"Please stand aside!"
The policewoman's voice thundered across the area as she activated her amplification ability, forcing the civilians to retreat. Behind her, the Gate finished opening, its warped space churning ominously.
Already accustomed to situations like this, she and her fellow officers moved with practiced efficiency. Units were dispatched immediately, forming a tight perimeter around the temporary Gate while the Anti-Demon Force took over guarding duties on the Mato side of the Gate.
"I was just talking with my boyfriend," she muttered under her breath, watching the evacuation unfold, "and then this thing decides to appear at the worst possible timing."
She let out a tired sigh. "I seriously deserve a raise this month."
"Less complaining, more focus, Ozaki."
The sharp reprimand came from her partner beside her. Iwamoto didn't even look at her; she put her hands on her hips, eyes fixed on the Gate.
"We've got civilians in potential danger," Iwamoto continued. "That should be your priority."
Ozaki gave a wry smile and dipped her head in apology. "Right. Sorry."
She straightened and refocused. Just in time to hear a scream pierce the air.
"Please stay calm—"
"Ozaki, watch out!"
Iwamoto's shout came a split second before a rope of spider silk shot from her hand, wrapping around Ozaki's waist and yanking her backward.
A massive fist slammed into the ground where Ozaki had been standing. The impact sent shockwaves rippling across the pavement.
Ozaki was thrown aside, her body skidding across the ground before she finally came to a stop. Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself up and froze.
Towering before her was a grotesque, muscular creature. Its body bulged with unnatural strength, and a warped laughing mask was fused to its face, frozen in eternal mockery. Anyone would have been stunned by such a sight.
"It's a Shuuki!"
The terrified scream came from somewhere in the crowd, and panic erupted instantly.
Civilians scattered in all directions as another Shuuki emerged from the Gate, joining the first as they advanced, intent on crushing everything in their path. Chaos spread, but the authorities held their ground.
They had trained for this.
Ozaki forced herself to move, snapping out of her shock. She rose to her feet and grabbed her radio.
Staring wouldn't solve anything.
"Code Red! I repeat, Code Red! We have a breach!" she shouted, urgency sharp in her voice. "Requesting immediate backup—ASAP!"
The Shuuki surged forward.
They didn't get far.
One officer slammed her palm against the ground, activating her ability. The surface around the Gate turned viscous and sticky, clinging to the Shuuki's legs and drastically slowing their advance.
Iwamoto followed up immediately, firing thick strands of webbing from her arms, binding their limbs and further restricting their movement.
"Now!"
Another officer stomped the ground. Though her earth-bending ability lacked raw power, it was more than enough to raise a sturdy barrier between the Shuuki and the fleeing civilians.
The backup arrived moments later. A special response unit vaulted toward the inner part of the barrier, weapons already drawn and glowing faintly with engraved seals.
"SHOOT!"
At the command, gunfire erupted.
The Shuuki roared as bullets tore into them, their numbers dwindling bit by bit.
Ordinary firearms were usually ineffective against Shuuki. However, these were no ordinary weapons—each round was blessed with anti-peach properties, courtesy of the Onmyou Agency.
Production was limited, but in situations like this they were devastating.
"I can't hold this much longer," the officer maintaining the sticky ground called out, her voice strained. "Thirty seconds—or maybe even less!"
Despite the sudden escalation, Ozaki felt a surge of relief. The response had been fast. Efficient.
Just hold on.
When the sticky surface finally lost its effect, its user collapsed to the ground, completely drained. Even so, she smiled weakly.
The Shuuki that had emerged were gone.
Thankfully, they had been weaker types.
It was one of the few advantages Earth had. Shuuki could only emerge in small numbers through the limited size of the temporary Gate. Unlike Mato—where hordes would descend all at once—this made containment possible.
"That was intense," Iwamoto muttered, cracking her knuckles after expending far more webbing than usual.
"You're telling me," Ozaki replied.
The tension barely had time to settle.
Just as the Gate began to close, something else stepped through. This one was different.
