Cyborg 009 vs. Devilman: Treacheries ~The Traitors~ (2024)

Cyborg 009 vs. Devilman: Treacheries ~The Traitors~ (サイボーグ009VSデビルマン トゥレチェリイズ~裏切り者たち~_ is a light novel by Tadashi Hayakawa, released on September 24, 2015. It serves as a prequel to the Cyborg 009 vs. Devilman OVA project that he served as screenwriter for, and was released prior to its theatrical screenings.

Overview[]

Like the OVA, the novel primarily focuses on the Cyborg 009 side of the cast, but alternates between their story and that of the Devilman cast. The 009 portions take place from the encounter with 0013 up to the start of Mythos, while Devilman fights against the spider demon known as Rasber.

Various characters exclusive to the OVA, such as the High-Teen Number Cyborgs, have their origins told here and insights that did not get to be covered within those episodes.

Table of Contents[]

1. Prologue
2. Devilman
3. Cyborg
4. Demon Hunter
5. The 13th Assassin
6. Afterimage of a Blind Spot
7. A Dolphin's Dream
8. Deepest Memory
9. For Whom Has the Power
10. A Sleeping Angel
11. Devil and Devil
12. The Aurora Strategy
13. Showdown in Alaska
14. The Puppet Spider Rasber
15. Epilogue

Characters[]

Cyborg 009[]

00 Cyborgs[]

• Cyborg 001
• Cyborg 002
• Cyborg 003
• Cyborg 004
• Cyborg 005
• Cyborg 006
• Cyborg 007
• Cyborg 008
• Cyborg 009

Allies[]

• Dr. Isaac Gilmore
• Dr. Hiroshi Kozumi
• Dr. William Dolphin
• Cynthia Dolphin
• Matsugoro Tomonji
• Finpy the Dolphin

The Black Ghost Organization[]

• Skull
• Van Vogt
• Reiji Kajihara
• Cyborgs 0010, 0011, 0012 (mentioned as past enemies)
• Cyborg 0013 and 13 Robo
• Dr. Adams Teufel
• Edward Adams/Cyborg 0014
• John Cain Smith/Cyborg 0016
• Cybernoids
• Dr. Gaia
• Dr. Uranus
• Dr. Whisky (mentioned)
• Dr. Brown (mentioned)

Children of the Black Ghost Canada Facility[]

• H-0014W/Helena
• P-0015W/Eva/Cyborg 0015
• P-0017/Abel/Cyborg 0017
• H-0017W/Apollo
• P-0018W/Seth/Cyborg 0018

Devilman[]

• Akira Fudo/Devilman
• Ryo Asuka
• Miki Makimura
• Taro Makimura
• Akiko Makimura

Enemies[]

• Misa Shiraishi/Lamia and her Shedim
• Agwel, Gelmer, Sirene and Kaim (mentioned as past enemies)
• Rasber and Spiderlings

Timeline[]

3 Years Ago[]

Dr. William Dolphin and his family are attacked by Black Ghost soldiers in Kiev, after their drive through Russia and Ukraine. His wife, Clemence, dies but his daughter Cynthia is saved through an important surgery. Dolphin is made to give Black Ghost his technology for a special machine he has invented, in order to ensure his daughter's safety.

2 Years Ago[]

Dr. Gaia and Dr. Uranus take interest in the "intentional mutants" Dr. Teufel has been developing, and take a pair of twins who they name Apollo and Helena.

The teenagers that would become Cyborgs 0015, 0017, and 0018 train in the Canadian wilderness against Cybernoids, but 0018 overexerts himself in defeating the remaining soldiers and falls into a coma.

3 Months Ago[]

The initial 00 line is completed, but the cyborgs and Dr. Gilmore rebel and escape the Black Ghost organization.

Plot Summaries[]

Prologue[]

In a Black Ghost facility, a pair of twins (later revealed to be Eva and Seth) telepathically communicate with one another. The brother wonders what a "Family" is, to which his sister doesn't know, and he further wonders how come they lack a father or mother. They are not the only children to lack families and wonder why, as they can overhear the thoughts of other test subjects asking "Why?".

As these children are sheltered from the outside world and were specifically born and developed within these laboratories, they do not realize their abilities are something that would be special to ordinary humans. They simply grow up, being told what to do by the scientists that label them "Intentional Mutants".

Meanwhile, Joe Shimamura is given a mission to investigate an inpatient facility at a hospital in Japan, as suspicious activity thought to be connected to the Black Ghost organization has been sensed there. He suddenly witnesses a strange fight going on at the hospital, and sees three young people (Akira, Miki, and Ryo) escape to its rooftop, surrounded by a gang of mental patients and employees who appear ready to attack. He watches in horror at the fight, unable to decide which of the two young men fighting off the crowd is the more dangerous. If they hadn't been protecting the unconscious Miki, he would've judged them right off as enemies.

Joe then sees that the group of people appear to be controlled by strands of a spiderweb, with spiders attached. He uses his accelerator to charge into the fray and pulls out his Super Gun, burning the spiders and freeing the people from their control. Akira and Ryo sense that something fast has came and went, and then see Joe on the rooftop of an adjacent building, realizing that must have been the man that killed Rasber's Spiderlings.

Akira and Ryo wonder if to pursue the unusual young man, but realize they should leave before the police get there and to not cause any more trouble for Miki. Joe realizes that the activity at the hospital doesn't seem to be Black Ghost, but concludes that it must be something more "biological" in nature.

Although Joe and Akira are similar types of young men, easily influenced by their emotions, it is not yet the time for their paths to cross though they can sense the other's presence as some type of important individual.

The narrator then takes us back three years ago, to protests in Kiev, Ukraine where angered citizens call for the president's resignation. Ukraine's daunting position between Russia and the rest of Eastern Europe, the tensions of its pro-America vs. pro-Russia citizens, financial and election problems, and various other crises have led to such turmoil. A certain Dr. William Dolphin arrives in the country with his wife Clemence and his daughter Cynthia, and are driven through the city. They are nervous about the protests, but are assured that the square has only been hosting such demonstrations for right now.

