Ultimate Hurricane: Recap

The Dark Man Akuma used a girl name Zadie to manipulate Simon. Zadie convinced Simon to absorb the power of demons to gain enough strength to defeat Azmodai, the First Demon.

Years ago, the First Demon possessed a man named John and impregnated Simon's birth mother Madelyn, who would become Black Queen of the Hellfire Club. Azmodai possessed five other men to have five other children with Madelyn: Zen, Samuel, Brandon, Owen and Rin "R.J" Amantini. 

Azmodai used his children to take physical form and set foot on the mortal plane, which broke the Third Seal to the Dark One's prison. With the Third Seal broken, children like Simon, whose parents were possessed by demons, lost the ability to control their demon power. They gained the ability to "demon morph" into stronger forms, called Shaded. A demon morph often happened uncontrollably and caused the Shaded to go berserk.

This happened to Simon. And his ally, Shirogane, betrayed and killed him.

Later, Simon awoke in Hell. 

Shaded Relics: Chapter 05

Limbo

SAMUEL

A teenager landed on top of the Sears Tower in Chicago. He wore a ragged black kimono over chalk white skin that matched the color of his pale white hair. The villain's eyes looked solid black, except for green irises. He spread his arms wide and laughed with insanity.

"I claim this city for Myotismon! My father, and king of the-"

A silver bullet blasted through his head and whipped him backward. The boy's body fell from the Sears Tower and plummeted towards the street below.

A Silver Guardian Heliship hovered nearby. Inside, a sniper reloaded his weapon. He dressed in rugged leather and rags - a demon hunter, not an official solider. The Guardians contracted with several hunters to help control outbreaks of demon possessions and Shaded.  

"Take us down," he said to the pilot. "We'll want another shot. Just to be sure."

"Seriously?" the pilot asked. "After a drop like that?"

The sniper snorted. "Trust me. These sons of demon bitches got a lot of fight in 'em. The last bastard I put down took six slugs and kept moving."

Suddenly, an explosion rocked the Heliship. The craft spun out of control, crashed onto a building and skid across the rooftop, as if tossed aside by an invisible hand that didn't want the pilot or hunter killed, just stopped.

The impact hurled the hunter from the landing bay. He crashed against the roof and tumbled aside.

When he rolled to a halt, he looked up to see Garo, the Golden Knight, standing with his sword in hand.

Garo tightened his grip on his weapon and glared at the hunter.

"You'll leave them alone," he said. "All of them..."

The hunter narrowed his eyes and reached for a handgun. "You're one of them..."

Garo slashed the man's hand from his wrist. The man fell back and screamed as he grasped the bloody stump.

Garo growled beneath his breath. He lost Owen. He lost Brandon. He lost Simon. Every day his empathic senses felt the world spin further and further out of control. He felt the world's pain.

Lately, he felt the children of men and women possessed by demons ignite with power they never knew they had. Driven to insanity, they often tried to claim parts of the world in the name of the demons who possessed their parents.

INET and other organizations hunted these children and viewed them as nothing but monsters. Garo viewed them as victims. Victims like his brothers.

The Golden Knight leapt from the rooftop and vanished.

SIMON

His vision blurred slowly into focus.

He looked up to see clouds of black flame plummet through crimson skies. Each flame contained a soul of the damned.

Screams of anguish came from every direction.

He panicked, and his heart raced.

He looked to his side to see Moridyn standing, a smile on his face.

"Hello, Simon. Welcome to Hell...Are you finally ready to listen to what I have to say?"

Simon narrowed his eyes and climbed to his feet. He found himself on a black beach that backed into a black mountain. Ahead, he noticed waves of dark water crash against the shore.

"You..." Simon said.

Moridyn adjusted his cufflinks. "Yes, me. Although I'm not really here. I'm appearing to you in my astral form."

"What did you do to me?" Simon asked.

"Me? Nothing, I can assure you," Moridyn said. "You died, and now you've gone to Hell."

"You mean I'm trapped here," Simon said.

"No, I mean you died and went to Hell," Moridyn said. "No mystical spells or supernatural portals. You were killed and damned to spend an eternity in this place. My brother Serrator would be so jealous."

"I don't have time for games," Simon said.

"This is no game," Moridyn said. "You are in Hell. And you can either accept that and let me help you. Or you can wither away in eternal suffering. Gnashing of teeth and all that."

"Help me?" Simon asked. "Why would you help me? How can you help me?"

"Remember, I existed before Hell, before your concept of space/time," Moridyn said. "I see reality and existence in ways you can't comprehend. And with that knowledge, I can lead you out of Hell, and back into the world of the living."

Simon walked towards the black water, and Moridyn followed.

"Do you plan to walk aimlessly?" Moridyn asked.

"For now," Simon said. "Do you plan to keep annoying me?"

Moridyn smiled. "For now."

