As a weirdo, I like being a Kamen Rider

It was that momentary lapse in concentration.

Lin Chen did not let it go.

On the Earth Emperor Sword at the end of the giant saber-toothed tiger's tail, platinum-gold photon energy surged wildly, causing the blade to suddenly extend to several meters in length.

The saber-toothed tiger suddenly turned around in mid-air. Its thick tail, carrying immense force, lashed out horizontally. A platinum-gold blade of light ripped through the sky like a bolt of lightning that split the heavens and earth, slicing through the fear dragon beast from its neck to its abdomen.

The dragon beast suddenly stopped.

It remained with its mouth open, the light in its scarlet eyes rapidly dimming. A thin, white-gold ray emerged from the center of its body, then grew wider and brighter.

The next second, the enormous dragon's body split cleanly in two. The terrifying, dark purple energy cloud instantly went out of control and exploded with a deafening roar. Black mist filled the sky. The terrifying entity flew out from the center of the explosion, tumbled several times in the air, and crashed into the paving stones of the square with a "thud," creating a shallow crater.

The fear-inducing creature struggled to get up, but spat out a mouthful of blood and fell heavily back down.

The giant saber-toothed tiger landed, its hydraulic limbs shattering the paving stones beneath it. Its amber compound eyes coldly surveyed Ryubei on the ground, a deep rumble emanating from its chest turbines. The giant saber-toothed tiger slowly shrank, transforming back into human form. W, Accel, and Caesar approached him, all staring at Ryubei.

“It’s all over, Father,” Philip’s voice came from W’s body.

"Guards! Do you still consider me your father? I haven't lost yet, why must I resist! I will bring down the ideal world!" Ryubei's voice was now filled with madness. Then, a swamp of fear appeared beneath him and swallowed him whole. Terui Ryu tried to stop him, but W spoke up. "You can run away, but you can't hide. Just go to where Izumi is."

Then, everyone turned their attention to the final battlefield: Decade versus the alien Skull.

The figures in magenta and black constantly clashed. Decade wielded the card-shaped sword, each swing accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, yet he could never completely defeat the alien Skull before him.

"You're really relentless." Decade dodged the black energy bullet fired from the Skull Gun, then swung his sword backhand, striking the alien Skull in the chest. Sparks flew as the opponent staggered backward, a large gash appearing in his chest armor, only to be instantly repaired by the black mist.

The alien Skull didn't speak, but gripped his skull gun and charged again. His movements were stiff yet powerful. Decade clicked his tongue impatiently, using his card draw sword to block the spear thrust, while his other hand drew a Knight card from his card drawer.

"Since normal attacks are useless, let's finish this quickly."

He inserted the card into the drive and pulled the lever.

"Kamen Ride! Kabuto!"

The magenta armor instantly transformed into a red and black Kabuto form. Decade raised his hand and pressed the button on the left side of his belt, and a cold, electronic voice rang out: "Clock Up!"

The world around them suddenly slowed down. Falling pebbles, the flames of the distant battlefield, even the fist that the Otherworlder Skull was throwing, all froze in mid-air. Decade walked slowly to the Otherworlder Skull, looked at his stiff movements, and gently shook his head.

"ended."

He leaped into the air, his right foot gathering red energy, and delivered a powerful knight kick to the chest of the alien Skull.

"Rider Kick!"

A massive explosion rang out. The alien Skull's body was blasted into countless black fragments, scattered across the ruins. Decade deactivated Clock Up and turned to rejoin the others.

However, he had only taken two steps when he heard the sound of surging black mist behind him.

Decade whirled around and saw the black fragments rapidly reassembling. In the blink of an eye, the unharmed alien Skull stood before him once more.

“I already told you,” Skulll’s hoarse voice rang out, his skull-shaped spear pointing at Decade. “Without Skulll’s knightly power, I wouldn’t die at all. No matter how hard you fight, it’s all in vain.”

Decade frowned and gripped the Card Box Sword tightly. He had already tried the power of several Riders, but he still couldn't completely destroy the opponent.

