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Kamen Rider Denrai
仮面ライダー伝来
Kamen Raidā Denrai
First Chapter: Legend of the Kamen Riders
第一章：仮面ライダーの伝説
Dai Isshō: Kamen Raidā no Densetsu
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“According to this book, in October of 2022… the ordinary university student, Raiden Shoumi, lives an ordinary life, yet is destined to become the Kamen Rider who will carve a new path and a new legacy… Denrai.”
この本によると、２０２２年１０月…平凡な大学生小見雷電、平凡な日常を過ごしながらも、新たな道を切り拓く仮面ライダー、新たな遺産を刻む運命にある…仮面ライダーデンライ。
“Transforming for the first time, he fights against the Monstrums, men of the shadows who fight for an unknown evil. Defeating the first Monstrum, he continues his path, facing a second monster and becoming one step closer to—”
初めて変身した彼は、未知の悪のために戦う影の男、モンストラムと戦う.最初のモンスターを倒し、彼は道を進み、二番目のモンスターに直面し、一歩近づきます—
“Oh! Perhaps, I may have read too far ahead.”
おー！もしかしたら、先を読みすぎたのかもしれません。
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<< OP >>
“YoiYoi Kokon” | 宵々古今
Artist: REOL
Album: Σ
—— O ——
The legend of the Kamen Riders. The legendary masked heroes who transform with the aid of mysterious Drivers, fighting against evil of all kind in the name of the future, coexistence, and peace.
仮面ライダーの伝説。謎のドライバーの助けを借りて変身し、未来、共存、平和の名のもとにあらゆる悪と戦う伝説の覆面英雄。
Surely, in every part of the world, there is at least one derivation of the man who fights in the name of justice, and Kamen Rider is no different — a legend that has continued to live on in people’s hearts, helping to create a new generation of people who believe in its ideals.
きっと世界のどこにでも、正義の名の下に戦う男の派生が少なくとも一つは存在し、仮面ライダーも例外ではありません。その理想を信じる人々の世代。
From a man and his inner demon, Ikki Igarashi (五十嵐 一輝, Igarashi Ikki) and Vice (バイス, Baisu), chosen by the government agency known as Fenix to fight against the Deadmans — who seek to revive their master, Giff, and bring upon the end of the world — transforming using the Revice Driver and Vistamps, and donning the mantle as Kamen Rider Revi (仮面ライダーリバイ, Kamen Raidā Ribai) and Kamen Rider Vice (仮面ライダーバイス, Kamen Raidā Baisu) respectively; to another man and his inner demon, Daiji Igarashi (五十嵐 大二, Igarashi Daiji) and Kagero (カゲロウ, Kagerō), one a man in Fenix attempting to fight what he believes in and the other a being of darkness who remains barely in the light, the two transforming using the Twosidriver and Vistamps, and donning the mantle of Kamen Rider Live (仮面ライダーライブ, Kamen Raidā Raibu) and Kamen Rider Evil (仮面ライダーエビル, Kamen Raidā Ebiru) respectively.
To a woman and her personal inner demon, Sakura Igarashi (五十嵐 さくら, Igarashi Sakura) and Lovekov (ラブコフ, Rabukofu), the former of the two a karate girl who mastered her own strengths, accepted her own weaknesses and fought for the friendship and redemption of the former leader of the Deadmans, and the latter of the two the one who protects Sakura, the former transforming using the Libera Driver and Vistamps, and donning the mantle of Kamen Rider (Invincible) Jeanne (仮面ライダー（インビンシブル）ジャンヌ, Kamen Raidā (Inbinshiburu) Jannu); to the commander of Fenix, Hiromi Kadota (門田 ヒロミ, Kadota Hiromi), first fighting as commander of Fenix, then leader of the Demons Army led by Weekend who fight against Giff, transforming using the Demons Driver and Vistamps, donning the mantle of Kamen Rider Demons (仮面ライダーデモンズ, Kamen Rider Demonzu) in order to ensure peace.
And still, even if this tale of heroes is ultimately one of fiction, originating from the imaginations of a mangaka whose name lives on in the annals of history, its values are not to be taken lightly, its legacy eventually receiving second life in the hands of the many people influenced by its stories.
それでもなお、この英雄の物語は最終的にフィクションの一つであり、その名が歴史の年代記に生き続ける漫画家の想像力に由来するとしても、その価値は軽視されるべきではなく、その遺産は最終的に手に第二の命を与えられますその物語に影響を受けた多くの人々の。
From cosplay to fan-fiction, to video reviews to drawings, these are merely some of the infinite stories that have carved their own identities… and so, good continues to slay and vanquish evil even in a world where the Masked Hero is merely but a concept.
コスプレからファン フィクション、ビデオ レビュー、ドローイングまで、これらは独自のアイデンティティを刻んだ無限の物語の一部にすぎません…そして、仮面のヒーローがただの世界でさえも、善は悪を殺し続け、打ち負かし続けています。概念。
Of the warrior who fights, against all odds, for the safety of the world and its people…
世界と人々の安全のために、あらゆる困難に立ち向かう戦士の…
—— O ——
Come on in, peace has become
らっしゃいな平は成り
Rasshaina heiwa nari
Time has arrived, a righteous, reverie all through night
時が来た正しい夢現夜もすがら
Toki ga kita tadashii yume utsutsu yomosugara
To undergo change, there shan't be consternation
変わりゆくことに恐れなし
Kawari yuku koto ni osorenashi
To be gulled, without escape, I sternly refuse!
