*In The Previous episodes of Kamen Rider Faiz: Another Paradise.*
Rei: "I'm Rei Aizawa. I tracked down the owners of the Faiz Gear and Kaixa Gear. Unfortunately, when I arrived, they were fighting each other. After saving the owner of the Faiz Gear, Takumi Inui, I was confronted by the owner of the Kaixa Gear, Masato Kusaka."
Takumi: "He really kicked your ass, Masato."
Masato: "Shut up, Takumi!"
Rei: "After talking to them, I secretly followed Inui-san, and found him talking to a mysterious Orphnoch girl. It seems that this Orphnoch is afraid of humans... ...And yet she wants to live like a human?"
Masato: "Rei-san, I told you, no Orphnoch can be good."
Rei: "This guy thinks I believe him when I don't trust him at all. Alright, let him believe."
Masato: "What, Rei-san?"
Rei: "Nothing. While I was walking around I saw Inui and Kusaka fighting each other... ...again. Damn, again! I stopped Kusaka-san from giving Inui-san the finishing blow, and now I'm going to go and treat his wounds. So, what's going to happen in this episode?"
Takumi: "I didn't ask for your help."
Rei: "What are you, a tsundere?"
*Kamen Rider Faiz: Another Paradise. Episode 3 - Re-Birth.*
*Laundry Kikuchi – A few minutes later*
The evening air had grown cooler as the sun dipped beyond the buildings, painting the sky in a dark, melancholic orange. The small sign of Kikuchi Laundry flickered under the glow of the streetlamps, while the hum of the washing machines filled the place with a monotonous drone.
The laundry door swung open abruptly.
Rei entered, supporting Takumi under his arm. "Come on, we're almost there."
The boy could barely stand. His legs seemed ready to give out with every step, and only Rei's firm grip kept him from collapsing completely. His breathing was heavy and labored.
"Takumi!" Mari and Keitaro, who were sitting at a table, immediately jumped to their feet.
Keitaro rushed toward them, eyes wide in shock. "Rei-san, what happened?!" he asked, his voice thick with worry.
Rei clenched his jaw.
Without wasting a second, he guided Takumi to the nearest couch and helped him sit down carefully, doing his best not to cause more pain.
Only after making sure he was settled did Rei turn to Keitaro and Mari. "Kusaka-san attacked him."
Keitaro's eyes widened. "What?!"
Mari stepped closer, her expression a mix of disbelief and outrage. "Why would he do that?" she asked, clenching her fists.
Rei took a deep breath. "He was trying to 'talk some sense into him'... in his own way."
Keitaro tilted his head. "You mean by beating him up?"
Rei nodded slowly. "Exactly."
He looked down at Takumi. His face was marked with bruises. One corner of his mouth was split, and there was a gash on his forehead where a thin stream of blood was trickling down.
Rei turned back to Mari. "Kusaka-san told me he was trying to make Inui-san choose a side. I guess he thought Inui-san might be siding with the enemy, ever since he protected that Orphnoch... which I didn't even see."
Keitaro covered his mouth with one hand. "That's insane! Takkun isn't our enemy!"
Rei nodded, then lowered his gaze. "I know. That's why I stepped in before Kusaka-san went too far. I'll be honest with you, if they keep fighting each other like this, neither Inui-san nor Kusaka-san is fit to use Faiz or Kaixa."
Mari came even closer, kneeling slightly to get a better look at Takumi's condition.
Takumi slowly opened his eyes, looking at her for a brief moment before closing them again, exhausted.
"Need a hand?" Mari asked.
Rei gave a small smile and shook his head. "Thanks, but don't worry. I'll take care of him."
Mari watched him for a moment, then nodded. "Alright."
"If you need anything, just let us know," added Keitaro.
Rei nodded, then helped Takumi to his feet again. The boy let out a soft groan from the pain but didn't complain. With slow steps, Rei guided him toward the bedroom.
…*
The room was wrapped in dim light, filtered through the half-open window. The evening breeze drifted in softly, gently stirring the curtains. The silence was broken only by the sound of cotton brushing against skin and the faint rustle of gauze as Rei carefully wrapped it around Takumi's wounds.
