27th June 1985, 9:10 am
Okinomiya was a town which was near Hinamizawa. It was within walking distance, but many chose to either drive between both places or ride a bicycle for the sake of convenience. There were many things in Okinomiya that Hinamizawa lacked, which was why Hinamizawa depended on their connection with the neighbouring town. Today, though, something was going to change. Military choppers could be seen flying over the town and Hinamizawa as jeeps with megahorns drove around town informing the residents of some sort of quarantine taking effect.
Shinichi had woken up and when he found his mother in the living room, she was watching the morning news.
"Morning," he greeted.
"Shinji," she spoke seriously. "Hinamizawa's under quarantine."
That had certainly came out of nowhere.
"Quarantine?" he asked. "What for?"
"Apparently some kind of killer virus has been discovered and Hinamizawa is suspected to be the source," Shiori said.
"I need to call Rena-chan," Shinichi said urgently. "Where are Hanyuu-chan and Rika-chan?"
"Still asleep," said Shiori. "I wanted to wake them up but they just looked so adorable." Last night, Rika and Hanyuu Furude had stayed over for dinner and then Shiori had asked them to spend the night. Shiori had insisted, especially since it had rained heavily last night. The two girls had accepted the invitation and Shiori had given them the guest room to sleep in.
"Well, you better wake them up and tell them what's going on," said Shinichi as he went for the phone. He needed to know if Rena was OK.
Shinichi sat down with Rika, Hanyuu and Shiori in irritation. He had tried calling Rena's number, but had gotten no reply save for a recording that told him that the number couldn't be reached. He had also tried calling his other friends and had received the same recorded message. Calling the Irie Clinic hadn't worked either. That might the phone lines in Hinamizawa were down. So there was no way for him to know what was going on in Hinamizawa save for the news. Of course, the news told him nothing he didn't already know. At 4:00 am earlier signs of a new virus had been discovered and now Hinamizawa was under quarantine. All the villagers could not exit the village nor could anyone enter either. There were barricades on the roads leading into the village. The news showed armed guards in biohazard suits. They were soldiers of the JSDF's ground troops.
Rika and Hanyuu had been woken up and told about what had happened. They were surprised and unhappy. That meant they couldn't go back home until the quarantine was lifted. However, what if the quarantine was never lifted? Shinichi grew more worried with each passing second. He wanted to go see Rena and check if she was alright. Not knowing what was going on was causing him to get anxious as he actually shook in his seat. Rika and Hanyuu were just as concerned, if not more, for what was occurring in the village. If there really was some kind of killer virus in Hinamizawa, things might get ugly.
There was also speculation that it may not be a virus. It could be supernatural. According to local legend, an 'evil thing' had risen from the swamp and attacked the village. It had caused them to turn into demons. The villagers back then believed it was Oyashiro-sama's curse, a manifestation of his wrath towards the village. They then sacrificed someone from their village to the swamp in order to appease Oyashiro-sama lest they risk destruction. Hanyuu, of course, wouldn't have liked a sacrifice. She hated the idea of the villagers killing anyone in her name.
And if there was a virus, then the villagers would instantly blame outsiders or anyone who had left the village for bringing it with them. Keiichi's family had moved into the village two years ago and Rena had lived in Ibaraki until one year before Keiichi's arrival. The Maebara Family were considered outsiders and Rena's family had left the village. Any villagers who believed in superstition may believe the Maebara and Ryuugu were causing the curse to come upon the village in the form of a virus.
Shinichi didn't want to believe that the villagers would hurt one of their own, but this quarantine was sure to cause some kind of negative reaction i the villagers who did not want to be herded together like cattle and locked away from the outside world. Tension was sure to rise and rational thought as well as logic would no longer apply.
"I'm going to go check on the village," said Shinichi, deciding on what he was going to do today.
"But all roads leading into Hinamizawa are blocked," Rika informed Shinichi. "You won't be able to get in."
"I'll find a way," said Shinichi. "And let see them try to stop me."
"No," Shiori said. "I forbid it." Shinichi recoiled in surprise.
"But Kaa-chan!" he started to protest. "Rena-chan might be in trouble!"
"She's not alone," Shiori retorted. "She has her friends. She'll be fine." Shiori tried to placate her son but for a moment she saw something in his eyes. She knew this was something he had to do and she really couldn't stop him. However, now was not the time to act. "You need to wait."
"Wait?" he asked. "But I can't..."
"Just be patient," Shiori said. "Now, who's hungry? I'll make you all breakfast." She went into the kitchen to get started. Shiori sat down on the couch, between Rika and Hanyuu, arms crossed with a look of agitation on his face.
"You're still going to go, aren't you?" Rika asked.
"Yes," said Shinichi. He asked, "Rika-chan, has anything like this happened before...?"
"During one of the repeats?" Rika asked. "Once, but that was back in 1983."
"And what happened?" Shinichi asked. Rika turned away. "Not good, huh?"
"If anything good had come out of it, would I have repeated?" she asked.
"Guess not," he replied before nodding. He was going to need to make his move soon, but his mother would not let him. Right now, he needed to rely on the news to update him on the situation in Hinamizawa.
Hours had passed and Shinichi had tried to call his friends in Hinamizawa, again. He still didn't get an answer as phone lines were still down. He slammed the receiver down on the phone in anger. The news was no help as there wasn't any news update about the quarantine or Hinamizawa, save for reports that the villagers would be getting water trucks as their water supply had been cut to prevent further spread of the mysterious virus.
Shinichi was actually feeling skeptical and doubt that there was a virus. Something about all this smelled suspiciously like a dumpster full of rotten fish.
Meanwhile, Rika and Hanyuu were also worried but they managed to not let it show and be patient. Shiori was worried about Shinichi's friends as well as the friends she had made in the village. She wondered if they were alright. Not knowing anything at all was eating up her patience. She wanted to know what was going on as well.
Was nobody trying to fix the phone lines? Shinichi really had to make a call into Hinamizawa. It was urgent and he needed to know that Rena and his friends were all OK. All this waiting for news wasn't doing him or anyone much good. All it did was make him feel useless since he couldn't act...at least not yet.
It soon got dark and no news on Hinamizawa's status was on. The phone lines were still dead too in Hinamizawa. Shinichi decided that he should go anyway, even if his mother forbade it. He just had to go into the village and find out what was going on. The only problem was that he would need to get past that barricade and the guards.
Shinichi had slipped a sleeping pill into his mother's glass of water and waited for it to take effect before leaving the apartment. He had also left Rika and Hanyuu to look after Shiori as he went into Hinamizawa to check on their friends. At the parking lot, he got to his bike and was about to get on when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He spun in surprise to see that it was Shion.
"Shion! You scared me!" he exclaimed. She looked worried, much like he did earlier. "What's wrong?"
"You know about the quarantine, right?" she asked.
"Well, it's been on the news..." Shinichi started. "Phone lines are dead too."
