As a weirdo, I like being a Kamen Rider

"President, we've arrived." Smart Lady turned off the engine and turned to look at Lin Chen beside her.

Lin Chen pushed open the car door and stepped out. Smart Lady followed closely behind, getting out of the car in her signature blue and black secretary suit, and stood quietly by his side with her hands at her sides.

In front of a laundromat not far away, Kikuchi Keitaro and Sonoda Mari were carrying baskets of clean clothes that had been dried and stacking them into a blue van. Keitaro, sweating profusely from his work, caught sight of the two approaching out of the corner of his eye. He instinctively straightened up, flashed a smile, and greeted them familiarly, "Welcome! Do you have any clothes that need washing, or are you picking up your washed clothes?"

The words had barely left his mouth when his gaze fell on Lin Chen's face. His words caught in his throat, his expression changed, and the second half of his sentence took a sharp turn: "It's...it's you!"

Upon hearing this, Sonoda Mari stopped what she was doing, straightened up, and looked at Keitaro with a puzzled expression: "Keitaro, do you know this gentleman?"

"I ran into him at the coastal park before. He was with an Orphnoch, and I accidentally bumped into him and fell down," Keitaro explained simply, his eyes showing a hint of wariness.

Lin Chen nodded slightly, took a half step forward, and greeted Sonoda Mari with a gentle look: "Hello, Ms. Mari, nice to meet you formally. I am Lin Chen, the new acting president of Smart Brain."

"The new president of Smart Brain?" Sonoda Mari's pupils contracted slightly, her heart filled with astonishment. She and Inui Takumi had visited Smart Brain a while ago, and they were received by Murakami Kyoji, who had just taken office. How could the president have changed so quickly?

Noticing the doubt in her eyes, Smart Lady stepped forward and explained, "Miss Mari, this is the acting president personally appointed by President Hanagata. He has taken full control of all company affairs."

Upon hearing the name "Hanagata," Sonoda Mari grasped the key point, her breathing quickening slightly: "Dad? You said he was appointed by my dad, which means... my dad is back?"

“That’s right, President Hanagata is currently at headquarters. If you wish to see him, you can go to the Smart Brain building at any time,” Smart Lady replied, following standard script.

Sonoda Mari's face immediately lit up with joy, but after glancing at the clothes that had just been arranged in the carriage, she looked slightly troubled: "That's great, but I have an urgent matter to attend to and need to go out."

“It’s alright, Miss Truth, you can go about your business first,” Lin Chen said.

"Thank you!" she said, then stepped aside and raised her hand, warmly inviting the two into the store: "Please come in and wait for a while."

Lin Chen and Smart Lady walked into the laundromat together. The store was not spacious, with two wooden tables in the middle, and two men sitting on either side talking in hushed tones.

Seeing this, Lin Chen's lips curled up slightly. He hadn't expected such an unexpected surprise. His only goal today was Faiz, but Caesar was also there.

Upon seeing the two enter, Inui Takumi and Kusaka Masato simultaneously stopped talking and stood up, their eyes fixed on Lin Chen.

The two reacted very differently.

Qian Qiao frowned slightly, her face full of confusion and bewilderment. Her impression of Lin Chen was clear and deep. He was the man who asked her in the park that day, "Would you take action against a harmless Orphnoch?" Although her answer had allowed him to successfully return the Faiz belt to her.

He was later injured in a battle and rescued by a female Orphnoch, but he also witnessed the Orphnoch attacking humans. He has been struggling with this matter for the past two days.

Kusaka Masato was on high alert, his knuckles clenched unconsciously, his whole body tense, the scene of being easily suppressed by his opponent in the last battle on the overpass was still vivid in his mind.

Sonoda Mari glanced at the time, clearly in a hurry to leave, and quickly patted Inui Takumi's arm, instructing him: "Takumi, this is the new president of Smart Brain. He came here specifically to see me, so please entertain him for me."

After saying that, she quickly walked out of the laundromat.

With only four people left in the shop, Lin Chen calmly said, "We meet again, you two."

