“I have no reason to fight you.”

Saying so, Takumi dropped both of his swords to the ground. They both disappeared mid-air, as if dematerializing.

“Even if you don’t, fighting Darkness is my duty. I cannot let an agent of evil roam freely. Transform!”

Hayao made a striking pose. Out of nowhere, an oversized belt materialized around his waist. It was the work of one of his team, an esper with the power of teleportation.

When Hayao inserted a card to his belt, light began to emit from his body, the work of a photokinesis user, who was also in charge of the lighting of the shoot. With the help of the same teleportation esper, Hayao’s redhawk suit began to materialize after a trail of fire that he created.

What emerged afterward was an Eagle Rider in bright red costume with a design reminiscent of a hawk.

“RED HAWK!!”

A low, earthly sound echoed throughout the abandoned building EXP zone. It was not a psychic power, just something spoken through speakers hidden from the camera.

“Hyah!”

Hayao made a pose with his fingers curled like the talons of a hawk. He swung his hand at Takumi with his right hand, but Takumi faded as his hand passed through.

“?!”

Upon learning that it was a hologram, Hayao looked around and found Takumi running a few distance away.

“I won’t let you escape!”

Using a small explosion under his feet, Hayao leaped forward and caught up to Takumi right away. Still in the air, he swung his right hand once again, and this time Takumi had to block with his arms, indicating that this was the real Takumi.

Upon landing, Hayao unleashed a few hits, and Takumi backstepped as he evaded them.

“Red Explosive Kick!”

“!!”

Hayao unleashed a kick, and Takumi was forced to block it with both of his arms again. This time, however, there was an explosion when the kick landed, sending Takumi flying backwards.

Takumi had been taught how to break the fall. As soon as he was back to his feet, Takumi held out his right arm to his right and called out.

“Hologram Clones!”

After he called out his move’s name, five more figures of Takumi showed up behind him out of nowhere. They briskly walked towards Hayao, encircling him.

At first, Hayao managed to evade their attacks that came at him alternatively, but sooner than later he was getting overwhelmed, until finally a kick hit him squarely on the back.

Being kicked away, Hayao managed to escape the encirclement from the holo-clones.

“Not bad! But I’m not done yet. Come to me, Talon Sword!”

Saying so, Hayao made a pose as if waiting for a sword to come to his hand. Then, with the help of a team member who had telekinesis, a red and silver sword reached his hand.

“Toh!”

Upon receiving the sword, Hayao jumped with both his feet closed. There was a small explosion under the soles of his feet, acting like an air ramp stuntmen used to jump higher.

Somersaulting in the air, Hayao landed back in the middle of the encirclement. He swung his sword around, and every time the sword hit a clone, the clone staggered back then exploded. He did it until all five clones were defeated and Takumi was left all alone.

Takumi staggered back in panic. He created another clone to distract Hayao whilst he tried to flee, but Hayao defeated it in one strike. He created another one, and it was quickly defeated again. Before he knew it, Takumi had hit a pillar behind him. He missed the chance to evade as Hayao’s Talon Sword was swung down—

“Gahak!”

The sword passed through Takumi and the concrete pillar, and the scene where it happened was replayed 3 times from different angles.

The pillar behind him was cut diagonally in half, before it crumbled down.

Takumi also fell forward. Obviously, his body wasn’t cut in half. In fact, there was no apparent injury or blood from the attack, as the show’s rating had to be kept PG.

Takumi squirmed in pain on the floor. How did he stay alive even though the same sword attack sliced the pillar behind him? Well, the only answer to that question was that because it was tokusatsu.

“Until the end you didn’t even try to attack me. Why is that?”

“…I only fight a Battle I have to fight.”

Hearing Takumi’s answer, who was still looking down on the floor, Hayao took a striking pose. It was the Finisher Move pose.

“Are those your last words?”

Takumi didn’t answer that.

“EAGLE CAN—!!”

“——Paralyzing claw-zari!!”

“AGAGAGAH!!”

As Hayao was about to unleash his Eagle Cannon Finisher, a 2 meter tall lobster monster showed up out of nowhere and struck him from behind with its smaller, left claw.

Hayao spread his limbs out, spasming as if he was electrocuted. After a while, he fell to the floor without resistance, still spasming. Looking at him being powerless like that, the lobster monster, Craypon, laughed eerily.

