Kamen Rider Zero
Reading 8: The katana sensei
"Chariot's dead." Tower said calmly as he hung himself onto a bar upside-down with two weights that massed up to 20kg each strapped onto his arms. To some, it may be crazy to even do such extensive workouts but for Tower, this was barely any tough at all. Calmly flexing his torso, he curled his body up and started meditating through his workout.
Sitting above the stairs of the mansion which resided the agents of the 'Revolution' were a pair of man and woman; both exuding a royal aura around them. And because of the radiant sunlight which crept through the frosted glasses shone on their back, it felt as though they were both beings who descended from heaven itself.
But if there really beings from another plane, then they would not be the angels. Rather, they fitted the role of the little devils themselves. They were unfazed at the sudden news, their mouths chewing onto their breakfast which consisted bacon, sausages and bagels.
Swallowing down his food, the man picked the serviette from the table and wiped his mouth gently as he prepared to speak.
"Why am I not surprised."
"Because it's a fact that this will happen sooner or later, no?" The lady beside him replied as she placed her utensils on the table gently.
"Impulsiveness leads to imminent destruction. A lesson that should be drilled into him." The man continued those emotionless words.
"But it will not work on him anyways. Isn't that why the 'World' gave him the nickname of 'Chariot' to begin with?"
"Perhaps. But that aside, we should not think too much about his death, lest we overestimate our foolish friend."
"He's a fool to be waging a war." The lady smiled wryly.
"Because he is." Tower's words cut into their conversation as he lifted his upper body over to touch his knee to mark the hundredth count. Finishing, he swung his body with the force from his calf, somersaulting in the air and landed on the marble floor lightly. He was not perspiring much. Even though he could do more, Tower chose not to as he walked down the hallway leaving the sight of the owners of this little mansion;
Emperor and Empress.
'Puuuuuuvv!'
I gasp for air, choking onto my own cup of coffee while I sit at the corner of Hikari's cafe. The feeling was terrible as I can't make up my mind whether to laugh or be supportive of the words that I have just heard.
"What's that reaction for!" Hamano stands up pouting her lips as she smacks my head with a textbook which teaches the techniques for self-defense and etiquette of a katana wielder.
"You want to learn how to fight?" I ask, taking a piece of serviette from the table to wipe away the mess that I have made. Hikari sits beside us, giggling away at the slapstick comedy that we are making out of our discussion; although that was how it started.
It has been a few days since my victory over one of the 'Revolution' agents, Chariot. I have also recovered almost to the pink of health with the help of Hikari...and Hamano.
"I should not have said those hurtful words to you. I hope to take them back and in return, I will support you in your fight against those monsters! As a Kamen Rider fan, I shall place my pride and trust to you!"
Funnily enough, ever since that day where she said those words to me, it seems like the barrier which separates us from standing in the same ground has been lifted. We began to talk more casually, like friends. Especially when she knows my identity, as well as some of my past.
The cafe is quite empty today and it's not a surprise since it's the weekdays. The regulars usually frequent the cafe only during the afternoons or weekends. Unknowingly, the hangout that I usually visit is slowly beginning to become one of Hamano's new haunt.
"Of course! As the member of the Kamen Rider Club, I should at least learn the basics of combat so that I can assist you whenever you need!" She says with eyes full of determination as she poses a stance of a person wielding a katana. "And besides, if I work alongside you, I will be able to learn a lot more about how a Kamen Rider lives his life and I can share them all with Kenta when he wakes up!" She says cheerily, unaffected by mentioning the name of her unconscious friend.
Or maybe she still is a bit affected, just that she's trying hard not to think too much about it. No matter,
"No way. You'll just be a bother to me." I reply flatly while picking up a piece of cookie from the table. But before I could even figure out what happened, I felt a hand curled around my neck as I suffocated from the sudden lack of air. I looked up to see Hamano's angry face as she unrelentingly tried to murder me!
"You're evil!" She shouted.
"Yu arre te evil...one!" I can only barely say the words under the mercy of her arms. Eventually, she releases me as I take in huge breaths to soothe my lungs.
"My, my...you guys are certainly becoming the best of friends." Hikari says with her hand resting on her lips. I grumbled and slouched onto the sofa again as I rest my eyes a bit, completely ignoring Hikari's words.
"Hey Hiro." Hamano says. "You have a bike, right? All Kamen Riders have one."
"So what of it?" I reply. Suddenly, it seems like we are talking normally again, without Hamano's wrath incurring on me.
"What's the name of your bike? How fast does it go?" Slowly, Hamano starts to pour the questions out as I finally give in and sit up properly, eyes wide open at her. With her around, it seems even harder to take a proper nap here.
"Why are you so interested?" I asked.
"Can you give me a ride? To the Kendo class in the park." She said happily, pointing to a brochure that she took from her bag.
I have a creepy feeling that I just can't reject her...
