----------------------------------------
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
----------------------------------------
“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。
“Fighting against the Monstrums, he continues his fight, as a legend rares to take the centre, slithering from the shadows and striking with force, Denrai now one step closer to—”
モンストラムと戦い、彼は戦いを続ける。レジェンドが中心を取り、影から抜け出し、力を込めて攻撃し、デンライは今一歩近づいた—
“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。
----------------------------------------
<< 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 the man who carved the beginnings of the Reiwa Era’s new legacy, Aruto Hiden (飛電 或人, Hiden Aruto) — the CEO of Hiden Intelligence and later Hiden Manufacturing — who fights against the rogue splinter cell of terrorist robots, MetsubouJinrai.net, transforming using the Hiden Zero-One Driver — later temporarily the Metsuboujinrai Forceriser and Hiden Zero-Two Driver — and Progrisekeys, and donning the mantle of Kamen Rider Zero-One (仮面ライダーゼロワン, Kamen Raidā Zerowan) in order to ensure the peaceful co-existence of humans and Humagears; to the policeman, Shinnosuke Tomari (泊 進ノ介, Tomari Shinnosuke), member of the Special Investigation Unit who works with Krim Steinbelt, the two fighting against the Roidmudes — who seek to evolve beyond humanity and bring upon the Promised Land to wipe out all that remains of humanity — transforming using the Drive Driver and Shift Cars, and donning the mantle of Kamen Rider Drive (仮面ライダードライブ, Kamen Raidā Doraibu) to stop the Roidmudes’ cause.
To the genius physicist, Sento Kiryu (桐生 戦兎, Kiryū Sento), who fights against the Smash — led by the elusive Night Rogue and Blood Stalk — using the Build Driver and Fullbottles, transforming using the Build Driver and Fullbottles, and donning the mantle of Kamen Rider Build (仮面ライダービルド, Kamen Raidā Birudo) to uncover the truth behind the elusive Pandora Box that formed a wall that divided Japan into three, and its ties into the past of the man of no memories; to the violin maker, Wataru Kurenai (紅 渡, Kurenai Wataru), descendant of the Human and Fangire races who fights against the Fangires — vampire-like beings who assume human forms to hide within everyday society to feed in secret — transforming using the Kivat-Bat (the 3rd) and Kivat Belt, and donning the mantle of Kamen Rider Kiva (仮面ライダーキバ, Kamen Raidā Kiba).
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
----------------------------------------
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
----------------------------------------
November 7, 2022.
２０２２年１１月７日。
2022-nen 11-tsuki 7-nichi.
11:24.
１１時２４分。
11-ji 24-fun.
“Hey, have you heard about the new rumours about the whole Kamen Rider thing in the groups?” One of the girls in the classroom — Mikata Shidou (指導 味方, Shidō Mikata) — began to speak up, the girls in the classroom Raiden was in beginning their usual gossip between themselves. “Supposedly, they’re saying it’s one of our seniors who transformed into that guy and beat up the monsters.”
Raiden — having overheard the conversation going on from the back of the classroom — decided to keep his mouth silent, very much resisting the urge to tell the truth. Part of him wanted to stand up and announce in front of the whole classroom that he was a Kamen Rider, and transform alongside it, but he knew that in order to keep people safe, identities being secret was unfortunately a must-do.
“What even is his name anyways?” Another one of the girls — Naomi Watanabe (渡辺 直美, Watanabe Naomi), brought up, idly rolling her eyes and rolling on the lollipop in her hands while waiting for the teacher of the next class to arrive. “News claimed it was… Denrai or whatever, but honestly that sounds pretty lame.”
Raiden almost burst a nerve at the comment, barely managing to resist the urge of smacking Naomi’s head with a baseball bat. However, he decided to take it in stride, deciding that he might as well pick a lame name for his Rider form, which meant that nobody would give it too much of a thought. Either that or Naomi just had weird taste in names, nobody knew. Maybe it was him who had weird taste in names.
Either way, the group of females in their class continued to gossip with each other about various topics, from the Kamen Rider, to continuing to discuss about Denrai and where he possibly came from. And Raiden made a mental note as he overheard Naomi mentioning that Sakura was due to be discharged from the infirmary.