"I know," she replied. "I tried calling Satoko and Satoshi." As usual she had been at work earlier. "Are you going somewhere?"
"Hinamizawa," he said. "I'm gonna go check up on our friends."
"I tried to convince Kasai to take me there, but he refused," said Shion, upset. "Shin-chan, can I ask you to go and check on Satoshi and Satoko for me?"
"OK," he said. "But can you do me a favor too?"
"Name it," she said.
"I gave Kaa-chan a sleeping pill so she couldn't stop me. Rika and Hanyuu are in my apartment looking after her," Shinichi informed her. She gaped at him.
"You gave your mother a sleeping pill?" she asked.
"It helps when she can't sleep," he said. "Can I ask you to look after the girls while I'm gone."
"OK," said Shion. "I still can't believe you gave your mother a sleeping pill."
"It was the only way," he said. "I just hope she can forgive me, but it's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to ask for permission."
"Just go," Shion urged and Shinichi nodded as he put on his helmet, wheeled the bike out, and raced out of the parking lot. His destination: Hinamizawa. This was urgent business so he was going fast towards the village.
Shinichi drove onto the road which connected Okinomiya to Hinamizawa and found the armed guards and the barricade blocking his entry. The road was blocked so there was no way he could get in. Those guards looked armed too, which meant they wouldn't hesitate to use lethal force if he decided to try to break his way through. Gunshots weren't the worst things he had experienced, but he'd rather not get shot at and pursued. However, he still needed to get into Hinamizawa, somehow.
He was told to turn back and he did, but he pulled his bike over at a safe distance to observe. He needed a way to get through but getting past those guards was going to be tricky. As Shinichi continued to watch the barricade, he felt a presence and turned to see Daichi.
Shinichi exclaimed, while hushed, "What are you doing here?!" He had not expected to see Daichi. The last time they had seen each other had not been under positive circumstances.
Daichi answered, "I came to help." Shinichi was surprised by that statement. He hadn't expected to get any help, especially from Daichi. They had both been part of the same group, but an incident had caused their group to be disbanded with Daichi feeling resentment towards Shinichi since.
Shinichi retorted, "I never asked for your help!" Things between them were strained with an unstable truce that prevented violence from erupting whenever they met. They had both agreed that they wanted to live stable and normal lives.
Daichi replied, "No, you didn't, but somebody else did."
"Who?"
Hanyuu revealed herself as she stepped out from behind Daichi, "Hello."
Shinichi was shocked, "Hanyuu-chan!?" This was another unexpected surprise, and not a pleasant one. "You're supposed to be back home!"
Daichi remarked sarcastically, "Want to yell a little louder? I don't think they heard you."
Shinichi told Hanyuu, "I told you I'd handle this."
Hanyuu replied, "Well, I'm going to disobey you. You're not my master and while I appreciate the concern you have for me, I'm not completely powerless."
"What?"
Hanyuu threatened, "I could make you believe you were a little schoolgirl and have Rena braid your hair. Don't think I can't do it."
"I like her style," Daichi smirked. Shinichi was being threatened by a girl a few years his junior and he seemed intimidated.
Shinichi relented, "OK, fine. Just keep yourself safe. And you, Daichi, keep her safe."
Daichi replied, "Of course I will. Chiaki will skin me alive if I don't take care of his precious little friend."
"Well, now that you're here you should know that the phone lines are dead and every entrance to the village has been blocked by barricades. Those guards look armed."
"Why not kill them?"
"I'm trying not to resort to that."
"They may not give you a choice."
"I know that, but we need to get into the village."
"OK, how about this? I'll make a distraction while the two of you ride into the village."
Shinichi and Hanyuu looked at eachother then back at Daichi.
Hanyuu asked, "A distraction?"
Daichi smiled, "You'll know it when you see it. Or hear it. Whichever comes first. Then I'll give the signal. You won't miss it." He then went off to do what he had planned. He just walked up to the armed guards and started talking to them.
"He didn't tell us what the signal was," said Hanyuu.
"No, he didn't," Shinichi sighed.
"What do you think he'll do for a distraction?" asked Hanyuu.
"I don't know. Maybe he'll throw a rock or make some noise, or-"
BOOM!
The guards' jeep exploded.
"Or that," Shinichi concluded, eyes wide.
"Did he just blow up the jeep?" gawked Hanyuu.
"Yeah, and I think that's our signal too." Daichi said they wouldn't be able to miss it. He was right. He must've had some grenades on him. "Hanyuu-chan, let's go."
"Hai, nano desu." Shinichi handed her a helmet and Shinichi got on with her. He revved up his vehicle and sped towards the barricade. The explosion had stunned, if not injured, the guards so they were in no condition to stop him as he broke through and headed to Hinamizawa. Daichi watched them go with a smirk and decided on what to do next."
"To go or not to go?" Daichi asked as he shouldered his weapon, a military fork.
Shinichi and Hanyuu noted that the village was quiet, too quiet. It was eerie. The streetlamps were on but there didn't seem to be anybody in sight. Were they staying locked in their homes in fear of the virus? Or was there something else? Whatever the reason, Shinichi didn't want to draw anymore attention to themselves. He parked the bike under a tree and threw a tarp over it.
"Let's go," Shinichi told Hanyuu and she nodded before they both went to find their friends. The first place Shinichi and Hanyuu went to as soon as they arrived in Hinamizawa was Rena's house. This was the place where he had woken up a year ago. This was the place he had called home until his mother found him. This was also the place where a horrible crime had been committed.
The lights were on so naturally he thought that they were home. When he went for a closer look, he discovered Mr. Ryuugu's body lying in a pool of his own blood. There was also a bullet hole where he'd been shot in the chest. Whoever had done this had aimed to kill him. There was also signs of a struggle.
"No..." Shinichi uttered in disbelief.
"I'll go and check inside," volunteered Hanyuu as she went inside. Maybe Rena was hiding in a locked closet or something. If not, she might find clues of her whereabouts. That left Shinichi alone with Mr. Ryuugu's body.
He would've done something with Mr. Ryuugu's body, like cover it with a sheet, but he heard voices in the distance. He decided to take cover, hiding behind the door. He saw a couple of the young men of the village carrying rifles and flashlights. Shinichi just knew they were responsible for Mr. Ryuugu's death.
He clenched his fists but didn't make a sound. He waited for them to leave. Once he was sure that he was alone, he looked out. He inspected Mr. Ryuugu's body and then noticed the blood trail. Someone else had been shot and had fled. He decided to follow the blood trail. He just hoped that it wasn't Rena who'd been shot. However, as the blood trail came from Rena's house, she might've been shot and this was her blood trail he was following. He just hoped that her condition hadn't worsened. The worst possible scenario was that she had bled out and ended up dead somewhere. The thought horrified him more than any demon could.
Hanyuu came down and confirmed, "Rena-san's not here."
