Chapter 146: All Hail the Occult Killer!
VROOM VROOOM VROOOM
The sound of many motorcycles can be heard roaming the roads travelling from city to city. They were so loud that if the world were still normal, they would be bothering the neighbourhood they passed through. But the world isn't normal anymore, and so are they. The force generated by their motorcycles are so strong that they pushed away every rocks and debris on their way.
The motorcycles were ridden by men wearing black tight suits with several green plates in their shoulders, chest wrists and feet. They also wore metal belt with red crystal at the center and helmet resembling grasshoppers.
They are the Kamen Rider faction, a faction of Awakeners that refused to be bound by contract with rich people and sought funds through other means, mainly by forcing settlements to accept their protection whether they needed it or not. They roam from city to city offering their services and would raid the city that refused their services. They employed tactics similar to Vikings who demanded protection money from settlements to spare said settlements from their wrath.
"Our next target is Akihabara, was it? I heard that city had strong protectors!"
"Bah! Just a bunch of girls and their sycophants! I doubt they stand a chance against us! Besides, they left the city some time ago to investigate the destruction of the Alliance! Their city is ripe for the taking!"
"Yeah, we're just gonna bully a bunch of otakus there."
"I said this before but I'll say this again. Aren't we the bad guys for-"
"Shut up! We need to survive and this is the only way we can do that!"
"It's just… I feel bad that… we're robbing people while being dressed as superheroes."
"You got better ideas?"
"We can just… you know… do it like everyone else-"
"And serve some stupid and entitled rich people!? No thanks! Did that once. Never again!"
"How about joining the Yakuza?"
"Even worse! You'll become a real thug!"
"As if we aren't thugs right now."
Whilst the riders were arguing amongst each other, they saw a lone figure standing on the road before them.
"Who's that guy…?"
"Wait… is he…!?"
The lone figure standing in front of them wore black tight suit and his head is covered by a balaclavas. In both hands he wields a pair of crowbars. His appearance are familiar to some of them.
"That's… the Balaclavas Berserker!" Shouted a rider who used to be a member of a biker gang that once encountered the Balaclavas Berserker in the past.
"Run him through!" One of them shouted before being knocked away from his motorcycle.
"Kill him!" They shouted but the Balaclavas Berserker is faster and knocked them one by one with his crowbar. Though all of the riders were awakeners, most of them were more the results of failed experiments than proper awakeners, and thus they weren't as strong as the real ones. Their success so far could only be attributed to their use of numbers and hit and run tactics. Facing an ambush from an actually competent awakener caught them by surprise, especially one that gave several of them traumas in the past.
"Ruun! He's invincible!"
"AAAAHHH! Not again!"
Many of the riders ran away without bothering to fight. The ones knocked away from their motorcycles are left alone… expecting the worst.
"K-Kill me then!" one of the have the resolve to face death as he kneeled but glared the Balaclavas Berserker defiantly through his broken helmet.
The Balaclavas Berserker walked slowly towards him, looked at him in the eye and-
Developing new things for use in my evil plans is fun… but dealing with robotics… a field I'm not well versed in by any means… makes me unable to be as involved as other fields I'm more familiar with, for example…. magic. I know this robot will be powered by magic but… most of the work involving its creation is done by the Kyoto scientists. I just make some of their ideas possible through magic assistance, which means I have lots of free time while they do most of the work building the robot.
This means that I'm bored. To deal with the boredom, I went out and attack some random settlements myself. I destroyed one settlement with zombie apocalypse, another with destruction magic, another by causing a monster stampede. They all fell VERY quickly though so it ends up making me bored again.
"Is something bothering you, Killer-sama?" Yukime, noticing my annoyance, asked me what's wrong. Calling me Killer with Japanese pronunciation makes me chuckle. To think that I'd be called Kira in this world. If only I have a certain notebook.
"Nothing. I'm merely bored. Most of the settlements here are too easy to destroy."
"I'd advice that you do not destroy all of them at once though, or you will run out of toys to play with soon enough."
"I know that, Tamamo." I called her by the name that everyone called her.
"Hee hee hee. To think they would compare me to a mythical creature native to their world. It's kind of funny."
"You know what's funnier? I destroyed the Sessho-seki, the stone where Tamamo-no-Mae is said to have been sealed in. The local monks went crazy after they noticed. Heh heh heh."
"Oh, my lord. You're such a naughty boy!"
"That's why I need you to appear more in public to draw their attention, Yukime. I want to see their reaction towards the appearance of a mythical creature turned real."
"Tee hee hee. As you command, my lord." Yukime said as she left the room to carry out my prank. Huh… this is how my boredom has reduced me to… to becoming a prankster. Pranking and trolling is fun sometimes… but that's not the kind of villain I aspire to be. I want to strike true fear to the hearts of men through terrible deeds. Holding back because the opposition is too weak is driving me insane.
