Volume 13 Chapter 370 Yamada Maruo, The Turn of Hakuryuu-sensei
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Following Kamishiro and Night Shadow, Tachibana and Kagami managed to regroup. Yet the situation remained grim, as they were hunted by both the Chijos¹ and the very humans they sought to protect. Even so, the four sought a brief respite in a derelict factory-all except for Kenzaki, whose whereabouts remained unknown.
’Damn it! What on earth is going on?!’ Night Shadow barked.
Night Shadow slammed a fist into a factory pillar, venting her unbearable frustration. The camera cut to a tight shot of Kagami, Kamishiro, and Tachibana as they hung their heads in silence. They were battered and exhausted, but their expressions suggested their spirits were even more depleted than their bodies.
Thinking of the four of them made my heart ache. Being chased and attacked by the very people you’re supposed to protect… that’s a heavy burden to bear. Amidst the oppressive silence, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the hall.
”It seems everyone is accounted for,” Kenzaki said.
The group looked up, startled by Kenzaki’s voice. Kenzaki is here. We can win this! But as if to crush the flickering hope of the viewers and the four Drivers², Kenzaki emerged from the shadows looking utterly decimated. He was covered in wounds and barely standing.
”Kenzaki… are you going to be okay with those injuries?” Kagami asked.
”Yeah. I managed some basic first aid on myself,” Kenzaki replied.
Kagami offered her shoulder, her small frame straining to support Kenzaki’s massive build.
”Sit here, Kenzaki. Just try to get some of your strength back,” Kagami urged.
”Yeah. I’ll do that,” Kenzaki said.
Kenzaki lowered himself slowly onto the steel beam where Kamishiro had been resting. Seeing Kenzaki-our last lifeline-in this state felt wrong. We all believed that as long as Kenzaki showed up, everything would be fine. Not just the viewers, but Night Shadow, Tachibana, Kamishiro, and Kagami must have felt the same way. But seeing him this broken… it felt like the very foundation of our hope was crumbling.
Kenzaki looked at the four of them and spoke slowly.
”Let’s compare what we know and re-evaluate. First, Kagami… what’s the status of the Unit SYUKUJYO³?” Kenzaki asked.
”The SYUKUJYO is…” Kagami began.
One by one, they explained the changes they had witnessed throughout the day. After listening to their reports, Kenzaki reached a conclusion.
”…It appears a Chijo capable of manipulating human memory is behind this incident,” Kenzaki noted.
”Does such a Chijo even exist?” Night Shadow asked.
Kenzaki nodded.
”Yeah. I heard from Midara that such a creature exists. If I remember correctly, the name is Black Rexy.”
That’s literally just “Black History,” isn’t it?! Seeing this lazy naming sense for a Chijo made it feel like the world of Heaven’s Sword⁴ was truly back.
”Her ability is quite straightforward,” Kenzaki continued. “She can erase specific memories from anyone she targets. Because her power was so overwhelming, she supposedly sealed it within her own hand-no, was it her left hand?”
Oh, come on! I groaned internally. Kenzaki, don’t dig into it! Right hand, left hand-who cares?!
”I can’t recall which hand it was, but I heard Black Rexy sealed that immense power into one of her own limbs. Someone likely broke that seal and forced her to revert into a Chijo,” Kenzaki explained.
”So someone is using her ability by proxy?” Tachibana asked.
Kenzaki nodded.
”Exactly. While Black Rexy’s ability is powerful, it usually only affects those she faces directly. But the scale of this attack is too massive. Our entire existence-the memories of the Drivers-was wiped from the world in an instant. Someone must be controlling her and boosting her output.”
So, the Black Rexy played by Kato Iria-san is being puppeted by that black mist. What a miserable fate. She went through the trouble of sealing away her “black history” to live in peace, only for some villain to drag it back out.
”Then if we find Black Rexy and re-apply the seal to her arm, we can fix this?” Night Shadow asked.
”Yeah. But the problem is making contact,” Kenzaki replied.
He was right. She’d been sniping them with her ability from a distance earlier. If she didn’t show herself, they were stuck. Wait, is this a checkmate? How were they supposed to find her? Just as I was despairing alongside the characters, the silhouette of a woman appeared on screen.
