DISCLAIMER: Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, and the Kamen Rider series in general is property of TOEI, TV-Asahi, and Ishinomori Production. Metroid is property of Nintendo.


Introduction/Author's Note #1:

This story is about the novelized reimagining of the 2016 Kamen Rider #1 (Ichigou) movie. This will be the second time I've adapted a Kamen Rider film into a novelized fic since chapters 18-23 of Metroid: KRG Vol. 3, which covers the Ghost RE:BIRTH Kamen Rider Specter V-Cinema.

While this story will follow the movie's storyline closely, but what will separate this from the movie is that the Space Explorers will take the roles of Takeru and company as the ones who will with interact Hongo. Though, Makoto will still appear, but Alain won't, instead Kuroto/Genm will fill in Alain's place. For the continuity of this story, this takes place after chapter 131 and before chapter 132 (the epilogue) of Metroid: KRG Vol. 2 - Ex-Aid Era feat. Cross Ange, thus making this story more similar to the two-part crossover finale of Wizard involving Decade and Gaim's appearance. Also, Gavan (as in the original Gavan, Retsu) will also appear in this retelling of the movie.

Since this takes place between the epilogue of Volume 2 and the four-month timeskip gap of Volume 3, this story will tell how Samus got the Mighty Creator VRX Gashat from Kuroto. I will update the Ichigou REDUX once a week, while I will regularly update Volume 3 after two days.

Without further ado, here is the first episode of Kamen Rider Ichigou REDUX!


CAST

[藤岡 弘: 本郷 猛/仮面ライダー1]
Hiroshi Fujioka as Takeshi Hongou/Kamen Rider #1 (Ichigou)

[水樹奈々: サムス・アラン/仮面ライダーハントレス]
Nana Mizuki as Samus Aran/Kamen Rider Huntress

[高杉真宙: 呉島光実/仮面ライダー龍玄(リュウゲン)]
Mahiro Takasugi as Mitsuzane Kureshima/Kamen Rider Ryugen

[中山絵梨奈: 稲森真由/仮面ライダーメイジ]
Erina Nakayama as Mayu Inamori/Kamen Rider Mage

[稲葉: 詩島/仮面ライダーマッハ]
Yu Inaba as Go Shijima/Kamen Rider Mach

[山本 涼介: 深海 マコト/仮面ライダースペクター]
Ryosuke Yamamoto as Makoto Fukami/Kamen Rider Specter

[岩永 徹也: 檀 黎斗/仮面ライダーゲンム]
Tetsuya Iwanaga as Kuroto Dan/Kamen Rider Genm

[西川貴教T.M. Revolution: 烏丸ケイイチ]
Takanori Nishikawa (T.M. Revolution) as Keiichi Karasuma

[大杉 漣: 地獄大使]
Ren Osugi as Jigoku Taishi (Ambassador Hell)

[阿部 力: ウルガ]
Tsuyoshi Abe as Wolga

[武田 幸三: バッファル]
Kozo Takeda as Buffal

[長澤 奈央: イーグラ]
Nao Nagasawa as Igura

[岡本 夏美: 立花 麻由]
Natsumi Okamoto as Mayu Tachibana

[大葉 健二: 一条寺 烈/宇宙刑事ギャバン]
Kenji Ohba as Retsu Ichijouji/Space Sheriff Gavan


Mission 1: Prologue


-The Fighting Old Man-

Bangkok, Thailand...

In a remote market full of crowded people day in and day out, suspicious men make their way on a restaurant. On the way, people were at bliss, smiling every store across the block served their customers. As for these men, they have something else to deal with.

Once they arrived at the restaurant, they meet up with other two accomplices and went inside. There, they confront a Japanese old man who is eating his meal, and one of them holds him at gunpoint from behind.

"You know why we are here, don't you?", said one of the thugs in his native language.

"You put another one of our kids in the hospital.", the other one added.

The old man, calm as he may be, responded politely...

"Wait a moment. Food must be eaten in peace." , the old man said, at the same time spoke in Thai language. He then put his hands together and reverently prayed thanks after partaking his meal, "Thank you for the meal."

After that, the old man dishes out a sucker punch at one of the thugs confronting him. Then, he attacks the other with a gun, causing nearby restaurant patrons to exclaim in panic. And by using his chopsticks as a weapon, he stabs one of the crooks in the eye, and the other on the hand. The other two goons attempt to attack him from behind, only for them, and the other two to be kicked outside.

