As a weirdo, I like being a Kamen Rider

As soon as he finished speaking, the information broker came over and immediately chimed in, "Then we have to choose the breasts!" The two of them, one on each side, carried the still sleepy Shotaro to the center of the hall.

The hall was filled with a warm atmosphere. Philip was squatting alone in a corner, quietly reading a book. He was unusually well-behaved today and didn't exchange any messages with Wakana. Several regular clients from the agency were also busy. The Queen, Elizabeth, and Akiko from the student circle were hanging lights and tying ornaments on the brand-new Christmas tree.

"Xiao Xiang loves chests the most!" someone joked with a laugh.

"Whatever you want!" Shotaro said casually as he was being pulled along.

Upon hearing this, the information broker was furious, accusing Shotaro of forgetting the oath they made as part of their Breast Alliance.

Shotaro couldn't help but yell at the information broker, "I never made that kind of oath!"

The group debated over which part of the fried chicken to choose, their laughter echoing throughout. Warm lights shone on everyone's faces, and the Christmas joy, mixed with casual conversation, filled the entire office with a relaxed and cheerful atmosphere.

The laughter and chatter in the office continued until the wooden door was gently pushed open, and Lin Chen stepped in. The noisy atmosphere didn't bother him. As soon as he entered, Little Christmas, dressed in red, quickly came to greet him, still holding the fried chicken flyer in her hand, and asked with a beaming smile, "Lin-kun, come and choose, chicken leg or chicken breast?"

Lin Chen glanced at the bustling crowd and casually replied, "Chicken leg, please." He then planned to walk to an empty seat to rest for a while. But before he could even sit down, his communication device vibrated slightly, followed by a mission briefing—Wu Yan had assigned him a new mission, requiring him to secretly investigate a detective who always wore a hat.

Along with the instructions came a hand-drawn sketch. The figure's outline, physique, and even habitual posture were crystal clear—it was none other than Shotaro. His eyes darkened, and he subtly slipped his phone into his pocket, then waved to Shotaro, who was still arguing.

"Shotaro, come to the inner room, I have something to tell you."

Upon hearing this, Shotaro stopped arguing and followed Lin Chen into a secluded inner room. The door closed, shutting out the laughter outside, and the atmosphere inside instantly became quiet. Lin Chen took out his phone and handed it to him, truthfully informing him of the investigation mission he had received.

The moment Shotaro saw the portrait, the ease on his face vanished, replaced by a serious expression. He muttered to himself, "I never expected to be targeted." He knew that with his daily work dealing with various Gaia Memory cases, it was only a matter of time before his identity was discovered; he just hadn't anticipated that the investigation would be conducted in this way.

As the two were discussing countermeasures in hushed tones, the information broker pushed open the door and walked in, his face somewhat serious, bringing another piece of bad news: "Lin-kun, something's happened. Someone has been secretly investigating the identity information of Kimura Osamu, whom you've impersonated, and they've been focusing on the clues related to your 'sister,' investigating with exceptional detail."

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow; this matter touched upon the weakness of identity disguise. The intelligence broker continued, "Little Christmas and I have replaced the documents with a large amount of false information, claiming that Kimura Osamu's sister's condition has worsened and she has been sent overseas for long-term treatment, cut off from all communication. With this explanation, we managed to temporarily get rid of the people trying to gather information, but they obviously haven't given up completely. You must be extra vigilant."

Lin Chen nodded slightly, understanding. However, he wasn't particularly concerned. With the Saber-toothed Tiger Gaia Memory in hand, his safety was temporarily assured in his super-speed form, aside from anything else. The only thing he needed to be wary of was the other party continuing to dig deeper into his identity, eventually exposing his disguise and implicating the agency, causing a series of troubles.

"Thank you for your prompt handling." Lin Chen said calmly, without any sign of panic. "I will be more careful."

After listening to their conversation, Shotaro said in a deep voice, "Why don't we just abandon that plan? It doesn't seem very useful and it's quite dangerous."

But Lin Chen shook his head. The plot has changed drastically now, and intelligence is the most important thing.

Back in the lobby, Shotaro put aside the potential problems they had discussed in the back room. With the Christmas spirit in full swing, he didn't want his worries to spoil everyone's fun, so he quickly rejoined the merriment, chatting and joking with everyone about food and decorations. The office was still filled with laughter.

A moment later, the doorbell rang sharply. Before anyone inside could answer, the person outside pushed the door open.

A slender figure appeared in the doorway. A short, dark brown jacket was loosely draped over the woman's shoulders, over which she wore a white T-shirt tied with a black ribbon. The hem of the jacket was casually tucked into a black lace tiered skirt, creating a chic yet slightly aloof look. A black beret was pulled low over her head, obscuring most of her forehead, and large-framed sunglasses covered almost her entire face, revealing only her sharply defined jawline and tightly pursed lips.

