Ultraman: I am really just a human.

Chapter 294 Planning Ahead

"Don't run!"

"Bang!"

Ota District.

Hiroko Asami chased after the criminal with a gun. After seeing the criminal transform into a Commander Hybrid and run towards the park, she immediately followed suit, embedding a bow and arrow clip and transforming into Nami the Cat Knight. She fired several arrows at the Commander Hybrid's legs.

The bloody shadow cast by the appearance of the Gurongi has not completely dissipated, and this city is plunged into chaos due to the outflow of Gaia Memories.

Although their strength is generally low, and they are not as strong as the original Lava and Glacier Memory, they still cause a lot of trouble for the countermeasures team.

"hateful!"

The commander hybrid lost his balance and crashed headfirst into a tree trunk. As soon as he rolled over and got up, he saw the bow and arrow aimed again.

"Captain Sagami! Stop!"

Hiroko Asami cautiously approached, holding a bow and arrow.

"This won't get anywhere! Your wife won't come back to life!"

"No wonder he comes from an intelligence background."

The commander hybrid shifted his form, revealing a middle-aged man in a suit, with bloodstains still remaining at the corner of his mouth, and slowly stood up.

"When was it discovered?"

"One of the victims is the same criminal who shot and killed your wife two years ago in revenge," Hiroko Asami stopped in her tracks. "The concealment was indeed very clever, but the injuries were much more severe than the others, clearly indicating that he had been tortured..."

"You suspect me because of that?" The middle-aged man chuckled. "That guy has offended quite a few people."

"The day before the incident, that guy contacted the police station intending to turn himself in. Later, he called you. Your attendance record from that day is still available. Did you meet him privately?"

"So what?!"

The middle-aged man's face was contorted.

"He confessed after committing a crime? Will he kill again after his next release? I'm actually saving him, rescuing an incorrigible criminal! Only death can truly redeem these scumbags!"

"Is this your excuse for committing crimes repeatedly?" Hiroko Asami clenched her fists. "Aren't you a criminal now too?"

"I am the real Kamen Rider!"

The middle-aged man shouted as he transformed back into the Commander Hybrid, his armored body covered in wounds, as if he had just survived a siege by knights.

Two years ago, on a rare occasion when my pregnant wife and I went out, I bought her a ring as a wedding anniversary gift. I still remember her happy laughter, but...

"That guy was holding a gun right in front of me... Can you understand how I felt at that moment? That resentment, that anger, and that hatred!"

The commander's dopant revealed the trembling, tearful face of a middle-aged man.

"What kind of world is this? Just because you become a knight you can be released without charge? Haha!"

So I want to become an executioner, just like Shiori Hiraki, using my memory to sweep away all the garbage that the law can't punish!

"call!"

Hiroko Asami's breathing quickened as she thought of her senior, Shiori Hiraki, and the armed bow in her hand unconsciously drooped.

"This is my mission!"

Under intense emotional turmoil, the Commander Dopant rapidly recovered from its injuries and took the opportunity to upgrade to its enhanced form using a memory component. After the massive steel gear on its shoulder closed like a halo, it suddenly launched several trailing missiles.

"Anyone who stands in my way is my enemy!"

"Bang bang bang!"

Hiroko Asami was jolted awake and, braving the impact of the missile explosion, hurriedly jumped to the side. When she regained her footing and tried to retaliate, she discovered that the Commander Dopant had already escaped.

"This guy..."

Even though she's not exactly a newbie, she still gets emotional and is easily swayed by a few words.

No matter what it was like before, it has changed after being eroded by memory.

Just like Hiraki-senpai.

Feeling waves of excruciating pain coursing through her body, Hiroko Asami dragged her feet and struggled to keep up the chase.

"Captain Sagami!"

"Bang--!"

The commander, who had just disappeared, crashed into an invisible barrier at the corner. Before he could react, he was kicked back by the whirlwind. His chest armor and memory were shattered into pieces, and the swirling storm also cleared a ditch in the park's woods.

"Whoosh!"

Natsukawa pulled out the Gale Memory and walked out of the corner amidst the dissipating airflow, his knight's armor disintegrating to meet Asami Hiroko's gaze.

"Don't be careless in battle. No matter what the opponent's reasons are, prioritize protecting yourself."

"Kaminaga?"

Asami Hiroko, panting slightly, also deactivated her transformation and looked at the unconscious middle-aged man with a complicated expression.

If she had discovered Hiraki-senpai's condition earlier, could she have avoided the memory erosion and survived like Captain Sagami?

"Like Captain Sagami and Hiraki-senpai, he was a good police officer... Are humans really that fragile in the face of memories?" Hiroko Asami's voice was pessimistic and weary.