"I know," said Shinichi. "I think she's hurt. There's a blood trail leading away from her house. The problem is that there are armed nuts walking about with guns. I think I heard them talking about sacrificing Satoko."
"We better go find her," suggested Hanyuu. She wanted to check on Satoko and Satoshi. That was their next stop anyway.
"Right, come on," he said. They needed to use the cover of darkness. Those men were likely to shoot them and ask questions later if they were discovered. They had to be quiet.
Eventually, they found the Maebara House. It didn't look like anybody was home since the lights were off. However, the blood trail led to this house. They also found a couple of bodies, both attacked by what appeared to be a blade. Rena was probably hiding here and Keiichi was taking care of her. He needed to go in and make sure.
He went up and knocked on the door.
"Hello, Keiichi? Mr. Maebara? Mrs. Maebara?" he asked. There was no answer. "It's me, Shinichi Banabara."
"Where could they be?" asked Hanyuu.
"If they're not here then someplace nearby," said Shinichi. With this quarantine still in place they couldn't leave the village.
As the two turned, they heard the door unlock. They turned but a pair of arms grabbed them and dragged them inside before closing and locking the door. The two gasped as they saw it was Keiichi's father holding a rifle. There was also a flashlight in his hand.
"Mr. Maebara?" asked Shinichi. "What's going on? Why do you have that rifle?"
"Rena-chan came earlier," said Mr. Maebara. "She gave me this rifle to protect me."
"So, she was here," said Shinichi. Only Rena could do that kind of damage.
"We followed a blood trail," said Hanyuu.
"Mion-chan got hurt," said Mr. Maebara. "She's upstairs with my wife. Just don't make a sound. Those maniacs might come back."
"Right, just tell me what's been going on," said Shinichi as Mr. Maebara led them upstairs.
Shinichi found Mion in Keiichi's room, resting in bed.
"Who's there?" asked Mion, panicking.
"Mion, it's me," said Shinichi as he saw her bandaged shoulder and the blood stains. "You're hurt."
"Heh, I'm fine," Mion smiled weakly. "It's just a flesh wound."
"What happened?" he asked.
"Got shot trying to deliver a letter to Rena about what's going on," Mion answered. "The village's gone nuts because of the quarantine. They're talking about a sacrifice."
Shinichi frowned and asked, "Where's Keiichi?"
"Kei-chan went with Rena," said Mion. "They went to find Satoko and Satoshi."
"Right, stay here," said Shinichi. "Hanyuu-chan, let's go."
"Be careful you too," said Mion. "There's a mob out there just waiting for a chance to kill outsiders. They think that's why Oyashiro-sama has cursed the village."
"It's not a curse," said Hanyuu.
"You just rest here, and stay safe. We'll come get you," promised Shinichi. They left the Maebara Residence through the back door and went to find their others friends.
Shinichi and Hanyuu went straight to the Furude House where Satoko and Satoshi were staying in. They froze when they discovered Satoshi's body and grimaced at the injuries he had. There was blood everywhere. Like Mr. Ryuugu, Satoshi had been beaten then shot. He had probably resisted against his assailants. Satoko was nowhere in sight. This was not good. He remembered Rika and Hanyuu's tale of villagers sacrificing someone to the swamp in order to appease Oyashiro-sama. Then he recalled what he had heard earlier. Satoko was going to be the sacrifice.
"The lynch mob must've taken her," said Hanyuu fearfully. Lynch mobs were the worst. Satoko could already be dead. Shinichi hated this.
"We better go save her," said Shinichi. "But first we need to cover Satoshi's body. We can't leave him exposed like this."
"I'll go grab a sheet," Hanyuu volunteered and went inside.
Shinichi looked at Satoshi and swore, "I'll save her, Satoshi. I promise. I'm sorry I wasn't here to save you but I will save Satoko-chan. You have my word. Goodbye, my friend."
The two of them left and continued to try and find their friends. They dodged and avoided the lynch mob who was patrolling. They had practically taken control with their guns and weapons, intimidating anyone who would try to stop them. The two of them took cover behind a tree and bushes when they suddenly heard, "HEY, STOP RIGHT THERE!" They froze. Had they been discovered. "DROP THE WEAPON! DROP-ARGH!"
"What's going on?" Hanyuu asked. Shinichi poked his head out to see and his eyes widened. Hanyuu also looked to see what was happening as they heard cries of pain and shouts of fury.
Shinichi and Hanyuu witnessed as Rena killed several men with brutal efficiency. Each swing of her cleaver was aimed to be lethal and she used precise killing strikes, aiming close to the throat and the head. He watched as her blade was buried in the heads of one of the armed men before she spun around and threw the cleaver, sending it flying to slam into the head of another, incapacitating him. She then rushed forward and picked up her weapon before bringing it down on her opponent. Shinichi heard cries of mercy before they were silenced.
Shinichi was awed and yet horrified by what Rena had done. She shouldn't have had to kill them. However, the way they had aimed their guns at her told him that they were ready to kill her too. She had no choice as she needed to defend herself. She wasn't the only one as even Keiichi had killed with violent swings of his bat as he bashed skulls.
Shinichi decided to make his presence known and Rena saw him. She only saw his outline as the dark didn't give her much visibility. Thinking it was another armed assailant, she rushed at him, and Shinichi cried out, "Don't attack me! I'm friendly!"
Rena froze and her eyes widened as she saw who she had almost hacked to death with her cleaver. "Shin...Shin-kun..." she uttered as tears welled up in her eyes. She dropped her cleaver and embraced him tightly. "Shin-kun!" She had reverted back to the sweet girl he knew and love, nor the killer he had just seen.
"Shinichi, is that really you?" Keiichi asked as he relaxed.
"Yeah, it's me," said Shinichi as he hugged Rena back. He noted the blood on her dress and also that she wasn't wounded. That blood came from her assailants which she had dispatched. Even Keiichi had some blood stains on his clothes and the bat. "Rena-chan, are you OK?"
"I am, but Dad..." Rena started to sob.
"I know," said Shinichi. "I stopped by your house to check up on you. I found him." He apologized, out of guilt and sympathy, "I'm sorry. I should've been here when this all started." If there was one thing Shinichi was good at, it was his ability to blame himself.
"Shin-kun, it wasn't your fault," said Rena. "You didn't know."
"Well, I should've come earlier," he said. "I should've stayed."
"Yeah, just one question: how did you get here?" Keiichi asked. "There's a barricade blocking the road and there are armed guards."
"I broke through with my bike," said Shinichi. "Hanyuu-chan's with me."
"Hanyuu-chan?" Rena and Keiichi repeated. Hanyuu stepped out from behind the bush and waved.
"You brought Hanyuu-chan here?" Keiichi asked incredulously.
"She insisted," said Keiichi. "Anyway, Daichi also helped me out."
"Daichi? Didn't he try to kill you recently?" asked Keiichi.
