Self-cultivation of Kamen Rider ZIO

Ever since he realized that this world is not simple and that there are inhuman monsters in it, Negishi's left eye has been twitching non-stop, and the uneasiness in his heart has become more and more serious, like pitch-black ink gradually dyeing his inner world black... just like the outside sky losing the sun and night falling.

When the moon was above the treetops, Negishi had already escaped from the city and came to a forest.

The quiet night brought Negishi a sense of security, relaxing his tense nerves a little, but at the same time, it also allowed some body signals that had previously been blocked by his brain to be transmitted smoothly.

[I'm...hungry.]

The body says this to the brain.

The feeling of hunger was so unbearable, especially when compared with the memories of the pampered life in human society for more than a decade, everything became even more unbearable.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

Negishi couldn't help but start cursing.

"Damn Demon King!!!"

Cursing the culprit who made him unable to feel at ease even after arriving in the new world.

Very good, this is exactly what Tokiwa Sougo was looking forward to.

Now, the person Negishi hates the most has changed from Tendo Souji to Tokiwa Sougo.

The Demon King successfully restored his presence in the hearts of the Alien Knights.

Correction: Negishi is already a former Heterodactyl Knight.

Just as Negishi was cursing fiercely, he suddenly stopped and looked back.

In the distance, a light is getting closer and closer.

car?

  Why are you driving into the woods so late at night?

Is the driver sick?

but……

Negishi's throat was slightly surging, and he felt the hunger in his stomach, so he quietly hid his body.

  Hunting, countdown!

……

……

If you say you're going to run away from home, then run away from home.

Mizusawa Mizuki packed her clothes, carefully packed her saved pocket money, put on her bulging backpack, and quietly slipped out of the house with her brother who had not packed anything.

This is an adventure that has been suppressed for more than ten years.

The rebellious eldest daughter has already embarked on her journey.

And her guide is none other than the most benevolent and kindhearted yet the most vicious and evil demon king from another planet...

"——Tokiwa-senpai!"

The quiet, yet cheery cry made Tokiwa Sougo sigh with emotion.

  [Very good, you already have some of the cheerfulness of my junior schoolmate, you need to keep working on it~~]

"Tokiwa-senpai! We're here. Where are you?"

"I'm here."

Without giving the shout a chance to turn from joy to fear, after Mizusawa Mizuki's shout sounded, Tokiwa Sougo quickly responded.

"Look up."

He is in the tree.

So, when Mizusawa Mizuki and Mizusawa Yu looked up following the sound, they easily found Tokiwa Sougo, who was just leaning against a tree branch without taking any hiding measures.

The moonlight fell into the girl's eyes through the gaps between the branches and leaves, lighting up her dark eyes.

Let her make sure that this is indeed a successful adventure.

Behind her was Mizusawa You, whose face still had a hint of confusion. Even the bright moonlight could not dispel the mist in his eyes.

Through those confused eyes, Tokiwa Sougo seemed to see a baby who had just been born, like a blank piece of paper, waiting for someone to paint patterns on it stroke by stroke and dye it with various colors.

Tokiwa Sougo couldn't help but let out a sly smile.

Now, this blank sheet of paper belongs to him.

Moreover, he would immediately tell the brother and sister that it was too early for them to be happy.

Because what Tokiwa Sougo was about to take them to see was not a beautiful fairy tale, but the cruelty hidden beneath that beauty.

Tokiwa Sougo jumped down from the tree and stood in front of Mizusawa Yu and Mizusawa Mizuki with a very cool movement.

Seeing this, Mizusawa Yuu, who was a little dazed just now, suddenly came back to his senses, subconsciously took a step forward, and faintly blocked Mizusawa Mitsuki behind him. He didn't know Tokiwa Sougo at all.

But when Mizusawa Mizuki brought him out, she said that Tokiwa Sougo was his "old acquaintance".

Because Tokiwa Sougo knew him and knew him.

Mizusawa Yuu is eager to learn about his past self from Tokiwa Sougo, but at the same time, he can't help but be wary of Tokiwa Sougo because of the loss of his memory two years ago.

Tokiwa Sougo did not think that it was an offense to Mizusawa Yu's vigilance.

After all, they were tricked by Tokiwa Sougo in the first place, so it couldn't be too vigilant.

Besides, Mizusawa Yu's protection of his sister made Tokiwa Sougo very satisfied.

This is a manifestation of goodness.