”If you’re looking for her, I have a lead,” the woman said.
The group spun around. My eyes widened.
”Mom?!” Night Shadow Misa cried out.
”Misa… I’m so glad you’re safe,” Night Shadow Saki said.
Night Shadow Saki, Misa’s mother, pulled her daughter into a hug. Right-that made sense. Saki was a prototype test subject. Like Commander Tajima, her memories of the Drivers remained intact. Saki turned her gaze toward the battered Kenzaki.
”This ability isn’t perfect, just as it failed to erase the memories of Tamashima or myself. As proof, Kenzaki… didn’t Midara resist when her memories were being targeted?” Saki asked.
”Yeah. She used the last of her strength to hide herself in a dimensional rift,” Kenzaki confirmed.
”I heard from Tamashima,” Saki continued. “When the Evil God felt her memories fading, she asked the Miko-sama to seal her away. Like Midara, she fought to the very end. Before the seal was finalized, she told the Miko-sama that ‘it’ would come to reclaim her body. Tamashima and I believe that the negative remnants Kenzaki purged from the Evil God with the sword Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi⁵ are still out there. We suspect those remnants are what’s amplifying Black Rexy’s power.”
I see. The fog was finally starting to clear now that the enemy’s identity and goal were in sight. But that didn’t change how desperate the situation was.
”Where is the Priestess?” Kenzaki asked.
”To strengthen the Evil God’s seal, the Miko-sama has established a Pentagram Barrier across the streets of Tokyo,” Saki explained.
Saki spread out a map and drew lines connecting five shrines in the city. It was a perfect pentagram.
”The possessed Black Rexy will likely incite the Chijos to attack these five locations. They’ll try to destroy the Five Legendary Blades used as anchors to break the seal and reclaim the Evil God’s body,” Saki warned.
The footage cut away to show the SYUKUJYO, the Self-Defense Forces, and the police guarding the shrines. But the Chijos were already launching their assault. Only a Driver can truly kill a Chijo. Conventional weapons can stall them, but they can’t land a finishing blow. This was a losing battle of attrition. The scene shifted back to the factory, where the air was thick with hopelessness.
”It doesn’t matter if we know their goal. The situation hasn’t changed,” Kujaku muttered. “We only have five Drivers capable of fighting. We can’t even coordinate with the humans because they don’t remember us. We’re fighting the SYUKUJYO and the police just as much as the Chijos. To be honest, it’s a lost cause.”
I found myself nodding. If I were in their position, I wouldn’t be able to stand back up. But Kenzaki was the first one to move.
”Kenzaki… are you really going?” Night Shadow asked.
”Yeah. Of course,” Kenzaki replied.
Dragging his broken body, Kenzaki took one step forward, then another. Inspired by his resolve, the other four Drivers stood up in silence to follow him.
”You’re all on the national most-wanted list. If you step outside, the humans will attack you too. Are you sure about this?” Saki asked.
”Yes,” Kenzaki said.
Saki’s voice rose, thick with frustration and grief.
”Why?! Why do you go so far for people who don’t even know who you are?! It’s enough already! You’ve fought hard enough! I… I can’t stand here and ask you to keep fighting when you look like that. I don’t care if you’re Drivers-you’re still human beings!” Saki cried.
Kenzaki turned back toward the tearful Saki and offered a gentle smile. There was something about Kenzaki’s-or rather, Yamada Aqua’s-smile that brought an immediate sense of peace.
”Thank you. But we have to go,” Kenzaki said quietly.
”Is it because you’re a Driver? Because you’re the ‘Heaven’s Sword’?” Saki pressed. “If that’s the only reason, let Tamashima and me take over. We were prototypes. We can force a transformation even if we weren’t chosen. You don’t have to do this to yourselves anymore!”
Kenzaki shook his head slowly.
”No. I’m not fighting because I’m a Driver, or because I’m the Heaven’s Sword,” Kenzaki said.
”Then why?!” Saki demanded.
Kenzaki simply smiled again.
”Because… I’m Kenzaki Souji.”
Honestly, that’s barely even a reason.
It explained nothing, yet those words hit me like a physical blow.
