As a weirdo, I like being a Kamen Rider

Orange-yellow photon blood instantly spread throughout his body, and Kamen Rider Kaixa stood there in the middle.

Kiba glanced at the driver at his waist, his pupils contracting slightly. So, Kusaka Masato was the second rider.

But as the whip struck, Kiba had no time to think. His body churned with gray mist, transforming into a horse-shaped Orpheus to deflect the attack. Although both were shocked by each other's identities, and despite their opposing stances, they could only join forces to fight the enemy, temporarily forming a front line back to back.

Kusaka drew his Kaixa Blade Spear, its blade meeting Saeko Kageyama's rapier with a flurry of sparks. Kiba, on the other hand, used his speed to dodge and parry the long whip that Takuma Itsurou lashed out at him. But how could he possibly be a match for the Clover members on his own? After only a few moves, Kiba's ankle was entangled by the whip, and he was slammed to the ground, deactivating his transformation.

"What a pity, Kiba Yuji, the new president forbids us from touching you anymore." Takuma sneered, abandoned Kiba, and turned to support Kageyama Saeko.

Kaixa was at a disadvantage fighting two opponents at once. Kusaka gritted his teeth and blocked the attacks from both sides. Knowing that he would be defeated if he continued to fight, he made a feint and tried to withdraw.

"Trying to leave?" Saeko Kageyama sneered, her rapier aimed straight at his back. The two of them worked together to force Kaixa into her transformation as well. Her belt fell to the ground, and Saeko Kageyama was about to pick it up.

At the critical moment, a crimson figure rushed over. Takumi Inui transformed into Faiz, and his Motorized Pegasus instantly transformed into robot form, slamming into Lobster Orpheus and knocking him aside. Taking advantage of the moment, Inui picked up the belt and tossed it to Kusaka, asking, "Are you two alright?"

After saying that, he looked at the lobster and centipede Orphnoch with a serious expression.

The lobster and the centipede Orphnoch exchanged a glance. What happened? Wasn't the Faiz belt taken by the new president? How did it end up back in Inui's hands? Although they didn't know the reason, the two still fought again; they might as well snatch it back together.

Looking at Faiz blocking his way, Kusaka Masato, who had caught the belt, had a complicated expression. He knew that even if the two of them joined forces, they still couldn't possibly be a match for these two Orphnochs. He took out a wristwatch-like device from his pocket and tossed it directly to Inui Takumi.

"then."

"What's this?" Takumi Inui caught the wristwatch-like device that Kusaka threw at him; it was the Faiz Axel Acceleration Watch. He asked in confusion.

Kusaka replied, "Wear it on your wrist, and you'll know how to use it. It's an emergency, so this is a good deal for you."

Behind him, Zhuomo Yilang's long whip swept towards him with a strong wind. Faiz ducked and rolled to dodge, putting his watch on his wrist. The clasp clicked shut, and he pulled the slot on it while simultaneously sliding his Faiz phone from his waist.

"Complete!"

Faiz's full-body armor emitted a low, mechanical hum as the all-metal chest armor slowly unfolded to the sides, revealing the intricate energy circuits and core device inside.

The crimson photon stream that had covered his entire body suddenly lost its vibrant color, transforming into sharp silver patterns that spread across the black armor; the compound eyes on his helmet also changed from bright yellow to a deep crimson. His silver-and-black figure stood in the center.

The moment the shape stabilized, Qian Qiao pressed down hard with his left thumb on the red start button of the acceleration watch on his wrist.

"Start Up!"

The moment the electronic notification sound ended, everything around us was suddenly dragged into slow motion.

The long whip that Takuma had swung out stopped in mid-air, its tip frozen in place, its arc taut; the rapier that Kageyama Saeko had thrust forward was suspended in mid-air. In the accelerated vision, all movements were dragged into slow frames, only Inui Takumi's own movements remained fluid and normal.