This shows that the quality of Mizusawa Yu's white paper is very good, and it is very worthy for Tokiwa Sougo to dye it.

"First of all, let me formally introduce myself... My name is Tokiwa Sougo, and I am a man who dreams of becoming a king and saving the world."

"Become... a king?"

Upon hearing this, the smile on Mizusawa Mitsuki's face froze, and then she looked at Tokiwa Sougo with a strange expression... It was an expression that Tokiwa Sougo was very familiar with, an expression he had almost seen since he was a child. Basically, everyone who heard Tokiwa Sougo's dream for the first time would have this expression, and Tokiwa Sougo had gotten used to it.

"save the world?"

Compared with Mizusawa Mizuki, Mizusawa Yu's expression is much more normal. After all, he only has two years of memory and has been living in a closed room, so his understanding of human society is quite superficial.

To this, Tokiwa Sougo responded: "As for dreams, you can have any kind of dream. Mine is just bigger. When you feel confused about the future, you might as well set a big dream like me, and then try to realize it step by step..."

At this point, Tokiwa Sougo looked at Mizusawa Yuu meaningfully, then smiled and narrowed his eyes, hiding his previous expression, and got back to the point: "Okay, let's stop talking about dreams for now, let's get back to the main topic of why you came here to find me... Mitsuki, are you really sure you want to know what Yuu's [disease] is?"

Mizuki... Facing Tokiwa Sougo's familiarity, Mizusawa Mizuki couldn't help but clench her fists and said through gritted teeth: "Don't you think it's a little late to ask this now?"

"Is it too late?" Tokiwa Sougo said with a brisk smile without any self-consciousness, "It's not too late, believe me, it's not too late for you to turn back now... Well, as long as you don't regret it."

Tokiwa Sougo thought for a moment, then asked Mizusawa Mizuki with a serious look as if he was joking: "Mizuki, do you... believe that the monsters in urban legends are real?"

"What on earth are you trying to say? How could a monster or something like that possibly be..."

"Oh? So you don't think that half-demons, which are a mixture of demons and humans, really exist?"

"..."

Mizusawa Mitsuki didn't want to talk anymore, she just glared at Tokiwa Sougo angrily.

But Mizusawa Yuu beside her seemed to suddenly realize something and raised his hand to grab the clothes over his chest.

"You mean... what I have... is not a disease..."

"Yes! Haha, stop staring at me like that, Mitsuki, aren't you also doubting this?"

  It seems that there is nothing wrong with You, but why doesn't her mother let You go out? Why does she stop her from contacting You?

Because of an illness? So what exactly is that illness?

Mizuki Mizusawa had doubts about this, and even questioned the authenticity of the illness her mother was talking about, but the problem was...

"...Even so, isn't it too outrageous to talk about monsters?"

"Is it outrageous? It's not outrageous, because the monster named Amazon living in Yu's body was created by the company where your mother works."

“Amazon…”

"That's right." Facing Mizusawa Yuu who was looking at him while whispering the name, Tokiwa Sougo raised a finger and gently tapped the back of Mizusawa Yuu's hand that was clenched over his heart, and continued, "Yuu, in this human body of yours, in your heart, there is another you... the Amazon you!"

The excitement of escaping the room was completely replaced by another emotion. Mizusawa Yu couldn't help but think of the figure trapped in the dark that he felt every time he injected the drug.

Mizusawa Mizuki held Mizusawa Yu's hand tightly, and regret began to grow. She wanted to pull Mizusawa Yu back, but at this time, she could no longer pull him.

Having tasted freedom and learned the truth, Mizusawa Yu can no longer go back.

"…What exactly is Amazon?" asked Mizusawa Yu.

"That's a good question. Philosophers among humans often ask, what is a human? But I want to tell you that you don't have to dwell on it too much. We are not philosophers. For us, it's better to be pragmatic... For us who have human blood, we only need to know which kind of Amazon should be hunted."

Having said this, Tokiwa Sougo smiled and looked at the tightly clasped hands of Mizusawa Yu and Mizusawa Mizuki, then turned and walked forward.

"Come on, I'll take you to see what an out-of-control Amazon is..."

In front of Tokiwa Sougo's sight, under the night sky, there was a truck passing through the woods, and there were also alien insects quietly chasing after the truck, waiting for an opportunity to move...

Who is the prey and who is the hunter?

The clock in the demon king's eyes was ticking, taking it all in. (End of this chapter)