"The side effects of memory loss may not be insurmountable; it's just that their negative emotions are amplified."

Xia Chuan shook his head slightly.

In fact, some people in the world have overcome memory, not only without being affected by side effects, but also successfully getting rid of their own defects.

However, that's an exception; most other direct use of memory doesn't yield good results.

Minor erosion can be salvaged by damaging the memory; however, once it's irreversible...

As Hiroko Asami stepped forward to handcuff the middle-aged man, Natsukawa's mind was filled with memories of the Puppet Master and the Hydra Dopant.

Shiori Hiraki disappeared right before his eyes. If this were a dungeon world, he might have a way to bring her back to life, but in this world...

"Feel sorry."

"Why apologize? It was clearly my mistake."

Hiroko Asami wiped her eyes behind her back, then turned back to Natsukawa and smiled.

"By the way, what are you doing here? Aren't you going to participate in the Jiulangyue instance?"

"I just happened to be buying something nearby."

Natsukawa turned around and took down the taiyaki shopping bag hanging by the tree.

"The personnel for the Jiulangyue instance should have been decided by now, right?"

"Yes, they're all knights you know," Hiroko Asami handed the middle-aged man over to the knights who came to his aid, and left the park side by side with Natsukawa. "Two level 5 knights, Hakubu and Kondo Isami, and two level 4 knights, Sakurai and that bounty knight, Frog."

"Sakurai went too?"

Xia Chuan was slightly surprised.

The only Sakurai he knew was Sakurai Keikazu, the oldest Tanuki Knight among the trainees.

"Maybe he felt the pressure?" Hiroko Asami guessed. "Murai, who has always been his partner, suddenly becoming a Level 5 Knight must have spurred him on."

"That's fine too."

Natsukawa paid some attention to this initial batch of trainees. Apart from Haruto, who had disappeared without a trace, the biggest problems now were Sakurai Kagekazu and Mizusawa Yu.

After the Den-O arc, Mizusawa Yu has begun to rise again, while Sakurai Keikazu has not yet completely overcome his inner turmoil.

This guy was terrified of fighting because of the death of his comrade, and he used the Knight Academy as a place to escape.

"The Rider System you just transformed into is W?" Hiroko Asami suddenly asked curiously.

"It's only half of W, Kamen Rider Hayate," Natsukawa took off the Lost Driver and handed it to Hiroko Asami along with the Hayate Memory. "Here, take this. It's perfect for dealing with the Dopant."

"And what about you?" Hiroko Asami tensed, stammering, her gaze drifting. "Besides, I can't bind to a second Knight System right now..."

"It just means you can't bind them at the same time, it doesn't mean you can't use them. The Desire Driver has too high equipment requirements, the Lost Driver is more suitable for you at this stage."

"Even if you say that..."

Hiroko Asami blushed and started fiddling with her fingers.

"I feel safer when you transform, Kaminaga... I'd rather you protect me than hand over the driver..."

"don’t worry."

Xia Chuan continued to bring out his trump card memory.

"The Alliance gave us two drives. It seems that Bull is planning to go the RX route, so I got his drive."

As the battle for the instance unfolded, he didn't think he could hide his identity forever, so it was always good to be prepared.

Of all the people around him, Hiroko Asami was the least capable, yet she preferred to be active on the front lines.

Perhaps the power of the Gale Memory is difficult to unleash to its full potential, but it is enough to save one's life.

"Huh?"

Hiroko Asami stared blankly at Natsukawa as he walked away, holding the Lost Driver. After a moment of daze, she covered her face in shame.

"What did I just say... Damn it, is there any way to do it all over again?"

……

Knight School.

After arranging everything, Xia Chuan activated the shuttle in the villa's bedroom. His consciousness instantly connected to the Jiulangyue instance. A series of images flashed through the light and shadow, finally settling on a smiling face giving a thumbs up.

It is related to, but not entirely related to, the first level of the game he cleared; it is still the story of Yusuke Godai.

Kotaro Minami has already led a team into the instance as a challenger. If he does not enter before Daguba is defeated, it is equivalent to giving up his qualification and completely handing over the Kuuga instance to Kotaro Minami and the alliance forces behind him.

The good news is that he only needs to project himself into the system, whether he does it himself or uses a Knight Card.

"Whoosh!"

As before, he instructed the second Fang Bat to be on guard, and Xia Chuan stepped into the Knight Space, choosing to project his consciousness.

Rider Cards can indeed be used as a substitute, but their strength is only comparable to a regular level 5 Rider. Not to mention RX, they might not even be able to defeat Daguba, who is not an Ultimate level Rider.

(End of this chapter)