As a weirdo, I like being a Kamen Rider

“So I will not hand over the Golden Fruit… because you are the same.” Roshua sighed. “During the time I have been watching you, I have already foreseen your future. Humanity is destined to walk the same path of despair as we have.”

As he spoke, the giant trees outside the ruins groaned in the wind, as if playing a mournful dirge for yet another civilization about to repeat the same mistakes.

After listening, Lin Chen remained silent for a moment. He looked up at Bai Ya and asked a question that went straight to the heart of the matter: "Then, please tell us—is the Golden Fruit only awarded to the ultimate victor, or... is it enough for you to agree now?"

Upon hearing his words, a hint of surprise flashed across Bai Yaqing's pale face. "What are you trying to say?"

“If it’s the former, then I’ll kill you right now, eliminate those overlords outside, and seize the fruit. But if it’s the latter…”

He paused, a meaningful smile playing on his lips: "Then things become much simpler. All I need to do is get you to acknowledge that humanity is qualified to inherit that power, right?"

Bai Ya looked at him quietly for a long time before slowly speaking, her voice deep and resonant like an ancient echo:

"The Golden Fruit is the final judgment of Helheim Forest upon civilization. It will only choose the race that has proven its worth in the trials..."

Chapter 272 The Undercurrents of Zemei City

World Tree Foundation, conference room.

After returning empty-handed from the Helheim Forest, Wu Dao Guihu didn't even change out of his uniform, which was stained with humus, before immediately summoning the core members. On either side of the long table, Sengoku Ryoma, Sid, Minato Yoko, and others sat upright, the atmosphere so heavy it was almost palpable.

Guihu stood in front of the main seat, his hands resting on the table, his gaze sweeping over every face present.

"I've gathered you all here today to announce a top-secret matter," his voice hoarse yet steady. "It concerns the existence of the 'Forbidden Fruit,' the core of the Helheim Forest. And, effective immediately, Kouta Kazunari is being removed from the hostile list. He is no longer an enemy, but a potential ally."

"Director, what did you say?" Sid was the first to frown. "That kid is—"

He thought that revealing the news of the Golden Fruit would provoke a strong reaction from Sengoku Ryoma and Sid, but they were more concerned about removing Kazuha Kouta from the enemy list.

"This is an order." Guihu interrupted him coldly, but when no one could see, a shadow crossed his eyes.

After the meeting, Wu Daogui returned to his office. The door closed, and Lin Chen, sitting on the sofa, spoke without any politeness:

"Do you even know what you're doing? You've already heard from Baiya how the Fimsim civilization was destroyed. Their greed for the forbidden fruit led them to kill each other, ultimately turning their entire race into fertilizer for the forest. And now you're revealing its existence to the public?"

Lin Chen scoffed, his tone full of sarcasm: "Do you want this world to die not fast enough?"

Wu Daogui stood with his back to him in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, remaining silent for a long time.

“I know.” He finally spoke, his voice low and heavy, like a boulder pressing on his chest. “But I… have a new plan. And it seems my men are getting restless. When I mentioned the Forbidden Fruit, they weren’t even slightly shocked. Clearly, they all knew, sometime during the day. But they kept it from me.”

He turned around, his gaze piercing Lin Chen: "Lin Chen-jun, I know you're also interested in the Golden Fruit. I don't know why you came to me. But I can fully assist you, utilizing all the resources of the World Tree. But there's one condition..."

"You must ensure that when the fruits are finally reaped, the flame of human civilization must be preserved."

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Looking at the man before him, who had clearly been betrayed by his brother and was outwardly obeyed but inwardly defied by his subordinates, yet still stood tall, he suddenly found it somewhat amusing.

"A guarantee?" Lin Chen tilted his head. "Director Wu, are you mistaken? I've never been some kind of savior. And why don't you try it yourself? Although I'm interested in the Golden Fruit, I don't want it this time. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come to you. Don't worry, I'll definitely help you get it this time! There are even fewer people as naive as you, even more so than Kouta Kuzunoha."

......

On the other side, after returning from the Forest of Helheim, Kouta Kazuha went back to the dance troupe. He excitedly told everyone present that he had reached an agreement with the ruler of the World Tree. The ruler no longer regarded them as a threat, and the World Tree would no longer hinder their actions.

Most of the team members were thrilled, and the warehouse was filled with a sense of relief. However, soon someone noticed that Mitsumi Kureshima, who was always by Kouta's side, was missing and asked him where he was.

Kota Kazuha didn't want to reveal the truth about Mitsumi being grounded by Takatora Kurejima for ambushing him. He paused, then made an excuse, saying that Mitsumi had some family matters to attend to and needed to take some time off, so he couldn't come over.