He lightly touched the ground with his toes, his silver-gray afterimage skimming across the earth. He first circled around to Takuma's side, his gauntlets striking three vital points—his wrist, waist, and knee—each blow solid and powerful. Then he turned and lunged at Kageyama Saeko, sidestepping the stagnant blade of her sword, his spike deflecting her sword-wielding hand, followed by an elbow strike to her ribs, and finally a sweeping kick to her supporting leg's ankle.

The entire sequence of movements was completed. Qian Qiao finished her stance and returned to her original position, standing with her back to the two of them. The cold, electronic countdown sounded precisely on time:

"Three"

"Two"

"One"

"Time Out!"

"Reformation"

The silver-gray photon patterns faded back to crimson, and the flow of time returned to normal.

"Ugh—!"

Zhuomo was the first to cry out in pain, as pain exploded in his wrist, waist, abdomen, and knees at the same time, and the long whip slipped from his hand with a "crack". He staggered back a few steps, clutching his waist, and his knees buckled, causing him to kneel on one knee on the ground, losing most of the strength to even lift his head.

On the other side, Saeko Kageyama also trembled violently. Her fingers gripping the sword went numb and loosened, causing the rapier to clatter to the ground. A dull pain in her side made her groan.

Their faces were filled with astonishment and disbelief. From beginning to end, they only saw a flash of silver light, and before they could even see the trajectory of the attack, all the attacks had already landed on them.

Despite her severe injuries, Saeko Kageyama bent down to pick up her rapier. She glanced sideways at Itsuki Takuma, who was barely able to stand up while gripping his whip. The two understood the situation with just a glance—Faiz's accelerated form far exceeded expectations, and continuing the fight would only worsen their injuries.

"Let's go." Saeko suppressed a muffled groan, her figure flashing as she darted into the dense shade at the end of the alley. Takuma gritted his teeth and followed. The two gray figures disappeared into the depths of the alley in an instant, leaving only broken bricks and stones on the ground and the lingering smell of gunpowder.

Kiba slowly straightened up, leaning against the mottled brick wall, the skin beneath his clothes still throbbing with pain. He looked up at the two people at the alley entrance, his lips moved, but he didn't speak first.

Having escaped danger, Kusaka Masato turned his gaze to Kiba. He hadn't expected Mari to be in love with an Orphnoch; perfect timing—he could eliminate him directly, killing two birds with one stone. He strode straight over.

Just then, Faiz's figure blocked Soga's path.

"Get out of the way." Soga stopped in front of Inui, his voice icy.

Qian Qiao didn't move. Instead, he stepped forward half a step, blocking Kiba's way, and directly questioned, "What do you want to do?"

"What to do? Of course, to eliminate these monsters." Kusaka sneered and put the Kaixa belt on his waist.

Hearing Kusaka's reply, Takumi Inui's expression turned serious beneath his armor: "I won't let you do that!"

"What do you mean?" Kusaka looked up, her anger almost overflowing. "You stopped me last time with that Orphnoch, and you're doing it again now. Takumi Inui, are you really planning to protect these monsters?"

“He’s different.” Qian Qiao’s voice was not loud and his speech was slow, but it carried an undeniable force. “He just wants to live peacefully as a human. Now even his own kind are hunting him down, and he’s on our side.”

"Stand aside?" Kusaka scoffed as if he'd heard the biggest joke in the world, but there was no mirth in his eyes. "You actually believe Orphnoch? How do you know they might have some other scheme in mind?"

“He is a friend of mine and Truth, I know that.” Qian Qiao raised his eyes and looked directly at Cao Jia. “He is not an enemy.”

"You know what you're doing?" Kusaka took a step closer, her words filled with exasperation. "Takumi Inui, you're utterly foolish. Once these monsters bare their fangs, no one will be able to save you."

He stared intently at Qian Qiao's back, which was blocking his way, his chest churning with anger. After a long stalemate, he realized that he was injured and might not have the upper hand in a fight. Finally, he gritted his teeth and swung his arm violently.

"Fine, you're going to protect him, huh? I'd like to see how long you can keep doing that."

After saying that, he turned and left.

