Two massive titans fought in the endless black sea of the universe, one coated in a crystal glow and the other in a malevolent purple aura. The only spectators of this epic battle were the millions of galaxies scattered about. Swords in each of their hands, they swung at one another with the intent to kill. Impacts with the force of supernovas erupted as their blades clashed.
The crystal titan knocked the malevolent titan aside, making it tumble over the blackness before coming to a stop. It looked to its side and noticed several galaxies floating near it. Grinning, the malevolent titan took hold of the galaxies and threw them at the opponent like flying disks. The crystal titan flew at its enemy in a diamond streak of light, dashing and rolling away from the incoming galaxies. The malevolent titan gave a loud, haunting roar as it pulled up its sword above its head and summoned seven dark meteors around it. The meteors flew forward at the crystal titan but the heroic giant zipped and cut through the meteors with quick ease.
The evil giant snarled, roaring to confront its enemy head-on. The two titans struck and their swords stabbed on another in their chest. Energy erupted from the centre of the universe, followed by a bright flash of light.
And then, there was nothing more.
Showa Chronicles: The Powerless Ones
Act I: The Laments of the Weak
The loud, blaring alarm interrupted the sleep of Hanyuu Furude-Banabara. She mumbled incoherent curses as her hand tiredly reached for the alarm and slapped the snooze button. She pushed the covers from her and sat on her knees, rubbing the sand out from her eyes.
"That dream again..." Hanyuu whispered, still half-asleep.
The horned goddess had been experiencing a disturbing series of recurring dreams about two great giants fighting who fought in a duel to the death since the fall of Vandal Savage. At first, she merely wrote them off as just weird dreams, but they were becoming more and more frequent and vivid. She really didn't know what to make of them, and she hadn't really told the others. How could she, though? She didn't really get it herself.
She really hated keeping things from her friends, especially Rika. They had been together for so long and were practically sisters. Yet, she hadn't told her about this recurring dream.
The first time she had the dream, she thought it was because of the Sci-Fi movie marathon Shiori held to celebrate their victory. They were mostly giant monster movies, but everyone enjoyed them. Even Hanyuu.
Then she kept having the dream repeatedly, and she knew there was more to it than that.
Was it some kind of message?
Was it an omen?
A prophecy?
She really needed to talk to someone to make sense of her dreams. She might've been centuries old, but even she wasn't an expert at deciphering dreams.
She needed to talk to someone.
"Kids, it's time to wake up!" Shiori called as she knocked on their door.
"Hai, hai," Hanyuu yawned. "Come on Rika, time to-" she stopped herself and gawked at the girl sleeping next to her. Rika looked comfortable, almost too comfortable, in her sleep. Her PJs were dishevelled seamlessly, her top unbuttoned halfway with her chest almost out and about, her left hand in her pants as it idly scratched her crotch, and murmurs escaping from her as saliva dripped out of her mouth. "Hey! Rika! Get up!" Hanyuu finally exploded after looking at the sight of the uncouth priestess for several seconds too long.
"Zzz... mm?" Rika finally woke up and smacked her lips while rubbing her eyes. "Ah, good morning, Hanyuu," Rika said, getting up to face her oldest confidant.
"You know Rika, you really need to find a way to get rid of your sleeping habits. It's very unsightly," Hanyuu told her with a dry look on her face.
"I was up all night studying for entrance exams, so I was really exhausted," Rika waved off as she brushed her messy hair from her eyes. "Besides, it's not like you have any room to talk. You were quite loud last night dreaming about Chiaki-san."
"E-eh?!" Hanyuu blushed brightly, "You heard that?"
"And saw it too," Rika deadpanned, "I'm betting you read some of Shiori-mama's books to learn some new techniques with your fingers." She hugged herself dramatically as an erotic look slipped on her face, "'Oh! Oh, Chiaki-san! Yes, more! Faster! Harder!' I never pegged you for a screamer."
"Why so early in the morning, Rika!?" Hanyuu gasped in embarrassment, clutching her head as she shook left and right, "Please don't tell Chiaki-san!"
"Heh," Rika smirked smugly, "She who lives in a glass house shouldn't throw stones."
"OK, I'm here," Warren said as he entered the lab. "So, what's so important that you needed me here?"
Dr. Ryuki Hasuma was with his sister-in-law, Dr. Kotonoha Katsura. She was a geneticist and member of ARMOR.
"It's about Shinichi's DNA sample. Ever since we've got it, we've been trying to figure out the secret behind his powers," Ryuki answered.
"OK, so have you found anything?" Warren asked.
"Well, we've been comparing the DNA sample we took from him before he went through his dragonification and one after it. There were significant changes," Kotonoha answered. "But we haven't found anything to explain his chronokinesis."
"His time powers?" Warren asked. "Wait, are you saying it isn't genetic?"
"Oh, he's a metahuman, since you were the father," Ryuki clarified. "But his metahuman physiology only granted him minor enhancements via the demon blood he inherited from you."
"Nothing at all that suggests your blood is the source of his temporal powers. There's not even any kind of mutation that could've caused them," Kotonoha added. "We then figured that his time powers could possibly make him related to the Time Jackers, but after seeing that his abilities used a different wavelength from theirs we decided that it wasn't possible."
"At least we ruled out Gebok being responsible for those powers," Warren remarked.
"Exactly," Ryuki agreed. "If Gebok could make one chronokinetic cyborg there was nothing to stop him from making an army of chronokinetics. He even cloned Shinichi when he made Shiro the first time and even he did not inherit Shinichi's temporal powers."
"So, what you're saying is that his powers don't come from his DNA but they come from his soul," Warren concluded. "Could it be magic?"
"I think this goes beyond magic, Warren. If anything, his powers could be on the cosmic scale," Ryuki stated seriously.
"Ugh," Warren groaned, rubbing his head. He really didn't like mysteries he had no way of solving. "Well, you both can take a break on that since there still doesn't seem to be any answers. Meanwhile, there's something I need you to look into for me, Ryuki."
"What is it?" Ryuki asked.
"I was hoping to keep this a secret, but I'm going to need a bit of help," Warren answered mysteriously, "Last year, a new Kamen Rider was discovered."
"A new Rider?" Kotonoha asked, tilting her head.
"Yes. This new Kamen Rider is someone we have no knowledge of, but he showed up out of nowhere and mauled Satan's kidnappers with beast-like savagery. There were no leftovers by the time he was finished," Warren told them.
"Huh? Hey, hold on, I thought it was Yuji who did that," Ryuki said.
"That was his official report and Shinichi had already taken Satan to safety when he was about to start, but he wasn't sure if he could trust this Kamen Rider after what was happening then. He did say that this new Kamen Rider had a dinosaur theme and he didn't recognize it as his brother's. The only other Dino Rider we have in our roster is Ryuji, but the description Yuji gave didn't match so it couldn't have been him either."
"Do you have a picture?" Ryuki requested. "If we have any kind of clues, I can get DORA to track him down. We can find out which world he came from."
"Sorry, but Yuji didn't have a chance to take a photo but we do have a sketch." Warren took out a folded piece of paper from his coat and handed it over to Ryuki. He unfolded it and studied the sketch. "Can that help?"
"We'll look up any Riders who may fit this description," Ryuki answered. "It shouldn't be too hard for us to track him down and find out who he is under that helmet."