Takumi had stayed still the entire time, his gaze lowered, lost in thought.
Rei, on the other hand, was watching him closely.
There was something different about him.
Something that made him seem… weak. And it wasn't just the bruises, the cuts, or the latest loss against Masato. Takumi was fighting poorly, and Rei wanted to know why.
After finishing bandaging his arm, he took a moment before speaking. "Why are you fighting so badly?"
The question dropped into the room like a stone into water.
Takumi didn't answer. "Keitaro and Sonoda-chan told me you've always been strong." Rei set the bloodied gauze aside and crossed his arms. "But today, you seemed like someone else. Your movements were slow, you hesitated too much. If I hadn't stepped in, it could've ended much worse. Kusaka-san might have even killed you."
Takumi remained silent, his eyes fixed on the floor.
Rei sighed. "Look, I get that you don't trust people easily." He stood up, placing the first aid kit on the desk. Then he turned back to him. "But I'm not your enemy, Inui-san."
Takumi didn't move.
Rei clenched his fists slightly. "I'm on your side. You need to trust me."
Silence.
Takumi didn't reply, didn't even nod.
Rei stared at him, searching for any kind of reaction.
But Takumi seemed locked behind an invisible wall.
Rei clenched his jaw, then reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his Hexa Phone.
With a quick flick of his thumb, he scrolled through some images until he found the one he was looking for. Then he turned the screen toward Takumi. "Does this girl have something to do with it?"
Takumi flinched. His eyes widened the moment he recognized the image.
In the photo, it was him and Yuka. They were in the forest, hidden among the trees, talking.
Takumi instinctively grabbed Rei by the collar, his expression tense. "Where did you get this photo?!"
Rei didn't look intimidated. "I took it myself."
Takumi raised his eyes, filled with distrust.
"I know this girl is an Orphnoch."
Takumi stiffened even more. He stayed silent for a few seconds, as if trying to process the situation. Then he spoke, his voice low. "What do you know about her?"
"I overheard your conversation in the forest." Takumi's expression didn't change, but Rei noticed his breathing grow heavier. "I heard that she wants to live like a human… even though she's an Orphnoch."
Takumi let go of Rei and sat back down. "So what?"
Rei stepped forward. "So I want to understand why this is making you weaker."
Takumi stayed quiet. After a few seconds, clenching his fists, he spoke in a bitter tone. "You don't get it." Takumi looked up, frustration sparking in his eyes. "You're going to try and take her out too, just because she's an Orphnoch, right?"
Rei didn't look away. "No."
Takumi clenched his jaw. "And why not?"
Rei shook his head. "Because I would never harm a good Orphnoch." Takumi's eyes widened slightly. "From the moment I saw you talking with that girl, I realized something. I realized that… maybe not all Orphnochs are monsters, Takumi." He sat back down beside him, calm and steady. "You know that too. And that's why you're fighting poorly, isn't it?"
Takumi turned to him, tension in his face. "What are you talking about?"
"You're afraid now." Takumi stayed silent. Rei continued. "You're afraid of hitting the wrong target. You're afraid of fighting Orphnochs who might not want to hurt us. But if you keep going like this, Takumi… you won't be able to protect the people you care about."
Takumi lowered his gaze. "It's not that easy."
Rei gave a small smile. "Of course it's not." He stood up again. "But we have to do it. We have to, in order to protect those who matter to us."
Takumi stayed still, deep in thought.
Rei watched him for a few seconds, then crossed his arms. "And one more thing." Takumi looked up. Rei met his gaze seriously. "I know what Kusaka-san is trying to do."
Takumi twitched slightly.
Rei folded his arms. "And I won't let him mess with my head. You ran away the other day because of a fight with Kusaka-san. Please, tell me what happened."
Takumi bit his lip and looked down. After a moment, he spoke. "He said that people who can't stand him should disappear."
Rei wasn't surprised, but hearing it still disgusted him.
Takumi continued. "He said he only fights to test his own strength. And… he said he wants me gone. He's probably trying to break me down because he wants me to stop being Faiz. And maybe… he's trying to manipulate Keitaro and Mari too."
Rei nodded, a serious and determined look on his face. "Not on my watch, Takumi-san!"