The alley fell silent for a moment. Qian Qiao stared in the direction where Cao Jia had disappeared, remained silent for a few seconds, and then slowly lowered the arm that had been blocking his way.

"Thank you, but is this alright?" Kiba asked in a low voice.

Qian Qiao waved her hand without turning around, her gaze fixed on the shadows at the alley entrance: "I can just tell the difference between good and bad, and I trust you."

On the edge of the rooftop above, two figures in dark suits stood silently by the railing, taking in the aftermath of the battle and the ensuing dispute in the alley below.

The man on the left stood tall and straight, his suit sleeves neatly pressed, casually stroking the cold metal railing, his demeanor exuding an elegant nonchalance.

He watched Soga's indignant departure from the alleyway, a faint smile playing on his lips. As he spoke, his voice carried a hint of amusement: "So this is the Kamen Rider of this world? It looks quite professional, but it's a pity there are so many internal disagreements."

The man beside him rested his hands on the railing, his gaze fixed on the crimson knight's figure in the alley. His tone was flat, revealing no extra emotion: "Their relationship is not within our consideration. We specifically asked you to come here today because we want you to lend a hand. On my own, the current situation is still too difficult."

“You’re being too polite.” The elegant man turned his head, his tone relaxed and composed. “After all, you gave me a second life. Besides… I also want to see with my own eyes what my ‘kind’ in this world really looks like.”

“Very good.” The composed man nodded slightly. “You can spend a few days getting familiar with this world. Then, I will guide you to actually get started on what you are supposed to do this time. Thank you, Wu Yan.”

"Yes, sir! President Lin Chen!"

Chapter 203 Contradictions and Delta

In the past week, an urban legend has been spreading silently like a virus within the lower-class Orphnoch community.

The source was two disappearances in an abandoned factory area on the outskirts of the city. Two low-ranking Orphnochs who often hunted humans in the vicinity did not return home all night, and the next day someone found two puddles of fine gray sand at the end of an alley.

Orphnoch, still shaken from hiding in the shadows to avoid the rain that night, said he saw with his own eyes a strange figure made entirely of metal standing beside the gravel, its outer shell sharp and cold, neither like a Kamen Rider nor Orphnoch's mutated form.

Then a large number of Orphnoch disappearances began. As the news spread, the versions became increasingly bizarre.

Some say that the metal monster has no facial features, only a scarlet scanning light that sweeps across it. If an Orphnoch is targeted, it will freeze instantly and disintegrate into sand before it can even scream.

Some say it can appear out of thin air from the shadows, its body covered in sharp metal thorns, and it attacks without any unnecessary movements, targeting only lone Orphnochs and never harming humans; others claim with great seriousness that it even dares to target four-leaf clover-level powerhouses, and is a "hunter" specifically targeting Orphnoch populations.

Panic spread like ripples. The lower-ranking Orphnochs who used to dare to wander alone at night began to travel in groups, all fearing that they would be the next to disappear.

In the president's office of Smart Brain, Smart Lady held a neatly organized field logbook and quietly reported the escalating urban legend to Lin Chen.

She paused, then added that many of the lower-ranking Orphnochs were no longer willing to carry out field missions alone. If this continued, it might affect the company's plans. Should they send someone to investigate the origins of the strange man?

Lin Chen's fingers never stopped flipping through the documents, and he didn't even look up. His tone was so calm that it was impossible to tell his emotions: "Don't worry about it."

Smart Lady hesitated for a moment, as if she wanted to say something more. But before she could speak, Lin Chen glanced at her and said, "Go down and do your job."

Seeing this, the smart lady dared not say anything more. She gave a slight bow and quietly left the office. The door closed slowly, and the office returned to silence. Lin Chen looked up at the city skyline outside the floor-to-ceiling window, his eyes showing no emotion.

The office door had barely closed for a few seconds when fine gray ripples appeared in the air beside Lin Chen.

The dimensional barrier unfolded, and a burly metal body slowly stepped out from the ripples, its omnidirectional wheels gently locking, making almost no extra sound.