She stood at the doorway and glanced at the lively scene inside: a Christmas tree adorned with colorful lights, scattered decorations, and a group of people chatting and laughing together—completely unlike the serious atmosphere she had in mind that a detective agency should have. The woman paused, instinctively thinking she had come to the wrong place, and quickly bowed slightly in apology: "I'm sorry, it seems I've come to the wrong place. I thought this was a detective agency."

As soon as she finished speaking, she raised her hand to close the door and turn to leave.

Having had a leisurely time for a while, Shotaro immediately recognized the woman as a client who had come to make a request, and he wasn't about to let the business slip away. He quickly stepped forward, and Akiko, Little Christmas, and the others followed suit, opening the door and blocking the woman's way.

Shotaro smiled and said in a cheerful tone, "Please wait here, this is the detective agency."

Akiko nodded repeatedly, adding, "Yes, yes, it's just that it's Christmas Eve, so everyone's having some fun. We did take on the commission."

The woman at the door paused, peering at the group through her sunglasses. She stopped in her tracks, her steps faltering as she looked around the warm and lively interior, unsure whether to reveal her purpose.

Everyone stepped aside to make way, politely welcoming Mutsuki Ansami into the agency. Warm yellow light fell on her, and she raised her hand to remove the large-framed sunglasses that covered most of her face, revealing a pair of clear eyes. Her delicate features and unique temperament made her highly recognizable.

Upon seeing this, the information broker's eyes widened suddenly, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Hey! Isn't that Mutsuki Ansami?" He instinctively took out his phone from his pocket, intending to take a picture of this celebrity as a souvenir. Just as he raised his hand halfway, the queen beside him gently pushed him away.

The Queen's face was filled with undisguised joy. She was also a loyal fan of the idol sister duo and recognized them at a glance. "It really is Ms. Ansami!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I've always loved your duo, and it's such a pleasant surprise to see you here."

Facing the enthusiastic gazes of the crowd, Mutsuki Ansami nodded slightly and politely returned a smile. Then, she composed herself, her expression turning serious, and she got straight to the point, stating the purpose of her visit: "I have come here today to ask you all to help me find someone. The person I am looking for is my older sister, Mutsuki Erika."

Upon hearing this, Shotaro's smile vanished instantly, and his brows furrowed slightly: "Ms. Ansami, if I may be so bold, I remember very clearly that your sister, Erika, was officially declared dead in the maritime accident a year ago."

“I know.” Ansami gently bit her lower lip, her eyes welling up with tears. “Everyone believed that my sister was no longer alive, but just five days ago, when I was participating in an offline interview event, I clearly saw my sister’s figure. She was standing at the back of the crowd looking at me, but before I could go up to confirm, her figure disappeared in an instant.”

"Could it be a ghost?" Shotaro scratched his head, looking troubled, and admitted, "To be honest, we're not very good at investigating ghosts and other paranormal events."

Just then, Philip, who had been wearing a hood in the corner, suddenly stirred. He curled up slightly, his body trembling uncontrollably, and the atmosphere around him became strange.

Ansami took a deep breath, suppressing her surging emotions, and continued, "After the shipwreck, the search and rescue team searched for a long time, but they still haven't found my sister's body. I've always held onto a sliver of hope that maybe she's still alive. That figure that suddenly appeared and then disappeared rekindled my hope. No matter what the outcome, I want to find out the truth."

Hearing this, Shotaro was deeply moved. He thought of Narumi Shokichi, who also didn't want to believe the old man's death, and he felt the same way. After a brief moment of thought, he nodded solemnly: "We accept this request."

No sooner had she finished speaking than Elizabeth, standing nearby, immediately objected. Everyone had finally managed to enjoy a rare moment of leisure before Christmas, and now the case was about to disrupt their plans again. She quickly walked to Philip's side, affectionately hugged his arm, and puffed out her cheeks as she complained, "We finally have some free time to spend with Philip, and now we have to start investigating a case again!"

Philip, whose arm was being held, slowly raised his hand and removed his hood. His previously calm and indifferent expression vanished, replaced by an almost fanatical gleam in his eyes and an excited smile. Completely unconcerned about his leisure time being interrupted, he murmured to himself, his tone full of curiosity: "A ghost? The dead reappearing... This is really interesting."

Chapter 141 The New Belt

After accepting Mutsuki Ansami's request, Shotaro and Akiko immediately set off to investigate.

