Getting hit by three ultimate attacks at once was clearly setting up Drake for an express trip to the afterlife. And these three Riders were relentlessly vicious.
"Damn it... is this how I'm going to die..." Daisuke was cornered in despair.
Just as the three finishers were about to strike simultaneously, time suddenly stopped.
Raven walked calmly into the space, subtly swapping their positions. The three ultimate attacks, which were aimed at Drake, now resulted in Sasword and Gatack colliding with TheBee's Rider Sting!
Drake, meanwhile, was moved safely to the side.
Raven withdrew to a distance, and the Time Stop ended.
"Boom!"
A violent explosion echoed from the deep pit.
"Ahhh!"
The figure of TheBee was sent flying backward, eventually crashing to the ground miserably. His transformation was forcibly undone.
"Why did I get hit?" Kageyama was completely dazed.
It wasn't just him; Kagami and Tsurugi were also bewildered. Drake was standing completely unharmed ahead of them, so who had they just hit?
"You bastard!" Kageyama furiously climbed back to his feet.
Raven stepped forward and said to Kageyama, "Tell me, why are you cooperating with the Worms?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Kageyama's eyes flashed with panic, but he stubbornly denied it. How did Raven know about this?
"You won't admit it? That's fine."
Raven grabbed Kageyama and lifted him, walking over to a nearby railing. This was a dock by the riverbank, with a twenty-meter drop below. Kageyama was easily lifted by Raven and suspended over the edge.
"Wh-what are you trying to do?"
"Stop him, quick!" Kageyama was truly terrified. At this height, if he couldn't transform, falling would surely kill him or leave him crippled.
Kagami and the others stopped their attack on Drake and looked back at Raven.
"Raven, what are you doing?" Kagami, the simple and straightforward hothead, asked as always. "Our enemy is that Worm!"
"Worm your head!" Daisuke, remembering he had a gun, started kiting Gatack and Sasword with long-range shots.
"Alright! I admit it... I admit it!" Kageyama felt Raven's grip on his collar loosen slightly and was instantly overcome with fear. He couldn't keep lying. "This Daisuke Kazama is real. The corpse we showed you earlier was a transformed Worm."
In his panic, he spilled everything.
"What did you say?" The distant Kagami immediately stared at Kageyama, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Tsurugi also stopped his assault. Daisuke finally let out a huge sigh of relief, collapsing onto the ground.
"As I suspected," Tendo said, and then canceled his transformation.
"Kageyama, you jerk!" Upon learning the truth, Kagami angrily stepped forward. "You almost made us kill him!"
"This was... this was all an order from headquarters," Kageyama replied truthfully. He genuinely didn't know why Masato Mishima would issue such an order, insisting on cooperating with the Worms. But for him, there was only obedience, never questioning.
Tendo then spoke to Kageyama, "Next, you will cooperate with us and lead the Worm that mimicked Kazama out."
Given the situation, Kageyama had no choice but to comply.
…
Meanwhile, Masato Mishima and Rena Mamiya met up. They seemed to have reached a temporary collaboration.
"I understand." After receiving Kageyama's call, Masato Mishima nodded. He smiled at the Worm mimicking Daisuke Kazama standing next to Rena Mamiya and said, "Everything is going smoothly. Once you retrieve the Drake Glip, you can become Drake's user."
"As we agreed, you must use Drake's power to serve ZECT. No problem, right?" Rena Mamiya said flatly. "However, I must be the one to decide who Drake is sent to defeat. Don't forget that."
"Yes, I know," Masato replied, adjusting his glasses.
Clearly, he wasn't thinking the same thing. In reality, both sides were trying to make a deal with the devil, each with hidden agendas. They both simply wanted to use the other to eliminate their respective thorn-in-the-side enemies. Once the common enemy was gone, they would undoubtedly turn on each other immediately. After all, ZECT was secretly controlled by the Native Worms, and the invading Worms' goal was to destroy the Native Worms. Though closely related species, they were natural enemies and could not coexist.
Thus, the mimicked Daisuke Kazama was tricked by Kageyama into meeting him at a hidden location. The mimic suspected nothing and came alone, ready to take possession of the Drake Grip.
"Where is he?" Having arrived at the agreed-upon spot, the mimicked Daisuke didn't see Kageyama. He was slightly confused.
However, he didn't expect the sight that greeted him: five imposing figures suddenly emerged from the shadows. It was Tendo, Kagami, Tsurugi, Daisuke, and Raven, all waiting there.
"Who were you waiting for?" Raven stood in front, addressing the lone mimicked Daisuke.
"You are..." The mimicked Daisuke was startled, quickly recognizing the real Daisuke Kazama among the group. This was not what he had planned.
And Kageyama, who was supposed to meet him, was standing awkwardly on the side.
"You bastard! You framed me!" Daisuke suppressed his rage, transformed into Drake, and strode forward.
"Hey... what's going on here..." The mimicked Daisuke still tried to stall, feigning innocence. "He's the Worm, I'm the real Daisuke! Don't let him trick you!"
"Rider Shooting!" The enraged Daisuke Kazama immediately launched his finisher, aiming it at the person mimicking him.
"Damn it!" Seeing this, the mimicked Daisuke Kazama had no choice but to reveal his true form: a fully molted yellow Worm.
Kagami and the others were now completely convinced. They transformed simultaneously.
The Kamen Rider Gang-Up scenario was now in full swing. This time, no one was holding back. In the end, the scene was horrific. The Worm, despite its formidable presence, died instantly, simultaneously hit by four ultimate attacks.
"I really owe you a huge thanks this time," Daisuke said, walking up to Raven.
Although Raven had given him a beating earlier, Raven was the one who ultimately cleared his name, so he decided not to hold a grudge.