Takumi remained silent for a few seconds. Then he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Rei watched him. He knew this was just the beginning. But at least… it was a step forward.
*Smart Brain Building – Yuji Kiba's Apartment*
Evening shadows slowly descended across the windows of the tall tower, which reflected a sky still painted in red—like a wound that refused to heal.
The gray, cold walls of Yuji's apartment clashed with the faint warmth of the blanket resting on the double bed. The silence was broken only by the ticking of a clock and the steady breathing of someone who, just a moment before, had been asleep.
Morishita Yoshimasa stirred slowly under the covers, his face tense, covered in a thin layer of sweat. He opened his eyes sluggishly, as if returning to reality was a burden. Sitting up, he held his head in one hand, his gaze disoriented, lost in the void.
"You're awake." Yuji Kiba's calm, deep voice broke the silence. He was sitting beside him, still fully dressed, his back resting against the headboard. His gaze was fixed on Morishita, concerned. "How are you feeling?"
Morishita ran a hand through his hair, trying to gather himself. "A little… off. Like something attacked me, but I don't remember anything."
Yuji nodded slightly, his eyes never leaving him. "You slept for quite a while. You were pale when I found you. Did you have a seizure or something?"
Morishita gave a weak smile but didn't answer the question. "Yuji…" he said, turning serious again. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about. Before."
Yuji tensed slightly but nodded. "Go ahead."
Morishita lowered his gaze, gripping the blanket slightly between his fingers. "I want… you to help me find the killer."
Yuji said nothing. His eyes darkened slightly. "The killer of…?"
"Chie." That name, spoken with such weight, seemed to still the air in the room. Morishita raised his face, eyes glossy but resolute. "I know it's been a while, but I… I can't rest. Every night I feel like I still hear her voice. And every time I think of her, I feel that rage, that frustration."
Yuji looked down. Morishita's words hit like invisible blades, yet his face betrayed nothing. "I understand…" he said softly.
Morishita nodded, a hopeful expression on his face. "You're the only one I trust, Yuji. You're strong. You're sharp. If anyone can help me find out who did it, it's you."
Yuji remained silent for a few seconds. Inside him, a knot slowly tightened. He knew that whatever he said would be a lie.
He was the killer. He had killed Chie.
It was the Orphnoch inside him… …or maybe not. Maybe it was just him.
But in front of Morishita, he couldn't say anything. Not now. "I'll do my best," he finally said, his voice barely audible.
Morishita smiled. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "Really, thank you."
Yuji tried to smile back, but the weight in his chest suffocated him. "Can I ask you something?" he asked, his voice tense.
"Of course."
"If you found the criminal… the one who killed Chie… what would you do?"
Morishita didn't hesitate for a second. His gaze turned cold, sharp—like tempered steel. "I'd kill them."
Yuji flinched, almost imperceptibly. His heart raced, but his face remained expressionless.
Morishita continued, his voice filled with hate. "I don't want justice. I don't want legal revenge. I want them to suffer. I want to look them in the eye while they pay for what they did."
Yuji lowered his face, fists clenched tightly on his thighs. He couldn't look him in the eyes.
Morishita, unaware of the truth, placed a hand on Yuji's shoulder. "I know you'll help me. I feel like we can do it together."
Yuji didn't answer. Morishita's voice sounded distant, muffled, as if coming from another room. Inside him, guilt bit at every thought, every word.
After all, Morishita was face to face with his worst enemy—and didn't even know it.
Yuji closed his eyes for a moment, as a raw, cutting thought crossed his mind: "How much time do I have before he finds out?"
*Residential District, Late Morning, the Next Day…*
The sky was gray and heavy, as if mirroring the state of mind of someone about to make an irreversible mistake.
Morishita walked with his head down, hands in the pockets of his black hoodie, his steps slow but purposeful. His hair was still messy, and dark circles under his eyes betrayed a sleepless night. Even though he knew Yuji would help him, he wanted to do his part too.
He reached a small house in a quiet suburban neighborhood. A worn-out pair of sneakers sat at the doorstep. He rang the doorbell.
After a few seconds, the door opened. "Oh... it's you, Morishita."
