Kamen Rider from the ancient times

The Knight Academy still stands on the site of the former residence of the Eighth Prince.

However, the scope has been expanded slightly.

After all, the number of superpowered individuals they recruited was increasing, and their ages and backgrounds were all very diverse, making the management of the academy more and more complicated. The space that Kawahara had initially designated was no longer sufficient.

So several more buildings were built in the mountains and forests.

"Knight Elementary School?"

Tsukasa Kadoya read out the place name on the directional sign in a strange tone.

Kawahara looked at it and said, "Most children who awaken the power of light are chosen to be sent here to study, but there are also adults and even the elderly who suddenly awaken the power of light."

Having roughly understood, Tsukasa Kadoya's eyes flickered: "It'll cause chaos, won't it?"

"So this is another reason why the Knight Academy and the G3 squad exist, and also because if someone who has evolved into an AgitΩ tries to cause trouble, the power of light within them will be stripped away," Kawahara said.

However, while there are many superpowered individuals, there are very few true AgitΩs.

Apart from the few people on the original Dawn, and exceptionally gifted humans like Sawaki Yukina and Okamura Kana, almost no ordinary person can successfully evolve into AgitΩ, and the extremely rare Gills are only found in Ashihara Ryo to this day.

That creature could probably be protected as a rare species.

"deprivation?"

Tsukasa Kadoya, however, grasped this key point.

Kawahara said calmly, "The power of darkness can strip away the power of light."

Both Shiro Mizuki and Tetsuya Sawaki can do it.

However, Kawahara has not seen anything like this in Mizushiro Shiro's memories. Instead, there are some humans who, for various reasons, want to give up their superpowers and seek help from the Knight Academy.

However, if their will is too strong, the power of light within them can actually be revived again.

That is a power that originates from the human heart.

It is an indispensable possibility.

If there were no Black God in this world, then perhaps humanity would not need the power of light, but the nature of this world was already predetermined from the moment it was born.

……

The Knight Academy is actually very well guarded.

However, Kawahara led Kadoya Tsukasa as if he were in an empty place, and they arrived at the office door in this way.

However, before he could knock, the door to the dean's office was forced open from the inside, revealing Kana Okamura's somewhat unfamiliar yet familiar smiling face.

"Mr. Kawahara, welcome back!"

Kawahara paused slightly, then smiled and said, "Long time no see, Kana."

As early as when Shiro Mizuki suddenly disappeared, Kana Okamura had already sensed Kawahara's return. She waited anxiously and expectantly for a long time before finally sensing his presence at the Knight Academy.

Compared to the somewhat insecure girl she once was, Kana Okamura has completely shed her naivety and hesitation. Her demeanor is now capable and assertive, even exuding a hint of authority, which is why Kawahara felt somewhat unfamiliar with her at first glance.

"It's been so long! Mr. Kawahara doesn't seem to have changed at all!"

But when Kana Okamura said those words to him, her smiling face revealed two shallow dimples, and that familiar feeling came rushing back.

Kawahara simply chuckled upon hearing this.

He gestured to Tsukasa Kadoya behind him and said, "He is from the outside world, Kamen Rider Decade—Tsukasa Kadoya."

Upon hearing this, Kana Okamura looked at the young man in the magenta shirt with a probing gaze, and at that moment, the latter raised the camera hanging around his neck and pointed the lens at her.

As the shutter clicked, a faint arc of light seemed to flash across the pitch-black lens.

Tsukasa Kadoya then looked up at her and said, "I'm just a Kamen Rider passing by, no need to remember me."

Kana Okamura smiled and nodded at him: "Mr. Kadoya."

Then Tsukasa Kadoya looked at Kawahara and asked, "So, she's the fourth person you were talking about?"

“She is that shop manager’s apprentice, and you could even say she is the only one at the moment,” Kawahara said with a smile.

"..."

Tsukasa Kadoya remained silent for a long time.

If we're talking about someone who's better than him in a particular skill, it seems reasonable to say that either Kamen Rider Kuuga or Kamen Rider Agito, or even the mysterious shopkeeper and his only apprentice, would be superior.

Tsukasa Kadoya didn't seem to have any intention of challenging the shopkeeper.

Decade's power helps him acquire identities in other worlds, most of which are connected to the "Kamen Riders" of those worlds.

This means that the café might hold special significance for the Kamen Riders of this world.

“I live there.”

Kawahara stated this meaning directly.

Tsukasa Kadoya crossed his arms: "It doesn't matter."

He wasn't here for a cooking competition; he was just curious about the world Kawahara lived in, and now that he's here, he sees that it's indeed quite different from most worlds.

Even though there's nothing particularly special about Tsukasa Kadoya, he still insists on finding something new in it!

Only in this way can he satisfy his long-suppressed interest.

Kawahara let Tsukasa Kadoya go out and find something new, while he had something to say to Kana Okamura.

"Mr. Kawahara..."

Kana Okamura's expression was somewhat complicated. Her clear eyes seemed to have a lot to say, but after hesitating for a long time, she could only say one sentence with a smile.

