"This is so terrifying. Could something go wrong?"
"Don't worry. It's being kept in the most advanced equipment. Not even a missile could damage it, let alone some accident."
"Yoo-hoo! What a fun little thing. How interesting! Let me bring you back to life, hee-hee-hee. Don't bore me, okay?"
A girl's voice came from some unknown space. Then an invisible wave surged out and landed on the corpse behind the car. The energy inside began to awaken, and the cells in the corpse started multiplying rapidly. Just as it was about to reach its peak, another wave arrived, weakening the activity to its lowest point.
"Have I been found out? What a boring will. Well, then, let's see what happens if I add a little something."
Just as she was about to continue, a voice called out.
"Nyarlathotep! Where do you think you're going to run now?"
"Oh, Shub! Long time no see. Why are you looking for me instead of having a baby?"
"You know exactly what you've done. I'm going to kill you today!"
"Ahahaha! Shub, look! There's something interesting over there!"
The being named Shub-Nicholas sensed it. "Hmm, it really is interesting. But you're still going to die, Nyarlathotep!"
She looked toward Nyarlathotep, but there was nothing there. "Damn it, don't run!" With that, she chased after her.
Beyond Earth, Gaia used her power to purify the traces left by the two evil gods, while sensing the corpse. "It seems something extraordinary has emerged. What a shame the world's will can't interfere with the world. I suppose I'll have to leave it to them." After purifying the traces, Gaia disappeared.
Although the energy inside the mutated corpse was suppressed, the terrifying energy continued to awaken, multiply, and mutate. A chaotic, maddening aura seeped out of it, spreading through the entire car and invading the minds of its occupants.
"Ahhhhhh~~~"
By the time the police arrived, only a chaotic scene remained. The dead wore expressions of terror and madness, as if their faces bore witness to the arrival of some horrifying being.
"The weather's so nice, isn't it, Honoka?"
"Yeah, it's so nice out! It makes me want to dance with everyone!"
Honoka smiled at her friends beside her.
"That's a great idea! The weather forecast says it'll be this nice for the next few days, too. Hey, why don't we put on a concert and relive the good old days?"
Umi Sonoda said excitedly to Honoka.
"Yeah, let's do it! We should tell Gari-nii and ask him to help us get everything ready. Having an adult around will make things a lot easier."
"Yeah, it's settled, then! Maki-chan, get the songs ready!"
"Don't worry. Leave it to me."
"Everyone seems so excited. I'm really looking forward to this concert, aren't you, Eli?"
"Yeah, I really miss those days. Just thinking about them gets me excited."
"Yay! We'll get to sing and dance together again, nya!"
"Yeah. I wonder how many people will pay attention to us. If enough people do, we could become idols! Then it'll be Nico's time to shine again!"
"Mm, I can't wait!"
The girls chatted happily as they headed to Senba Gari's house.
—Scene change
"Huff, huff~~~" In a wooden cabin, Takai Geki swung a wooden sword, panting heavily. Whenever he remembered the moment Divine transformed into Garuda, a wave of helplessness washed over him. "Damn it! How am I supposed to get stronger? Hahaha~ If this keeps up, I'll never catch up! Hahaha~!"
"My lord, come quickly! Something unusual is happening."
"Haha~ Huff. What is it, Cangqiong?"
'Now for a news update. An accident occurred on Route S74, leaving four people dead. The victims' faces were contorted with fear, as if they had suffered some terrible ordeal. The scene looked as though it had been ransacked by vandals. The case is still under investigation. We urge the public to take care when going out and to call the police if they witness an emergency!' 'And now, it's time for the morning weather forecast you've all been waiting for! I'm your beloved little weather girl, so be sure to call me Little Weather! Today will be sunny, and there are no major changes in the surrounding air. That means the next few days will all be wonderful! If you have someone special in mind, don't wait—make your move! This warm weather can make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, and help make your sweetheart fall for you! Whether you're going on a date, proposing, or asking someone out, your chances of success are high! Don't miss your chance! Now let's see what today's lucky color is. Wow! Oh, there isn't one! Looks like we don't need colors after all, because every color will bring you luck! Best wishes to you all! Be sure to cherish these next few days, because your future happiness is in your hands! See you next time!'