Suddenly, an explosion in the city rocks their car and others, sending it flying and crashing. It turns out that a rocket launcher was fired by a group of Cyborg Men from 75 yards away. They remark on the success of their attack, and set out to capture Dr. Dolphin and his family, with a fake ambulance arriving to transport them.

Devilman[]

At Ryo's apartment, Ryo and Akira discuss the recent disappearances of over 100,000 people over the past year as well as the demon activity going on. The narration explains about demonic possession, and how Ryo's late father Iwao had been in contact with demons until he committed suicide by self-immolation after imparting his knowledge to his son. Using the knowledge from his father, Ryo sought ways for humans to fight back against demons and came to the conclusion that a "Devilman" must be created.

He chose his friend Akira Fudo to be the sacrifice, for him to merge with a strong demon named Amon in order to be able to conquer other demons. Akira had recently lost his parents in an accident three months ago, leading to the Makimura family to take him in. Ryo has had his suspicions about the deaths of the Fudo couple, but figures it isn't necessary to explore that mystery at the moment. He notes how after the merger with Amon, Akira's personality became more like a ferocious beast, but his heart has remained that of a human.

Ryo thinks back to how so far, they've fought against the demons Gelmer, Agwel, Sirene, and Kaim, and how the battle against the last two was particularly a challenge with how Sirene and Kaim merged together. It was a close battle that could have finished off Devilman, had Sirene not died of exhaustion.

Cyborg[]

The narrator introduces the nine members of the 00 Cyborgs, who had been abducted and remodeled by Black Ghost. It has been three months since their escape from the organization and arrival in Japan, where they are now staying at the mansion of Dr. Kozumi, an old friend of Dr. Gilmore. Since then, they have not had any time to rest as Black Ghost has sent various assassins after them and Kozumi: the electric twin brothers 0010, the multi-legged mobile weapon 0011, and the "Murder House" 0012.

Dr. Kozumi has now been abducted by a gang of Black Ghost men, leaving Joe to have to trail his whereabouts. We learn that Joe is a mixed-race child, born of an American man and a Japanese woman, and he has the "golden-chestnut" hair of his father. Joe has never known the face or name of that father, but has also never known his mother, as he can only ever remember living in an orphanage. Joe recalls how some older people in Japan would treat him harshly and glare at him for his light hair, as it remains a trauma of the past due to foreign soldiers or associated with that of delinquents. An old woman, however, smiles at him after some hesitance and realization that he isn't out to cause trouble.

Joe is alerted to the location that Kozumi was last seen, but encounters a tall, plump young man who has some difficulty speaking and is trying to communicate something to him. The other young man manages to get Joe to understand something about a "car" and a "robot", but their conversation is interrupted by a group of delinquents who manipulated the guy into buying them bread. Joe feels sorrow at how the other was tricked into thinking the group are his "friends", and how the delinquents have no guilt for such deception. He then hears a sad voice over his brainwave communicator wondering "We're not friends...".

Joe is startled and wonders where the voice could have come from, but sees the young man has disappeared, leaving behind his bag of bread.

Demon Hunter[]

In the city, a 27-year old cabaret club worker named Misa Shiraishi muses over the desperation that led her to use her beauty for adult work and how in her "old age" she has been filled with loneliness and anger. The demon Lamia appears to Misa, telling her "Feel free to lament your feelings", and uses the opportunity to possess her.

The next morning, the cabaret club "White Love" is found to be the scene of a mass slaughter, with 37 victims having been mauled as if a bear or some other wild animal had attacked them. The police gape in horror, wondering what could have happened but figure it wasn't any robbery or gang fight. Suspicion then falls on Shiraishi, who is an employee at the club but hasn't been accounted for among the dead, after they find bloody high heel prints on the floor.

At Miki's house, Miki and Taro see a news report about the murders but Akira is hungry and wants to know if dinner is ready. Akira thinks of how he cares for the Makimura family and finds them a "place to come home to" when he's not being Devilman, and strives to protect them. Elsewhere, Ryo hears of the White Love massacre and realizes it has to be an act by the demons. Ryo looks into Misa Shiraishi, and locates her address. He realizes that even if she is the culprit, she may be too much for the police to handle.

Ryo and Akira drive to Misa's house to investigate. Akira complains about missing school, but Ryo, who dropped out of school, points out that Akira would probably just be lazing about on the rooftop anyway. Although the police may have already searched Misa's house, Ryo notes that they would never have considered a demon to be a culprit of the crime and Akira remembers that they still haven't finished their fight against Rasber.

Akira then senses that there are a lot of demons congregating at Mt. Takao, and the two drive in that direction.

Meanwhile, we learn that the police had indeed investigated Misa's house, but found that another massacre had occurred there; Misa's grandfather and his wife, her parents, her brother, his wife, and their son were found dead. At the same time, a large group of young men had gone missing. Their next investigation takes them to the same camping grounds that Akira and Ryo have been driving to.

It is at this place that Lamia has summoned all the lost young men, and draws out the evil spirits within them to transform them into a group of Shedim to be her servants. They pounce upon the arriving investigators, particularly singling out a lone female one to savage and devour. The others are horrified, and Lamia uses their fear and hesitance to do anything more as the opportunity to transform them into more Shedim. Akira arrives to confront Lamia, transforming into Devilman, but she taunts him and wonders if he can really withstand her servants.

While Devilman initially has difficulty against the large swarm of Shedim, he manages to catch Lamia by surprise and strangle her, killing her and releasing her hold on the Shedim, who revert to naked human men. However, he finds that Lamia has not reverted to a human as she had completely consumed her vessel. He departs, but mountain hunters that arrive soon happen upon the confusing sight of several naked, missing men. Akira himself has no idea what any person of a sensible world would make of such a bizarre situation.