“Zari zari zari zari! To think I’d run into Redhawk with his guard down, I sure am lucky-zari!”

“Guh! A reinforcement, huh?!”

When Hayao spat out those words frustratingly, Craypon held his big claw to his chin then tilted his body 45 degrees, not his neck since lobsters don’t have necks, as if not understanding what he meant.

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“Reinforcement? What are you talking about-zari? There’s no one here, you know-zari?”

“What?!”

Hayao immediately turned to see the crumbled pillar where Takumi was before.

True enough, Takumi wasn’t there.

“Don’t tell me, was it a hologram?!”

“Zari? I don’t know what you’re talking about-zari, but this is it for you-zari!”

Craypon raised his big right claw. It started to glow in sinister, black light.

“Die, Redhawk! DESTROYING CLAW-ZARI!”

“M-my body, I can’t move it!”

Hayao tried to evade the approaching big claw, but it was as if his limbs were refusing to move. He could only watch as Craypon’s Finisher Attack was fast approaching.

But then—

thwang!

A dry sound was heard, and a jet-black sword, with darkness dripping out as if it was not something from this world, halted the big claw in its trajectory.

When the camera panned out, Takumi’s invisibility was slowly being undone, revealing him in the light.

“Zari?! My Destroying Claw is blocked?! Who is it-zari?!”

“Y-you…!”

Craypon leaped back, wary of the interloper.

“I don’t know who you are-zari, but if you’re going to hinder me, I will defeat you along with Redhawk-zari!”

“…From Darkness it comes, to Darkness it returns.”

Whilst Craypon was raising his big claw up, charging his Finisher Move once again, Takumi recited an incantation that was provided to him beforehand by the writing team. As he did, the inky darkness of his sword began to spill upwards at a higher rate.

Takumi then adapted a pose, ready to strike his sword sideways. Seeing that, Craypon zoomed forward with his sinister looking claw.

“Destroying Claw-zari!”

“Darkness Sword — Gelap!”

Takumi’s sword left a streak of darkness on its trail, as if someone had painted the space with black ink, and Craypon was right in the middle of it.

“Ghak! I-I will remember this-zari!”

Saying those parting words, Craypon was slowly turning into bubbles and disappeared. As the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings, he would make an appearance again later, however.

Takumi turned to Hayao who was still struggling on the floor. Despite Craypon no longer on the scene, Hayao was still under Craypon’s paralysis. Seeing that the Redhawk was still powerless, Takumi held out his right hand, unsummoned the darkness sword, and summoned the light sword in its place.

From Hayao’s perspective, it seemed like Takumi was walking towards him with a sword in his hand.

It was, in fact, a deliberate recreation of the meme where Takumi was holding Daniel’s Ame-no-Masamune. However, instead of a sword clad in darkness, this time it was a sword glowing in golden light.

When Takumi aimed the tip of the sword towards Hayao, Hayao turned his helmet-covered head, fearing for the worst.

However—

“May the warmth of Light come for you. Light Sword — Cahya.”

With that incantation, the light from Takumi’s sword began to be transferred towards Hayao, enveloping him in golden-white light.

“Eh? I can move again! How?!”

Hayao got up from his position. When he saw his body was glowing, and the source of the light was Takumi’s sword, he asked a question.

“Are you the one who healed me? Why would a pawn of darkness…”

“That is a misunderstanding. I only fight because I have someone I have to protect. There is no —gh! …other reason.”

In the middle of speaking, Takumi fell to one knee whilst holding to his flank. His expression showed he was in pain.

“O-oy! Are you okay?! So it wasn’t a hologram that I cut, after all!”

“…I’m fine.”

Asked Hayao out of worry, but Takumi stopped him. Then, Takumi directed the light from his sword to envelop his body. His expression gradually turned to relief.

“You…aren’t a bad guy, are you? I’m sorry I attacked you without asking first.”

“Hm.”

Hayao, who already stood up, offered a hand to Takumi. Takumi saw that hand, took it, and stood back to his feet.

“Do people often say you’re bad with words? Unless you say your intent, people won’t understand you, you know?”

“…I don’t need them to understand me. As long as the people I care about are safe, that’s all I ask for.”

Responded Takumi curtly. Despite still wearing the Redhawk helmet, Hayao scratched the back of his head.

“Well…I guess you’re right.”

Takumi then unceremoniously walked away. Hayao looked at him, then reached his hand out.

“H-hey, where are you going?”

