As a weirdo, I like being a Kamen Rider

Sherrard pursed his lips, not responding to his words, but instead asked in a cold tone, "Who exactly are you? And what is your purpose in staying by Philip's side?"

Sherrard didn't answer directly, but that was tantamount to acknowledging his identity. Lin Chen smiled at this and got straight to the point: "It seems you've been observing me in secret for quite some time. You should have seen clearly during this time that I have no ill intentions towards Philip. If I really wanted to harm him, I could have leaked his whereabouts to the museum long ago."

Sherrard's wariness did not lessen as he looked directly at Lin Chen and pressed, "If that's the case, then what exactly is your purpose in coming to me?"

Lin Chen's lips curled up, and without beating around the bush, he cut straight to the point: "It's very simple, I want to make a deal with you."

Sherrard lowered her eyes in thought, the only sound the rustling of leaves in the woods. After a moment, she looked up, her expression serious: "What deal?"

Lin Chen was direct: "I know your identity as Sonozaki Ayane, and I understand that you are determined to take revenge on the museum. It just so happens that I also dislike this organization, so our goals are the same."

He paused, then stated his request: "I need your help to repair an object. Once it's done, I'll become your ally, helping you advance your revenge plan. That's my reward."

The light in the forest was fragmented by the layers of branches and leaves, and a cold and desolate atmosphere spread between the two.

Sherrard's lips, hidden beneath bandages, were straight and taut, showing no emotion whatsoever. She remained silent, her eyes revealing scrutiny and wariness.

After a moment of silence, she finally spoke: "Shared goals?"

“Every day in Wind City, there are people who want to overthrow the museum, but in the end, most of them meet a tragic end, their bodies becoming experimental subjects for the organization.” Sherrard narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone full of skepticism. “And what makes you think you’re different from those people?”

Lin Chen smiled slightly upon hearing Sherrard's words: "I'll show you what I'm capable of."

...

Following the piercing screams, Shotaro rushed into the kitchen, where he was met with an overpowering, cloyingly sweet aroma. There, he saw Mai Asakawa tightly wrapped around the ankle by a wriggling mass of white whipped cream. The viscous liquid was climbing up her skirt, leaving shallow marks on the tiles in its wake.

The piping bag fell to the ground, her face filled with terror, as the cream was about to wrap around her neck.

"Philip!" Shotaro called out in a low voice, simultaneously pulling out the Lost Driver and fastening it to his waist. Their thoughts synchronized instantly, and Philip's voice came through the communicator: "Ready, Shotaro!"

"Cyclone!" "Joker!"

Two whirlwinds and a dark shadow collided and intertwined, and Kamen Rider W Cyclone Ace Form made its appearance.

He grabbed Mai's arms tightly and dragged her out of the lump of cream. Seeing that things were not going well, the lump of cream jumped out of the kitchen. W looked at the disappearing cream and said in a deep voice, "Find a safe place to hide!"

Mai nodded, still shaken. W then leaped up and chased after the fleeing blob of cream to the open space in the center of the courtyard.

While searching for Shotaro Hidari, Kirihiko saw W jumping on the roof and assumed that he had been invaded by Kamen Rider, so he immediately took out the Nazca Memory.

The ball of whipped cream churned and expanded in mid-air, the frosting and chocolate sauce congealing on the surface into grotesque patterns, eventually transforming into a hybrid. It emitted a piercing shriek and suddenly sprayed out a large cloud of white cream.

W dodged to the side, but was still splashed with cream on his arms and calves. The cream hardened instantly upon contact with air, turning into a hard substance comparable to concrete, pinning his limbs firmly to the spot, rendering him unable to move.

W flashed green light and switched forms.

"Cyclone! Metal!"

Gale Metal Form appears, raising his hand to summon the Bat Camera, combining it with the metal rod to form a sonic staff. The sonic waves generated by the high-speed rotation of the staff shattered the hardened cream on the surface, and W exerted a sudden burst of power, completely breaking free from his restraints.

Just as he was about to counterattack, a blue afterimage streaked through the air, its sharp blade grazing his shoulder armor.

"We meet again, Kamen Rider. This time, I'm going to defeat you!"

Blue lightning swept across his body as the Nazca Dopant attacked with a blade, its speed leaving afterimages in its wake.

W had to be distracted, fending off Nazca's high-speed slashes while dodging the cream spraying out by the dessert admixture. Caught between two attacks, his moves became increasingly disorganized, and he was soon struck by both attacks simultaneously, crashing heavily to the ground.

