As a weirdo, I like being a Kamen Rider

In the dead of night, all was quiet.

On the rooftop observation deck of the World Tree Foundation, the night wind howled, causing the city lights, which seemed to lie prostrate at his feet, to sway erratically. Lin Chen leaned alone against the edge of the rooftop, waiting for the guests he had invited.

A streak of light suddenly flashed across the horizon.

Kamen Rider W Gold Limit Form flapped its six wings, tearing through the night sky, and landed steadily on the rooftop. The light faded, and Shotaro and Philip deactivated their transformations. Shotaro adjusted his hat as soon as he landed, looking utterly speechless: "Hey, Lin Chen. Don't you have that kind of amazing ability? Making us fly all the way from Fuuto was such a hassle."

"There's nothing I can do. Some mysterious entity has sealed off my ability." Lin Chen said helplessly when he heard about Zuo Xiangtaro. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so difficult to call for help.

Shotaro didn't dwell on the topic for too long. His expression suddenly turned serious: "Last time in that fake dream world, you went too far. If Philip and I hadn't done our best to protect everyone's consciousness, at least half of them would have been killed or injured in that violent energy collision. Even if they had survived, they would have been left with serious aftereffects."

Lin Chen narrowed his eyes and turned his gaze to the silent Philip: "So, Philip, what exactly did you cut out from my consciousness back then? That guy from Earth's consciousness is hiding something from me, and I hope you can tell me the truth yourself."

The air fell silent for a moment.

Shotaro immediately turned his face away, whistled, and awkwardly changed the subject: "Wow... this city is not bad either. Although it can't compare to Futo, it has its own unique charm."

Philip kept his head down, looking at the "wordless book" in his hand, his fingers gently turning the pages, as if he hadn't heard Lin Chen's question at all.

Lin Chen sighed helplessly as he watched the two of them avoid the issue, each trying to outdo the other.

Just as the three were locked in a stalemate, two beams of white light suddenly flashed across the center of the rooftop. The figures of the Man of Origin and the Woman of Origin materialized out of thin air, their white armor and pure white dresses shimmering softly in the moonlight.

The Man of Beginning looked around, finally turning to Lin Chen, and slowly said, "I never expected that the crisis of this world would be resolved in this way. It's just a pity... this world has been completely stripped of its timeline."

There was a hint of melancholy in his voice. He had originally thought that if Lin Chen could seize the Golden Fruit, overwrite his own history, and take his place, perhaps there would still be a chance for things to change. But now, it was indeed very likely that Kouta Kazuha in this world would no longer become the Man of the Beginning, but his own fate... remained unchanged.

As expected, Lin Chen did not do what he had planned.

The man who started the conversation lowered his eyes and sighed softly. Beside him, Gao Siwu silently squeezed his hand and whispered, "Isn't this the answer we already knew?"

Seeing that Lin Chen seemed about to turn back and continue questioning about his severed consciousness, Shotaro darted in front of the Man of Beginning, casually putting his arm around his shoulder: "Hey, white-haired guy, are you the god of this world? Come on, tell me, what does the legendary golden fruit that can make someone a god taste like..."

Philip finally closed the book, while Gao Siwu simply stood aside, quietly watching the scene, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

Just as the group was talking, the air on the rooftop suddenly froze for a moment.

A figure gradually materialized under the moonlight. It was a man dressed in exotic Fimsim clothing, his hood half-closed, revealing a pale and indifferent face. He carried no weapons, standing calmly on the edge of the rooftop, as if he had always been there.

His gaze slowly swept over the crowd, lingering on Lin Chen for a moment before passing between Shotaro and Philip. Finally, when his gaze landed on the Man and Woman of the Beginning, his indifferent pupils suddenly contracted.

The air seemed to be compressed by an invisible force, and even the whistling night wind seemed to freeze.

The man of the beginning remained calm, even nodding slightly, and broke the silence first: "We meet again, Lapis."

Labis did not respond immediately. His thoughts began to race wildly.

But he quickly sorted things out. He withdrew his gaze, his indifferent expression returning to calm, though a barely perceptible ripple flickered deep in his eyes.

"Do you recognize me?" he asked, his voice low and deep, as if coming from a distant past. "But... I have no recollection of you at all right now."

He raised his head slightly. "It seems you must be from the future."

