As a weirdo, I like being a Kamen Rider

A terrifying imperial aura enveloped the entire plaza as if it were tangible. Lin Chen stood rooted to the spot, holding the Earth Emperor Sword. His jet-black, gold-plated armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and his single, scarlet eye slowly rotated, sweeping emotionlessly over the lucky four-leaf clover beside him. While Lin Chen was contemplating his next move, he had already made up his mind. The Earth Emperor Belt was an Emperor-level belt, and given Kurosawa's personality, he would only use countermeasures himself. He could kill him instantly before he could react. He hadn't expected the opportunity to come so quickly. So what if he had a countermeasure? Only by playing a trump card can it be considered a bomb; holding onto something is meaningless.

[Ding! Defeat 1 cadre-level monsters, gain 50 evolution points.]

[Ding! Killed 6 ordinary-level monsters, gained 60 evolution points.] The system notification sounded, much to Lin Chen's surprise.

The four members of the group, including Momose, froze. The anger that had ignited due to Kurosawa's betrayal was instantly extinguished by fear, and their bodies trembled slightly uncontrollably. They had once been the rulers of this academy, the high and mighty lucky clover, but faced with that devastating attack, they realized just how vast the gap was between themselves and true power.

"Lin Chen... how dare you betray Smart Brain!" Momose roared, forcing himself to be brave, his tiger claws clenched tightly, but the tremor in his voice betrayed his guilty conscience. "We are high-ranking Orphnochs. If you kill us, the entire race will not let you go!"

Genda, Zhu Chuan, and Cheng Jin also assumed defensive stances, instinctively huddling together. The four Orphnoch auras intertwined, yet they still couldn't withstand the overwhelming pressure from the Earth Emperor's belt.

Lin Chen didn't speak, but slowly raised the Emperor Sword.

Dark golden photon energy surged together once more, the sword gleaming with a blinding light. Without any fancy moves, it unleashed a simple horizontal slash. A terrifying energy slash tore through the air, carrying unparalleled power as it swept directly towards the lucky four-leaf clover.

"Get out of the way!" Momose's pupils shrank, and he roared as he turned to flee, but his speed was as slow as a snail in the face of the Earth Emperor's absolute power.

The energy slashes fell instantly. Zhu Chuan, in his lobster form, Orphnoch, didn't even have time to scream before his dark red shell was shattered, and his body turned into black ash and vanished. Cheng Jin's centipede whip was instantly vaporized the moment it touched the energy, and his massive body crashed to the ground, quickly turning into sand. Xuan Tian roared and swung his bone blade, but it was easily crushed by the energy. His massive dragon-shaped body was cut in half at the waist, and black blood splattered out before turning into ashes in an instant.

Momose strained to activate his Orphic Factor, his silver-black scales swelling to their maximum, yet he was still struck by the aftershocks of the energy, half his body instantly turning to sand. He lay on the ground, staring at Lin Chen in terror, his amber vertical pupils filled with despair: "Why... are we all Orphic..."

Lin Chen slowly walked up to him, and the tip of the Earth Emperor Sword gently touched his forehead.

"I'm not one of you. I hate my identity." Since becoming an Orphnoch, the shackles of lifespan and the inevitable fate of the Orphnochs have descended upon him. If he could, he would still prefer to be an ordinary person.

As the cold voice fell, the Earth Emperor Sword was gently thrust forward, and Momose's head instantly exploded. The last lucky four-leaf clover was completely reduced to ashes and vanished in the wind.

[Ding! Defeat 4 cadre-level monsters, gain 200 evolution points.]

In just a few breaths, the lucky four-leaf clover that once controlled the entire Smart Brain Academy was completely destroyed.

The entire plaza fell into a deathly silence, with only the humming of energy from the Earth Emperor Armor on Lin Chen's body remaining.

Onoue Takumi gripped the photon sword tightly, his silver-black Faiz armor taut, his amber compound eyes fixed on Lin Chen, his photon blood shimmering slightly, ready to fight at any moment. Kadoya Tsukasa raised an eyebrow, his pink Decade armor casually standing upright, the card-shaped sword twirling in his hand. His green compound eyes were filled with amusement and wariness; he could sense that the power of this Earth Emperor before him was far more terrifying than any knight he had ever seen.

Two wary eyes were fixed on Lin Chen, and the air seemed to freeze.

But the next second, Lin Chen did something that neither of them expected.

He slowly retracted the Earth Emperor Sword, and the dark golden photon energy gradually faded away. His jet-black armor, like shattered glass, turned into specks of light and dissipated in the air.