Inside the castle's main hall, Sonozaki Ryubei watched the chaotic battle in the courtyard, her brows slowly furrowing.

"It's so noisy..."

He pulled out the Fear Memory and inserted it into the driver at his waist. A dark green mist instantly surged, enveloping the entire main hall. The figure of the Fear Hybrid slowly materialized within the mist, and a chilling aura spread throughout the entire manor.

Saeko Sonozaki, who was walking in the courtyard, also noticed the battle. She just took out her Forbidden Memory and prepared to transform and eliminate the intruders.

Just as the memory was about to be inserted into the drive, an irresistible sense of dread suddenly rose from the bottom of her heart, as if some extremely terrifying being was watching her.

She froze, cold sweat instantly soaking her back. The forbidden memory on her fingertips almost slipped, and she lost the strength to even lift her arm. She could only stare blankly in the direction of the main hall, her eyes filled with undisguised fear.

The three-way battle in the courtyard intensified. Kamen Rider W maneuvered between the two dopants, enduring repeated attacks. His offensive and defensive rhythm was gradually disrupted, and he fell into a complete disadvantage.

Just then, thick, ink-black shadows slowly seeped from the cracks in the walls and ground of the mansion, and a cold, eerie atmosphere swept through the entire courtyard like a tide.

The embodiment of fear, Sonozaki Ryubei, stood in the center of the scene, its immense energy of fear spreading outwards, and the deep-seated sense of despair making it hard for every character present to breathe.

W, the Dessert Dopant, and the Nazca Dopant were all stunned by this power, their minds and bodies enveloped in intense fear. Shotaro and Philip shared their senses, and they suddenly realized that this person before them was probably the root of all the crises and enemies.

The Fear Doppelganger did not launch an attack; it merely used its overwhelming aura to force everyone back. Unable to resist, W turned and quickly retreated; the Sweets Doppelganger and the Nazca Doppelganger also dared not linger, and fled separately, disappearing into various parts of the mansion.

After escaping, Shotaro knew that the place was very dangerous. He forced down his remaining fear and found Akiko.

The two arrived at the pond in the courtyard. Akiko looked ashamed and sincerely apologized for her rash act of sneaking into the Sonozaki family's house, which put her client, Asakawa Mai, in danger.

She confessed softly that her memories of her father, Narumi Shokichi, had become blurred, and she had always envied Shotaro for having such a respectable mentor.

These words touched Shotaro, who slowly uttered the detective creed that Narumi Shokichi had upheld throughout his life: "No matter what happens, you must never let your client get hurt."

He was determined to reveal the truth about Zhuang Ji's sacrifice on the night of the beginning, but when he turned around, he found that Akiko had already quietly left, and his words ultimately failed to reach her ears.

Meanwhile, Sonozaki Ryubei, Kirihiko, and Saeko gathered together, discussing the dessert adulterant that had infiltrated the manor. They never expected that such a low-quality product would be mixed in with the manor.

Saeko Sonozaki suggested taking action to clean up the mess, but Ryubei shook his head indifferently, saying that there was no need to do anything unnecessary. There were very few people who knew the organization's core secrets, so there was no need to make a big fuss.

After saying that, he turned and left. Saeko watched his retreating figure, a different thought arising in her heart. Ever since she witnessed W's power on the night of the beginning, she had been obsessed with the Lost Driver and the Gaia Memory, and she had to possess them before Ryubei became interested in W.

Akiko didn't stop her investigation. She went alone to the Fuuto Museum and found Sonozaki Ryubei. She made a request, asking if all the maids could participate in the subsequent dessert party. Ryubei smiled and agreed, watching her turn and leave.

Hiding in the shadows, Shotaro, who had followed closely behind, could clearly feel the inhuman, terrifying aura emanating from Ryubei, and his unease grew stronger. The various experimental samples displayed inside the museum came into view, and combined with Lin Chen's earlier statement that he "trusted his own judgment," he finally realized that this was probably the organization's headquarters.

His movements did not escape Ryūbei's notice. The other man noticed the intruder, his gaze falling on him with a strange interest, and he approached him to strike up a conversation. The two engaged in a rather intriguing exchange.

Only after Ryubei left did Shotaro's tense nerves relax slightly, his back already soaked with cold sweat. He dared not linger any longer, his mind filled with only one thought: he had to find Akiko immediately and leave this dangerous place as soon as possible.