のっぴきならないのは御免
Noppikinaranai no wa gomen
Sing the little girls' nurseries; and you all will allure
手毬唄歌い 君達が誘う
Temari utautai kimitachi ga sasou
Even as the villain lures the back of my hair; I shall move forward
悪人に後ろ髪を惹かれても進むべきなり
Yananjiu ni ushirogami wo hikarete mo susumu bekinari
Crazes then fades, should this world be so lamented
流行り廃りの憂き世なら
Hayari sutari no uki yonara
The trusted one, is told, to be only, you!
信ずる者はただ、君だけと
Shinzuru mono wa tada, kimi dake to
Rage in dances and jeers, drown in drinks and songs!
れ騒げや呑めや歌えや
Odore sawageya nome ya utae ya
Matters to ponder about, are amiss
案ずることなどないな
Anzuru koto nado nai na
This world, mortal's world, ruefully cursed
此の世人の世は恨めしい
Kono yo hito no yo wa urameshii
Rings, the winter sandals but, endeared
雪駄はちゃらちゃら愛し
Setta wa chara chara kamashi
We cling on, blinded, cuts thousand-fold
縋って眩んで満身創痍で
Sugatte kurande manshin sooi de
Sore, sore, sore, sore!
それそれそれそれ
Sore sore sore sore
Should you bewail the current, embellish the past, even so
今を嘆いて昔を粧しても
Ima wo nageite mukashi wo mekashite mo
Your spirit within torrents the rivers of tears
君の心の内流る涙川
Kimi no kokoro no uchi nagareru namidagawa
That's just unbearable, wherever should you lie
それじゃ敵わん何処にいても
Sore ja kanawan doko ni ite mo
To be brought, is you, to the ever-turning stage
めくるめく舞台に君を連れて
Mekurumeku butai ni kimi wo tsurete
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Episode Two: Vanquish Evil, and Live Brightly
第二挿話：悪を退け、明るく生きる
Dai Nisōwa: Aku o Doke, Akaruku Ikiru
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October 31, 2022.
２０２２年１０月３１日。
2022-nen 10-tsuki 31-nichi.
08:11.
８時１１分。
8-ji 11-fun.
“Ow, what time is it—” Raiden struggled to hold his head together, as he winced in pain, opening his eyes a little.
His eyelids fluttering briefly, he held his hand to his head, holding the part of his head that hurt for a brief moment. Suddenly, however, he almost completely jolted awake, as he immediately began to recall the events that had unfolded the day before…or was it a moment before? Scrambling to turn on his phone, he noticed the date and time, as he let out a very audible groan.
It was very much a good thing that it had been confirmed that there weren’t going to be any classes on Monday — not that it mattered with how much had happened over what he assumed as the day before — but his head still hurt quite a lot.
How long had he even been out for? Ten hours? Twenty hours? Were the events he recalled even real? Did the things he recall the day before actually happen, or were they just a very good dream? Struggling to maintain a grasp both on reality and his emotional state, he was suddenly interrupted by the sound of the door creaking open. Aiko stood in the doorway, dressed in a more casual outfit, much to the surprise of the young Rider.
“You’re… awake,” Aiko stated bluntly, before her expression turned into an uncharacteristic smile. “That’s good.”
Raiden nodded at her… surprisingly caring choice of wording. “Yeah… I think I am. What… happened?”
“We got you to the infirmary in time, I think? Thankfully it’s one of those buildings that wasn’t destroyed in the fight so whoever was in the infirmary tended to our wounds, and then we brought you back here,” Aiko responded, closing the door behind her. “Your room’s a mess.”
“I’m… very much aware of that. Was originally planning to clean up after we got back from the outing… yesterday. Obviously, you can figure out why I couldn’t do that in time…” Raiden retorted in response, before he got up into a sitting position. “But yesterday… were those things… actually real?”
“Of course they were,” Aiko shrugged, before her expression turned from what seemed to be the beginnings of a smile into one of worry. “Not sure what that means anymore anyways.”
“Yeah…” Raiden smiled softly, though he was clearly putting up a front, as he then pulled off the blanket that covered his waist, revealing the thing that was still on it; the Genkai Driver he used to transform was still very much there, with the… transformation trinkets he used to transform attached on what appeared to be a holster of some kind.
“…of course it was real. Somehow,” Raiden sighed to himself, before pulling out his phone, suddenly noticing an article focusing on Hikari Daigaku. Opening the article, both him and Aiko watched the news broadcast that had aired the night before about the attack on the university, the former of which reacted in surprise.
“Things are going to go downhill from here, huh?” Aiko wondered to herself, before Raiden immediately responded — well, made an attempt to respond to the female.
“Isn’t it usual that in a Rider series, the main character will eventually go through some deep stuff. But at what point will I get used to this… thing?” The male wondered to himself idly, before he struggled to get up, quickly being assisted by Aiko. “I get a feeling… that whoever it is who attacked will attack again eventually — especially considering the fact that a Kamen Rider exists in this world now.”