As the teacher stepped in a few minutes later, Raiden finally felt peace and quiet, focusing on the subject at hand. It’d been a few days since the attack of the Heika Monstrum, and the university had managed to rebuild relatively quickly. Apparently, there were rumours that Hikari Daigaku had received additional funding and repair crews just because of the fact that the two monster attacks happened so close in proximity with each other. That and they wanted to figure out who Denrai was.
The class continued to ramble on as Raiden found himself sketching mindlessly on the notepad he normally used for taking notes. Immediately, however, he was brought out of his daze by Aiko, who wrote out a message on one of the blank pages of the sketchbook on her desk whether he was okay. He feigned ignorance, claiming that everything was alright, but the monster attacks continued to pester him in the back of his head.
Thankfully, however, he was able to continue to focus on the class just as the lecturer checked for anyone dozing off or not keeping track.
----------------------------------------
12:45.
１２時４５分。
12-ji 45-fun.
As Raiden grabbed lunch, he walked over to his usual table, where the expected group — consisting of Aiko, Mei, Rairi, Chloe and Kanon — had been seated, eating their food. There were a few other members of the table who’d placed their bags, but they were getting food. Raiden continued to browse through social media, as the group continued discussing about the monster attacks, the former unable to get the thought out of his head.
“So I went to visit Sakura at the infirmary earlier, and she mentioned something about finding something on her person after she woke up,” Chloe mentioned, much to Raiden’s confusion. “Apparently infirmary staff couldn’t find it, but it supposedly looked pretty bulky. Lots of colours; brown, black, dark green.”
“Huh, didn’t realise you had a free slot in your classes today, Chloe,” Raiden muttered, before he then got back on track, adding, “But with the way she’s talking about it, it’s probably not a phone.”
“It did seem to resemble the trinkets you used to transform,” Chloe added, recalling the design that Sakura showed her. “She did show it to me, so I had the chance to see what it looked like.”
“Hmm… maybe I should go visit Sakura later and see what’s up with that, then. I do also need to check in on her brother since he was attacked a day after her—” Raiden responded, before Chloe suddenly cut him off, a train of thought rolling out of her tongue.
“Oh, yeah! She did say earlier that she wanted to visit you once she got out of the infirmary. I wonder what’s up with that.” Chloe responded, almost causing Raiden to spit-take in the process.
“I’m sorry, what—”
“Do you know how long they took to make the eggs today?” One of the other members of the group — Haruka Hasegawa (長谷川 悠, Hasegawa Haruka) — stated, a deadpan expression washing over her face as she plopped herself down on one of the chairs with bags on them. “Somehow, they were, like, five minutes later than the usual.”
“Didn’t you specifically ask the cafeteria people to cook your eggs a certain way?” Another of the group — Quinn Watanabe (渡辺 クイーン, Watanabe Kuīn) — brought up, as he (uncharacteristically) began to shovel a spoon into his mouth rather forcefully. “Of course they’d take a long time to get it right considering you specifically asked for it.”
“No, you git. I normally ask for scrambled eggs and that’s what I asked them for today. Remember?” Haruka only sighed, as she began to eat her food. “Doesn’t quite explain why they took longer than the usual to make something as simple as scrambled eggs. I’d probably make it if it weren’t for the fact that they don’t let us bring cooking equipment in the dorms, ya know?”
“Yeah, yeah, you’ve mentioned that practically every time they make your food late,” One of the other boys of the group — Taiga Takahashi (高橋 大我, Takahashi Taiga) — retorted as he rolled his eyes, idly typing in a few stuff on the computer that he switched on. “Besides, there’s probably more important things the cafeteria staff have their mind on than your eggs like, ya know.”
Most of the idle chatter among the group consisted of rather trivial arguments. All the while, the Shoumi siblings continued to discuss about Sakura, the elder of the two having made his decision to visit Sakura.
Finishing up his food as quickly as he could, he excused himself from the group, heading in the direction of the infirmary. Trailing from behind was Rairi, who’d been forced to drag along Aiko, much to Rairi’s chagrin. Aiko mentioned something about wanting to follow because she wanted to learn a few more things, and Raiden wasn’t in the mood to decline her offer.