"Yeah, weirded me out too," admitted Shinichi. "He made a distraction that allowed me and Hanyuu to race through the barricade. I hid my bike, though. It would've drawn too much attention."
"Good idea," Keiichi nodded. "That still doesn't make up for bringing Hanyuu-chan here."
"I know, it's almost like a warzone," Shinichi said. "What's going on?"
"The Neighbourhood Watch Association, the Youth Association and the Hunters Association have joined forces and armed themselves. They are trying to appease Oyashiro-sama," said Rena. "First they tried to kill all outsiders or newcomers. My house was hit first then I found some of them trying to attack Keiichi-kun and his family. I took care of them." Shinichi didn't need to ask how she had taken care of them. He had seen the bodies and the blood-stained cleaver gave him a pretty good idea.
"Now they're going to sacrifice Satoko-chan," Keiichi added.
"I know," said Shinichi. "By the way, have you seen Chiaki?"
"I don't think either of us would miss someone that big," remarked Keiichi. Chiaki was a recent newcomer who had moved into Hinamizawa. He had set up a home in the forest, away from the villagers. "You don't think the lynch mob got him too?"
"Keiichi, if Chiaki's anything like me, I don't think you need to worry about him when they find him," Shinichi said. "You'd probably find body parts strewn all over if they had found him."
"So he's safe," said Hanyuu, relieved.
"He'll be fine, but we need to find Satoko-chan," said Shinichi urgently.
"The ritual is to be done in three days," said Keiichi.
"Night of the full moon. Of course," Shinichi realized. "That means she's still alive."
"So, you know that Satoshi's..." Rena began.
"Yeah," said Shinichi. Keiichi and Rena were saddened by the loss of their friend but they couldn't grieve now. Not yet. Not right now.
"Shinichi, you know that Mion got shot, right?" asked Keiichi.
"Yeah," said Shinichi. "I followed a blood trail from Rena's house that led to your house. I found her there with your parents." He added, "Your dad's got a rifle."
"Well, Rena told my dad to defend himself," said Keiichi.
"But right now we need to worry about saving Satoko-chan and this village, as long as there's still a village to save."
Members of the Hunters Association had gone into the forest. They knew another outsider had made himself a home in the forest. His presence had offended Oyashiro-sama. Just like how Hinamizawa was Oyashiro-sama's village, the forest around the village also belonged to Oyashiro-sama. They needed to get rid of him and do it before he spread his taint any further and bring down more of Oyashiro-sama's wrath.
Chiaki Yukinojou, however, was an artist at heart. He would never dream of hurting another human being. Right now, he was just minding his own business. He was sitting at his fire pit, cooking his dinner, when he heard a noise. He then heard shouting. They were demanding for him to surrender. They were also warning him not to try anything to provoke them as they were armed. They weren't even trying to be subtle. He looked at his fire pit and then put out the flames before standing out. He stared at his hands. Suddenly, flashlights shone on him and he turned to see the Hunters Association glaring at him with their guns aimed at him. To them he must look like some kind of big monster. As soon as they saw him they opened fire.
Unfortunately, for them, Chiaki's skin was resistant to bullets. Also unfortunate they had just provoked him like an angry grizzly bear. He flexed his fingers as he advanced on them, his hands changing into chainsaws which starting coming to life. The Hunters Association screamed at him, calling him a demon and a monster. The sight of the chainsaws which he now had for hands confirmed their accusations as they continued to fire, trying to bring the large mute man down.
Then their screams turned into that of terror and agony as blood splattered the area.
As the group continued to discuss on their next course of action, Hanyuu heard voices. Angry voices.
"There's more coming," said Hanyuu.
"Hide!" Shinichi ordered and they hid in the bushes. They saw men with flashlights and guns.
"Search the area! Whoever did this must still be here!"
"Right!"
Shinichi blanched. If they searched the bushes, him and his friends would be found. He decided to take care of things, personally.
"Rena-chan, do you trust me?" Rena asked. Rena nodded. "Keiichi, do you trust me?" Keiichi nodded. "I need you all to trust me. I need you all to stay here." He then stood up.
"Shinichi, what are you doing?" Rena hissed and Shinichi gave her a tender look before stepping out of the bushes.
"You! Stop right there!" one of the gunmen ordered once they noticed Shinichi.
"It's OK!" Shinichi said to the gunmen. "I'm not resisting! I'm unarmed!"
Shinichi stood up before the armed gunmen and put his hands behind his head. They recognized him as an outsider who would often come to the village. They raised their guns. Rena wanted to shout to Shinichi to run but Keiichi covered her mouth. Gunfire rang in the air and Rena watched in horror as Shinichi was shot repeatedly before he eventually fell. He had been gunned down mercilessly by the village men.
"No..." Hanyuu uttered in rage, her eyes glowing red. She stood up, her hair rising as her aura radiated from her body. She stepped out from the bushes. One of the gunmen saw her and fired. However, the bullet missed. Actually, she had diverted it and made the bullet fly off course. These villagers had just killed someone she cared about. She could not forgive them. She wanted to kill them. However, she wasn't about to do that. Shinichi didn't want anymore fatalities. Rena and Keiichi were frozen on the spot as Hanyuu's piercing gaze caused the gunmen to tremble on the spot. One of them attempted to shoot again but his rifle jammed. "Run," said Hanyuu, her voice sounding deep and demonic. That was all the motivation the gunmen needed as they turned and ran. The glow in Hanyuu's eyes and her aura faded before she turned to look at Shinichi. She tilted her head and noticed something.
Rena ran out of the bushes, followed by Keiichi, to check on Shinichi. She knelt by his body, eyes wet with tears. She had witnessed her father's own death at these men's hands and now Shinichi was dead too. Her hands clenched the handle of her cleaver tightly. They were going to pay for this! She swore that she was going to make every one of them pay for...
Shinichi suddenly sat up, shocking Rena as she gasped. "So, how was my performance of Playing Dead?" he asked.
"But you were shot!" Rena exclaimed.
"Bullet proof skin," said Shinichi as he opened his shirt to reveal the flattened bullets. He flicked them off. There was no signs that he had been shot saved for the marks the bullet impacts had made on his skin and the bullet holes he clothes now had.
"Right, you're a cyborg," said Keiichi. "Your skin and bones are as strong as steel."
"Pretty much," he said. Rena punched his arm. "Ow!"
"You scared me! I thought they'd killed you!"
"I had to make it look good," said Shinichi.
"We better get out of here before reinforcements come," said Keiichi. "We'll probably need to leave the village."
"Seems like it," said Shinichi. "We'll need to head back to your place to pick up Mion and your parents. We'll hide out at Kaa-chan's to figure something out."
"We can't all fit on your bike," countered Keiichi.
"I know, which is why we need Chiaki. He's got a pickup truck we can borrow," said Shinichi. "We haven't seen him, so he must still be in the forest hiding out."
"Guess we know where we need to go," said Keiichi.
