"If you were still an Orphnoch," Kageyama Saeko sneered, her eyes glinting with malice, "then maybe—just maybe—I could've spared you."
She slowly raised her weapon, its edge gleaming under the moonlight. "But now? You've lost everything. The power you once had… stripped away by those pathetic humans. That was your last chance, Yuka."
Her gaze darkened.
"So now... go to hell!"
With those words, Saeko lunged, aiming her final, killing blow at Yuka Nagata, who stood frozen in place.
Yuka, exhausted and defenseless, could only close her eyes, bracing for the end. She had accepted her fate. She had run as far as she could. There was nowhere left to hide.
But just as Saeko's sword was about to pierce through her, a black vortex suddenly ripped through space between them, halting the attack.
A strong gust of wind burst out from the swirling portal, forcing Saeko to step back. From within the vortex, a lone figure emerged.
He stepped forward with confidence and calm—Jack, leader of the Thug Group, had arrived.
"Looks like I got here just in time," he said with a faint smile, glancing at the poised blade Saeko had been about to drive into Yuka.
Even if he had arrived a second later, Jack wasn't worried. As long as Yuka hadn't died instantly, he had Senzu Beans on hand. But it was better to avoid the risk altogether.
Saeko narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?"
Then, scoffing, she let out a mocking laugh. "A mere human? Let me guess—you saw a pretty face and now you're here to play hero?"
She looked Jack up and down. He didn't emit any of the signature Orphnoch energy she was familiar with. As far as she could tell, he was just a human.
A handsome one, sure, but still—just a human.
"What a fool," she muttered.
Behind him, Yuka Nagata slowly opened her eyes, shocked that she was still alive. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the man standing in front of her.
"You… you're the one," she whispered.
His voice—it was the same voice she'd heard earlier, asking her if she wanted help. Now, the man himself stood between her and death.
"I'm here to help you," Jack said, glancing over his shoulder at her. His tone was calm and reassuring. "Don't worry. You're safe now."
Yuka stared at him in disbelief. Seeing him in person was nothing like hearing him through the mysterious voice. He was even more striking—an aura of quiet power radiated from him. And more than that… there was genuine kindness in his eyes.
'He's real,' she thought. 'He actually came…'
Jack turned back toward Saeko.
She didn't seem impressed.
"Safe?" she echoed with a sneer. "Do you even hear yourself? You're a human. You're weak. You've got no transformation belt, no Orphnoch energy, and no chance."
Her lips curled into a smirk. "You're just a man blinded by lust, thinking you can save a damsel in distress."
She was done talking.
Without hesitation, she lunged, aiming to run Jack through with her sword.
"Watch out!" Yuka screamed, panicked.
She didn't know what Jack's abilities were, but he had come to save her—she couldn't let him die trying. But the next moment, what she saw made her question everything she thought she knew.
Jack simply tilted his head, extended two fingers, and caught Saeko's blade.
That's right—he didn't dodge.
He blocked it with two fingers.
CLANG!
The blade came to a sudden stop between his fingers. No tremble. No resistance. It was as if Saeko's strike was nothing more than a breeze.
Saeko's expression twisted in disbelief. "W-What!?"
She tried pulling the sword back—but it wouldn't budge.
Her muscles strained, her aura surged, but Jack didn't even flinch.
"This… this can't be!"
"You're a human!" she screamed. "You shouldn't be able to do this!"
She stared at him, stunned, her mind struggling to make sense of what she was seeing. She was an Orphnoch—an evolved being with strength and power far beyond humans. Even Kamen Riders needed transformation belts to face her on equal footing.
But this man…
He was calm. Unassuming. Unarmed.
And yet, he had just stopped her blade with two fingers.
Her knees almost buckled.
"Are you… are you Orphnoch too?" she asked, her voice shaking despite herself.
She was terrified.
Because if this guy was an Orphnoch, he had to be an elite. Maybe even on the level of Kitazaki, the leader of the Lucky Clover group. Kitazaki was the only one she knew who had that kind of raw, unshakable power in human form.
But Jack shook his head casually.
"Orphnoch? Me? No."
"No?!" she repeated, stumbling backward. "You're telling me… you're not Orphnoch?! Then how—how do you have that kind of power?!"
Jack smiled faintly. "Who says humans can't be powerful?"
Saeko's composure shattered. Her pride as an Orphnoch—her belief that they were the next stage of evolution, superior to humans—was crumbling right in front of her.
Everything she believed about her power, her superiority, was now in question.
"No… no no no!!" she screamed, eyes wide in panic.
Unable to accept the truth, she dropped her sword and charged at Jack in a frenzy. Her hands became claws, her face twisted with fury. She launched a flurry of blows, each one packed with enough power to break steel.
Jack didn't even move.
Each attack missed. Or rather, it might as well have.
She swung wildly, desperately, striking with all the power she could muster—but it was useless. Jack simply stood there, letting her vent her anger.
Her fists, strong enough to destroy reinforced buildings, hit nothing but solid air around his body. A passive energy shield, invisible to the eye, was enough to nullify every single strike.
Yuka could only watch, stunned.
"She's hitting him with everything she has… and he's not even blinking," she whispered.
Finally, Jack caught Saeko's fists mid-air and held her still.
"I think that's enough," he said.
He gently pushed her away and raised one hand.
"I've seen enough of your cruelty. Let's finish this."
With a calm flick of his finger, a tiny spark of light—no larger than a grain of rice—flew from his fingertip.
It streaked through the air like a shooting star and struck Saeko in the chest.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion tore through the night. Fire, shockwaves, and searing light erupted from the point of impact, shaking the ground.
Yuka shielded her eyes as wind and dust blasted past her.
When the smoke finally cleared… there was nothing left.
Kageyama Saeko was gone.
Completely.
No remains. No ashes. Not even dust.
She had been utterly disintegrated.
Yuka stood frozen in place, mouth slightly open.
"That power…" she whispered.
Jack turned around, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeves. "Well, that was easy."
"You… who are you really?" she asked.
Jack looked at her, smiled softly, and said, "I'm just someone who helps people when they need it."
He stepped forward, reaching out a hand to her.
"Come on. Let's get you out of here."
Yuka hesitated for a moment before slowly placing her hand in his. As soon as she touched him, she felt the warmth of safety—something she hadn't felt in a long time.
For the first time in what felt like forever, she smiled.
And somewhere in the skies above the 555 world, a system notification rang out.
> Ding! Mission Complete: Yuka Nagata Saved. Kageyama Saeko Eliminated.
> Rewards Allocated.
Jack looked at the screen that only he could see and smirked.
"Not bad," he muttered. "That was actually kind of fun."
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