The night breeze ruffled his hood, revealing a pale face that held a hint of almost relieved contentment.

"I'm so happy."

"Labis said softly, his gaze passing over the Man of Beginning and landing on the dimly lit city of Zeya in the distance. His eyes didn't seem to be looking at an enemy, but rather at some kind of hope that had been lost but was being continued in the future of others."

"This human civilization... has not perished like us Fimsims."

After a moment of silence, he withdrew his gaze and looked back at the Man of Beginning, his tone returning to its ancient indifference: "So, what is the purpose of inviting me here?"

The Man of Beginning did not answer immediately. He raised his right hand, and with a light tap of his index finger, a stream of light shot out from his fingertip and went straight into Lapis's brow.

Labis stiffened and slowly closed his eyes.

The night breeze flowed silently across the rooftop, the moonlight as clear as water. After a long while, Lapis finally opened his eyes again, and in those indifferent eyes now lay a complex understanding.

"I see……"

He murmured softly, then nodded slightly, his voice calm yet firm:

"I agree." If we in Fimsim had had people like you back then, perhaps we wouldn't have ended up like that.

Seeing that Labis had agreed, Lin Chen, who had been silent until now, finally stood up straight. He released his hand from the railing.

“Now that everyone knows the plan,” Lin Chen’s gaze swept over everyone present, “let’s begin the plan.”

Everyone nodded in silence.

Shotaro Sato made the first move.

He raised his right hand and closed his eyes.

After a brief silence—

"Om-"

A long, sacred hum suddenly resounded throughout the heavens and earth. The ultimate memory, like a bird spreading its wings, pierced the night sky and landed steadily in his hand.

"Let's go, Philip." After obtaining the Ultimate Memory, Shotaro said to Philip beside him.

Seeing this, Philip nodded, a very faint smile appearing on his lips: "Always available."

Shotaro raised his hand and fastened the Double Driver to his waist. Almost simultaneously, the same driver appeared on Philip's waist as well.

With a flick of his right hand, Shotaro revealed a jet-black memory module adorned with mysterious patterns in his palm. He pressed the button on top of the memory module, a crisp electronic sound piercing the silence:

"Joker-X!"

Philip simultaneously raised his left hand, and the Cyclone-X memory appeared in his left hand. The same button-clicking sound rang out:

"Cyclone-X!"

Without hesitation, the two simultaneously inserted the memory into the slots on both sides of the drive.

"Transform!"

The Ultimate Memory was also attached to the Double Driver. The driver was covered in seven-colored light, and the central Storm Engine spun wildly, bursting out seven-colored light that pierced through the sky.

"Ultimate-W!"

Kamen Rider W? God? Ultimate Form, descends. Seeing that W had completed his transformation, Lin Chen took out the Extreme Lock Seed he had obtained from Kouta Kazuha and threw it towards the Man of Beginning.

Unfortunately, Wu Dao Guihu did not accept this Extreme Lock Seed. He still clearly remembered Wu Dao Guihu's words at that time.

"I only want to make my own choices, not for others to make choices for me. You don't want to be controlled by others, but I don't want to be controlled by you either."

The Man of Beginning caught it, exchanging a glance with Takashi Mai beside him. The two suspended the Extreme Lock Seed between them, simultaneously extending their right hands. Emerald green and pure white light slowly emanated from their bodies—the primal power of the Golden Fruit—gradually merging into the Extreme Lock Seed. The gilded surface grew ever brighter, the three-colored gems shimmering intensely under the infusion of energy, like a beating heart.

W reached out and firmly grasped the Extreme Lock Seed in his palm, then looked at Lapis.

Without hesitation, Lapis extended his right hand as well. Ancient, mysterious power erupted from his palm, coiling upwards like vines, intertwining and fusing with the power of the Golden Fruit. Under the convergence of several energies, the Ultimate Lock Seed finally completed its final transformation.

W looked at Lin Chen with its compound eyes and nodded slightly.

The next instant, crystal wings unfurled behind him with a roar, streaking across the night sky with iridescent light. Ultimate-W flapped its six wings, leaped into the air, and soared straight into the clouds.