Qian Qiao was preoccupied with the worries of the past few days, and was completely lost in thought. She silently poured a cup of hot water and pushed it in front of Lin Chen, then sat alone at the table, head down, lost in thought, without saying a word. Seeing this, Kusaka Masato quietly moved to the shop's exit.

Looking at the two people, one quiet and the other hiding, Lin Chen spoke up calmly: "Mr. Qian Qiao, you look so troubled right now. Is something bothering you? Perhaps I can offer you some advice."

Hearing the voice, Qian Qiao looked up, recalling the question he had asked at the coastal park that day. After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "President, as the person in charge of Smart Brain, you should know about Faiz, right?"

“I understand Faiz.” Lin Chen nodded slightly.

"If you were Faiz, and an Orphnoch saved your life, but you also witnessed it attacking humans, would you, facing a monster that still retains a shred of humanity, directly kill it?" Qian Qiao pressed, seeing Lin Chen nod in affirmation.

Lin Chen did have some recollection of this incident; it was the first time in the original work that Inui Takumi had pondered whether all Orphnochs deserved to die. So, he slowly began to answer, "First of all, the other party saved me, and I will always remember this kindness and be extremely grateful. But killing someone depends on the circumstances. If the victim is an innocent ordinary person, I will give them a chance to repent, but only once."

But if those attacked are evil people, what do I care about their lives? I'll only remember that this Orphnoch saved me in my time of need.

"Is that so..." Qian Qiao murmured softly, her eyes still filled with confusion.

Just then, a cold, stern voice rang out from the shop entrance. Kusaka Masato stepped out, clutching his Caesar phone, the Caesar Driver already fastened to his waist, his fingertip poised to press the transformation command: "Hey, don't be fooled by his words! He's an Orphnoch too!"

Inui Takumi was shocked and looked at Lin Chen in disbelief. He had never expected that the stupid president in front of him was actually Orphnoch. However, this was only Kusaka's side of the story, and he could not believe it too much.

Lin Chen looked at the tense Kusaka, a faint smile playing on his lips, and said in a calm tone, "What, still planning to make a move? Why don't you put away that knight toy? You've already tried it once on the overpass; you're no match for me."

Before Inui Takumi could recover from the shock, his phone suddenly vibrated wildly in his pocket. It was a call from Sonoda Mari, reporting that Orphnochs were attacking passersby in the neighborhood. Without thinking, he rushed out of the laundromat to help.

Kusaka Masato had intended to team up with Inui Takumi to see if they could defeat the Orphnoch in front of them, but Faiz ran away. Now he was all alone and knew he had no chance against Lin Chen alone. After hesitating for a moment, he also chased after him.

In a short while, the laundromat was empty, with only Lin Chen and Smart Lady remaining.

Lin Chen straightened up, adjusted his clothes, turned to look at the Smart Lady beside him, and casually instructed, "Let's go, follow them."

Chapter 189 Civil War

The blue sports car followed behind the two motorcycles, keeping track of Takumi Inui and Masato Kusaka until they arrived at the foot of an overpass in the city.

Everyone assumed something bad would happen here. Following the usual pattern, the appearance of an Orphnoch would inevitably lead to an attack on ordinary people.

The area beneath the overpass was eerily quiet. Only a female Orphnoch, battered and bruised, was struggling to her feet, clinging to a bridge pier. Her feathery skin was a greyish-white, and her injuries appeared severe, clearly indicating she had just been in a fierce fight. Yet, there were no signs of death or ashes at the scene.

Lin Chen spread his senses, catching the lingering auras nearby. Two Orphnoch auras flashed by not far away. He recognized one—it was Kaidou Naoya. The other was less clear.

Just as the Smart Lady in the driver's seat was about to speak and introduce Lin Chen to the identity and information of this Tsuruo Fino, Lin Chen raised his hand to interrupt her: "No need to say more, I know Nagata Yuka myself."