Smaller than the others—only around 190 centimeters tall—but its presence was heavier. Its build resembled that of a trained bodybuilder rather than the grotesque, exaggerated proportions of normal Shuuki.
Its body was plated with hard, jagged, rock-like armor, with glowing blue muscle visible between the cracks like veins of power.
It wore no mask.
Instead, pure white eyes stared out from its face, unblinking. Its mouth split into a grin, revealing rows of sharp, exposed teeth.
Everyone in the vicinity felt the same thing crawl across their skin—something cold and formless, seeping out from the creature's presence. It wasn't pain. It wasn't fear alone.
It was dread.
A suffocating, undeniable sense of impending doom.
"We're going to die," one of them whispered, her voice cracking. "There's no way we can defeat that."
The others said nothing. They didn't need to. Their hearts and minds were already screaming in agreement. This wasn't an enemy they would survive. This was a monster that ensured there would be no tomorrow.
"Then what?" the leader of the backup unit roared, snapping them out of their stupor. "We just let this asshole wreck havoc?!"
She leveled her weapon, eyes burning with fury and desperation.
"You bastards better brace yourselves, because we're fighting this thing until the Anti-Demon Force arrives!"
Their hearts thundered in their chests as they forced their fear down. Hands trembling, they raised their guns and took aim.
"SHOOT THAT BASTARD WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!!"
With a collective battle cry, a storm of bullets erupted, raining down on the Shuuki. They didn't care anymore—about survival, about fear. If this was the end, they would meet it fighting rather than freezing in terror. The Shuuki didn't even flinch.
It simply stood there, unmoved, unbothered, bullets striking its body as if they were nothing more than raindrops. Slowly, it leaned back, power gathering around it.
Then it roared. The sound tore through the air—a primal, thunderous bellow, like a predator finally locking onto its prey.
Bodies froze mid-motion. Limbs refused to move. The roar alone crushed their will, and the barrier shattered under its pressure. The ground trembled. People shook where they stood.
The Shuuki began to walk forward.
Its gaze locked onto Ozaki.
Seeing the sheer terror written across her face, it grinned—wide and cruel, savoring the moment. Ozaki's body betrayed her. She couldn't move. Couldn't scream. Couldn't cry. Her voice was trapped in her throat, her muscles locked in place.
The Shuuki raised its arm.
This is it.
She closed her eyes, surrendering to the inevitable.
Then—
Something happened.
The ground shook violently as a force collided with the Shuuki's fist. The sound was deafening, like thunder striking at point-blank range.
Ozaki's eyes snapped open.
Standing in front of her was a figure wearing a suit that swirled in shades of red, yellow, and green. His hand was clenched tightly around the Shuuki's arm, stopping the blow that would have ended her life.
"Quite the troublemaker you are, Mr. Shuuki," the figure said calmly. "Let me return the favor."
His fist ignited with a brilliant yellow glow.
He swung.
The Shuuki was sent flying, its massive body skidding across the ground like a discarded ragdoll, tearing through debris as it tumbled away.
The figure turned back toward her.
"Are you okay, miss?" he asked.
Ozaki could only nod, her mind still struggling to grasp what had just happened.
"We don't have much time," he continued, his tone calm despite the chaos. "You and the others should get out of here. Things are about to get ugly."
She didn't hesitate.
Neither did the others.
Still stunned, they scrambled to their feet and ran, instinct telling them that whoever this man was, the smartest thing they could do was stay far out of his way.
Though she was far from her normal state, Ozaki forced herself to slow down. Her legs trembled, her breath came uneven, but she gathered what little courage she had left and looked back one final time at the man who had saved her life.
Smoke and dust swirled around him, his silhouette standing firm against the devastation, unmoving as if the chaos itself bent around his presence.
"Who are you?" she asked, her voice barely steady, yet loud enough to reach him.
The man in the suit turned his head slightly, as though the question genuinely caught his interest. He studied her for a moment, thoughtful, then raised a hand to his chin, tilting his head in contemplation. After a brief pause, he looked at her again.
"Me?" he said, pointing casually at himself.
"I'm just a passing through Kamen Rider."
___________________
Author's Note:
People die if they are killed