Just then, a huge roar came from the sky.

Everyone instinctively looked up. A silver-white Time Machine streaked across the sky and slowly landed in the center of the square. The hatch opened, and a boy in a high school uniform jumped out first, waving and shouting:

"Seniors, I'm back!!"

Tokiwa Sougo ran over with a smile, followed closely by Tsukuyomi. Behind them, a middle-aged man in a white suit and a white fedora slowly walked out.

The golden light flowing around Golden Limit W fluctuated violently. Shotaro's voice, trembling uncontrollably, came through the armor: "Uncle?"

Almost instinctively, he deactivated his Golden Limit Form. The emerald-gold light dissipated, revealing the basic form of Gale Ace. Philip didn't speak, but quietly felt the emotions surging in his partner's chest; their heartbeats, now one, became exceptionally clear.

Narumi Shokichi raised his head and looked at Shotaro Hidari, a faint smile appearing on his originally serious face: "It's you, Shotaro."

He pointed to Tokiwa Sougo beside him and continued, "I heard about you from this kid. You've grown into a real tough guy."

“Uncle…” Zuo Xiangtaro opened his mouth, but a thousand words stuck in his throat, and in the end only turned into these two words.

Narumi Shoji didn't say anything more. His gaze passed over W and landed on the oddball Skull not far away. His previously gentle eyes instantly turned serious as he looked at the black figure: "Somatsu... is that you?"

Skull, the alien, trembled violently as he gripped the skull gun.

He raised his head and removed the twisted black hat from his head. The menacing black armor receded like a tide, revealing Matsui Seiichiro's face. He looked at Narumi Shokichi with a complex smile on his face.

"Long time no see, Zhuang Ji. I never thought we'd meet again."

"Why did it turn out like this?" Narumi Shokichi took a step forward.

"Who knows? You probably don't have the power of a Kamen Rider anymore, right?" Matsui Seiichiro's eyes sharpened. "Without the power of a Kamen Rider, can you still defeat me?"

Narumi Shoji's expression was extremely serious. He looked at his former partner and said, word by word, "The power of a knight? Osomatsu, you've never understood. True power has never been the Gaia Memory. As long as I live, I will stop you again."

"Is that so?" A strange smile crept onto Matsui Seiichiro's lips. He slowly raised his right hand, and the pitch-black Skull watch face appeared in his palm. "Then let's have another match, partner. This time, I'm going to beat you."

As soon as he finished speaking, he pressed the button on the top of the dial.

"Skull!"

A piercing alien knight sound effect rang out, and black energy surged wildly on the dial.

Everyone in the square tensed up instantly. W immediately resumed his fighting stance, his eyes fixed on Matsui Seiichiro.

However, to everyone's surprise, Matsui Seiichiro did not insert the watch face into his body.

He looked at Narumi Shoki with a relieved smile, then suddenly swung his arm and threw the strange watch face radiating black energy straight at Narumi Shoki.

"The real Kamen Rider Skull should only ever be you."

Narumi Shokichi instinctively reached out and caught the watch face. The instant his fingertips touched the watch face, black energy suddenly erupted, transforming into a stream of light that surged into his body. At the same time, a familiar memory appeared out of thin air in his other hand, engraved with an "S".

"Skull!"

A crisp memory sound effect rang out.

Without the slightest hesitation, Narumi Shokichi inserted the memory into the Lost Driver that appeared out of thin air at his waist. He held the belt with his left hand and pulled with his right.

"Transformation!"

A black whirlwind erupted from his belt, instantly engulfing his entire body. Layers of black armor covered him, silver skull patterns appeared on his chest plate, and his signature black top hat was on his head. The moment the whirlwind dissipated, the real Kamen Rider Skull reappeared.

The instant Skull completed its transformation, Seiichiro Matsui's body suddenly became transparent. He staggered and slowly collapsed to the ground.

"Ah Song!"

Narumi Shokichi immediately deactivated his transformation, quickly ran to his side, squatted down, and helped him up.