A brief scoff left Aiko’s lips, as she looked out of the window, a small smile forming on her face in the process. “Yeah. Though, never knew you were one for ‘heroic and gut-wrenching’ dialogue.”
“Never had to use it before.”
That caused both of them to laugh on the spot.
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08:30.
８時３０分。
8-ji 30-fun.
“You think the cafe still has breakfast?” Raiden asked Aiko, a sigh escaping his lips. As the two walked in the direction of the cafeteria, Raiden continue to browse through social media, scrolling through various posts theorising and wondering as to who the mysterious Kamen Rider seemed to be. All around him, not helping matters was the sheer amount of rubble that had resulted from the fight.
Sure, the dormitories were one of the few areas not affected by the fight in most manners, but he could still see signs of the fight. There were attempts to repair beginning to go underway, though not in a scale noticeable enough. Some of the parts of the buildings that had been damaged were being repaired, but not all at once, for the most part.
“Probably. Doesn’t breakfast usually end at 9 anyways?”
“How would I know? I’m not the kind of person who eats breakfast at 9.”
“Of course you aren’t,” Aiko resisted the urge to crack a laugh. “Your second breakfast is normally at 9.”
Raiden immediately snorted loudly, as he stepped into the cafeteria. Unsurprisingly, there were still people; based on the messages he’d read from the heads of the faculty, they noted that the cafeteria would still be in use, designated as a place to get food as the main gates had been closed off. There… was surprisingly a good amount of food left — how they got their food, Raiden didn’t even remotely know the answer to.
The food was probably cold, but given what happened the day before, anything was good enough to kick him out of his dazed state. Grabbing whatever food was left at the table, he took a seat at the exact same table he sat at the day before, very much feeling the dramatic irony and deja vu of the situation.
Aiko sat beside him, though before they could dig into their food, a female voice called from afar. Raiden immediately recognised the voice, noticing Mei in the distance alongside Shun approaching the two of them. However, there another figure with the two of them, one more familiar to Raiden as the girl charged in the direction of the male.
And suddenly, Raiden was caught by surprise by the pair of hands that wrapped around him.
“Ri-chan, don’t worry about me, I’m fine, ya know.” Raiden attempted to console the other figure — his younger sister, Rairi Shoumi (小見 雷莉, Shoumi Rairi) - to the best his abilities. However, she simply looked up towards him, anger bubbling all over her facial expressions.
“How can I not worry?!” She simply retorted, as Raiden could only sigh a little embarrassingly. “I find out today that you were injured yesterday, and—”
“Look, I’m okay now, and what’s done has unfortunately been done.”
“Right. But I’m keeping an eye on you until you’re much better.”
“Whatever you say… sis.” Raiden softly smiled, very much touched by his sister’s sudden act of kindness. Although he supposed that he should have told her first, if anything; but to be fair, he was practically knocked out unconscious.
Sitting back down, he continued with his breakfast, the other three individuals arriving on the scene having grabbed his food already. The events that had happened the day before continued to run in his mind, as he was left wondering to himself how much he could tell to the people around him. Regardless.
“How’s Sakura? I heard that she was the one turned into the monster that attacked yesterday?” Raiden brought up, omitting the fact that he’d been the one who defeated the monster the day before.
“She’s currently resting in the infirmary,” Mei responded, having been the one to take her into better hands. “She’s due for a recovery in… probably a few days, but you never know what happens in these odd times. Same as the rest of the people who were attacked.”
“That’s… good.”
Whether his closest family deserved to know the truth that he was somehow a masked vigilante that fought against evil. How long would it be before the rest of the world found out? Would that be a good thing or not? How long would it be before whoever was behind the mysterious attacks yesterday struck again? And would he be able to cope with all of the monster attacks?
He was definitely no Gentaro Kisaragi (如月 弦太朗, Kisaragi Gentarō) — sure, he had a few friends, but that was pretty much it — as much as he wanted to be, nor was he a person like Sento Kiryu (桐生 戦兎, Kiryū Sento) — able to keep on fighting against the insurmountable odds and push onwards — regardless of how he attempted to phrase it.
Maybe he needed to take some time off to think about it, and the fact that Monday, and the next few days, was a holiday meant that hopefully it would at least work in his favour.
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16:45.
１６時４５分。
16-ji 45-fun.
Regardless of how paranoid Raiden was that something was going to go wrong, everything seemed to go well, for the most part. Considering that classes had been shut down while everything was under reparation, only a few buildings that remained open, mostly the ones that remained untouched; particularly the dormitories, cafeteria and the stadium a few hundred meters or so away.
Classes had gone (understandably) completely virtual in the meanwhile, and Raiden was now practically confined to his dorm room. Well, at least he wasn’t alone; Rairi decided to make good on her promise to watch over her elder brother, claiming the other bed in the room, which had went unused. Aiko had also decided to watch over Raiden, making up an excuse to ensure that she could be nearby in the event that something went wrong.
All in all, things were going good. Classes were finished for the day, and Raiden found himself keen to go jogging at the track at the stadium. Multiple thoughts were running through his head, and he assumed that a jog would help to fix that.