Following the clues provided by Ansami, the two visited the scene where she encountered her sister's phantom, and then checked one by one in Fuuto whether there were any eyewitness reports of Erika.

Initially thought to be an isolated paranormal event, the investigation has deepened as more and more citizens have shared similar experiences.

Many people encountered deceased relatives. The figures were incredibly vivid, but whenever they tried to approach and confirm their presence, the people would suddenly vanish. One or two incidents might be explained as illusions, but such widespread occurrences of the dead were clearly not accidental. Philip repeatedly searched the Earth Library, but could not find a specific cause, and the case became increasingly bizarre and difficult to solve.

Just as Shotaro was investigating, Lin Chen's communicator rang. A message from Sherrard appeared on the screen, inviting him to meet in the suburbs and informing him that the belt was finished and he needed to come and pick it up himself.

In the forest outside the city, Sherrard saw Lin Chen arrive and handed him a box. Inside, besides the repaired Earth Emperor Belt, was a half-finished Lost Driver. Lin Chen looked at Sherrard.

Sherrard understood Lin Chen's doubts, so he spoke up:

“The original belt operated using the photon blood system, but this technology had too many problems that I couldn’t explain. After weighing the options, I drew inspiration from the design of the Lost Driver and completely reconstructed the overall structure.”

She pointed to the structure of the driver and explained the new transformation rules in detail: "The transformation method now is very different from before. It no longer relies solely on this phone. You need to insert the phone into the groove on the left side of the driver as the core, then insert the Gaia Memory into the special interface on top, and finally pull the side trigger to activate it, eliminating the need to input commands. The dual carriers work together, making it much more powerful than before."

Lin Chen reached for the driver and the Didi phone, stroking the metal casing and carefully examining every detail. Soon, he noticed a hidden slot on the Didi phone, which would be impossible to spot without close inspection.

"What's the extra slot here for?" Lin Chen asked, looking up.

Upon hearing this, Sherrard took out a uniquely shaped memory from his pocket. It was pure white, with no patterns or markings on its surface, and shimmered in the sunlight.

“This matter is also very strange.” Sherrard’s expression was somewhat puzzled. “Just as the belt was about to be completed, this pure white memory appeared out of thin air in the laboratory. I tried various methods to activate it, but there was no response whatsoever. Then, an unfamiliar voice rang in my mind, roughly saying that this memory was an amplification item. Following the other party’s instructions, I specially added this slot to the Earth Emperor’s phone, and now I’m handing it over to you.”

Lin Chen reached out and took the pure white memory. The instant his fingertips touched the memory, a blinding white light suddenly erupted, instantly enveloping his entire body.

A wave of intense dizziness washed over him. Once his swaying vision stabilized, he found himself in an endless, pure white space. It was completely empty, utterly silent, as if utterly isolated from the outside world.

...

Shotaro and Akiko arrived at the church where Erika's cenotaph was located. After speaking with the priest for a while, the two said goodbye and left.

As Akiko walked down the street, she suddenly received a call from Ansami, who said she wanted to cancel the request. Akiko pressed for an explanation, but Ansami didn't give a reason. Akiko was so angry that she wanted to confront Ansami in person, but Shotaro desperately stopped her.

During the argument, Shotaro suddenly lost his focus. Akiko noticed his odd behavior and looked in the direction of his gaze. Not far away, Erika, who had been declared dead, was walking down the street. As if she had noticed their gazes, she turned around and glanced at them.

So the two of them chased after Erika. When they arrived at Erika's location, Erika's figure disappeared, and the sky suddenly darkened. In the distance, a white figure holding a scythe appeared in the sky.

(Death) spoke, "I am Death, the ruler of the world of the dead, capable of quelling the grief of those who have lost their loved ones!"

Shotaro immediately tensed up. The energy fluctuations emanating from the other party were obvious; it was not some supernatural ghost or monster at all, but clearly a hybrid formed from the Gaia Memory.

"Stop playing tricks! Philip, transform!"

"Cyclone! Joker!"

Two beams of light intertwined and merged, revealing Kamen Rider W's Cyclone Joker form. W powered through the air, transforming into a whirlwind as he surged upwards, unleashing a barrage of punches and kicks. The Death God Doppelganger relied on its levitation ability to dodge, but its movements were not particularly agile, and it was gradually forced back by the Cyclone form's speed. Before long, W seized an opening and delivered a powerful blow to its opponent's body.

With a roar, the body of the Death God hybrid suddenly disintegrated, but instead of revealing its true form or shattering its memory like ordinary monsters, it turned into a thick white mist that surged and spread across the ground.

After Lin Chen regained consciousness from that pure white space, he and Sherrard watched this scene from a short distance away. Having obtained the new belt, he couldn't wait to test its performance.

