Takai Nozomi stepped forward, saw the grisly corpse of a woman gnawed by an Amazon, and said, "This body looks kind of familiar."
Misaki Kazuya rubbed his chin. "Yeah, familiar. Isn't that Takashiki Sanae, the old lady who once ran for prime minister?"
"Exactly her. A hard-right hawk, they say—if she'd won we'd probably be at war. Got eaten by an Amazon? Serves her right."
"Good riddance. But what's she doing here without bodyguards? Dirty work too shady to bring them along?"
Shido Makoto stared at the corpse, expressionless. "Enough. We're done here. Not our problem—let someone else deal with the headache."
The Extermination Squad left, taking the Amazon armband with them; their specialists would handle the body.
"The three of us actually took down a Monster. I really rid the people of a menace."
Tanzaburo Tojima was moved to tears. According to Shiraishi Shin this Amazon had been a weak specimen, but weak or not, it was still a man-eating Monster, and beating it with his own power filled him with pride.
Yet now he realized how dangerous even a "weak" Monster was alone. Without Okada Yuriko's help, Amazon would've battered him to death with its tongue.
The finishing blow had come from Shiraishi Shin's flying kick straight to the heart; his own Rider Kick would've only wounded it.
The root problem was insufficient strength. Had slackened because he'd once believed Monsters didn't exist. Training intensity had to rise—how else could he guard the city like a Kamen Rider when stronger Monsters appeared?
"Exactly."
Okada Yuriko felt elated too; her efforts hadn't been wasted. She'd eliminated a Shocker Combatman and helped kill a Monster.
Back on the street, Tanzaburo Tojima pointed. "That's it for tonight. I'll head this way—call me if anything comes up."
"Sure, see you."
Shiraishi Shin and Okada Yuriko nodded, watching him leave.
Shiraishi Shin sized up her teacher's office-lady outfit. "Teacher, you're still in uniform—haven't been home yet?"
Yuriko tucked a lock of brown hair behind her ear. "Right. After work I hit the gym. Home gear isn't enough, so I train there too. You? It's almost eight—out for a stroll?"
"No, I'm running a special training session."
"Special training? For what?"
"Fighting."
Yuriko blinked. Shiraishi Shin was a Kamen Rider; combat coaching made her wonder.
Half-guessing, she said, "That person… couldn't be another Kamen Rider, could he?"
Shiraishi Shin raised an eyebrow. "Sharp as ever, homeroom teacher—spot-on."
Hearing it confirmed, Yuriko gasped. "He really is?"
She'd tossed the idea out on impulse; she hadn't expected to be right.
Shiraishi Shin nodded. "Yep, and you've met him—Kisaragi Gentaro with the pompadour, in the old warehouse after school the day before yesterday. He just became a Kamen Rider, still green in battle and resolve, so he asked me for a crash course. I agreed. Care to watch, Teacher?"
Yuriko's eyes lit up. "Can I?"
"Of course. You're no outsider—we've already swapped first kisses. Who's closer than us?"
"You—want a smack?"
Flustered, Yuriko swung at him; Shiraishi Shin darted away, daring her to catch him. Laughing, she chased him out of the busy street.
"Yuriko, the park where I'm meeting Kisaragi Gentaro is just ahead."
"W-what did you call me?"
Her heart skipped at the sudden intimacy.
Shiraishi Shin grinned. "When we're alone, I'll call you Yuriko."
She'd almost agreed, then turned away, cheeks burning. "N-no. I'm your teacher—and six years older."
"So what? At school we're teacher and student."
He paused, then played his card. "Outside, we're comrades-in-arms."
He knew one kiss wasn't enough to bind her; better to take it slow than risk a seventy-percent rejection.
"C-comrades?"
The word doused her fluttering heart like cold water; her flustered eyes vanished behind the glint of her glasses.
Shiraishi Shin studied her lovely back. "Right—comrades. What did you think?"
She drew a steadying breath, turned with an inscrutable expression, and coughed into her fist. "Ahem, exactly. We just fought a Monster side by side before you Henshin—comrades, yes."
What was I hoping for? I'm his teacher.
They reached Nanshan Lake Park ten minutes early. Kisaragi Gentaro was already there, throwing wild punches and kicks—hardly even amateur.
He'd never trained, rarely fought; his life creed was making friends.
But as a Kamen Rider he now knew Monsters don't do friendship—only fists.
"Yo, Kisaragi—early bird."
Shiraishi Shin greeted him first.
Kisaragi beamed. "Shiraishi-senpai! And—Teacher Okada, you came too?"
Yuriko stepped closer. "Ran into Shin on the street. Heard you're a Kamen Rider now and starting training—had to see."
Kisaragi proudly held up his Fourze driver. "Heh, last time I could only watch. Now I'm Kamen Rider Fourze!"
The day he'd gotten the driver he'd spent the night posing in the mirror, Henshin after Henshin.
He'd wanted to brag to friends but held back; this wasn't a toy, and Shiraishi Shin's words had drilled in the responsibility.
Yuriko gazed enviously at the device that could turn him into a Kamen Rider.
Shiraishi Shin slid his hands into his pockets. "Enough chatter. I told you: strength isn't built in a day. Tonight I'll get you from zero to one, but one to ten, ten to a hundred—that's on you."
"Ossu!"
Kisaragi clenched both fists at his waist and answered with spirit.