The G3 Unit was having their meeting while having lunch at the usual BBQ place just like any other day.
The three of them were staring at the pan with serious faces as they discussed.
Lying on the pan was a piece of corn and bell pepper.
Sumiko turned over the bell pepper.
“That Unknown felt extremely different from any of the ones we’ve seen so far. It’s like… there was an explosion of feelings coming out of it.”
“I felt the same way. If I didn’t know any better, I’d almost say it was human.”
Hikawa flipped over the corn.
“It’s the same with Agito.”
“What do you mean? Are you saying Agito’s actually human as well?”
Omuro questioned Hikawa.
“No, I can’t exactly say for sure…”
Sumiko chugged down her large mug of beer before speaking out.
“Anyway, there are just too many mysteries right now. If that thing wasn’t an Unknown, then why did it attack Agito? Is there something going on between the two of them? …More beer, please!”
The pan continued to sear the corn.
Hikawa stared at it with a pensive look on his face.
“What’s wrong? More beer, please!”
“If Agito really is a human, what kind of person would he be…”
“A good guy, right? Agito always shows up to help out G3.”
Omuro picked up the corn with his chopsticks and bit in.
Sumiko set down her empty mug and spoke casually.
“Who can say? Maybe he’d have a dark hidden side to him. More beer, pl-”
Hikawa stood up while slamming the table.
“Hold on just a second! I agree with Omuro’s opinion!”
Hikawa leaned forward and drew close to Sumiko’s face.
“I can say this because I’ve fought alongside Agito multiple times now! If Agito is human, then there’s no doubt he’s a noble man filled with compassion!
Sumiko dropped her chopsticks in complete shock.
“A-All right, I get it…”
Hikawa continued to sing praises of Agito.
As he did that, Omuro popped the well-seared bell pepper into his mouth.
The sky was covered with dark clouds.
According to the weather report, the entire late June period would be either cloudy or raining.
Shouichi was out in the vegetable garden under that sky, carefully examining each and every leaf of his vegetables.
Diseases and bugs appear much more frequently during rainy seasons, meaning careful inspection was absolutely necessary.
After being satisfied with the inspection and breaking out into a wide grin, he headed back into the house to begin cleaning.
He wiped the dining-kitchen floor with a cloth, ran the vacuum cleaner over the living room, and then moved on to cleaning Mana’s room.
Before going over the carpet with the vacuum cleaner, he organized the books lying about back into the bookshelf.
As he was trying to make space in the bookshelf by moving the books to the side, a single book dropped down.
The book opened up and pieces of paper that were stuck in it fell out.
“!”
Shouichi’s eyes flew wide open.
They were cut-out scraps from numerous newspapers.
He saw the words “Akatsuki Village”.
The words in the article detailing the incident that destroyed an entire village jumbled up and flew into his head.
Akatsuki Village…?
As the jumbled-up words of “serial murder”, “slaughter”, “corpses”, and so on flew around in his head, the name “Mana Kazaya” could be made out.
Mana-chan?
The pictures published in the newspaper pulsed with a pounding familiarity.
Suddenly Shouichi felt like he just smelled blood.
The pictures of the village began to feel as real as looking out at the scenery from behind a window.
This is…
Shouichi felt his memories coming back.
He then suddenly fell unconscious.
“I’m home.”
Mana took off her loafers at the front door and made her way up the stairs.
Upon opening the door to her room, she saw Shouichi collapsed on the floor.
“Shouichi?!”
Mana screamed out and quickly ran to his side.
“Shouichi! What’s wrong, Shouichi?!”
The moment she touched his forehead with her hand while shouting at him, a certain scene showed up in her head.
Mana reflexively drew her hand back.
Was that… Shouichi’s memory just now…?
She knew she shouldn’t peek into other people’s memories.
But she felt like she recognized the scene that flashed in her mind.
No… It can’t be…
Mana hesitantly brought her hand forward and touched his forehead once again.
A fragment of his memory that had been long lost in the darkness began to resurface.
On a night with thick clouds in the sky, a man was crawling in escape in a paddy field.
The point of view behind the man slowly got closer and closer.
The man wasn’t able to move as fast as he’d like because of his feet caught in the mud.
Eventually, the point of view was now right behind the man.
The man turned around.
His face was twisted with fear.
“Dad…?!”
Nobuyuki let out his last words.
“P-Please, don’t… Nooooo!!”
Mana’s eyes were filled with tears.
Suddenly she realized that there was someone calling out her name.
“What’s wrong, Mana?”
Shouichi was looking up at her from below with a worried look.
Mana drew her hand away from his forehead and wiped away her tears.