The three arriving at the infirmary, Rairi spoke to the clerk about visiting Sakura, thankful that her request was granted almost instantly. Raiden walked through the infirmary wards, seeing most of the victims who’d been turned into the shadow-like creatures; they were relegated to the first floor, while the two Igarashi siblings had been moved to the third floor in fear of anything going wrong. Most of the victims of the shadow monsters were in various stages of healing, the worst of which was still being knocked out and unconscious.
Taking the elevator to the third floor, they eventually arrived at the door to the ward where the two siblings were located in, Rairi and Aiko deciding to take a seat at one of the nearby benches. Raiden stepped inside, greeting his junior.
“Sakura, wasn’t it?” Raiden feigned ignorance of his own Rider form, taking a seat on the nearby chair as he attempted to make conversation. “You mentioned about wanting to see me to Chloe?”
“Well, I did mention I wanted to show Denrai something,” Sakura brought a finger to her chin, recalling something. “Thanks for the save.”
“Eh?” Raiden was definitely taken aback from the sudden revelation. “I was going to feign ignorance, but at this point, there’s not really a chance in heck I’m doing that. How’d you know?”
“Face was familiar, for one. Since I’m friends with Ri-chan. That and while I was that monster, I was conscious enough to see you transform, ‘cause you weren’t exactly doing a good job trying to hide it.” Sakura explained, changing from a laying position to a sitting position. “That and Chloe may have told me by accident.”
“I… should have expected Chloe to do that, even though I didn’t,” Raiden chuckled awkwardly, before looking at her brother, still unconscious and resting. “At least both you are fine, which is fine with me. Also, Chloe did mention something about a thing you found?”
“Ah, that one,” Sakura responded, before reaching out the bag that was on the small nightstand next to her hospital bed, rummaging through it and pulling out a transformation trinket of some kind, much to Raiden’s surprise. “Since Chloe mentioned it resembled something you used, this is for you.”
Raiden took the item in hand, observing its state. The colour scheme matched what Chloe had told him about the item, and the design was decorated with lines akin to that of kiais. As he pulled out his the yellow lightning-themed transformation trinket, he compared the two briefly, before pocketing them in his bag. As he prepared to get up, Sakura stopped him, rummaging through her bag again.
“And here, one more. Haven’t told Chloe about it yet, but I feel some affinity to this thing for some reason.” Sakura pulled out another transformation trinket, handing it to Raiden, as he looked at it with shock.
The design was uncanny; blue and orange, with images of cobras slithering around the trinket. The katakana inscribed seemed to give away who it was based after, as did the inscription of a Driver of some kind.
“Jeanne…” Raiden muttered to himself.
For a second, he recalled the adventures Kamen Rider Jeanne went through; from the advent of Kamen Rider Jeanne and Lovekov, to joining Weekend — led by Masumi Karizaki (狩崎 真澄, Karizaki Masumi) — and fighting Kamen Riders Demons, Vail (仮面ライダーベイル, Kamen Raidā Beiru) and Jack Revice (仮面ライダージャックリバイス, Kamen Raidā Jakku Ribaisu), to saving the former villain, Hana Natsuki (夏木 花, Natsuki Hana), and giving her the motivation to fight as Kamen Rider Aguilera (仮面ライダーアギレラ, Kamen Raidā Agirera), to fighting alongside her brothers against Giff, and later Kamen Rider Juuga (仮面ライダージュウガ, Kamen Raidā Juuga). And yet, her name felt oddly familiar to him…
Sakura Igarashi.
Something felt off. Yet, Raiden decided to heed it no mind, figuring that the paranoid itch in his head would either become something worse or just go away. The two switched topics, talking about their siblings for a moment, Rairi being Sakura’s classmate. Coincidentally, Rairi stepped into the hospital ward, as Raiden decided to step out, content with letting the two girls have their usual conversation.
Waiting outside with Aiko and Mei, he pulled out the two transformation trinkets he’d received, much to their surprise.
“Jeanne?” Aiko wondered, as she held the blue and orange ‘transformation trinket’-like items in her hands, seeing the ornate design of the trinket. “There must be a reason why she’d give you this as well as the one which…”
A look of recognition and surprise washed over her facial expressions, before something seemed to click, an idea coming forth and a eureka moment unfolding. “What if the main reason why she found the karate-looking one was because she was turned into the monster? What if defeating them leads to receiving transformation trinkets?”
