Chapter 8: The Perfect White Rider
"That was an odd one," Reimu put her head down onto the table, tired out. A few days had passed, and their most recent case had netted them the Himiko Eyecon, as well as Musashi's and Robin Hood's respect. "I never want to see another Cossack dance again."
"I'll be hearing Russian music in my head for the next week," Takeru moaned.
"That bad?" Makoto asked, pulling up a chair. Akari and Onari were arguing again, this time about the nature of the afterlife. They walked in, glaring, as their foreheads ground against the other.
"Yeah," Reimu moaned. "Freaking Vodka Ganma."
"Vodka?" Onari and Akari ceased their gripping for the time being.
"Yeah," she said. "He was Russian, so the Vodka Ganma." Takeru nodded at her sentiment.
"Ah, I see," Makoto agreed.
"Uh, isn't that racist?" Akari asked.
"How so?" The rest of the company present tilted their heads.
"You know, by stereotyping an entire race of humans?" Akari asked incredulously. "Seriously, I know Japan's not the best with this stuff, but come on, guys."
"Pshaw," Onari said. "You say the strangest things, Akari." Reimu and Makoto nodded in agreement.
"Really, you guys?"
"You would have understood if you had saw him," Takeru said.
"You're hopeless," Akari decided. "In any case, I'm off to go research the Monolith some more. There's got to be something I can find." With a huff, she turned and walked away.
"What's her deal?" Reimu asked.
"I think she's part Russian," Takeru said. "Her dad was half or something. Or maybe that was "
"Is that why I keep on finding bottles of Kissui in the basement?" Onari asked.
"That might be Sage. Oooor you might be right," Takeru admitted.
After an awkward moment of silence, Makoto spoke up. "So we have a total of thirteen Eyecons?" he asked.
Reimu nodded, placing the brightly-colored orbs on the table. "Musashi, Edison, Robin Hood, Newton, Beethoven, Billy the Kid, Benkei, Goemon, Ryoma, and Himiko," she said.
"And I have Nobunaga, Tutankhamun, and Houdini," Specter said, following her lead. "That just leaves the two you said were taken by the Ganma Superior—Javert." He looked up in thought. "You certainly have a lot, huh."
"Jealous?" she smirked. "Actually, we were thinking of collaborating our Eyecons together. That way we could all use whatever we needed for the situation."
"Sounds like a plan," Makoto said. "Though I don't think Houdini will work for you. He's stubborn, and needs to get to know you first. He also requires a bike," he said as an afterthought.
Takeru thought for a second. "You know, can Reimu use the Specter Eyecon and you use the Watashi one?"
"I'm not sure," Specter admitted. "Want to try?"
"Sure," Reimu said, summoning her Driver. She tossed the Self Eyecon to Makoto who gave her Specter. "Henshin!" she said, loading the Eyecon with Makoto following suit.
To their mild surprise, they both managed to transform. Reimu now donned a slightly more feminine version of the Specter armor, while Makoto's Ghost was a broader version of Reimu's form.
"Hey, it worked!" Takeru cheered. Onari, who had left to get the Spider Lantern, came back and shone the light, making them visible.
"It feels . . . different," Reimu said, admiring her form. "I feel stronger and heavier. Kinda like a big rock."
"I feel lighter," Makoto said, doing a few hops. "I can understand why you prefer to hang back."
"Want to spar a bit?" Reimu asked. "You know, to try things out."
"Sure."
The company made their way out to the clearing in front of the temple. They took up opposite fighting stances across the wayside. "Ready?" Makoto asked.
"Yeah," Reimu answered.
"Begin!" Onari announced.
Reimu made the first move. She rushed at Makoto, aiming for a punch . . . only to trip and stumble. "You okay there?" Makoto asked, helping her up.
"Ugh. You're too clumsy," she complained, standing up. She walked over to her side of the field. "You need to lose some weight, you know?"
Behind his mask, Makoto rolled his eyes. "Fine, my turn." He charged, launching a kick . . . only to go soaring past her and into a wall.