"Rena-chan, when this is over, I'll fix everything," Shinichi swore, "I promise." The hysteria and paranoia was spreading way too quickly. It could be because of the tension caused by the quarantine. Of course, Shinichi knew another reason for the cause of the hysteria. Before he could fix anything, he would need to take care of it before the problem got worse.
Chiaki scanned his campsite. It was a mess. He decided it was best to leave. He went to his pickup truck and climbed inside. He started it up and drove out of the clearing. He had some work to do.
The group stopped at Hinamizawa School to get some rest and let their adrenaline levels drop. They managed to avoid the overzealous gunmen who were patrolling Hinamizawa. They knew those gunmen were looking for them so they would need to get out of the school ASAP. Right now, though, they needed to plan their next move.
Keiichi and Rena had cleaned off the blood stains on their skin and weapons in the bathrooms. There was nothing they could do for the blood stains in their clothes, though, but they had other priorities. Namely, they needed to know where Satoko had been taken.
"Well, it should be near the swamp," said Keiichi.
"Too obvious," said Shinichi. "If I had kidnapped Satoko, I'd put her someplace small and easily defensible."
"I got it!" said Rena. "There's a shed the villagers use to store rice and dry foods in case of an emergency. That could be where they hid her."
"It's worth a shot," said Shinichi. She may not be there but they would know if they saw guards around the shed.
"Let's move," said Keiichi. They exited the school but as soon as they did flashlights were shone in their faces. "Shit!" They've been found.
"Get on your knees, now!" the man in the lead ordered, aiming his gun at them with the rest of his group. Rena was reaching for her weapon but Shinichi shook his head as he stopped her. He actually had a biting remark himself but he didn't think it was guys were armed and by the looks in their eyes they looked ready to shoot them if they resisted. Heck, they had probably already decided that they were going to shoot a group of kids because they believed it would appease Oyashiro-sama so that their god would lift the curse.
"Alright, fellas, we don't want any trouble," said Shinichi but then he noticed that they were looking right through him. Their gaze wasn't locked on his or his friends but at the darkness behind them. Shinichi turned and saw crawling from the darkness, creeping from the shadows, the skeletal and dark-skinned fiends he had come to know as Darklings. The Darklings hissed and the men fired their guns.
Shinichi shouted, "GET DOWN!" He and his friends hit the deck as bullets flew over them and riddled the Darklings with holes. However, the bullets had no effect on the fiends as they kept coming. The Darklings then rushed at the gunmen and lunged, attacking them violently. The gunmen screamed as gunshots rang in the air as they tried to fight against the fiends.
"The Darklings are ignoring us," Keiichi realized.
"Because we didn't shoot at them, but that can change pretty soon! Now come on!" Shinichi ordered. They ran onto the road but Shinichi looked back. The Darklings had finished off the armed mob and were coming for them. "Shit! Shit! Faster! Faster!" Hanyuu tripped and fell. "Hanyuu!" Shinichi turned back as the Darklings came in closer. He prepared to respond, to transform, but then someone else came to the rescue.
A pickup truck roared as it came out of nowhere and ran over the Darklings. Some rolled over the hood and roof while others went flying. Either way, the Darklings were incapacitated. Shinichi saw Chiaki in the driver seat and he made a gesture for them to get inside.
"Everyone in the truck!" Shinichi ordered. He opened the door on the passenger side and climbed in. The others climbed onto the bed since the truck had only proper seating for two, including the driver and passenger. "Chiaki, drive!" Chiai didn't hesitate and drove away from the school and Darklings. He looked behind him at his friends who were huddled together in the pickup truck's bed. He then turned to Chiaki, "Thanks." Chiaki nodded, acknowledging the thanks. "Hey, mind driving to Keiichi's place? We need to pick up a few more people." Chiaki nodded.
They went and picked up Mion. Keiichi had asked for his parents to come along but they insisted on staying. They would hold down the fort until this all blew over. Keiichi insisted they come to them to safety, but his parents stood their ground. They then hugged their son. Shinichi watched the touching scene. Mion was carried by Keiichi and put in the passenger side while Shinichi took a spot in the truck's bed. As Chiaki drove away, Keiichi watched his parents sadly, promising to himself that he'd come back for them.
The pickup truck was parked in front of the Irie Clinic and covered with a dark, camouflage tarp to hide it. Dr. Irie wasn't in the clinic. Shinichi felt that was odd. He practically lived in his clinic. Oh, well. The others rested while Shinichi took Mion to the examination room. He opened up the cabinet and grabbed some disinfectant, cotton balls, and clean bandages.
"We need to get you some clean bandages and get your wound properly treated," said Shinichi. "Take off your shirt."
"Shouldn't you buy me dinner, first?" Mion asked, smiling cheekily.
"If you can joke about it, that means you're OK," said Shinichi. "But seriously, we need to get that wound looked at. I know Rena-chan gave you some first aid, but we need to make sure it doesn't get infected."
"Right," said Mion. "Do you mind?"
"Sure," said Shinichi as he helped her removed the bandage. "OK, now your shirt." He saw Rena come in. "Rena-chan, I thought you were resting and keeping watch outside?"
"I thought you might need help," said Rena.
"Shin-chan is trying to get me to undress," Mion half-joked. "I feel like he's gonna ravish me while I'm helpless."
"Mion, please take this seriously," he warned. He explained to Rena, "I'm trying to clean the wound and replace the bandages, but I can't do that if she doesn't take off her shirt."
"Let me do it," said Rena as she went and helped Mion removed her blood-stained yellow shirt. She was wearing a blue bra. "Does it hurt?"
"Only when I laugh," Mion remarked. "But I don't see myself laughing anytime soon. The village has gone nuts."
"And those Darklings are just feeding on the chaos," said Shinichi as he started to apply disinfectant. Mion hissed. "Soon everyone is gonna start turning on each other."
"You're the Kamen Rider, shouldn't you do something?" Mion asked.
"I swore to protect the villagers, Mion," Shinichi replied as he finished cleaning the wound then started applying the new bandages, "How can I protect the villagers from themselves? At least we know the Darklings are involved in this. That's something I can fight."
"Everything started going nuts after the quarantine," said Mion. "First outsiders and newcomers were suspected for bringing Oyashiro-sama's wrath, then they wanted to sacrifice Satoko, but now...now we've got real demons prowling in the village." She felt like she was about to crumble under all this pressure.
"Mion, look at me. I need you to be strong," said Shinichi. "You're the Club President. You're our leader."
"Right now you're doing a better job at it than I am," said Mion.
"Don't sell yourself short. Compared to you I'm new to Hinamizawa," said Shinichi. "You're from one of the oldest families in the village. Besides Rika-chan, you know the most about the legends, myths and folklore of the village because all the traditions were drilled into your head by your grandma. At least the old hag did something right while raising you."
"But it's gotten really bad, Shin-chan. No one will listen to any rational opinion. If you try to defend the newcomers, you'll be branded a traitor for defending them. You could even lose your life," Mion said.
