LONE WOLF CHAPTER PART 1: ASSASSIN

"Onigafuchi…Hinamizawa…" said Topper. "Both are the same name for the same place."

Again Topper, Warren and the witches sat in the octagonal room. They were drinking tea and having slices of cake.

"Still, to see him possess that much power was quite surprising," said Topper.

"You sound surprised," said Beatrice.

"I can never be surprised," said Topper. "However, this has just made the game more interesting."

Warren said crossly, "The lives of humans are not playthings."

"Says you!" Beatrice laughed. "Mortals are just pieces on the game board for beings like us to have fun with!"

"Maybe, but that does not mean they don't deserve dignity," said Bernkastel.

"Whatever," snorted Lambdadelta. "Come on! I wanna see more! Things are just getting good!"

"Of course," said Topper.

"Well, if we're playing a game. Do you mind if I add my own piece?" Warren asked.

"Be my guest, Balance Guardian."

A week had passed since the incident with No. 06. Shinichi had woken up the day before. Due to immense exhaustion associated with his occupation, he'd slept for almost a week. Everyday his friends would visit him. Rena would make sure to bathe him with Shiori's help. When he awoke, he was quite hungry and thirsty. When Rena and Shiori brought him food, he ate it all ravenously to replenish his energy. The three treasures (Higurashi no Yaiba, Oni no Hone and Kage no Hoshi) were all secured. No. 06 had also perished, bringing the NUMBERS down to four.

Shinichi had also missed a week of work. Luckily, he could still keep his job since he was excused for medical reasons. He would still have a week worth of pay docked but that was a small price to pay. He was still the favorite newspaper delivery boy of Hinamizawa, despite Oryo's dislike for him. He was dedicated, had good work ethics. Unfortunately, that would not allow him presence into her family home until she was dead and buried.

His relationship with the NEO-NUMBERS had improved. He was the closest to both Yokoshima and Michiru. Chiaki, while glad to have a way of making living thanks to him, wasn't really that close to him, preferring the company of Rika and Hanyuu, and Hana was just too apathetic and stoic for him. They were friends, sure, but not exactly all that close. His relationship with Daichi was…rocky, to say the least. Then again, Daichi still remembered the feeling he had when BLACK 13 had killed him the first time. To be betrayed by someone considered a brother really weighed down on his emotions. In fact, Daichi would never forgive nor forget his death at the hands of BLACK 13. At least those five were no longer out to kill him and those who did met their ends at his hands.

He still felt horrible for taking their lives but they never really gave him a choice. They were threatening his friends and family. The worst was when he had to kill WHITE 14. He still had feelings of remorse for taking his doppelganger's life. Sure, there was no longer an issue whether or not he was real. He knew who he was. He was Shinji Banabara, also known as Shinichi Sanban, and known to everyone as both dependable and perverted.

Now, after he did his deliveries, Shinichi was hoping to relax. With summer break, they gave him plenty of time to relax. He spent the time with his mother, his friends, or his girlfriend. Right now, he was doing none of those. He was just relaxing on his own. He was lying atop the minivan in the junkyard, taking a nap under the light of the sun. He was expecting it to be a good day and being attacked out of the blue was not part of the equation. As soon as his twin ahoge stood up straight, Shinichi had vacated his resting place post haste. He rolled off the roof just as a sharp blade sliced through the vehicle, cutting it straight in half. Recovering quickly, Shinichi looked to see who or what was responsible.

The man wore a black bodysuit with black armor. He wore black boots and gauntlets, along with a black chestplate resembling the shape of a wolf's head. His shoulder armor resembled the claws and paws of a wolf. Around his waist was a belt with a square buckle and to the left of it was a set of four buttons in different colors. His helmet concealed his head and face. On the helmet was a black faceplate that had two tall and sharp points extending from the top that mimicked wolf ears with an extension that went down the front to mimic a wolf's muzzle. He was also armed with a strange sword that looked to be put together via different components and the blade was serrated and deadly looking.