Chapter 132 Demonstrating Strength

In the garden of the Sonozaki family's residence, a snow-white lace tablecloth was laid out, and silver trays were laden with exquisite macarons and mousse cakes. The afternoon tea party was proceeding smoothly, with all the maids and servants seated, and the atmosphere peaceful. Shotaro Hidari watched all of this from outside the window.

Akiko appeared and slowly recounted the whole story to everyone. Dressed in Sherlock Holmes' classic attire, she pointed to a maid in the crowd: "The murderer is you, Fukumi Shirotsuka! You have an almost pathological obsession with sweets, and only you would do something like kidnapping a pastry chef!"

Just as everyone was in an uproar, Philip's calm voice came through the communicator in Shotaro's ear: "No, Akiko. The Earth Library's search results show that Fukumi Shirozuka simply loves sweets and has no motive for committing the crime. The real dessert adulterer is Yukiko Sasaki standing behind her."

Yukiko was once a pastry chef full of dreams, but her dessert shop, which she opened with all her might, went bankrupt due to poor management. Watching other pastry chefs in Fuuto rise to fame, her resentment grew. After obtaining the Sweets Memory, she began to kidnap all the famous pastry chefs, wanting to clear away obstacles and become Fuuto's only pastry master.

Yukiko Sasaki, upon tasting Akiko's awful dessert, instantly broke down. She pulled out the Gaia Memory from her waist, and thick cream and frosting instantly enveloped her, transforming her into a dessert hybrid. She raised her hand and sprayed out two thick streams of cream, which entangled the unsuspecting Mai Asakawa and Akiko respectively, before turning and running wildly towards the back mountain of the Sonozaki family's house.

"Akiko!" Seeing this, Shotaro immediately pulled out the Lost Driver and fastened it to his waist, shouting in sync with Philip, "Cyclone! Joker!" Kamen Rider W Cyclone Joker form appeared in response, leaping up and chasing after it towards the back mountain.

His transformation was witnessed by Kirihiko and his wife.

Sonozaki Kirihiko pulled out the Nazca Memory, a flash of blue lightning, and the Nazca Dopant charged towards W with a blade in hand. At the same time, Sonozaki Saeko's lips curled into a cold smile as she pulled out a forbidden Memory gleaming with a purple glow for the first time: "Taboo!"

A surge of powerful purple energy shot into the sky, and the forbidden dopant slowly floated in the air, condensing into an energy blast beside it, directly blasting towards W who had chased out of the courtyard, blocking his path.

Looking at the forbidden object hovering in front of him, W recognized its appearance; it was the terrifying figure from the Night of Beginning.

Nazca then arrived in front of W.

“Two officers, it seems this really is their headquarters. Philip, be careful,” said Shotaro Sato.

"Darling, let's go!" Taboo said.

Upon hearing the forbidden words, Nazca used her incredible speed to circle behind W, tightly binding his limbs with a sharp scarf and pulling him to the ground.

The forbidden dopant launched a fierce attack from the air, raining down purple energy bullets.

W quickly switched to HeatMetal form, intending to burn the scarf with flames, but was forced to retreat repeatedly by the shockwave of the energy blast.

No matter how he switched forms to counterattack, he could not escape the two's seamless pincer attack. His armor continued to break, and he was caught in an unprecedentedly difficult battle.

In the secluded woods outside the manor, Lin Chen and Sherrard were watching a portable monitor, the screen clearly showing the intense battle scene inside the manor.

The two silently observed W's predicament as he was suppressed by the combined forces of the Nazca and Forbidden dopants.

“The opportunity has arrived,” Lin Chen said.

He reached out and pulled out the Gaia Driver, fastening it to his waist. Then, he took out the saber-toothed tiger memory. Sherrard, standing nearby, was visibly shocked.

She never expected that the museum's exclusive Gaia Driver and advanced memory would end up in Lin Chen's hands.

Lin Chen noticed her surprised expression and explained calmly, "This is the spoils of war." A confident smile appeared on his lips. "Now, just watch how I perform. I believe you'll find this deal to be absolutely worthwhile."

Without further hesitation, he raised his hand and forcefully inserted the saber-toothed tiger memory into the drive interface.

A violent burst of energy erupted from his body, and sharp beast-shaped patterns coursed around him as the power of the saber-toothed tiger's memory began to fully awaken.

Under the relentless onslaught within the manor, W crashed heavily to the ground, the violent impact causing Shotaro's blood to surge. In that critical moment, Philip immediately summoned the Hardman remotely.