The boy who spoke was Ozura Ogami, a former classmate of his sister Chie. He looked lazy and indifferent, wearing only an oversized t-shirt and faded jeans. He was chewing gum, eyes half-closed like he had just woken up.
"I need to talk to you," Morishita said.
"About what?" Hayato replied with a bored tone.
Morishita clenched his teeth. "I'm investigating Chie's disappearance. If you know anything about her, please, tell me."
The boy sighed and scratched the back of his neck. "Look, maybe it's better if I just say it straight. Your sister wasn't exactly the saint you think she was. She liked being seen with lots of guys. A different one every week."
Poisoned words. Lies. Morishita stared at him, stunned. "...What did you say?"
Ozura shrugged. "I'm just telling the truth. Maybe she got herself into some trouble and ran off."
Morishita took a step forward. His tired expression had twisted into one of fury. "Take that back."
"What's your problem, huh? Face it, your sister wasn't worth that much."
And at that moment, something snapped. Morishita's breathing grew heavier. His pupils shrank. His skin trembled.
A flash. A silent explosion of power. Morishita's veins darkened, and his body was enveloped in a grayish light. The transformation happened in an instant.
Standing before Hayato now was the Armadillo Orphnoch. Towering, armored, with broad, hulking shoulders and a merciless beast-like face. Its white eyes locked onto him like prey.
Ozura didn't even have time to scream. A single blow. One strike. His body slammed against the wall and disintegrated into gray dust within seconds.
Silence. But not for long.
*Outside of the House…*
Keitaro and Rei stepped out of the laundry van, the logo printed clearly on the side. Rei was carrying two bags of freshly pressed clothes.
"This should be the place. Ozura Ogami, right?" Rei asked.
"Confirmed. Quick delivery, then we're out." Keitaro replied.
The moment Keitaro opened the front door, he screamed. A sharp, guttural scream, full of pure terror.
On the floor of the entryway were dissolving remnants of gray dust. At the center of the room, standing tall with claws still stained, was the Armadillo Orphnoch.
Rei froze for a second. "Who the fuck are you?!" he shouted, shocked by the grotesque sight.
The Orphnoch didn't answer. It slowly turned toward them, its wide shoulders swallowing the light. It took a step. Then another.
"Don't move!" Rei ordered.
But the creature didn't stop. It walked forward, unfazed by the threat.
Rei clenched his jaw. With a swift motion, he dropped his coat to the floor.
He clipped the Hexa Belt around his waist. Then pulled out his Hexa Phone. His fingers moved with precision. *8-9-1. STANDING BY* "Henshin!"
The phone locked into the belt with a sharp snap. *COMPLETE* In an instant, pillars of emerald-green light wrapped around him. His body was encased in a compact, geometric armor, glowing hexagonal patterns lighting up across his chest and shoulders. The eyes of the mask gleamed with intense light.
Kamen Rider Hexa had entered the battlefield.
Hexa stepped forward, resolute. "Why did you kill him?"
The Armadillo Orphnoch growled deeply. Hexa raised his hands, ready to fight. Keitaro, still frozen in the doorway, trembled.
In the silence that followed, the battle was about to erupt.
The floor trembled beneath the blows.
"I'm forced to fight you if all you show me is hostility!" Hexa charged at the Armadillo Orphnoch with a punch, but the Orphnoch blocked it with his arm. The sound was dull, like hitting a steel wall. The Orphnoch's gray plates absorbed the impact with minimal effect. The creature didn't budge an inch.
"Ouch! What the hell are you made of?!" shouted Hexa, his hand aching as he stepped back to avoid a claw aimed at his face.
The Armadillo countered with a powerful shove, forcing Hexa to spin on his heel to keep from being thrown back. Fighting in such a tight space was far from ideal, and the enemy's strength was already proving overwhelming. "Alright, time to change the approach."
Rei quickly typed a new code into the Hexa Phone: *3-9-3. HEXA SHOTS*
A green light flashed at the ends of his hands, and two compact, blocky weapons materialized in his palms. The Hexa Shots. Small, rapid-fire blasters with a modular, lightweight, but deadly design. "Let's see if that armor of yours can handle these."