"I know," said Shinichi as he remembered Mr. Ryuugu's dead body. "But what the hell is your grandmother doing right now? I know Shion thinks she's bad news but I doubt she'd let this kind of hysteria spread. I thought she'd put a stop to it."
"She would if she were healthy," Mion replied. "Right now her health is deteriorating. Some even think she's infected by the virus."
"Well, I'm starting to believe this virus is some kind of fabrication," said Shinichi. "So far I haven't seen anyone else who's sick. I just see people going nuts."
"The quarantine order came from the government," said Mion.
"That's probably what they want you to believe," Shinichi countered.
"OK, now who sounds paranoid. Also, by they, do you mean..."
"GIN-SHOCKER," Shinichi interjected. "They know about the Darkloids, what they're capable of and what feeds them. They feed on fear and paranoia which they will facilitate to cause madness and chaos. Of course, this quarantine was just the beginning. All this will lead to the destruction of the village."
"Why?" Mion asked.
"To get to me, as usual," Shinichi replied. Mion scoffed. "What's so funny?"
"Sorry, it's just that you're making this sound like everything revolves around you," Mion said dismissively.
Shinichi told her seriously, "Mion, this village is everything to me. The people I care for the most live here. This is my home even if I no longer live here. This is the place where I woke up and decided to live as a human. This is the place I decided to dedicate myself in protecting in the name Kamen Rider. I lose this place, I lose you, I'll lose my mind. When that happens, GIN-SHOCKER will swoop in to pick up the pieces and I'll never be the same again. However, you might be right and I could be making this sound like it's all about me. Still, you can't deny that chaos is coming and the Darklings are emerging because of it."
"OK, so what do we do?" Mion asked.
"What you're going to do is to get out of the village. Chiaki and Daichi can help with that at least," Shinichi told her.
"And you?" Mion asked.
"Save the day," he answered, "Because if I don't do anything to stop this then Hinamizawa is going to burn to the ground."
"Burn?" she asked.
"Literally. As far as the government is concern this is a virus breeding ground. Even if it means wiping this village off the map with everyone in it, they will execute a plan to purge the village with whatever means necessary," said Shinichi. "I'm talking about an airstrike with fire raining down on us."
Mion paled. "You mean they'll blow us up." Shinichi nodded to confirm her worry.
"And then cover the whole thing up. They'll say there was a forest fire that spread or something like that," Shinichi replied. "I can't save everyone in the village. However, if I can at least save you and put a stop to all this I can fix it once everything is over."
"Well, there is a way to save the village," said Mion. "The villagers believe Rika-chan's the mortal reincarnation of Oyashiro-sama. So, if she was here with us she could calm everyone down and end this madness."
"Sorry, can't risk her safety," said Shinichi. "She's with Kaa-chan, where she's safe."
"And yet you brought along Hanyuu-chan," Mion countered.
"Mion, we all know Hanyuu-chan is Oyashiro-sama," Shinichi stated. "The only problem is everyone else just believes she's a decent cousin of Rika's. That makes her an outsider. She could prove she's Oyashiro-sama, but people might just think she's a demon since they fully believe Rika-chan is Oyashiro-sama's true reincarnation." He pinched the bridge of his nose, "You know, that didn't sound nearly as crazy before it came out of my mouth."
"So, you decided to bring Hanyuu-chan," Mion added.
"She insisted on coming along and made a compelling argument," Shinichi answered. Actually, Hanyuu had threatened Shinichi about to admit he had allowed a little girl to threaten him even if she was literally a goddess.
"Well, that's Hanyuu-chan for you. She might cry like a little kid but when push comes to shove she shows how scary she really is," said Mion.
"Right," said Shinichi. Mion put on her shirt. "Look, we all are gonna try and save Satoko. Of course, with Chiaki helping us I doubt we'll have any problems."
Daichi had walked into the village, silent as a mouse. He kept his eyes open and senses alert. The village almost seemed abandoned, but he knew that wasn't the case. This was a quarantine, not an evacuation. The villagers were being sealed in to prevent the spread of a virus. They were being left here to die with the virus.
Sometimes Daichi wondered why he even bothered to deal with humans. He then saw flashlights up ahead and he also saw men with rifles. He scowled.
Shinichi had taken Rena and Keiichi along to rescue Satoko. Rena led them to the food storage shed. It was under guard by three men, which could only mean that Satoko was inside there. She was probably scared, bound and gagged.
"So, she's going to be kept there for three days, huh?" asked Shinichi. "You know, they couldn't have made it anymore obvious with all the guards."
"Let's ambush them and take them by surprise," suggested Rena, a cold look in her eyes. Shinichi turned to Keiichi who hefted his bat. Shinichi nodded and gripped his scabbard. He was armed with the Higurashi no Yaiba and was not afraid to use it.
But then Shinichi saw someone walking up the shed. 'Daichi?'
Daichi had learnt that Satoko had been taken to the shed when he had gone to check on Satoko and Satoshi. He had a run in with some armed gunmen too. Rage had taken over by the time they had found him as he had seen what they had done to Satoshi. So, he was in no mood to negotiate. When they pointed their guns at him, Daichi responded immediately. He dashed forward and plunged the sharp end of his Cricket Fork into the chest of one of the guards. The second guard was stunned by the display but recovered quickly to aim his rifle at him.
"Son of a bitch!" the second guard yelled as he took aim but Daichi withdrew his Cricket Fork and pivoted on his heel. He struck, smacking the rifle from the man's grip and then shot forward to grab him by the throat, tightly. There was a snapping noise as Daichi had applied inhuman pressure on the man's throat before releasing him.
"That was for for Satoshi, you bastard," said Daichi coldly. He saw the third guard had witnessed his lethal display. He shakily tried to shoot but he fumbled and dropped his rifle. He frantically tried to pick his weapon up but then he saw Daichi glaring at him. Scared out of his mind, with a wet spot between his legs, the man turned to flee, screaming for help. Daichi did not let him get far as he threw his Cricket Fork like a javelin. It struck the man in the back and burst out his chest, dropping him to the ground.
Daichi dusted off his hands and turned to the shed. He heard noise, like struggling, and opened the door. He found Satoko, tied up and gagged. "Hold still. I'll untie you," he said softly. He untied Satoko and then removed the gag. Suddenly, she hugged him. "Are you OK?"
"I'm fine," she said, sniffling, "But Nii-nii is..."
"I know," Daichi nodded. He knew why she was like this. She had been kidnapped after witnessing her brother's own death. Daichi awkwardly tried to comfort Satoko. He then summoned his Cricket Fork back to him and turned to see Shinichi, Rena and Keiichi.
"Well, look who finally showed up," Daichi remarked smugly. "You're late. I rescued her first."
"How did you know Satoko was here?" asked Keiichi.
