Kamen Rider Spirits Chapter 21: Escape

Escape is the 21st chapter of Kamen Rider Spirits. It the start of a story arc for Ryo Murasame's journey to reforming and becoming a hero.

Synopsis
4 months after the attacks, Badan has strangely gone quiet and ZX is now a fugitive from them. Just what has changed this warrior?

Plot
On the ruins of an airfield, a large group of Commando Roids emerge from the smoke of the wreckage, only to see two shadows on motorcycles and hear the clicks of guns ready to fire. Riderman with his Machine Gun arm and Kazuya with his shotgun open fire and a furious barrage of bullets fly. Elsewhere, a single figure emerges from a wrecked plane in the water: ZX, who is a bit injured from the crash but soon recovers.

4 months later in Shinjuku, a TV news reporter exposits that two-thirds of Earth's entire military defenses have been completely destroyed by Badan's forces. Despite being on the verge of total victory, the terrorist organization decided to withdraw and have not been seen since (most likely due to the nine Kamen Riders stopping some of their attacks worldwide). There are no signs of recovery from any nation's military. As the news report continues, Murasame is seen wandering around Tokyo and listening to the reactions of the city's people about the incident. Some are in disbelief, others are scared and a few have started Badan cults in order to appease their supposed new masters. The news report continues further, the United States and the Arab Defense Ministry are holding defense talks on how to proceed and provide aid to victims. As this is going on, Murasame is attacked by two agents of Badan and they engage in battle, unseen by the bustling crowd, save for one homeless man pulling a rickshaw cart full of aluminum cans. He overhears the newscast as the reporters wonder how long the short term peace will last, with the old man muttering that homeless folks like him have a short term peace time every day if they can even eat a meal.

A pair of young men exit a convenience store and throw an aluminum can into a paper section of a trash receptacle. The old man lectures the two about proper recycling and the ticked off youths try to pick a fight with him, only to be intimidated by a young girl who protects the old man and leers at the punks. The two leave and the old man greets the girl, named Rumi. She takes the old man to the clinic she works at to be examined by Dr. Kaido, who gives him a clean bill of health and says his liver has improved since last year's check up. the old man does not have the money to pay the fee right now, but Rumi lets him go as long as he promises to pay them back.

Murasame continues his battle with the Badan forces pursuing him at a train station, killing a Commando Roid with his Micro Chain's electric shock and holding another in a choking grip, telling him it is useless to try and chase him as he is free from Badan's control. A figure kills the Commando Roid from a distance and its attack goes straight through its body and Murasame's. A Badan cyborg named LaMoore retracts the projectile back to him, revealing it is his tongue. LaMoore tells "ZX" to stop fooling around and return to Ambassador Hell and Mikage and they will fulfill their promise to restore his memories. Murasame asks LaMoore if Badan didn't take his memories away, the the latter wondering where he heard such a thing and wonders if he remembers. Murasame says he does not, but the girl he keeps seeing in his visions will be in tears if he returns to Badan. LaMoore gives up trying to reason with ZX and orders his men to attack as he changes into his kaijin form. Murasame runs and hides under a bridge while Commando Roids look for him. He looks at the wound in his chest, which isn't healing right away like most of his injuries do and he feels pain. He asks the girl's spirit if the choice he made is fine with her and she smiles. The old man passes by and sees Murasame and goes to help him, offering to take Murasame to the clinic to get patched up.

Characters

 * ZX

Allies

 * Rumi Ichijō
 * Dr. Hajime Kaido
 * Kazuya Taki

Enemies

 * LaMoore