Shinichi didn't need to think very long to realize that this was a Rider, albeit one he'd never seen before.

"Who are you!" Shinichi demanded.

His mysterious assailant answered with a question, "Are you BLACK 13?"

'He knows!' Shinichi realized. At first he was surprised to hear the Rider's voice. It was like two people speaking as one. He then recovered from his surprise. "Who wants to know?" Shinichi shot back defiantly.

"Nothing personal. Just business. So, just die," said the black Rider as he jumped off the van and came down to decapitate Shinichi.

Shinichi avoided the sword with his awesome reflexes and shouted, "Henshin!" In a flash of light he was transformed into Kamen Rider Showa. Getting into the swing of things, quite literally, he summoned his sword, the Showa-Blade, and began to clash with the black Wolf Rider.

"Did Gebok send you!" Showa demanded.

"The identity of my client is strictly confidential," the Wolf Rider retorted.

Showa growled in response. They continued with their fights, metal clanging, sparks released by the clashing, as they battled for dominance. Showa was not unfamiliar with battles to the death. However, for a person who bore no ill will towards him wanting him dead was definitely new. Still, Showa was not interested in dying anytime soon and he was not interested in having his life taken from him by an assassin of all things.

A kick in Showa's midsection sent him crashing against a pile of crash, causing it to collapse. "Damn it…Let's Ride: BLACK RX!" His form changed into the Rider known as the 'Child Born of the Sun'. "Revolcane!" he called, summoning BLACK RX's signature weapon. "Well, if you're here to kill me then you're in for a surprise. I'm going to defeat you, fix my girl's van, and then get back to my nap!" Showa declared.

"We shall see," the Wolf Rider answered and then he charged towards Showa. He thrust his sword at Showa who smacked the blade away with his own. However, the Wolf Rider punched Showa hard and sent him flying into a pile of garbage that then collapsed on top of him.

"Time to blow him away," the Wolf Rider said as he reached down and pushed the red button on his belt. He then held up what appeared to be a rail pass. He then swiped it across his chest.

"RAMPAGE FORM!"

His armor changed as the armor on his became more draconic. His chest resembled the head of a red dragon and he had wings on his shoulders and a draconic looking faceplate with horns and frills on the side of the helmet. He raised his hand and a fireball formed. He then hurled the fireball at the pile of garbage, causing it to explode.

Rena was on her way to the junkyard. She and Shinichi were going to have a picnic and then go treasure hunting. She'd missed him after he'd gone to sleep following his previous encounter with 06: Petrifier. When he'd awoken, she made him a lot of food. She was happy to see him awake but part of her felt useless. She wanted to fight alongside him but he'd refused. He preferred assistance from the NEO-NUMBERS since they were more skilled and experienced. Even if Shinichi was able to turn her into a Rider temporarily, that still wouldn't be enough. She had some fighting skills of her own and could kill Darklings with her cleaver, but the Darkloids were a whole different matter.

"Oh, Shin-kun," sighed Rena. She really wished she could help him out more. After all, they were lovers now. They had a deep bond with each other. Shinichi didn't want to put her and the other members of the Gaming Club in any danger.

When she arrived at the junkyard, she was hoping to see him. What she found was her precious van cut completely in half. "What did this?" she questioned. "Shin-kun? Shin-kun!"

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Terror gripped her heart when she heard the explosion and then she saw the smoke rising. "Shin-kun!" She ran towards the direction of the smoke.

The mysterious Rider gazed upon the smoldering pile of garbage. "Job's done," he said with a sigh, almost feeling sorry for what he did. However, a job was a job. As he turned to leave, he stepped into a puddle. "Hm?" He then noticed that the puddle seemed t be glowing. Suddenly, the puddle flashed and something hit the red Rider in the chest, sending him staggering back. Turning his eyes towards the figure, he saw that it was a Rider in blue and silver armor with red eyes. "So, you survived by changing form."

"Of course," nodded Showa. "Biorider was the perfect choice. So, mind telling me who wants me dead now?"