"Ran into some of those trigger happy nuts earlier. I took care of them and one them was very eager to share information," Daichi answered. Shinichi saw the blood dripping from the edge of Daichi's Military Fork and Daichi noticed the look Shinichi was giving him. Shinichi had witnessed his display and Daichi wasn't about to let himself get judged. "They shot first."
"I know," said Shinichi with some regret. However, they were defending themselves. It was just so horrible that their own village was turning against itself.
"Any clues as to what the hell's going on? I've been all over and no one here's sick with anything," Daichi frowned. "The only one I heard with even remotely failing health is the old biddy Sonozaki if what the guy I saw was any indication."
"Shinichi thinks GIN-SHOCKER tricked everyone into thinking it so the village would go nuts and destroy itself," Keiichi reported. "Then he'd go nuts and they'd swoop in and pick him up."
Daichi frowned and his eyes glazed, indicating he was in deep thought, "Hm, you might be onto something there. Strategy wise its a good plan. But I think we're missing part of the big picture."
"Huh?" asked Reina.
"The Hinamizawa Syndrome," Daichi answered. "Although Gebok's been downright obsessed with getting BLACK 13 back, he's been selling his reason for staying on the operation so long to the higher ups to let him stay. His excuse is his studies into the Syndrome and the Darkloids that spread it. I think that with how the Darkloids spread and grow stronger, someone's trying to get a supercharged Darkloid and thus a weapons grade Hinamizawa Syndrome."
"Wait," Keiichi paled. "You mean...someone's doing all this to weaponize the Hinamizawa Syndrome?!"
Shinichi cussed under his breath, "Crap, I didn't even consider that. With how they haven't been able to do anything with the Darkloids in the past I never thought of it."
"And you just thought this was all about you, huh?" Daichi asked Shinichi.
"With how every time GIN-SHOCKER or something weird that happened seemed to end up targeting me, can you blame me?" asked the irate Kamen Rider. "But right now the important thing is to get out of the village. Chiaki, Hanyuu and Mion are waiting for us with his pickup truck." Daichi carried Satoko on her back. Having been tied up for so long, her legs had fallen asleep.
"Right, because I have a feeling that this place isn't gonna be standing for long," said Daichi.
"Not if I have anything to say about it," Shinichi swore. "This ends tonight!"
The Darklings found so many dead bodies and so much paranoia floating in the air. It was like an all you can eat buffet, and it was spreading. The humans' tension was running high and they were getting desperate. They were turning on themselves in fear for their own lives, desperate to find a way to survive. The Darklings continued to feed but then one of them found a dead body. It examined the dead body thoroughly and then grinned as its body broke down into a dark fog that entered through the body's mouth and nostrils. The Darkling faded but then the body sprang to life and lifted the rifle. The other Darklings watched as the new meat puppet walked about awkwardly under the control of one of their kin, and then decided to follow suit.
"Hey, Chiaki," Daichi greeted his fellow cyborg. "How are you doing?" Chiaki shook his head. "I see." He noted the blood stains and knew that Chiaki had done what he had to do. "Guess I'm not the only one who decided to gut a few villagers."
"Hurry up," Shinichi urged. "Everyone, get in the truck." Daichi rode in the bed while Hanyuu took shotgun. Shinichi, however, wasn't getting in.
"Shin-kun?" asked Rena. "Come on, we need to move."
"I can't," he told her. "I have to stay. Someone needs to protect the village."
"Are you stupid!? There's nothing left to protect!" Daichi snapped.
"Daichi, I know that we may not be friends, but can I trust you and Chiaki to protect them?" Shinichi asked.
"You're serious," Daichi realized, shocked. "You're absolutely fucking serious. You're staying behind."
"The captain has to go down with the ship," Shinichi shrugged. "Besides, who's gonna fight the Darkloids if I'm gone?"
"And what will you do when those guys come at you, shooting at you?" demanded Daichi. Shinichi ran his hand along the Higurashi no Yaiba's scabbard then rested his palm upon the pommel.
"I'll take care of it," he said. "Now get out of here."
"Shin-chan, don't die or I'll kill you," Mion threatened. Shinichi got out of the truck's bed and wrapped her arms tightly around Shinichi. She then gave him a deep kiss.
"Find me when this is over," said Rena.
"I will, and when you wake up this will all be just like a bad dream," Shinichi told her. He helped her back on the truck's bed. "Everyone, I'll see you again. Just stay alive and stay safe." The truck drove off and he waved. Rena waved back and started to cry before burying her face into Mion's chest. Shinichi stared at the sword in his hand and decided resolutely, "Well, I guess this is just gonna be one of those nights, huh?" Chiaki and Daichi would keep his friends safe and anyone who tried to stop them better watch out.
Shinichi had to stay to take care of the madness. He had Hanyuu's blessing, after all.
Shinichi's ears picked up the sound of guns being cocked and turned to see the mob glaring at it. They were armed with rifles, and some had even brought along torches and whatever farm tools they could use as weapons.
"Satoko-chan's safe," Shinichi told them calmly. "You won't have your sacrifice."
"Do you have any ideas what you've done!? Sacrificing her was the only way to save ourselves! Now you've caused demons to rise and attack us all! You've doomed us all!" one of them ranted loudly.
"No, you have," Shinichi countered. "You turn on your own villagers, killing innocent people who resist. The only way we can save ourselves is to unite, not divide like this, and certainly not by sacrificing innocent children."
"They were outsiders! They didn't belong! You're just an outsider! You weren't born in this village! How can you understand!?" The ranting continued as they started to grow even more aggressive.
"I understand plenty," said Shinichi. He could see there was no reasoning with these people. All the fear, paranoia and desperation had made them snap. The quarantine and isolation had caused them to go through drastic means to find salvation. Shinichi could understand, but that didn't mean he would approve. "Now, you should put down your weapons and walk away." He gripped the scabbard and held the hilt of the Higurashi no Yaiba tightly. He warned them, "If not you'll bring out my ugly side."
"KILL HIM AND FEED HIM TO THE SWAMP!" Loud roars of agreement rang through the mob as they raised their weapons. Shinichi let out a resigned sigh. He really had hoped it didn't come to this. The gunmen took aim and fired. Shinichi swiftly drew the Higurashi no Yaiba and it flashed brightly as he performed several quick swings. The bullets collided with the blade then fell at his feet. Rapid swings continued to deflect the bullets, causing them to scatter harmlessly around Shinichi. Finally, the rifles ran out of ammunition without landing so much as a hit on Shinichi. The mob stared stunned at Shinichi but then looked outrage at his resistance. None of them were reacting to the sight of the Higurashi no Yaiba. They were so over the edge with fear and paranoia they either didn't notice the sword or were simply ignoring it since it was proof that their ideas for sacrifice were not going to work for them. Not even when one of the three treasures of their village was using its power against them.
These people were acting irrationally. If they continued to behave this way, it would convince the national government that there was indeed a madness-inducing killer virus in Hinamizawa. That would result in a permanent quarantine or even a purge via airstrike. Shinichi wanted them to stop but they were so desperately wrapped up in their fear and paranoia that they couldn't think straight.