Ahead, Masato Kusaka, riding his motorcycle, drifted and screeched as the tires screeched against the pavement, coming to a stop right in the middle of the intersection. Takumi Inui followed closely behind.

The two got out of the car at the same time and took off their helmets. Kusaka Masato's gaze immediately locked onto Nagata Yuka by the bridge pier, landing on her inhuman gray skin, his pupils contracting. A deep-seated disgust surged within him. He hated the Orphnochs most of all—these inhuman monsters that wantonly plundered lives.

Orphino.

Kusaka Masato let out a low, cold sneer, his tone revealing no hidden murderous intent. He immediately put his right hand into his pocket and pulled out his Kaixa phone.

"Standing By!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Masato Soga shouted in a deep voice, "Henshin!"

He clipped the Kaixa phone into the driver slot on his waist and pushed it hard.

"Complete!"

Orange-yellow photon blood gushed out, bursting from the belt and rapidly wrapping around the limbs, meridians, and the entire skeletal structure. Layers of hard, black and yellow armor covered the area, and the iconic X-shaped mask closed. Kamen Rider Kaixa, transformation complete.

After transforming, Kusaka Masato took a single step and charged straight at Nagata Yuuka. Meanwhile, Inui Takumi, looking at the disheveled and weakened Tsuru Orphnoch, froze in place. He recognized it; it was the Orphnoch that had saved his life before.

Qian Qiao was still struggling with her thoughts and hesitated to raise her hand to transform. She just stood there, stunned, not knowing what to do.

Lin Chen pushed open the car door and got out. The sound of an engine came from behind, and Keitaro and Sonoda Mari rushed over. After parking the car, the two immediately ran to Inui Takumi's side.

Keitaro, seeing the battlefield, was extremely anxious and immediately shouted, "Takumi! What are you standing there for! Transform now!"

Qian Qiao opened her mouth, her tone hesitant: "But..."

He wanted to say that the other person wasn't a bad person, that she had saved him, but for a moment he didn't know how to explain it.

Just as he hesitated, Lin Chen's voice rang out from behind: "Mr. Qian Qiao, she is your savior. I have already told you my answer and choice. What are you still hesitating about?"

Upon hearing this, Sonoda Mari and Keitaro were both startled, their faces filled with astonishment.

"My savior?" Keitaro was stunned. "Takumi, when did you encounter any danger to your life? What happened?"

On the front lines of the battlefield, Kusaka Masato's attacks were swift and ruthless, each punch and kick carrying immense force, a clear attempt to kill. Nagata Yuka, already severely injured, couldn't withstand Kaixa's onslaught and was knocked to the ground in just a few seconds, cowering under the bridge pier, trembling all over, forced to passively endure the blows.

Seeing Jiehua's helpless state and recalling Lin Chen's words, Qian Qiao's hesitation completely vanished. Regardless of whether the other party was an Orphnoch, she had saved his life, and he couldn't just stand by and watch her be beaten to death.

Without further hesitation, he raised his hand to put on the Faiz belt, and while quickly operating his phone, he hurriedly said to the two people beside him, "The matter is complicated, and I can't explain it in a short time."

My fingertips flew across the three numbers 555.

"5-5-5!"

A mechanical beep sounded: "Standing By!"

"Transform!"

Qian Qiao gave a low shout, inserted the phone into the belt buckle, and pressed down sharply.

"Complete!"

A burst of crimson photon energy surged through his veins, layering together black and red knight armor to cover his entire body, with silver-white lines outlining its sharp contours. After transforming, Faiz turned around, drew his photon sword from his motorcycle, and charged into the battlefield.

Swish!

A bright red blade of light slashed at Kaixa's back, abruptly interrupting Kusaka Masato's fierce attack and forcing him to retreat several steps. Sonoda Mari and Keitaro were completely dumbfounded. They had thought Inui Takumi had transformed to deal with Orphnoch, but Faiz's attack turned out to be aimed at Kaixa.

Qian Qiao showed no sign of stopping, slashing out with his sword one after another, striking the Kaixa armor and creating a series of dazzling sparks.

