The red cube had black flame patterns on each of its corners, and a black bird-shaped pattern on each of its six faces.
"What is this thing?"
Senba Gari asked in puzzlement as he looked at the cube in Silver Phantom's hand.
Master, this is a reconnaissance robot, the Beast God Cube—With birds (Flame Sparrow).
"This? Just a cube?"
It's no ordinary cube. It's a Beast God Cube. Don't believe me? Just watch.
Silver Phantom twisted the top of the Beast God Cube, and it suddenly transformed into a tiny red bird, as if it had received a command.
"Tweet~"
"Whoa, that's some serious technology."
"By the way, how do I use this thing?"
Master, just tell it what to do.
Senba Gari watched the mechanical bird, With birds (Flame Sparrow), circling around him and couldn't help marveling. After asking Silver Phantom how to use it, he had the bird land on his finger and gave it an order.
"Fly over to that apartment building and keep watch. If you see anything suspicious, report back at once. Got it?"
"Tweet~"
With birds (Flame Sparrow) nodded, then flew off toward the secluded apartment building.
So, Master, what are we going to do?
"We'll go to the apartment building and wait for our chance."
In the distance, near a secluded apartment building, Senba Gari was having a rendezvous with his motorcycle robot, Silver Phantom, in the grass. No, not a rendezvous—a stakeout. They were hiding in the grass. (What are you, a bush camper? (;一_一))
Master, what are we even doing here? ←_←
Silver Phantom looked at its master, who was hiding in the grass and playing on his phone—or rather, watching the live feed With birds (Flame Sparrow) was sending back.
"Of course we're keeping watch. What else? Munch, slurp."
He was also eating bread and drinking something, leaving Silver Phantom speechless. Honestly, they were both Kamen Riders, so why was its master so... lazy? He'd been so serious just a moment ago. How had he gone and—
Master, how do you know that person is the culprit?
"Isn't it obvious? Hardly anyone lives in that apartment building."
But what if you're wrong? What then?
"I won't be. It's my intuition."
Sigh~
"Don't worry. We just have to wait until nightfall. Munch, slurp."
That night, Senba Gari and Silver Phantom were still lying in wait in the grass.
Master, I've received a signal from With birds (Flame Sparrow). It seems to have found the target, and the target is starting to make a move.
"Is that so? We might have to wait a little longer before we act. Tell With birds (Flame Sparrow) to keep close. They've given us such a generous gift, after all. We have to return the favor."
"Rustle~" ×2
"Meow~" ×2
As soon as Senba Gari finished speaking, two black figures appeared around them. By the light of the moon, Senba Gari could make out their appearance.
They looked like humanoid cats and stood no taller than 1.65 meters. They had slender bodies covered in black fur, a pair of scarlet eyes, small, sharp claws, long whiskers, and occasionally let out low growls.
Master, it looks like we've been spotted. They've sent two Servant Cat Mlorthas to hold us off. What should we do?
"What else? Ask them to join us? They're only two. What's there to be afraid of? We'll each take one, of course."
Senba Gari stood back-to-back with Silver Phantom, whose left arm had transformed into a cannon and whose right hand held a laser sword. They stared grimly at the Servant Cat Mlorthas before them, then took out Divine's Transformation Card.
"Manifest."
Divine's Transformation Belt appeared around Senba Gari's waist.
"Transform."
Senba Gari inserted the Transformation Card into the right side of the belt's Transformation Device. A synthesized mechanical voice rang out.
Vehicle armour appear (Armour Manifestation)
Flaming-red armour silhouettes appeared around Senba Gari's body. Then another synthesized mechanical voice rang out.
armed (Armament)
As the second mechanical voice sounded, the flaming-red armour silhouettes equipped Senba Gari with armour.
Divine Garuda (Garuda)
With the third mechanical voice, Kamen Rider Divine appeared.
Divine then drew the Flame Feather Blade Weapon Card from the Card Box and swiped it across the top of the belt's Transformation Device. Two more synthesized mechanical voices rang out.
Weapon appeared (Weapon Manifestation)
Flow flame plume blade (Flame Feather Blade)
The card turned into flames, which then transformed into the Flame Feather Blade.
Gripping the Flame Feather Blade tightly in his left hand, he set his legs slightly apart, one in front of the other, and leaned forward. Senba Gari's voice came from beneath Divine's mask.
"All right, let's finish this quickly. Who knows what might happen otherwise?"
Understood, Master.
Then the man and the robot charged at the Servant Cat Mlorthas before them.
"Meow~" ×2
Seeing Divine and Silver Phantom charging toward them, the Servant Cat Mlorthas growled and charged at them as well.
"Whoosh~"
Just as Divine was about to strike one of the Servant Cat Mlorthas, it suddenly vanished. No, it hadn't vanished. It had—
"Slash."
