The moment Ren and Eternal vanished into the Rift, the city of Nocturne was left trembling in silence.
The Beastia Order's generals had fled, but they hadn't abandoned the battlefield completely. Their escape was calculated—while Veyra and his strongest followers pursued new prey across worlds, they left behind enough Feraloids to reduce Nocturne to rubble.
Without Nyara's shadow flashing across the rooftops, the citizens could only pray in fear.
---
The Ashes of Nocturne
Smoke choked the skies above the city. Fires raged where Feraloids rampaged unchecked.
In the marketplace, civilians screamed as a hyena Feraloid pack prowled through the stalls, tearing through fruit stands and shoving cars aside with unnatural strength. A mother dragged her child into an alley, clutching him tight as the beasts howled.
From the cathedral ruins, a towering silhouette marched through the smoke. Dravok, the Rhino Feraloid, one of the Order's generals, had not followed his master into the Rift. His ironclad body gleamed with crimson runes, his horn glowing faintly with energy.
"Veyra has left me to finish the scraps," he growled. His voice was like grinding stone. "I will crush this city until nothing remains."
No Rider came. No claws, no shadows. The people despaired.
And then—
A circle of crimson flame erupted on the outskirts of the street. Sparks scattered like meteors, heat cutting through the storm. From within the blaze stepped a warrior clad in obsidian armor streaked with molten orange. The Blaze Driver at his waist burned with fire alive. His helmet gleamed with twin ember-like eyes.
Kamen Rider Ignis had arrived.
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The Oath of Fire
Dravok turned, his horn gleaming. "Another insect dares challenge me?"
Ignis raised his head, voice calm but steady, carrying across the ruined street.
"Not insect. Not prey. I am Kamen Rider Ignis—the flame that refuses to die."
Civilians peeked from windows, their fear momentarily eased. A Rider had returned. Different, unfamiliar, but still a Rider.
Ignis slammed his hand against his Driver.
"Blaze Driver—Ignition!"
Flames engulfed him, tracing across his armor like veins of magma. His fists ignited, his visor burned like molten steel.
He pointed toward Dravok. "This city already has a shadow that protects it. Until she returns… I will be its fire."
---
The First Clash
Dravok roared, charging forward with enough force to crack the ground. Cars skidded from the shockwave. Ignis braced, flames flaring, and met the horn head-on with a blazing punch. The impact rang like a bell, scattering sparks.
Dravok swung again, massive fists hammering. Ignis ducked low, sliding beneath, leaving trails of fire across the wet pavement. He spun and kicked upward, his leg blazing. The strike connected with Dravok's chest, forcing the massive Feraloid back a step.
"Your fire is weak," Dravok sneered, swiping with his horn. Ignis was thrown into the side of a bus, sparks bursting on impact.
Civilians gasped, some clutching each other. But Ignis pulled himself free, flames already crawling back across his broken armor.
"My fire…" His voice hardened as he stood tall. "My fire burns because this city still breathes. As long as people fight to live, I'll burn with them."
He launched forward again.
---
Inferno Across the City
The battle raged across blocks. Ignis dragged Dravok through the streets, their blows shattering stone and steel alike. Every time Dravok thought he had crushed him, Ignis surged back, fueled by a fire beyond his own strength.
Meanwhile, Feraloid packs attacked from the shadows. Wolves leapt from alleyways, serpents slithered from gutters, vultures swooped from above.
Ignis never faltered.
One fist crushed a wolf's jaw. One burning kick split a serpent in two. A burst of flame sent the vultures spiraling from the sky. His movements were not graceful like Nyara's shadows—they were fierce, brutal, like a wildfire sweeping through the night.
The people of Nocturne began to gather at a distance, watching in awe. Some whispered Nyara's name, others asked if this was a new Rider. Children pointed with wide eyes.
"He's fighting for us," one voice said.
"He's not Nyara… but he's still a Rider."
---
The Duel's End
Dravok grew furious, cracks forming in his armored hide as Ignis' relentless fire pressed harder.
"You cannot endure forever!" Dravok bellowed, slamming the ground and sending shockwaves.
Ignis staggered but stood. His Driver pulsed brighter than ever, flames spiraling upward into a tornado around him.
"You're right," Ignis admitted, his visor glowing like twin suns. "I can't endure forever. But I don't need forever—just long enough to burn you down."
He crossed his arms, fire gathering into a single point.
"Blaze Limit Break—Ignis Inferno!"
With a roar, he launched forward, his entire body turning into a living meteor of fire. He smashed into Dravok, flames devouring the rhino's armored chest. Cracks exploded outward as the general howled, his body shattering into sparks and embers that scattered into the stormy sky.
Silence followed.
Only the sound of the rain sizzling against the flames.
---
The Keeper of Nocturne
Ignis stood in the ruins, chest heaving. His flames slowly dimmed, his armor flickering with damage, but he remained unbroken.
The civilians emerged, gathering carefully around him. No cheers yet—only stunned silence. A child tugged at his mother's sleeve, pointing.
"Mama… another Rider saved us."
Ignis looked at them, then up at the stormy sky. Somewhere beyond it, he knew Nyara and Eternal were still fighting, trapped between worlds. He clenched his fist, fire sparking once more.
"…Until she returns," he muttered softly. "I will burn for this city."
And in that moment, the people of Nocturne believed him. Though their moonlit protector was gone, the fire of a new Rider now blazed in her stead.
Kamen Rider Ignis had become the Keeper of Nocturne.