Simon rolled his hands into fists and turned to face the Forsaken. "Look, I already told you-"

Suddenly, small goblin-like creatures dropped to the beach. Their black bodies looked infantile, but with narrow red eyes, fang-filled jaws, and sickles for hands.

Simon snapped into a fighting stance. "What the-"

"Infants," Moridyn said. "Unbaptized infants, doomed to spend existence here in limbo, at the edge of Hell."

"Are you freaking-"

The creatures pounced to attack. Simon dodged and hook-kicked a creature from the air.

Two more pounced straight at him. He thrust his hand and fired a TK burst that hurled them into the waters.

The ranger extended his hand and summoned a katana of black metal. He dashed and twirled his blade through the creatures, slashing them apart with splatters of black ichor.

A creature slashed Simon's chest with a splatter of black blood and knocked him to his knees. The infant hissed and lunged. But Simon swung upward, and his blade slashed the creature in half.

Simon breathed heavily and rose to his feet. He looked to the creatures' lifeless bodies, scattered across the beach, and narrowed his eyes.

"Infants?" Simon practically shouted. "You seriously expect me to believe these were...infants?!"

"Of Catholic parents. Their parents' own beliefs doomed them to this existence. I tried to tell you before, the laws of your reality are senseless," Moridyn said. "Your existence breeds nothing but pain and suffering, with brief feelings of joy that are nothing but illusion."

Simon aimed his sword at the Forsaken. "What's stopping me from cutting you down right here."

"As I said, I am here in my astral form," Moridyn said. "You cannot harm me."

Simon cursed beneath his breath and lowered his weapon. "What happened?" he asked. "To the others, after I..."

"The Third Seal broke when Azmodai's physical form set foot on the mortal plane," Moridyn said. "Your friends survived, but they've scattered. They're being hunted by the Rangers and Riders of the INET organization."

Simon tightened his grip on his sword.

"Does that make you angry?" Moridyn asked. "Good. Use that anger. Before your death, you absorbed the energies of countless demons. You, your soul, retains that energy. And with that power you can fight through this cursed place, but you will need my help. My guidance."

Simon sighed and looked towards the distance. "Fine...where do we start?"

Simon and Moridyn reached the water, a bank that opened into the Sanzu River. A cavern of black stalactites covered the bank but opened near the river, where crimson skies cast a red hue across the water.

An old galleon approached. The ship looked ruined, with gaping holes and sails made of torn flesh. Hollow, naked bodies of white skin rowed the massive ship.

Simon noticed other men, women, and children walk towards the shore. They looked afraid, but dim. Void of hope. Void of life.

"What's wrong with them?" Simon asked.

"They're in Hell," Moridyn said. "Ships like these will take them to their final resting place. One of the Nine Circles."  

"And they just go willingly?" Simon asked.

"They've abandoned all hope," Moridyn said. "Didn't you read the sign?"

FAIZ

Ryan walked through the wreckage of young Evan's home. Demons attacked the house and nearly kidnapped the boy - a Shaded - but the Jungle Fury Rangers stopped the demons.

Ryan heard footsteps approach from behind, followed by a familiar voice.

"Shouldn't you be off hiding somewhere?" asked Marx, Kamen Rider TheBee.

"It's sweet that you care," Ryan said sarcastically.

"I don't," Marx said. "I just really don't like you. So I prefer it when you're out of my sight."

"Then stop looking for me, dumbass," Ryan said. 

"Just give me the Faiz gear," Marx said.

Ryan shook his head. "And then what? You'll let me go quietly?"

Marx scoffed. "No, of course not. Just give me the belt."

"Come take it," Ryan said. "Unless you're not feeling as confident without your ZECT Troopers. How many did you need to take me down last time?"

"What are you even doing here?" Marx asked.

"12? 20? A whole squad?" Ryan asked. "Where are they now? Spread a bit thin, I take it. Between your little Worm problem and hunting down people like this kid."

Marx smirked. "Aw, that's so cute," he said mockingly. "I love it when you show that soft mushy side. We didn't have anything to do with what happened her."

"Not here, no," Ryan said. "But the other day your pals shot some kid from the Sears Tower."

"It's not called the Sears Tower any-"

"It will always be called the Sears Tower," Ryan said. "You're hunting them. People like Simon."

"Is that what this is about?" Marx asked. "Sad that your friend got killed? You lost one friend, he murdered dozens of mine."

"You don' have friends," Ryan said.

"Fair enough," Marx said.

Ryan pulled out his Faiz Caller. "I'm getting bored with this conversation, pretty fast."

"I didn't come here to fight," Marx said. He turned and started to walk away, and then stopped to look over his shoulder. "Oh, but they did."

Kamen Rider Kaixa and Kamen Rider Delta dropped to the ground from above.

Ryan stepped into a defensive stance. "New recruits?"

"Something like that," Marx said. "I'll let you boys play. Have fun, Ryan."

Ryan flipped open his Faiz Caller and pressed the "5" key three times. "STANDING BY..."