Hexa aimed and unleashed a barrage. The green bullets struck the Armadillo's chest in rapid succession, emitting high-pitched impact sounds, but... nothing. Just tiny bursts of light on the armor, as if he'd fired at a bank vault. "...Are you kidding me?" Hexa blurted out.
The Armadillo growled, empowered by its own invulnerability. It hunched slightly forward, then lunged like a tank at full speed. Rei tried to dodge, but got hit hard. The blow hurled him against the opposite wall, which cracked from the impact.
Crash! The wooden wall split apart, and Hexa crashed to the ground.
"Rei-san!" screamed Keitaro, who had stayed outside, hidden behind the door. He grabbed his phone with trembling hands and dialed Takumi. "Hello?! Takkun! There's an Orphnoch! He's fighting Rei-san! Come now!"
The Armadillo Orphnoch fled.
With a swift leap, the monster burst through the side wall, smashing an opening between the furniture and broken bricks, and bolted out of the building. In the alley behind the house, it paused only for a moment... ...then its body contracted. The plates vanished. The skin returned to human form.
Morishita Yoshimasa dropped to his knees, gasping for breath, soaked in sweat. He stood up with effort and hurried toward the other side of the street.
Rei, still in his Hexa form, staggered slightly, his shoulders low, but his eyes focused. He had already left the house behind, still trying to track the Orphnoch. "That bastard with the tank armor..."
He turned a corner and spotted a boy walking calmly on the opposite sidewalk. Tall, dark clothes, steady pace. Rei narrowed his eyes. "Hey, you!"
Morishita turned. His heart was pounding in his chest, but his face wore an innocent expression. "Yes?"
"Did you see anything? Something like a monster. It should've passed through here just seconds ago."
Morishita made a face as if thinking, then shook his head. "No, sorry. I didn't see anything."
Rei remained silent for a moment. The suit's sensors weren't picking up anything strange. And that confused look... it seemed believable. "If you do see something, run. It's extremely dangerous."
"Yeah, of course. Got it."
Rei gave a quick nod and continued in the opposite direction, still searching for the Armadillo.
Only once he was sure Rei had disappeared beyond the horizon did Morishita turn around. He entered the parking lot, where he had left his car. He looked around, got in, and started the engine.
His gaze had turned cold again. Sharp. "Liars... all of them," he murmured.
He pressed the accelerator. The car pulled away—heading toward the all-girls high school where Chie used to study.
*Aoba Kokusai University – a few minutes later*
The voices of the students echoed through the hallways like a continuous river of words. Yuji Kiba moved among them with a calm stride, but his eyes were dark, questioning. He stopped one student after another, showing a photo on his phone. A photo of Chie Morishita. "Have you seen her? She was in your course… her name was Chie Morishita."
The answer was always the same: "Sorry… I don't know her."
"We don't really talk to people from that course."
Yuji thanked each of them with a polite nod, but the anxiety inside him kept growing. The anxiety of being recognized as the guilty one he was. He walked down the short staircase to the campus garden, where the cherry trees were still bare, their branches naked against the milky sky. The sun was sinking behind the clouds, casting a pale gray light over the campus.
That's when he saw him. Morishita Yoshimasa.
He was talking to a student, right near one of the small paths that led to the science building.
Yuji slowed down, staying unnoticed, observing from a distance.
"You… You're the one who spoke badly about Chie, aren't you?" Morishita asked, his voice flat, almost emotionless.
The student, a tall boy with glasses and a perfectly pressed uniform, stopped abruptly. "Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb."
"Look, I'm in a hurry. Move." he said, annoyed, lightly pushing Morishita with his shoulder.
Morishita didn't budge. The sky seemed to darken. In an instant, his body erupted in a cold light, and in the span of a few heartbeats, his human face was replaced by the shining gray armor of the Armadillo Orphnoch.
"No…!" The student stepped back, eyes wide in shock.
"You didn't know her. None of you really knew her." With a swift strike of his clawed hand, he hit the boy in the chest. A cloud of gray dust rose into the air, dissolving into the wind.
Yuji saw it all. He froze. His throat was dry. His stomach turned. "Morishita-san…" he whispered, as the Orphnoch turned toward him.