Behind the mansion which resided the agents laid a hidden path only known to them. It was at least 20 feet and at the other end of the tunnel was a research lab. Behind those doors were filled with bottles of different colored liquids and body parts of animals. Equipments took up almost half the space with drawings attached all over the wall. Sitting behind the desk was the man behind the creations of the Minor Suits...
Teriuhi Ando.
"Have you heard about Chariot's downfall?" Behind the shadows of the room was a certain beautiful lady seated at one of the research tables. Only her long, slender legs shone under the faint lights of the room. Her features were absolutely stunning, one that can even be compared to an Angel.
"Oh yes...I did warn him after all." Unfazed, the man laughed as he continued to scribble formulas and equations all over his paper. "Hiro-chan certainly is an interesting character to be researching on." His pen stopped mid-way as Teriuhi Ando looked up with a mischievous smile on his face. "I say...Rei-chan, aren't you supposed to be out there fulfilling the 'Majesties' orders?"
"I have never cared about those dull missions. After all, my only plan is to win back his heart." The lady replied, her tongue sticking out to lick the side of her cherry lips.
"Ha ha, how can I forget? Do you need a hand, or a Suit to assist you?" Teriuhi Ando continued with his scribbling again, his other hand tracing along the top of his black, bowler hat.
"I will not refuse, unlike that stubborn geezer." She smiled and stood up from her seat, her delicate hands adjusting the long, red dress that she wore – purposely exposing her beautiful left leg through the cut. Trailing her fingers through those silky, black hair of hers, the lady known as Rei slowly walked out of the room, her high-heels clicked lightly against the tiles.
Teriuhi Ando did not see her off. He did not need and he does not practice it anyways. He was one full of mystery for no one has ever tried to figure out the complex thinking and intricate behavior of his. For that, the 'World' has decided to grant him a facility for whatever plans he intend to do with it. And because of that, he managed to experiment upon the human bodies and their genetics, further breeding them into the Minor Suits that the Agents uses as their henchmen.
When the doors to his research lab closed itself with a click, he raised his up and turned to the side with his eyes fixed upon the silver suit-case lying on the table. On the surface of the case was two letters; one smaller than the other;
'F-X'
Admiring the suitcase from a distance, his heart stirred with excitement as he looked forward to seeing his plans evolving into the next phase.
"This is the place!" Hamano pats her hand over and over again on my shoulder as I bring the Lone Wolf to a halt. Switching off the engine, I alighted the bike and peer over the wide stretch of the greens of Yoyogi park. The smell of fresh air breezes past as the sounds of children running through the field echoes in the serene park.
Not far from here, just next to a basketball court was a group of 10, all dressed up in a white gi. In unison, they swing the wooden sticks that they are armed with down to the ground, repeating the steps through the command of the man in front of them.
"Hah! Return, attention, down!" The man who looked around the age of mine drilled the words continuously as he led his students through the training. Upon closer look, his students are mostly male teenagers with excellent athletic build. Not to be sexist but after all, it is an art that interests guys more than girls – which must explain his class' gender ratio. Hamano doesn't seem to mind at all as she skips down the steep slope and onto the soft grasses towards them.
"H-hey! Wait up." I shout for her, slowly making my way down the park. Just how much energy does that girl have in her? The entire group stopped their training as they looked to us with a confused exchange of eyes. Before I even reached there, I can already hear the voices of Hamano's.
"Why can't I learn from you?" Hamano demands, crushing the piece of brochure in her hands. I give a resigned sigh, walking my way over to them. Sometimes, seeing how Hamano acts makes me suspect whether she is indeed a girl or not. The man whom Hamano was talking looks up to me and then back at her.
"You are too rude. You lack manners, etiquette and..." He paused at the last word just as I joined them.
"...and?" Hamano speaks softly, a far cry from the burst of energy that she once portrayed not long ago. I can see the look of hesitation in his eyes as he pondered over whether to say it out or not. As the cooling wind breezes past me, my ears twitched, attracting my attention to the playground not far from here.
People are running amok down the hills and away. Narrowing my eyes, I try to see what's the commotion about and there, a figure was being chased by a Suit! The suit resembled a rhinoceros head with leather plated armor. I quickly nudged for Hamano's attention and she gasped, grasping hold of the situation quickly. Shinji and the others turned as well to the center of attraction. It is not before long that they have realized what has happened.
"A m-m-monster!" One of them shouted, fumbling around to grab their katanas in a defensive stance.
"Hamano, bring them to safety and I'll clear away the Minor Suits and Voids." I quickly asked, patting her on the shoulder. Changing from that depressed behavior before, Hamano nods her head and ran towards the other students.
"Let's get out of here quickly!" Everyone heard it and hurriedly packing their bags and fled in the direction that Hamano has led them. I stand there silently as I make sure that no one is left behind. By now, all of them have evacuated the area quickly, all except Shinji; who stands calmly with a katana wielded. His face showed no fear and our eyes met.
"What's your name." I asked.
"Shinji."