The 13th Assassin[]

On Tokyo's Neo Port Island, we witness some goings-on at Mitsutomo Engineering, with a conversation between its director Reiji Kajihara and its president Van Vogt. Van Vogt reveals that the 00 Number Cyborg project has been frozen at 0013, but that the development of cyborgs at Black Ghost will continue as cyborgs are a lucrative product for battlefields.

Van Vogt and Mitsutomo have bought up the nearby Landfill No.20, where he plans on having the abducted Dr. Kozumi be taken to. A "13 Robo" will join them there. Van Vogt feels confident that 0013's accelerator will have been improved compared to 009's, and he awaits to see what the battle between the two of them will be like. Kajihara is horrified at how cunning his boss is, having been darker than he expected in dealing with fellow unscrupulous executives. The narrator reminds that joining forces with Black Ghost is comparable to a pact with the devil.

Two white Hummer H2s, carrying other 00 Cyborgs, drive on the Shuto Expressway; 004, 002, 003, and 007 are in one vehicle, while 006, 005, and 008 are in another. They attempt to contact 009 through their brainwave communicators, but little do they know, Joe is busy engaged in battle with the strange young man.

0013 tells Joe that even if he doesn't want to fight, he has no choice but to, while Joe insists that if he leaves the Black Ghost, they can be friends. The other cyborgs overhear this, and realize that Black Ghost has sent out 0013, but then Francoise detects a strange presence beneath the ocean. The team decides to split up, with Pyunma being directed to deal with the underwater mission (although he remarks that it would probably be boring for Geronimo and Chang).

Meanwhile, Kozumi finds out that Black Ghost has merely abducted him as a decoy, as they transport him to the hostage location at Landfill No.20. Pyunma dives into the ocean, instructing his teammates to track things from the ground. He spies a Black Ghost submarine, and lets Francoise know of its presence.

At the same time, Joe and 0013 continue their fight in front of the shrine while a little girl on a swingset becomes frightened by the activity and sounds of the high speed struggle. Her origami papers in her satchel wind up blown around, leaving 0013 to stop to collect them for her. She lets him have a piece of pink origami paper, and he begins folding it for her. Joe wonders why 0013 can only communicate via his thoughts, but the other explains that he has "another body", a giant robot that will be coming to fight. 0013 explains that 13 Robo is rigged with a bomb that will explode if he loses his will to fight, so he has to keep sending out his will to fight in these communications.

0013 gives the little girl a pink crane that he folded, and explains he has no choice but to keep fighting while Joe concludes he doesn't really want to fight. It is then 0013 collapses in pain from a headache, due to some signal, and he gets back up, declaring he will absolutely keep fighting 009. The two dash towards Landfill No. 20.

The two Hummers also arrive at the location, with the cyborgs stepping out. Cyborg Men begin attacking, in an attempt to distract them from their rescue of Kozumi. If that isn't enough, the ground cracks, unleashing a 20-meter robot next to the car that Kozumi is held captive in. As the 00 Numbers fight against the Cyborg Men, the 009 vs. 0013 fight continues and Van Vogt watches the battles from his office at Mitsutomo.

Van Vogt explains while cyborg candidates are usually selected for their fighting instinct, 0013's kindness is his priority. This poses a creative challenge to the 00 Numbers, in that they may fight back easily to those who are only trying to kill them, but he wonders how they would react to such a being that hides a great sadness. He enjoys that 009 and 0013 both seem to share a naive kindness, and takes amusement in wondering how things may develop.

As the two cyborgs fight, Joe wonders what the giant robot is while 0013 explains that it's "13 Robo" and that it's taken Kozumi hostage, and it's connected to his feelings. He insists for Joe to keep fighting him, but Joe lets him know that in an accelerated space, Black Ghost wouldn't be able to hear their thoughts, but 0013 seems to suffer another headache. He jumps aboard 13 Robo and orders Joe to challenge him.

"This robot is controlled by my brainwaves. I'm mute and can't speak, but this robot has a device that translates my thoughts into words and speaks them for me. Let's have a contest!"

Joe is startled at the change in 0013, as 13 Robo proceeds with attacking and showing off its camouflage functions. Joe finds his Super Gun to be futile against the robot, and tries to jump on its head to get his way inside. 13 Robo shakes him off and attempts to step on him, with Joe managing to accelerate away in time. Joe begs 0013 to stop the fight, but sees the robot seems to wander in a daze. The 13 Robo appears to strike again, but instead gently picks up Joe and places him back on the ground. 0013 explains he'll return the favor, as Joe was the only man to ever be kind to him. He releases Dr. Kozumi from the robot, and explains that since he betrayed Black Ghost, the robot will explode. 0013 maintains he can't stop the explosion, but can at least try to reduce its power, so Joe should take Kozumi and get going.

Van Vogt watches this event in outrage, while Joe insists that 0013 leave his robot and join him. Van Vogt has his engineer hand him the switch for 13 Robo's self-destruct mechanism and laughs, realizing this is what the chemistry of kindness is all about. 13 Robo explodes, as 0013 sends out a message that the explosion is only the self-destruct device, and that any other high-powered bombs were deactivated. Joe leaves Dr. Kozumi behind in Francoise's care, and heads to the remnants of the 13 Robo.

An injured 0013 lies among the wreckage, but cannot speak due to the destruction of the robot. With the last of his strength, he smiles and writes "Let's be friends" on the ground, but succumbs to his injuries. Joe cries, thinking "We were able to communicate with each other. There is more than one way to express our feelings. We can become friends who can express our true feelings to each other, we'll no longer be alone. I'm not alone...I want to believe that! 0013, you're my friend now..."

Afterimage of a Blind Spot[]

Akira and Ryo think back to the unusual young man who stopped Rasber's Spiderlings, and wonder what sort of power he displayed. Akira doesn't believe it was teleportation and doesn't know of any demons like that from Amon's memories, while Ryo muses that the other boy may not have been some kind of devil but a speed god.