The roar of engines echoed through the forest as the Tough Guy activated Start Dash mode, its six thrusters simultaneously unleashing dazzling flames as it charged into the battlefield at full speed, propelled by powerful air currents. Shotaro seized the opportunity, leaping into the air and landing steadily on the motorcycle, then slamming the accelerator forward to break through the encirclement.

The Nazca dopant followed closely behind, its movements swift and agile, always keeping pace, its blade flashing as it relentlessly pursued. W turned and fired several bullets, halting the dopant's attack. He then activated the motorcycle's mechanism, launching its split thrusters, which slammed into the Nazca dopant, knocking it down instantly.

Saeko Sonozaki, who rushed over, witnessed this scene. Seeing Kirihiko repeatedly fail, her anger flared up. She raised her hand, condensed a purple energy ball, and blasted it straight at him. Kirihiko was knocked to the ground.

Taking advantage of the chaos, W didn't linger, steered the Tough Guy away, and successfully shook off his pursuers.

Just then, a blinding yellow bolt of lightning suddenly ripped through the air, catching the Forbidden Dopant suspended in mid-air completely off guard. Its massive body lost its balance and crashed heavily in front of the Nazca Dopant. Sonozaki Kirihiko immediately stopped and rushed forward, helping Saeko to her feet. His eyes swept warily around the surroundings as he demanded in a low voice, "Who goes there?"

The surrounding forest was completely silent, not a soul in sight, except for a bright yellow streak that flashed back and forth in front of the two, moving so fast that it left only a blur. The next second, two invisible forces suddenly struck, and both Kirihiko and Saeko were hit hard, their bodies flying backward uncontrollably.

"Damn it!" Saeko roared, quickly conjuring several purple energy balls in her hands and blasting them one after another towards the surrounding open space and bushes. The exploding energy kicked up clouds of dust, but even such a dense attack failed to force the attackers in the shadows to come out in the slightest.

Deep within the mansion, Sonozaki Ryubei was leisurely enjoying a dessert, the constant commotion in the courtyard reaching his ears. His pupils flickered slightly as he murmured, "Looks like quite a few guests have come today." He wiped the crumbs from his mouth, slowly stood up, and took out the Memory of Fear. A chilling black mist began to swirl around him.

On the battlefield, Kirihiko and Saeko stood back to back, their nerves taut, constantly on guard against a surprise attack from the shadows. Before they could even regain their composure, two fierce attacks pierced the air again, accurately striking the Gaia Drivers at their waists. The violent impact instantly severed their transformation energy, and both were violently thrown back, their Dopant forms completely dissipating, their Drivers and Memories slipping from their grasp and rolling to the ground.

The long-traveling, bright yellow light gradually slowed down, its radiance slowly receding, hovering in the center of the open space. The figure, hidden for so long, was finally fully revealed before everyone's eyes.

A massive, beast-like body stood there, covered in silver and brown bio-armor.

Grayish-white lines meandered along his shoulder armor, chest, abdomen, and limbs, the texture of his skin as vivid as living flesh. Two gleaming, curved fangs protruded from the corners of his lips, and a deep, eerie light flickered in the depths of his eye sockets. His limbs were thick and powerful, with bony arm armor attached to his hands, and a long tail hung down and swayed.

Upon seeing the Gaia Driver on the newcomer's waist and sensing the aura belonging to the Saber-toothed Tiger Memory, Saeko Sonozaki's pupils contracted sharply, and she instinctively blurted out, "Mick?" But she immediately dismissed the guess, her brows furrowed with intense wariness, and she demanded sharply, "No, who are you? And where did you get the Gaia Driver from?"

Lin Chen looked at the disheveled Wu Yan and his wife on the ground without saying a word.

He slowly bent down, his gaze falling on the Nazca and Forbidden Memory that had rolled to the ground, silently calculating in his mind. As long as he could acquire these two high-level Memory objects and hold enough leverage, his cooperation with Sherrard could be finalized.

After personally activating the Saber-toothed Tiger Memory, he truly felt the power of this force. Its extreme instantaneous high speed was in no way inferior to the Time Rise in the Kabuto world, completely making up for his lack of rapid attack capabilities.

Just as his fingertips were about to touch the two memory modules, a dark, viscous swamp suddenly surged up from the ground, instantly engulfing the two memory modules completely.

"Guest, it's not appropriate to eat and take things at the same time."

An old, deep voice slowly echoed through the forest. A being shrouded in black mist, mixed with fear, floated slowly in mid-air. An endless black domain of fear slowly spread behind him, and a chilling, despairing aura swept in all directions.