“Actually, what’s wrong with me? I think I got dizzy here, and then…”
“Get out.”
Mana coldly spoke to Shouichi as he got up.
“But I haven’t finished cleaning up the room yet.”
“I don’t feel good right now, just get out!”
“…All right.”
Shouichi stood up despondently.
Mana continued to stay on the floor, unmoving.
Why… Why was that scene in Shouichi’s memories…?
Don’t tell me that golden creature was actually Shouichi…
No… That can’t be… There’s no way Shouichi would murder someone…!
Then why…?
Even though she knew she wouldn’t get the answer this way, her thoughts continued to circle around each other.
The sun set and her room grew dark. Yet Mana had not moved an inch.
Shouichi came to her door to let her know dinner was ready, but Mana didn’t come out.
After a little bit, she heard the sound of a bike engine.
Upon looking out the window, she saw that Shouichi was heading out somewhere.
The clock showed that it was just about 9 PM.
He’s going out somewhere again… He sometimes randomly heads out the house, but where does he go…? What is he doing…?
Upon realizing this, Mana dashed out of her room.
She turned on the light on her bicycle and followed Shouichi.
When she focused her mind, she could see something of a trail of light that followed Shouichi’s path.
His bike was stopped in front of a forest park about a kilometer away.
She got off her bike and lightly jogged into the park while looking around her.
Nothing could be heard in the dark secluded forest other than the cries of frogs and bugs and such.
Mana was a little scared.
Even so, her uncontrollable power pushed her deeper into the forest.
Suddenly a strong light flashed out.
As she attempted to look at the light with her hands in front of her intercepting it, she could make out the silhouette of a person.
The light shot out from the person’s waist.
It was Shouichi.
Shouichi was facing a creature that seemed to be an Unknown.
W-Why is Shouichi with an Unknown…?!
Mana was trying to get a grip on the situation. Nothing was making sense to her.
But the very next moment, Mana’s face freezed.
Shouichi instantly transformed into Agito.
Mana stepped back with a pale face.
So that creature… really was Shouichi…!
Shouichi killed my… my…!
Mana ran away. At some point, she had begun wailing out.
Tears overflowed from her eyes. Her legs got entangled and she fell down at the forest’s exit.
She stood up and once again tripped.
Her feet hurt. But something hurt even more than that.
In an attempt to forget that pain, she bit her hands, pulled at her hair, and bit her lips.
She plopped down and continued to cry her heart out.
The forest shook.
The Mantis Lord Unknown cut down a tree with its sickle-like arms.
Agito barely managed to dodge its blades and quickly jumped back to create distance.
However the Mantis Lord continued to advance with its sickle arms swinging wildly.
Even though he managed to avoid its blades, the shockwaves formed when they slashed into the air still pierced his body.
Agito put a stop to the left sickle by grabbing it with both hands.
The Mantis Lord got ready to slash Agito with its right sickle.
But Agito deflected it with a roundhouse kick.
He then shifted his momentum and landed a front kick towards the Mantis Lord’s body.
Once they put some distance between each other…
“!”
A shudder ran down Agito’s body.
He sensed bloodlust leagues greater than what was coming from the Mantis Lord.
There was someone watching them from the darkness.
The moment the Mantis Lord jumped forward to attack, a beast-like roar shook the forest.
Gills had appeared among the trees.
He lifted his claw-extended heel and aimed his attack towards Agito from above.
But instead it pierced the Mantis Lord’s arm, who had launched itself towards Agito.
Black blood spurted out from the wound as the Mantis Lord rolled onto the ground.
Gills glared at Agito and let out a war cry.
Agito calmly put up a stance to intercept the oncoming attacks.
Incredible sounds rang out as their fists and kicks landed upon each other.
Their heated battle continued.
Suddenly, Gills stopped moving.
The Mantis Lord had swung down its uninjured sickle from behind him.
Green blood flowed out of the laceration reaching from his shoulder down to his waist.
Gills responded with a spinning kick in annoyance towards his battle getting interrupted.
His claw cleanly pierced through both sides of its head, causing the Mantis Lord to be blown into smithereens instantly.
Gills once again aimed his gaze towards Agito.
But this time a bullet landed into his back.
Upon turning around, he saw the armor-less Hikawa wielding the G3 handgun in both hands with his back supported against a tree.
The G3 System was still being repaired.
It would still take some time to finish repairing the head unit that was damaged in the previous battle.
After receiving an eyewitness report of an Unknown while on patrol, Hikawa heard the cry of a beast and rushed to the forest.
It was then that he saw Gills fighting Agito.