The others didn't ask any further questions. They knew that Guangshi came from an extraordinary family; his daily attire and demeanor were completely different from those of them, the young people dancing in the streets. It wasn't something they could easily interfere with if something happened to someone of that social class.

So the topic was quickly dropped, and the warehouse soon returned to its lively state, as if the absent boy had never existed.

The next two days were surprisingly leisurely for Lin Chen.

He didn't go to Helheim Forest again, nor did he interfere in the affairs of the World Tree Foundation. Instead, he wandered around Zeya City like an ordinary tourist. During the day, he would sit in a corner of Drupers eating desserts and watch young people in brightly colored uniforms dancing to street dance music in the square outside the window; in the evening, he would find a rooftop to sit on and look at the white tower of the World Tree Foundation in the distance.

But this leisure is only superficial.

The entire city of Zeya was already rife with undercurrents.

"Forbidden Fruit"—this phrase spread like wildfire within the Beat Riders community.

However, all these undercurrents are just absurd urban legends to ordinary people.

In the square, several high school students were drinking soda and laughing as they discussed the "ghost stories" they had heard the night before.

"Hey, have you heard? Someone said there are fruits in that forest that can grant wishes!"

"Huh? You've been playing too many games."

"Yeah, what golden fruit? It sounds like a publicity stunt for a street dance competition!"

Laughter drifted away on the wind. Lin Chen stood on the edge of the rooftop, listening to the playful sounds coming from below, and shook his head.

"Ignorance is bliss..."

As soon as Lin Chen stepped off the rooftop, a burst of loud electronic music came from around the corner.

"Hey, buddy."

DJ Xiang Le leaned against the mottled wall, wearing headphones, his fingers lightly tapping the wall in time with the beat. He looked up at Lin Chen with a grin, snapping his fingers as if they were old friends reunited: "You really didn't disappoint me. With your help, the whole stage looks much better than originally planned."

Lin Chen paused slightly and turned his head: "It's you again. What do you want to be this time, commentator or salesman?"

"Don't be so cold." Sagara opened her arms wide, her smile bright. "The World Tree, the Armored Knight, the Overlord, and you, the biggest variable... everyone is turning for the Golden Fruit. The stage of this trial has never been so exciting."

He tilted his head, his tone seductive: "I'm really looking forward to it—which side will you ultimately stand on, traveler from afar?"

Lin Chen didn't answer, but walked straight past him, bumping his shoulder aside without any politeness.

"boring."

Xiang Le staggered half a step from the impact, but he wasn't annoyed. He just stared at Lin Chen's back, the corner of his mouth curving into a more pleased smile. He put his headphones back on and swayed gently to the beat, his figure gradually becoming transparent.

"The stage has only just opened..."

......

World Tree Foundation, Secret Laboratory.

The heavy alloy door closed behind him, isolating him from all outside noise. Zhanji Lingma stood in front of the holographic projection, which displayed erosion data of the Helheim Forest and a name highlighted in red—Wu Dao Guihu.

"We can't keep Guihu any longer."

Ling Ma turned around, his eyes behind his glasses as cold as two blocks of ice. His voice wasn't loud, but it seemed to make the temperature in the entire room drop several degrees.

Sid leaned against the wall, toying with the cherry energy lock seed, and scoffed upon hearing this: "Finally made up your mind? I told you long ago that that guy Guihu would become a stumbling block for us sooner or later. I just didn't expect him to act so quickly, actually going to Helheim Forest to contact the Overlord and even shaking hands and making peace with a street thug like Kuzuha Kouta."

“He knows far too much now.” Minato Yoko sat in her swivel chair, legs crossed, and added expressionlessly, “Besides, the existence of the Forbidden Fruit was originally known to only a very few people. Now? Even the kids dancing in the street are talking about the Golden Fruit. It’s obvious where the news leaked from.”

Lingma walked to the table, tapped his fingers twice, and pulled up a surveillance screenshot. In the image, the figures of Wu Dao Guihu and Kuzuha Kota standing side by side in the Helheim Forest were clearly visible.

“Kiho is too naive, and a boring person too.” Lingma’s voice was low. “What we want is evolution. The fruit itself. What he wants is to preserve human civilization. Our paths are different… so we can only let him leave the stage.”

Sid straightened up, a bloodthirsty excitement flashing in his eyes: "So, the plan is?"

Minato Yoko frowned slightly: "But he is, after all, the leader within the conglomerate. Outside, we are no match for him at all."