Seiichiro Matsui leaned against Shokichi Narumi's chest, his breathing becoming very weak. He looked at Shokichi Narumi's face: "It's so nice, Shokichi. You still consider me your partner."

"I'm sorry... I was blinded by jealousy back then and did so many wrong things."

"However... this time I overcame myself."

His voice grew softer and softer, and his body became increasingly transparent.

"This time... it really is time to say goodbye to you, partner."

After saying this, Matsui Seiichiro slowly closed his eyes. His body transformed into countless tiny golden specks of light, gradually dissipating into the winds of Fuuto.

Narumi Shokichi sat silently on the ground, watching the specks of light drift away in the wind. He slowly removed his black fedora and gently placed it over the spot where Matsui Seiichiro had disappeared.

"This is really goodbye, partner."

He stood up, dusted himself off, turned to Tokiwa Sougo, and said in his usual calm tone, "Hey, kid, take me home."

"Huh? Oh! Okay!" Tokiwa Sougo was stunned for a moment before he realized what was happening and quickly nodded.

Everyone in the square was stunned, exchanging bewildered glances. What was going on? Weren't they supposed to fight? Why did they suddenly return the power to Narumi Shoji?

Decade leaned against a lamppost and said, "Who knows? But it's fine this way."

W stood there, watching Narumi Shoji's retreating figure, speechless for a long time. Philip's voice softly echoed in his mind: "Shotaro, Narumi Shoji, has always been the gentlest person."

Narumi Shokichi glanced back at W and nodded slightly. No further words were exchanged.

He turned and stepped onto the Time Demon Machine, the hatch slowly closing. The Time Demon Machine roared, slowly ascending into the air, finally transforming into a point of light and disappearing into the sky above Wind City.

The wind of the wind city blows across the square, stirring up fallen leaves on the ground.

W looked at the sky and clenched his fist.

"Don't worry, Uncle. I will always protect Fengdu."

The figure of the Fear Hybrid appeared in the underground space of Sonozaki Manor, came to the spring, and Ryubei, holding onto the well, deactivated his transformation.

“Failed…” he muttered to himself, “How could I have failed…”

"I already knew the future! All I had to do was let the person who came obediently ascend the throne! Why did it turn out like this!"

His voice grew louder and louder, eventually turning into a hysterical roar that echoed in the empty underground chamber.

"I am Sonozaki Ryubei! I am the ruler of Fuuto! I will not allow it to be like this! Absolutely not!"

He stared at the Well of Earth, a glint of madness flashing in his eyes. Since the newcomer refused to fulfill his mission, he could simply jump in and merge with the will of Earth.

"Just wait... someone come, my dream will definitely come true."

After saying this, Sonozaki Ryubei released his grip on the well. Without hesitation, he leaped in.

Chapter 177 Fear

The Time Demon Machine vanished into the sky as a speck of light. At that moment, W spoke up: "Alright, it's time to finish off that old monster, Ryūbei!"

Without hesitation, everyone immediately headed towards Sonozaki Manor.

"Come with me, I know the location." Wu Yan led the way into the villa. Reaching a corridor, he turned a vase on a bookshelf, and the wall slowly opened, revealing an elevator.

After walking up a stone staircase, the lights surrounding the Well of the Earth sensed someone approaching and turned on automatically.

The entire underground ruins were deserted.

"Where is he?" Terui Ryu frowned, gripping his engine sword tightly. "Is there anywhere else Sonozaki Ryubei could go? Or did he escape?"

“Let me check,” Philip said. W flashed with light and deactivated his transformation.

Countless golden streams of data swirled rapidly in Philip's eyes, and the Earth Library opened in his consciousness. Countless bookshelves filled with writing appeared out of thin air, and Philip's consciousness swiftly traversed between them, searching for all records about Sonozaki Ryubei and the underground spring.

Time ticked by. The room was so quiet that the only sound was the crackling of the oil lamp burning.

Suddenly, Philip opened his eyes.

“No need to look anymore.” His voice was calm but tinged with a heavy tone. “Ryubei didn’t run away. He jumped into this well.”