The Servant Cat Mlortha's claws raked Divine's back, throwing off sparks.
"Ugh!"
The sudden attack from behind made Divine cry out in pain.
"Damn it. I didn't expect them to be so fast. Tch, they hit hard, too."
Master, are you all right?
Silver Phantom had been fighting an enemy when it noticed Divine's back had been injured.
"I'm fine, Phantom. Don't worry about me. Finish this quickly and find a way to get them together."
Understood, Master.
"Phew~ Looks like I'll have to bring out my signature move."
Divine infused the Flame Feather Blade with some of his spiritual energy, held it upright in front of him, and closed his eyes beneath the mask, slowly clearing his mind of distractions.
Gradually, it seemed the noises around him faded away. All he could hear was the wind, the rustling of leaves, and—
"Whoosh~"
The sound drew closer and closer. Just as it was about to reach him, Divine swung the Flame Feather Blade down at the approaching Servant Cat Mlortha.
"Slash!"
"Meow~!!!"
Divine gravely wounded the Servant Cat Mlortha, sending it straight into the other one Silver Phantom had thrown over. Divine then inserted the Finisher Card into the slot above the Flame Feather Blade's guard. Before the synthesized mechanical voice sounded, he shouted to Silver Phantom.
"Phantom! Get away from here!"
Kill Weapon (Weapon Finisher)
Energy storage (Energy Charge)
Yu Huang strong explosion (Exploding Phoenix Flame Feather)
The half-folded wing-shaped guard of the Flame Feather Blade in Divine's hand snapped open. Flames burst from the blade, then intertwined into a blade woven from what looked like feathers. He swung it down at the Servant Cat Mlorthas.
"Boom!!!"
As the explosion lit up the night, Divine climbed onto Silver Phantom, which had transformed into motorcycle form, and sped toward the location With birds (Flame Sparrow) had marked for him.
Meanwhile, a pitch-black beastly figure had set its sights on a young woman with blue hair.
Sonoda Umi was in a pretty good mood today. Otonokizaka would be starting up again in a few days, and she would get to go to school with Honoka and Kotori.
After leaving Honoka's house, Sonoda Umi had been walking home alone when she suddenly felt that something was watching her. Years of kendo training had taught her to sense that its intentions were hostile.
"Rustle~"
"Who's there?!"
Suddenly, Sonoda Umi heard something moving in the grass nearby. She turned and saw a pair of green eyes staring right at her. They looked especially eerie and terrifying in the dark.
Her years of experience told her what would happen if the owner of those eyes charged at her.
I'll die. I'll die. I'll die, I'll die, I'll die, I'll die, I'll die. The thought circled endlessly through Sonoda Umi's mind. She didn't even realize she had fallen to the ground. Then her vision blurred. The monster that had been right in front of her suddenly disappeared. When she looked up, she saw a black, humanoid cat monster lunging at her.
Goodbye, everyone. She closed her eyes, tears slowly rolling down her face. Suddenly, the distant roar of an engine caught her attention. She opened her eyes and turned to look. A person wearing strange, flaming-red armour was riding a silver-white motorcycle straight toward her.
--Scene change
Riding Silver Phantom toward the location With birds (Flame Sparrow) had indicated, Divine suddenly saw what was happening before him.
Master, it looks like that's the culprit we're after.
"I know that without you telling me. Phantom, go as fast as you can."
Understood, Master.
Silver Phantom accelerated to its maximum speed.
"Bang! Skid."
"Meow~!!!"
Just as the Black Cat Mlortha was about to reach Sonoda Umi, Divine rode Silver Phantom into the air and collided with the Black Cat Mlortha, which had leapt up at the same time.
Silver Phantom's front wheel struck the Black Cat Mlortha in the chest, sending off a shower of sparks and knocking it away.
"Skree~"
After landing, Silver Phantom skidded into a drift, stopping directly in front of Sonoda Umi. Divine dismounted, and Silver Phantom transformed back into a robot, taking up a protective position beside her.
Divine pointed the Flame Feather Blade at the Black Cat Mlortha and said,
"Now, the hunt begins!"
--Scene change
Just when Umi had thought she was as good as dead, a person in flaming-red armour had ridden a silver-white motorcycle into the monster and sent it flying. Then they had stood in front of her.
The motorcycle then transformed into a robot.
"Now, the hunt begins!"
Is that his voice? I feel like I've heard it somewhere before.
[Who are you? Why did you ruin my plans?!]
The monster suddenly spoke, challenging the armoured figure.
"Me? I'm the Kamen Rider who hunts your kind—Divine."
Divine? So that's his name. Kamen Rider? I think I've heard my father mention that.
Umi stared blankly at Divine, her eyes filled with admiration. And that admiration brought her... (I'm not telling you. I'm not telling you.)
--Scene change
Before you continue