Ahh… I miss you already, my nemesis. Ah… Almost sounded like a lonely girlfriend there.
I hope you can make a grand return soon, my nemesis. Heh heh heh.
As I was imagining what kind of entrance my nemesis would make upon his return, the red ranger entered my room in a hurry without knocking. How rude.
"My lord! The Doomsday Cult has contacted us! They want to meet you!"
At those words, I stood up from the chair I was sitting in.
"Finally."
I walked down the hallways to my own room like a zombie. My mind is filled with too many things that it distracts me, making me unaware of most things around me, of whom I passed through on the way, ignoring people who greeted me.
"The Occult Killer…. I know his identity… I know who he is…"
Akane-chan dropped such a bomb on me… She confessed that she knew- knows who the dreaded Occult Killer is…
"The Occult Killer was my classmate… his name was… is Miyazaki Tetsuya."
The thought of having a serial killer as a classmate… What a horrible thought indeed. Though I understand that completely. I understand her more than she knows.
I never knew she carried such a secret… such a burden. It bothered me so much that instead of comforting her as I originally intended, I became silent. Akane-chan laid her secret bare and I was unable to…
"Don't worry about it. I know you're carrying your own burden, Mari-chan." Is what she said in response to my silence. She noticed how uncomfortable I was during that meeting. I hugged her and cried in her arms afterwards. I end up being the one comforted. I'm such a terrible friend.
She is right… I did carry a terrible secret myself… one that I am unable to reveal even to her.
As I was walking slowly, my distracted mind snapped out to reality when I heard a familiar voice with my enhanced hearing. A voice of someone I hated most in this world.
"Looks like someone annoyed you, Nishino-dono. Did someone get in the way of your plan?"
"Of course. You need to control that girl as soon as possible. She's been meddling with my sister far too much, old man." The man I hated most is talking with Akane-chan's brother… no doubt scheming something bad.
"Ohh… I doubt I can do that. She hates me for leaving her and her mother to their deaths."
"And you only have yourself to blame for that. Nonetheless, you have to do it. It is the only reason you're able to join us as a board member after all, old man."
"Never forget that it was due to my efforts that we were able to forge an alliance with Akihabara, Akira-dono." Wow. He even dared to refer to Akane's brother with his first name mockingly like that.
"Then shouldn't it be easy for you to make sure she does not interfere with my plans?"
"All in due time, Nishino-dono. I shall make sure that my daughter listens to me."
I frowned and take another turn in order to avoid running into him. He has been staring at me the whole time during that joint meeting and now he's trying to use me for his own political gain. His family is nothing but pawns for him. That's why he abandoned us at the first sign of danger. That's why mom died.
You've ruined our family. I'm sure he left us because of you too. Because he discovered and was disgusted by your dirty politics.
You think that after all you've done, I would listen to you? Dream on, former father. I refuse to become your political pawn.
And more importantly… I have to meet him too… the Occult Killer… because I have a few words I want to say to him.
Filled with new determination and a sense of purpose, I changed my direction again. Instead of heading towards my room, I walked towards Kuzaya-kun's room. When I arrived, I opened the door without knocking. I know I was rude towards our leader but… this is important.
"Mari-chan. What's wrong with you?"
"Kuzaya-kun… I'd like to ask a favour of you."
I entered the Command Center of the Magirangers. The main hall has been converted to some kind of throne room decorated with banners with skull pattern drawn on them. I'm going to meet this Occult Killer and determine whether he's the real deal or not.
"W-Welcome, Astaroth-dono. Occult Killer-sama is waiting for you." The Red Ranger said as he invited me into the throne room where I saw a figure wearing skull mask and black robes sitting on the throne. On his hand he carries a staff made of green metal, which I suspect is not etherite at all but something more. His eyes glows red through the eye sockets of the skull mask he's wearing, as if he is staring directly through my soul.
Standing beside him is a beautiful woman wearing whit kimono. Her hair is as white as her kimono and… her ears and nine tails resembled that of a fox's. So this is the rumoured Tamamo-no-Mae.
Back to the man… no… the monster sitting on the throne. I would've thought that he's just dressing like a member of the Doomsday Cult… if not for the overwhelming power I sensed from him. I immediately kneeled in front of the throne and my subordinates behind me did the same. Whether he's the real Occult Killer or not, his power is the real deal, and thus I have no choice but to kneel.
"I-I greet you, Occult Killer-sama." I said without lifting my head.
"You may lift your head." He said with a demonic voice which is full of authority. I hesitate for a moment before lifting my head in order to take a better look at his majestic figure.
"Tell me. Your cult exists to worship me, didn't you?" he asked.
"Y-Yes, my lord!" I answered panickingly.
"Then… through your secret collaborations with the Magirangers, you should've known that I was here for a long time. Why is it that it took you so long to meet your god?" There it is… the question I dreaded.