"Cangqiong, looks like we'll be busy again."
"Yes, my lord. Should I contact Gari?"
"No. He's been exhausted these past few days. Let him rest."
With that, Takai Geki left the room.
"My lord seems to be under a lot of pressure. I hope he finds a solution soon."
Heart of Moving Forward (2) (Submitted by reader Yuan Yi Xin Fei)
(Weather tip: The following is set in a parallel world and is unrelated to the main story.)
"I'm back! Phantom, open the door!"
Senba Gari called out cheerfully as he returned from a walk. The door opened, and Kotori's head peeked out.
"Welcome back, Gari-nii."
"Kotori, what are you doing here? And everyone else, too?"
"So you want to put on a concert and relive the good old days?" Senba Gari said lazily, leaning against the sofa.
"Mm, we want to put on a concert, but without an adult, it's hard to take care of some of the paperwork. Could you help us, please, Gari-nii?" Kotori put her hands together in a pleading gesture.
"Sure."
"Really? That's great!" the girls cried excitedly.
"But I have one condition." The girls tensed up.
"I want you to take this performance as seriously as you did Love Live!"
"Yeah!"
"Master, where's my game? (;￣ェ￣)"
"Oh, that. I forgot."
"You did that on purpose! You definitely did! (??﹏??)"
"No, I didn't. I just forgot how to get there while I was passing by."
"Master, you—you—! (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻"
That'll teach you to play games in the middle of the night and keep me awake. But how should I help Kotori and the others? They were already disappointed after last year's competition. I'll have to plan this properly. Gari thought to himself.
—Scene change
Takai Geki arrived at the scene of the incident and examined the traces with Cangqiong.
"Cangqiong, check whether there are any unusual traces around here."
"Understood, my lord. My analysis shows that the air is filled with electromagnetic waves. The pattern is unusual and can interfere with the brain's ability to make sound judgments. It can cause hallucinations, and in severe cases, a loss of reason. The victims may become monsters who act on primitive instincts and destroy everything around them."
"So those people acted that way because these electromagnetic waves affected them. The damage was all caused by their own hallucinations."
"Yes, my lord."
"A new mlortha? This is bad. We need to deal with it quickly. If this happens in a city, it'll be a disaster. Cangqiong, quickly examine the traces around us and determine this thing's characteristics and where it went. We have to destroy it as soon as possible."
"Yes, my lord. We can track it by following the direction of the electromagnetic waves."
"Good. Hurry."
With that, Takai Geki rode Cangqiong toward the mountains. When they had traveled nearly three kilometers, fog suddenly appeared ahead of them.
"My lord, this fog is abnormal. The surrounding temperature is normal, but the fog itself is very cold. Be careful."
"Got it. Manifest!"
He strapped the Spirit Summoner to his arm and inserted the Black Tortoise card, ready to respond to anything unexpected. The farther they drove into the fog, the colder the air became.
"Armor manifest! Armament—Spirit Black Tortoise!" As he spoke, Geki's body transformed in a flash of light into Kamen Rider Spirit.
"Ha! Someone's wandered into my territory. Looking for a beating? I'll show you the power of the strongest being!"
After they had traveled for a while, a clear girl's voice came from the fog. Then a water-blue life-form, like an ice spirit, burst out from within it. The fog swirled around her, and a large number of ice chunks appeared beside her and flew toward Spirit.
Boom! Cangqiong transformed into a humanoid form and fired lasers from beside Spirit, neutralizing the spirit's attack.
"My lord, the temperature here is too low. The power of our laser weapons has dropped drastically, and our guns and cannons can't fire in such low temperatures. The situation is very unfavorable."
"I know. But if that's all she can do, she's underestimating me."