The two try to figure out the clues of Rasber, but Akira feels that since he took on Lamia, he's ready for anything, and could even take on handling Miki who he finds to be scarier than any demon.

Joe returns to the hospital where the strange encounter had happened, realizing it's been a week since that time. He is shocked to see no signs of destruction at the place, and everyone existing calmly within it. He feels what he saw the week before couldn't have been an illusion though, and his auxiliary memories confirm it did happen.

Elsewhere, Miki confronts Akira on how he's been skipping classes lately and wonders where he's been going. Akira insists he's only been having walks, but Miki is concerned and believes his trauma over losing his parents is still fresh. While Akira can understand her feelings, he can't bring himself to let her know he and Ryo have been busy hunting demons. Akira thinks of how he usually spends his school days napping on the roof anyway, and eating the boxed lunches Miki makes him. But Akira knows that he can't be truly slacking, as demons would attack innocents like Miki first and his resting on the roof gives him a good vantage point to keep on eye on her.

Miki has concern over the influence Ryo has on Akira, though their fathers had all known each other and she remembers spending her childhood with the two boys. But even in thinking of that, Miki realizes how even though her memories are neatly arranged, she can never quite remember the face of the younger Ryo. Even if they didn't get to meet as often as she did with Akira, she still feels she should be able to recall him. She then muses of how she had never really thought of Ryo until recently, after his house burned down. To Miki, it has felt like Ryo Asuka had never truly existed from the beginning of her life, and is bothered that she can't clearly remember anything of him from her younger days.

A Dolphin's Dream[]

We are treated to an explanation of the seaside mansion and its history, how it was built after WWII and is currently 70 years old. Contrary to its old Western-style appearance, it is a rather hi-tech home with the latest residential facilities. It had been built by a rich man in the neighborhood who preferred solitude, but after his death, a scientist named Oscar Dolphin had purchased it for a base for his activities in Japan.

It wasn't so much the mansion that Dolphin desired, but an underwater cavern that would be great for his research. He found that the cave was useful for protecting injured dolphins and nursing them back to health, as well as being a good hiding place for his boats. Dolphin continued his research in the mansion for 30 years, but moved his operations to Hawaii and his colleague Dr. Hiroshi Kozumi bought the mansion from him.

The reason why the 00 Cyborgs and Gilmore rely so greatly on this mansion is not only because of the bond between Gilmore and Kozumi, but the secrecy of the home. While Oscar was a marine biologist, Kozumi an industrial chemist, and Gilmore a researcher, they still shared a common dream over science and got along well. Oscar unfortunately died before he could achieve his greatest dreams, leaving his son William to continue them. Gilmore sought out Kozumi and the mansion after his escape from Black Ghost, wanting to rediscover the time he cared about the future of humanity and had a pure love for science. Since Kozumi has no connection to Black Ghost, it is a perfect hideaway.

Since the team had arrived at Kozumi's mansion in Submarine 101, they found that the old man readily accepted them and did not judge, figuring it was a result of what would happen if Gilmore got too absorbed in his research and that he was rather lonely in that home. In the time that the team and Gilmore have been at the mansion, they have worked on upgrading it and increasing its security measures, as well as remodeling the old marine biology laboratory in the underwater cave. It was also in this time span that the doctor drafted up blueprints for retooling Submarine 101 as a new project.

Joe, Francoise, and Gilmore travel to Yokohama to visit Dr. William Dolphin at his research facility. His daughter Cynthia is mentioned to work as a dolphin keeper at a sea park, all while helping her father with his marine biology research. While Gilmore is happy to reunite with the Dolphins, he is secretly troubled and keeping something from the cyborgs: Dolphin's wife, Clemence, had recently died. A dozen years ago, Clemence had also been a colleague he had enjoyed talking about the future of science with. But Dr. Gilmore had been attracted by cyborg research and fell under Black Ghost, helping to lead their development until his defection, and is now hollow at the fact he didn't even realize a friend's wife had died until now. On the way to their destination, Gilmore had asked Joe to buy a funeral bouquet but hadn't explained the reason.

The three meet with Cynthia, who is training a dolphin named Finpy. She regards the doctor as "Uncle Gilmore" and thanks him for the bouquet. At the Dolphin boathouse, William is understanding at Gilmore having dropped out of touch and explains the circumstances of three years ago that led to the loss of his wife. Gilmore senses that the incident had to have been caused by Black Ghost, which William confirms as he mentions that the organization had contacted him before and he refused to join them, which led to such a targeted attack. He then admits that in the wake of the disaster, he did hand over his research to them for the Mad Machine M1, which was originally developed as a sound wave device inspired by the conversations of dolphins and whales. With such a sonic weapon, it would become easy to kill or injure specific targets using the waves.

While William believes he has given into the devil, Gilmore vaguely confesses to his own sins with Black Ghost in having conducted his own research under their watch. He insists his crime is worse, as William was only protecting his family while he gave into his own desires. Gilmore believes he could be a great asset in helping him fight Black Ghost, but Cynthia becomes stern and orders him to "go home" as she doesn't want to hear anything more of Black Ghost and doesn't want her dad involved in anything to do with them.

Gilmore, Joe, and Francoise depart, with Francoise seeming to pick up on something with her specialized senses but remaining vague when Joe asks her what's going on.

Cynthia thinks back to the incident of three years ago, and how she awoke to find herself gravely injured and learning that her mother had died. She thinks of how her dad rarely spent time around her in her recovery, being busy with working for Black Ghost in exchange for her getting life-saving treatment. A tall, mysterious soldier at her bedside had relayed such information to her, having her concerned her dad would be involved with "evil" but the soldier insisting "Science has two sides. It doesn't immediately become evil. I can't say...but it's possible. Your father has it. Even if he refuses, someone will eventually create it."

The soldier would also tell Cynthia that as a promise between him and her father, her memories of this time would not be manipulated or erased. But that she must keep her own promise to him, to "forget everything and just live as a human being".