Its entire body is based on a matte silver-black finish, with crimson photon tubes like boiling blood, winding and climbing along the gaps in the armor, spreading from the torso to the extremities. It is nearly twice as large as the Motorized Pegasus, with strong and heavy lines, without any superfluous decorations, and exudes a powerful sense of oppression just by standing still.

The head is shaped like a long, narrow fighter jet helmet, with a scarlet single-eye optical core slowly rotating in the center; the blade-like fairings on both sides are sharp as knives, with a faint crimson halo around the edges, and the chest armor is half open.

The missile compartments are faintly visible inside the thick shoulder armor; the forearm armor conceals a large-caliber photon cannon muzzle, and the three mechanical claws at the end have cold, hard edges.

Lin Chen looked up at it: "How's this body? Is it suitable?"

A scarlet single eye, a deep, heavy mechanical synthesized voice with a faint electrical hum, rang out, but strangely it was a female voice: "A completely new experience, but there is still a big difference between this and a real human. I can feel that if this body can truly develop a human heart, it will undergo a new evolution and become a true life form."

"Really? It seems Philip has come up with something extraordinary. By the way, how's its consciousness now?" Lin Chen asked.

"Like a child, but I will try my best to guide it into the way you expect it to be."

"Thank you for your help. How's the cleanup operation going?"

"The first round of cleanup operations has been completed, and all targets that continued to attack humans despite the ban have been eliminated."

Lin Chen nodded slightly: "Very good, but please continue."

The mechanical lifeform nodded slightly, its chest reactor began to rotate, and ripples spread across the dimensional wall beside it once more. Its figure slowly disappeared into the ripples.

Inside Bar Clover, jazz music languidly swirled around the beams and pillars, while warm, dim lighting fell on the gleaming bar counter.

Saeko Kageyama slowly wiped a wine glass, her fingers holding a chamois cloth; Ichiro Takuma sat beside her, his fingers turning the pages of a poetry collection, his expression relaxed. Their movements both paused only when the glass door was pushed open and Murakami Kyoji walked in, bringing with him a chill.

Upon meeting him, Murakami began to subtly interrogate him.

"It's been quite a while, and the two of you working together haven't even been able to retrieve a belt." Murakami stood in front of the bar, his voice low. "After all this time, I thought you could at least bring Kaixa back, but you've really disappointed me. It makes me doubt your abilities."

Tsukomo Ichiro closed the poetry collection, raised his hand to adjust his glasses, and smiled with a hint of sarcasm: "Our strength is not for you, Mr. Murakami, to question. As for disappointment? Why don't you go and ask the new president yourself? How did the Faiz belt end up back in the hands of those knights, and now it even has an acceleration form?"

"If we charged in and fought head-on, what's the difference between that and offering ourselves up for a beating?"

Murakami's face was ashen, and he slammed his hand heavily on the bar, causing the liquor in his glass to ripple: "He's a traitor to the race! He occupies the position of president, protecting humans and those scum who have abandoned the race, completely disregarding the future of the Orphnochs."

“Since he’s not following the rules, we’ll use force to remove him from his position as president. You two, come with me and we’ll make it happen. After that, Clover’s power will only be greater than it is now.”

Saeko Kageyama chuckled softly, her tone calm yet every word piercing: "Use force to pull him down? Mr. Murakami, there are only three of us, including you. Do you think we can defeat Kitasaki? You should save your energy. Come find us when you can persuade Kitasaki to join the fight."

She looked up at Murakami, her gaze calm yet undisguisedly distant: "Besides, you're no longer the president of Smart Brain, so you have no right to order us around. And this is just your request; whether we fail or not is not your decision."

Murakami paused, opening his mouth but unable to find a rebuttal. He glared at the two of them for a few seconds with a livid face, and finally could only let out a heavy snort before turning around and slamming the door behind him.

The bar door closed, and jazz music filled the space again. Zhuomo Yilang chuckled and tapped the cover of the poetry collection with his fingertip: "He's really getting worse with age. When he first took the position of president, he was a man of some sense. Now that he's lost power, he's like a mad dog, wanting to bite anyone he can get his hands on."