"Awaken." He snapped the caller into his buckler. Red and white energy traced across his body as he transformed into the armor of Kamen Rider Faiz. "COMPLETE."

Kamen Rider Delta fired his Delta Blaster, and Ryan dove aside to avoid the blasts.

He rolled to his feet and lunged with a kick that bashed Delta backward.

Kamen Rider Kaixa moved in from behind and slashed towards Faiz's neck. Faiz ducked to avoid the blow, elbowed Kaixa in the gut, and back-kicked the Rider to the ground.

Faiz flicked his wrist. "You two are even worse than the first recruits for these gears. What do you call yourselves? Black ops Riders, right?"

Kamen Rider Delta charged with a flurry of punches Faiz blocked.

Faiz slapped a punch aside and side-kicked the Rider's gut, knocking him back several steps.

"Hunting down the heroes instead of the monsters," Faiz said. "You guys must be proud."

Kamen Rider Kaixa armed his sword in a reverse grip and charged. He slashed relentless at Faiz, who easily dodged and blocked each blow.

Faiz blocked, kicked Kaixa's side, and punched his chest with enough force to hurl him backward.

Kamen Rider Delta moved in from the side. But bullets blasted his armor with bursts of spark that knocked him off his feet.

The Rider's armored robot Jet Slider hovered through the air and opened fire with rapid, high-yield rounds that kept Kaixa and Delta back. 

The Jet Slider landed next to Faiz and shifted into motorcycle mode.

Faiz hopped onto the bike.

"We should do this again sometime," he said to the Riders as he sped away.

SIMON

Simon stood on the deck of the rotting boat Chiron as it sailed across the Sanzu River. Moridyn stood nearby, with his arms folded across his back.

"Such an odd place," he said as he looked across the river. "I can understand why my brother was so fascinated by it."

"He was insane," Simon said.

"Quite," Moridyn agreed.

The boat creaked as it moved through the waters. The bow of the ship resembled a demonic face with hollow eyes and jagged teeth. The head moved and spoke with a booming, coarse voice. 

"Now shall I ferry you to the fire, the cold, and the everlasting darkness," Chiron said.

Simon narrowed his eyes. "This is insane..."

He heard the crises and moans of the damned, who cluttered the deck and bowels of the ship. Most sat in fetal positions. Others stood and stared ahead blankly.

The ranger shook his head. "How can this be real?"

Chiron tilted his head at the sound of Simon's voice. His eyes glowed with jade flame, and crimson energy burnt from the cracks of his wooden flesh.

"You..." Chiron said to Simon. "I sense something in you. A glimmer. Be gone from me, you wretched angel of darkness."

"Done," Simon said. "Just send me home."

"Home?" Chiron said. "What's dead is dead. Now be gone. Be gone!"

Creatures fluttered from above and dove towards the ship. They looked bat-like, with massive wings and black fur. They wore skeletal helmets, with curved horns, that matched the light plates of armor over their joints and upper chests. They carried massive scythes that radiated with heat. The people of Hell called them Scavengers, minions of Chiron.

The Scavengers howled and glared towards Simon with blood red eyes. 

The swopped and swung their scythes, but Simon leapt over the weapons. The ranger twisted while in midair and fired a TK pulse that blasted a demon into the water.

Simon landed and armed his sword.

A trio of creatures dashed and swung wide. But Simon ducked, and the scythes slashed through the souls of the damned with splatters of black ichor.

Simon spun and swung his sword through a streak of black energy. The blade tore through demons with splatters of black blood that splashed across the deck.

A Scavenger slashed towards the ranger. Simon cut the scythe in half, stepped forward, and swung upward; his blade tore the creature in half.

Simon felt his powers ignite. He felt the energy of dozens upon dozens of demons course through his soul.

The ranger reached out his hand and tightened his fist. He grasped onto the remaining scavengers with invisible energy, and tightened his fist. The Scavengers exploded with bursts of black flame.

Simon smirked, exhilarated by his power. He leapt forward, somersaulted through the air, and landed on Chiron's head.

The mighty ship grumbled with protest. "Your will alone will not-"

Simon stabbed his blade through the top of Chiron's head with a burst of black flame. The ranger twisted his sword, which ignited with black power that ripped through the head.

Chiron opened his massive jaws and howled with pain, as the ship swerved and tilted out of control.

Simon squeezed his sword tighter and poured his energy through the blade, piercing the ship's head.

Chiron screamed a final scream and rocked violently, tipping aside and hurling Simon and the other souls of the damned overboard.

Simon lost consciousness when he plunged into the waters of the Sanzu River.

He awoke slowly, sitting up within another ship. He looked to his side to see a small table set with various cups of tea.

A strange creature handed a cup to Simon.

"Drink?" asked Shitari, of the Gedoushuu. "Not every vessel of the underworld has lost its hospitality."

To be continued...Chapter 06