Quickly shooing Rairi and Aiko out of his dorm room for obvious reasons, he changed into a more appropriate outfit, ditching the casual outfit he was wearing and switching into black tracks and a blue exercise shirt. He found the choice of colours oddly fitting given his Rider form.
Meeting up with the two girls, he found that they had also changed into exercise outfits, also keen to exercise. Raiden immediately assumed that the only reason Rairi decided to exercise was to watch over him; as far as he was aware, she wasn’t one for exercise, but she somehow looked good enough to woo the rest of the boys in her class indirectly, much to his confusion.
Don’t worry, he’s not a sis-con. He’s not Makoto Fukami (深海 マコト, Fukami Makoto).
The three walking to the stadium, Raiden decided to read up on Battle Warriors — the fan-fiction he’d read the day before — once again, having found an odd interest in the series. He supposed that it was because he was a Rider, after all; and he’d already made the observation that the Genkai Driver and trinkets he used seemed to resemble the Desire Driver and Raise Buckles to a certain extent.
Reading on the article made of the ‘UK-exclusive special’, he was later brought to attention as the three arrived at the stadium. Surprisingly, there were more people than was expected at this point; Raiden had assumed that nobody was going to be present at the stadium. Thankfully, however, it seemed to be the opposite; the mood was very cheery, something Raiden chalked up to an attempt to ignore the somber mood from the day before.
Looking around, there were a few familiar faces here and there that the young Rider recognised; there was the members of the sports club — most of them currently either using the track as a jogging area or lounging at the bleachers — a few members of the cheerleader squads and badminton club were minding their own business in the corners of the jogging track where there were mostly grass. There were also a few random students on the bleachers here and there, some of them minding their own business, and others using their phones and laptops — much to Raiden’s amusement.
And while the group was doing their evening jog, another mysterious barrier began to materialise, much to the shock of Raiden who began to have flashbacks to the day before. Trapping the small group, and everyone else who happened to be in the area within the stadium, Raiden did happen to notice a few other buildings within the barrier, noticing that it wasn’t just the stadium.
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“What in the hell—” Raiden attempted to mutter, wondering what was going on, before Rairi then added, repeating her elder brother’s words but louder.
Immediately, Aiko attempted to do the same thing that Mei had attempted to do the day before, which was to punch repeatedly on the barrier, hoping it would break. Unfortunately for the girl, the barrier didn’t seem to budge; if anything, her hands were going to break if that issue kept up. The veil began to become darker by the second, though it didn’t seem to shroud the trapped areas in darkness, unlike what had happened the day before…
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Elsewhere, in a building close by to the infirmary, a boy — Daiji Igarashi (五十嵐 大二, Igarashi Daiji) — was running through the hallways of the faculty that he was in. Not only had the walls began to become monotonous in design, the signs and symbols repeating every few seconds, it didn’t help that he felt like he was in a labyrinth, with no method of escaping. Chasing from behind were the shadow-like monsters that had materialised in the building, having found their target.
Thankfully, Daiji didn’t completely go down without a fight. Using the somewhat-lacking karate skills he’d picked up from his younger sister, he was able to put up a fight against the shadow monsters, managing to destroy one or two of the monsters with enough effort. Unfortunately, he began to become overwhelmed, but it didn’t stop him from continuing to put up a fight, his body attempting to break free of the control that the monster was imposing.
Sure, it didn’t last too long as well, but it was a worthwhile fight. However, as he was consumed, the monster began to morph shape, the goo-like material it was made of beginning to harden. And as the monstrous being took shape, the illusion of the hallways dissipating to reveal the entrance to the faculty building, it stepped forwards, its various shades of grey making the small blobs of teal and gold very much standing out.
Stepping out of the faculty building, it raised its hand forwards, summoning its henchmen to hunt for blood.
This monster… was the Heika Monstrum (兵家モンストラム, Heika Monsutoramu).
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The monster began its attack, as Raiden was immediately alerted to the loud roar that emerged from the stadium. Clinging to the barrier, the three individuals made their way as far away from the monster as possible, hoping to maintain enough distance such that they wouldn’t get hit. Thankfully for them, the other students were smart enough, as to be expected, to hide in places where they wouldn’t be found.
Raiden found himself coming face-to-face with the Heika Monstrum, as he looked at his surroundings, making sure that nobody was nearby to get injured in the crossfire. Unfortunately, the Heika Monstrum had targeted his younger sister, charging in her direction as it attempted to strike. As she could only wince in pain, horrified at what would happen next, Raiden jumped in between the two combatants, the Genkai Driver now in his hand and blocking the monster’s attack.
It reacted with a vague look of confusion and surprise, as Raiden used the Genkai Driver to send the Monstrum reeling backwards, dazed and confused for a few seconds in a cloud of stars. Raiden then turned to Rairi, deciding that it was ultimately for the best that she learn about his transformation, before holding the Driver to his waist, equipping it in the process.
A navy blue belt strap began to emerge from the sides of the Driver, wrapping and tightening around his waist in the process.
Genkai Driver!
限界ドライバー！
Genkai Doraibā!
The Driver whirring to life, its waves of sound pierced through the veil, forming cracks in the parts of the veil unreachable to Raiden. He maintained his posture, as he pulled out the two transformation trinkets, preparing to transform. The Monstrum got up, no longer dazed, as it roared in anger, charging in the direction of Raiden. However, a barrier of lightning and stars materialised, crackling in anger and attacking the Monstrum, sending it reeling and onto the ground, paralysing it again.