"You're too light," he muttered. "How can you even stay on the ground? You need to eat more."
"Hey!"
The two eventually got used to each other's forms, getting a feel for their new armors as Takeru wrote down notes. Things were settled with a half-hearted Omega Drive from each side, knocking them back enough to slam into the courtyard walls.
"Ow, okay," Reimu grumbled. "Let's not do that again."
"I concur." Makoto winced as he stood, clutching his side. "It's one thing to get hit by a Drive in the middle of battle—another to get hit by one in practice."
"Iiiidiots!" Yurusen poofed into view, taunting. "That's why you don't use Drives haphazardly! You're gonna be feeling it later~"
"Aw, shut up," Reimu griped, hobbling over to the steps. As she and Makoto sat down, wincing, Takeru asked, "Hey, Yurusen. I've been watching these guys transform for a bit, now. What's the deal with those sliding faceplates?"
"You mean the Persona?" the eyeball spirit floated over to the ghost hunter. "The Persona slides over the Transient's face."
"What?" The three looked at her, confused."
"You guys don't know any of this, huh?" Yurusen chuckled smugly. "The Transient is the base form for the Ghost and Specter armor. It really just serves as a conduit for the Parka Ghost's power, which is why a Persona fits on top of it—it kinda locks it into place. That's why you feel a rush of energy when the mask slides on. It's giving you the power." She turned to Reimu. "Reimu, yours is called the Persona Pantheon. Makoto, yours is the Persona Berserk."
"Berserk?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah. 'Cuz Specter gets stronger with emotions and stuff. And Ghost is most adept for rapid-fire Ghost Changes."
"Huh, really?"
"Yeah, but you really shouldn't let that get in the way. It honestly doesn't matter all that much," she dismissed.
"What are the suits made of?" Reimu asked after a second. "They must be pretty hard to break, right? Even though Makoto broke my mask—Persona, you said?—that one time."
"And I'm sorry for that," Makoto said, eyes slightly downcast.
"They're made of spiritual energy," Yurusen said. "The Parka Ghosts are made of the same stuff."
"Intersting," Takeru said, scribbling. "Well, that was a lot more informative than I imagined."
"Yeah, yeah. Call me if ya need me," Yurusen waved. "Later, kids!"
"Wait, one more thing," Reimu asked as the spirit turned back. "Are you a dude or a chick?"
"Huh?"
"You sound like a girl, but I know this one firefly that looks like a dude but is a girl. So I've learned not to judge."
"Really?" Takeru gave her an aside glance.
"No," Reimu admitted. "So, what is it?"
"I'm a girl, can't you see!?" Yurusen slapped Reimu with her tiny nub-arms. "Hmph! How rude!" With that, she poofed away.
"For shame, Reimu," Makoto shook his head.
"Yeah, for shame," Takeru agreed.
"Hey!" she grumbled. "And I didn't even get to ask why Boost's sword had glasses."
They went back inside to join Onari, who had left earlier. The rest of the day was filled with laughter. They were completely unaware of the storm that was on the horizon.
The next day, they received another case. It seems that, in a suburban area, there were reports of people hearing strange moaning and odd sounds. Yet another source said they had seen strange objects floating. Realizing that this was probably the work of Ganma, the Ghost Hunters mobilized. One short trip later found themselves in the reported residential district, ducking through alleyways in an attempt to find the source of the noise.
Takeru held out a hand. "Yup, they're here," he said.
Makoto and Reimu nodded, transforming.
Akari shone the Spider Lantern's light upon the empty field, causing her and Onari to yelp at the sudden appearance of a shambling horde of Ganma Assaults.
"Why are there so many?" Akari shreiked, hiding behind Reimu as Onari hid behind Makoto.
"Don't worry," Takeru said, bringing out his handaxe. "Even I can take these guys on."
The Riders and Takeru set to work, easily driving back the brainless spirits. Watching him from out of the corner of her eyes, Reimu smiled. The young, cowardly boy had matured into an able fighter—maybe not one fit for dealing with a Ganma Empowered quite yet, but still able to keep himself alive.