Even though he wasn’t able to utilize the G3 System, he didn’t hesitate for even a second to come to Agito’s aid.
After all, Agito had saved him so many times now.
He’d do anything that would be within his power.
Hikawa continued to fire rounds towards Gills.
The G3 handgun was not meant to be used without the proper equipment.
The G3 armor was necessary in order to withstand the recoil.
Hikawa desperately fought against the incredible recoil as he continued to fire at his target.
Gills’s body shook each time it took a bullet.
But eventually Hikawa’s arms cried out in pain.
An intense pain struck him as his bones broke, causing the handgun to fall out of his hands.
Tentacles extended out from Gills’s arms and struck out at Hikawa like whips.
“Gwaaah!”
After being heavily thrown against the trunk of the tree, his body crumpled down.
“Hikawa!”
Agito faced Gills in rage.
How could you do that to him?!
But Gills did not miss out on taking advantage of the opening Agito had created from him losing his composure.
He slammed his tightly clenched fist into Agito’s face.
With his consciousness on the verge of fading, he continued to receive a flurry of punches and kicks like a sandbag and eventually landed on his knees.
Agito slumped forward with his head hanging down.
Gills let out yet another roar and lifted his heel.
He aimed his claw towards the top of Agito’s head to finish him off.
Suddenly Agito’s red eyes lit up with a mysterious light.
The very next moment, the arc Gills had traced with his heel came to a stop.
What?!
Agito had easily stopped Gills’s heel with a single hand.
“…Kuh!”
Agito lightly twisted his wrist.
The claw shattered into pieces like glass.
Gills fell onto the ground screaming in pain from what felt like his fingernail getting peeled off.
Agito slowly lifted Gills up by his neck.
He used his free arm to land one, two punches to Gills’s abdomen.
A thunderous roar rang out with each hit, dealing out impacts nearly strong enough to turn Gills’s internal organs inside-out.
What’s with this monstrous strength…?! It’s completely different from before…!
Gills could sense just how overwhelming Agito’s power was.
It felt like his body was getting crushed just by the aura that was being let out alone.
Is this Agito’s true power…?!
Agito threw Gills’s body to the side as if he was tossing aside something in his way.
Gills’s body flew through the air like an arrow and slammed into a large tree, with both Gills and the tree falling onto the ground.
Gills returned to his form as Ryou with his transformation getting undone as he crawled on the ground.
Agito then approached him with quiet footsteps.
I-I can’t move…!
Ryou saw Agito drawing closer and closer.
I’m done for…!
But suddenly Agito grabbed onto his own head and began writhing in pain.
It appeared as if he was fighting against something inside him as he threw out his fists and mowed down the trees around him. The next moment, Agito collapsed after being enveloped in light.
As the light slowly dissipated, Agito’s body disappeared.
Agito had returned to his form as Shouichi.
Ryou doubted his eyes.
What…?! Him?!
Hikawa was taken aback, unable to accept what he saw.
Tsugami…? No… It can’t be… Why is Tsugami…?!
Shouichi was struck with an intense pain that felt like his head was getting crushed.
What… was I doing…?! What’s going on with me…?!
Eventually images from the deep abyss of his memories resurfaced into his mind.
Dark clouds covered the farmland and the wet stench of blood filled the air.
The remains of countless people could be seen from in between the striped layers of fog.
One could barely even tell they were human beings at one point.
Torn apart pieces of meat, splattered organs, streams of blood, and faces plastered with the frozen expression of fear.
The one walking through those remains was Agito.
Agito was chasing after someone.
Covered with dirt and blood, the middle-aged man’s breath was ragged, desperately trying to escape as he tripped again and again.
Agito slowly reached him.
The man turned around.
His face, twisted with the fear of death, belonged to none other than Mana’s father, Nobuyuki.
Shouichi suddenly woke up.
He realized that he had laid his hand on Nobuyuki.
Not just Nobuyuki, but the entire village…
“Bwaaaah…!!”
Unable to hold in his disgust, Shouichi vomited.
He could see red in his vomit.
It was the carrot from his garden that he used for his dinner’s salad.
Shouichi felt as if the vegetables he had poured his heart into raising were now showing disdain towards him.
No… No…! I… did that…?! Mana’s dad… and the rest of the villagers… That was all because of me…?!
It wasn’t something he was able to accept.
But the reality was that he had memories of murdering the entire village.
His resurfaced memories were declaring him as the culprit.
“No… It can’t be… It can’t be… It can’t be! It can’t be! It can’t be!”
Shouichi cried out in sorrow as he ran deeper into the forest.
Kamen Rider Novel Translations 