”My mom used to say it,” Kenzaki said. “This world is full of absurdity-unforgivable, senseless crap. But even so, she wanted me to be the kind of person who could swallow it all and keep walking my path dead straight-ssu. So, even without a Driver ⁶, even without the Heaven’s Sword ⁷… I’m just living a life I won’t regret. Night Shadow Saki-you’re doing the same thing, aren’t you?”
”Me too…?” Saki asked.
Kenzaki gave Saki a heavy, resolute nod.
”If someone’s suffering right in front of you, you save them. If someone’s crying out for help, you reach out. We’re just being human. We’re just doing what’s right.”
The camera pans over them-Kagami, Tachibana, Kamishiro, Night Shadow. Every single one of them was battered and broken, but the fire in their eyes hadn’t gone out.
”So, please. Everyone… lend me your strength,” Kenzaki said. “There’s only so many people I can protect with these two hands alone. But if I’m with you guys, then maybe…”
Kamishiro and Kagami stepped up, both giving Kenzaki a solid clap on the shoulder.
”Drop it, Kenzaki. You don’t need to finish that sentence,” Kamishiro said.
”Yeah. We’ve got this. Right, partner?” Kagami added.
I never would’ve guessed Kamishiro would end up like this back when they were just rivals at a part-time job. And Kagami? The guy used to be such a flake, but look at him now-he’s finally someone you can actually rely on. Watching them, Misa pulled her mother, Saki, into a tight hug.
”Mom, thanks for looking out for us,” Misa said. “But… I’m going. I don’t want to live with the regret of not standing by these guys.”
”Misa…” Saki whispered.
Saki wore a smile so warm and gentle it was hard to believe she was the same woman who’d started this journey with such a chip on her shoulder.
”Let’s move, Kenzaki,” Tachibana said. “I’ve got someone I need to bring back, too. I swore I’d never lose her right in front of my eyes ever again.”
”Hell yeah. Right there with you, Tachibana-san!” Kenzaki shouted.
I let out a long breath in relief. For a second, I was sweating-knowing Tsukasa-sensei’s scripts, I figured Tachibana was a prime candidate for a ‘Fall to Darkness’ arc. But it looks like we dodged that bullet. Wait… did our Goddess Hakuryuu-sensei stop that from happening?! Hakuryuu-sensei, you’re a lifesaver! If Tachibana had gone rogue and pitted the Heaven’s Sword against the Lightning Hopper, it would’ve been a disaster.
The five of them lined up, shoulder-to-shoulder. As the factory shutters groaned open, five familiar bikes were waiting in the light. This is it! They swung onto their seats and snapped their helmets shut. Night Shadow Saki pulled her bike up next to Misa.
”Misa, I might be a former Driver, but if my daughter is going into the fire, I’m going with her,” Saki said. “I don’t care if you hate it.”
”Mom… alright! Let’s do this together!!” Misa replied.
All five Drivers slammed the coordinates for the Five Shrines into their Navs.
”You all know the drill,” Kenzaki said. “We split up here. Five shrines, five of us. No mistakes.”
”Leave my sector to me,” Kagami said. “You guys better not slack off on yours!”
”I’ll take full responsibility for my end,” Kamishiro said. “I’m putting my faith in you all.”
”Yeah! Even if we’re miles apart, we fight as one. Don’t you forget it!” Tachibana added.
”We aren’t alone,” Saki said with a smirk. “It’s strange… I feel more powerful now than I ever did when I was fighting solo.”
Saki thrust her fist out. One by one, the other four slammed their fists against hers.
The second their knuckles clashed, the opening theme-ELEMENTAL-kicked in. Between the opening-style credits and the absolute payoff of all that foreshadowing, my hype levels were officially through the roof!
The scene cuts-the shrines are under siege by the Chijo ⁸.
”Fire! Keep firing!” a commander shouted.
”Dammit, it’s no use! Conventional weapons aren’t doing a thing to the Chijo!” a soldier yelled back.
”I don’t care! If we can’t kill them, we stall them! Do NOT let them reach the perimeter!!”
The SYUKUJYO forces were working with the police and the military, desperately trying to hold the line, but time was running out. One Chijo broke through. Then another. Then a goddamn flood of them started pouring over the barricades. Just when it looked like game over, a bike came screaming into the fray-it was Kamishiro.
