- Written by: Nobuhiro MouriDirected By: Kyouhei Yamaguchi
And holding the key to the next one...
...is Kamen Rider Gatack: Arata Kagami.
When searching for the vessel of Another Kabuto, Heure sees a meteor falls to Japan, destroying the surrounding area. Inside the meteor, some insect-like extra-terrestrial creatures crawl out, and one of them transforms into a human...
Meanwhile at 95 DO, Sougo and co are watching the news about meteor falls, wondering if Kamen Rider Ginga is responsible for this phenomenon. In the news however, the reporter is transformed into a monster, attacking the cameraman. Woz said that said monster is a Worm, creatures that can mimic humans, and noted that Kamen Rider Kabuto used to fight them. Geiz wonders if this is a clue to the Kabuto RideWatch...
Sougo asks Tsukuyomi to come with him, leaving Geiz with Woz (again). When they're running towards the destination, Tsukuyomi asks about the recent appearances of Another Riders, noting that the rule of "Another Rider cannot co-exist with the original Rider" is changing as Kazuma Kenzaki is still Blade and Shouichi Tsugami is still Agito. But Sougo is not hampered about this curious turn of event, because this means he can meet the senior Riders, much to the girl's exasperation.
Geiz and Woz arrive to a point of impact of the meteor when they're attacked by some Worms. Geiz transforms into FaizArmor and Woz transforms into Futuring Kikai. They're winning easily when a Worm molted, assaulting Geiz in incredible speed. Woz explains that when a Worm molts, it can use an increased speed ability, Clock Up. Fighting speed with speed, Geiz changes form into GeizRevive Shippu while Woz into Futuring Shinobi, and successfully defeat them.
Sougo and Tsukuyomi go to the news site and are also attacked by Worms. Sougo transforms into Zi-O II, but he is swarmed until a heavy armored Rider comes to help him. But, someone with incredible speed attacks them. The heavily armored Rider changes form into a sleeker one, and begin to fight the unknown assailant with incredible speed.
The fierce battle destroys the debris, threatening civilians. Tsukuyomi once again uses her time stopping power, realizing that it's becoming stronger. Swartz, who observes this, notes that she is nearly awakened as Tsukasa Kadoya approaches him. Tsukasa asks if Swartz intends to control Tsukuyomi.
Meanwhile, Sougo is caught in the crossfire, until he uses the future prediction ability and knocks the assailant, revealing himself as Kamen Rider PunchHopper. As they move to defeat him, Another Kabuto appears and took the opposite Rider away. The allied rider de-transforms and introduces himself as Arata Kagami, Kamen Rider Gatack.
Sougo invites Arata to 95 DO and he explains that he is affiliated with ZECT, an organization tasked at protecting humanity from Worms. Sougo doesn't know about ZECT though, and this confuses the senior Rider. Moving on, his mission now is to defeat Shun Kageyama, who died some years back and now is being mimicked by a Worm, but his sworn brother Sou Yaguruma, the identity of Another Kabuto, is protecting him. Arata leaves the shop, before wondering why Shibuya looks so advanced after it was utterly destroyed by a meteor in 1999. Sougo also doesn't know about this, leaving Arata confused.
In the city, Tsukuyomi is moping about her ability when Geiz arrives and assures her not to worry. Suddenly Tsukasa appears, he explains that the time-space continuum is in chaos, and wants to investigate it. He offers Tsukuyomi to accompany him as this may have connection to her origin. In the end, Tsukuyomi follows Tsukasa. They arrive in the year 2058.
Sougo and Woz are wondering in the city when Shun approaches them. He asks for Sougo's help to save his sworn brother who is becoming a monster. Sougo agrees despite Woz's hesitation, and follow the Worm mimic into a factory.
Shun attacks him from behind, but foiled by WozGinga. Apparently Sougo predicted this trap, and asks Woz to foil it. The Worm transforms into Punch Hopper, with Another Kabuto assisting him. Arata also appears as he directly fight Shun. As the battle commences, suddenly Sougo detects a giant meteor threatens to fall down to Japan. He immediately change form to FourzeArmor to deal with it, leaving Woz to fight the Another Rider.
Another Kabuto's speed proves to be too much for Woz however, and he changes form into Wakusei to counter it with an area attack. The monstrous Rider is exploded... but in the midst of flames, stands Kamen Rider KickHopper. He assaults Woz with a Rider Kick, only to escape afterwards.
In space, Sougo destroys the meteor with Limit Time Break, only to see yet another meteor behind it... a huge one at that. He laments in despair...
Episode Tropes
- Back from the Dead: Shun seems to be alive again, but later into the episode reveals he is indeed just a Worm mimicking the original's appearance.
- The Cameo: The returnees this time around are Arata Kagami, Sou Yaguruma, and Shun Kageyama, all with their respective ZECT Rider forms. Tsukasa also happens to be passing by in this week's and next week's episodes.
- Cerebus Call-Back: Tsukuyomi brings up how Agito and Blade didn’t lose their powers when their Another Riders were created, something that Sougo has just overlooked.
- Continuity Snarl: This is starting to happen In-Universe from the show's conflicting time paradoxes as Arata has his memories from when the original Worm carrying meteor struck Shibuya in 1999, but when he mentions ZECT as an organization that arose to deal with the Worm threat, Sougo comments that he never heard of ZECT nor the Shibuya meteor and Woz remains silent about both subjects.
- Cutting the Knot: Woz Ginga decides if he can't tag Another Kabuto, he might as well just bombard the entire area, since Super-Speed is useless when you've got nowhere to run.
- Lured into a Trap: Shun came to Sougo for help to try and save Sou from his personal hell acting on the emotions of the original Shun, or at least, that's what Shun wanted Sougo to believe in order to try to kill Sougo and bait out Arata for Sou to kill.
- Mythology Gag: The title of this episode is a reference to "NEXT LEVEL", the opening theme of Kamen Rider Kabuto. Additionally, this episode's opening sequence also briefly begins with NEXT LEVEL's scene with the Worm wings and then changed into Over "Quartzer".
- Obfuscating Stupidity: Sougo pretended to naively go along with Shun's plea, carrying extra measures himself to get to Sou.
- You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: Sougo has an appropriate reaction to having destroyed a world-ending meteor only to find the next one is hundreds of times larger.
- Your Princess Is in Another Castle!: Sougo destroys the planet-destroying meteor with FourzeArmor...only to realize the true threat is another meteor exponentially larger than the last.