"That was delicious, ma'am. Thanks for the meal.", the old man said as he left a cash on the table as payment and leaves the restaurant.

And as for the thugs, local authorities arrived in the scene to arrest the perpetrators. In the middle of the crowd who overlooked the brawl earlier, one bystander asked who is that man.

To which the other bystander replied, "You don't know? That was... Hongou Takeshi!"

As Hongou leaves, he suddenly dropped to his knees at the moment, considering that he's already 70, his body just became weak. For after countless of years defending humanity as the legendary Kamen Rider Ichigou, in his current age, Hongou starts to feel the deteriorating symptoms in his cybernetic enhanced body.

Despite that, Hongou manages to stand up and continued on.


-The New VR Game-

Zawame City, Japan

It has been three weeks after the Space Explorers and CR defeated the corrupt bounty hunter, Sylux through the assistance of the Norma and DRAGONs. Kamen Rider Chronicle is finally over, and the chances of the Zero Day victims can now be revived, even though the Master Gashat is destroyed. The Space Explorers are still active despite that three of them will be parting ways soon.

Former GENM Corporation CEO Dan Kuroto has been developing a virtual reality game lately with help from the Space Explorers. So far, only Samus has took part of this project.

Considering Kuroto's involvement with Zero Day and Kamen Rider Chronicle, and later his contribution in helping CR and the Space Explorers in ending Rider Chronicle and defeating Sylux, the Game Master was given a pardon thanks to Poppy's intervention.

Later, Emu took part on with the project considering that he, Samus, and Kuroto are the only three Mighty Action X users known. Therefore, Kuroto developed this VR game that can be used for either Ex-Aid or Huntress, much like how Brave and Snipe had to share one Gashat Gear Dual Beta for their Level 50 form, until Kuroto remedied this problem by creating another Dual Gear Beta.

The end result was, Mighty Creator VRX. As Kuroto is still developing the game, this will take a lot of time to complete as for standards of a game which needs to be released on a later date.

Meanwhile, in the Command Tower.

Mitsuzane mused with the crew now that Ange and Tusk are back in their home, everything is never the same again now that the gang will part ways soon.

"How many days has it been after we saved the universe?", Mitsuzane asked, with Go and Mayu listening.

"It's been two weeks, though.", the white loudmouth replied.

"I was just wondering about that game Dan Kuroto was making...", Mayu added.

To which Samus replies, "It's a virtual reality game creator, if I can recall. Of course, it's still based on the Mighty series of games."

"A game creator? As in similar to the style of Minecraft?", Go asked.

"Who knows.", the bounty hunter shrugged.

Though it seems there has been no threat ever since Sylux's defeat several months ago, everything seems to be at peace. Or, is it?

Until, the computer inside the observatory began to sound its alarm. The Gekkou Bugster emerges from Samus's Bugvisor II having noticed that once again, a new threat emerges to change for the better.

"It seems we have ourselves a suspicious activity going on.", said Mayu.

"I'll go and check it out myself.", Samus decides to investigate it on her own for the time being. She leaves the Command Tower and heads into the destination.


-Shocker vs. Shocker!-

Elsewhere,

People began running for their lives as an army of black masked men - judging by their skeleton-themed bodysuit and the lucha libre-esque mask, and leading them are two crab kaijins and one lizard kaijin, and brandishing a bird-like emblem, they are known to the world as Shocker.

"I can never get enough of the sound of humans screaming!", the lizard kaijin said, as he and the rest of his mooks began to take delight of the terror of people who are fleeing for their lives.

The green crab kaijin replies, "Don't play around too much, we have but one target."

In the midst of the people fleeing, the Shocker kaijins set their sights on a schoolgirl - Tachibana Mayu.

"There's the woman! Get her!", the green crab kaijin ordered the grunts to chase the girl the moment she stumbled. The girl continued to flee from Shocker until their combatmen surrounded her.

"You're Tachibana Mayu, correct? We need your power.", the crab kaijin coerces the girl.

"Me? But, why?", the girl asked.

But, before the Shocker kaijins think about abducting her, they are attacked by another faction representing Shocker! The girl manages to get away from her attackers thanks to the distraction. The other Shocker, to distinguish themselves from the ones who are attempt kidnap Tachibana Mayu, their combatmen are heavily armored, and they are led by two men and one woman.