As Raiden inserted the two transformation trinkets into the slots on the Driver; inserting the yellow lightning-themed transformation trinket into the right side of the Driver, and the black terracotta-themed transformation trinket into the left side of the Driver, the barrier began to crackle even more, as sparks began to angrily attack the Monstrum that had dared to attack Raiden moments earlier.
The same mysterious voice called out to him once more — in a tone that sounded like multiple people; Ikki Igarashi (五十嵐 一輝, Igarashi Ikki), Daiji Igarashi (五十嵐 大二, Igarashi Daiji), Sakura Igarashi (五十嵐 さくら, Igarashi Sakura), Yukimi Igarashi (五十嵐 幸実, Igarashi Yukimi) and Genta Igarashi (五十嵐 元太, Igarashi Genta) — making a plea.
“Fight. For your family. For your friends. And everything in between.”
「喧嘩。お前の家族のために。お友達のために。そしてその間のすべて。」
Folklore of the ancients! Storm of the Thunder Beast!
古代人の伝承民間！雷獣の嵐！
Kodaibito no denshō minkan! Raijū no arashi!
The Driver continued to whir, a standby tune beginning to play and the gears within the transformation device clicking and rotating, as Raiden prepared to transform. Rairi could only react in a mixture of shock, the realisation beginning to set in as the pieces began to fall together, the Rider’s younger sister finally connecting the dots as to why Raiden had been injured from the day before.
“Don’t tell me, you’re—” Rairi was about to say, before Raiden cut her off, the latter noticing the Heika Monstrum beginning to break through the barrier.
“Henshin!”
Activating the two devices, he slammed his left hand into the yellow lightning-themed transformation trinket, activating the copper-coloured lightning rod as a few sparks were released, while he pulled the spear-like object on the black terracotta-themed transformation trinket with his right hand, letting it slam into the side closest to the Driver with a powerful and loud thud. With the activation of both transformation trinkets, the gears in the Driver continued to whir, potentially whirring even more than before.
The barrier around him began to change colour, as the stars and lightning began to change from white and yellow to jet black and neon blue respectively. And from the barrier around Raiden, it produced a stream of stars that began to turn into pieces of armour.
Hero of once upon a time! Warrior of the future line! Kamen Rider~ Denrai!
昔の傑士！将来系の戦士！仮面ライダーデンライ！
Mukashi no kesshi! Shōrai-kei no senshi! Kamen Raidā~ Denrai!
Raiden stared down the Monstrum that roared angrily at him, now equipped with the under-suit that covered his entire outfit, before the barrier produced a stream of sparks that began to change shape, forming into more pieces of armour that locked onto the bottom half of the under-suit. Immediately afterwards, the pieces of armour that formed from the stream of stars began to attach onto the top half of the under-suit before locking on.
The armour pieces that served as his helmet began to lock around his head, as the HUD formed beneath the visor. Preparing to fight, he loosened his joints ever-so-slightly, as the suit pumped him up with a jolt of well-needed adrenaline, giving him the energy needed to fight the monster.
“Kamen Rider Denrai… AncientStorm Form!” Raiden screamed, his voice modulator activating and decreasing the pitch of his tone. “I will be the one who decides the legacy and the prophecy of the Kamen Riders!”
He is the warrior from beyond the stars, the hero of crackling lightning who fights for not just the fate of the fallen ancients, but also for the uncertain future… and everything in between.
Rairi gulped a little, as she turned to Aiko, an exasperated expression forming on her face in the process.
“Wait, you’re telling me that Raiden was the Kamen Rider they were talking about in the news and you chose not to tell me about it?!” Rairi asked in a manner that almost seemed like it was verging on anger.
“Knowing him, he probably would have told you about it.”
“Wait, wha-”
“Back to work, we gotta hurry!”
“What do you mean by ‘hurry’?!”
“Rescue the other civilians! Now that the monster is being distracted, this is our chance!”
“G-got it!”
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The Rider was unfortunately forced to divert his attention; on one hand, he was fighting against the shadow-like monsters that were attempting to gang up on him and consume him, kicking and punching them and dissipating the shadows that consumed the humans beneath; on the other hand, he was forced to combat the Heika Monstrum, the monster having found it fit to disrupt the Rider with its attack patterns.
Feeling a boost in his step, he dashed around the battlefield, continuously striking down the monsters while attempting to take potshots at the Heika Monstrum, Unfortunately, the Monstrum was suddenly able to parry the Rider’s attack, summoning a long-sword of some kind as he forced Denrai to jump backwards, the Rider barely landing on his feet.
“Right, so you can summon weapons…” Raiden sweat-dropped beneath the mask, as he barely noticed Rairi and Aiko focused on rescuing the civilians in the crossfire. “What are you, a soldier?”
He jinxed it immediately as the long-sword in the monster’s hand suddenly began to change shape, distorting and morphing into what appeared to be a rifle of some kind. Immediately, it immediately began unleashing a barrage of bullets onto the Rider, something he was forced to constantly parry and block as he attempted to charge in the direction of the monster.