"Sorry, but that answer is a secret," said the Rider. "But if you want names, I'll give you one. I'm Garoh."

"At least I know what name to put on your tombstone," retorted Showa coldly.

"That's my line, and the on who's going to have a tombstone made is you."

"We'll see about that! Bioblade!" He summoned his sword and then charged towards Garoh. Garoh hurled fireballs at him but they missed. Showa the swung his sword down and cut into Garoh's chest. However, his enemy showed no reaction. It was like he hadn't felt it at all. "Huh?"

"Sorry, but pain is a stranger to me," said Garoh. He grabbed Showa by the throat. "So long!" He tossed Showa to the ground but before he hit his body turned into liquid and he performed a reversal, appearing behind Garoh. Garoh whirled around with a back hand and hit nothing but air.

"Can't beat me if you can't hit me!" Showa taunted.

"Hmph," Garoh huffed. "Are you too scared to face me like a man?"

"This is about survival!" Showa snapped, "And furthermore I am not afraid of you!"

"But your survival wasn't part of the job," said Garoh as he aimed a gun at Showa. He shot at Showa repeatedly, forcing Showa to assume a liquid state and dodge. "You can't win by dodging."

Showa became solid again and agreed, "True! What about this? Let's Ride: Roborider!" He assumed the robotic alternate form of BLACK RX. The armor was a mix of black and orange with red eyes that had 'tears' streaming from them. "Voltech Shooter!" He aimed with his own gun and fired. The two Riders shot at each other, their shots hitting their armor. While Garoh claimed not to be able to feel pain, Roborider's armor protected Showa's body. He could feel the small impacts but that was it.

"FULL CHARGE!"

"Huh!" Showa gaped as Garoh's gun released a burst of flaming power that collided with Showa's chest and exploded. It sent him flying and undid his transformation. He rolled along the ground in pain before he stopped, lying face up. His chest heaved up and down.

"Looks like this is the end for you," said Garoh as he stepped towards Shinichi. Suddenly, a girl got in his way. She spread her arms wide, blocking his path.

"Don't you dare hurt him!" she threatened.

"Move aside," Garoh ordered.

"No!" she shook her head. "No, I won't! I won't let you hurt Shin-kun!" She then threw her body on top of Shinichi's. "If you want to kill him, then you have to kill me too!"

"Re…Rena…" Shinichi uttered. "No…"

"If Shin-kun died then Rena would rather die too," Rena said to him. "Rena can't live without Shin-kun." She kissed his cheek and closed her eyes, awaiting the end of their lives.

Garoh watched them. He began to hesitate. With a sigh he tore his belt away and his armor fell away in the form of fragments. He was a man with heterochromatic eyes, one red (left) and one blue (right). He had long silver hair that ran down his back and stopped at the middle. A scar ran down his left eye. He was wearing a black t-shirt with a brown coat and black gloves with black pants and boots. "You got lucky," he said before walking away.

When the end she'd expected never came, she opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder to see Garoh gone. She was relieved and looked back down to Shinichi. He didn't look happy. "Shin-kun?"

"Don't ever throw your life away again," he said. He suddenly pulled her into a hug and kissed her. Rena was surprised for a split second before she kissed him back. When they broke apart for hair, Shinichi touched his forehead against hers. "Don't you ever throw your life away. It's precious. If you did that then I'd die."

"But if you die, then Rena won't want to live either," she answered, tears forming. He used his index finger to wipe her tears away.

"Think about the people who'll miss you. You have a bright future. Don't let it go to waste." He then got up and stood up with her. "Sorry about your van, though. I know how special it was to you. Now it's ruined."

"As long as you're safe, Shin-kun. I'm fine with it." She beamed.

KR Chrome: That's the first chap of this arc. Kind of a prologue. Surprised to see Garoh?

Shadow Element 13: Garoh, pre-Bounty hunter days. Looks like Shinichi has his work cut out for him if Garoh decides to come back and finish the job.