“I’m going home.”

Takumi raised his hand, then vanished. Seeing him, Hayao put his hands on his waist and let out a sigh.

“Haah…he goes at his own pace. I guess I’ll go back too.”

Saying so, his body was suddenly engulfed in fire. Once the fire died down, Hayao was already out of his Redhawk suit.

♤♠♤♠♤

“How do I say it… They really crank up your antisocial game here, Takumi. You’re not just gloomy anymore, you’re a full-blown eighth-grader syndrome patient.”

Commented Asa, her eyes still glued to the big LED television.

“Whoa! I saw the shooting in person together with Jun-kun, but seeing the full episode like this really gives the impact, it’s awesome! I still can’t believe Takumi-kun is featured in an Eagler Rider episode!”

“…is this normal, Saki? This kind of collaboration, I mean.”

“Yup! Previously Baron Rabbit-kun and Magician Momo-chan also showed up. Eagle Rider is different from other Doubutsu Riders, it’s catering to what’s currently trending instead of following the tradition, it’s even handled by a different agency.”

That’s why there are two separate Doubutsu Rider shows airing at the same time right now, added Saki, her eyes glistening from excitement.

“Hey, Takumi~ You’re the star, why are you covering your face like that~? Hey, Takumi, heey~”

Jun, who sat beside them on the sofa, was having fun poking at Takumi’s back.

It was just as he said, Takumi was facing away from the other three and covering his face with both of his hands. The reason for that was one: Pure embarrassment.

Yes. Even the socially inept, dull, and inhibited Takumi could feel embarrassed.

Takumi was so incredibly nervous during the shooting that he couldn’t remember exactly what he was doing. He did remember getting dressed by Lindy, shoved to stand in front of the camera, and reenacted what he had practiced. Other than that, Saturday felt like a flurry that left him as fast as it approached.

There was one thing that he did remember, though. It was when he was messing a take so many times, he was getting panicked.

“Takumi, you’re actually good at acting huh. You looked genuinely in pain in that last scene, it looks realistic.”

Praised Asa, but Jun interjected.

“Funny thing is, Asa-chan, it wasn’t Takumi that was acting that part.”

“Eh?!”

“Yup. It was Yamada-san, the stunt double.”

Asa let out a surprised yelp, and Saki added, validating Jun.

“Get a load of this. Takumi kept messing up the take since he couldn’t make the correct expression. After 20 times of retake, the director decided that Yamada-san would do it in his stead whilst Takumi dubbed the line since the filming wouldn’t make it in time otherwise.”

“Heeh. He looks exactly like Takumi, though.”

“Yamada-san’s psychic power is shapeshifting, after all.”

Added Saki.

Whilst his friends were chatting animatedly, Takumi, who was the topic of the conversation, was still covering his face and shrinking his body.

Seeing that, Shizuka, his mother, who was carrying a huge platter of karaage from the kitchen, scolded him whilst putting the dish down on the coffee table.

“Takumi-san, don’t turn your face away and stay silent when your friends are coming over. It’s rude.”

“Ah-, yes.”

Takumi immediately corrected his posture.

“Everyone, thank you so much for coming over today. It’s not much, but please enjoy. —Also, please forgive me if any of the furniture smells of mold. They have been in the warehouse and haven't aired for long.”

“Yes, thank you very much, ma’am.”

““Thank you very much.””

Jun answered and following him were Saki and Asa together. After that, Shizuka stood back up and headed back to the kitchen.

“Wow, Karaage Party!”

Saki looked positively excited and was ready to pick up a chopstick, but Jun stopped her.

“Saki-chan, there’s something we need to do before that, right?”

“Something? —Ah, you’re right!”

Sensing what he meant, Saki made a face as if just remembering. Seeing that, Jun nodded then took the glass of barley tea before him.

“Take your glass, let’s toast!”

Instructed by Jun, Saki, Asa, and Takumi also picked their respective glasses. They all had barley tea.

“For winning against Daniel Mitchell!” Saki raised her glass first.

“For the filming with Redhawk!” Jun raised his glass next.

“And for the housewarming party,” Asa raised her glass third.

The three of them then turned an expectant look towards Takumi. Unable to fight the peer pressure, Takumi also raised his glass, hesitantly and bashfully.

“C-cheers…”

“““CHEERS!!”””

Clank!

Seeing that sight from the kitchen, Shizuka let out a warm smile.