As a weirdo, I like being a Kamen Rider

Everyone present fell silent, no one spoke, unwilling to break this hard-won reunion.

After a long while, Shotaro Hidari from the main universe cleared his throat and asked the two data entities, "Alright. You didn't bring us here just to reunite those two, did you? What do you want us to do?"

"Because you and Philip are our shared choice," the green data entity said. "To merge the two worlds, we need a unique Gaia Memory as its core. This memory can only be controlled and used by the two of you. In order for you to withstand its power, from now on, you will remain in this world of consciousness and undergo special training."

"Special training? What about Futo?" Shotaro immediately panicked. "That old madman Ryubei has gone insane, and there are also outsiders. Without us, Futo won't be able to hold on!"

"Don't worry." Tsukasa Kadoya curled his lip and said impatiently, "The world of data won't take long. Leave it to us in the meantime. Seriously, I told you we're not babysitters, how did it turn out like this?"

"The capable should do more," Lin Chen smiled, deliberately provoking him. "What, are you scared?"

"Of course not!" Tsukasa Kadoya exploded. "Time Jacker, in the future you mentioned, I'll suffer a great loss at the hands of that guy named Swartz. This time, I'm going to have a good talk with him."

Seeing that Tsukasa Kadoya had taken the bait, Lin Chen smiled with satisfaction.

"What about us?" Wakana Sonozaki and Akiko, who had been silent until now, asked at the same time. Wakana held Philip's hand, her eyes full of worry; Akiko, on the other hand, looked around curiously at the pure white world.

“You guys,” Lin Chen looked at them, “just stay in this world for now. It’s safe and fun here. Treat it as a vacation and have some fun. Sherrard, you too, you can spend some time with your family during this time.”

Sherrard looked up at Lin Chen, his lips moved, but in the end he just nodded slightly.

Lin Chen said no more, turned to look at the blue and red data entity, and asked in a calm tone, "Is what I asked for ready?"

The blue and red data entity remained silent. It raised its hand, and several memory cells of different colors and a backpack-like object interwoven with black and yellow material condensed and floated in front of Lin Chen.

...

The year was 1999.

The twilight in Fengdu always carries a hint of ambiguous orange. The setting sun casts a long shadow of the cross-sea bridge, the seawater beneath it shimmers with light, and the Fengdu Tower in the distance appears and disappears in the twilight.

Kamen Rider Skull stood on the bridge, his scarf fluttering gently in the sea breeze. He removed his iconic white hat, the armor dissipating to reveal Narumi Sokichi's expressionless face. But looking at Matsui Seiichiro lying on the ground at his feet, his deep eyes held an unspeakable pain.

Seiichiro Matsui looked up at him, his shirt stained with dust and blood, his shoulders trembling slightly. The Knight's Kick had struck him squarely, and the Spider Memory had shattered in his chest.

The toxicity of the prototype Gaia Memory is deadly. The moment the memory shatters means the end of life.

Narumi Shokichi recalled that just ten minutes earlier, he had stood here, facing his former best partner, recounting his three sins word by word:

"First, I was unaware of the darkness within the hearts of those around me."

"Secondly, I hesitated for a moment before engaging in battle."

"Thirdly, therefore, I made the whole city weep."

Then he said, "Now it's your turn to list your sins, Asong."

And so the battle began. There were no extra words, only two people who had once fought side by side, now determined to fight to the death.

At this moment, Ah Song's eyes no longer had that crazed, bloodshot red. The toxins from the memory were dissipating from his body, taking away his last bit of life force.

He looked at Narumi Shokichi, his lips moved, and he made a faint, almost inaudible sound.

“Zhuang Ji…”

Narumi Shokichi's heart skipped a beat. He wanted to squat down, but stopped himself.

“Sleep well, partner,” he said, but couldn’t help swallowing as he said “Sleep well.”

Ah Song looked at him, and a smile slowly appeared on his face. It was a sincere and relieved smile, without any resentment or bitterness.