“COME ON!” Denrai screamed out of pure frustration, before managing to barely land in a punch on the monster, forcibly sending it reeling. “Why’d I have to jinx it like that?”
Continuing to dash around the battlefield, the Monstrum continued to fire a barrage of bullets, eventually tiring down the Rider enough that its attacks sent him either into the ground or into the barrier, slamming with powerful thuds. However, the Rider still attempted to fight all the same, punching and kicking the remaining the few shadow monsters that had ganged up on him.
Continuing to fight, he hacked and punched to the best of his abilities, especially considering he was being thrown around like a ragdoll. Thankfully, however, the Rider was able to land a critical hit on the monster, sending it reeling into one of the stadium walls. Rubble crumbled on the monster, as Denrai took a moment to breathe, clearly tired out from the fight.
However, the Monstrum almost immediately recovered from the attack, up and ready after what definitely felt like a few seconds later, much to the Rider’s shock. His guard dropped a little, enabling the monster to dash in his direction and attack him with a jumping kick, sending him crashing into the barrier.
His transformation beginning to wane out, the Rider was barely conscious. However, he attempted to maintain focus, trying to figure out a way to handle the monster to the best of his ability. Suddenly, as he looked down at his Driver, Raiden then noticed a button of some kind, sticking out just enough that it looked different than the rest of the unseen top half of the Driver.
Raiden’s mind began to conjure images the Desire Driver, the two pieces clicking together as he realised that he might have been on to something. Deciding to take the chance once more, he pressed the button, as the Driver seemed to loosen, rotating slightly counter-clockwise, much to his shock.
Standing up weakly, he gripped both sides of the Genkai Driver with both of his hands, before rotating the Driver a hundred-eighty degrees, the Driver locking as the two transformation trinkets now landed on opposite sides of where they once were. The Driver whirred to life once again, the same familiar standby tune beginning to play as the gears within the Genkai Driver clicked and rotated.
Storm of the Thunder Beast! Folklore of the ancients!
雷獣の嵐！古代人の伝承民間！
Raijū no arashi! Kodaibito no denshō minkan!
“Dai… henshin!”
Activating the two devices, he pulled the spear-like object on the black terracotta-themed transformation trinket with his left hand, letting it slam into the side closest to the Driver with a powerful and loud thud, while he slammed his right hand into the yellow lightning-themed transformation trinket, activating the copper-coloured lightning rod as a few sparks were released.
The barrier that usually protected his transformation — of lightning and stars — returned once again, crackling to life. The armour pieces that had previously formed AncientStorm Form detached from Denrai’s undersuit, the two halves swapping places and hovering over the direct opposites of where they once were.
Warrior of the future line! Hero of once upon a time! Kamen Rider~ Denrai!
将来系の戦士！昔の傑士！仮面ライダーデンライ！
Shōrai-kei no senshi! Mukashi no kesshi! Kamen Raidā~ Denrai!
The pieces of armour began to lock on, the two halves attaching onto their respective halves of the under-suit. The armour pieces that served as his helmet began to lock around his head, as the HUD formed beneath the visor. Raiden took a deep breath as the HUD appeared, before letting out a loud kiai, allowing the barrier of sparks and stars to die down and paralyse the Monstrum in the process.
“Kamen Rider Denrai…” Raiden spent a moment thinking of a name to christen the form with, eventually settling for something rather familiar. “StormingAncient Form! I will be the one who decides the legacy and the prophecy of the Kamen Riders!”
Kamen Rider Denrai, StormingAncient Form (ストーミングエンシェントフォーム, SutōminguEnshento Fōmu).
<< OST >>
“Armor Time” | アーマータイム
Composer: Toshihiko Sahashi
Album: 仮面ライダージオウ ＴＶ オリジナル サウンド トラック
From afar, Rairi and Aiko witnessed its debut; Rairi had a look of confusion plastered all over her face, Aiko found herself unable to resist the urge to smile, hiding her cheeky grin to the rest of her ability.
“This guy…” She chuckled.
With a new form achieved, his body was amped up even more, the boy feeling a little high beneath the mask. Readying himself to attack, he charged forwards, the ground beneath him sinking in a little bit, before the barrier that protected his transformation appeared once more. The cloud of stars and sparks took into the skies as a golden light took its place, bathing the Kamen Rider.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck from the clouds, crashing in between the two combatants, much to Raiden’s surprise. It kicked up a dust cloud in the process, though that quickly dissipated because of the winds.
What emerged from it, however, was a yellow blade that seemingly resembled a mixture of a lightning bolt and a sword, embedded in a small crater that was crackling with electricity. Subconsciously, Denrai extended his hand out towards the blade, attempting to grab it the same way he reached out towards the Genkai Driver just a day ago. And, the past echoing once again, he grabbed the handle of the weapon, the sparks from the ground channelling through his body.
The sparks channelling through his body boosted him with strength, the Rider letting out a loud scream of surprise. It also gave him enough strength to pull it out of the ground, the blade of the sword crackling with electricity that shocked the Monstrum, paralysing it for a moment.
Raibolt Blade!
ライボルトブレイド！
Raiboruto Bureido!
