Howard Cella

**Howard Cella** is a butler who serves the Page family and transforms into **Kamen Rider Engarde** (仮面ライダーシエンガルド *Kamen Raida Engarudo*), the secondary Rider in *Kamen Rider Keris*.

## General Information

Aliases:

* **Sand Swordsman** (砂の剣士 Suna no Kenshi)

Series: Kamen Rider Keris

Motifs:

* Bat
* Knight
* Sand
* Books
* Animals

Rider Type: Hero

Affiliation: Page Family

## History

### **Past**

Howard is a butler who was hired by Queen Odette to care for her daughters, Sarah and Wendy. To do this, the Oie Kingdom's connections to the Sword of Logos granted Howard the Seiken Sabakuken Ryusha and the ability to transform into Kamen Rider Engarde. He was heavily involved with fighting off the Megid during their initial assault on Oie, personally fighting against the Megid general Kraitta. The two delivered many blows too each other, but eventually Kraitta succeeded at stealing two of his Wonder Ride Books. Now weakened as a result of his failure to protect the kingdom, he placed his equipment into a special cabinet in his personal quarters. As an additional loss, he was relieved of caring Sarah so she could be raised outside of the castle for her safety.

### **Present**

In modern times, Queen Candace informed Howard that Sarah would be returning to his care after returning to the castle. While disappointed at Sarah mistreating him, he was still patient with her. During the coronation ceremony, he was saved along with the rest of Oie when Sarah took up her mother's title as Kamen Rider Keris. Because of this, he was ordered to take up his Seiken once more in order to train Sarah.

## Forms

These forms are accessed through the usage of Books compatible with Sabakuken Ryusha. As such, the Swordriver will announce a number of volumes when accessing such transformations.

The Swordriver will announce "Ryusha Issatsu" when accessing the following transformations:

### Screech Bat

*"Ryusha batto! Screech Bat! Saren issatsu! Kyuketsuki to Sabakuken Ryusha ga majiwaru toki, orenji no tsurugi ga anata no tamashi o ubaimasu!"*

First Foe: Yosei-Joo Megid

**Screech Bat** (スクリーチバット *Sukurichi Batto*) is Engarde's bat-based primary form accessed by using the Screech Bat Wonder Ride Book in the Seiken Swordriver. It is first used when the Yosei-Joo interrupts Howard's attempts to train Sarah.

In this form, Engarde can summon the Screech Bat familiar by tapping on his Wonder Ride Book.

* Dangerous Grindstone: Engarde sprays sand out of his hands to trap his foe in hardened sandstone. He then leaps into the air and Rider Kicks his captured foe.
* Bat Wonder: Engarde taps on the Screech Bat Wonder Ride Book, surrounding himself in a sandstorm. He then slashes the sandstorm, sending it flying into his opponent in the shape of a vampire bat.

Sabakuken Ryusha finishers:

* Soul Reaping Slash: Engarde uses his Seiken, coated in orange energy, to cut his foe three times to form the shape of a Z before his foe explodes.
* Shutoku Issen (Learning Flash): Engarde scans a Wonder Ride Book against the tip of the blade and performs an attack based off of it.
	+ Raiu Denki no Tori: Engarde points his Seiken to the sky, firing out a lightning bolt that strikes all foes around him from above.
	+ Screech Bat: Engarde channels his very soul into his Seiken before stabbing his sword into the ground to send a massive explosion of orange energy around him. Howard can only use this attack three times before perishing.

The Swordriver will announce "Ryusha Nisatsu" when accessing the following transformations:

### Minotaur Bat

*"Ryusha batto! Honenuki Minotaur Bat! Saren nissatsu! Himei! Kurasshu! Saikyo kiba ga orenji no kenshi to goryu!"*

First Foe: Wildebeest Megid

**Minotaur Bat** (ミノタウロスバット *Minotaurosu* *Batto*) is Engarde's bat and minotaur-based form accessed by using the Meiro no Minotaur and Screech Bat Wonder Ride Books in the Seiken Swordriver. This form was unlocked after Sarah took the Meiro no Minotaur Wonder Ride Book from the Yosei-O Megid.