"Hey, Makoto! Reimu!" the eighteen-year-old said. "Watch this!" He brought two fingers up to his face, concentrating. From inside his pockets the Eyecon he picked up all those months ago glowed. Yelling, he spun in a circle, slashing the Ganma with his axe glowing orange.
"Impressive," Makoto said, kicking another Ganma in the chest. "Where'd you learn that?"
"Hard work," he grinned, lobbing his axe into the face of a spirit. "Maybe I'll be able to take on a real Ganma soon, huh?"
"Maybe," Reimu agreed. With a combination of Reimu's agility, Makoto's brute force, and Takeru's calm axework, the three drove back the horde with little trouble. However, their momentum came to an end when a glowing eye-glyph—the source of their troubles, presumable—spat out a green ball of phantasmical flame into their midst, knocking down the Ganma from the force. As the dust cleared and the flames faded, in their midst stood a man in white armor, adorned with a green-and-black Parka. His face was a circle with a single horn protruding from it. His Parka was bulky, cylindrical pauldrons emitting tubes running down to the Parka's sleeve hem. He wore no Driver upon his waist—but upon his wrist was a curious boxlike device, seemingly unwieldy in design.
"Makoto, who is he?" Takeru asked, gripping his asked.
"Never seen him before," came the reply. Reimu simply summoned the Gangun Saber.
Silently, the man raised his hand. The downed Ganma sprang back up, advancing toward the three in tight, disciplined formations. With another motion they attacked, no longer the moaning zombies of before.
"He's controlling them," Makoto realized, dodging a knife slash. "Takeru! Get the other two out of here!"
"Right!" Takeru rolled out of the way of a stab and, with another burst of orange energy, cut down the ghosts in his way. "Akari! Onari! Let's go!"
The three hurried along, only stopping to protect Akari as she picked up a strange object. "That can wait! Let's go!" Takeru said. The three made it out safely, leaving only Reimu, Makoto, the Ganma and the strange armored figure.
"Nobunaga!" Reimu called out as she formed the Gangun Rifle. Her orange parka was replaced by a regal purple one. Makoto donned the white hood of Benkei, turning around his Gangun Hand and attaching the Spider Lantern to it, turning it into a hammer. With a swarm of bullets and powerful swings, the two once again blew away the horde. Specter charged at the mysterious person, knocking aside Ganma with heavy blows.
"Once again," the green-hooded person said in a frighteningly familiar voice, "I must needs remind you of my power, Specter."
That gave Makoto pause. "Alain?"
With wordless grunts, the Ganma prince began his assault. His fighting style was akin to Javert's, not wasting any energy with cold, efficient movement. But where Javert toyed with his prey to savor the heat of battle, Alain, with machinelike precision, quickly brought the Rider to his knees, kicking him through a wall and into an abandoned warehouse. Reimu in flew after him, firing rifle shots, but Alain dodged, launching a green ball of fire from his hand at the shrine maiden. She swerved out of the way, only to be brought down via a knee to the chin. She rolled with the blow, regrouping with Makoto some distance away.
"Makoto, who is this guy?" Reimu said, breathing hard. "I thought you said you didn't know him!"
"I didn't know Alain could transform," he muttered. "Alain, why?"
"I can't forgive you," came the curt reply. "Neither Ghost nor that meddlesome pest, Tenkuji Takeru. You've changed Specter, twisted him from the man he was before."
Makoto roared a challenge, swinging his hammer at Alain's side. With surprising strength, Alain blocked it with one arm before thrusting a palm into Makoto's midsection, sending him careening back.
Reimu took aim. "What the heck are you even talking about, you weirdo?" she shouted, spraying bullets at the white Rider.
Alain simply shifted, his midsection turning a liquid green, causing the bullets to pass through. "I'm saying individual life has no value, simpleton. That Specter should betray us by choosing humanity is an unforgivable crime."
An axe flew through the air. Specter caught it, turning to the new offender.
"You're wrong!" Takeru said, throwing axes slung across his hip. "Every life has individual worth!" He charged up an axe with his orange power and threw it, arcing it towards the Ganma.