“The Raibolt Blade… huh?” Raiden blinked, before charging forwards. “Cool… reminds me of Ikazuchi too…”
Wielding the sword in his hand, he charged in the direction of the Monstrum, who barely had enough time to adapt before it was struck in the chest, sending it reeling from the attack. However, before it had a chance to recover, Denrai took the chance to run towards the monster again, sending out another slash and causing the monster to collapse onto the ground.
Deciding that with how dangerous the Monstrum was becoming, Denrai prepared a finisher, noticing what appeared to be a slot for the transformation trinkets on his Driver on the weapon. Taking his chances, he pulled out the yellow lightning-themed transformation trinket, inserting it into the slot of the weapon.
The blade crackled with electricity, glowing a bright hue of neon yellow, as Denrai wielded the sword in his hand. The mysterious voice from earlier once again called out to him — this time in a voice that felt akin to that of Touma Kamiyama (神山 飛羽真, Kamiyāmā Tōmā), Rintaro Shindo (新堂 倫太郎, Shindō Rintarō) and Kento Fukamiya (富加宮 賢人, Fukamiya Kento) speaking in unison — making its plea.
“Strike your opponent down! For the future of the children, for the voice of the swords! In the name of strength, in the name of promises! In the name of your friends, end this monster’s story and continue yours!”
「敵を打ち倒せ！子供たちの未来のために、剣の声のために！力の名の下に、約束の名の下に！仲間の名において、このモンスターの物語を終わらせて、あなたの物語を続けて！」
Shorai Maelstorming Slash!
将来メイルストーミングスラッシュ！
Shōrai Meirusutōmingu Surasshu!
“Give me your strength… Buster. Kenzan. Slash. Saikou!” Raiden muttered to himself, readying himself.
Images began to flash in his mind; from Kamen Rider Buster (仮面ライダーバスター, Kamen Raidā Basutā)’s Dai Dan Dan, to Kamen Rider Kenzan (仮面ライダー剣斬, Kamen Raidā Kenzan)’s Shippu Kenbu, to Kamen Rider Slash (仮面ライダースラッシュ, Kamen Raidā Surasshu)’s Snack on the Chopper, to Kamen Rider Saikou (仮面ライダー最光, Kamen Raidā Saikō)’s Hikari Are. Taking a deep breath again, he simply smirked.
Letting the energy crackle from the top half of his armour into the weapon, he jumped into the air, preparing to execute a downward slash on the monster.
And so he did, pushing what appeared to be a trigger on the handle — just slightly under the cross-guard — in the process as the weapon proceeded to let out a roar. The blade collided with the chest of the armour, emitting a stream of sparks as it caused the monster to fall backwards, paralysed and unable to move.
Raiden turned to the two girls to ensure that they were okay, seeing them hiding in a safer part of the stadium far away from the battlefield, before he took a deep breath, readying himself.
Looking down at his Driver briefly, Denrai dropped the Raibolt Blade onto the ground, sending the tip of the blade hammering into the earth like a tent stake driven in, before he pulled out the transformation trinket in the weapon, inserting back on the proper slot of his Driver.
Immediately, Denrai pulled the spear-like object on the black terracotta-themed transformation trinket with his left hand, letting it slam into the side closest to the Driver with a powerful and loud thud, while he slammed his right hand into the yellow lightning-themed transformation trinket once more, activating the copper-coloured lightning rod and emitting a few sparks.
Black and blue electricity emanated from the Driver, before beginning to consume the Rider’s body — almost like a virus of some kind — eventually channelling into the Rider’s right arm. His gloves now empowered, a different standby tune began to play, denoting the attack that was about to follow.
Shorai~ Densho! Genkai Break!
将来・伝承！限界突破！
Shōrai~ Denshō! Genkai Toppa!
“Give me your strength… Garren. Ex-Aid. Para-DX. Cross-Z!” Raiden muttered to himself, closing his eyes for a brief moment. “Give me the strength to punch through the veil of failure, and enter success!”
Clenching his right fist, images began to flash in his mind again; from Kamen Rider Garren (仮面ライダーギャレン, Kamen Raidā Gyaren)’s Fire-Upper Combo, to Kamen Rider Ex-Aid (仮面ライダーエグゼイド, Kamen Raidā Eguzeido)’s Mighty Double Critical Strike, to Kamen Rider Para-DX (仮面ライダーパラドクス, Kamen Raidā Paradokusu)’s Knock Out Critical Smash, to Kamen Rider Cross-Z (仮面ライダークローズ, Kamen Raidā Kurōzu)’s Volcanic Knuckle. Denrai then charged towards the Monstrum, his glove crackling to the brim with blue and black electricity, before the Monstrum barely attempted a defencive manoeuvre.
However, Denrai was able to pierce through, his right fist going upwards and slamming into the Monstrum’s chest, stopping the Monstrum’s descent in its tracks. Pulling his hand out of the monster’s chest, it would drop to the ground, exploding into a spectacle of fire and sparks, rubble flying from the impact point.
Around the Rider, the veil that had cracks formed into its walls finally shattered, black glass fragments falling onto the ground before dissipating into the wind. His attention, however, was drawn to the impact point in question, rescuing the host of the Monstrum from the wreckage. His eyes widened upon noticing who it seemed to be; Daiji… wasn’t he Sakura’s brother?