He wanted to say something more, but he no longer had the strength. He slowly closed his eyes.

Melissa, who was in the distance, was about to run over when the world froze. Swartz, wearing that purple leather jacket, walked up to the motionless Narumi Shoji.

He took his hand out of his pocket, holding a black watch face. He placed the watch face directly on Narumi Sokichi's chest, as if something was being absorbed into it. The watch face began to change, growing a bony shell, and the image of Kamen Rider SKull appeared in the center, though it looked extremely ferocious.

Then he squatted down, looked at Matsui Seiichiro who had already closed his eyes, and directly inserted the clock face. Matsui Seiichiro's body underwent a tremendous change. A hideous and grotesque deformed knight's body enveloped him.

In the distance, Tokiwa Sougo and Tsukuyomi watched this scene and said, "Is this the birth of Another Skull? Alright, it's time to obtain Skull's power!"

Tsukuyomi poured cold water on the idea: "But, Narumi Shokichi is already dead. Where will he get Skull's power from?"

"Ah?! I forgot about that! What should I do, Tsukuyomi!"

Chapter 168 The T2 Memory Scattered in Fengdu

The air at Sonozaki Manor today is like syrup soaked in ice, thick and cold.

The midday sun streamed in through the huge French windows, casting blinding white patches on the mahogany floor. Sonozaki Ryubei sat in the intricately carved rosewood chair, a cup of untouched black tea in her hand.

His eyes were half-closed, as if he were dozing off, but the fingers resting on the armrest were unconsciously tapping lightly on the table, once, then again.

Sitting next to him was Kato Shun, the representative of the X conglomerate. He wore a crisp white suit, his hair was neatly combed, and he wore a standard, impeccable smile.

As the highest-ranking representative of the X Group in Fengdu, he had entered and exited this manor countless times, but had never experienced such a oppressive atmosphere before. He always felt uneasy, as if something bad was about to happen.

"Kato-kun," Ryūbei suddenly spoke, his voice slow and deliberate, "how are the projects with the conglomerate going lately?"

Kato Jun's smile remained unchanged as he gave a slight bow: "Thanks to you, Mr. Ryubei. The collection of combat data for the T1 Memory is nearing completion, and the Foundation is very satisfied with the museum's results. I've come today to discuss future cooperation plans with you—"

"Is the memory development for T2 complete?"

Ryūbei interrupted him, his tone as indifferent as if he were asking what he had eaten that day.

Jia Toushun's smile froze instantly.

How can it be?

The development of the T2 memory was a top secret of Foundation X, with all experiments conducted at a secret base. As the project leader, he had only just seen the finished product. How could that old geezer, Sonozaki Ryubei, know about it?

"Mr. Ryubei, what are you saying?" Kato Jun quickly adjusted his mindset and tried to make his voice sound more natural. "I don't quite understand what you mean."

Ryūbei raised his eyes.

“Jia Tou,” he put down his cup, “we’ve been working together for so many years, and I’ve always admired you. You’re smart and capable, much better than my good-for-nothing children.”

He paused for a moment: "But don't try to be clever in front of me."

“I know what you’re thinking.” Ryubei leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes again. Sunlight fell on his gray hair, giving it an eerie silver sheen. “You think that the technology of Foundation X is more advanced than that of the museum, that the T2 memory is more powerful than the T1, and that you can abandon me and control the power of the earth on your own.”

“But you’re wrong.” His voice carried a hint of barely perceptible sarcasm. “The essence of the Gaia Memory is not technology, but the will of the Earth. You stole Wen Yin’s blueprints and created the so-called T2, but you don’t understand its true power at all.”

"Alright, you can go now." Ryūbei waved his hand as if shooing away a fly. "Go back and tell those people in your conglomerate not to have any improper ideas. Otherwise, the consequences will be something none of us want to see."

Kato bowed and said, "Yes, Mr. Ryubei. I'll take my leave now."

He turned and walked out of the living room, and only after he walked out of the gate of the Sonozaki Manor did he let out a long sigh of relief.