Deepest Memory[]

Note: While the doctor that is Edward's father is initially referred to as "Dr. Adams Teufel" as he is in the OVA, subsequent lines refer to him as merely "Dr. Adams". The doctor that is Ivan's father is also referred to here as "Dr. Gamo", rather than "Dr. Whisky".

Back at the seaside mansion, Dr. Gilmore reflects on how the encounter with Dolphin didn't go well but is joined by Kozumi, who lets him know he's found a skilled metalworker named Matsugoro to help with the remodeling of Submarine 101. Meanwhile, the cyborgs are busy cooking in the kitchen, being instructed by Chang as Ivan himself is busy sleeping peacefully, indicating no present threat. Joe continues to wonder about Francoise's concerned behavior since they left Dolphin's residence, but avoids prying while Francoise herself is aware of his curiosity.

She then expresses to Joe that she wishes to talk to Cynthia again to confirm something, and that they should go to Sea Park. Joe wonders if he should talk to Cynthia as well, but she would prefer it to be between the two of them and that he should wait nearby in case anything happens.

At the Sea Park, Francoise and Cynthia converse while Joe keeps watch from 50 meters away. Cynthia explains that she survived her injuries due to her dad making a deal with Black Ghost to save her while they could take his MMM1 technology, and that she has been grateful that they haven't bothered her family since they returned to Japan and doesn't wish to be involved with such an organization anymore. Francoise listens, but her super-hearing also detects machinery within Cynthia's body. She muses over the different types of cyborgs there are, such as semi-machine humans and "biological cyborgs" like GB and Ivan who have nano-chips installed in their bodies.

It is with the grim realization, in hearing a certain frequency from Cynthia's body, that Francoise concludes that Cynthia is also a cyborg but is unaware of it. Cynthia then asks Francoise if she's a cyborg, and she affirms that she has enhanced sight and hearing. Francoise states that to make the world a place of no war, she fights against the Black Ghost, but Cynthia believes that it's futile as people making war for peace is a mistake that's been repeated too many times. She does admit to being frightened of the Black Ghost, though.

Francoise returns to the seaside mansion, confirming to Dr. Gilmore and the others that Cynthia is a cyborg but being unsure of if Cynthia should know that secret. There is the thought that Cynthia doesn't need to know that truth, as she can live her life normally, but there is the worry that Black Ghost could still be onto her and the concern about the development of the MMM1. Gilmore tries to think back if he could remember any project at Black Ghost that fit what William described. There happens to be an "Aurora Strategy" in Alaska at a Black Ghost facility, which Jet insists they should take down. But there is a problem, in that Submarine 101 is currently dismantled. They continue to worry over the fate of Cynthia, and Gilmore requests that the team act as bodyguards for her.

Kozumi arranges a way to find transportation for the team to Alaska, while Gilmore wonders over the cyborg surgery that Cynthia had undergone and who could have been responsible for remodeling her. He knows he wasn't present for such a thing, and it couldn't have been part of the Proto-Cyborg project that he was part of with Dr. Brown, Dr. Gamo, Dr. Gaia, and Dr. Uranus. There was, however, another team in China that was developing cyborgs, but Gilmore comes to a disturbing realization that a Dr. Adams Teufel was possibly involved instead. He remembers Teufel being a unique and strong scientist among the many eccentric ones at Black Ghosts, with a passion that went far beyond mere eccentricity into pure insanity.

Gilmore remembers how Teufel participated in the 00 Number project, but left before 009's completion and was promoted by Skull to the "Vogt Program" under the direction of Van Vogt, and re-assigned to Canada. It was there in a top-secret facility in Canada that the doctor and his son Edward began an "Advanced Custom" cyborg project involving humans that were referred to as "intentional mutants".

The children born in such a facility were not given names, but identification numbers and once they were selected for a project, were assigned new numbers. Only surnames were allowed on the children to clarify the differences between the individuals, and for them to recognize each other as brothers and sisters. But when considering their existence, all of them were technically family. The children are described as having lived in several groups in "White Rooms", with all aspects of their lives carefully controlled by the scientists and social programs being used to teach them necessary human skills. On the surface, such a facility would look like a special boarding school for geniuses built by a wealthy sort.

Some Black Ghost researchers at the facility remark on the gamma waves of two children synchronizing again, that of P-0015W and H-0014W, a pair of sisters. A pair of brothers, H-0017W and P-0018W, are also commented upon. Dr. Gaia and Uranus arrive at the facility, greeted by Edward Adams. We learn that Edward, only in his mid-twenties, has become a successful researcher in the field of surrogate cells. The two scientists compliment Edward on his helath, and he remarks that he owes it all to his dad and Black Ghost.

A few years ago, Edward had been caught in an accident in an experiment and barely survived, but was crippled and lost most of the freedom of movement in his body. At that time, the 00 Cyborg project was in full swing, with numbers up to 003 being decided but plans for future models had not yet been made public. In hopes to rehabilitate Edward, Dr. Teufel proposed he become the 14th 00 Cyborg and receive treatment via modifications, but it was rejected as a legitimate project. Dr. Gaia and Uranus reflect on how though the man was abnormally obsessed with his research, his desire to save his son was entirely pure.

They recall his departure from the project and re-assignment to another, along with the rumors of Edward's recovery, but it is only now they can confirm it for themselves. Teufel greets Gaia and Uranus, and they get into a discussion over the intentional mutants at the facility that may be useful for their project. Three subjects (P-0017, H-0014W, and H-0017W) are brought up as possibilities. P-0017 has a property of absolute zero, telepathy, and a resistance to extremely low temperatures, while H-0014W and H-0017W are a pair of fraternal twins; the girl has weak ideological power and telepathy, while the brother is resistant to heat and can attack with heat due to his adrenaline mutations. While their potential abilities are only complementary, their relationship is strong. They have great performance potential, but the question would be how much of their memories should be retained.

