 This article is about a novel in Kamen Rider Drive.
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Novel: Kamen Rider Drive: ~Mach Saga~ (小説 仮面ライダードライブ ~マッハサーガ~, Shōsetsu Kamen Raidā Doraibu ~ Mahha Sāga ~) is an spin-off novel about Go Shijima. It was written by Takahito Omori and supervised by Keiichi Hasegawa. The novel is set two years after Kamen Rider Drive's series finale.
Synopsis[]
After finishing his fight with Roidmudes and bidding farewell to Shinnosuke and the crew, Go left wandering in the world while taking pictures of it. But two years later after the death of Chase, he returns to Japan in search of an opportunity of a new Drive System. However, the whole town suddenly became black due to a large-scale power outage. Go quickly recalls the similar event. Is it the Roidmudes?! But they were eradicated. Is it just a coincidence, or...? It's up to Go and Special Investigation Unit to cooperate in this case!
Also, Go's first transformation to Kamen Rider Mach will be revealed! [1]
Plot[2][]
Following the events of their wedding, Shinnosuke and Kiriko had planned to organize a wedding party on December 24, 2015. However, the police have been receiving many criminal letters, saying that there will be explosions occurring in many public places such as playgrounds, schools, concert areas, etc. As a result, the wedding party was called off due to everyone being busy with evacuating the people and stopping the explosions. The culprit was never found.
Shinnosuke himself has gotten very busy to work. Just like that, a year has passed without the holding of any wedding party. Soon, Kiriko gets pregnant, and gives birth to Eiji in December 2016.
It is now the year 2017. In December, Go prepares to return to Japan to attend Shinnosuke's and Kiriko's wedding party. However, the whole town suddenly experiences a large scale power outage with arson occurring in certain places. News has also been received that Mitsuhide Nira, Itsuro Negishi, Makoto Asamura (So Utsugi), Koichi Sakaki and Hajime Taga had all escaped from prison. That same night, a masked individual by the pseudonym of "Copycat Mr X" uploaded a video online. No doubt that person has got to be Koya Nishihori, as he had disappeared from his cell before the other 5 criminals escaped.
The Special Investigation Unit is reassembled, with Shinnosuke's former partner Akira Hayase joining the team as well as Koichi Kano, the traffic police officer whose appearance was copied by Chase.
In order to find out Koya's motive, Go visits Koya's daughter Reiko Nishihori in prison. Despite the rocky start, the two eventually began opening up to each other due to their similar backgrounds. Reiko reveals that she only did what she did in order to gain her father's recognition, while Go talks about the reason as to why he became Mach:
Back in America, Go had a friend named Ethan Woodward who was eventually killed by the Gunman Roidmude and Roidmude 018. Go was saved by Harley Hendrickson, and started his training to use the Mach System. Upon learning that the two Roidmudes had arrived in Japan, Go followed suit. A month before revealing himself to his sister, Go practiced smiling in order to not let his sister worry. This explains his current personality. He eventually defeated the two Roidmudes, avenging Ethan's death.
After learning of Koya's motives, Go headed to his whereabouts. However, Koya, in an attempt to use the Anima System to digitize himself and fuse with the entire world wide web, died in a freak accident where the system had a short circuit, destroying both the system along with Koya's consciousness, leaving his body an empty shell.
As Shinnosuke's wedding party was finally about to begin, Go learns that Reiko was poisoned! Go decided he would handle things himself while Shinnosuke continued the party. As Go visits Reiko in the hospital, she gives a hint to the true culprit behind all of this, starting from Ethan's death, following by Chase's death, Shinnosuke's near-death before his revival, as well as Banno's reawakening. Go swore to defeat this enemy by himself, before getting a prototype Mach Driver Honoh from Rinna as well as a Shift Viral Core - modified from Chaser's Rhino Super Viral Core.
The true culprit was, in fact, Roidmude 005. His core was revealed to have survived his defeat by Drive and remained in the web to gather information for his revenge against the Kamen Riders. His feelings for revenge had also allowed him to evolve into the Revenger Roidmude. Go transforms into Chaser Mach to fight, but because Revenger has power much greater than Gold Drive, and also because the prototype Driver Go is using can only handle a transformation for a maximum of 5 minutes, Go begins to fall behind in terms of strength. At the end of the 5th minute, Go lands a punch on Revenger before the transformation is cancelled. Go later uses Shift Viral Core to transform into Super Deadheat Mach, which is described in the novel as a white version of Super Mashin Chaser with Mach's head and Chaser's eyes. Mach defeats Revenger with a Rider Kick, destroying his core once and for all.
Go returns to visit Reiko, who has recovered, and finally sees her true smile for the first time.
He now carries with him these important items: a photo of Ethan, Chase's driving license, a photo of Shinnosuke and Kiriko along with their son Eiji, and finally a photo of Reiko, smiling.
Characters[]
| Kamen Rider Mach | Go Shijima |
Allies[]
- Reiko Nishihori
- Shinnosuke Tomari
- Kiriko Tomari
- Eiji Tomari
- Harley Hendrickson
- Koichi Kano
- Rinna Sawagami
- Genpachiro Otta
Villains[]
Roidmudes[]
Other characters[]
- Akira Hayase
- Yukari Karasawa
- Shingo Tachibana
- Akie Okajima
- Shunsuke Kusaka
- Kisaburo Sasamoto
- Ethan Woodward
Notes[]
- It is the first official novel showing a "Secondary Rider" on the cover.
- The novel will be followed by the events in Drive Saga: Kamen Rider Mach.
Artist rendition of Super Deadheat Mach image according to the novel description.
- The novel introduces a new form for Mach, known as "Super Deadheat Mach".[3]