As a weirdo, I like being a Kamen Rider

These words immediately enraged Shotaro: "You know this old man? But the way you're talking is really annoying!"

"Displeased? Whatever." The man began his self-introduction, "My name is Matsui Seiichiro, Narumi Shokichi, my partner back then."

Upon hearing this, Shotaro was completely stunned.

He had followed the uncle for many years and had never heard of his master having a partner named Matsui Seiichiro.

Seeing Shotaro's blank and completely unaware expression, Matsui Seiichiro's originally gentle face instantly twisted completely, his eyes surging with overwhelming ferocity and resentment.

"Even my existence has been completely erased? Narumi Shokichi, in your eyes, am I that shameful?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand, took out a black watch, and pressed the button with his fingertips.

A cold, electronic sound suddenly exploded: "Skull!"

Black energy instantly enveloped his entire body. Shotaro's expression changed drastically, and he immediately reached out to protect Akiko behind him.

Where Matsui Seiichiro had originally stood, the human form had completely disappeared, replaced by a hideous and bizarre deformed knight's body.

Its body was unusually tall and twisted, its white top hat tattered and jagged, covered in dark stains. The helmet below was made of weathered, shattered bone, from which a strange, deep purple energy seeped.

Within the hollow eye sockets, a pair of blood-red compound eyes glowed eerily, cold and ferocious. The jaw was torn open all the way to the ears, revealing rows of sharp fangs that exuded a bloodthirsty ferocity.

The black trench coat, riddled with holes, hung on his torso like tattered rags. Six stark white ribs pierced through his chest, each distinct, with an empty skull-like chest cavity in the center.

The black belt around his waist was twisted and deformed, with a Gaia Memory engraved with the number "1999" and covered in cracks and damage embedded in it.

Chapter 161 Philip's Arrest

Upon seeing the grotesque Skull before him, Shotaro Hidari dared not delay for a moment. He raised his hand, fastened the Lost Driver to his waist, and immediately called upon Philip in his mind to act in sync.

Seeing the Gale Memory appear at his waist, he immediately took out the Ace Gaia Memory and inserted it into the slot. With a flash of light, Kamen Rider W's Gale Ace form took shape.

Neither of them rushed forward to attack; they remained a few steps apart, wary and in a standoff.

Another Skull tilted its head, a hoarse voice emanating from the shattered skull armor: "So you're a Kamen Rider too. I just wonder how much worse you are compared to your master, Narumi Sokichi."

"Stop talking nonsense, we'll see after the fight!" Shotaro's tone hardened, and he raised his foot to charge forward.

“Wait a minute.” Skull, the outcast, suddenly raised his hand to stop them. “If you’re going to fight, don’t do it inside. No matter what, I still have some feelings for this firm, and I don’t want to make a mess of it.”

Shotaro paused for a moment, then thought about it and realized it made sense. If they really fought indoors, all the furniture, doors, and windows would definitely be destroyed. He nodded: "Okay, let's fight outside then."

After saying that, the two walked together towards the small door of the agency. To show that he had no intention of ambushing, the outcast Skull stepped out of the room first. Taking advantage of this moment, Shotaro lowered his voice and instructed Akiko behind him: "Contact Lin Chen quickly. I have a feeling that this guy is not right. Don't be careless."

Akiko nodded quickly, and watching W follow the alien Skull out the door, she immediately picked up her communicator and dialed Lin Chen's number.

The receiver kept playing the "no answer" message, and she dialed several times with the same result, which made her so anxious that she stomped her feet in frustration.

Unable to contact Lin Chen, she quickly found the contact information for Tokiwa Sougo and Terui Ryu. This time, the call went through smoothly, and she quickly explained the sudden situation to them, urging them to come and provide support as soon as possible.

Before long, the battlefield shifted to the entrance of the billiard hall next to the detective agency. This open space, usually deserted, became the perfect arena for the two to clash. W and the Outcast Skull stood face to face, the tense atmosphere ready to explode.

The outcast Skull struck first, unleashing a powerful straight punch that whistled through the air. Shotaro nimbly dodged, sidestepping the attack, his fist slamming into the ground and kicking up dust. The two exchanged blows for several rounds, but Shotaro grew increasingly anxious. His opponent's fighting skills were terrifyingly solid, his moves both ruthless and cunning. He was completely overwhelmed and couldn't gain any advantage whatsoever.