Raiden widened his eyes in surprise, before deliberating on it, realising the potential of what Aiko had meant. “Hey, you know what, that’s… actually a good point. It could be like the Vistamps that the Deadmans dropped after being defeated. Or it could be like the Fullbottles or something like that.”
“But why Jeanne? What does Sakura have to do with Jeanne?”
It hasn’t clicked yet. But it soon would be.
----------------------------------------
14:23.
１４時２３分。
14-ji 23-fun.
Raiden idled in his room once again, his transformation trinkets off to the side as he browsed through the Kamen Rider Fan Fiction Wiki on his laptop, reading through a few articles related to a rather interesting series — Kamen Rider Arthur (仮面ライダーアーサー, Kamen Raidā Āsā) — browsing through its pages.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
There was also an article related to Kamen Rider Shinobi (仮面ライダーシノビ, Kamen Raidā Shinobi) that he’d made a mental note to check as well, as he decided that now would be a good time to create new articles based off his own powers; at least it would give him a way to keep a log on his adventures.
A good five minutes of frustrated tinkering later, he finished making the article, slumping into his chair as he sighed a little. Suddenly, his train of thought was interrupted by the sky outside of his windows beginning to become darker. Raiden immediately realised what it was, rushing outside as a barrier began to seal off the dormitories from the rest of the university. Frustrated, he bit his tongue, realising he’d jinxed himself…
----------------------------------------
As Raiden ran out of the male dormitories, he narrowly missed the conflict unfurling in the dormitories, a boy finding himself trapped as he ran through the hallways. Almost endless, he attempted to find a way to get out, as many of the shadow monsters had formed, chasing after the boy as the ooze on the wall continued to distort the hallways.
Pushed into a corner, the endless hallways turning into dead ends in the blink of an eye, the boy found himself trapped, unable to fend off the incoming horde. However, spotting a metal pipe in the corner of his eye, he quickly grabbed it, making a scramble for the makeshift weapon and using it to bash the heads of some of the shadow monsters, sending them crashing into the ground.
Unfortunately, with the strength and durability of the monsters, they were easily able to get up, eventually overwhelming the boy’s stamina, as they began to consume him, the boy in question desperately pleading and begging for his life. Those cries, however, were immediately silenced, as the monster emerged, the blob of black goo hardening into its final forms. Breaking the illusion of the hallways, it stepped out of the male dormitories, immediately targeting the students in its immediate vicinity.
This monster… was the Yougosha Monstrum (擁護者モンストラム, Yōgo-sha Monsutoramu).
----------------------------------------
Raiden scrambled out of the male dormitories, stumbling upon Aiko and Mei, who were currently helping the nearby students get to safety. At the same time, however, he noticed something more alarming; Rairi and Kanon were with Sakura — led by the former of the three — currently helping to evacuate the students as well. Running over to his younger sister, he pulled out the Genkai Driver, preparing to transform.
“Hey,” Raiden turned to his younger sister, “Does karate have kicks?”
“What do you even mean by tha—”
“Of course they do!” Sakura immediately responded, much to Rairi’s surprise.
“Gotcha,” Raiden smirked. “Then this will do.”
Equipping the Genkai Driver on his waist, the expected dark 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!
Cracks began to form in the veil, no doubt because of the Driver that was now whirring to life, as Raiden readied himself, pulling out the yellow lightning-themed transformation trinket, alongside the new one Sakura had given to him. And indeed, the karate girl recognised it in an instant, as a barrier began to form around the group of four, trapping the Monstrum that had just appeared on the scene.
“There you are,” Raiden muttered to himself, gritting his teeth. “Let’s dance.”
As Raiden inserted the two transformation trinkets into the slots on the Driver; inserting the brown karate-themed transformation trinket into the right side of the Driver, and the yellow lightning-themed transformation trinket into the left side of the Driver, the barrier began to crackle, sparks angrily attacking the Monstrum.
Storm of the Thunder Beast! Hands of the sky!
雷獣の嵐！空の手！
Raijū no arashi! Sora no te!
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.
“Henshin!”
Activating the two devices, he slammed his left hand downward, activating a mechanism in the brown karate-themed transformation trinket, 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. 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 sparks that began to turn into pieces of armour.