Carrying Daiji out of the wreckage, his transformation would dissipate, the suit once again unable to sustain not just the user’s exhaustion, but also the damage taken from the fight. Thankfully, however, he re-united with Aiko and Rairi, as he passed him to the nearby paramedics who had been on standby. Fortunately, Raiden had been confused for a victim of the crossfire instead of the Kamen Rider, the Rider chalking it down to his suit’s voice modulator; though he suspected that the news would get worse as time got on.
As he quickly got emergency treatment to his leg, he slowly began to walk out with his younger sister, Aiko having excused herself with something that had to do with her roommate. Raiden had raised his eyes at that; from what he knew, Mei seemed to be alright, until it clicked. And with that, he was thankful that she had given him the space, as the two siblings finally got to a safer location, a little further from where the crowd had been gathered.
An awkward silence began to form between the two siblings, tensions rising by the second, before the younger sister broke it, smacking her elder brother on his right shoulder. Thankfully, he was able to tank the blow, before she wrapped her arms around him once more, sobbing into his shirt. Raiden was caught by surprise, a tear almost rolling down his cheek, though he was able to hold it in, attempting to comfort her to the best of his limited abilities.
“Ri-chan, Ri-chan… you see, I’m fine.” Raiden attempted to console his younger sister, but even he knew that his words were futile, especially considering that she’d practically seen everything that had unfolded earlier.
“That’s why I couldn’t see you faint! Now I see you almost faint, and…” Rairi released all of her pent-up anger and worry that she’d been holding in for most of the fight, finally letting out in a hot burst of steam. “Why didn’t you tell me yesterday that you became the Kamen Rider?!”
“I just wanted to find the right way to say it to you!” Raiden shouted, stunning Rairi into silence. Raiden reeled in horror, having realised what he’d just said to his younger sister. “I… just wanted to…”
Tears streamed from her eyes, as her expression was a mixture of confusion, horrid and fear. Raiden stifled his expression, taking in a deep breath before he tried his best to calm down.
“I just… wanted to find the right time to say it to you… It’s not like that sort of thing is easy to say. ‘Hey look, I transformed into a weird bugman because a monster attacked’ is not… exactly the easiest thing to say, especially in that way..”
“You’re… going to tell Mom and Dad eventually, right?”
“They’ll… eventually. I promise I will. I’m… worried if everyone else finds out, as in people who are complete strangers to us. What happens then—”
Rairi remained silent, silently hugging her elder brother as she sobbed in the process. Raiden could only softly smile as he hugged her younger sister. “I’ll promise I’ll… keep you safe. Trust me on that.”
The two siblings shared a tender moment, as Aiko watched from afar, a sad smile forming on her face.
----------------------------------------
<< OST >>
“Zi-O Prologue” | ジオウ プロローグ
Composer: Toshihiko Sahashi"
Album: 仮面ライダージオウ ＴＶ オリジナル サウンド トラック
“Rejoice! The one to inherit all Rider powers, the hero who will carve the past and the future, and lead a new path! His name is Kamen Rider Denrai, and this is his new form, StormingAncient Form!”
「祝え！全てのライダーの力を受け継ぎ、過去と未来を切り拓き、新たな道を拓く英雄！その名は仮面ライダーデンライ、それが新たな姿ストーミングエンシェントフォーム！」
“Now bask in his glory, and witness his advent of justice!”
「さあ、彼の栄光に浸り、彼の正義の到来を目撃せよ！」
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<< ED >>
“Haru no Tonari” | はるのとなり
Artist: Eri Sasaki
Album: Colon
Blowing in the gentle breeze
そよ風に吹かれて
Soyokaze ni fukarete
Let’s go home
お家に帰ろう
Ouchi ni kaerō
Although I wanted to watch
夕陽が沈むまで
Yūhi ga shizumu made
Till the sun sets
眺めてたかったけど
Nagametetakatta kedo
I’m running past your back
走る君の背中
Hashiru kimi no senaka
As I gently surpass you
そっと追い越したら
Sotto oikoshitara
You waved your hand and smiled at me
手を振りながら微笑んで
Te o furinagara hohoende
And my heart melted
心まで綻んだ
Kokoro made hokoronda
While swaying
揺られながら
Yurarenagara
I felt pleasantly tired
心地よい疲れが
Kokochiyoi tsukare ga
Even if it makes me feel sleepy
眠くなっても
Nemuku natte mo
I want to stay awake, just like this.
起きてたいこのまま
Okitetai kono mama
“I’m home”
「ただいま」
"Tadaima"
Have a good night sleep
ゆっくりおやすみ
Yukkuri oyasumi
A little lonely and warm
少し寂しくて暖かい
Sukoshi sabishikute atatakai
End of the journey
旅の終わり
Tabi no owari
Lalalala (Ho-hooo) Lalala (Oh yeahhhh)
ラララララ (Ho-hooo) ラララララ (Oh yeahhhh)
Rararara (Ho-hooo) Rararara (Oh yeahhhh)
I’ll come to see you again
また会いにゆくよ
Mata ai ni ikuyo
(Ho-hooo) Lalalala
(Ho-hooo) ラララララ
(Ho-hooo) Rararara
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Episode Three: Keepers of the Secret: Guardians
第三挿話：秘密の番人：守護者
Dai Sansōwa: Himitsu no Ban'nin: Gādian
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