"So my editor will be coming over to discuss my next book," said Shiori as she had breakfast with her family.
"Another book, huh? What will it be about?" Kasai asked his wife curiously.
"Oh, just something different. It'll be an adventure story with two editions. The first will be the edition that's for everyone. The second edition will have all the adult content. I'm going to be asking Shinji about the stuff to help me."
"So, it's a book about Shinichi-niichan's adventures?" Rika asked. "Are you sure that's a good idea? He hasn't been able to get much privacy since Vandal Savage."
The final battle against the Religion of Crime came with some major ramifications. After the NEO-NUMBERS were forced to reveal their identities to the world, they've become celebrities. They were declared a new generation of heroes, brave young men and women who stood their ground in the void of hopelessness. That was what the news media was saying. Others, however, were pretty quick to remind everyone that they were also mass murderers who killed a lot of people, and didn't deserve any of the praise and should be put on trial instead. Out of all the NEO-NUMBERS, none of them got as much hate and scorn as Shinichi did.
Some photos of his time back as BLACK 13 were leaked, and his critics used it as fuel for their smear campaign against him. DJ Mikogami was the most vocal as he went extra hard on him. Copy's Thanatos Gambit didn't help matters either as people refused to let that go. Even when there was evidence that proved it was a setup, they would either change topics or just continued pressing on with stronger force. People have been sending death threats to him in the mail too. On one occasion, there was even a bomb. Disarming it was no trouble, but it just proved how they were letting their anger get the better of them. At several points, there were rocks thrown through the windows. Shinichi would always assure everyone that he wasn't bothered by this at all and he knew how to deal with people who had sticks up their asses.
He was always a very convincing actor.
It was a skill he had acquired to help hide his insecurities. Rika knew he still hated himself and had yet to forgive himself for his past crimes. There was just so much excess baggage and he did not know where to begin. He could only move forward and attempt to atone for his sins.
Shiori wanted to write a book to tell everyone the full story and to help put her son and his friends in a more positive light. She would even go on DJ Mikogami's radio show to defend her son. She would not let her son's past define who he was now in the present. Part of writing the book involved research and interviews. That meant collecting first-hand accounts from the NEO-NUMBERS who had survived their horrific experiences while operating as GIN-SHOCKER's child soldiers.
After all the suffering they went through, climbing through the dirt to rise to where they were, they needed someone in their corner. They also had support from Inspector Akasaka of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. Shinichi worked closely with the inspector on unusual cases. He had to do it covertly since a good number of police officers would likely try to arrest him the moment they saw him. They could charge him for vigilantism, but there was no way they could hold him.
"It's a start. It's better than doing nothing," Shiori justified. "Negativity only breeds more negativity, and that's not how things are going to work. Darkness cannot overcome darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot overcome hate. Only love can do that."
"Martin Luther King Jr.," Rika said, recognizing the quote.
"I want everyone to understand him," Shiori resolved. "And this book is the first step for that to happen. I'm sure if people got to know my son like I know him, they'll know that he's not some kind of monster."
"I think it's worth a shot," said Kasai, supporting his wife. "He's done so much for the world, enough to make up for his past. It doesn't erase his crimes, but it should show that he's trying to atone for his sins."
"He's already atoned for them a long time ago," Rika stated. Shinichi came to the village as an outsider and now he was the village's hero. "And let's not forget about the NEO-NUMBERS. They all deserve to have their stories told."
"By the time I finish this book, everyone will see them as the heroes they are," Shiori affirmed.
"I don't think this is a good idea," Shinichi said reluctantly. His mother sat beside him on the sofa, holding a list of questions and a tape recorder. Rena sat on his other side so he was stuck between the two most important women in his life.
Shiori had given birth to him and Rena had been there when he was reborn.
"If we want to improve your image, Shinji, people need to know the real story," Shiori urged.
"Since you're my mother, won't you be biased?" Shinichi questioned.
"C'mon, Shin-kun," Rena encouraged, taking his hand. "Give this a chance."
"I still doubt a tell-all book will make people sympathize with us," Shinichi remarked.
"Your feedback is noted," Shiori accepted. "So are you ready?"
If Shinichi was honest, he would admit that he was not ready or happy to share. All the details of his life following his abduction and up to when he managed to escape Gebok were not for the faint of heart. He knew his mother blamed herself for his kidnapping. She believed that if she had not been late then Gebok would not have had the chance to take him. However, Shinichi knew that it would not have made much of a difference for the mad scientist. He would have found another opportunity to snatch him away from his family.
There were just some things his mother was not meant to hear and Shinichi really did not want to relive any of his days in GIN-SHOCKER so he did not want to talk about them. However, his mother thought this would help to improve his image. If she wanted to do that, he believed she could just write about all of his heroics. Instead, she wanted the full story, to make him appear as a victim who rose up against his oppressor to become a hero.
His mother was someone who firmly stuck to her decisions no matter what. She was determined to be an erotica author and became successful in sticking to her dream. So she believed this book might help her son and his friends. Shinichi was not sure but Rena thought it might be worth a shot.
Shinichi still had his doubts, but he complied with their wishes nonetheless.
"Alright, let's begin with something basic," Shiori started. "What finally made you decide to leave GIN-SHOCKER?"
And she had to start with that, didn't she? There were so many answers to that question but it had to be the one that ultimately led to him defecting. This was going to be difficult for the two of them. Shinichi was not comfortable about divulging any of what he had experienced as one of GIN-SHOCKER's child soldiers to his mother. Shiori, on the other hand, was a woman who tried to be strong when facing challenges and difficulties.
Shinichi took a deep breath. What made him decide to leave? There were tons of reasons, but there was one that became his strongest reason for leaving GIN-SHOCKER and Gebok.
"It was when I killed my first love, Lina," Shinichi confessed. The mood dropped immediately after that sentence but he still continued. "Gebok convinced me it was a training exercise. He had me shoot these training dummies. However, Lina was stuffed into one of them. I only realized it after I shot her but it was too late. That's what made me snap and I destroyed the facility during my escape."
Shinichi literally had a psychotic breakdown that day. No, that was when BLACK 13 just snapped. After that, he just wandered around until he reached Hinamizwa and became reborn.
The day BLACK 13 snapped, he became Shinichi.
With a trembling hand, Shiori paused the tape recorder. She then went and hugged her son tightly. Shinichi knew this would happen. If anybody else had interviewed them, they would be professional, but his mother didn't want someone unsympathetic to write the book. She wanted to be the one to do it for her son. However, after hearing the story, she just started crying.
"I'm so sorry," she apologized between sobs.
Shinichi hugged her back, gently rubbing her back.
"That could've turned out better," Rena remarked as they walked home together. They had consoled Shiori until she felt better before Shiori sent them away. They insisted on staying, but Shiori urged them to go, claiming she was fine.
"I know," Shinichi admitted. "I don't think Kaa-chan will be able to write that book. If she hears everything I went through, she's going to have another breakdown."
"Are any of them much worse?" Rena asked cautiously.
"When I was six years old, I was sent to infiltrate a child trafficking ring because the guy running it refused to pay GIN-SHOCKER any tribute. I killed him," Shinichi confessed. "And GIN-SHOCKER took the children."
Rena did not dare ask what GIN-SHOCKER did to the kids. She didn't have to. She could already guess what had happened to them.
"So, he made you go on missions when you were that young," Rena deduced.
