Kamen Rider Spirits Chapter 15: Legend of the Stars Part 1

**Legend of the Stars (Part One)** is the fifteenth chapter of Kamen Rider Spirits and the first part of the three part Legend of the Stars story arc. This arc introduces Kamen Rider Super-1, Genjiro Tani and the Junior Rider Team to the story and the arc is the final story of the third tankobon.

## Synopsis

Super-1 is off-planet helping a team of astronauts build a lunar base as part of a space exploration mission for the International Space Development Program. Things get disastrous though when an unknown cyborg enemy appears and launches an attack that destroys the base!

## Plot

The chapter opens in space as the lunar observation ship *Sagawa* approaches the Moon with supplies from Earth. The lunar base responds to their communications and prepare to unload the cargo with the help of "S-1", revealed to be Kamen Rider Super-1. Super-1 uses his Power Hands to lift the heavy cargo while on his motorcycle, the V-Jet. A text narration exposits how humanity's resources on Earth are dwindling and overpopulation is a possible threat. Thus, the International Space Development Program has begun construction on a lunar base with a brave group of explorers, engineers and construction workers putting all their dreams and hard work into the base. One of the construction workers asks Super-1 to restart the generator as his welding laser has no electricity to power it. Super-1 uses his Elek hands to restart the generator's battery. The astronauts talk about how handy it is to construct the station with Super-1's help and how he volunteered for the project. They are scolded by their superior officer Sergei for "slacking off", with the captain annoyed by the presence of Super-1 and how over reliant the crew is on the cyborg. Hours later, the crew take a break in the rec room and look at the gifts their loved ones had sent them from Earth.

Meanwhile, Kazuya does an inspection on his cybernetics and everything checks out. Sergei is standing outside his quarters only to be addressed as Capt. and saluted by Kazuya Oki, much to his annoyance. Sergei hands Kazuya a gift package from Earth and says he better appreciate whatever it is, because it cost $2 million just to deliver that small package and walks off. Kazuya asks Sergei what did he get from Earth, with the captain responding he got a video letter from his son. Sergei walks off angry well as he opens his present to reveal a Rider pendant from the Junior Rider Team.

Back on Earth in Japan, at the International Space Development Laboratory, Mission Control is observing the development of the lunar base. Genjiro Tani, Choro, Harumi and the Junior Rider team are visiting the laboratory and are anxious to speak with Kazuya. The kids are especially rambunctious, as they look at the computer console and ask if they can play with it. Choro says if they wanted to, they could hack into every bank in Japan with the computer, only to be hit upside the head by Tani. Harumi really wants to speak to Kazuya, given her infatuation with him. The director of the mission is a bit overwhelmed by how many people are here for S-1. The director says that normally they only invite family members after Genjiro reminds him that ISD set up this gathering for the families of the astronauts. All Kazuya's friends get upset about this and explain that they fought with him and supported him all these years. This confuses the director and asked why S1 needed to fight. Genjiro says that's not important but what is important is that despite what people may say or lack of blood, in essence, they are Kazuya Oki's family. A man informs the director that Mrs. Gorbinof is unable to be reached despite Sergei's son sending a video. Genjiro says it is because they got a divorce and understands that she possibly doesn't want to speak to him.

Back on the moon, in the lunar base's gymnasium, the crew watch as the captain has a nervous breakdown while jogging intensely on the treadmill. Kazuya is warned by the crewmen to stay away from him as when Sergei is like this, he will unload his rage on whoever gets near him. Kazuya does not heed this advice and jogs next to him on the treadmill, much to the bewilderment of Sergei as he thinks it is unnecessary for cyborgs to exercise. Kazuya says this is untrue as even artificial muscle can be strengthened through training. Segei asks Kazuya why he would even want to be converted into a cyborg, as he doesn't see it as normal or anything beneficial to be gained from it. Kazuya says it's for his dream of seeing mankind develop in space, much to the chagrin of Sergei, who falls off the treadmill dumbfounded. Kazuya explains that the resources on the Moon will revolutionize science, such as new materials that would make great alternatives to fossil fuel and other limited Earth resources. Sergei says that is just a theory, but Kazuya asks if that excites him nonetheless, the possibility of finding new energy and with it eventually humanity will reach out to the stars as it escapes the boundaries of its solar system. Sergei sees him as just being a dreamer, but even then, Neil Armstrong was a dreamer until he achieved his goal of setting foot on the Moon.  The captain confesses he had a dream once as an astronaut, showing Kazuya a video of his wife Elena telling him she does not want him to meet their son. He says that his job has kept him away from his family so much he wonders if his son even remembers his face.

Sergei wonders what he is even doing here as there is no "rabbit" out here on the Moon. He explains to Kazuya that the tale of the rabbit in the moon from Asian folklore is one of his favorite stories. He says whatever happens next out here is the fault of his stupid dream. Kazuya tries to reassure the Captain that even if Masim doesn't remember his father's face, he will think about them in the future like he does about his parents. Kazuya talks about them briefly until Segei realizes that this means the reason Kazuya became part of Project S-1 was to fulfill the dream of his parents who are no longer alive.

Further conversation is interrupted by a tremor, which seems impossible because the moon does not have earthquakes. A team goes out to investigate, with Kazuya going on ahead while the rest of the crew depressurize to get in their spacesuits. Kazuya changes into Super-1 and goes on the Blue Version to find the source, firing his Radar Hands drone to scout ahead to the location and follows it by rocketing upward. While the crew waits to depressurize, one of them says that S-1 has it easy as he does not need to depressurize and can come into the station and go out as he pleases. Another astronaut mocks the others praise and says if he liked it so much maybe he should be modified into a cyborg. The captain then kicks the astronaut, saying if anyone mocks S-1 he'll need permission from him to do it or else, though he does not plan on giving it. The astronaut then sees something outside and tells the captain to look out the window, only to see a sinister looking man walking outside in the vacuum of space without a spacesuit on coming towards them.

Back on Earth, Genjiro calls Elena who reminds him that she refuses to talk to her former husband and did not wish to be contacted about his mission. Her son Masim overhears this conversation and asks if that is his father on the phone. The little boy asks Genjiro, thinking the person on the other line is his father, if there really was a rabbit on the Moon.

 File:Kung-Fu Luna-cy.jpg
Super-1 drives to the location, only to see a massive hole in the ground that does not resemble a crater. Before further investigation, Super-1 gets a garbled distress signal from the Moon Base about a monster attacking. Super-1 hurries back only to see the Moon base in ruins and a shadowy figure emerging from the wreckage. The figure says he did not expect to see a Kamen Rider out in space and calls the destroyed base "frail" wondering what mankind hopes to achieve with such "weak technology". This enrages Super-1, who charges at the figure and executes a flying kick to attack him as the mysterious man does a kata stance, prepared to engage the Kamen Rider.

## Characters

### Allies

* Captain Sergei Grobinof
* Genjirō Tani
* Junior Rider Team
* Masao Kozuka
* Harumi Kusanami

## Notes

* The director of the International Space Development Laboratory briefly mentions that the ISDP organization was attacked by terrorists "a few years back". This is a reference to the first episode of *Kamen Rider Super-1*, where the Dogma Empire attacked the USA branch of the ISDP and used their monster Fire Kong to destroy the base.
* The "Moon Rabbit" Captain Sergei was referring to is from a cross-cultural folktale that tells the fictional origin of a real-life rabbit-like shape on the moon's surface, with the most prominent variant of them being from East Asian culture.
	+ This story would be referenced again in Kamen Rider with the Rabbit Hatch in *Kamen Rider Fourze*.