He had thought this charlatan couldn't be that strong, but W took him down in just a few punches and kicks.

After the smoke cleared, it disappeared from W's sight, but Sherrard and Lin Chen saw it clearly. It transformed directly into a middle-aged man wearing a white suit and a fedora.

“Narumi?!! No, he’s dead, he can’t be resurrected!” Sherrard shouted out the name of the newly appeared middle-aged man, but quickly realized that it was a fake.

Lin Chen asked Sherrard what kind of memory it was, that it could completely mimic a completely new person, and that he wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the real and the fake if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes.

Sherrard replied that she wasn't quite sure, but she was certain it was the museum's doing again.

Looking at the newly appeared Narumi Shokichi, Hidari Shotaro from W muttered to himself, "How is this possible!"

"Could it be?! Dad!" Akiko recognized her father as well.

Philip sensed Shotaro's panic and told him to calm down; it couldn't be Narumi Shokichi. Philip's words strengthened Shotaro's resolve. The old man was dead; it was a lie.

Shotaro, who had finally calmed down, was thrown into a panic again by the fake Narumi Shoji's next move. The fake Narumi Shoji took out a black Gaia Memory.

Narumi Shoji raised his hand and removed his top hat, his fingertips pinching the Gaia Memory, which was entirely dark and had a skull relief engraved on its surface. He pressed the trigger button on the top with his thumb, and the memory instantly lit up with a pale, bluish-white light, followed by a deep guitar hum.

He straightened the Lost Driver at his waist and pushed the memory into the slot on one side with one hand.

"Skull!"

The moment the crisp electronic sound effect exploded, a surging, dark gray fog burst forth from the driver, enveloping his entire body. A blue-white energy flowed along his skeletal structure, and the jet-black knight armor extended layer by layer from his waist and abdomen: hard plates covered his torso, outlining realistic rib patterns, and then spread to his limbs, where thick mechanical armor snapped shut, firmly protecting his body.

Amidst the churning black mist, a angular, cold skull helmet slowly enveloped the head, its dark red eye windows gleaming with a faint, cold light. The old cloth collar around the neck billowed in the wind, and the energy storm surrounding the body gradually subsided.

The man stood upright like a spear, exuding a chilling aura of someone who had been through countless battles.

Kamen Rider Skull has appeared.

Seeing this, Shotaro was completely disoriented. Skull leaped up and appeared in front of W, overwhelming him completely. Seeing this, Sherrard couldn't help but say, "That young man isn't good enough. We need a stronger partner!"

Lin Chen understood what Sherrard meant. She had already cultivated a more suitable partner for Philip elsewhere, and the current situation only strengthened her resolve to do so.

But Lin Chen still spoke up: "People always need to grow. Perhaps Shotaro still has many shortcomings, but one day he will make you look at him with new eyes!"

Facing his deceased master, Shotaro was already in a state of utter disarray. The guilt and self-blame buried deep in his heart surged forth, and his emotions completely spiraled out of control. He could no longer maintain synchronization with Philip, and the light on the surface of the Knight Armor began to flicker violently, its brightness fluctuating erratically.

Skull seized the fleeting opening and delivered a powerful punch to W's chest.

A heavy thud echoed as W flew backward, crashing heavily to the cold ground. Akiko, watching Skull beat W, was incredulous. How could her father be a Kamen Rider? How could she have no idea?

Seeing this, Philip knew that his partner could no longer be relied upon, so he immediately switched to Luna Trigger mode to prepare for a counterattack, but was stopped by Shotaro.

Philip couldn't help but shout, "Wake up, Shotaro! Narumi Shokichi died that night! This is a fake!"

Upon hearing this news, Akiko was completely stunned, and the fake Narumi Shoji actually attacked Akiko. Seeing this, W immediately stepped in to block, and was directly forced to transform.

Seeing Shotaro deactivate his transformation, the imposter spoke up: "I told you, a greenhorn like you isn't suitable..."

Bang!

Before the fake could finish speaking, there was a loud bang, and Skull was sent flying. When Shotaro looked up, he saw that the spot where Skull had been was now occupied by a new black figure.

A suit of dark gold armor stood silently in the sunlight.

Two saber-toothed tiger fangs pierced the sky from his forehead, and his amber-gold compound eyes coldly locked onto Skull's flying figure.

The golden photon veins on his body pulsated like living things, and the semi-transparent purple energy claw on his right arm still bore the arcs of electricity from the previous strike. At his waist, on the belt buckle transformed from a black cell phone, the saber-toothed tiger memory was emitting a dull, low-frequency pulse. It was as if a wild beast was roaring.