"Gebok wanted to show everyone I was his 'perfect creation' and 'ultimate weapon'," Shinichi replied, doing air quotes. In a twisted way, Gebok was proud of him. "Maybe I could write the book myself and spare Kaa-chan the misery."
"That would be for the best," Rena considered his suggestion. "Hey, remember the talk we had after you came back from finally putting Gebok away?"
"After I put a stop to Gebok for good?" Shinichi remembered. "How could I forget?"
Shinichi took a deep breath before slowly putting his hand on the doorknob. He hesitated for a moment before twisting it and pushing the door open.
He had faced monsters, demons and psychopaths, but this had to be the scariest thing he had to do.
He was about to talk to his girlfriend if she still even was his girlfriend after this.
He stepped inside and closed the door behind him after he went in. There sat Rena in one of the chairs, sitting at the conference table, with a cup of tea. She heard him come inside, looked up, and stood up.
"Shin-kun," Rena said.
"Rena-chan," he responded. "How are you?"
"I'm OK. How about you? You seem to be looking well," Rena answered, her eyes glancing at his new cybernetic prosthesis.
"Oh, well, my new limbs are working fine now, thanks to the nanomachines. Really makes the connections fluid," Shinichi said as he raised his hand. He rolled his wrist and flexed his fingers.
An awkward silence passed between them for a few seconds before Shinichi spoke again.
"Rena-chan, I'm so sorry," he apologized.
"Do you really think an apology will be enough to fix this?" Rena questioned.
"Well, no."
"I gave you a chance, Shin-kun. When you left, I waited for you, and when I saw you at Alan's school festival, I was ready to forgive you because I know why you did what you did. But then you just left again, and without saying goodbye."
"I-"
"And then you nearly died, Shin-kun! I had to see your broken body and I couldn't do anything! I just kept thinking if there was anything I could've done!"
"Rena-chan-"
"Why didn't you ask me to come with you!?"
Shinichi was stunned.
"Rena-chan, you wanted to come with me?" Shinichi asked.
"Yes, I wanted to come with you," Rena said as she walked toward him. "I wanted to be there for you."
"Rena-chan, I couldn't ask you to come with me. It was too dangerous and I couldn't lose you like I lost Lina. I don't know if I could take it," Shinichi answered.
"It's worth the risk to me for me to stand by your side. Alan told me how you were acting while you were hunting Gebok. You weren't yourself. Maybe if I was there, maybe I could've helped you stay grounded," Rena explained.
"It was still too risky. Gebok already took everything from me. He took my memories, my childhood, my first love, I didn't want him to take anymore," Shinichi retorted.
"I get that but I know you would've protected me. Also, I'm not weak or helpless," Rena insisted.
"Rena-chan, you know what Gebok was - is capable of," Shinichi argued. "Even if I could protect you, he'd find a way to get to you and use you against me. I could not take that chance. Not with so much on the line."
"Then why not work with ARMOR?"
"Because they already tried everything against him. While all of their operations dismantled whatever organization he was working for, they ultimately failed to bring him in. And then Lina died again when we stormed the island, sacrificing herself to get the EMP bomb away from us. Gebok was two steps ahead of us. He was always two steps ahead. It was personal, this was something I needed to do my way."
Rena's eyes narrowed, "Something else happened to you, something you're not telling me."
Rena could always tell when her friends were lying, and she hated it when they lied to her. Of course, she had gotten better at understanding them and why people needed to lie sometimes. However, she was not going to let Shinichi go without him telling the truth.
Under her intense gaze, Shinichi's heart pounded and his lips trembled as he wanted to tell her but couldn't. However, she continued to gaze into his eyes and immediately he cracked right then and there.
"I SAW YOU ALL DIE!" Shinichi blurted out, startling Rena.
"The DHS tried to break me by forcing me to experience a time loop where I had to watch you all die, over and over and over and over..." Shinichi paused to take a deep breath. Just talking about it was painful as it reminded him of the deaths of his friends, ones that he could never forget despite them all being undone already. "And over again." He slapped his hand over his face. "Every. Single. Fucking. Time. I tried to save you all and I failed each time. And I kept failing until they decided they had their fun.
"These are the people that I'm forced to deal with. They take and break everything that I hold dear for their sick games. Everything that I love, everything that I want to protect, they see it all as nothing but breakable pawns. They think that because they have the power, they can abuse whoever they want without consequence. And they will never stop until they are dealt with. Gebok had to be stopped and I had to be the one to do it. In the end, it was me he wanted."
Rena stood silently, staring at him. Was this how Shinichi felt all the time whenever he fought against evil?
"Shin-kun...why didn't you ever tell me...?"
He clenched his fists.
"What could I say? How could I possibly tell you that there was a time loop where you died repeatedly in front of me? You honestly think it would be that easy? None of you remembers but I do. I have to remember and I can never forget. I see it in my nightmares but I keep those memories anyway because they are my burden to shoulder."
"But look at what it's cost you," Rena took his hand in hers. "Your arms, your legs..."
"I've been cybernetic for a long time now. These are just new additions," Shinichi shrugged. "I can live with that."
"But you nearly died! If your mother did not have that spare Spark Core, you wouldn't be here. And what if the next time your whole body was wrecked beyond repair? What if they had to put your brain in a robot body? Then what? Would that be worth it?"
"I've had to put up with self-righteous creeps for a long time now, Rena-chan. I'm still going to do it to protect you all, to make sure evil psychopaths like Gebok never hurt anyone again. You guys are the reason I'm me. You guys are the reason I have something to fight for, a life, and a possible future. Gebok took my childhood from me. I won't let him take anything else."
Rena's eyes welled up with tears as she went up to him and rested her forehead against his chest, her arms wrapped around him.
"You've carried a lot on your shoulders, haven't you?" Rena asked. "Like Rika-chan, you had to deal with all this all on your own."
"All the time," Shinichi whispered, "Hell, Rika-chan still had all of you, even if they were just versions of you from other timelines. And even then Hanyuu was with her the whole way. Me? I had to find out that was a mass murderer and I killed my teammates and my first girlfriend.
"Could you imagine waking up one day and finding out that you've killed a lot of people? I've got blood on my hands, Rena-chan. It doesn't do much good for your psyche when you wake up and realize what kind of monster you are. And having people come after you for revenge, spit at you, call you some really horrible names... it really makes you hate yourself. Making yourself look like you have a big ego only slightly puts the edge off you."
And honestly, he hated himself a little bit for the terrible things he had done. But if he could just do some good in the world, then maybe he could stop hating himself a little bit more.
Rena slowly wrapped her arms around his waist, her tears staining his shirt, "I'm sorry..." sobbed, "I'm so sorry..."
"I'm sorry too, for keeping things from you, and for not talking to you first," Shinichi apologized as well. "Maybe things wouldn't have gotten so crazy if I had just talked to you instead of running off."
"No," she said, shaking her head, "I get it. Lina-chan's death just really scared you. I might've done the same thing if it happened to you." That was true. Rena could be impulsive too, especially when trying to right a wrong.
"I don't want to lose anyone anymore," he said, putting his arms around her. "Not again. Not ever again."
Both stood silently together a little while longer, just holding each in silence as their relationship rekindled. Despite the past months being hard on both of them, they felt each other growing closer.
"You know, you'll need to talk to the others too."
