume to boost her brand? Are you sure you wanted to be a hero?" Tsutsumi asked flatly, earning himself a withering stare.
Jiro's leg shot out, kicking his chair clear across the floor, but Tsutsumi was already gone, now sitting cross-legged on the table above her, smirking down like a cat who just stole the cream.
"So? Made up your mind?" he prodded, smug as ever.
Jiro rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll go with Edgeshot." She crossed Uwabami off her list, then flicked her pen at his face. He caught it without effort, twirling it between his fingers.
"Just kiss already!"
The shout came from Ashido, standing with the other girls of 1-A, all smirking at the scene from across the room.
"Tch! That bastard's got no taste," Mineta grumbled nearby, instantly going into a rant. "Out of all the cute babes in our class, he just has to go for the flat-chested one. If it were me, I'd be all over Momo's round and soft curves! Or Mina with those curves! Or-"
A sharp whistle cut the air. The next moment, Mineta screamed, staring at the pen now embedded in his palm.
"Word of advice," Tsutsumi said coldly, purple eyes narrowing on the boy. "Try learning to be a decent human first. Nobody's gonna fault you for having hobbies, but keep it to yourself."
"You bastard! How would you ever understand the pain of us normal-looking guys!?" Mineta howled, tears in his eyes.
He was burning with envy. Tsutsumi had it all: looks, power, confidence. Girls talked to him willingly. Teachers respected and tolerated him. Everything Mineta tried to copy ended in disaster.
"Why you!? Why do you get everything!? And what's so wrong with me checking them out, huh!? Aren't beauty like those were made to be admired!?" His voice cracked, the discomfort around him growing. Girls leaned away, disgust plain on their faces. Even a few boys edged farther from him, not wanting to get caught in his mess.
Tsutsumi just looked at him with disdain. One sentence dropped like a guillotine.
"How's your mom doing?"
The classroom froze.
Everyone: "…!"
"YOU BASTARD!" Mineta roared, face red with rage.
"Not so fun when it's someone important to you, huh?" Tsutsumi's voice was like ice. "Try to grasp that not everyone enjoys being ogled and turned into your fantasy on display. Maybe then, you'd finally earn a shred of respect."
Mineta's fists trembled. He wanted to lash out, but deep down, he knew it would only end worse for him. Sobbing, he bolted out of the room, screaming at the ceiling about how unfair the world was.
The silence he left behind was deafening.
Tsutsumi hopped down from the table, casually retrieving the bloodstained pen from the floor before handing it back to Jiro.
"…Thanks," she muttered. A faint blush crept across her cheeks before she turned away, trying to hide it.