He immediately switched his memory, crimson flames instantly enveloping his entire body, transforming him into Heat Joker form. His fists, imbued with scorching heat, unleashed a barrage of fiery punches. But the flames struck the bone armor on the alien Skull's chest, only sending up a few scattered sparks; they couldn't even break through the opponent's defenses.

During the fight, Shotaro felt inexplicably awkward. Many of his opponent's punches and blocks had a familiar feel to them, vaguely reminiscent of his master, Narumi Shokichi.

Unfazed, Skull easily deflected the incoming fire punch, then thrust forward, his hard elbow slamming into W's chest. The immense impact caused Shotaro to lose his balance, staggering several steps backward.

After regaining his footing, Shotaro dared not hold back any longer. He switched his memory again, the metallic patterns covering the left half of his body, transforming into Heat Metal form. He drew the long metal staff that extended from his back, charged up his strength, and slammed it down hard on his opponent. The blow was powerful; Another Skull couldn't completely dodge and was struck in the chest by the staff, involuntarily staggering backward.

The alien Skull raised his hand and patted off non-existent dust from his bone armor, his tone becoming more serious: "I didn't expect you to actually have some skills. Looks like I'll have to show you my true abilities too."

As soon as he finished speaking, he charged forward again, his strength and speed suddenly surging, as if he had instantly broken free of all restraints. He grabbed the metal rod in W's hand, twisted his wrist forcefully, and kicked Shotaro hard in the abdomen. W lost his balance completely and was sent flying.

Skull, the outcast, casually tossed the metal staff he had snatched in his hand and muttered, "Hmm, this weapon is pretty handy." He then gripped the staff and assumed an offensive stance, his gaze fixed on W, who had landed on the ground.

Since transforming into W, this was the first time his weapon had been forcibly taken away by the enemy. Shotaro had no time to be surprised; realizing he was no match for them in close combat, he immediately changed tactics. Luna and the Trigger Memory were inserted into the driver, completing the transformation, and a trigger gun appeared in his hand. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger, and a dense barrage of energy bullets rained down.

Facing the onslaught of bullets, the alien Skull held his long metal staff horizontally in front of him, the staff spinning rapidly to form an impenetrable defensive barrier, deflecting all the bullets. He switched the staff to his left hand, and with his right hand pulled out a bizarrely shaped skull-patterned pistol—the Skull Magnum—and immediately engaged W in a firefight.

Gunfire clashed, and the sounds of explosions and metal colliding echoed across the open ground, leaving the two locked in a stalemate.

Just then, a figure came running quickly along the intersection. It was Tokiwa Sougo, who had received Akiko's message. He recognized the strangely shaped, sinister-looking Rider in the arena from afar and, without hesitation, immediately drew his Rider Ride Watch.

"Transform! Zi-O!"

A clear electronic sound pierced the night sky. Sougo inserted the watch into the driver and turned the switch with his wrist. "Rider Time!" A golden spacetime rift unfolded behind him, countless phantom gears swirling and surging. The heavy knight armor covered his entire body like flowing water, the hour and minute hands on the chest plate particularly striking. The moment the helmet fell off, the transformation was complete.

"Kamen Rider Zi-O!"

Zi-O gripped the Time Hand Sword tightly and charged towards the battlefield at full speed.

The sound of a blade slicing through the air startled the two combatants. Another Skull stopped firing, gripping its metal staff and swinging it horizontally to try and stop Zi-O's charge. Sougo raised his sword to parry the staff's attack, then flicked his wrist, sending the metal staff flying into the air. Immediately afterward, he slashed out with his clock hand sword, striking Another Skull hard in the side. The impact of the armor sparked a shower of sparks.

W, on the other side, seized the opportunity, his right arm suddenly extending to catch the falling metal rod. He then planted the rod directly into the ground.

Using the pull, W lunged towards the Otherworld Skull, switching forms mid-air once more. The Frenzy and Metal Memories activated simultaneously, transforming him into the Frenzy Metal form. The instant he landed, he inserted the Frenzy Memories into the slot of his staff, the tip instantly bursting into flames. He swung the staff with all his might, the fiery shaft striking the Otherworld Skull hard in the back.