"Will you be there with me?"
Rena smiled and looked him in the eye.
"I will. Now, how about we go home?"
"Am I still welcomed?"
"It's your home too."
Shinichi smiled and kissed her.
"That gave me a whole new perspective that I never knew was there," Rena admitted. "You've been hurting for so long that you were doing things only because you felt you had to do them and you felt you couldn't tell anyone else so you kept it bottled up. Normally I'd be pretty mad over something like that being kept from me, but you really didn't know how to talk about it. You just blurted out everything to me."
"I still wasn't in the right mindset then so I just spilt. I'm glad that I have you," Shinichi said gratefully. "I didn't even tell Alan or Yuji what I told you."
"All the more reason why I love you so much," Rena beamed as she rested her head on his shoulders. "How is everyone else doing?"
"Chiaki's gotten a lot of money from people who want to buy his wood carvings. Turns out his artwork is starting to fetch a really high price," Shinichi answered.
"That's nice," Rena smiled.
"Daichi's taking advantage of his new fame to become a death metal artist and using it to raise awareness on animal cruelty," Shinichi added. "Michiru and Hana have officially become certified nurses; Hana wants to advance to a Doctoral Degree though. Yokoshima's looking to become an actor and Shogo wants to open a museum of war memorabilia."
"And what about Misato?"
"Oh, well she's still married you know, but she's having a bit of a culture shock with Yuji's world and she still visits her dad. Last I heard, she's been working on gothic erotica novels. About vampires, of course."
"And you?" Rena asked him. "What about your plans for the future?"
"I'm thinking of seeing the world and going on adventures that don't involve world-saving. And then I figured I might become a police detective," Shinichi answered. "How about it? Would you like to come with me, Rena-chan? The little guy can come too, you know." A warm smile rested on Shinichi's face as he stroked Rena's bulging abdomen gently.
"I think he'd like that," Rena smiled back, pushing herself up to land a small peck on his cheek.
When Shinichi found out Satan was pregnant, everyone was surprised, most of all himself. He thought that the process that had turned him into a cyborg made him sterile. It turned out that was not the case.
How could Gebok overlook something like that while remodelling him into the perfect weapon? It was not like he needed Shinichi to be able to have children, right? Maybe in his twisted mind, Gebok hoped to get grandchildren. He always called him his "son" after all
He'd rather not think about that. He was glad for it, though.
He was sad for Michiru and Hana, however. Michiru was made barren by her handler. He knew about what he did to her, so he likely removed her ability to bear children to avoid inconveniences. But in a talk he had with them earlier, they considered adopting. However, Japan right now was not going to allow a lesbian couple to adopt a child but they could always go to ARMOR for help. Maybe they could even have Hana carry a baby that was made by splicing their DNA. Anything was possible.
Shinichi and the NEO-NUMBERS were participating in mandatory therapy sessions in ARMOR. There was a lot of work that needed to be done to help them recover from their experiences. While fighting evil had become therapeutic, they still needed a less violent outlet for their psychological issues.
Shinichi had found closure for the issues he had with Gebok, but there was still more work that needed to be done. Warren had him lie down on the couch since it was relaxing. Also, the scented candles and soothing music that played in the room also helped to put Shinichi in a calm state of mind, one that allowed him to be more open.
"I've always blamed myself for Tou-chan's death," Shinichi admitted to Warren.
"You didn't kill him," Warren reminded.
"I might as well have. He was trying to find me and look where his search led him: to an early grave. Then there's the grief that caused Kaa-chan."
"It's understandable after losing both her son and husband."
"Well, she found me but there's no way of bringing Tou-chan back. Knowing I was indirectly responsible for his death is just a bit much for me."
"You can't forgive yourself for it."
"No, and I doubt I ever will, but I've accepted the fact that people just die around me."
"That's not healthy." Warren frowned.
"That's the truth. I mean, I can remember all their faces, you know. I even had a chance to change all that."
"You told me about it. Your friends found a time-displaced version of yourself as a child."
"That's right. He was an innocent little kid and instead of trying to save him, I put him back in Gebok's path, on a road full of pain and misery." Shinichi covered his face. "I can't believe I did that to myself."
"You did what you had to do. You becoming a Rider-"
"Is a 'fixed point' in time, I know," Shinichi interrupted. "God, I hate it. I hate it that if I try to change my past, I might end up destroying the whole space-time continuum. I hate that even when I have all this power that I can't fix everything. Even when I have so much power, I somehow always end up losing."
"That's the burden we all share, Shinichi. We all have so much power but we can't abuse it, even if we have the best of intentions. We need to be mindful of the consequences as with great power comes great responsibility," Warren said sympathetically.
"You know, I used to resent you after I found out I was your kid. You have this whole agency that can affect time and space in the Multiverse but you did nothing to change my fate. I realize it's not that easy," Shinichi said to Warren. "You had to make a choice."
"Not a day passes by that I don't think about what I could've done to help you, Shinichi. I know there's nothing I can do to change your past, but at least I can help you make a better future for yourself."
"It's my past that's the problem. Now that my identity has been revealed, there are people out there who are literally out to get me because I burned their homes and families or whatever I did when I was BLACK 13. How long do you think it will take for the people who want revenge on me to find me? They know they can't hurt me so they'll try to come after the people I care about to make me feel a fraction of the pain I have inflicted on them. What do you think that does to you?"
"You feel powerless," Warren concluded.
"Funny, isn't it? I have the power to control time itself, but I still feel powerless when confronted by the consequences of my sins."
"Well, the good thing is that you don't have to deal with this alone," Warren reminded. "You've got a support system to lift you up when you feel down so don't feel afraid to depend on others... and as you know, you've always got me. I may be your boss, but I still view you as one of my kids. And I'd do anything for my kids."
Shinichi stiffened slightly, "...I know."
The Witches of the Metaverse watched over the world but they were not guardians. These immortal beings simply saw the world as their own personal playground and its inhabitants their playthings in order to alleviate the boredom that threatened their lives.
And yes, being literally bored to death was a thing.
Bernkastel and Lambdadelta once played a game in Hinamizawa where Rika Furude would try to change her fate. Rika had to relive her death in hundreds of timelines, fighting her fate before finally getting her happy ending.
Beatrice had also played a game with the Ushiromiya family on Rokkenjima that had her challenge Battler to solve his family's murder. With the conclusion of the game, the murders never happened as a result.
Then there was the most recent game involving Shinichi Sanban-Banabara. Now his life had been plenty entertaining for the witches.
But Frederica Bernkastel saw him as a threat. Despite her resemblance to Rika and being born from her resolve to change her fate, Bernkastel did not have any affection for her counterpart's adoptive older brother. She saw what his powers could do. In using them, he had drawn power from the many timelines Rika had created, erasing them as a result.
It was why Bernkastel wanted him gone. However, she begrudgingly accepted that he was needed. She did not have to like it, but his existence was necessary. He was a fixed point in time, and trying to mess with that had dire consequences to the space-time continuum. Connected timelines could collapse entirely and there would be nothing she could do.
So she let him be but still kept a close eye on him.
He was also under the protection of the Golden/Endless Witch Beatrice and former Endless Witch Virgilia as he was the father of Hiroyuki Furio Banabara, a child he had sired with the Stake of Wrath Satan. Despite her title, Satan was a loving mother and the other Stakes doted upon their nephew. Beatrice had claimed the role of grandmother. Thus, Shinichi was now untouchable as Bernkastel could not risk incurring the wrath of two powerful witches.