Kusaka Masato was both angry and furious. He quickly dodged to the side while asking in a deep voice, "What are you doing, Takumi Inui!" As he spoke, Kusaka Masato reached for the cross-shaped weapon at his waist and inserted a command card.

"Ready!" A yellow light blade instantly extended from the bottom of the weapon, and the two were entangled in combat again. Seeing the two locked in a fierce battle, Lin Chen was too lazy to watch this farce any longer and walked straight towards the fallen Nagata Yuka.

"President! Danger! Don't go!" Sonoda Mari hurriedly called out to stop him, fearing that the Orphnoch might suddenly attack and hurt someone. "It's alright, don't worry." Lin Chen's tone was calm, and he didn't stop walking.

He walked a few steps to Jiehua, bent down and reached out to gently help the injured Tsuru Ophiono to his feet.

Yuka Nagata was wary, her body tense, and she instinctively wanted to push away the unfamiliar Lin Chen. But when a faint Orphnoch aura emanated from Lin Chen, she lowered her guard, realizing that he was one of her kind.

"Go quickly," Lin Chen said in a low voice. "Faiz can't protect you, and he can't stop Kaixa. If you stay any longer, you'll surely die."

Nagata Yuka didn't run away immediately. She looked up at the two people locked in combat and asked softly, "Why... did he save me?"

She was clearly an Orphnoch, a monster in the eyes of humans. "It's probably a case of good deeds being rewarded," Lin Chen said calmly. "Don't hesitate, hurry up and leave."

Nagata Yuka gritted her teeth, took a deep look at the battlefield, and finally turned around. Dragging her heavily injured body, she limped away and quickly disappeared into the depths of the alley.

Watching Jiehua run off into the distance, Lin Chen completely lost interest in watching the show. A movement occurred in the void beside him, and a dimensional barrier slowly unfolded. Lin Chen reached in and pulled out the Earth Emperor Sword.

He casually swung it a couple of times to test its feel. It was fairly easy to use in human form, the only problem being that without the Earth Emperor Knight System to power it, the Photon Blade couldn't be activated and could only be used as a black longsword with excessive hardness.

That's enough. Lin Chen, carrying the Earth Emperor Sword, stepped into the center of the battle between the two knights. The two who were locked in combat were both taken aback. Kusaka Masato instantly changed his attack, trying to launch a sneak attack on Lin Chen, but Inui Takumi stopped him in the first place.

Taking advantage of the moment when the two were locked in a stalemate, Lin Chen no longer hesitated. With a flick of his wrist, the Earth Emperor Sword slashed horizontally, simultaneously striking at the waists of both men.

Clang! Clang!

Two sharp metallic clangs rang out simultaneously, and Faiz and Kaixa's belts were cleaved away. Lin Chen couldn't help but mutter to himself, "As expected, the belt drop rate in the Faiz world is extremely high."

Without the driver's power, both Rider armors disintegrated and vanished, forcing the two riders to deactivate their transformations and revert to human form. Silence fell over the arena.

Lin Chen gripped the Earth Emperor Sword, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable authority: "Enough. The Knight System is the property of Smart Brain, not a toy for your private infighting."

Kusaka Masato's face turned ashen as he stared intently at Lin Chen: "You damned Orphnoch! Your sneak attack was utterly despicable!" Ignoring Kusaka's angry curses, Inui Takumi immediately turned his head to look in the direction where Nagata Yuka had fled, and raised his foot to chase after her to make sure she was safe.

At that moment, Sonoda Mari and Keitaro rushed over and blocked their way, their faces full of confusion.

"Takumi, what exactly happened? Why did you help Orphnoch fight against the Kōka? What savior? Explain yourself!" Sonoda Mari hurriedly asked, full of confusion.

Qian Qiao shook her head: "This is my own business, it has nothing to do with you, you wouldn't understand."

“We’re partners! What can’t you say? How will we understand you if you don’t tell us?” Sonoda Mari continued.

Keitaro quickly chimed in, "That's right, Takumi!"