The moment the transformation ended, that familiar, excruciating pain, as if his flesh were being torn apart, swept through his entire body once more. His muscles, bones, and meridians screamed in agony, and every inch of his skin felt like it was being scorched by fire. Lin Chen's legs went weak, and he staggered to his knees. Cold sweat instantly soaked through his clothes, and his face turned ashen.

This time, however, he felt no fear. Instead, he suddenly raised his head, looked up at the clear sky above, and burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha—!!"

The laughter was manic and unrestrained, carrying with it the pent-up grievances, struggles, and despair of fifteen years, as well as the ecstatic joy of finally being freed, echoing across the empty square.

With Smart Brain no longer imprisoning him, the shadow hanging over his head finally dissipated completely.

Having transmigrated to this world without a home, I've survived for fifteen years in the cracks of society. Despite the hardships of survival, I don't have to worry about dying inexplicably.

But ever since he was captured by Kurosawa and brought to this academy, he has lived in despair and vigilance every day. Now, the shackles have been broken, all the enemies have been eliminated, and he is finally free.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?!"

Tsukasa Kadoya couldn't help but speak, his green compound eyes filled with doubt. The man in front of him, who had just crushed everyone with overwhelming power, was now laughing like a madman. It was too strange.

Onoue Takuya put down the photon sword, his face full of confusion. He could sense that Lin Chen had no killing intent at all, only a kind of ecstatic joy at surviving a disaster.

Lin Chen slowly stopped laughing, supported himself on the ground to stand up, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth caused by the pain, turned to look at Tsukasa Kadoya, his eyes full of sincere gratitude: "Tsukasa Kadoya, thank you so much."

"If you hadn't disrupted the balance of this world, if you hadn't brought chaos, I don't know how much longer I would have struggled in those dark and hopeless days."

He didn't say anything more, nodded slightly to Tsukasa Kadoya and Takumi Onoue, turned around and walked out of the academy. His back was straight and relaxed, and there was no longer any of his former forbearance and heaviness.

Onoue Takumi watched his retreating figure, opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't speak. He simply deactivated his transformation, walked to Yuri Tomoda's side, and gently hugged the frightened girl.

Tsukasa Kadoya stroked his chin, a hint of amusement flashing in his green compound eyes: "An interesting fellow, much more interesting than those weirdos who only know how to fight and kill."

He ignored Lin Chen's departure and turned to look at Faiz, who had transformed into Oogami Takumi.

……

Guangzhao Photo Studio.

Lin Chen stood at the shop entrance, looking at the "Guang Photo Studio" sign above the door, and walked in without hesitation. He knew Decade's story, knew that Guang Xia Hai was a kind-hearted girl who was somewhat nosy, and also knew that this photo studio could travel the world.

Lin Chen pushed open the shop door.

"welcome!"

A clear, sweet voice rang out, and Guang Xiahai ran out from behind the counter with a bright, sunny smile. When she saw Lin Chen, a hint of curiosity flashed in her eyes: "Excuse me, are you here to take photos?"

Looking at the girl with the pure smile in front of him, Lin Chen's heart, which had been tense for fifteen years, finally relaxed completely for the first time.

He made no attempt to conceal anything or lay any groundwork; he simply recounted in the calmest tone his 15 years of loneliness, the despair of having no homeland, the fear of being cursed by the Orphnoch, the struggle of being used as a pawn, and the relief of having just regained his freedom.

From time travel at the age of ten, struggling to survive in the cracks of Tokyo, to awakening the tiger-type Orphnoch, being imprisoned by the Smart Brain, and finally killing Kurosawa and Clover to regain his freedom.

His story wasn't about any earth-shattering feats, but rather the lonely struggle of a stranger in a strange world, which gradually brought tears to Guang Xiahai's eyes.

“It’s so pitiful…” Guang Xiahai wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, grabbed Lin Chen’s hand, and said firmly, “Don’t wander around anymore, just stay at Guang Photography Studio! This is your home!”

"I am an Orphnoch? Aren't you afraid?" Lin Chen asked.

“I might have been scared before, but I know Takumi’s story. He’s also an Orphnoch, and you told me your identity directly, so I believe you’re a good Orphnoch, just like Takumi!”

"Grandpa!" Guang Xiahai turned and called into the inner room, "Shall we take him in? He's like Shi, someone who can't find his way home!"

An elderly man with gray hair emerged from the inner room. He was none other than the owner of the Hikari Photo Studio, Hikari Natsumi's grandfather. The old man, Hikari Jiro, looked at Lin Chen with gentle eyes and nodded with a smile: "Natsumi is right, you're always welcome here."

"Thank you." Lin Chen bowed deeply. How kind of person he was, just like Mr. Sato.