"Y-you guys!", the lizard kaijin confronted the other Shocker faction.

"Long time no see, remnants of the old Shocker.", said the leader of the other Shocker.

"You fools!", the green crab kaijin shouted. "Wolga! Igura! Buffal!"

The blue crab kaijin then followed, "You ran away from Shocker! What do you want?!"

"How rude. We just grew bored of you guys.", Igura replied politely.

"And your outdated methods.", Wolga added. "That's why the three of us created a new Shocker."

"A new Shocker? You've got to be kidding me!", the lizard kaijin refuted.

In response, the new Shocker began to stand their guard to fight the old Shocker. With Wolga transforming into a werewolf kaijin, and Buffal transforming into a gargoyle kaijin, and Igura drawing out a rapier. The old and new Shocker began to fight as mayhem ensues.

The girl, still trapped in the middle of the chaos is still trying to find her way to escape.

As the two Shockers are clashing, Samus arrives in the scene witnessing the ensuing chaos.

"It's like a war zone down there...", the bounty hunter muttered. "Better do something and quick."

*Hurricane Ninja!*

Samus has her Buggle Driver II equipped, and she pulled out the Hurricane Ninja Gashat and immediately activates it. She then inserts the Gashat into the Driver and pressed the red button to transform into Kamen Rider Huntress Ninja Gamer Level X.

*Gashatto! Buggle Up! Nin-Nin-Ninja! (Wow!) Hurricane Ninja Sanjou! (Wow!)*

Samus then enters the fight between the two Shockers and attacks each of their respective combatmen. Both Shockers are incensed at the sight of a Kamen Rider. Huntress Level X then rushes and proceeds to take on the werewolf, lizard, and green crab kaijins.

"You're Kamen Rider Huntress, aren't you?", Wolga asked. Both Buffal and Igura turn their attention at the bounty hunter.

"What of it?!", Huntress replied bluntly.

"You don't need to know, since you're going to die!", Wolga replied back as he begins to continue his assault.

As Samus finds herself getting attacked by two opposing factions, she has to make the most of her utility belt before things can get too ugly.

"Don't make me use this.", Samus warned both factions as she prepares to press the A and B buttons of her Buggle Driver II to Pause time.

*PAUSE!*

Time is stopped, immobilizing everyone around Samus but herself. As Samus begins to check around the area for anyone trapped in the ensuing chaos, she sees a girl hiding behind a car. That said, in the midst of stopped time, Samus rescues the girl all while shooting all Shocker forces by using her Bugvisor II's beamgun. Samus then takes the girl to a safe place and then returns to the deal with the two Shockers. She then pressed the A and B Buttons of her Driver to return the flow of time back to normal.

*RESTART*

When the flow of time returns back to normal, both opposing factions are attacked without realizing that they didn't felt anything when Samus stopped time. The girl found herself distant from the ensuing mayhem, but more Shocker combatmen continued pursuing her.

Huntress Level X summons a shadow clone to help the girl escape. All while trying to fend off the attackers. As the girl tries to run to a safe place, Hongou Takeshi makes his presence known as he himself takes out the Shocker combatmen singlehandedly.

"Who in the galaxy is that?", Samus turned when she saw Hongou fighting the grunts. Then, Wolga then attacks Huntress as he gives her a burning, painful sensation that debilitated her for the moment.

When the new Shocker noticed the presence of Hongou, they are forced to retreat, ditto for the old Shocker faction. Samus decided to withdraw for now as well.


See you next mission...


Author's Note #2:

Deviations from the movie:

Take note that while keeping the fact that the Space Explorers are the ones fighting with Hongou's side in place of Takeru (though Makoto will still appear). Here are some following differences between this novelization and from the movie:

- After we see Hongou's scene in Thailand in the movie, we see Takeru and company singing karaoke. Here, the Space Explorers began musing what are they going to do now after they've defeated Sylux, and the explanation how the Mighty Creator VRX Gashat is being developed.

- When Takeru fights the two Shockers he assumes Toucon Boost Damashii, his mid-season upgrade. Here, Samus assumes her final form, Ninja Gamer Level X. Instead of sending either Mayu, Go, or Mitsuzane, Samus used a shadow clone to protect Tachibana from the attackers before Hongou shows up.