"Tenkuji Takeru," the white Rider said. "You are the one to blame most of all." He dissolved into liquid once again, the axe passing through him as he slithered up to the human and grabbed him by the throat. "You humans are always quarreling with yourselves and with anyone else. What enjoyment do you get out of your suffering?" Takeru feebly kicked at him, his blows harmlessly bouncing off of the pale armor. "There is no value in it. We shall unite the world in our own image—all will be one in the Great Eye." He threw Takeru back, causing him to skid across the hard concrete. "That is what will serve you and your kind best."
Adel looked upon the field of battle through a red screen. "He took Necrom without permission," he muttered. "But it's fine. Let's see what he can do with the ancient system."
Alain caught Goemon Specter and Tutankhamun Ghost's blades in both hands. With a quick twist of his wrists, he twisted their weapons out of their hands and sent them flying with twin palm strikes. Hearing the call of their Omega Drives as they got up, he summoned a host of Ganma before him, intercepting the attacks meant for him. Behind his Persona, he smirked in amusement as they despaired at their situation.
"Our attacks missed?" growled Makoto.
"No, he blocked them," Reimu muttered. "And even if they had connected, he would've dissolved anyways." She looked across the room, at the unmoving Takeru. "This isn't good. If we're not careful, we could hit Takeru."
Alain held up two Eyecons. "Now it's my turn," he declared, enjoying the sounds of shock coming from his opposition.
"Those Eyecons!" Reimu gasped behind her mask. "They're the ones Onari said Javert stole!"
Alain clicked one of them, which immediately discharged a burst of green static. "Resistance is futile," he said, and with a flash of green light, he overpowered the Eyecon's will, activating it.
He pulled out an Eyecon from the device upon his left arm, causing his bulky Parka to dissolve into green drops. Loading the overridden Luminary into the now-open slot, he rotated the device so that the bulky boxlike part stood parallel with his limb. "Yes sir," the contraption intoned. The Riders could now see that the "box" was a curious device—a cube that contained the Eyecon, and a green L-shaped arm that stood stood up from the main compartment, ending in a smaller, green cube. He pressed a button on the device's side, causing a Parka Ghost to materialize and hover over the prince.
"The Parka's eyes are purple," Makoto muttered. "That can't be good."
Alain pressed the button on top of the device, causing a curious drop of green fluid to drip down through the device and into the Eyecon. "Eye drop! Grimm!" the machine declared. Alain rotated the transformation trinket back to normal as the Parka Ghost was forced to equip itself onto his form. "Mega clarity!"
"Fighting pen!"
Alain gestured, and the two spikes on his shoulders shot out, trailing behind them tendrils of dark green. The pen-tipped tentacles assaulted the Riders, coming at them from every which way before wrapping around their captives and hoisting them into the air. With another motion, the two Riders were slammed repeatedly into the floor, the ceiling, the walls and each other, before finally being tossed away like trash.
"Interesting," the Ganma Prince said. "So this is the power of a hero?" He looked down upon the fallen forms of Makoto and Reimu. "Now. You will give me your Eyecons."
A sudden blow from behind caught him off-balance, sending him tumbling. From his position in the dirt he could see a riderless motorcycle zip over to his downed opponents and split apart, turning into a jetpack for Specter. He wasn't able to move again before the two Riders escaped, grabbing Takeru and flying through a broken window. Alain watched them go, taking out the Eyecon as his armor dissolved into green liquid. No longer dressed in brown garb and scarves, he wore the black-and-gold uniform of the Ganma's millitary—same as Javert. A mantle upon his right shoulder indicated the difference in their rank. "No matter," he said, looking down at the Necrom Eyecon. "I have all the time in the world."
Back at the temple, the ghost hunters sat around the table, the mood heavy. Takeru lay down on a mat, asleep. The bruises hadn't quite faded from his neck yet.
"Makoto, who was that?" Reimu asked. "You sounded like you two knew each other."
"Alain, prince of the Ganma," Maokto said. "His family took care of us while we were in the Ganma's world."