There was also the fact that Topper seemed to have developed a liking toward Shinichi. Of course, this was compared to liking a favourite movie or TV show. Shinichi was just so entertaining. She was a patient witch, however. She had to be due to how long-lived she was.
She remembered some time ago when she had trapped him in a dream realm with cognitive constructs of his worst enemies and left him in only his classic armour along with his limited abilities. Unfortunately, the scenario had not ended the way she had planned. Somehow, he had unlocked a new form that allowed him to overcome her challenge. What irked her most of all was that she was the one to trigger it. She was lucky she was alone then because the incident made her go into an unsightly tantrum that Lambadetla would definitely use as blackmail. Still, there was always a chink in the armour. She would find a way to be rid of the tumour. After all, there were plenty of people who hated Shinichi and while she could not directly take any action against him, she could influence others to do the work for her. She would not need to get her hands dirty.
At the moment, she was having tea and playing Cluedo with Lambdadelta. However, the game they were playing was based on the Rokkenjima Murders. While the murders had been undone, they had technically happened in different timelines.
"It was Rudolph, with the poisoned candy, in the dining hall," Lambdadelta concluded.
"Nope, try again," Bernkastel giggled.
"Are you messing with me?" Lambdadelta glared.
"Would I?" Bernkastel asked rhetorically. She took a cushion to the face.
"You are a troll." Lambdadelta had a cushion thrown in her face in retaliation.
Their game room was normally warded from intruders so they did not notice as a dark shadowy mist began to seep in through the walls and door. Black wispy tendrils were converging on the two witches as they had a pillow fight with cushions.
Shinichi put his jacket back on in Dr. Hasuma's medical office.
"So, how's my physical?" Shinichi asked.
"It's fine," Dr. Hasuma confirmed. "But you should get Dr. Magi to look over your cybernetics and do some maintenance."
"Yeah, it has been a while," Shinichi admitted as he flexed his fingers. With the artificial skin covering, his limbs looked normal, but under the surface they were mechanical.
"You know, you should schedule your son for his vaccination shots. I know he's a magical half-demon, but the flu can hit anyone. Not to mention measles and all those diseases that you don't want your kids to catch," Dr. Hasuma advised.
"I'll talk to Satan about it," Shinichi replied.
"So, how was your talk with Warren?" Dr. Hasuma asked.
"I think what we discussed is between him and me."
"Yes, of course. I'm just curious, that's all. You haven't had a very easy life, so I was just concerned. Never mind. Just forget it."
After a few seconds of silence, Shinichi spoke.
"It's just that, ever since my secret identity got out, people have been looking at me differently," Shinichi began. "It's like they expect me to snap or something."
"Or they are curious. You are a cyborg superhero," Dr. Hasuma replied.
"Yeah, but people like DJ Mikogami don't seem to think so," Shinichi frowned.
"You know, back in my world, there is this guy called G. Gordon Godfrey who made it his career to criticise superheroes, especially metahumans and aliens. He's a pretty controversial figure who can't resist smearing the reputation of superheroes," Dr. Hasuma informed him.
"He sounds like a jerk."
"Yes, he is. Even after his show got moved to a later time slot, he still found a way to spread his beliefs. Fortunately, nobody takes him seriously anymore."
"So, I should just ignore DJ Mikogami?" Shinichi asked.
"Yes and just keep doing what you're doing," Dr. Hasuma advised. "Show everyone that you're not BLACK 13 anymore. Show them that you are a hero. Become a beacon of hope and inspire them."
"That's...easier said than done," Shinichi sighed. "It's like they're waiting for me to mess up, to prove that I'm no different from who I was before. I'm sure Warren's already told you about some riots breaking out in a few countries over how we were never officially indicted for our crimes. Thank god for the Statute of Limitations at least."
"It's the price you pay for taking this path. The life of a hero will always throw challenges in your way. What matters is how you deal with it all. Just remember who you are and don't let how other people see you or judge you burden you so much. Anyway, you should head on to the cafeteria or something. I have another appointment."
Shinichi was in the cafeteria staring at the bagel on his plate. He had gotten it and a cup of coffee, like Dr. Hasuma had advised.
Shinichi was accustomed to keeping things to himself and that was the problem. He just bottled everything up, suppressing trauma and repressing memories. It was how he coped. He never even thought about therapy. It never came up and he thought he was over it.
Well, here he was, attending mandatory sessions with Warren. It was part of his probation after he went rogue. These sessions allowed him to talk and reflect with Warren acting as a soundboard. He was honestly reluctant at first, but his mother had urged him to do it. It was something he needed.
Over time, he grew comfortable with these sessions. Warren was a good listener and it felt food to get things off his chest. Even Dr. Hasuma kept his door open, making him feel welcome. He was a kind man who Shinichi could just talk with during his medical exam. He also gave good advice and never judged him for his past.
What Warren and Dr. Hasuma had told him made sense. They were right. The life of a hero was not easy so he was lucky that he did not have to go through it all alone. He had his friends and family to back him up.
He was going to be OK.
All of a sudden, in a flash of gold, Satan appeared before him. She hovered over his table, looking straight at him.
"Satan?" Shinichi asked and he saw she was alarmed.
"Come with me!" she said urgently as she went and grabbed his arm, spiriting them both away instantly in a flash of gold.
His bagel and coffee were left behind. Prof. Takada walked by and saw them left there. Looking around to see no one watching, he took them for himself and walked on like nothing happened.
Shinichi reappeared in Beatrice's mansion with Satan. He had gotten used to the trips to the Metaverse but she could've given him a bit more warning.
"What's wrong?" Shinichi asked her. "Is it Hiro? Has something happened to him?"
"No, Hiro's fine," Satan assured him.
"OK, that's good," Shinichi responded, sounding relieved. "So, what's wrong?"
"It's Beatrice-sama."
Now, while Shinichi and Beatrice did not have the best relationship since the Eternal Witch had tried to play a game with him and his team by pitting them against the Seven Stakes of Purgatory, he would still offer to help her. She would begrudgingly accept his help as well as she was essentially his mother-in-law.
"Take me to her," Shinichi said and Satan grabbed his hand to fly him over to where Beatrice was. "So, how's Hiro been doing?"
"He's fine," Satan said. "He's already starting to learn how to teleport."
"Really?" Shinichi sounded amused as he imagined Satan trying to catch a teleporting baby.
"Yeah," Satan smiled fondly. Being a mother had mellowed her out a bit while making her even more protective of her family. "OK, we're here."
They stood before the door to Beatrice and Battler's bedroom. Satan knocked on it. It did not take long for Battler to answer.
"Oh, it's you," Battler smiled. "Come in."
Shinichi entered and saw Beatrice lying in her bed. Instead of the haughty and proud woman he was used to, he saw a frail and sickly person lying in her bed. She was in her bedclothes, lying under the covers, with her long hair spread out around her head. She also looked pale, extremely pale, unhealthily pale.
"What's wrong with her?" Shinichi asked as he walked over to get a better look at her.
"We don't know," Battler confessed. "We were playing chess when I needed to use the bathroom. When I came back, she was like this." Battler had found her lying on the floor, unconscious, but still alive. "Ronove says she's been drained of her magic."