That old man was even more terrifying than he had imagined.

Even the wind is no longer safe.

...

In the presidential suite on the top floor of the Fengdu Hotel.

Junichiro Kato was sitting on the sofa, seemingly lost in thought. Just then, the doorbell rang. His subordinate, Tabata, entered with four bodyguards in black suits.

"Boss, everything is ready," Tian Duan said. "The helicopter is parked on the hotel's helipad and can take off at any time. The flight route has also been applied for; it will fly directly to the Pacific headquarters."

Jia Toushun nodded, walked into the bedroom, and took a black box from the safe.

He opened the box, inside which were 26 Gaia Memory modules neatly arranged. Unlike ordinary T1 Memory modules, these modules had blue interfaces, numbered from A to Z.

This is the T2 Gaia Memory, the pinnacle of Gaia technology.

Jia Tou reached out and gently stroked the top white memory chip. A black letter "E" was engraved on the surface of the memory chip.

Eternal.

This is the strongest of all the T2 memory modules, and also their proudest achievement.

“Tata,” Kato Shun closed the box and handed it to Tabata, “This is for you. You will personally escort it back to headquarters. Remember, no matter what happens, you must ensure its safety. Even if it dies, you cannot let it fall into the hands of others.”

Tian Duan solemnly took the box and nodded: "Don't worry, boss, I'll risk my life to deliver it safely."

"Okay." Jia Tou patted him on the shoulder. "Be careful on the road."

Tian Duan picked up the suitcase and turned to leave.

Just then, Jia Toushun suddenly felt a strange chill.

He turned his head sharply and looked towards the window.

The curtains fluttered slightly in the breeze, and outside the window was the bustling street scene of the city, with cars and people coming and going. Everything seemed normal.

But Jia Toushun's heart was beating faster and faster. He had a strong premonition that something dangerous was watching him from the shadows.

He walked to the window, drew back the curtains, and looked carefully outside.

The streets were filled with ordinary pedestrians, a few people sat drinking coffee in front of a roadside café, and a traffic policeman was directing traffic at the intersection in the distance. Nothing else.

"What's wrong?" Tian Duan asked.

"It's nothing." Jia Toushun shook his head. "Maybe I was just too nervous. Let's go."

Tian nodded and walked out of the suite with four bodyguards. The moment the door closed, Jia Toushun leaned against it, closed his eyes, and tried to calm himself down.

Unbeknownst to him, just as he turned around, a man in a black trench coat emerged from the fire escape at the end of the hotel corridor.

The man stood at the door of the suite, his back to the corridor window. Sunlight cast a long shadow behind him, obscuring his face. He stared at the closed door, a cold, mocking smile slowly creeping onto his lips.

His gaze passed through the heavy wooden door and landed on the black box that had already been taken away.

It was exactly 2 PM.

On the helipad of the Fengdu Hotel, a black armed helicopter was slowly starting up. The propellers whirred with a deafening roar, whipping up gusts of wind that almost made it hard to stand. Sunlight shone directly on the helicopter's metal exterior, reflecting a blinding glare.

Tabata, carrying a black suitcase, was the last to board the helicopter. He sat in the co-pilot's seat, clutching the suitcase tightly to his chest.

"We can take off now," Tian Duan said to the pilot.

The pilot nodded and pulled the control stick. The helicopter slowly rose, leaving the helipad and flying towards the sea.

Just as the helicopter reached a point about five kilometers from the coastline, the pilot suddenly shouted, "Oh no! There's something behind us!"

Tian Duan turned around.

A large transport plane suddenly appeared behind them. The plane was unmarked, entirely black, and resembled a giant bat, flying silently through the azure sky.

"What is that?" Tabata asked, his voice tinged with nervousness. "Is it a military plane?"

"I don't know!" the pilot shouted as he maneuvered the helicopter to avoid them. "They're not responding to our calls! And they're going too fast!"

Just then, the rear cargo door of the transport plane suddenly opened.