Guang Xiahai immediately pulled him to sit down and brought him a cup of warm black tea: "Have a cup of tea to warm yourself up. This will be your home from now on! Shi will be back soon. You are all the same kind of people, and you will definitely become good friends!"

Lin Chen picked up the black tea, the warm sensation spreading from his fingertips to his heart, and a long-lost, truly relaxed smile appeared on his lips.

Not long after, the shop door was pushed open, and Tsukasa Kadoya walked in. He was stunned when he saw Lin Chen sitting at the counter drinking black tea.

"Hey! What are you doing here, you weirdo!" Tsukasa Kadoya pointed at Lin Chen, his voice full of shock. "Shouldn't you have left? What are you doing in my house!"

"Tsukasa! How dare you speak like that!" Hikari Natsumi immediately stepped in front of Lin Chen, glaring angrily at Kadoya Tsukasa. "Lin Chen is pitiful. He's just like you, all he wants is to find his way home. I've already taken him in! You two have to get along well from now on and you're not allowed to fight!"

"I'm supposed to get along with him?" Tsukasa Kadoya looked incredulous. "This guy just killed a whole bunch of Orphnochs!"

"They were forced into it!" Guang Xiahai said, hands on her hips, refusing to budge an inch.

Lin Chen, holding a cup of red tea, gently gestured to Tsukasa Kadoya with a smile: "Don't get so excited, Tsukasa Kadoya. From today onwards, I'm also a member of the Photographic Museum."

Guang Xiahai's grandfather smiled and waved his hand: "Alright, alright, they're all just kids, stop arguing. We're all in the same boat, it's good to look after each other."

Kadoya Tsukasa looked at Hikari Natsumi protecting Lin Chen, then at Lin Chen's calm expression, and sighed helplessly, having no choice but to accept the fact.

While waiting for Onodera to return, Lin Chen also gave him a brief greeting.

Everyone looked at the photos taken by Tsukasa Kadoya. Lin Chen, however, didn't join in the fun, instead sipping his black tea. It had been a long time since he'd had such a peaceful moment.

Amidst the laughter and commotion, a canvas fell from the screen wall, with a message card in the middle.

Hikari Natsumi curiously leaned over, picked up the card, and read the words on it: "Tsukasa Kadoya, don't get in my way in the next world. I'll get the Earth Emperor's belt sooner or later. Lin Chen, you just wait—Kaito Daiki."

"Haidong Big Tree?" Guang Xia Hai frowned. "What's that thief up to now!"

Lin Chen put down his teacup, picked up the card, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Daiki Kaito, the treasure hunter obsessed with stealing knight belts, has indeed set his sights on the Earth Emperor's Belt.

Having gone through so much, he is no longer a pawn to be manipulated. The Earth Emperor's Belt is his power, and no one can take it away from him.

Under the warm yellow light, the black tea steamed gently, and the cozy atmosphere of the photo studio dispelled all the gloom.

Lin Chen gazed at the sunset outside the window, a relaxed smile playing on his lips.

The cage that once bound Smart Brain has been broken, and the shadows of the past fifteen years have dissipated. Now, he will follow Tsukasa Kadoya, traversing various worlds, searching for his way home while protecting this hard-won warmth.

Lin Chen gently pressed his fingertips against his chest, the five-cent coin sending a cool sensation through the fabric.

A new journey begins now.

Chapter 30 Extra? The Beginning

In the late autumn evening, the twilight bathed the streets outside Tokyo in a warm orange hue. The evening breeze swirled the shadows of ginkgo leaves along the roadside, gently brushing against the windows of family cars and making a soft rustling sound.

A silver Toyota Corolla was driving smoothly up the slope of a residential street. There was no noise in the car, only the soft conversation of a family of three in Japanese, as gentle as the sunset shining through the car window at that moment.

Kenta Sato, in the driver's seat, gripped the steering wheel steadily, his face showing the weariness common to office workers, but his eyes softened instantly when he looked at the passenger. He was a technician at an electronics factory in Tokyo, and today he had left work early to take his wife and son to the nearby station shopping street to buy the taiyaki his son had been craving, as well as ingredients for his wife's favorite Chikuzen-ni (stewed fish stew). "We'll be home in two more turns. Tonight I'll make miso soup that you and Yuto like, and grilled mackerel," he said, turning to his wife in the passenger seat, his voice gentle, with the understated elegance typical of Japanese families.