Warrior of the future line! Strongest punch, so divine! Kamen Rider~ Denrai!
将来系の戦士！最強パンチ、神に！仮面ライダーデンライ！
Shōrai-kei no senshi! Saikyō panchi, kami ni! Kamen Raidā~ Denrai!
Raiden stared down the Monstrum as the under-suit clicked into place, before the barrier produced a stream of icons 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 sparks 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. Loosening his joints, he readied himself as Sakura could only react with a smile.
“Kamen Rider Denrai… StormingKarate Form!” Raiden screamed, the voice modulator in his suit whirring to life and decreasing the pitch of his tone. “I will be the one who decides the legacy and the prophecy of the Kamen Riders!”
Kamen Rider Denrai, StormingKarate 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
As the barrier dissipated, the Rider immediately charged into battle, before he was bathed by a golden light from the heavens. A bolt of lightning struck from the clouds, crashing between the two combatants and causing the Monstrum to reel a little bit in the process. A dust cloud formed for a moment, before dying down, revealing the all-too-familiar weapon.
Raibolt Blade!
ライボルトブレイド！
Raiboruto Bureido!
Weapon in hand, Denrai attempted to hack and slash at the Monstrum. However, he was instead blocked from advancing by the shadow monsters who were attempting to gang up on the Rider. Unfortunately for them, defeating them was beginning to become easier, the Rider having begun to grow accustomed to the henchmen he’d fought twice at this point.
Helping his cause was the fact that their moves were becoming stale and predictable, as he easily parried and dodged, using the Raibolt Blade to hack and slash at them, defeating them with ease. Occasionally, he would send out a punch or kick, using the powers of the karate-themed transformation trinket to defeat a shadow monster that managed to get too close to the Rider.
And defeating them ejected their human hosts, as the five girls in the area rushed into the battlefield, bringing them to safety as fast as they could. Thankfully, the amount of henchmen was beginning to die down bit by bit. Turning to his friends, Denrai flashed a thumbs up, before barely managing to parry an attack on the Monstrum. Defeating the last of the Monstrum’s henchmen, he slammed his blade downward, preparing to strike the Monstrum.
Shorai Maelstorming Slash!
将来メイルストーミングスラッシュ！
Shōrai Meirusutōmingu Surasshu!
Raiden inserted the yellow lightning-themed transformation trinket, inserting it into the slot of the weapon.
“Give me your strength… Ikazuchi. Zi-O. Brave. Bravo!” Raiden muttered to himself, readying himself.
Images began to flash in his mind; from Kamen Rider Ikazuchi (仮面ライダー雷チ, Kamen Raidā Ikazuchi)’s Zetsumetsu Dystopia, to Kamen Rider Zi-O (仮面ライダージオウ, Kamen Raidā Jiō)’s Giri Giri Slash, to Kamen Rider Brave (仮面ライダーブレイブ, Kamen Raidā Bureibu)’s Taddle Critical Finish, to Kamen Rider Bravo (仮面ライダーブラーボ, Kamen Raidā Burābo)’s Duriasshe. Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes. 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.
However, the Monstrum suddenly materialised a great-shield from thin air, blocking the attack from the Rider, much to his surprise.
“What monster even are you this ti—”
His words made him drop his guard a little, allowing the Monstrum to slam the shield into the Rider, sending him back a little.
“Big shield man…” Raiden gripped the hilt of his weapon with both of his hands, gasping for air a little bit. “Defender? It’s all soldier-related at this point…”
Regardless, he continued to fight, hacking and slashing the Monstrum to the best of his abilities. However, while the Monstrum had taken some hits from the Rider, it was able to parry and block most of the attacks, culminating in the great-shield being enveloped with a grey and cyan aura. Denrai, unable to decipher the meaning of the attack, would end up paying the price, the Monstrum slamming its great-shield and sending the Rider flying backwards.
At the same time, the Jeanne-like transformation trinket would be sent flying as well, landing next to Sakura, the girl still evacuating the nearby students. Holding it in her hands, she almost fell to the ground, though Rairi was able to pick her up in time. A blue and orange glow began to coat her entire body, as Sakura felt a surge of dream-like memories rush through her brain. Of Kamen Rider Jeanne. Of Lovekov. Of everything in between.