"Thank you!"

"Hmm?" Kawahara was somewhat surprised.

"Thank you for the children, for Agito, and for myself. Everyone is doing very well now!" Kana Okamura's smile was sincere and grateful.

"That's great. You seem to have grown a lot. Both the Knight Academy and the shopkeeper have taken good care of you." Kawahara smiled.

"Will Mr. Kawahara stay after this?" Kana Okamura suddenly asked.

"uncertain."

Kawahara stroked his chin and said, "I came here today to ask you about Sawaki Tetsuya."

Kana Okamura paused, then said, "Mr. Sawaki..."

She lowered her eyes slightly, her expression becoming particularly complex and helpless at that moment. After a long while, she said, "I don't know how to say it."

In a way, Tetsuya Sawaki was actually half a teacher to Kana Okamura. Although he wasn't responsible for her instruction, he helped and taught her a lot when she was dealing with the Knight Academy and the authorities.

If Kawahara hadn't brought Sawaki Tetsuya directly to this group of AgitΩ and proposed the Knight Academy and put forward the completely clueless Okamura Kana as his agent, forcing them to do something, perhaps Sawaki Tetsuya would have wanted to keep his distance from everyone.

Therefore, after all those things were over, Tetsuya Sawaki disappeared from the public eye again and no longer contacted anyone.

But not long ago, Kana Okamura saw him again.

The man seemed exhausted, as if weighed down by something. Even with his usual gentle and warm smile, Kana Okamura could still sense the pain he had been suppressing deep within his heart.

“He said that if you come back, he wants to see you because there are some things that only you can do,” Kana Okamura said with a complicated tone.

"I thought he was really going to be locked up there for 30,000 years..." Kawahara muttered to himself.

"Three...what?!"

Kana Okamura stared at him in disbelief.

This volume is no secret from a superpowered person!

Kawahara then became serious and said, "Kana, would you want Sawaki Tetsuya to live with you?"

Kana Okamura affirmed without hesitation, "Mr. Sawaki is a good person! I know he's always regretted 'killing' Agito, but we all know it wasn't his fault, and his desire to help 'AgitΩ' has already proven it to us!"

"I understand. I'll have a good talk with him later." Kawahara nodded.

Kana Okamura's eyes lit up. "Please!"

……

……

Tsugami Residence.

It turns out that Chuan already seemed quite familiar with the place.

He found Tetsuya Sawaki in the room that Kurokami used to like to stay in, but compared to the dark atmosphere before, the room now had an open terrace and curtains to welcome the sunlight.

Hearing the noise, Tetsuya Sawaki turned around and looked at him with a gentle smile: "You're back."

Kawahara suddenly had a strange feeling.

He gave Zeki Tetsuya a strange look, and slightly suspected that this guy might have been secretly possessed by the Black God, otherwise how could they even have the same opening line?

"That guy actually let you go?" Kawahara couldn't help but complain.

Tetsuya Sawaki just smiled helplessly.

Kawahara then walked to the sun-drenched terrace and sat on the other side of the coffee table, where he saw that Sawaki Tetsuya across from him looked somewhat forlorn.

“I just saw Kana, and she’s changed a lot. She’s completely different from the somewhat timid girl she used to be,” Kawahara said.

“Ms. Okamura has always worked very hard, whether it’s to provide a place for those AgitΩs or for her own ideals, she has worked very hard.” Tetsuya Sawaki nodded.

“But you haven’t changed at all,” Kawahara said bluntly.

"..."

"The fact that Agito has reached such a completely different ending and is even gradually being accepted by the public is all thanks to your help. To them, you can even be considered their teacher," Kawahara continued.

"I don't have that kind of power."

Tetsuya Sawaki quickly retorted, "It's because you chose them, you chose those AgitΩs, and they themselves have worked very hard to get to where they are now."

Kawahara neither confirmed nor denied this: "The choice I made was only to confront the forces of darkness, while the help you gave them allowed them to truly integrate into this world and into human society in their true form as AgitΩ. I think this is a more important and greater thing than obtaining 'God's forgiveness'."

Whether or not Kurokami accepts AgitΩ is irrelevant; the key question is whether humanity itself can accept the AgitΩ community!

There is no doubt that this is an issue involving racial harmony, and Kawahara is incapable of contacting those politicians, nor does he have the ability to negotiate.

Therefore, as a member of the elite, "Shoichi Tsugami" naturally possessed advantages that they could not achieve.

He also used this ability without reservation to help AgitΩ, who was unrelated to him, personally guiding Kana Okamura to this level and protecting all her plans, eventually training her to become an AgitΩ agent who could stand on her own.

But like most AgitΩs, they are psychologically fragile, so those who can hang out with AgitΩs don't seem to be very strong either...

This time, Tetsuya Sawaki remained silent for a long time.

Kawahara remained silent.

The brilliant sunlight shone through the leaves in the yard, casting golden spots on the ground. Tiny dust particles floated in the beams of light, bringing a dreamlike sense of tranquility.