"Is this true?" Akari asked Kanon, who was present as well.
The younger Fukami nodded. "Yes. As a matter of fact, Alain was Makoto's best friend."
"Hm." Onari frowned. "Then why are they fighting?"
Makoto suddenly pushed back his chair. "Excuse me," he said. "I have to leave."
"Where are you going?"
"I have business to settle," he said. Before the others could react, he left, and they could hear the roar of his motorcycle's engine fade away.
Makoto found Alain standing on a bridge, staring at the bright blue sky. Even now, his obsession with the human world's blue sky didn't cease.
"I thought you didn't have anything else to day?" Alain said, not looking at his former friend.
"You still don't know the truth," Makoto said.
"Oh, but I do," Alain said, turning his head. "All will join with the Great Eye and become one. That is the way of things."
"It's really no use, huh?" Makoto muttered. "Fine." He burned his Driver into existence.
"This is unlike you," the prince said, unclasping the Mega Ulorder from his belt. "I'll just have to send you back home myself. By force."
He slapped the Ulorder onto his left wrist, causing straps to materialize and fasten it to his arm. He pulled out a square, green Eyecon, activating it. "Standbye," the Driver's deep voice intoned as he loaded it in. He twisted the brace, causing it to stand upright. "Yes sir!"
He pushed the button on the side, causing the green Parka Ghost to materialize. "Loading."
"Henshin!" both Riders called.
Alain pressed a button, causing a green liquid to drop onto the Eyecon. "Mega Clarity!"
As the Necrom Damashii equipped onto Alain, Makoto heard the Driver call out "Crush the invader!" With a cry and a stoic grunt, their fists met.
Reimu flew, already in Boost Damashii, scanning the area for the two Riders. An explosion caught her ear—a lucky break. She Ghost Changed as she dove down, drawing Billy the Kid's two guns and firing away. She landed in front of Makoto, her feet causing sparks as they skid across the ground.
"Of course you'd do this," she rolled her eyes behind her mask. She then saw Necrom staggering backwards. "Hey, he's not green!"
Necrom had indeed turned black, his armor losing its viridian hue. With a huff, he threw out several Eyecons, summoning several Ganma Assaults. The eye on his chest flashed—and the Ganma dissipated, their inky black bodies melting into liquid and flowing into Necrom, who regained his color.
"It's fueled by Ganma!?" Makoto growled. "Reimu, be careful!"
"Don't have to tell me twice," she muttered, taking to the air as Makoto rushed in with Tutankhamun's scythe. However, even with the two Riders playing to their strengths, Necrom's bag of tricks continued to one-up them at every turn. At one point Makoto even landed an Omega Drive kick, only for Specter to take over a summoned Ganma Assault after the first body was destroyed.
"You really thought you could beat me?" Necrom taunted. "How quaint." He shifted the brace to its upright position again, pressing a button on the side to the Urloader's deep "Destroy!" "Goodbye, Specter."
Reimu rushed in, inserting the Boost and Billy the Kid Eyecons into her sword's hilt while scanning the Gangun Gun across her belt. She stood over the downed Makoto, switching the sword to gun mode.
Necrom simply jumped and created a green glyph in midair. It dissolved into his foot, and though Reimu countered his kick with an Omega Impact of her own, it wasn't enough, and the two heroic Riders were blown away.
Necrom landed, scanning the area for signs of life. But before he could complete his search, his suit once more faded black and, with no more Ganma to fuel it, dissolved. "Out of time, huh?" Alain muttered. "No matter. I have what I need." With that he created a blue eye-glyph in midair and stepped through it, vanishing.
The battered Riders slowly made their way back home, expecting to get an earful for dashing off like that. Instead, a frantic Onari greeted them. "Miss Reimu! Master Makoto!" he called out. "Have you seen Master Takeru?"
"No, why?" Reimu said. "I thought he was recovering."
"He is gone!" the bald monk cried. "We searched high and low, yet he seems to have gone off somewhere!"
"What!?" Makoto said, wincing as he stepped forward. "Is this true!?"
