Self-cultivation of Kamen Rider ZIO

The concert scene.

Is that faceless drummer actually Nago?
Megumi Aso had a complicated expression. On one hand, she thought it was true, but on the other hand, she wondered how someone as arrogant as Nago could possibly have kept his face covered for over a decade.

There's nothing shameful about my handsome face that represents justice... Isn't this the kind of person Nago would say and do?
As she continued to struggle with this dilemma, it was as if two little people were arguing and fighting in Asou Megumi's head, and her expression kept changing.

Having spent over a decade in prison and long out of society, she instinctively feared the changes that came with it, so she simply couldn't believe that Keisuke Nago would change.

Even though she disliked him, what Asou Megumi wanted to see was still the arrogant, stubborn, and haughty Nago Keisuke.

At the same time, Kengo Eridate's singing continued to resound.

Lost in a chaotic space-time continuum

Perhaps this is destiny.
Amidst Kengo Hiratachi's rock music...

Snapped!
A hand suddenly patted Asou Megumi on the shoulder, snapping her back to reality.

"Who?"

Megumi Aso immediately turned her head to look.

Nobody's here!?
"Here."

Tokiwa Sougo replied cheerfully in the opposite direction of Aso Megumi's turned head.

Megumi Aso turned around at the sound, her expression indescribable.

"Aren't you childish?"

Is this all there is to Zi-O?

The mature older sister said it was hard to keep up the act.

But the eternally youthful demon king simply found it amusing.

"It seems that you've found Mr. Nago, Sister Hui."

Tokiwa Sougo gazed at the mysterious drummer behind the stage, a fleeting glimpse of a silver-gold clock flashing in his eyes.

When it came to serious matters, Megumi Aso gave a light hum, generously ignoring Tokiwa Sougo's little prank from earlier.

Are you sure that person is him?

“It’s him,” Tokiwa Sougo affirmed. “I see echoes of other timelines in him… Heh, this outlier Kiva timeline is getting more and more interesting.”

Upon hearing this, Megumi Aso couldn't help but look at Sougo Tokiwa with a strange gaze again, her expression changing from looking at a "childish little brother" to looking at a "teenager suffering from chuunibyou".

Aside from the affirmative first half of the sentence, she didn't understand what Tokiwa Sougo was saying in the second half.

However, for her, being able to confirm the first half of the sentence was enough.

Megumi Aso looked away, ignoring the parts she didn't understand, and nodded earnestly: "It'll be fine if it's him."

She turned and led the way.

"Come with me, let's go backstage and wait for him."

"it is good."

Tokiwa Shogo readily agreed.

……

……

Keisuke Nago knew that Megumi Aso had been released from prison.

He had been keeping a close eye on things quietly.

But out of guilt, he never went to see him.

Whether it was the initial promise to "prove her innocence" or the later helplessness of knowing she was innocent but being unable to "save her from prison" due to pressure, both made Keisuke Nago feel ashamed to see Megumi Aso.

More than a decade of being a wanted fugitive had almost worn down his edges.

Standing in front of a door backstage, despite having already made the decision to "meet," Keisuke Nago found himself hesitating once again.

"Master..."

From behind, came the worried voice of Kengo Eridate.

Keisuke Nago raised his hand, stopping Kengo Eridate from saying anything further.

"I am fine."

He let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh.

"Heh, we'll have to meet eventually, won't we?"

After saying that, Nago Keisuke no longer hesitated and pushed open the door to enter the house.

……

……

Guandongxi Prison.

Gates stared in shock as Shima walked out of the prison gates. "—You got out!?"

After instinctively uttering this startled question, a normal thought flashed through Gates' mind.

"Uh, wait... is today the day you're released from prison?"

"To be precise, today is the day I decided to be released from prison."

"?"

The island's response made Gates's lips twitch involuntarily.

What do you mean? So you were just enjoying prison life out of pure interest all along?!
Gates didn't understand and was deeply shocked.

"Oh, that's not true."

The island guard waved his hand, indicating that he wasn't that despicable.

He was just being paranoid. When he was told he could be released, he thought it might be a trap, so he chose to stay.

After he later found out that he was able to be released from prison because of Tanabashi's death and Nago's help, he already wanted to be released. Gates's timely arrival only accelerated the date he chose to be released.

In other words, if Shima Mamoru hadn't thought about some things less, he should have been released from prison on the same day as Aso Megumi.

After giving this explanation, Gates' expression remained somewhat tense.

"Putting aside the fact that you decided to stay in this prison... how did you manage to get someone to search your things while you were in prison?"

"Huh? Didn't I mention that before?"

The island guard thought for a moment, then explained with a smile.

"Having lived here for so many years, I've bribed everyone I could and should have bribed. So, apart from not being able to leave, I've been quite free inside all these years."

"..."

Gates's lips twitched.

Damn capitalism!

However, Shima quickly added, "Of course, the guards when I first went to prison couldn't be bribed. It was only after a new group of people came along that I succeeded... I suspect that Shima had already changed by then..."

"Change?" Gates asked, puzzled.

“Hmm…” the island guard sighed, “It’s probably like… going along with the crowd…”

Upon hearing this, Gates pondered for a moment, then exclaimed in surprise, "You mean, Nago Keisuke joined the [Alliance of Humans and Fang Vampires], and then secured lenient treatment for you, and this time, his release from prison? He betrayed the Blue Sky Society?"

“I don’t think so…” Shima-go shook his head and said, “Although it may seem so, I still acknowledge that Nago is a member of my Blue Sky Society.”

"Don't you mind if Keisuke Nago collaborates with the Fang Vampire?"

"If it's for the sake of humanity... I don't mind."

……

……

"—I mind!!"

Megumi Aso, who hates change and whose family is full of heroes in a sense, is really unwilling to accept the fact that "Keisuke Nago is actually fighting alongside the Fang Vampire".

She had a premonition that Keisuke Nago might change, but she never expected that Keisuke Nago would change so much!
"Nago! What exactly happened? You're the kind of person who would ignore everyone else and focus on the enemy even if the Fang Blood Demon had hostages, right?"

Faced with Asou Megumi's questioning, Nago Keisuke couldn't help but ask himself: Was that me?

No! That wouldn't be me, would it?
"When did I ever stop caring about the safety of the hostages?"

"When facing Kiva! What, this is my personal experience, are you going to deny it?"

Megumi Aso pointed at Keisuke Nago and said firmly.

"..."

Upon hearing this, Nago Keisuke opened his mouth, but remained silent for a moment.

Yes, that was indeed the case with Keisuke Nago in the past.

Until... the people he could have saved lost their lives because of his actions, and even he himself was humiliatingly saved by the Blood Felguard.

Nago Keisuke fell silent.

They remained silent.

Just then.

"Um... excuse me for interrupting."

Tokiwa Sougo suddenly asked a question.

"First, let me confirm, you just mentioned Kiva, right?"

He looked at Nago Keisuke and Aso Megumi with an inscrutable expression.

In this alternate Kiva timeline, how do you still remember Kiva's history? (End of Chapter)