Her eyes widened, almost as if recognising something. At the same time, she felt something beginning to tighten around her waist, the karate girl looking down at her waist.
Libera Driver!
リベラドライバー！
Ribera Doraibā!
The blue and orange glow that coated Sakura began to die down, it revealed the Libera Driver around her waist. Blue, orange and black, Raiden’s eyes widened beneath the mask as he immediately realised what it was that she was wielding. The pieces began to click together, as Raiden immediately realised why her name and appearance felt familiar; she was… the same person that transformed into Kamen Rider Jeanne. Or was she different? Regardless…
Sakura Igarashi.
It made sense now.
“But… now that I’ve accepted that part of myself… I’m invincible—” Sakura’s words seemed to echo the version of her that first transformed into Kamen Rider Jeanne while fighting against the Phase 2 Planarian Deadman alongside her elder siblings. “What… was that?”
Raiden immediately rushed in Sakura’s direction, using the Raibolt Blade to block the Monstrum, who was now attempting to strike down Sakura.
“Sakura!” Raiden called out, his voice still distorted just enough. “The Vistamp on the holder! Use that!”
“Vista— you mean this?”
Cobra!
コブラ！
Kobura!
<< OST >>
“Kamen Rider Jeanne” | 仮面ライダージャンヌ
Composer: Koutarou Nakagawa
Album: 仮面ライダーリバイス ＴＶ オリジナル サウンドトラック
The karate girl then pulled out the Cobra Vistamp, subconsciously activating it by pressing on the top of the Vistamp. The device whirred to life, announcing its name as the Libera Driver too whirred into action, the bars on the Driver creating holographic projections of metal bars that began to enlarge to the size of flagpoles, planting into the ground in a square shape around the two Riders, protecting her from the hordes of shadow monsters in the process.
Holding the Vistamp in front of her, she then slammed it downward onto the Vistamp Slot and Ohinjector of the Libera Driver, locking it into place and causing the transformation standby to whir. At the same time, the metallic bars that served as a protective mechanism began to rotate around a fixed centre, continuing to block the Yougosha Monstrum’s attacks.
What’s coming up!? What’s coming up!?
Sakura entered her transformation pose, moving her arms around almost in a circular manner, before she readied herself, her feet attempted to dig into the pavement beneath her before she stared down the Monstrum in front of her, calling out the prerequisite transformation catch-phrase that echoed in her head.
“Henshin!”
Slamming down the Libera Driver into its activated position, the Reflector Opener on the belt moved downward to reveal the emblem trapped within, a cobra emblem unsurprisingly resembling Kamen Rider Jeanne’s helmet. The Vistamp that was attached to the belt continued, flickering bright blue and dark blue repeatedly in the process.
Liberal Up! Ah! Going my way! Kamen Rider! Ja! Ja! Ja! Jeanne!
リベラルアップ！ Ah! Going my way! 仮面ライダー！蛇！蛇！蛇！ジャンヌ！
Riberaru Appu! Ah! Going my way! Kamen Raidā Ja! Ja! Ja! Jan'nu!
From within the Driver, a blue energy projection of a cobra emerged, slithering around the Rider as the Monstrum attempted to charge at her. However, its efforts were easily repelled, the holographic cobra sending it reeling almost like an aura of some kind. Around her, blue pieces of armour began to materialise from thin air, hovering around her body as the blue cobra began to turn into the Rider’s undersuit. Immediately afterwards, orange bits began to materialise around the Rider, while the blue armour pieces began to attach to the undersuit.
All the while, a blue cloud trapped the Monstrum in place, as energy burst forth from Sakura’s transformation, the energy attacking the Monstrum in question. The orange bits began to turn into accent pieces that attached onto the blue armour pieces, as the final few armour pieces began to materialise around Sakura’s head, hovering as she took a deep breath.
Keeping her serious expression up, she allowed the bottom layer of the helmet to form, enclosing her head as the armour pieces began to lock on. At the same time, a HUD with some details — though not as much as Denrai’s armour — materialised beneath the helmet, allowing access for Sakura, as the helmet finally clicked into place, a final burst of energy attacking the Monstrum and sending it crashing into a patch of dirt near the two Riders.