In this form, Engarde can now wield the **Labyrinth Axe** (ラビリンス 斧 *Rabirinsu Ono*) gauntlet on his left arm as a weapon, and summon large walls by punching the ground. This combo allows Engarde to control the layout of the battlefield and make it difficult for his foes to escape. He is most comfortable in this form, due to using this form as his default in the past.

* Inescapable Crush: Engarde summons four walls around his foe to trap them, and then leaps into the air. While falling, the Labyrinth Axe grows to massive size and Engarde uses the gigantic axe to crush his foe.

Sabakuken Ryusha finisher:

* Animal Charging Unity: Engarde performs two slashes to send a flying bull head construct at his foe, with the second slash sending a flying bat's head to bite the foe and finish them off.

The Swordriver will announce "Ryusha Sansatsu" when accessing the following Wonder Combo:

### Terrifying Bat

*"Ryusha batto! Orenji no komori no hane ga kosoku de ugokimasu! Terrifying Bat! Saren sansatsu! Orenji no tsurugi wa emono o tsukisashi, eien ni oikakemasu!"*

**Terrifying Bat** (恐ろしいバット *Osoroshi* *Batto*) is Engarde's bat, minotaur and *The Gingerbread Man*-based form accessed by using the Meiro no Minotaur, Screech Bat, and Gingerbread Race in the Seiken Swordriver.

In this form, Engarde still wields the Labyrinth Axe and his wall summoning abilities from Minotaur Bat. However, Gingerbread Race unlocks access to superhuman speed and the ability to leave behind afterimages to confuse his enemies. This Wonder Combo overall allows Engarde to disappear in a burst of sand, run circles around his enemies, and power through attacks through intangibility.

* Sandstorm Tomb: Engarde encases his foe in sandstone before Rider Kicking his foe covered in orange light.

Sabakuken Ryusha finisher:

* Speedy Blitzkrieg: Engarde runs at light-speed around the battlefield and performing supercharged slashes at anyone unlucky enough to be on the battlefield.

### Terror Screech Megabat

*"Ryusha batto! Transcribing! Terrifying! Take off Flying! Su-goi ko-mori~! Ending to your story! Terror Screech! Megabat! Sore sunawachi zen'no no kyuketsuki!"*

*"Ryusha Hanekou! Terror Screech Megabuso! Sore sunawachi zen'no no kyuketsuki! Sarani kishi wa komori no katachi o toru koto ga dekimasu!"* (Bat Mode Transformation)

**Terror Screech Megabat** (テロスクリーチ大蝙蝠 *Tero Sukurichi Okomori*) is Engarde's bat-based upgrade form accessed by using the Terror Screech Megabat Wonder Ride Book in the Seiken Swordriver. This form is obtained after Howard is brought back from the dead using this Wonder Ride Book at the cost of his humanity.

In this form, Engarde is armed with the Terror Megabat Talons (テロ大蝙蝠爪 *Tero Okomori Tsume*) on each wrist which can extend to hit foes from any distance.

* Extremely Dangerous Grindstone

Sabakuken Ryusha finisher:

* Beautiful Soul Reaping Slash

Megabat Booster finishers:

* Juicy (ジューシー *Jushi*)
* Naka Juicy (中ジューシー *Naka Jushi*, Medium Juicy)
	+ Screech Bat: Engarde shoots an orange energy ball at his foe.
* Chin Juicy (珍ジューシー *Chin Jushi*, Rare Juicy)
* Kanpeki Juicy (完璧ジューシー *Kanpeki Jushi*, Perfect Juicy) Well Done
	+ **Kappa Joji + Toxic Spider + Kurushimi Hitotachi**: Engarde fires a vortex of dark blue, purple, and black energy at his foe.
	+ **Raiu Denki no Tori + Monogatari no Whale + Uta no Mermaid**: Engarde fires a vortex of blue and yellow energy at his foe.
	+ **Meiro no Minotaur + Screech Bat + Gingerbread Race**: Engarde fires a vortex of orange, tan, and brown energy at his foe.
* Megabat Juicy (大蝙蝠ジューシー *Okomori* *Jushi*): Engarde coats the Sabakuken Ryusha in sand before slashing to send an energy construct of a bat's head at his foe.

Bat Mode finisher:

* Terror Megabat Choppower: Engarde in his Bat Mode, bites the Sabakuken Ryusha and slashes his enemy with it.

### Tsubasa Kinkai Hiwa

**Tsubasa Kinkai Hiwa** (The Winged Metal Monster's Untold Story) is Engarde's bat-based final form accessed by using the Tsubasa Kinkai Hiwa Wonder Ride Book in the Seiken Swordriver.

In this form, Engarde's sand element is enhanced by the element of metal. He is proven to be very powerful, single-handedly ending his rivalry against Kraitta while she was in her Alpha mode.

His finishers involving Tsubasa Kinkai Hiwa allow him to replace the bat wings on his back with other appendages, such as a ectoplasmic sack to float through the air, an extra pair of skeletal arms for close-range combat, and tentacles that constrict his foes.

* Sabakuken Ryusha finishers:
	+ Platinum Engrave: Engarde's Seiken is coated in metal as he rushes forward and strikes the foe, with the coated metal leaving a sword's blade impaled inside of his enemy.
* Tsubasa Kinkai Hiwa Wonder Ride Book finishers:
	+ Vampiric Yokai Attack: Engarde's bat wings turn into metal scrapings and reform into a sack of ectoplasm. This sack inflates to grant Engarde flight and allows him to fly around the foe to punch them from different angles, his body becoming intangible to pass through their body as he does this. To finish them off, he flies at them with the sack facing them to create an gooey explosion that leaves acidic ectoplasm on his enemy.
	+ Vampiric Undead Attack: Engarde's bat wings turn into metal scrapings and reform into a pair of skeletal arms. These arms punch and strike the foe constantly to keep them occupied while Engarde slowly approaches them with his hands glowing an eerie orange. Once Engarde reaches the foe, he performs a double punch alongside the skeletal hands to send his enemy flying backwards.
	+ Vampiric Alien Attack: Engarde's bat wings turn into metal scrapings and reform into eight tentacles. These tentacles then grab the enemy and toss them around the battlefield before Engarde fires a massive green laser beam about of his entire helmet while the tentacles hold the foe in place.
	+ Vampiric Grindstone Attack

## Equipment

**Devices**

* Seiken Swordriver - Transformation device
* Magical Wonder Ride Books - Transformation trinkets

**Weapons**

* **Sabakuken Ryusha** (Desert Sword Quicksand) - Transformation device and personal weapon
* Megabat Booster - Terror Screech Megabat's personal weapon

## Symbolism

The Ryusha books share the theme of stalking or being chased: the Minotaur wandered through a labyrinth looking for the sacrificed people given to him, bats use echolocation to track down food, and the Gingerbread Man was running away to avoid being eaten.

## Etymology

Howard is a given name that is derived from the Norse word *havaror*, meaning "high guard".

Cella is a surname that is derived from Italian words like *cellaio* and *cellario*, which all mean "butler". It also is the name used for the inner area of a temple.

## Trivia

* Howard's Rider name is derived from the French phrase *en garde*, which means "On your guard". In fencing, this phrase is uttered as a warning for all fencers to take their opening stance.
* Engarde's Z-shaped visor is a reference to the legendary swordsman Zorro.
* Howard's physical appearance and mannerisms are to be modelled after the legendary actor Tim Curry.