Suddenly, screams of terror and agony came from the back of the mob. Cries of confusion started to come out as they tried to figure out what was happening. Shinichi noted this too as he saw several men attacking members of the mob, viciously biting and clawing at them like animals. A man screamed as his ears were bitten off while another had his eyes gouged out. Another was silenced when his tongue was torn out of his mouth before his entire body was mauled. Panic started as the mob turned their attention from Shinichi to the now demonic looking men who had darkened skin, red eyes and sharp teeth with claws. The ones with guns started to reload their weapons but the demons lunged at them, killing them. The others tried to use their own weapons but the demons were stronger.
Shinichi witnessed this wondering what sort of madness had possessed them. And then he realized it, "Possession...?" He gripped the Higurashi no Yaiba and then rushed into the mob. He leapt into the air, his body engulfed in a green light and he landed in the fray wielding the Higurashi no Yaiba in its transformed state. His green, samurai-like armor also shone brilliantly. With a swing of his sword he unleashed a devastating wave of energy which blew away the demonically possessed men. The mob were stunned by Shinichi's transformation and Showa's appearance before he turned to look at them.
"Anyone who doesn't want to die should run, right now!" Showa commanded. "Or do you want to deal with those?" he challenged, pointing at the possessed villagers. The mob then fled, screaming in terror, realizing that they were in over their heads. They dropped their weapons too, considering them unnecessary burdens as they were faced with true demons. Showa shook his head and then turned his attention back to the possessed men. "Darkling possession," he noted. He saw that they had fatal injuries on them and grimaced in disgust, "Possessing the dead." Hopefully, Mr. Ryuugu and Satoshi weren't turned. They deserved to rest in peace.
The Darkling-possessed corpses rose up to their feet and started circling around Showa. He kept his eyes trained on them. When they started to attack, he swung the Higurashi no Yaiba. Each of the possesses corpses that came within range fell with a stroke of his blade. Several of them hung back but lunged at him. He quickly drew his sidearm, the Showa-Blaster, and fired at the possessed corpses. They dropped like flies as their bodies were riddled with gunshots. However, that did not kill them but only damage the bodies.
Showa watched with disgusted fascination as the Darklings tore themselves free from their now useless hosts. The bodies were torn open like cocoons as the Darklings rose from them. However, what came out of the torn bodies was black ooze, almost like crude oil, but with the decayed scent of rotting corpses. The black ooze started to pool on the ground and Showa saw red eyes flutter open upon the surface of the pool of dark ooze. The ooze then swallowed up the corpses which decayed rapidly before the bones seemed to melt as they were devoured by the spreading pool of ooze.
The ooze then started to rise and grow into a dark blob with an actual mouth and many, many eyes. Flailing tentacles began to grow out of every inch of its body as it continued to grow. It had grown to five feet, then 10 feet, and then 15 feet before finally stopping at almost 20 feet in height. It smelled even worse than before and fumes could be seen rising from its body which smelled like rotten, decayed flesh.
The Blob Darkloid lashed out with a multitude of tentacles which shot from its body. Showa started to block with the Higurashi no Yaiba and the sound of a clash could be heard as both combatants fought. Showa sliced through the tentacles, but they kept growing back. The pieces that had fallen sank into the ground before growing into large tentacles that were going for Showa. He had to bob and weave, leap and dodge, in order to avoid being grabbed. He jumped back to evade another strike, and batted a tentacle aside. However, several tentacles shot out of the ground and grabbed hold of him.
"Argh!" Showa grunted as he was caught. The Blob Darkloid had Showa within its grasps as he was spread eagle by the tentacles. He tried to break free, but the Darkloid's grip was tight and unbreakable. More and more tentacles wrapped around his body, some around his throat, to squeeze the life out of him. The Blob Darkloid was either deciding if it should tear him to pieces or crush him.
"I...I won't die...here! I promised! I promised that I'd see Rena again!" Showa shouted in defiance with a loud roar, "YOU WON'T MAKE ME BREAK MY PROMISE!"
Showa mentally commanded the armor to release him and he was expelled from its back before landing roughly on his back. He looked up and saw the Blob Darkloid attempting to crush the suit of armor, not realizing that the Higurashi Armor was now just an empty shell. Showa, on the other hand, was back in his two-toned suit of armor and armed with the Higurashi no Yaiba.
He then grasped the Higurashi no Yaiba;s hilt tightly, its blade shining brightly. It looked like the blade was expanding, becoming longer and wider. Actually, it was the energy around the blade which was expanding, taking the shape of the blade and radiating with so much power. Dust and rocks were kicked up by the sheer magnitude of power that Showa was focusing within the Higurashi no Yaiba.
"Sing, Higurashi...no..." Showa began as he drew his sword back. The Darkloid finally realized that it was holding an empty shell when it saw Showa powering up the Higurashi no Yaiba. It tossed away the empty suit and shot all its tentacles at Showa to stop him.
"...YAIBA!" It was simple and swift downward stroke, resulting in a massive blast of green energy which made a noise akin to a thousand cicadas singing simultaneously. The energy blast singed the tips of the tentacles, forcing the Blob Darkloid to withdraw. However, it was too late for it to avoid as it received a faceful of green energy that swallowed it up. It let loose a shrill shriek as its entire body was engulfed by the energy and its body was eaten up in a matter of seconds, leaving nothing but dust that blew away in the wind. When the blast finally subsided, there was a long trench which extended from the now unarmored Shinichi, towards the spot where the Darkloid had stood, a hundred more feet beyond that before it finally dissipated.
Shinichi dropped the Higurashi no Yaiba and panted as he collapsed to his knees. His shoulders and chest rose and fell as he took deep breaths. His heart thundered in his chest.
"Time to go back," concluded Shinichi, "And hopefully all this can be avoided." He commanded, "RETURN TO THE PAST, NOW!" There was a bright flash of light coming from his Spark Core which formed into a pillar of light. The pillar expanded, engulfing everything in sight. It went over the borders of the village until finally everything in sight was swallowed up by the light.
-THE END-
KAMEN RIDER CHROME POST STORY NOTE: Once again, Shinichi saves the day and performs Return to the Past to set time back 24 hours. So, basically, he did a deus ex machina to set everything right. Now, what's stopping things from repeating itself? Won't Hinamizawa be put under a quarantine? Well, yes. However, when Shinichi reset time, this time the villagers won't fall under victim of desperation and paranoia. This time the villagers will be calm and be patient until the quarantine is lifted. This happens after all the villagers had been checked and that they did not have any life-threatening virus among them. Once the village was declared virus free, the quarantine was lifted. So, nobody died. It's a happy ending. Of course, Shinichi remembered all that had happened. It was just a good thing he could reset time after dealing with the Darklings and Darkloids which just caused the madness to escalate with their presence .