This was Kamen Rider Jeanne, Cobra Genome (コブラゲノム, Kobura Genomu).
As Raiden got up, standing next to the new Rider, he simply smirked beneath the mask, as the voice modulator in his suit began to adjust a little, much to his confusion.
“You can hear me clearly, right?” Sakura spoke, her voice transmitting into Denrai’s suit.
“Huh… apparently, yes,” Raiden blinked in surprise, though the two stood, ready to attack. “I think it’s a Rider suit thing, probably…”
Jeanne practically dashed away, punching and kicking with ease, a flurry of blue and orange energy destroying each monster by the second. Shadow monsters continued to come from the wire works, the Monstrum having summoned weaker versions than the ones that Denrai was used to.
At the same time, Denrai decided to change forms as well, pressing the button on the top of the Driver, causing it to loosen, rotating slightly counter-clockwise. Gripping both sides of the Driver, he rotated 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.
Hands of the sky! Storm of the Thunder Beast!
空の手！雷獣の嵐！
Sora no te! Raijū no arashi!
“Dai… 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 slammed his right hand downward, activating a mechanism in the brown karate-themed transformation trinket. The Raibolt Blade also dissipated, turning into sparks that shocked the Monstrum a little.
Strongest punch, so divine! Warrior of the future line! Kamen Rider~ Denrai!
最強パンチ、神に！将来系の戦士！仮面ライダーデンライ！
Saikyō panchi, kami ni! Shōrai-kei no senshi! 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, readying himself.
“Kamen Rider Denrai…” Raiden closed his eyes for a moment. “KarateStorm Form!”
Kamen Rider Denrai, KarateStorm Form (カラテストームフォーム, KarateSutōmu Fōmu).
<< OST >>
“Yes, everyone pay attention!” | はい、みんな注目！
Composer: Koutarou Nakagawa
Album: 仮面ライダーリバイス オリジナル サウンドトラック Ver.0
Changing forms, Denrai joined Jeanne, the two alternating between punches and kicks in order to disorient the Yougosha Monstrum easily, the monster unable to properly block and dodge two Riders who were working in sync. From afar, Rairi and Aiko observed the battle, a look of shock awash over the facial expressions of he former.
“Sakura is… Jeanne?” Rairi asked to herself, as Aiko resisted the urge to snicker upon hearing a line that was familiar to her.
Though, Aiko was also resisting the urge of jealousy that she was beginning to feel, jealous at the way the two Riders were fighting in unison. She bit her lip a little, as Denrai and Jeanne continued to combat the Monstrum, sending it reeling a little bit.
Denrai jumped backwards a little, turning to his co-Rider. “Finisher time?”
“Yep.”
<< OST >>
“Let’s go at once! Ver. 0” | 一気に行くぜ！Ver.0
Composer: Koutarou Nakagawa
Album: 仮面ライダーリバイス オリジナル サウンドトラック Ver.0
Looking down at his Driver briefly, Denrai slammed his left hand into the yellow lightning-themed transformation trinket once more, activating the copper-coloured lightning rod and emitting a few sparks, as he also slammed his right hand downward, activating a mechanism in the brown karate-themed transformation trinket. With the activation of both transformation trinkets, the gears in the Driver whirred to life again, charging up for a finisher.
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 leg. His boots now empowered, a different standby tune began to play, denoting the attack that was about to follow.
At the same time, Jeanne would jump backwards, the two Riders having decided that now would be the best time to finish off the Monstrum once and for all. Pulling the Libera Driver upwards, the blue Vistamp continued to glow and flicker, charging up with energy as the Driver itself whirred to life, playing a standby tune that denoted the attack that was about to follow.
“I’ll show you… my true strength!” Sakura screamed, as she readied herself.
“And we will carve through into the future!” Raiden added, readying himself as well.
Immediately, Jeanne rushed forwards, attacking the Monstrum with a sequence of pre-planned punches and kicks, not giving the monster enough time to react whatsoever, as Denrai also jumped backwards, charging up a finisher of his own. Slamming the two transformation trinkets inwards, he charged up the Driver for a finisher, a crackle of blue and black electricity channelling into his leg.
