照井竜／仮面ライダーアクセル VS Skorpis Khan

Crimson Steel, King of Dust

At the edge of Fuuto City, deep within an abandoned quarry, a man stood. Terui Ryuu idly twirled a red Accel Memory in his palm, his cold blue eyes fixed on the swirling limestone dust. He had been waiting. Forty minutes had passed since the report was filed, and the footprints left at the scene were not human. Three-fingered claw marks, the trails of arthropod legs, and the puncture wounds from a tail driven into the earth—all belonged to the prey he had been hunting.

"Sorry for the wait, Detective."

The voice descended from above. As Terui looked up, a shadow stood on the rim of the sheer rock wall. Even backlit, its massive frame was grotesque. It possessed a human upper body, yet its entire form was encased in jet-black chitin. Fiery red hair streamed in the wind, and behind it, a giant scorpion’s tail traced a slow arc. Skorpis Khan. The King of Arthropods, released from centuries of sealing.

"I’m arresting you," Terui stated bluntly. His voice held no emotion. "Fuuto Police Department, Supernatural Crime Investigation Division. Suspected of assault and attempted murder."

Khan laughed—a low rumble that resonated deep in his gut. "Arrest? Hmph. Do you truly understand how absurd those words are? For three hundred years, I slept in a stone coffin. Ignorant of sunlight, the scent of wind, or the taste of blood. Now I stand here. If this isn’t freedom, what is?"

He leaped. Unfazed by the drop of over ten meters from the cliff’s edge, he landed on the dusty ground below. The impact sent waves of dust rippling outward. In his hand gripped a sword without a sheath: Kheltaris. A living blade pulsing with crimson light.

Terui raised the red memory.

"Transform."

ACCEL

A mechanical voice echoed as red armor enveloped his body. Blue compound eyes glowed in the darkness, and the handle-shaped belt at his waist hummed. Metallic plating reflected the moonlight, while white steam vented from exhaust ports on his back. Appearing in his right hand was the Engine Blade, a massive sword boasting twenty kilograms of mass. Its blade vibrated at a low frequency, sending an engine-like roar reverberating through the quarry.

"Here we go."

Accel broke into a sprint. His speed was extraordinary. With every kick against the ground, flames erupted from the armor’s exhaust vents. Khan narrowed his red eyes.

"Fast."

Kheltaris swung down, carving a crimson trajectory through the air. Accel ducked to evade, sweeping the Engine Blade horizontally. But Khan used his scorpion tail like a shield, catching the blade with his metallic carapace.

*Clang!*

Sparks flew. They were evenly matched—no, Accel was being pushed back. Wielding a twenty-kilogram blade required shifting one’s weight, but Khan’s massive frame used its sheer bulk to destabilize Accel’s stance.

"Heavy sword," Khan said. "Are you trying to overwhelm me with speed? Listen, boy. Speed cannot conquer fear."

The tail whined. The stinger tore through the air, striking out. Accel leaped backward but couldn’t fully evade. The tip grazed the armor on his left shoulder, leaving a scar amidst a shower of sparks.

"...Indeed," Accel muttered as he landed. "Speed alone isn’t enough."

He readjusted his grip on the Engine Blade. He remained calm. There was no fear. Only an enemy to be defeated. As a detective of Fuuto, he would decisively eliminate any threat to this city.

Khan smiled. His red hair whipped violently in the wind.

"Good eyes. Detective’s eyes. But..."

He stepped forward. His movements blended monastic discipline with barbarian ferocity. Each step was heavy, yet swift. Every swing of his sword generated wind pressure strong enough to make Accel’s armor groan.

"I waited. Three hundred years, I waited. During that time, I realized: power is liberation."

Kheltaris wreathed itself in flame. The red blade heated up, distorting the air around it.

"Your justice is nothing more than a groan echoing inside a stone coffin."

Blade met blade. Though pressed back, Accel solidified his footing. The Engine Blade’s motor roared at high RPMs, its output climbing.

"...Justice is not a groan."