“Then let’s do it in the Helheim Forest.” Lingma looked at Sid. “Let those overlords handle it. All we need to do is… cut off his retreat at the crucial moment and make sure he stays in that forest forever.”

Sid licked his lips, revealing a cruel smile: "Using someone else to do the dirty work? I like that. But what about that mysterious man who's always been by the director's side? Just like DJ Sagara, he's completely untraceable in the database."

Ling Ma was silent for a moment, the data stream in the projection reflected on his glasses: "Take care of him all at once. No matter who he is, anyone who stands in the way of the Forbidden Fruit must leave the stage."

......

World Tree Foundation, office of Takatoro Kureshima.

A knock sounded at the door, and Sid entered: "Director, we've made a discovery in the Helheim Forest. The monitoring team photographed a fruit we've never seen before in area B-7, and we suspect it's related to the Forbidden Fruit. Would you like to go and confirm it yourself?"

Wu Daogui looked up from the documents, his eyes narrowing slightly. He stared at Sid for two seconds.

"Notify Yaozi to assemble." He closed the folder, his voice steady.

Ten minutes later, Wu Dao Guihu led Lin Chen, Sid, and Minato Yoko to form a four-person team and entered Helheim Forest through the crack in the laboratory. Twisted trees swayed under the dark red sky, and the sweet, pungent smell of humus filled the air.

Throughout the journey, Sid's gaze kept drifting towards Lin Chen. Finally, he couldn't help but speak, his tone tentative: "Director, this gentleman... I don't think I've seen him at the World Tree before?"

Wu Daogui walked at the front without turning his head: "External advisor. Like Ling Ma, he has studied Helheim Forest and Overlord. He's an assistant I invited."

"Oh? An external consultant?" Sid chuckled, his fingers unconsciously reaching for the lock in his pocket. "Someone the director would personally invite must be no ordinary person, right?"

Hearing Sid asking about him, Lin Chen glanced at him and said, "You talk too much."

Sid's smile froze for a moment, then returned to normal, though his eyes turned a little colder.

Minato Yoko walked at the back of the group, watching this scene with a blank expression, her hand already quietly resting on the driver at her waist.

Chapter 273 The Out-of-Control Crimson

As the group ventured deeper into the Helheim Forest, a dark spatial rift suddenly tore open in the sky above the city center of Zeya.

The crimson figure, carrying with it the miasma of the forest, crashed to the ground, its heavy body creating spiderweb-like cracks in the asphalt road.

Crimson slowly straightened up, her greenish-blue face rising from beneath her crimson armor. Her emerald-green compound eyes swept over the surrounding high-rise buildings and bustling streets, filled only with tyrannical contempt.

He raised his right hand, and crimson energy condensed wildly in his palm, then transformed into several blazing fireballs, which indiscriminately hurled at the crowd and buildings.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions echoed through the streets, sending shards of glass and concrete flying everywhere, and billowing smoke rose into the air. Citizens screamed and fled in all directions, and the flames turned the bustling city into a scene of carnage.

Upon receiving news of the riot, Kouta Kazuha immediately rode his motorcycle to the scene. As soon as he crossed the intersection, he saw a little girl who had fallen behind the crowd, frozen in place, while a fireball emanating from Crimson Palm was falling towards her.

Without the slightest hesitation, he slammed his motorcycle aside and lunged forward. He took the brunt of the energy blast with his back, the impact throwing them both to the ground. His clothes were scorched black on his back, and his skin burned with intense pain. He first raised his hand to shield the child in his arms, and only after confirming that the child was unharmed did he grit his teeth and push himself up to his feet.

"Are you alright? Run!"

Pushing the little girl to safety, Kouta Kuzuha immediately fastened the Sengoku Driver and activated the Orange Lockseed.

"Lock On! Soiya! Orange Arms! Ikebana On Stage!"

With the transformation sound effect, orange armor covered his entire body. Kamen Rider Gaim drew the Daio-maru and faced the terrifying crimson figure.

Shinku paid no attention to the knight in front of her and threw a punch. Gaim parried with his sword, but was forced back by the opponent's immense strength, his arm went numb, and his hand almost split open.

"This guy... is incredibly strong!"

Just as Gaim was barely managing to parry, a yellow figure suddenly appeared from the side. Kamen Rider Baron, transformed from Kaito Kumon, wielded a banana spear and slashed fiercely at Shinku's side, forcing him back two steps.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Kaito gripped his spear, assuming a fighting stance, his voice booming through his armor, “I just can’t stand these outsiders running rampant in this city. And—”

He glanced at Kamen Rider Gaim beside him: "The only one who can defeat you is me."