In the passenger seat, Misaki Sato was adjusting her son's school uniform collar, her fingertips gently brushing against his soft black hair. She wore a simple off-white cardigan, her features gentle and kind, a faint smile playing on her lips. In a soft voice, she said, "Don't go to too much trouble. Yuto's tired from playing today, just make something simple." With that, she took a paper bag from her canvas bag and handed it to the back seat: "Yuto, eat slowly, the taiyaki is still warm, don't burn your tongue."

In the back seat sat Sato Yuto, just ten years old, a fourth-grade student at a nearby elementary school. His soft hair clung to his forehead, and his round eyes sparkled like they were bathed in the setting sun. He wore a dark blue elementary school uniform, clutching a taiyaki (fish-shaped cake) tightly in his hand, but didn't take a bite immediately. Instead, he looked up at his parents in the front row, his eyes full of dependence. "Dad, tomorrow is Saturday, can we go to the nearby park to fly kites?" His voice was soft, carrying the unique innocence of a child.

Kenta Sato ruffled his son's hair in the rearview mirror and nodded with a smile: "Of course, we'll go buy the prettiest kite tomorrow morning."

Misaki Sato smiled and gently patted her son's hand: "But Yuto has to finish his homework first. After you finish your homework, Mom and Dad will play with you all day."

"I know!" Yuto nodded vigorously, his little face full of excitement. He finally couldn't resist taking a small bite of the taiyaki. The sweet and sticky red bean filling melted in his mouth. He squinted his eyes and smiled, revealing two small tiger teeth. "Delicious! Even better than the ones sold at the school gate!"

Laughter drifted softly from the train window, mingling with the rustling of ginkgo leaves by the roadside and the clinking of convenience stores in the distance, creating a simple yet warm scene of a Japanese family. No one could have predicted that this delicate happiness would be utterly crushed in an instant by a sudden disaster.

Just as the car turned a corner and was about to enter the residential area, an out-of-control heavy truck suddenly rushed out from the side road on the left. The driver was obviously driving while fatigued, his face full of panic. The screeching sound of brakes broke the evening's tranquility, but he didn't have time to stop.

Kenta Sato's pupils contracted sharply, and his heart jumped into his throat. He instinctively jerked the steering wheel and slammed on the brakes. The tires left long black marks on the asphalt, and the car shook violently.

But it was all too late.

"boom--"

A deafening crash suddenly rang out as the front of the heavy truck slammed into the left side of the sedan, the immense impact instantly wrecking the small family car beyond recognition. The creaking of twisting metal, the shattering of glass, and Misaki's instinctive scream mingled together, exploding in the quiet residential street.

The car was spun twice after the impact before crashing heavily into a cherry blossom tree by the roadside and slowly coming to a stop. The car was severely deformed, and shattered glass was scattered all over the ground. The setting sun shone through the broken windows into the car, revealing a shocking patch of blood inside.

Kenta Sato's forehead slammed against the steering wheel, blood streaming down his face and staining his shirt. He struggled to turn his head to look at his wife in the passenger seat, his voice barely audible: "Misaki... Yuto... are you alright...?"

Misaki's body was tightly bound by the seatbelt, her face was as pale as paper, and blood was spilling from the corner of her mouth. With her last bit of strength, she turned her head to look at her son in the back seat, her eyes filled with despair and reluctance. Her fingers twitched slightly, as if she wanted to touch her son's face, but she was too weak to lift them. Her head tilted to the side and she became completely still.

Yuto, sitting in the back seat, was thrown under the seat by the tremendous impact, his forehead hitting the metal frame of the seat, blood blurring his vision. He could feel excruciating pain all over his body, as if countless needles were piercing his flesh. The roaring sound in his ears grew louder and louder, and his parents' voices became increasingly indistinct.

He struggled to lift his head and, through the shattered car window, saw the blood on his father's forehead and his mother's motionless figure. Overwhelmed by immense fear and despair, he cried out, "Dad... Mom..." He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Tears mixed with blood streamed down his cheeks, dripping onto the cold shards of glass.

He didn't want to die. He hadn't gone to the park to fly kites with his parents, hadn't finished eating his mother's miso soup, hadn't had time to grow up, and hadn't had time to protect his parents. A strong will to live and extreme despair intertwined, burning like a fire within his small body.

Just as Yuto's consciousness was about to completely dissipate, something long dormant within him was suddenly awakened by this extreme emotion. A scorching power surged through his veins, instantly engulfing his entire body, stronger than ever before.

He could clearly feel his bones emitting a deep hum, as if they were being reshaped and strengthened; an itch came from beneath his skin, followed by his muscles taut and swelling, silver-black scales slowly emerging from under his skin, his fingertips transforming into sharp claws, his ears becoming sharp like a tiger's, and his pupils being dyed amber. He could even hear the shouts of people in the distance clearly.