"You should run first, Shinji. That monster is not someone to be trifled with." I said.
"Says the man who arms himself with nothing but words and no action." He replies, swinging his katana skillfully beside him.
"I-" Without notice, Shinji charges forward with his Katana, attracting the attention of the Minor Suit and Voids! "Hey, I'm serious about this!" I shouted out angrily, pulling off the necklace bound around my neck. There is a fine line between being heroic and reckless; and he definitely belongs to the latter! There isn't time to lose as I prepare myself for the fight.
"Henshin!"
"Thou Shalt Summon...Thy Fool!" Pulling the Chalister out of thin air, I ran towards the mad man as fast as I can. The Voids sprung into attack as well, separating both Shinji and me apart.
"Kamen Rider, Zero!" I yelled, slaying away the closes Void to me.
"What?" Shinji exclaimed with a bewildered look but even so, he promptly turned his attention back at the oncoming Voids. Fighting with his Katana against the metallic staffs, Shinji portrayed his swordplay skillfully without even faltering for a second. The look on his face showed only the determination to win this fight.
'Clad, Thuk, Thuk!'
Even though Shinji's weapon was only made of wood, he relentlessly rain those strikes of his at the Voids, dodging based on his instincts and disarming them without difficulty.
"Well now, that's a fine specimen..." The Suits says, slowly making its way towards the unsuspecting Shinji, only to be stopped by the edge of my Chalister that rests upon its throat. "And who might you be?" It says, backing a step and pushing the sword away. Kicking the ground, I pull myself closer to it as I throw a punch into its face.
"I won't repeat twice!" I yelled and swing the sword using my torso's speed. But before I can even cut it into its body, the blade bounces off upon impact with the leather on its skin. "What?" I try again, this time aiming for its legs. But it bounces off again, much to my surprise. Compared to the earlier Suits, the strength of this particular one far exceeds its predecessors!
"Hah! Your blunt strikes means nothing to me!" Curling its fist, the Minor Suit thrusts its powerful arms into my gut as I fly across the sky onto the soft patches of grass. Not before long, Shinji crashes beside me with a loud 'thud'. Wincing from the pain, he tries to stand, but quickly falls flat down again. His katana was badly destroyed with only a quarter of it still in his hands.
"I've told you to run, didn't I?" I scolded, picking myself up with the Chalister's support.
"Not when it is rampaging through the area harming the innocents!" Shinji replied. "And besides, I do not turn tail from a fight!" He looked at me, this time his feelings could be felt behind those eyes of his. It felt as though he was protecting something, or someone...and he was prepared to risk his life.
"I see..but my reason is far greater than yours." I said, tapping the Pentacle to summon a piece of token into my hands. Shinji looks up, confused at my words. Holding on to the Wheel-shaped token, I looked down at Shinji and then towards the Rhino-suit. "I fight...to protect everyone."
Throwing the piece of token into the Chalice of the sword, an orange light shines from the cup as the Chalister processed the new token into it. Then, the voice of the sword spoke,
"Zero, Let's Riii-de!" The Chalister envelops itself into a veil of light, splitting the body into halves and then distorting themselves into a circular shape. Gripping tightly onto both halves, the veil breaks away; revealing a pair of orange Chakrams with silver metallic trims around the edge. Both my chest plate and belt buckle changes its number into the roman numeral, 'VII', as well.
"No matter what weapon you use, it's not gonna cut through me!" The Rhino yells, galloping on all fours towards me. I raise the Chakrams in front of me as I press my thumbs onto the button around the grip. The spiked edges of the Chakrams roars into life as it spins wildly like a trailing orange light.
As soon as I am within range, I swing both weapons in an overlapping 'X', this time slicing cleanly onto the Suit's protruding horns that's stuck onto its head.
"Arrrgh!" It roars, retreating it's steps as it stands up again, grabbing onto its remaining half of the horn. "My Rhino-hood!" It screams out. I leap forward and deliver another few cuts onto its body, breaking off its armor to reveal only the hides of the Minor Suit. Pushing back my distance, I held out the Chakrams and threw them towards the remaining Voids, slicing through cleanly before they came back to my hands, forming into the Chalister once more.
"Zero, Chann-ccee!" The Chalister glows in red as I raise it above my head, hands gripped tightly around the hilt.
"W-wait! This is unfair!" The Minor Suits pleads with its knees on the ground.
"Twilight...Break!" I shouted as I delivered the fatal strike, splitting the skies into half before bringing the destruction of the Suit. As I swing the Chalister into a cross, the Rider amour breaks away to reveal my human body again. The park is safe again, my head turns to the back to find the injured Shinji,
But he is nowhere in sight.
Author's Note:
Thank you for all the kind reviews and subscribes from all of the readers out there! I can't say that I have the motivation to write on without your awesome support! With so many ideas to write out, sometimes I feel so overwhelmed that I do not know where to begin...
Ha ha, anyways, do remember to drop a review on your thoughts about this story and look out for the next chapter!