Gaia and Uranus feel P-0017 is too young for what they want and that they already have a kid in mind, but accept the fraternal twins and decide they'll be named Helena and Apollo. They won't just be cyborgs though; in the minds of these scientists, they'll be turned into "legendary gods".

For Whom Has the Power[]

Dr. Gilmore, Francoise, and Pyunma observe the satellite system in the seaside mansion, and manage to narrow down the location of the Black Ghost base in Alaska. They note how the soldiers look like Cyborg Men, but Francoise senses no biological reaction from them. We are told how the Cyborg Men were originally developed in the 1970s, for use in Vietnam and African countries. When first prepared, their main purpose was to give soldiers prosthetic replacements for missing body parts and to regenerate their bodies by adding abilities beyond those of a normal man. But as th Cold War advanced, it became clear that the purpose of using human flesh as a base for enhancements was no longer necessary. The development of mass-produced special combatants would be aimed at androids now, with no human bodies.

The Cyborg Men they see here appear to be an advanced model known as a "Cybernoid", with basic logic of a human but bodies of a machine. Although Gilmore worries of the Dolphin family's safety, he knows that the MMM1 must be destroyed at whatever cost.

Elsewhere, Joe, Jet, Albert, and GB take turns keeping watch over the Dolphins' boathouse. Kozumi tries to plot a way to get the cyborgs to Alaska, but his metalworker friend Matsugoro Tomonji arrives at the mansion; this man happens to look unusually like a younger Gilmore, to the amusement of Kozumi and the others present. Matsugoro greets Geronimo, and figures he'd make a great assistant.

A Sleeping Angel[]

At the Black Ghost Canadian facility, a young man named Seth is resting within a capsule. He has been in a coma for two years, while his sister prays every day that he'll wake back up.

Dr. Teufel has taken a great interest in this young man, confirming Seth would refuse to wake up and believing it's of his own volition, to sever all ties with the outside world. He still sees great potential in Seth and that he would be worth using as the ultimate cyborg project.

At the time the Mythos Cyborgs were being developed by Gaia and Uranus, Dr. Teufel and Edward headed up the development of the High-Teen Number Project and "Advanced Customs". Three finalists (P-0017, P-0018W, and P-0015W) are taken to their last test to fight against Cybernoids. However, the three had not yet undergone remodeling and were still flesh-and-blood humans with esper powers; the twins merely being 16 and the other boy being 14.

Their training, overseen by Edward, had them only equipped with Super Guns and white protective suits. The sister, P-0015W, was noted to have high telepathy and ideological powers, while her brother P-0018W only had a fraction of her ability as well as a diminished power of shock waves that seemed different in origin to those of the 0010 twins. Edward and his father noted that his powers seem to be greater when fear would come out, and that putting him in this harrowing situation could bring out his expert potential, with his shock waves being enough to be like a nuclear explosion. His adrenaline and brain patterns were described as comparable to that of the boy christened "Apollo" of the Mythos team.

The younger boy was noted to have great freezing ability and ever since his childhood, he would generate ice to play with like toys. If this could be transformed into an offensive technique, he could manipulate cold in various ways. He seemed quite confident in his ability to destroy the Cybernoids and protect his older siblings, but the sister feared his recklessness as Cybernoids had no way of fatigue and were ruthless.

The trio dispatched of Cybernoids with their abilities, but the battle ramped up and the remaining soldiers became harder to beat. As his sister exceeded her limits and the younger boy was in imminent danger, the elder boy of the trio unconsciously activated his shock wave ability. He would succeed in disintegrating the remaining ten Cybernoids, but at the cost of expending his energy and losing consciousness.

In the present day at Mitsutomo, Van Vogt and Kajihara discuss the meaning of a "Devil", while in Yokohama, Dr. Teufel enters a cemetery to look for demonic activity. Having previously used unborn designer babies as his material for exploiting intentional mutants, he has now sought out non-human beings from legends to confirm their existence and conducting research on how to create such beings himself.

Meanwile, Ryo Asuka is having a nightmare where he is back in his father's mansion before it burned down. He sees Dr. Teufel and Edward enter the mansion, speaking to another individual who he seems to be sharing the point of view of yet not hearing what they're discussing other than small excerpts. He then realizes he's seeing this scene through the eyes of his late father Iwao, and Edward is happy that his own father has "made a contract with the devil". Ryo wonders if this dream signifies the end of the world, or if he was seeing an actual memory through his father's eyes. As he goes to look in a mirror in the mansion, he sees a demonic version of his own face reflected instead of his father, and becomes troubled and wonders what his "Consciousness" truly is. Unfortunately for Ryo, he winds up forgetting all this when he wakes up again.

Devil and Devil[]

Matsugoro and Gilmore discuss the blueprints for the new ship, assisted by Geronimo. However, Francoise notes that the mansion's radar has detected a distortion in Yokohama near its national cemetery. Joe observes its location, noting it's close to where he's keeping watch, but that Cynthia should be arriving back home soon.

At the cemetery, Teufel and his son await the arrival of the demon they've been summoning. Teufel explains his latest concept of the "Cybernetic Demon"; a modified human fused with a real demon. A space-time explosion occurs, causing the two to disappear, while Joe rushes towards the cemetery from the activity but finds nobody there. Francoise notes that some kind of energy leapt up into the clouds above.

At the same time, men in black from the Black Ghost organization have invaded the Dolphin residence and have made quick work of taking Dr. Dolphin and Cynthia away on a boat, to GB's horror. GB attempts to follow the boat in the form of a dolphin, believing he can catch up. The energy above the cemetery is now believed to have been a ruse to lower their guard about Dr. Dolphin. GB continues to chase after the boat, but sees a Black Ghost operative launch torpedoes from a bazooka, transforming into an iron dolphin so he could withstand their pressure. Unfortunately, he winds up with his ability temporarily paralyzed and sinking to the bottom of the ocean, while the boat gets away.