"Indeed," Onari replied. "He just . . . disappeared."
Fearing the worst, the two Riders set off, anxiety weighing down their hearts. They feared the worst—and only hoped they got to him before it was too late.
As nighttime fell, Takeru searched the piers, shining the Spider Lantern's light. Though he could see ghosts, he couldn't actually see in the dark. He held the Bat Clock in gun mode in his other hand, just in case.
"Looking for someone, Tenkuji Takeru?" He jumped as Alain's voice cut through the darkness. He spun, the mystic lantern revealing a figure with messy brown hair in black military garb.
"Yeah," he said, lowing the lantern. "What do you want with Makoto?"
"Simple," the Ganma said, stepping forward slowly. "He betrayed us, so by martial law, he shall be executed, then brought back within our forces."
"What!?" Takeru nearly shouted. "You'd go so far as to kill your friend!?"
"His physical body means nothing to us. His soul is all we require," Alain dismissed. "But he is not so willing to come back, and that pesky Ghost keeps on interfering. So matters must be settled."
"I see," Takeru muttered. "But you'll have to go through me first!" He drew his gun and fired.
Caught off-guard, Alain dove to the side. When he recovered, Takeru had equipped all three of the support gadgets to his axe, boosting it as his Eyecon shone. "I'm gonna let my life burn bright!" he declared, swinging his blazing axe towards the Ganma Prince . . .
. . . who caught it, shattering the blade in his hand.
"Did you really think it was going to be that easy, Tenkuji Takeru?" Alain scoffed, twisting the hunter's arm, causing him to cry out in pain. "Oh, no. I was planning on letting you go, but thanks to that little stunt, I now have plans for you." He shoved Takeru into the floor, before taking out a Ghost Driver from out of his uniform and holding it above him. He loaded a strange black-and-white Eyecon into it and pulled the lever, causing the Eye Energy Crest to shine with a malicious light.
"Tell me, boy," Alain said, squatting over the moaning Tenkuji.. "What dark secrets do you hold?"
"What?"
Alain's eyes flashed the same color of the Driver's. "Ah, resentment," he said, pleased. "Frustration, fear, jealousy, and bitterness. Perfectly detestable human emotion."
Takeru fell silent, shocked at what he heard. At last he spoke up. "Yeah, I'm jealous of Reimu," he muttered. "She's a natural who picks up things right away without having to do any work. I've been training all my life and I'm nowhere near her skill level." He looked off to the side, ashamed. "She doesn't treat the heroes with respect, just bossing them around like tools to be used. She's lazy and rude and greedy." He then glared at Alain, his eyes full of fire. "But she's still my friend. I won't let my feelings get in the way of our friendship. I won't help you!"
"Oh, but I think you will," Alain said. Standing, he amended, "Or at least your soul will." He let the Driver fall, it making contact with the boy's waist. His eyes went wide.
Takeru's screams echoed throughout the peir and over the water. Pain lanced through his body as his soul was forcefully extracted from its vessel, absorbed into the Eyecon through the Driver. Takeru's Eyecon disappeared into a shower of orange sparks, flowing into the Driver's eye. The young ghost hunter cried out in agony as spectral flames consumed his body, burning away his mortality. After what seemed like an eternity, Takeru's eyes glazed over, and he breathed his last. His body had turned to ash, and the Driver, his spirit having been absorbed into the Eyecon, fell to the floor with a clatter.
Alain smiled as he picked up Driver. "At least Saionji had his uses," he said, once more pumping the Lever. Takeru's spiritual body took form, emanating out from the Driver in a shower of light. His eyes were blank, staring off into nothing and his face betrayed no emotion. "Dark Ghost," Alain smiled. "My new friend."
Takeru said nothing.
"Let us go," the prince of the Ganma said, standing. "We have work to do, before we can bring Specter back home."
Summoning an eye-portal, they stepped through and vanished. Several hours later, when the Mysterious Phenomenon Institute came upon the scene of the crime, all they found were the scattered Ghost Gadgets and the broken remains of Takeru's axe.