Tetsuya Sawaki stared blankly at the sunlight, as if he were seeing an Agito radiating light.

"I……"

He spoke with a hint of vulnerability, "I really miss Setsuna..."

This longing comes from witnessing AgitΩ living freely in this world, being carefully guided and protected, and expressing himself with peace of mind and joy.

This longing then became a form of torment.

Tetsuya Sawaki began to feel intense remorse. He kept thinking back to the past, wondering if everything would have been better if he had been able to muster the courage to protect Setsuna like he was now.
But at that time, he simply let go!

If he had been more cautious and had persuaded Professor Kazetani to stop the research on superpowers when Sawaki Yukina first lost control of her powers, then Yukina wouldn't have completely lost control of herself, the professor wouldn't have died as a result, and Yukina would have been able to live a good life afterward.

But he missed out on all of this because of his negligence and cowardice at the time.

Tetsuya Sawaki cherishes the fact that he can live a good life in Agito now, but the better Agito lives now, the more he can't let go of his past self.

With just a moment's hesitation, Sawaki Setsuna, whom he had personally destroyed, could have survived.

Tetsuya Sawaki really couldn't accept this result.

Bringing him back to life and ensuring his continued existence might be the greatest punishment the forces of darkness could inflict on his "betrayal."

"I want you to help me..."

Tetsuya Sawaki looked at Kawahara with a complicated expression, raised his right hand, and had a dark purple "Dark Power" rune engraved on the back of his hand.

Although he was sent back to Earth, Kurokami did not take away Tetsuya Sawaki's power. The reason why Tetsuya Sawaki, who committed suicide, was able to be resurrected was also due to this power.

He couldn't resist the power of God, but Kawahara could.

"impossible."

However, before Sawaki Tetsuya could finish speaking, Kawahara had already ruthlessly rejected him.

After the Dark Power runes are erased, Zetsuya's body will die, because this guy's mind has once again tormented himself to the brink of collapse. That's why people who get along well with Agito are all a bit mentally fragile.

Kawahara disagreed, not only because it was something Kana Okamura wanted to ask him to do, but also because he himself could not possibly harm humans.

Tetsuya Sawaki's expression darkened.

Kawahara said calmly, "Even in the current situation, AgitΩ still needs your help in many areas. If you still feel that choosing to 'let go' back then was a sin you should bear, then you can't run away from this matter even more."

Hearing this, Tetsuya Sawaki was taken aback.

The person in front of me began to berate me seriously: "You think that because of you, Sawaki Yukina can't have a peaceful life in this world, so you're planning to run away, aren't you? You think that if you die, you won't have to face anything?"

Zeki Tetsuya opened his mouth, but immediately became even more depressed and dejected.

Kawahara continued, "If you truly consider this a sin, then work even harder to atone for it. Perhaps one day Sawaki Setsuna will be able to understand your feelings."

"What…?"

The next sentence made Tetsuya Sawaki look up abruptly.

The reason he went to such lengths to help Agito after his resurrection was to prevent the tragedy of Sawaki Yukina from happening again, and to treat this act as a form of repayment.

He just tormented himself too much.

So, after seeing that Agito no longer needed his help, Zeki Tetsuya decided to continue dying.

Kawahara's attitude towards Sawaki Tetsuya was similar to his attitude towards Mizushiro Shiro.

One of them felt guilty, and the other truly felt guilty. But whichever it was, since they felt it was a sin, they should do everything in their power to atone for it!
Tetsuya Sawaki's situation is a bit more complicated.

This was also the reason why Kawahara had been having a headache earlier. He looked at the bright sunshine outside the window and wondered why he hadn't brought Tsukasa Kadoya along earlier.
“Since you made up your mind to do all this for Sawaki Yukina, why don’t you also consider her feelings? At least I think she would prefer you to continue living and helping them.”

As Kawahara spoke these words with a nonchalant expression, he suddenly remembered a possibility that he had almost forgotten.

In fact, Kana Okamura and Setsuna Sawaki have very similar personalities. Both of them are the type of people who seem strong, but are actually very sensitive.

In the original Trails series, Kana Okamura also wanted to commit suicide after discovering that she had become a monster.

However, she was rescued in time by Tetsuya Sawaki.

That seemed to become a shared salvation for the two of them.

Just like her in this world, she was also given a new life under the guidance of Tetsuya Sawaki.

Thinking of this, Kawahara smiled and continued, "Miss Okamura is very worried about you, so I think you should be able to do more for the Knight Academy, instead of just ending it hastily with this self-righteous atonement."

Zeki Tetsuya couldn't help but smile wryly: "You really are ruthless."

“Because you should know what I’ve done before, and there may be many more uncertain things happening in this world in the future. If you really don’t want to help, then those things will probably have to be left to Kana.” Kawahara shrugged.

"Ok?"

These words made Tetsuya Sawaki realize something.

"Aren't you planning to stay?"

...(End of chapter)