Francoise is then able to pick up the cry of Finpy, and wonders if he has also been pursuing the Black Ghost boat. Gilmore confirms this on a radar map, that a dolphin is present. Pyunma, observing the Black Ghost Alaska base on the satellite cameras, spots the MMM1 visible in the snow.

The Aurora Strategy[]

The cyborgs gather at the mansion, convening with Dr. Gilmore and Kozumi about the current situation. Albert is surprised that a dolphin could prove Black Ghost's path, while Jet wonders if Finpy would be okay and Pyunma has the concern as well.

It is now revealed that Dr. Kozumi has prepared an "environmental investigation team" flight from Yokota Air Base to Vancouver International Airport on a UN aircraft, followed by a chartered Bombardier CL-415 to Alaska. Since Pyunma is able to fly a plane, there would be no need to hire an outside pilot.

Elsewhere, Akira wakes Ryo up from his nightmares on the sofa. Ryo explains he was following up on clues about Rasber, though Akira worries Ryo has become too obsessed and that unlike him, Ryo would still be a regular human being. Ryo insists even if he's not a demon, he's prepared and that they need to kill Rasber quickly. Ryo reveals he's narrowed down the origin of the Spiderlings to a subway station near the hospital.

In Alaska, Dr. Dolphin and Cynthia are taken to the Black Ghost base and separated. Cynthia thinks back to her encounter with the Black Ghost soldier those years ago, but is then approached by a familiar man in a black 00 Cyborg uniform, who wears a most unusual iron mask with holes around his eyes and mouth. The soldier apologizes for having locked Cynthia up in a place like this, and introduces himself as a security guard, John Cain Smith. Cynthia remarks that she'd forgotten everything from back then and tried to live as a human being, but Black Ghost wouldn't let her. John confirms that the war is not over, then turns away without saying anything further. Dr. Dolphin is held hostage elsewhere, being instructed to make the final adjustments to the MMM1.

The cyborgs leave behind Dr. Kozumi at the Vancouver airport, and get into the Bombardier. Ivan wakes up, to let them know the enemy's radar is more powerful than they think. Joe comes up with a plan: Pyunma, Ivan, and Gilmore will remain in the craft while Jet and him will descend first as decoys, and the rest descend with paragliders onto the base. It is then revealed that Finpy has returned to Japan, after Ivan sent a sense of relief to him. The 00 Cyborgs then descend on the base, as planned.

The researchers at the Black Ghost base see the cyborgs coming and activate the anti-aircraft guns and Cybernoids. We learn that John Cain Smith is the commander of the guards at this base, and was in charge of the terrorist attack in Ukraine three years ago. While the others attack, Francoise scans the base and finds that there seem to be other frequencies in the base besides the Dolphins, one being an enemy cyborg. The team splits up, one group to attack the MMM1 and the other side to rescue the captives.

Back in Tokyo, Ryo and Akira go to find an entrance point for the subway line for their fight against Rasber, and go after the risks of the battle and innocents controlled by the Spiderlings. As Akira enters the darkness, Ryo compares their expedition to the tour of Hell in the Divine Comedy.

Showdown in Alaska[]

The Black Ghost staff watch the surveillance of the 00 Cyborgs and Dr. Gilmore entering the Alaska base, with some researchers being astounded the team would dare risk their lives again. Their iron-masked commander concludes that it means they've attained true resolve. He reflects on how he was once a victim of Black Ghost, and now spreads war over the world himself. He tells his subordinates that they'll fight with the Cybernoids, but if they don't wish to die, to hide in the shelter. He then prepares to synchronize his brainwaves with the Cybernoid troops.

We are then told of the origins of John Cain Smith as the High-Teen Number 0016, who was experimented on by Dr. Teufel and his son in research for the modification of war veterans. While part of his natural neck remained, his eyeballs and skin were replaced and his brain had been greatly replaced by mechanics, now leaving his head covered in a protective iron mask. Thanks to this mask, the small bit of humanity that remained had been erased, and only his eyes and mouth visible from the holes gave a hint as to him being a human. His abilities were made to surpass the original 00 Cyborgs, having a Mach 4 accelerator and strength to exceed 005, and weaponry superior to 004 in addition to his built-in brainwave synchronization system. This made 0016 not just a one-man army, but a "God of War".

He then reflects on the incident in Ukraine, and how he proposed the Biocyborg Technology to save Cynthia. Rather than it being a question of right and wrong, he was happy that he could use the technology Black Ghost used on him to save a human's life and use his position for good.

Back in captivity, Cynthia reflects on her recovery and the man's words, and remembers believing she was just a normal human for so long. But deep down, she in fact does know she's a cyborg. She regrets having not been honest to Francoise, and how they could have become good friends if she confessed. Now, she feels it's too late. Her father begs her forgiveness and confesses his involvement, fearing it's no longer possible for them to talk about their dreams and their future. Cynthia realizes if they don't stand up to the Black Ghost, the war will just continue. Dr. Dolphin states that the MMM1 will never be used again for evil, if he even has to sacrifice his own life to destroy it.

In the present, we see Dr. Dolphin make the final adjustments to the MMM1. Albert, Geronimo, and Chang approach the assembly plant, ready to battle the Cybernoids with Jet providing cover from above. GB, Joe, and Francoise undergo their own struggle with other Cybernoids at the same time, leaving Joe to take them on while the other two escape into the building for the rescue mission. Francoise and GB find Cynthia, but realize the iron bars of her cell are hard to break. Meanwhile, Joe encounters the iron-masked commander in his control room and the two argue over the meaning of fighting, with Joe declaring the other evil for being a minion of the Black Ghost. John points out if the world is that simple, Joe would be evil for opposing and fighting the Black Ghost and that the essence of the matter is not how they can fight, but how they can stop it. He presses a switch, unlocking Cynthia's cell and granting her freedom. He points out that it's not Black Ghost or the 00 Cyborgs who are responsible for Cynthia's life, but that of her father and how his own grief is destroying him. John states he won't fight further at this place, his specs surpass that of Joe's and it would be futile since he would defeat him anyway. He states that they'd have to keep fighting, as long as there is no end.