"He's right," Dreigon said in Shinichi's mind. "The witch's magic has been drained."
"How can I help?" Shinichi asked.
"You have time powers, right? You can reverse this," Battler pleaded. "Please."
Shinichi could see Battler's desperation, and how helpless he felt. While this was not the same Battler on his team, he could not ignore a plea for help.
"I'll try my best," Shinichi said and he put his hand over Beatrice. A holographic clock face appeared over her and the hands began to turn counter-clockwise, showing that time was reversing. However, it was not working and the clock shattered as its pieces faded.
"What?" Battler gasped.
"It didn't work," Shinichi hissed as his hand stung. "Whatever did this made sure I couldn't undo it."
"Then what good are you!?" Battler snapped and then he quickly apologized. "I'm sorry. Sorry. I'm just worried about Beato, you know."
"I understand," Shinichi said sympathetically as he put a hand on Battler's shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm going to figure this out. Trust me." He looked at Beatrice and frowned. A witch's magic was their life force. Without it, Beatrice would start to show her actual age. She was supposedly thousands of years old.
Already, the colour of her hair was starting to dull.
Shinichi and Satan went to Beatrice's game room to investigate as this was where it happened.
"This is where it happened, right?" Shinichi asked as he studied the room.
"Yes, but what are you going to do?" Satan asked.
Shinichi scanned the room to look for clues. Whatever had attacked Beatrice must've left some kind of trace. It was all a matter of finding it. With no witnesses or any other leads, that was all he could do. He walked over to the chessboard and brushed his fingers against it.
"Whatever attacked Beatrice was targeting her specifically, waiting for Battler to leave the room so she would be alone before it could strike. She never saw it coming."
"That's impossible." Satan could not believe it. "Nothing should be able to enter this place without Beatrice-sama knowing."
"Nothing's impossible," Shinichi argued. "Whatever did this knew how to get in and out without being noticed and got what it wanted. If it was after Beatrice then it must've gone after the others as well."
"Virgilia-sama..." Satan realized.
"C'mon, we should go and find them before it's too late," Shinichi said urgently. Satan was out the door before he was when it suddenly slammed shut in his face, knocking him to the floor. "Oof!"
"Huh?" Satan spun around to see the door had closed by itself.
Shinichi grabbed the handle to try and open the door, but it was sealed shut.
"OK, Satan, very funny. Now, please, open the door!" Shinichi called. As he was trying to get the door open, dark tendrils began to seep through the floor and climb up his legs. He felt a chill and looked down at the dark tendrils that were on his legs and climbing up his body. "Shit! Shit! Shit!"
Satan was on the other side, pounding on the door. "Shinichi!" She tried to teleport in but some unknown force blocked her entry. "I'm going to get you out!" She conjured her energy sword to slice open the door. "Beatrice-sama is going to kill me for this! Worth it!"
Inside the game room, the dark tendrils had already climbed up his body and dragging him into the dark mass under his feet. He turned his hands into blasters and fired at the dark mass, but they had no effect. He sank like he was standing in quicksand.
"Crap! Crap! Shit!" Shinichi struggled but more dark tendrils grabbed him and dragged him deeper into the murky darkness. His head popped out for a moment before he was pulled right back in. The dark mass soon vanished, like it was never there.
Satan sliced the door to pieces and burst right in.
"Shinichi!" she cried but found no sign of him. "Shinichi? Where are you!?"
Shinichi gasped for air when he regained consciousness as he scrambled back to his feet. Immediately, he went on high alert, his arms transformed into high energy blasters which hummed with power. He found himself in an unnaturally dark place. It was dark since he was surrounded by nothing but complete blackness from every direction and yet he could still see his limbs pretty clearly despite the lack of any light.
Had the shadows dragged him to this place, this shadow realm?
"OK, whoever or whatever you are, If you wanted to grab me, why didn't you just grab me someplace else? Why wait until I came to the metaverse?" Shinichi questioned before he answered his own question. "Unless your powers don't work outside the metaverse. You had to lure me here."
"Fine. I'll let you think that," a disembodied voice with a thick African accent spoke.
Shinichi pointed his blasters in front of him as the voice came from everywhere at once, making it difficult for him to pinpoint.
"Show yourself with your hands, tentacles, claws or whatever limbs you have up!" Shinichi ordered as his eyes darted about.
"...I don't have anything against you. In fact, it's quite the opposite. But I cannot allow you, you who have magical knowledge that rivals that of my former comrades, to interfere." An ornate staff with a large glowing stone shimmering in the centre appeared above him from the darkness, shimmering waves over him, "Why don't you... take a nap?"
"Wha...?" was all Shinichi managed to get out before he felt his consciousness abandon him. His legs began to collapse, as his body flopped back into a pair of slender chocolate-coloured arms. The owner of the arms gave him a gentle pat on the head before laying him down to sleep peacefully.
"Poor child. All this time you've been nothing but a pawn in a cruel game played by so many. Do not worry, though. Soon, it will be all over."
Satan was furious but she was also worried. She had just lost Shinichi. She did not know where he had gone but she did know who she could call for help. As the metaverse was connected to so many other universes, it was only a simple matter of appearing where she needed to go.
In Yuji's universe, the Manakyte was in the middle of testing a new Duel Runner as he raced around a track. It had decent speed but he needed to go faster so be accelerated. All of a sudden, Satan appeared in his path. He panicked and quickly swerved out of the way, barely missing her before hitting the brakes.
"Satie?" Yuji asked as he removed his helmet and dismounted, walking up to her. "Satie, not that I don't appreciate these surprise visits, but what are you doing here?" He soon noticed how panicked she looked. "What's wrong?"
"It's Shinichi, Onii-sama. He's in trouble," Satan told him.
"Excuse me!" Misato jogged over. "What's the big idea of showing up like that?"
Satan looked at Misato. "Ugh, fine. Guess you'll be coming along too." She grabbed hold of their arms and, without warning, teleported away with them.
Yuji, Misato and Satan reappeared in Beatrice's game room. They also saw that they were not alone.
"Hey, Yuji! Misato!" Yokoshima approached with Asmodeus. "Long time no see!"
"Hey, Yokoshima," Yuji smiled as he shared a high-five with the Blue Beetle. Asmodeus hugged him. "Nice to see you too, Asmo."
"Nice to see you too, Onii-sama," Asmodeus smiled.
Yuji spotted the rest of the NEO-NUMBERS, smiling at both Michiru and Hana who smiled back at him. "Hey, girls."
Misato glowered and lightly elbowed Yuji for trying to flirt with her ex-teammates.
"So, could you tell us what the hell is going on?" Daichi demanded grumpily. He had been in the middle of rehearsing with his band when Satan just snatched him. Leviathan had come along since she had been watching.
"That's what I want to know too," Misato agreed.
"I dunno," Yuji said. "Satie was the one who brought us here. She said Shinichi was in trouble."
Satan reappeared in the room and with her was Alan Smith, aka the Green Sentinel. He looked the same as before, sporting a green jacket with the Green Lantern symbol on the back, blue jeans and sneakers.
"Shinichi's in trouble, isn't he?" Alan guessed as he saw that his brother was absent. "Crap, it's happening already."
"What's happening? This happened before?" Yuji asked, looking suspicious.
"Yes... no..." Alan shook his head, "This... this didn't happen before... actually, this wasn't supposed to happen at all."