"W-We ask for your forgiveness, my lord! We were… delayed by a bunch of politicians who kept trying to undermine our position within the cult!"
"Ah. I see. Politics… Why haven't you put them in their places then? Even the Magirangers did a better job at silencing their investors than you." He said as he glanced at the Red Ranger, whose grin is visible now that he didn't wear his helmet.
"M-My apologies, my lord! But after the war against an alliance of several factions, many of our veteran members and several founding members were killed! I was the only veteran member who survived and thus it is hard for me alone to-"
"You mean you're not strong enough to scare them into submission?"
"I-I did scare them into submission! But they kept scheming behind my back!"
"That means you haven't scared them into submission at all."
I was at a loss for words. He was right. With my power alone, I was barely able to keep those slimy investors in check.
"I shall show you how it is done. We shall head straight to the headquarters of the Doomsday Cult." Those words… delighted me. To think that our god of death would finally grace the halls of our temples. Yes… at this point I already decided to believe that he is the real deal.
"I-I thank you for your generosity, my lord!" I shouted while bowing my head again.
I heard footsteps… he is walking straight to me. Will he execute me here and now for disappointing him? I waited with anticipation and fear.
"Lift your head." He said…and I did as he commanded. He looked at me from above… removing my mask, exposing my face… half of which is covered in metal plates. Yes… due to injuries sustained during the war, I had to replace half of my face and an arm with machines… one of the reasons why I was unable to stop those slimy investors when they started encroaching on the cult's leadership.
"Tell me… did you know of the Balaclavas Berserker?" He… he knows!
"Y-Yes… my lord…"
"Hmph. As I thought. You have a past with our old friend Nishino Akane too, didn't you?"
"Yes! Sh-Shall I kill her for you, my lord?"
"No. Leave her be for now. She is going to suffer so many things from now on. And she shall be there… on the final battle. Heh heh heh."
"Y-Yes my lord!" The fact that he knows Balaclavas Berserker… confirms that he is the real deal! He is the real Occult Killer! The reason he started the killing spree and performed those occult rituals was to obtain the overwhelming power that he now possess!
After my defeat at the hands of the Balaclavas Berserker… the one who called himself the Stylish Bandit Slayer, I was imprisoned along with my partner in crime of the time. My mind and body was broken from that overwhelming defeat. My vaunted strength, forged through the fires of war, was useless against him.
Then I watched the news on the prison about the serial killer called the Occult Killer, whose name kept appearing on the news again and again. At first I ignored him even as he kept gaining infamy. With my spirit broken, I didn't care about anything at all. After I was released early from the prison through my Yakuza connections, I was at a loss. I didn't know what to do. I lost my warrior's spirit already and committing regular crimes didn't appeal to me at all.
Out of boredom I kept following the news and noticed one thing… that all talks of the Balaclavas Berserker disappeared at the same time that the Occult Killer started his killing spree. From then on I was convinced that the Occult Killer had killed Stylish Bandit Slayer. He became my hero since I made that realization. That's why I joined the a few other serial killers and started our own killing spree. I tried to convince my old partner to join us but he chickened out and left after saying he wants to repent and leave the life of crime. Well… we have no use for such a spineless coward anyway.
When the world was invaded by the monsters and magic, we were the first to realize that it was the doing of the Occult Killer. He became more than our hero that day. He became our god. Thus the Doomsday Cult was born. We each took on demon names to abandon our old lives, becoming harbingers of death in his name, waiting for him to return and grace us with his presence. And the time is now… I hope that one day he shall reveal to us his glorious name.
Asmodeus… Valefor… Baal… Barbatos… Beleth… It looks like you've all died before you can witness this glorious moment. Our god has returned and he shall erase our defeat with victory.
All hail the Occult Killer!
Author's Note:
The plot thickens… you could say that it is The Thickened Plot in Shadow. Astaroth's backstory after the Akane kidnapping incident and why he joined the Doomsday Cult is revealed. He also sports the robotic face like in the anime.
TheAbyssWatcher: Heh, Akane is filled with Traumas in Shadow and this arc is all about triggering every single button she has.
Answer: So much trauma… so much delicious trauma I've planned for her since I wrote that Rise of the Occult Killer chapter. It is good that I have the chance to reveal everything now.
vikinggold32: The "first knight" I remember in LN his whereabouts are also unknown, maybe shee will meet the shadow/necromancer?
Hmm... now I think seven "stole" too much from the necromancer. the magic book that eta learned, the power of epsilon and now the magic bag. Except delta (cute puppy) these girls are annoying or I love necromancer too much lol. Oh I remember eta stole the necromancer sword I hope there is a surprise there like she betrayed :p
Answer: What do you mean? The whereabouts of the Original Knight was revealed in the LN.
And I suppose yes, the Seven Shades stole a bunch from him in order to grow but as you've seen in the Chorus in the Darkness chapter, they weren't enough. And I have plans for Eta.