"See?" he said in a cavernous voice. "This is the power God gave me. The power to avenge Chie!"
Yuji clenched his fists. He wanted to stop him. He wanted to scream. He wanted to tell him the truth. "No! I'm the one who killed Chie-san!" But the words caught in his throat.
They stayed there like stones. The weight was unbearable. "Morishita-san, you're wrong. She wouldn't have wanted this."
"Don't you dare talk to me like you knew who Chie was!" the Armadillo Orphnoch roared. With a violent shove, Yuji was thrown to the ground, rolling across the pavement.
Morishita turned away and, without another word, began walking toward the school building with a determined stride.
Yuji sat up, his trembling hands searching for support. That's when they arrived.
"Hey! Are you okay?" Takumi's voice echoed across the empty campus. Beside him were Rei and Keitaro, all of them out of breath. Takumi knelt beside Yuji, grabbing him by the shoulders. "What happened?!"
Yuji had tears already streaming down his face. "That man…," he said in a broken voice, pointing toward the building, "he's lost his humanity… he's lost his soul… But… I have no right to stop him."
Rei stepped forward, his gaze hard and resolute. He turned to Takumi. "We need to stop him, before there are more victims."
The three of them ran toward the school entrance, with Keitaro following a few steps behind, more worried than ever.
The hallway had emptied. The door to a classroom burst open with a dull thud as the Armadillo Orphnoch made his entrance. His eyes burned with hatred, the gray, wrinkled skin of his mutated form starkly contrasting against the immaculate white of the room. The students turned, interrupted in their afternoon chatter.
"W-what..." murmured a girl, as another student dropped his pen onto the desk.
The Orphnoch moved forward in slow but determined steps, each one a hammer striking the heart of those who saw him. An almost mystical aura surrounded him, yet what moved was pure rage.
No one spoke. No one moved.
Until Rei Aizawa's voice broke the silence. "Stop it!" Rei was already in position. With a decisive gesture, he strapped on the Hexa Belt, snapping it onto his side like a holstered rifle. He pulled out the Hexa Phone, dialed firmly: *8–9–1 STANDING BY*
"Henshin!" Rei shouted, as he inserted the Hexa Phone into the Hexa Belt. *COMPLETE* In a burst of emerald light and hexagonal circuits, Kamen Rider Hexa appeared, his shining armor, hexagonal-patterned helmet, and emerald LED eyes pulsating like digital hearts.
Hexa lunged forward, grabbing the Armadillo Orphnoch from behind with a wrestler's hold. "EVERYONE OUT! RUN!" he shouted.
The students jumped to their feet, screaming. Some knocked over chairs, others bumped desks as they ran for the exit. In seconds, the classroom was empty.
Only the sounds of fists and armor clashing filled the room.
Keitaro, breathing heavily, reached the classroom door and handed the Faiz Belt to Takumi. "Takkun, take it!"
Takumi looked at it. Then he lowered his gaze. His hands were trembling. "No..."
"TAKUMI!" Rei yelled as he was slammed into a blackboard, shattering it. "You can't hesitate now!"
Takumi slowly turned toward him.
Rei stood up, his body still trembling from the impact, and with a yell, he kicked the Orphnoch in a spinning kick, sending it flying into the classroom wall, which groaned dangerously. "While you hesitate, people are dying!" Hexa shouted, his breath heavy. "Fight, Takumi! I believe in you!"
Takumi looked at the Faiz Belt in his hands. Then he looked at Keitaro, terrified but trusting. He looked at Rei, standing despite everything. He looked at the debris of the classroom, the fear, the chaos.
His indecision, his pain, melted away like ice in the sun. "Alright," he said, his voice low but firm. "If fighting is a sin... then damn me!"
He grabbed the Faiz Phone and opened the screen. His fingers moved with newfound determination. *5-5-5 STANDING BY.* "Henshin!" Takumi slid the phone into the Faiz Belt with a metallic snap. *COMPLETE*
A red light exploded around him. Circuits wrapped around his body, and the pulsating lights enveloped him like artificial blood.