"Make some fucking sense, Smith!" Daichi snapped.
Alen sighed. He knew he was going to have to explain this. He just wished he didn't have to.
"Alright, remember when me and my girls came over to visit you guys years ago? Apparently... I wasn't supposed to do that. The timeline ended up changing... because of me."
"I'm guessing that's bad?" Yokoshima questioned.
"At first, the effects weren't that noticeable, but then time began to shift and change because of anomalies. Events that were never meant to happen started to happen. For instance, there wasn't supposed to be an X-SHOCKER. Shinichi would have never gone on his rampage and ended up getting robotic limbs. The Orochi wasn't even supposed to be revived."
"I'm guessing the Cybermen and the DALEKs weren't supposed to exist in the original timeline either," Yuji stated.
"I screwed up," Alan admitted, nodding guiltily, "I royally screwed up time."
"Look, so maybe the timeline has changed. But if Shinichi's in trouble, then we're going to save him," Yuji said encouragingly.
"He disappeared right here in this room," Satan informed them. "After Beatrice-sama was attacked, I went to get Shinichi to see if he could help her."
"And so whoever attacked her must've been the same person that kidnapped Shinichi," Shogo concluded. "They must've really planned this out, whoever they are. They must've known that Shinichi's magical knowledge was on par with the witches. The only question now is who is the culprit."
"Gebok!" Yokoshima accused. "It's gotta be Gebok again!"
"He's locked up, remember?" Misato reminded. "And he's a brain in a jar, so he can't really do anything to us anymore."
"It was Zawadi, the Witch of Calamity."
The group turned as a familiar voice cut into the room. They saw Battler walking toward them, with Beatrice being supported in his arms.
"Aunty B," Yuji said in relief, going up to them. "You OK?"
"I'm fine... Yuji..." Beatrice replied, looking short of breath, "Having magic stolen from you is not very pleasant. Guess you'll have to call me 'Granny B' from now on."
"C'mon, you don't look that old," Yuji said jokingly.
"You mentioned someone named Zawadi before," Alan said sternly. "Who is she?"
"As I said before, she's the Witch of Calamity," Beatrice repeated. "If it helps, you can consider her a mistress of destruction."
"How come I never heard of her?" Yuji asked.
"Because she is what you would consider a rogue witch," Beatrice replied. "To put simply, while most of us witches view humans as playthings, Zawadi still retained much of her humanity and despised us for our way of thinking. We in turn couldn't understand why she didn't see mortals as a means for entertainment. She was a resident of the Meta World for several hundred years and tolerated us as we tolerated her, but the final straw came after the first round of my Rokkenjima Murder game where I succeed in killing everyone. She left in disgust after that, and we have never heard from her since."
"Until now," Alan concluded, "Do you think that her stealing your magic has to do with the Rokkenjima Murder game?"
"Perhaps," Beatrice said after thinking it over, "She must want us to experience the feeling of helplessness that we put our victims through previously. It's not uncommon for witches to do something shady like this. I don't know how the boy fits into whatever she's planning, however."
"Maybe she just wants to have a boy toy on the side," Daichi joked. His face paled as soon as he said that, "Oh crap, if she is then we're screwed."
"Shinichi has a bit more self-control than that," Alan defended.
"A cleaver-wielding country girl, a princess, a demon, and a moon goddess," Daichi listed with his fingers.
"There was an Earthbound Goddess that tried to get in his pants once. He flatly turned her down," Alan deadpanned. "And way before then there was a woman named Cobalt Claw that tried to seduce him, but Shinichi can't stand try-hards. And let's not forget Misato."
"Ugh... alright, you wouldn't lie about that," Daichi admitted begrudgingly, not noticing Misato narrowing her eyes in silence when Alan said that, "But seriously, that guy thinks with the brain in his pants half the time."
"Please stop insulting my husband's libido, or I'll have to show Levi here a new meaning of the phrase 'giving head'," Satan growled, a magic blade appearing on her hand.
"Alright, break it up," Lucifer interrupted, casting a look at Satan to make her banish her blade. "And Satan, you've been spending way too much time with that idiot." Satan shot back a glare at her. She never understood why her eldest sister was so hostile to Shinichi. She was nice enough to everyone else. "The important thing now is to find out why Zawadi-sama decided to come back after so long, and what she's planning."
"It's not going to be easy," Belphegor chimed in, "She was powerful before, but she now has the magic of the others. Between Beatrice-sama and Virgilia-sama's Golden Magic, and Bernkastel-sama's Miracle Magic..."
"She may as well be able to control reality at a whim," Hana finished.
"OK, I just got chills..." Yokoshima shuddered.
"Let's not forget that Shinichi can control time," Chiaki reminded everyone. "What if Zawadi took him because she needs that?"
"All Shinichi has ever done with that power is freeze, slow down, speed up and reverse time," Daichi listed. "And he hasn't used it that often recently."
"Only because of the amount of energy he needs to harness that power," Beatrice spoke up as Battler sat her in a chair. "Bernkastel once told me that whenever Shinichi uses his 'Return to the Past', he's using energy from a parallel timeline to fuel his powers. Then that timeline collapses."
"Wait, so whenever he goes back 24 hours, a timeline collapses?" Alan asked. "How many timelines has he collapsed?"
"The Endless June," Chiaki stated. "Remember? Hanyuu told me how she and Rika were trying to change her fate. Each time she died, Hanyuu would take Rika back in time and plant her consciousness into a past version of herself. This then creates a new timeline and Rika's made several hundred before she won."
"It's why Bernkastel wanted Shinichi dead. She didn't like how he was destroying those timelines, even though they were Bad End timelines," Battler added.
Alan's eyes narrowed angrily. "That bitch..." He had never liked Bernkastel. The Witch of Miracles was a cold hag who revelled in the suffering of others, and flippantly waved him off when he confronted her on it at one point. He always knew she had it out for Shinichi, but to hear it was because he was unconsciously undoing the timelines where Himawazawa ended up destroyed just made him despise her a bit more. He opened his mouth to continue the conversation, but his sensitive Kryptonian ears soon picked up a sound. The sound of something icky and crawling. Something that could easily be described as 'ear rape'.
"Alan?" Yuji blinked, noticing a disgusted look crossing Alan's face as he held his ears, "What is it?"
"I hear it too," Daichi spoke up. Everyone looked at him and he gave an annoyed look, "Sound cyborg, remember? My ears are as sharp as Smith's, and then some." He pointed at his ears. "And whatever took Shinichi is still here!"
Everyone tensed when he said that. The Stakes quickly got out their swords, all hovering around Beatrice as a protective barrier. The cyborgs were also battle-ready, summoning their weapons to deal with whatever threat that would appear.
"Scanning for threats," the Scarab spoke to his host, Yokoshima. Alan's ring glowed as it scanned all around the room as he tried to find the intruder, levitating around to do it. To his frustrations, he was found next to nothing.
"There is something very wrong here," Shogo said, keeping his eyes fixed on the area. "All the witches were already drained of their magic. And she even took Shinichi. What else could possibly be left here for her to take?"
Misato went into deep thought, trying to figure out Shogo's riddle. Then she got her answer, and her eyes widened.
"Oh shit!" she swore before looking to her husband. "Babe, you need to go! Run! Right now!"
"Misato? What is it?" Yuji asked, looking back at her.