A violent explosion rang out, and flames instantly engulfed the opponent's figure.

Shotaro put down his stick and stood still. Sougo also put down his clock hand sword. Just as he was about to go forward to check the situation, he reached out and stopped W, who was about to approach, and gestured for him to look at the center of the explosion.

The body, which had been blasted into countless fragments, seemed to have reversed time, with the fragments gathering back together. Moments later, the complete alien Skull reappeared in the same spot. He bent down to pick up the fallen white hat, casually brushed off the dust, and looked at the two of them, teasingly saying, "Pretty decisive kid, much more efficient than your master."

Seeing his opponent come back to life, Shotaro was completely stunned. He turned to Sougo and hurriedly asked, "What's going on? They were blown to pieces, how could they reappear?"

“He is Another Rider Skull,” Sougo explained solemnly. “Another Riders have special rules. To completely eliminate him, only those who possess the true power of Kamen Rider Skull can do so. Ordinary attacks are simply ineffective.”

"Kamen Rider Skull? Who's that? Where is he now?" Shotaro asked repeatedly, his mind full of questions.

As the two were exchanging questions and answers, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, a young voice suddenly came from the alley next door, interrupting their conversation.

"Hey, stop fighting, we've got our target."

The three of them turned to look at the alley entrance at the same time, where they saw a boy wearing a bright blue stand-up collar jacket and with feather decorations in his hair standing there. Beside him stood two strangely shaped hybrids.

One of them was a beast-like monster, surrounded by a primal and violent wild aura. Its torso was encased in cold, hard metal armor, and a huge fanged beast face was embedded in its chest, with its protruding bronze teeth looking particularly ferocious.

The other hybrid was even more peculiar in appearance, lacking conventional limbs and torso. Half of a small, stone-gray pyramid floated in mid-air, with a huge single eye embedded in the center of the top, as if it had been cut in half. The surface was covered with golden cracks, like a hideous scar, and the single eye coldly scanned the entire scene.

A familiar figure was slung across the shoulder of the beast-like hybrid. Shotaro stared intently, then cried out, "That's Philip's body!"

Upon seeing Ur, Zhuang Wu immediately recognized the Time Jacker and called out, "Ur!"

Ul waved his hand with a smile, his tone relaxed and casual: "Yo, Zi-O. This time, we will definitely create a true king. Alright, enough chit-chat, it's time to retreat." After saying that, he turned to the floating pyramid dopant and gave it a command.

"Understood." The one-eyed hybrid responded, immediately activating its special ability.

"Damn it! Put Philip down right now!" Shotaro was both anxious and angry, and he raised his foot to rush forward to stop him.

But the other party completely ignored his roar. Suddenly, blue grid lines appeared on the ground and spread outwards at an extremely fast speed, causing the space to distort noticeably.

In just a few breaths, the blue grid covered the entire open space. Everyone except W and Zi-O vanished.

After everyone disappeared, fine crackling lightning suddenly danced across W's armor, and an intense numbing sensation instantly swept over his entire body.

Shotaro could no longer hold on; his legs buckled, and he collapsed heavily to one knee. The light from the driver at his waist flickered, and the mental connection that had been so strong with Philip was completely severed. No matter how he called out in his mind, he received no response.

As the layers of Rider armor peeled away, W was forced to deactivate his transformation. Shotaro slowly stood up, his face extremely grim: "It's over... I've completely lost contact with Philip's consciousness. Something terrible has happened."

Chapter 162 Sonozaki Laijin

When Lin Chen pushed open the door to the Narumi Detective Agency, the room was eerily quiet. Shotaro Hidari, Sougo Tokiwa, Tsukuyomi, and Akiko sat on the sofa, their faces so somber they could drip water. Ryu Terui leaned against the window, hands in his pockets, still with that same aloof, indifferent expression.

"What's wrong with everyone? They all look like they've lost their souls." Lin Chen casually closed the door and asked as he walked towards the coffee machine.

Before he could finish speaking, Shotaro's anxious voice came over: "Something's happened! Philip's been kidnapped! A strange guy suddenly barged in and got on our nerves. In the blink of an eye, that Time Jacker, along with two Doppelgangers, carried Philip's body away!"