He gritted his teeth. His blue compound eyes shone brighter.

"As long as there is something to protect, I will not stop."

But Khan’s attacks were brutal. Sword, tail, and fist. Accel desperately deflected strikes coming from three directions. Countless scratches marred his armor, and the internal frame screamed under the strain.

"Good, Detective!" Khan shouted. "Don’t break so easily! Amuse me from my boredom!"

Then, Accel noticed a fact. Khan’s tail had a consistent rhythm. After each attack, there was always a slight moment of stiffness. Was it a habit from when he was human, or an instinct of the scorpion?

(*Now.*)

Accel leaped backward, creating significant distance. At this movement, Khan’s eyes lit up.

"Fleeing?"

"No."

Accel plunged the Engine Blade into the ground.

"If I keep using this sword, it’ll take too long to crush your carapace. So, I’ll use another method."

He reached for his belt.

"Accel Change."

Accel’s armor began to transform. From humanoid to motorcycle. The red machine slid across the ground, its engine roaring through the quarry. It was no longer a Rider, but a mechanical beast.

Khan laughed.

"Fool. A bike is no match for me."

But Accel accelerated. This speed dwarfed his previous efforts. Flames spewed from the exhaust vents as the machine bit into the ground. Dust billowed up, obscuring vision.

"...Come."

Khan raised his sword. But Accel didn’t charge head-on. He ran along the quarry wall, ascending vertically. Scaling the rock face, he reached the rim. And then, straight into the air.

"What...?"

The moment Khan looked up, Accel was transforming mid-air. From bike back to humanoid. Gripping the sword once more, wreathed in flame, he plummeted downward.

"Target locked on."

His voice was mechanical, yet carried unwavering intent.

"If speed can’t overpower you, then mass will crush you. That is..."

The Engine Blade, engulfed in fire, swung down.

"...my way of fighting."

Khan countered. He raised Kheltaris overhead, attempting to block with the red blade. But Accel’s falling velocity, the mass of the Engine Blade, and the heat of the flames did not allow it.

*CRACK!*

A sharp sound rang out. Kheltaris shattered at the hilt.

"W-What...!?"

For the first time, Khan’s red eyes wavered with shock. The living blade slipped from his grasp. Upon touching the ground, it dissolved into particles of light.

Accel landed. The impact cratered the earth, radial cracks spreading outward. Without turning around, he spoke.

"Your freedom only exists upon the terror of others. That is not freedom."

Khan fell to his knees. Cracks spiderwebbed across his carapace, his red hair matted with dust. He laughed. Distorted by pain, yet he laughed.

"...It was a good fight."

Accel manipulated his belt. The Engine Blade roared at maximum output. Fire enveloped the blade, its heat illuminating the entire quarry.

"Finishing him."

He jumped. Wreathed in flame, he performed a backflip in mid-air. His trajectory was sharp and beautiful, slicing through the moonlight. The finishing rotating kick drew toward Khan’s chest.

"Engine Blade Finish."

Explosion. Flames ballooned, dyeing the quarry walls crimson. Khan’s massive form vanished into the inferno. His final cry was neither a beast’s roar nor a monk’s prayer, but simply the laughter of a lone warrior.

"...Ah, now I am finally truly free."

When the flames subsided, nothing remained on the ground. Only scorched red rocks and fragments of broken carapace told the story of the battle.

Accel de-transformed. Returning to Terui Ryuu, he tucked the red memory into his pocket. For a while, he stared at the spot where his enemy had disappeared.

"...Freedom, huh."

Wind swept through. Dust danced, and moonlight illuminated the quarry. He turned and walked toward his bike. He had to return to Fuuto. There were still things to protect.

"Terui, report in."

The radio crackled. He responded in a cool voice.

"Yeah. It’s done. Heading back now."

The engine started. The red machine faded into the night. Behind it remained only a quiet wind, and certain peace.

*Fuuto Police Department, Supernatural Crime Investigation Division, Terui Ryuu. Case resolved.*