Monday, February 27, 2017

Kamen Rider Hime Vol. 4

Volume 4 begins with Parsee, bandaged up after he brutal fight with the ogre, looking upon the ruins of her workplace. It turns out the ogre's club went flying after its arm was blown off and landed in the convenience store. To be honest, last we saw the club, it was lying in the middle of the street but the author is probably hoping nobody notices that plot hole.

Parsee sighs as her friend Yuugi walks up. The two banter a bit with Parsee remarking she was thinking of quitting anyway before walking off to get a sandwich. She spends her afternoon eating a sandwich and watching people walk by, silently envying them for random reason. She finds herself being joined by enigmatic food critic Xavier Cian De Lovouse, who remarks that he didn't get Parsee's name. She introduces herself and notes that he's got three sandwiches.

He smiles and says he needs to sample everything if he's going to criticize it properly. She laughs and cracks jokes about the many happy couples who walk by.

Perhaps a bit TOO happy?

A pandemic of love appears to be spreading across town, causing random strangers to fall in love with each and, oddly, with random objects or immaterial concepts. Parsee and Xavier watch such things unfold with amusement at first, followed by concern. Parsee finished lunch and heads home.

That evening, a horrifying monster attacks a movie theater, a serpentine Cupid armed with a sparkling, heart-covered, sinister longbow rains arrows upon the citizens, making them fall deeply in love with the strange creature before realizing they've been maimed.

Riders gonna ride though as the Envy Driver pulls up to the scene and Kamen Rider Hime flips off of her bike and into the air.

She is promptly pelted with arrows.

None of which get through her armor.

The love snake stares in shock as Kamen Rider Hime runs up and slugs him, dislocating his jaw, before kneeing him in the gut. The creature introduces itself as Tough Love as its tail wraps around the Rider, squeezing her tight and holding her still for a point blank arrow shot. Hime stares at the arrow for a moment before headbutting it, knocking it free of the bow as she slips an arm free to Paru Paru Punch Tough Love's tail.

The monster lets go, notching another arrow as Kamen Rider Hime rushes forward, grabbing the last arrow off the ground and using it to cut the bowstring. Tough Love hisses angrily and begins rattling his tail, hypnotizing movegoers and bringing them in close. Hime leaps into the air to avoid being tackled by innocent civilians and brings her foot down on Tough Love's face. The serpent grabs Hime's ankle before she can dodge and slams her into the pavement, then begins spitting venom that has the effect of rain splashing on a wind shield.

The two continue their fight, exchanging blows until Tough Love takes a hostage, threatening to constrict his victim if Kamen Rider Hime doesn't surrender. She lowers her hands. Tough Love hisses and begins squeezing anyway.

Suddenly, the snake is hissing in pain as Envy Driver runs over his tail, severing it and releasing the hostage as Kamen Rider Hime takes to the skies, ratting off a brief speech that ultimately leads to a pun about a snake in the grass.

One Stars Above Kick later and the threat has passed, Tough Love exploding violently and leaving behind only confusion and injuries.

The next few chapters follow much in a similar pattern: Parsee is out running errands or having lunch or any number of Slice of Life activities as strange scenes of activities occur around her: people acting snobbish the day before a group of soldier lions invade an award show, numerous buskers appear selling poorly-made goods or try to rope people into easy money schemes shortly before a Leprechaun Shark with a flamethrower tries to rob a bank, and folks falling asleep wherever they may be as a giant, generic-looking lizard creature goes on a rampage. All the incidents are put to a halt by Kamen Rider Hime, who looks at the burning lizard curiously, wondering why so many weird creatures have begun appearing in Bridge City all of a sudden. Her musing comes to a halt as she remembers she needs to get to a job interview, turning back into Parsee.

...as a red, black, and silver-colored Rider with narrow yellow eyes watches.

Meanwhile, two armored figures wait at the entrance to the queen's throne room as their comrade reports on the failure of his lizard. The taller of the two, a knight in gold and purple armor, asks his comrade, whose armor looks almost butler-like, how he plans to kill the Rider.

The butler knight looks at his comrade and answers that he shall observe Kamen Rider for himself before making plans. He begins to leave as the third knight finishes his report. The butler knight pauses and looks over his shoulder.

"Pride, do you remember your name?" he asks.

"What a foolish question. You said it yourself: I am Pride, first amongst Sins, greatest warrior under Queen Cassandra," Pride answers, puffing his chest out.

"As I thought," the questioner says, leaving.

That night, a massive crab-shaped slime monster attacks Bridge City, rising from the sewers and devouring everything in its path as it slowly makes its way through the city towards the largest building in town: Komeji Tower, home to the ever-"legitimate" Satori Komeji, who likely watches the creature's approach with disdain. The creature, let's call him Crabmelt, smashes a building, sending rubble towards a pair of pedestrians who are barely pulled to safety by Kamen Rider Hime.

Crab and Rider begin to stare each other down, the gooey beast raising a claw to strike when a loud whistle rings out. Kamen Rider Hime looks about in confusion as the crab withdraws into the nearest sewer. Hime prepares to leave when heavy, metallic footsteps approach from where the crab was as the butler knight presents himself.

"You must be Kamen Rider," he says, bowing.

"You have me at a disadvantage," Kamen Rider Hime remarks. "You know my name, yet you are a mystery to me."

"Then permit me an introduction. I am Gluttony, second knight of the Sins."

Gluttony bows again before drawing a sophisticated longsword.

"Not to put a damper on our relationship, but I've come to kill you."

Kamen Rider Hime assumes a defensive posture. "That IS a bit of a buzzkill, sadly."

The scene pans out to show the two of them ready for battle.

~

This volume ends with another edition of Parsee-chan Does Not Cry: http://danbooru.donmai.us/posts/2102185?pool_id=10027

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