Kamen Rider Faiz was born from the light. Black armor with red circuits etched like electronic veins. The red visor shaped like "Phi" glowed, and every movement was charged with a new energy.
"You've taken your... ...time." Rei said as he stood alongside Takumi.
"Yes!" Keitaro shouted, cheering from the door.
The Armadillo Orphnoch got up with a beastly, enraged roar. He charged with all his weight at Faiz and Hexa. But the two were ready.
"That's enough," Faiz said. In perfect synchronization, they both grabbed him, one by the shoulders, the other by the arms. With tremendous effort, they pushed him back, violently dragging him toward the wall.
"UUAAAAH!" the three of them screamed in one unified roar.
The wall gave way.
Concrete, glass, and beams flew everywhere as the three bodies plunged into the void. They were on the first floor. A drop of at least five meters.
They landed on the lawn outside. A cloud of dust and debris rose into the garden.
Faiz and Hexa did a somersault and quickly regained their footing. The Orphnoch landed on his back, smashing the ground beneath his weight.
The battle had only just begun.
The Armadillo Orphnoch crawled across the ground, its claws slicing through the air with pure aggression. Its massive, hulking form, composed of thick armored plates, was like an unstoppable wall of steel. Faiz and Hexa stood ready, but the enemy seemed nearly invulnerable.
Faiz readied himself for battle, his body tensing. He gripped the Faiz Edge tightly and advanced with precision. His goal was clear: to eliminate the Armadillo Orphnoch once and for all.
Then, the Flying Fish Orphnoch arrived in a flash, a bolt tearing through the air, moving so fast it was almost invisible to the naked eye. Its silver head gleamed under the sunlight, and its tail ended in a large steel bow, already primed to unleash another deadly shot.
Rei wasn't surprised, but his heart skipped a beat. The threat was real. "Takumi! Leave it to me!" Hexa said firmly to Faiz, who nodded without hesitation.
Rei wasted no time. With a swift, precise motion, he pulled out the Hexa Phone and keyed in a code. With a click that echoed through the air: *0–8–0 Hexa Daggers*
A green flash enveloped his hands. The Hexa Daggers appeared in all their deadly perfection, small vibrating blades, shining with a metallic luster that promised no mercy. Each was a high-frequency dagger, capable of slicing through anything like pure energy incarnate.
Rei grabbed the daggers and entered another sequence: *1–3–3 Hexa Cloak* The Hexa Cloak wrapped around him like an ethereal veil. In a blink, he turned invisible, leaving behind only the faintest trace of his presence. He was as silent and unseen as a ghost.
With a lightning-quick leap, he launched himself toward the Flying Fish Orphnoch. His speed and strength were beyond human, and in a heartbeat, he was behind the enemy—just as the silver figure was preparing to fire another deadly arrow from its tail-bow.
Rei tapped the call button on his Hexa Phone. *Ready. Exceed Charge.* "You're not getting away."
The blades of the Hexa Daggers lit up with emerald energy. With a swift motion, Rei plunged the daggers into the Orphnoch's back, tearing through its defenses with staggering precision.
The enemy let out a muffled cry as its body was pierced by an attack even an Orphnoch couldn't anticipate. The molecular vibrations of the Hexa Daggers tore it apart from within. Rei emerged from invisibility, the daggers still buried deep in the Flying Fish's body.
The Flying Fish Orphnoch collapsed in a cloud of dust. Its energy dissipated with a crackling roar. It was dead.
The wind hissed through the trees, carrying the scent of upturned earth and the ozone left behind by energy discharges from the battle.
The Armadillo Orphnoch had summoned a sword and a square shield. He crouched low, shield raised, blade ready to strike.
Takumi, in his Faiz form, advanced with the Faiz Edge firmly in his right hand. The energy blade vibrated slightly, as if it contained a force waiting to be unleashed.
*CLANG!*
The first clash between sword and shield shook the air. Faiz struck with precision, but the Orphnoch blocked it with his shield, then countered with a quick feint and a sideways thrust.
Takumi stepped back half a pace, dodging the blow. His style was more instinctual than refined, but he made up for it with timing and reflex.
*CLANG! CLANG! CRACK!*
Another exchange. Faiz struck low, then spun his blade upward in a vertical slash. The Orphnoch deflected it with a shield bash, but the impact made him stagger.
