Sunday, April 23, 2017

Kamen Rider Hime Vol. 10

Kamen Rider Hime slips in and out of consciousness as she is carried to the Queen of Sin. To her surprise, the halls of her enemy's home are not the grim corridors of a castle or fortress, but almost artistic hallways carved of lightly-colored stone with frequent torches lighting the way. The only people she sees though appear like walking corpses, skin faded to the color of ash and the color on any of them were bright red cuts or puncture wounds, that go about cleaning tasks with barely any signs of acknowledging the world around them. These, Gluttony explains, are the dead who walk. The Queen of Sin needed her palace to be maintained, but she would never deign to workself nor would she ordered her Sins to do the work of commoners, so she used her magic to revive everyone they'd killed in the building to continue doing the drudgery they performed in life.

Hime shudders.

The walk seems to take an eternity as they pass through an entire university of undead maintenance staff and immaculate, identical halls. Finally, they reach a set of large double-doors that a couple of servants are opening. Gluttony sighs inwardly, having entered these doors hundreds of times, but never regretting it so much as this time. Seated on her throne in the old school headmaster's office was the Queen of Sin herself, Pride standing respectfully close. Kamen Rider Hime looked at her, amazed that her greatest enemy was such a small-looking person who, on fairy wings, immediately flew over to examine the defeated rider.

The Queen began to cackle and boast, declaring how easy it had been to trap the Rider. Kamen Rider Hime counters by asking the little girl if she was lost and needed help finding her mommy. The Queen shrieks, countering by placing a hand on Hime's chest to begin draining her Sin power from her. After a minute, Kamen Rider Hime is turned back into Parsee. The Queen cackles boastfully and taunts the Rider, explaining that there will be no more Kamen Rider after today; just another Envy. She scurries off, ordering Gluttony and Greed to prepare her for "The Ritual."

Gluttony begins strapping Parsee to a chair while Greed begins to draw a ritual circle around it. The entire time, Parsee glares at the knight she once thought was her friend, berating him for betraying her, for using her. Eventually, Gluttony tries defending his action and Greed tells him to stop arguing with the prisoner. Parsee tells him to mind his own business and Greed complies, finishing up the ritual circle.

In the hours leading up to the ritual, Parsee struggled with the straps holding her in place. She tries talking to the servants, hoping to convince one to let her go, but she goes completely ignored. What else is new, she wonders as she continues her efforts.

Preparations for The Ritual are complete. The Queen is now ready to turn Parsee into her new Envy and bring her elite troops one step closer to full. The knights stand respectfully outside of the circle as the Queen begins her incantation. Towards the height of the ritual, she stands in front of Parsee, smirking arrogantly. To her surprise, she finds herself being punched in the face. Parsee has managed to free one of her arms, her wrist covered in blood from wiggling it so much. She quickly undoes the other restraint and punches the Queen again before running out of the circle.

The Queen howls, firing off a spell that hits Parsee in the back. She staggers, a massive wound in her side weeping, but gets up and keeps running. The Queen howls for her knights to stop her and they draw their swords. Parsee is almost to the door when she finds a sword suddenly coming out of her chest. She mutters something akin to "just like in the movies" as Gluttony removes his blade and grabs her by the shoulders.

The Queen is on him in an instant, berating him for killing her new Envy. Gluttony quickly kneels and begins explaining that he was mistaken, that Parsee was a poor choice, that she was disrespectful to her rightful queen, and that he should be punished for being so mistaken. Placated, the Queen agrees; he shall be punished with no food for a month and he shall go dump the body back in Bridge City. She sighs and orders Pride to begin looking for more potential Sins while she goes and naps. Gluttony continues kneeling as the other Sins pass him by scowling as he remains kneeling.

With a stiff gait, Gluttony carries the dying Parsee back to Bridge City and begins to wander aimlessly. He tries desperately to remember things he and Parsee had spoken about, reliving their times together as he searches for the other Kamen Rider, the one who helped her against him in their first fight. Looking up, he sees a familiar tower, one he had sent Crabmelt to attack. He walks in its direction, loudly shouting out for Kamen Rider.

Unsurprisingly, not a single Kamen Rider shows up. Instead, Kamen Rider Pluto's motorcycle shows up with a pink-haired passenger. Satori gets off the bike and confronts Gluttony. To her surprise though, he instead takes off his helmet and, with reasonable urgency, steps forward. Satori and Gluttony look at each other with surprise for a moment before each saying a single word.

Satori: "Xavier?!"

Gluttony: "Elise?!"

Satori knocks Gluttony out with a spell and loads him onto the back of the bike and looks at Parsee.

"So...Byakuren's daughter is the Rider. Interesting."

She drives the two back to her tower. Okuu and Orin strip Gluttony of his armor and lock it awhile while Parsee is taken to surgery. Satori looks at the Sin fondly and waits for him to awaken.

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