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***
The wind whipped across the rooftop, ruffling Detective Yuri Watanabe's coat as she stood scanning the cityscape. Her hand rested instinctively near her holster, a habit born from years of police work.
A soft landing behind her announced Kamen Rider's arrival. In his Mighty Form, the red and black armor gleamed under the afternoon light.
"Hey," Ace said casually, his voice slightly muffled by the helmet.
Yuri turned, relief washing over her features. "You're alright," she said, her tone a mixture of surprise and genuine concern. "After what happened in the theater during the last raid, I thought..."
"Let's just say I had some help and got a second life."
Yuri nods, not questioning further.
"What's the situation?" Ace asked,
Yuri pulled a manila folder from her jacket and spread several photographs across the rooftop's surface. The images showed various missing persons - men and women from different backgrounds, ages ranging from early twenties to late fifties.
"Dozens have disappeared," she explained, her voice tight with professional frustration. "No signs of struggle. No ransom demands. No bodies."
Ace leaned closer, studying the photographs. Each image showed a seemingly ordinary person - a businessman, a college student, a restaurant worker - their faces frozen in mundane moments, now transformed into missing person reports.
"My instinct says it's the Grongi," Yuri said, her fingers tracing the edge of one photograph. "But something's off. This doesn't match their usual killing pattern."
Ace remained silent, continuing to examine the images carefully.
"This doesn't feel like a typical Grongi attack," he said. "Their patterns are usually more... direct. They kill with specific methods and leave without even caring about the body."
Detective Watanabe nodded, her professional demeanor sharp and focused. "Exactly. Which is why this case is troubling me."
"Are there any connections between the victims?" Ace asked, scanning the photographs again.
Yuri shook her head. "None that we can find. Different ages, professions, neighborhoods. No apparent link."
Before Ace could respond, Yuri's phone buzzed. She answered quickly, her expression shifting from concentration to sudden alertness.
"What?" she said into the phone. "Another one?"
Ace watched her intently, waiting for details. Yuri's grip on the phone tightened as she listened to the caller.
"They've found another person who disappeared," she said to Ace, her voice low and serious.
Detective Yuri Watanabe's police cruiser cut through the afternoon traffic, Kamen Rider Ace following close behind on his Trychaser 2000 motorcycle. The vehicle weaved between cars, its red and black armor catching occasional glints of sunlight.
They arrived at a modest apartment complex in the Chelsea district. Yellow police tape cordoned off the entrance to a second-floor studio apartment. Several uniformed officers stood guard, their eyes immediately drawn to the armored figure accompanying Watanabe.
Ace's Mighty Form helmet concealed his expression, but he remained calm under their intense scrutiny. He walked with measured steps, following Yuri's lead. The officers exchanged uncertain glances, some whispering, others staring outright.
Yuri flashed her badge and ducked under the police tape. Ace did the same, his armored form moving with surprising grace. Inside the studio apartment, the scene looked eerily undisturbed. An easel stood by the window, half-finished canvas revealing a partially painted cityscape. Brushes were neatly arranged on a side table, paint palettes still wet.
Detective Yuri Watanabe approached the forensics team, her sharp eyes scanning the room. "What have you found?" she asked.
The forensic investigator pointed to drag marks on the floor. "The victim was pulled in this direction," he said, tracing an invisible line with his gloved hand. The marks led directly to a large mirror mounted on the wall.
Ace, still in his Mighty Form, carefully moved around the room, deliberately avoiding touching any potential evidence. His armored form cast a red and black reflection in various surfaces, creating an almost surreal scene in the artist's studio.
The forensics expert leaned close to Yuri, whispering, "Is this vigilante supposed to be here?"
Yuri's response was immediate and firm. "Kamen Rider is with me, and he's the only one who can fight the Grongi. He stays."
Her tone brook no argument. The forensics investigator nodded, returning his attention to the strange drag marks that seemed to simply vanish at the mirror's surface.
Ace continued his careful examination, his helmet turning slowly as he studied the room's details, waiting for any additional information that might shed light on the mysterious disappearance.
Ace's gaze swept across the studio floor, his armored form casting a red and black reflection on the polished hardwood. Paint stains caught his attention—irregular streaks that looked distinctly like something had been forcibly dragged across the surface. The marks were uneven, with smears of crimson and ochre creating a disturbing trail leading directly toward the large mirror mounted on the wall.
Detective Watanabe approached Ace, "The forensics team found something unusual," she said, her voice low. "The drag marks suggest the victim was pulled against their will, but they can't explain how the trail simply... ends at the mirror."
Ace stepped closer to the mirror, his armored helmet tilting slightly as he examined its surface. At the edge of the frame, something caught his eye—a delicate spider web, its intricate threads clinging to the mirror's ornate border. The web seemed out of place, almost deliberately positioned, its silvery strands glistening under the studio's soft lighting.
The web was pristine, untouched by the chaos of the crime scene, its presence both delicate and somehow menacing.
Ace's armored form remained perfectly still, studying the mirror's surface. Suddenly, the reflection began to shimmer and distort. A grotesque, spider-like creature materialized within the glass—Dispider—its multiple eyes gleaming with predatory intent.
Before anyone could react, Dispider's leg burst through the mirror's surface, breaking through the glass like liquid. The appendage struck Ace with incredible force, sending him crashing into the far wall. Plaster cracked and dust exploded around his armored form as he slammed against the surface.
The forensics team and police officers stood frozen in shock, their mouths agape at the impossible scene unfolding before them. Dispider's body began to emerge from the mirror, half in the reflection, half in reality.
In an instant, a razor-thin spider web shot out from Dispider's body. The web wrapped around Detective Yuri Watanabe with lightning speed. Before anyone could comprehend what was happening, Dispider began pulling her toward the mirror's surface.
"Detective!" Ace shouted, his voice a mix of desperation and determination.
He lunged forward, grabbing onto Yuri and fighting against the supernatural pull of Dispider, who was dragging her into the mirror's impossible depths.
Ace's armored form strained against the supernatural force, his fingers digging into Detective Watanabe's jacket as Dispider pulled her inexorably toward the mirror's surface. The spider-like creature's web was impossibly strong, stretching but not breaking as it dragged both Ace and Yuri closer to the reflective surface.
"Break the mirror!" Ace shouted to the stunned police officers, his voice cutting through their shock. "Shoot it! Smash it! Do something!"
The forensics team and officers finally snapped out of their paralysis. One officer drew his service weapon and fired three rapid shots directly at the mirror. Another grabbed a nearby evidence stand and hurled it with full force.
The mirror shattered explosively, glass fragments flying in all directions. The web connecting Dispider to Yuri suddenly went slack, causing both Ace and the detective to tumble backward onto the studio floor.
Dispider let out an inhuman screech as the mirror broke, which left the people in the room unnerved.
Ace carefully removed the sticky, gossamer-like webs from Detective Watanabe, his armored gloves gently pulling the strands away from her clothing. His movements were precise and deliberate, ensuring he didn't cause her any additional discomfort.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice slightly muffled by his helmet.
Yuri straightened herself, brushing off her jacket and checking for any injuries. "I'm fine," she responded, her professional demeanor quickly returning. "Thank you for pulling me back."
She glanced around at the shattered mirror, fragments of glass scattered across the studio floor like crystalline snowflakes. The broken surface reflected the room in a dozen fractured images, each showing a different angle of the chaotic scene.
"What was that thing?" Yuri asked, her detective's curiosity overriding her initial shock.
"…A Mirror Monster,"
***
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