The Indigo Warrior

is the first episode of Kamen Rider Blade.
==Synopsis==
*The series begins with a fight between Sakuya (Kamen Rider Garren) and an Undead, with Kazuma (Kamen Rider Blade) on his way to the site.
*A rock-climber watches on in amazement. Once the Undead has been destroyed, the man asks Kazuma for an interview which he declines.
*After being kicked out of his old apartment, Kazuma moves in with the man from earlier, Kotarou.
*A man staying at Kotarou's sister's house is revealed to be a 3rd Kamen Rider.
*A horde of insects are released in a BOARD Laboratory causing chaos and killing most of the scientists. The young woman, Shiori tells Kazuma that she saw Sakuya controlling the Undead that the bugs formed together to create.
*Although he doesn't believe it at first, after Sakuya refuses to help Kazuma against the Undead Monster, Kazuma begins to question him.
==Plot==
An indigo Kamen Rider rides his motorcycle through mud and sand, while another Kamen Rider in the color maroon fights a bat monster that appears to be overpowering him. The blue rider continues his path along the beach while the bat monster takes complete control of the battle with the red rider being pushes into rocks and thrown around like a doll. Meanwhile, A rock-climber climbs down a rock wall to a cave.
A woman at a computer panel talks to the blue Kamen Rider, Kazuma Kenzaki, informing him of the location he is to be at. The computer panel pops up an icon on a map labelled 'Undead'. The red rider continues to get thrown around. The woman, alongside a man at the panel tell Kazuma to hurry as the red rider, Sakuya Tachibana is in the midst of a difficult battle currently. Kazuma continues to ride along continuing to briefed on his location. The rock-climber jumps down to the bottom and enters the cave. The Undead Monster sends Bats at Sakuya, which attack him in a swarm. The Undead takes the opportunity and knocks Sakuya over again just as the Climber sees that battle and hides behind a rock. At the exact moment, a rock wall bursts open and Kazuma appears on his motorcycle, knocking over the Undead in the process.
Sakuya takes out his gun and shoots at the Undead, blowing a whole in the roof in the process and causing the sunlight to scare it away. Both he and Kazuma get on their cycles again and ride off chasing it. Sakuya tries to shoot it in the cavern and after numerous attempts, manages to injure it. Kazuma pulls out his sword and throws it like a dart at the Undead causing it to crash into the ground. Kazuma picks his sword back up and scans a tackle card through his sword which then holographic-ally moves to his chest-plate. Kazuma burns in a white light and hits the Undead. However, the Undead shields itself with it's wings causing it to have no effect and also causing Kazuma to get thrown back. The computer panel indicates that he has failed in his attempt and Sakuya tells Kazuma that he isn't a match for them yet. Sakuya pulls out a range of cards from the back of his gun and scans 2 cards through his gun (Drop & Fire) activates the Burning Smash combo. He jumps into the air, and somersaults kicking the monster with flaming boots as he lands. Something similar to a Belt-Buckle unlatches on the Monsters Waist. Sakuya exclaims that it is a Category 8 and throws a Card at the Undead, hence sealing it in the card.
The Rock-climber looks on in amazement at what he has just witnessed as Sakuya berates Kazuma about how he should not just plunge into battle. They both remove their belts cancelling the transformations. As Sakuya rides off, the rock-climber comes out from behind a rock wall and complements his coolness, causing a fiery explosion from Kazuma. The rock-climber introduces himself as Kotarou Shirai, tells Kazuma that he aspires to be a non-fiction scientific writer and asks him for an interview. Kotarou explains that he has been investigating the two for a long time citing a legend about the Kamen Riders. Kazuma tried to deny it and leave and as hard as Kotarou tries, Kazuma manages to get away from him.
Back at the Computer Panel, the man at the panel gets up an leaves as the word BOARD appears on the screen in front of them implying that it is the company's name. Kazuma returns to BOARD Headquarters and goes through numerous security scans before being allowed access. He walks past many laboratories where various experiment are being carried out.
The man who was previously at the panel exclaims how this is the third time in two months that has Undead had appeared. The woman asks what they are but the man who appears to be her boss tells her that all they need to worry about at the moment is sealing them. Kazuma and Sakuya also enter the room and Kazuma reminds them that the Cards are compatible with their Rider Systems. Sakuya gets frustrated as he believes that they sent Kazuma to 'save' him. He questions their faith in his power to which the man denies and rather, he wanted to be prepared for anything. Kazuma tries to boost Sakuya's spirits but Sakuya replies with the question of why Kazuma is fighting and why he became a Rider. Kazuma tells him that its his job but that he also wants to protect humanity and the earth. Sakuya warns him to not let that innocence get used. Sakuya leaves, also leaving an awkward silence in the room.
Later that night, Kotarou writes an article on BOARD, an acronym for Board Of Archaeological Research Department; which researches how humanity has managed to remain at the top of the food chain on Earth for so long. He writes that BOARD seems to feel that the theory of evolution appears to be incomplete and are in the midst of research on it. He questions how the Kamen Riders come into the big picture, not to mention the monster that he saw earlier.