”Shoot him! He’s with the Chijo!” an officer barked.
”But… sir…”
One of the soldiers hesitated. It looks like the public memory wipe was a bit of a hack job after all. While I was scratching my head, Kujaku laid it all out for me.
”When you rip memories out of a brain, you leave holes,” Kujaku said. “People start feeling that ‘glitch.’ Especially the ones who were personally saved by a Driver-they aren’t going to just forget that feeling.”
Ah, okay. That tracks. I’m a total moron, so I probably wouldn’t notice if my brain was missing pieces, but Kujaku is way too sharp for that.
”I said FIRE! We can’t let another one through!!” the officer screamed.
”Y-yes, sir!!”
The soldiers opened up on Kamishiro. But he popped a wheelie, using the bike as a literal shield to bounce the bullets off. What the hell is that bike made of?! I need one in real life. He hit a ramp, soared over the defense line, and touched down right in the middle of the shrine grounds.
The music cuts out. Silence.
The montage hits: Kamishiro facing down the duo of No-Men and Bocchi the World. Tachibana squaring off against Tora-uma. Night Shadow versus Ego-Ist. Kagami surrounded by a horde of Chijo.
And finally… Kenzaki. Standing before three very familiar faces. Goddammit! Of all the enemies, it had to be Saint Lewd, Kunka Kunker, and Ro-Schutz-Marr?! Kenzaki just smiled at the trio and reached out his hand.
”Sorry I’m late, you three. I’m here to take you home…!”
The Heaven’s Sword whistled through the air, straight into Kenzaki’s grip. Simultaneously, the mechs for the other four screamed toward their masters.
”Henshin!”
”Hen… shin!”
”Henshin!”
”Hen-shin!”
”HENSHIN!!”
A five-man consecutive Henshin! Director Hongou absolutely killed it with this sequence. We were screaming at the screen.
”Kujaku… is this it?” I asked.
”Yeah,” Kujaku said. “It’s Hakuryuu-sensei’s turn!!”
Finally! It’s Hakuryuu-sensei’s time to shine! Don’t let us down! Save the Chijo! Save everyone!
—
Summary:
The battered group of Drivers regroups at an abandoned factory, only to find their leader Kenzaki in a decimated state. They deduce that a Chijo named Black Rexy is using memory manipulation to erase their existence from public consciousness. Despite being on the national most-wanted list and physically broken, Kenzaki leads the group to defend Tokyo’s spiritual anchors.
Kenzaki Souji inspires his allies to unite despite their injuries and past conflicts. They form a five-person team, resolve to fight at five separate shrines, and perform a dramatic simultaneous transformation (Henshin) as the opening theme plays. The narrator fanboys over the epic production while soldiers struggle against the Chijo invasion.
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Trivia:
- Saki and Tajima are immune to the memory wipe because they were ‘Prototype’ test subjects.
- Black Rexy is a pun on ‘Black History’ (Kuro-rekishi), referring to embarrassing past memories.
- The Five Legendary Blades (Tenka Goken) are acting as anchors for the seal in Tokyo.
- Tachibana has a history of trauma regarding losing a woman in front of him.
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Character Insight:
Kenzaki (Aqua) demonstrates a self-sacrificial resolve that transcends his role as a ‘Driver.’ His gentle smile despite his injuries emphasizes his role as the emotional pillar for the group and the ‘ideal hero’ figure for the narrator.
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Behind the Scenes:
The use of ‘Tenka Goken’ (Five Great Swords) is a direct reference to real Japanese national treasures: Dojigiri, Onimaru, Mikazuki Munechika, Odenta, and Juzumaru.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Ken – Male. A rehabilitated man working in the mine. The fiancé of Akiyama Sachiko, the organizer of the party or one of the protagonist’s (Aqua’s) mother’s students (ikebana) appeared in Volume 2 Chapter 12. However, their engagement is not yet officially recognized, as the necessary documents have not been signed by all parties involved. Ken-kun behaves inappropriately during the event, attempting to flirt with Kanon and later becoming aggressive, even wielding a replica sword. His actions cause a disturbance, and he is eventually subdued and removed by the security team.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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