Dr. Dolphin adjusts the settings on the MMM1, vowing he'll destroy the cybernetics in his daughter's body and end her sinful life as a cyborg along with committing suicide. Even so, he can't bring himself to pull the trigger, and Joe and John watch the situation from the control room. John realizes that had Dolphin activated the MMM1, he would've been destroyed along with Cynthia.

Outside, the other cyborgs wonder what is going on, as John comes to his epiphany about Dr. Dolphin. Joe searches for his own words, but as he's about to speak to John, he finds that the man has vanished, using his accelerator to escape and stand atop the MMM1 to free Dolphin. The others observe this, realizing even a man of Black Ghost can have feelings for mankind. Cynthia and her father reunite, while John plans on destroying the facility with the MMM1 and orders them to leave. Dr. Dolphin is astounded, and remarks upon the risk of the cyborg dying. John urges Cynthia to live as a human being again, and warns the 00 Cyborgs to escape before they're caught in the crossfire. The team leave, reflecting on the heroics of the strange iron-masked cyborg.

After the facility's destruction, the two remaining Black Ghost members who sought shelter find their "Captain Smith"'s frequency still faintly active in the ruins. They decide to save him, figuring his body is worth a lot of money and that he'd be more useful remodeled than dead and that he still must fight. Thus, John Cain Smith is not even allowed to retire by death. His battle logic in the mechanical side of his brain remains, and he is remodeled once more, becoming even more machine than man, and given a new iron mask as an "eternal warrior".

The Puppet Spider Rasber[]

In a Shinjuku subway, a strange woman summons Rasber and is fused with the demon. Akira arrives to battle, transforming into Devilman. He chases Rasber down the tunnel, but finds that her victims increase as she passes them by on the platforms. She invades a baseball stadium, scattering her Spiderlings across the stands and possessing the audience. Ryo hears a news report of this incident, and drives in the direction.

Devilman continues his fight against Rasber, peeling off her skin and legs, but finding she just won't quit with her white threads grabbing him to block his movements. Ryo arrives to help out, launching a grenade into Rasber and giving Devilman the opportunity to breathe fire at her. Rasber is destroyed along with the Spiderlings, and the surviving audience members regain consciousness. When they see Devilman, they freak out and faint all over again, still believing themselves to be in a nightmare about demons.

Devilman and Ryo contend with the fact that even with this defeat of the demon, many people died and will never be able to come back. Ryo realizes that this would be the first time Devilman would be seen openly by so many civilians, and hopes they'd somehow forget. He wraps Akira up in his coat and the two depart. A few hours later, the disaster and the citizens' reactions are dismissed as being the result of a natural gas leak. As the two young men watch the news report, they feel grateful that the event has been explained away, knowing that humans would never be able to endure the truth.

Epilogue[]

A few weeks later, a challenge call from the Black Ghost organization arrives at the underwater base at Kozumi's mansion. Dr. Uranus and Gaia congratulate Gilmore on his cyborgs' performance in Alaska, and remark that they've created a new cyborg team and are challenging the 00 Numbers to a fight. Albert finds the "Mythos" name to be pretentious, and Jet thinks the challenge is stupid. Gaia explains how his Mythos Cyborgs are a work of art and will be the Gods of the new world, and if the 00 Cyborgs would kill them, they will become the "Gods" instead. He adds that if the 00 Cyborgs refuse to come, a deadly attack will be launched on the world from the Mythos team.

Uranus states it's unfortunate that he has to meet Gilmore again in this way, but it's fate and he'd like the battle to be settled fairly and they shouldn't be called "traitors". Gaia adds that it would be better for them to be called "Gods", and hangs up. Pyunma finds the coordinates for the battle to be a deserted volcanic island in the Aegean Sea. The cyborgs make their decision to fight, but wonder how they'll get there. It's then that Matsugoro arrives, stating that he's finished the new ship. The new ship, inspired by Dr. Dolphin, will be called "Dolphin".

The cyborgs depart in the Dolphin, being seen off by Gilmore, Kozumi, and Matsugoro, along with Finpy leaping about in the ocean. It takes off across the waves in the direction of the Aegean Sea, where the battle against the Mythos Cyborgs awaits.

Trivia[]

• As with the OVA, this light novel makes use of the Star Systems of both Shotaro Ishinomori and Go Nagai, with some characters being name-dropped and more obvious while others seem to have been left more oblique. Those from the Ishinomori side include Finpy from Finpy and I, while Matsugoro Tomonji is based from Go Tomonji (father of Gen) from Iron Mask Detective Gen. As with the OVA, 0016's "iron mask" and his descriptive codename of such stem from Gen Tomonji, the iron-masked detective himself.
• While Dr. Brown (a character who originated in the 2001 series, based off the Gregor character of the manga) is part of the Black Ghost scientific research team in the novel, he is absent in the OVA with his place taken by Dr. Dressler instead.
• Some settings of the light novel version of Devilman are melded into this continuity, such as Akira's parents having died and Miki's brother being named Taro (rather than Kensaku, with the nickname "Tare").
• While not name-dropped, due to the fusion of elements from Cyborg 009 and Devilman in this universe, the five delinquents that pushed 0013 around and made him buy them bread may be the Dosu-Roku gang from Devilman (Dosu-Roku himself would appear in the first OVA episode, along with a subordinate Ken).
• Professor Asuka did not have a given name in the manga, but his name "Iwao" here refers back to the Iwao Himura character (loosely inspired from Ryo) that appeared in the original Devilman TV anime by Toei.
• There are some dangling threads left by the novel, that appear to be resolved between its end and the start of the OVA, such as the disappearance of Edward and his father. This, presumably, is where they must have made contact with Atun and where the doctor got the idea to fuse him with Seth.

External Links[]

• Cyborg 009 vs. Devilman novel at EbookJapan (Japanese)