The next morning, Kazuma returns home to his apartment to find out that his landlady has rented his room to someone else. He explains to her that he told her that he would be training somewhere for two months but she seems uncaring of his problems telling him that she is not running a charity. Kotarou passes by on his bicycle, making fun of Kazuma. All jokes aside, He invites Kazuma out to his house. He explains that after his parents dies, his Uncle took care of him and left the house to him. Kazuma complains about the dirtiness and the state of the dilapidated house to which Kotarou replies that the two of them can fix it and live here. Kazuma tells him that he hadn't said he was going to live there yet. Kotarou tells him that he has no other choice as he has no other relatives which worries Kazuma for a moment. Kotarou explains that he is writing a book about the Kamen Riders and that he will give Kazuma a Room if he provides him with an interview. Kazuma explains that what he and BOARD do can't go public and Kotarou agrees with him. All that means to him however is that he will not release the interview without Kazuma's permission. Kazuma tells Kotarou that he will stay the night but that does not mean he agrees about the interview.
Down in one of the laboratories, Sakuya in the middle of numerous Alien Shells latched onto the walls. One of the Shells cracks open allows a horde of small bugs to escape.
A man on a motorcycle pulls up at a cafe called the Kitchen Cafe Jacaranda and walks in just as Kotarou is talking to someone else about having a Kamen Rider in his home. The little girl asks him if he will bring the Rider to the house to which Kotarou tells him soon. The Owner of the cafe asks them what silly things they are talking about and whether Kotarou is actually working. Kotarou tells her that he'd rather write books then sell them and that he has found something interesting to write about. He tells the young girl, Amane-Chan and the owner, his sister that he will write a best-seller but neither of them truly believe him. The other man walks over to them and is greeted by both of the girls. They ask him the photography went and he tells them that it was difficult. The woman starts reminiscing about how her husband was horrible at photographing when he started too. She questions rhetorically why he had to die so early and leave her and his child behind. Kotarou thanks the stranger for being their bodyguard of sorts to which the man changes the conversation and walks off to his room. His sister explains that the man, whose name is Hajime is shy.
Hajime lulls the words "Kamen Rider" over and over again remembering a painful experience he had previously. He runs into the closet and drops a Change Card onto the Floor revealing himself to be another Rider.
That night, Kazuma has a string of nightmares about his parents perishing in a fire before waking up. He answers a phone-call from the young woman at BOARD telling him that BOARD is currently under attack. The bugs from earlier are shown to be the problem as they fly everywhere throughout the laboratories and control rooms swarming scientists as they try to escape. They manage to destroy one of the main panels, cutting electricity to the whole building an activating numerous alarms. The bugs come together and form together to create an Undead. Kazuma finally gets to BOARD but finds everyone dead. He runs into the control room and eventually finds the woman whose name is Shiori Hirose. Shiori tells him that the Undead attacked and that she saw Sakuya controlling it. Kazuma denies it but Shiori tells him that he saw Sakuya and the Chief having an argument earlier in which Sakuya told him that he won't let BOARD get in his way. Kazuma still fails to believe it. The insects swarm into the room again and Kazuma follows them outside, while questioning to himself whether Sakuya is really responsible. The Insects form into a monster again and Kazuma transforms into Blade to fight it.
While he initially has the advantage, the Undead soon begins to take control of the battle. Kazuma sees Sakuya standing near him and asks him why he is watching and not helping. Sakuya doesn't respond as Kazuma continues to get beaten down by the Undead. He then asks him if he really is a traitor to which he once again doesn't respond and simply walks away. Kazuma flies into a rage and takes back the control of the battle.
==Cast==
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===Guest cast===
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*Kazuma Kenzaki's father: 
*Kazuma Kenzaki's mother: 
*Kazuma Kenzaki (Child): 
*Civilian: 
*Researcher: 
*Bat Undead (Voice): 
*Locust Undead (Voice): 
==Rouse Cards==
*Cards used:
**Blade:
***Tackle, Change
**Garren:
***Drop, Fire, Change
*Cards obtained:
**Scope
==Notes==
*As part of Super Hero Time, this episode aired alongside episode 48, .
*Viewership: 10.0%
**With a rating of 10.0%, this along with the following episode was the highest rated episode of Blade, 3.1% above the series average.
*A catch-up of the first twelve episodes of Kamen Rider Blade was aired as part of the special event on TV Asahi. http://www.jefusion.com/2012/07/super-hero-max-2012-to-air-this-august.html
*The Garren Rouzer does not announce Burning Smash when Garren uses Drop & Fire combo. 
*This episode starts off the internet meme in Japan when Kazuma says if Sakuya have betrayed BOARD, he said , beside saying "Honto".
*Hajime briefly appears as Kamen Rider Chalice.
==DVD releases==
Kamen Rider Blade Volume 1 features episodes 1-4: The Indigo Warrior, The Mysterious Rider, Their Secret... and Immortality's Mysteries. It was released on DVD on August 6th 2004, with a total run time of 94 minutes.
Blu-ray Box 1 comes with 16 episodes.
==References==
==External links==
*TV Asahi's page on "仮面ライダー剣(ブレイド) - 第1話"
Category:Episodes
Category:Kamen Rider Blade
Category:Season Premieres