"Don't you remember? On that day when you rescued me and beat Anastasia, you stole her magic! That makes you the second Witch of Terror!" she reminded him, her eyes turning urgent, "Zawadi is coming for you!"
"I brought her what she wanted," Satan realized with dread.
Before anyone could react, Yuji's shadow began to stretch and shadowy tendrils lashed out at his back. Before he could react, the tendrils grabbed his arms, legs, and neck, lifting him up as he struggled to break free.
"Oh shit! Oh, fuck me!" Yuji swore, looking at the tendrils latched onto his body, "I've seen enough hentai to know where this is headed!"
"Onii-sama!" the Stakes of Purgatory screamed and went to help him but shadowy tendrils struck and pinned them to the walls.
"Damn it! Not this time!" Battler summoned his magic to shoot the tendrils holding Yuji.
"NEO-NUMBERS, attack!" Shogo ordered and the cyborgs lunged forward. Unfortunately for them, black tendrils grabbed them and pulled them to the ceiling and they were stuck to it like flies to a web.
Hana did not fail to see the irony in her case.
The tendrils flashed and began to suck out the magic power from Yuji's body. He gave out a loud scream of agony as magic was being drained from him through the tendrils.
"Let him go, damn you!" Misato shouted, pulling out her Bloody Rapiers. Alan joined her side and had his Kusanagi in his hand. Both flew to cut the tendrils away but were caught in the trap and thrown into the web with the NEO-NUMBERS.
"Yokoshima, have I ever told you how much I hate magic?" he spouted sarcastically.
"Every time magic stumps you," Yokoshima answered, trying to pull his arms out of the web.
"Then let me say it again: I seriously hate magic!" Alan snapped.
Misato struggled left and right as she tried to rip the tendrils from her arms. As she did, she idly noticed something below them. Surrounded by a mass of shadows, there was a large black lion. Its fur was black as night while its mane shimmered in exotic purple and its eyes glowed bright gold.
"...Do not interfere," she heard the lion speak. Then it sank to the floor as if it melted. The tendrils that held Yuji vanished in a black mist, having successfully drained him of his magic. The Manakyte crumpled on the ground, completely unconscious. The Stakes of Purgatory were released at the same time as the NEO-NUMBERS who cried out as they plummeted to the floor.
"Yuji!" Misato climbed to her feet and rushed to her husband. He checked for a pulse and was relieved to see that he was still alive. "Oh, thank goodness."
"Everyone OK?" Shogo asked his comrades as he helped Satan up.
"We're fine," Michiru confirmed.
"Nobody's hurt. We were just restrained," Hana said as she knelt beside Yuji to check him too. While Yuji was alive, he seemed pale.
Alan took out his sonic screwdriver to perform a medical scan on Yuji. "He's fine, just drained," Alan concluded but that was pretty obvious. "It will be a while before he wakes up again."
"This is all my fault," Satan said regretfully. "I forgot Onii-sama could use a witch's magic. I led him into a trap."
"You couldn't have known she would go after Yuji," Beatrice told her.
"But I did bring him here."
"This was a setup," Misato said with cold fury. "She kidnapped Shinichi knowing you'd bring Yuji. But it's not your fault." Oh, she wanted to kill the witch that did this to her husband.
"OK, so one of our heaviest hitters is down," Daichi remarked. "So now what? How are we going to find Shinichi and save him?"
"I might know a way," Battler said, "My magic might not be as potent as Beato's but I can still use it to find where Zawadi is hiding and take you all there."
"And my ring locked on to her magical signature," Alan added, "It will give us an easier time to locate her."
"She resides in her own pocket dimension, known as the Netherverse," Beatrice informed them, "The easiest way to describe it is that it is very much an anti-metaverse; a dimension of darkness and chaos where nothing makes sense. Are you sure you'll be able to find her? And what happens when you do? In her realm, she's all-powerful since it's an extension of herself. And with all the powers she has taken from us, there's no telling how much stronger she has grown."
Shogo summarized, "So we'll be entering behind enemy lines where she'll have the home-field advantage."
"But we can't let her get away with all this," Alan argued.
"We're not and I understand that you're worried but if we don't prepare then we'll be walking into a trap and then there's no saving Shinichi."
Alan took in a deep breath to calm down. "...I need to get some air." He stepped out of the room to straighten his thoughts. He knew he was being way too emotional. After all, Shinichi was his brother. Just because he had all this power, that did not mean he could just go in, guns blazing, and hope for the best. Even luck could only take him so far.
Zawadi was a witch and magic was unpredictable. Granted, he was with a sorceress, but he still did not fully understand how magic worked. And with the power of all the meta-witches, Zawadi was likely the strongest witch they were going to face.
"You OK?" Bazel asked from Alan's wrist.
"Yes," Alan lied before he amended, "No, no, I'm not."
"I can tell."
"Of course you can coz of our bond."
"Need some advice?"
"Honestly, I could use someone to talk to."
"This isn't going to be like how you went and saved Amora. You might have a TARDIS that can get you there but if this Zawadi is really that powerful then you're going to have to learn anything you can about her to get an advantage."
"Know thy enemy, is that it?"
"Pretty much." Bazel would've shrugged his shoulders if he had any. "I'm betting this place has a library where you can look up stuff on Zawadi. Then when we go meet her, we can talk and negotiate before you start punching her."
"You think there would be any information on her?" Alan asked, "From what Beatrice told us, she wasn't very well-liked around here."
"Well, I think you know a certain top hat who might have info on her."
Alan's frown deepened. Oh, he knew about Topper Liquer, aka the Infernal Merchant. He was infamous and on a special list in ARMOR. While dangerous, he was mostly benign who kept to himself and did not cause trouble. However, he was also a hedonistic being who was not unlike the witches who desired entertainment. Humans were his favourite playthings as he made deals with them despite knowing they would eventually break the contract or rules he had set just to enjoy the aftermath.
Topper might know something about Zawadi but he would not give up that information for free. He would want something in exchange and have Alan sign a contract with him. Alan dreaded to wonder what Topper would want from him.
But at this point, they didn't have much of a choice.
END OF ACT 1
KRC: Kamen Rider Chrome here and it looks like we are starting a new Kamen Rider Showa saga. Now, when I originally started Kamen Rider Showa, it was because of Decade and since I was into Higurashi and it involved a time loop, I made a Rider with time powers who could become every main Showa Rider. He was supposed to be the only Rider but to flesh out GIN-SHOCKER, I introduced other cyborg child soldiers, the NUMBERS who started as foes but then half the group became allies and friends. Now, the issue here is that by KRxGL, the NEO-NUMBERS were reduced to minor roles. To put it bluntly, they slowly degraded into Yamchas and fought no-name C-Class comic book villains that none of you guys probably remember. I also did not fully explore their trauma, though I did write about it on occasion. I have not fully gone in-depth with the psychological ramifications of such a life. They were forced to become child soldiers and were cybernetically altered. That can give anyone PTSD. So, this revival series will focus more on the NUMBERS. That was my error. Shinichi is still the main character but the NUMBERS will no longer be minor characters.
Speaking of Shinichi, this series will explore the true origins of his powers. They are not genetic and Gebok did not develop them. It seems to be something more cosmic and...oops, spoilers.
We are also gonna explore more of Shinichi's past. There are some things he has kept to himself...out of shame.