Faiz seized the moment: with a swift turn and concentrated strength, he drove the Faiz Edge between the shield and the Orphnoch's armor, red sparks exploding on impact.
Takumi pressed his thumb against the call button on the Faiz Phone, locked to his belt. Ready. Exceed Charge. A distorted electronic voice filled the air—solemn, like a sentence passed.
The Faiz Edge lit up with a pulsing red glow, as if on the verge of exploding. Energy surged along the blade with growing intensity, cloaking it in a searing, cutting aura.
Faiz lowered himself, holding the sword horizontally. The ground beneath him cracked. The air grew heavy. And then—
*BOOM.*
An anti-gravity impulse shot across the ground, lifting the Armadillo Orphnoch into the air.
The massive figure spun wildly, screaming in a mix of rage and pain, as his armored plates were torn apart by red energy.
Takumi ran. Fast—inhumanly fast. He reached the Orphnoch mid-air. And he struck.
One. Two. Three slashes.
Each strike blasted through the air. Each hit landed on a vital point: chest, throat, back.
The Armadillo Orphnoch let out a final cry, and his body began to disintegrate mid-air, like dust carried off by the wind.
A heavy silence fell over the garden. Only the wind stirred the leaves now.
Faiz took a step back. His breathing was steady, but his body remained tense. He slowly lifted the Faiz Phone from his belt, with a motion that had become second nature.
*Click.*
He pressed the button to end the call.
A wave of energy vanished from his body. Faiz's armor dissolved into a rain of red photons. What remained was Takumi Inui—disheveled, slightly winded, his hand still on the phone, as if reluctant to let go.
A few meters away, Rei had done the same. Hexa had vanished, revealing the cold, determined-faced boy still standing in a guarded stance.
Keitaro broke the silence with a shout of joy: "YOU DID IT, GUYS!" He jumped forward, eyes gleaming with excitement, hands waving in the air.
Rei turned to Takumi. He stared at him for a moment. Then, naturally, raised his fist toward him—a clear invite for a fist bump.
Takumi looked at it. Was he annoyed? No—confused. Perplexed.
A small awkward silence fell as he stared at Rei's extended fist. "...Is he... attacking me?" he wondered for a second. His body tensed. He slowly raised his own fist, stopping halfway through the motion, as if trying to brace for impact.
Rei raised an eyebrow. Then, he gave a faint smile. "Like this." he said, and tapped Takumi's fist with his own. A simple, clean, confident knock.
Takumi widened his eyes for a moment but said nothing. He didn't seem to know the gesture, but it didn't feel like a bad thing.
Keitaro, cheerful as always, ran toward Rei. Rei raised his hand. Keitaro jumped up and gave him a high five with glee, laughing. "Let's go home, guys." Rei said.
Takumi didn't respond. He looked at the ground, then at the sky. His breathing was back to normal, but there was something strange in his eyes. Maybe... calm? Maybe the feeling of not being alone. "...Let's go back." he finally said, his voice flat.
Rei nodded. He said nothing more. The battle was over… ...But not the war.
*Open your eyes for the Next Faiz*
Keitaro: "They've reported... ...A mysterious individual who enjoys dirtying clothes?"
Takumi: "We really have to bother us for this?"
Mari: "She's just a little girl."
?: "Let me go!"
Takumi: "Attacking a little girl, really?"
Rei: "You're a dead Orphnoch!"
*Episode 4: Immaculate Justice*
*Author's Notes.* Hi there, guys, I'm Riccky06! I'm enjoying writing this FanFiction more and more. I'll be honest, I wanted to write this FanFiction and one about Kamen Rider Hibiki at the same time... ...But it's highly unlikely that I'll be able to because I have to review all of Kamen Rider Hibiki, and if I mix Hibiki with Faiz my brain will go haywire. Alright, folks, I think we had enough fun, leave a review, whether it's positive or negative, thanks to everyone who has already commented, and we'll see you in the next chapter! BYE!
P.S. One person asked me if the Hexa Belt was based on the NEXT Faiz Belt... ...No, it's not based on any Belt, it's all my own original.