Dark clouds smothered the skies over New Zealand, blotting out the sun as violent winds tore across the land. Debris was dragged screaming through the air, and in the distance, a massive tornado towered like a pillar connecting earth and sky. At its very center hovered Wendy—the Fourth Herrscher—her presence warping the atmosphere itself.
Opposing her was another storm.
A second tornado spiraled upward, glowing green as it carved through the raging winds. At its core stood Kouga, transformed into Kamen Rider W Cyclone Joker, his own authority over the wind answering Wendy's power head-on. Two storms, two wills, colliding across the heavens.
A few minutes earlier.
The moment Wendy completed her transformation into the Fourth Herrscher, the air screamed. A violent surge of wind erupted beneath her, lifting her effortlessly into the sky as she shot away from Kouga, Mei, Kiana, and Bronya.
Kiana stared upward, eyes wide with disbelief, and said,"Wendy... has flown away..."
Almost immediately, Himeko's voice cut through the comms, tense and urgent."Report this to HQ. Dispatch S-rank Valkyries to capture her."
Bronya responded at once, her tone firm despite the situation."Bronya does not think Wendy will hurt anyone."
Himeko answered without hesitation,"We can't afford the risks. She has Herrscher powers. Her mind and ego might have been corrupted by the Honkai."
Kiana stepped forward, fists clenched as she spoke up in support of Bronya,"I trust Wendy, too. Back in Nagazora, Mei was also controlled by the Honkai, but she managed to resist it!"
Mei nodded and added,"Kiana's right. We can restore Wendy if we help her."
There was a pause on the line before Himeko finally relented."I'll report this to HQ. The S-rank Valkyrie will be here in 30 minutes.You hear that? You have 30 minutes to do whatever that needs to be done. "
Bronya let out a quiet breath of relief and replied,"Thank you, Major Himeko!"
She then turned to Kouga, her gaze steady."Subject Kouga, can you go and stall Wendy as long as you can."
Kouga nodded once, already feeling the wind gathering around him."Already on it. You three be careful on your way."
With that, the wind answering his will as he launched into the sky, chasing after Wendy.
High above, Wendy sensed something—another presence cutting through the storm she commanded. She twisted midair and saw Kouga approaching, riding the wind itself.
Her eyes narrowed as she snarled,"Annoying pest, How dare you control my Wind."
Blades of compressed air—shuriken forged entirely from raging wind—formed around her and shot toward Kouga. He reacted instantly, raising his arm as a rotating wall of wind snapped into place, the attacks shattering harmlessly against his barrier.
The rejection of her power only fueled Wendy's rage.
The two hurled themselves toward each other, colliding again and again in midair. Each impact detonated with thunderous shockwaves, tearing clouds apart and warping the air for miles.
Wendy thrust both hands forward, summoning a colossal hurricane vortex that surged toward Kouga, intent on swallowing him whole.
Kouga answered in kind.
A cyclone of equal force erupted from him, green energy laced through the storm as the two hurricanes slammed together, grinding against each other in a violent stalemate.
Wendy screamed in fury,"How are you doing this."
Kouga held his ground, the wind bending obediently around him as he replied calmly,"You're not the only one with mastery over the wind."
And it was true.
Each Gaia Memory embodied a concept itself, and Cyclone Gaia Memory did not merely command air—it ruled the very idea of the cyclone. Against that authority, even a Herrscher's storm could be challenged.
On the ground, Kiana, Mei, and Bronya sprinted forward, pushing themselves to keep up with Kouga and Wendy as their battle raged across the sky. Violent gusts tore past them, the clash of two storms visible even from miles away.
Along the way, Honkai beasts and wandering zombies emerged from the chaos, but the trio cut through them without slowing down. Every second mattered—they couldn't afford to lose sight of the two wind controllers tearing through the clouds above.
Mid-run, Himeko contacted them again.
Himeko said : "2 bad news. First: HQ has tagged Wendy as the 4th Herrscher. 2nd: The S-rank Valkyrie from the European HQ has been deployed to bring her in."
Kiana stiffened and said : "S-rank Valkyrie? You mean ..."
Himeko answered grimly : "They've deployed S-rank Valkyrie Durandal."