Spirit charged at the spirit and swung his arm, putting all his strength into the blow, but she nimbly dodged it.
"Ha! I didn't expect you to have some skill. You actually stopped my attack. Looks like I'll have to show you what I can really do!"
The spirit's surroundings rippled again. The fog gathered together and changed into ice chunks of various sizes, far denser and heavier than before. Seeing the dense barrage, Spirit drew a weapon card and inserted it into the slot.
"Weapon manifest: Black Tortoise Shield Armor."
Clang, clang~~
Spirit raised the shield in front of Cangqiong and withstood the barrage.
"Weapon manifest: Snake Shadow Black Whip."
A black whip appeared in Spirit's hand. Its handle was deep blue, like the sea, and its body was covered in snake scales. The tip was split, like a giant serpent surging up from the sea. Spirit raised his shield and whip and charged at the spirit, trying to fight her at close range. But she kept flying high above him, dodging his attacks and harassing Spirit as if she were playing with him. "Damn it!" He took out the Vermilion Bird card and was about to insert it into his arm to change forms when Cangqiong's voice stopped him.
"Wait, my lord! This is the enemy's territory. If you use Vermilion Bird, its power will be suppressed to a minimum."
"Damn it! I hate feeling humiliated like this."
He raised his shield to defend himself, watching for an opening.
"Hahaha! Why aren't you fighting back? Can you do nothing but take a beating?"
Despite her taunts, Spirit continued to defend himself, holding his ground as he waited like a snake for an opening to deliver the finishing blow.
"Hee-hee, the game's over. You're so boring!"
Snowflakes and hail began to fall around them, swirling around the spirit at the center. They gathered and spun in front of her. As more and more hail and snowflakes merged into them, a huge spinning ice drill formed in front of her. Its pointed tip became even more terrifying as it spun.
"Cangqiong, fall back. I've got an idea."
Without letting the spirit notice, he inserted the Finisher Card into the shield.
Once the ice drill had grown to more than two meters long, she lightly pushed it forward. It shot toward Spirit at incredible speed. Just as it was about to reach him, Spirit lashed out with his whip and wrapped it around the drill. Its rotation pulled him forward and sent him flying toward the spirit.
"Finisher charge: Raging Waves Rock Breaker!"
Spirit charged at the spirit with his shield. A swirling whirlpool of water appeared on its surface. His incredible speed left the spirit with little time to dodge, and Spirit's finishing move grazed her, knocking her to the ground.
"Huff. Now we can end this."
"Ow~ That really hurt! Damn it, now I'm mad!"
The fog around them gathered, and in no time the place became as cold as Antarctica.
"My lord, it's too cold here. My systems can't function. Please be careful."
Chunks of ice formed over Cangqiong, and he gradually became a statue of snow and ice.
"Cangqiong! Damn it! Die!"
"Finisher charge: Raging Waves Rock Breaker!"
He charged at the spirit again.
"Do you think the same move will work on me twice? It'll only help you lose."
The swirling whirlpool of water on Spirit's shield froze solid. The ice was so heavy that Spirit couldn't lift the shield, interrupting his finishing move. The fog gathered around him, slowing his movements. Ice formed in front of the spirit again, but this time she shaped it into a cross-shaped sword. With a swing of her arm, she slashed it upward at Spirit. The ice sword left a deep gash as it swept toward him. Spirit could only raise both arms to protect his chest before the sword sent him flying. He crashed to the ground, unconscious.
"Hahaha! I'm the strongest! Ow, that hurts~"
A gust of wind blew, and the spirit vanished, leaving only the unconscious Takai Geki behind.
Heart of Moving Forward (3) (Submitted by reader Yuan Yi Xin Fei)
(Weather tip: The following is a parallel world created by readers and has nothing whatsoever to do with the main story.)
"Time: 1 p.m."
When Takai Geki woke up, he saw a ceiling that was both familiar and unfamiliar.
"Did I end up in the hospital again? Sigh~"
Before you continue