"Oh, they've already been arrested." Lin Chen's reaction surprised everyone. He calmly poured himself a cup of hot coffee and even slowly added two spoonfuls of sugar, showing no sign of being in a hurry.

"You bastard!" Shotaro exploded on the spot. "Philip has been arrested! How come you're not worried at all? Did you know something bad was going to happen?"

Before Lin Chen could speak, the office door was pushed open again. A nonchalant man swaggered in, carrying a glass bowl and scooping pudding with a spoon, mumbling, "Hey, Lin Chen, Fengdu is really nice. The desserts are better than the ones I've been to in the other worlds."

All eyes immediately turned to this uninvited guest.

Shotaro's eyes widened instantly, and he pointed at the other person, shouting in a trembling voice, "It's you! Decade! Tsukasa Kadoya!"

"Yo, W, long time no see." Tsukasa Kadoya raised his eyelids, waved at him, and spoke in a very flippant tone.

"Wow! It's Decade-senpai!" Tokiwa Sougo jumped up from the sofa, his eyes sparkling with admiration.

Only Tsukuyomi's face turned deathly pale instantly, her body tensing instinctively. She stared intently at Tsukasa Kadoya, alarm bells ringing in her mind—how could this man, known as the "demon who destroys the world," suddenly appear here?

Tsukasa Kadoya, on the other hand, didn't stand on ceremony at all. He walked over to the sofa, sat down, and stuffed the last bite of pudding into his mouth: "This is really delicious."

He was very outgoing and quickly became friends with everyone, except for Terui Ryu. Looking at Terui Ryu's aloof expression, Kadoya Tsukasa spoke up.

"Tsk, another cold-blooded guy, so unlovable."

"Alright! Stop arguing!" Shotaro stomped his feet in frustration. "We don't have time for this now! Philip's been captured! And it looks like the organization has already colluded with those guys called Time Jackers! Who knows what might happen to Philip now that he's in their hands!"

"What's the rush?" Tsukasa Kadoya wiped his mouth, his nonchalant expression lessening, but the smug smile still lingered on his lips. "It's just catching someone, no big deal."

“That’s right, don’t worry too much.” Lin Chen took a sip of coffee. “I expected this a long time ago. Rather than saying they kidnapped Philip, it’s more accurate to say that I deliberately sent Philip there. This is a big gift I prepared for Sonozaki Ryubei. Before long, Philip will come back on his own, and he will bring us an unexpected surprise.”

In fact, Lin Chen had already begun preparations the moment he learned that the Time Jackers had arrived in Fuuto. In addition, given that Tokiwa Sougo had previously mentioned that Another W, who would rule Fuuto in the future, would wreak havoc by selling Gaia Memories, he was certain that the Time Jackers and the Sonozaki family would eventually join forces.

For Ryūbei, Philip, this "visitor," was always an indispensable part of his ultimate plan, no matter the circumstances.

Everyone was stunned, staring at Lin Chen in disbelief.

"You did this on purpose?" Shotaro's voice rose eight octaves. "How could you joke about Philip's safety like that!"

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Philip will be fine." Lin Chen waved his hand, then turned to look at Tsukasa Kadoya. "Have you found the world I asked you to find?"

“Of course.” Tsukasa Kadoya raised his chin smugly. “I spent several days finding this place. I guarantee there’s no world more suitable than that. When the time is right, we can just go there.”

On the other side, Philip was awakened by a wet touch.

He groggily opened his eyes and saw a round, blue British Shorthair perched on his chest, licking his cheek with its little tongue.

Philip was stunned for a long time before he reacted and tentatively called out, "Mick?"

"Meow~" Mick rubbed against his palm and meowed affectionately, then jumped into his arms and curled up comfortably.

Suppressing his joy at seeing Mick again, Philip propped himself up and slowly sat up, beginning to look around.

This is an extremely luxurious European-style bedroom. A crystal chandelier hangs down, casting dappled shadows. Only the floor lamp by the bed is lit, casting a warm, yellowish glow. The heavy, dark curtains are drawn tightly, obscuring the sky outside. Underfoot is a thick, dark-patterned black carpet that makes no sound when you step on it.

His last memory was of his body being carried away by the boy in the blue jacket and two strange men, and then his consciousness completely vanished. Where am I?