At that name, the group collectively broke into cold sweat. They had all seen Kouga spar with Durandal before—had witnessed the overwhelming power she wielded with her massive lance. And now, that same Valkyrie had been tasked with bringing Wendy down.
They pushed themselves harder, refusing to slow as Himeko contacted them once more, her tone sharp with urgency.
"Schicksal satellites picked up 5 aerial battleships flying across the Pacific. Exact location unknown."
Mei frowned and said : "Aerial battleships? Could that be Anti-Entropy?"
Himeko replied without hesitation : "Who else? Alright girls, give up your search and call Kouga back if you run into Anti-Entropy. I'm not losing any of you on this chase."
Before anyone could respond, another voice joined the channel—far too cheerful for the situation.
Theresa said : "Kiana-chan! Lemme give you a hand this time! Anti-Entropy is on the move? Sounds like a great opportunity to me. Heheh."
Kiana blinked in confusion and asked : "Give me a hand? What do you mean, Aunt Teri?"
Theresa replied teasingly : "You'll know soon enough."
There was no time to question it further. The winds ahead roared louder, and the battle above intensified. The trio continued their pursuit, focused solely on catching up to Kouga and Wendy.
Moments later, distant explosions thundered across the horizon. The sound echoed through the air, but they had no time to investigate. Almost immediately, Himeko contacted them again.
"Found Wendy? We're out of time. The S-rank Valkyrie will arrive in New Zealand in 2 minutes, and Anti-Entropy battleships are coming too."
Kiana clenched her fists and shouted : "Dammit! Are we running out of time?"
Just as despair began to creep in, Theresa's voice came through once more.
"Don't worry about the S-rank Valkyrie or Anti-Entropy."
Mei asked, surprise clear in her voice : "Did you manage to stall the S-rank Valkyrie?"
Theresa answered calmly : "No. I can't do that. But I know where she is."
Kiana asked, confused : "Could that mean... What?"
Theresa explained : "That's right. I aired the S-rank's position on a public channel. I'm sure Anti-Entropy intercepted my message. They probably went off-course to intercept the Valkyrie."
The distant explosions suddenly made sense.
Kiana said : "So that's what the explosions are."
Theresa continued, her voice quieter now : "Selling out one of our own doesn't feel good, but she'll be doing okay. I hope Anti-Entropy gave us more time."
Kiana straightened, determination returning to her eyes, and said : "All right! It's our turn now!"
With renewed resolve, the group pressed forward, continuing their chase after Kouga and Wendy as the storm above raged on.
After the fierce aerial clash between Wendy and Kouga, Kouga finally managed to drive Wendy downward. She slammed into an open field with tremendous force, the impact carving a massive crater into the ground and sending shockwaves rippling outward.
Kiana, Mei, and Bronya arrived moments later, skidding to a halt at the edge of the destruction. Kouga descended beside them, landing calmly as Wendy slowly climbed out of the crater, dust and green light still swirling around her.
Kiana stepped forward the moment she saw her and shouted : " Wendy!"
Wendy lifted her gaze toward Kiana, then to Mei and Bronya, her expression cold and distant as she said :"Why are you trying to stop me? Do you seek death? I've spared you out of my kindness. You have no idea who you are dealing with."
Mei took a step closer, trying to break through to her despite the danger :"Wendy, please come back with us! It's dangerous here! Schicksal deployed an S-rank Valkyrie to capture you. Anti-Entropy is coming, too!"
At those words, Kouga instantly turned toward Mei, his masked face clearly asking what? even without words.
Wendy remained completely unfazed and replied calmly :"S-rank Valkyrie? Those with Herrscher-level powers? I really want to know if I can take on an S-rank myself."
Kiana clenched her fists, irritation slipping into her voice as she shot back, pointing at Kouga :"Hey, that's so arrogant! You'll have to get through me first! And beside Kouga-Senpai here had already fought one to a draw before and you still haven't beat him."
Kouga simply glanced at Kiana, the look behind his mask clearly saying really?
Wendy shook her head slightly and said :"I won't upset Bronya nor fight you. Stop following me."With that, she rose into the air once more, wind spiraling beneath her feet as she flew away again.
Mei watched her disappear into the sky, her voice heavy as she murmured :"She flew away again..."