Rushing forwards, he continued to punch and kick the Monstrum, working alongside Jeanne as she then jumped, landing on her hands and repeatedly kicking the Monstrum with a flurry of spin kicks. The last spin kick would send the Monstrum flying into the air, as Jeanne would then land on her feet, pushing the Libera Driver downward and finishing the charge-up.
Cobra Stamping Smash!
コブラスタンピングスマツシュ！
Kobura Sutanpingu Sumasshu!
Karate~ Shorai! Genkai Break!
空手・将来！限界突破！
Karate~ Shōrai! Genkai Toppa!
As Jeanne took into the skies, the winds giving her the energy to jump much higher than she anticipated, she swirled in the air, the same blue energy projection of a cobra manifesting, before spiralling and swirling around her right leg. At the same time, Denrai readied himself down below, charging up his legs with energy.
“Give me your strength… Demons. Jin. Thouser. Horobi!” Raiden muttered to himself, closing his eyes for a brief moment. “Give me the strength to walk with my friends into the future!”
Swooping his leg around, images began to flash in his mind again; from Kamen Rider Demons (仮面ライダーデモンズ, Kamen Raidā Demonzu)’ Spider Demons Finish, to Kamen Rider Jin (仮面ライダー迅, Kamen Raidā Jin)’s Burning Rain Rush, to Kamen Rider Thouser (仮面ライダーサウザー, Kamen Raidā Sauzā)’s Thousand Destruction, to Kamen Rider Horobi (仮面ライダー滅, Kamen Raidā Horobi)’s Sting Dystopia. Dashing forwards, he prepared to execute a side kick on the Monstrum, who was continuing to descend.
Their kicks collided with the Yougosha Monstrum, Jeanne’s foot crashing into the monster’s neck, while Denrai’s kick slammed into the Monstrum’s chest. The combination of the two attacks would send the Monstrum flying, crashing into the ground and exploding in the process. The monster exploded, as Denrai barely managed to grab its host in time. Raiden frowned beneath the mask as he saw who the host was; Hikaru Ushijima (牛島 光, Ushijima Hikaru), his junior and member of the Weekenders Club.
Bringing him to safety, he passed him on to the nearby paramedics, before one of them attempted to question who he was. However, he was gone in a flash, as the veil around the dormitories fully dissipated, cracking into a million pieces. As Raiden hid behind a wall, cancelling his transformation in the process, he re-united with Sakura, who’d also de-transformed. At the same time, Mei, Aiko, Rairi and Kanon appeared, the group walking slowly towards the cafeteria.
Sakura pulled out the Jeanne-like transformation trinket, as she returned it to Raiden, the Libera Driver on her waist dissipating into the air. Both of them smirked a little bit, as Sakura found herself deep in consideration.
“It’s weird, isn’t it?” Raiden echoed Sakura’s inner thought, surprising her a little. “One moment, you’re a regular student. Next moment, you’re a Kamen Rider who’s fighting against evil.”
“What… was that anyways?” Sakura wondered to herself, as Raiden decided to leave the question unanswered, knowing full well that either she probably knew the answer herself anyways, or he’d let Rairi talk it out with Sakura, his younger sister capable of handling all the talking. “If you don’t… mind, can I… fight alongside you?”
Raiden chuckled a little. “Of course. But only if you have to… Invincible Jeanne.”
Aiko continued to listen in on the conversation with another pang of jealousy, biting her lip a little more, but not too much that it’d cause any bleeding in the process.
----------------------------------------
<< 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 these are his new forms, KarateStorm Form and StormingKarate 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、新たな道を拓くヒーロー！その名は仮面ライダーデンライ、新形態のカラテストームフォームとストーミングカラテフォーム！」
“Not to forget, the girl who fights for freedom, the one who will punch and kick her way to victory! Her name is Kamen Rider Jeanne, Cobra Genome!”
「忘れるな、自由のために戦う少女、殴り蹴りで勝利を掴む者！その名は仮面ライダージャンヌ、コブラゲノム！」
“Bask in their glory, and admire their strength!”
「彼らの栄光に浸り、彼らの強さを賞賛して！」
----------------------------------------
<< 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
----------------------------------------
Episode Four: Sprinting Ahead, the Speeding Streak
第四挿話：全力疾走、速度違反ストリーク
Dai Shisōwa: Zenryoku Shissō, Sokudo Ihan Sutorīku
----------------------------------------