W flew through the night sky, the Extreme Lock Seed in his palm trembling violently under the fusion of the Golden Fruit, the power of Fimsim, and the power of the Limit. Its gilded surface flowed and reshaped like molten metal, finally condensing into a crystal-clear memory, inlaid with red, green, and purple gems, reflecting a sacred radiance under the moonlight.

Seeing that the conversion was complete, W did not hesitate to extend his thumb and press the switch at the top of the memory.

"Genesis -∞!"

An ancient electronic sound effect pierced the night sky. Red, green, and purple light surged forth from the memory core like a torrent, attaching itself entirely to the crystal wings on his back. The six wings were instantly bathed in the tri-colored light, each crystal shining with dazzling brilliance.

Then, W suddenly flapped its wings.

"Splash—"

Countless sparkling crystal fragments peeled off and fell from the wings, transforming into a sky full of colorful shooting stars.

They trailed long, luminous tails, falling like a reverse meteor shower to every corner of Zeya City, passing through clouds, over buildings, and gently landing on every street, every park, and every piece of land eroded by the Helheim Forest.

The entire city was enveloped in a dreamlike shower of colorful light.

World Tree Foundation, top-floor office.

Wu Daogui stood alone before the floor-to-ceiling window, his hands resting on the glass. Outside, colorful shooting stars pierced through the clouds, showering the city like a fine rain. His pupils reflected that dreamlike sea of ​​light, and his lips moved slightly.

"...Has it started?"

On the viewing platform, the night wind howled.

Lin Chen watched W's figure disappear into the depths of the clouds. Amidst the rain of light, he turned around and looked at the remaining people behind him. His dark golden pupils flickered in the flowing light, and a very faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Gentlemen," he said softly, "sweet dreams."

Chapter 279 Entering the Dream

Kouta Kuzuha suddenly opened his eyes.

It wasn't the ceiling of the dance troupe's warehouse, nor was it his own home. Instead, it was a dark green sky, wriggling with mycelium. Thick clouds hung low, as if they might collapse at any moment. He propped himself up, but his palms pressed not against the floor, but against the cracked asphalt—the surface was as cracked as a dried-up riverbed, with dark purple vines sprouting from the fissures, laden with pulsating fruit that emitted a cloyingly sweet stench of decay.

In the distance, the landmark skyscraper of Zeya City was broken in half, its reinforced concrete skeleton exposed. Black smoke slowly rose from the fracture, turning the sky a sickly yellowish hue. Not a single ordinary citizen could be seen on the streets; only countless spatial rifts tore open like zippers, from which hunched-over novice aliens poured out in an endless stream, their claws covered in dark green, rough keratin scraping the ground with a grating sound.

"Where...is this?"

Kouta Kuzuha looked down and realized he had transformed. Orange armor covered his entire body, and he tightly gripped the Ootengu in his hand, but the familiar weight gave him no sense of security.

"Roar--!"

Three aliens lunged out from behind the ruins, their claws aimed straight for his throat. Kouta instinctively rolled to the side, and Daidomaru drew an orange arc, slicing the alien in front of him in half. Grayish-white dust exploded, and before it even hit the ground, five more surrounded him from the side.

He dodged and weaved, slashing and hacking with his sword. Each strike of Daio-maru brought forth a burst of orange sword light, and the aliens howled as they fell, turning to ashes. Yet, new monsters continued to pour out of the rift, seemingly endless. Kota's breathing grew heavier, sweat dripped from his chin beneath his armor, and his hands were numb from the impact.

"Where...where did everyone go?"

He brandished his sword while shouting hoarsely. But the only response he received was the roars of the otherworldly beings.

Suddenly, an alien pounced from behind and grabbed his shoulder armor. Kouta whirled around, his Daidoru already raised, but froze the moment he saw the other's faceplate—beneath the dark green keratin, he could vaguely make out a familiar face.

She is a junior member of the dance troupe.

"How could this be..."

Kouta's hands trembled. The alien roared, its claws digging into his breastplate, sparks flying. Kouta staggered back, and more figures emerged from the crack—citizens in civilian clothes, his dance troupemates, even regulars he'd seen at Drupers. Their bodies were contorted, dark green keratin sprouting from beneath their skin, their eyes turning a murky yellow, and inhuman howls emanating from their throats.

"No...don't let it turn out like this!"

Kouta tried to retreat, but his back was blocked. Those monsters who were once human, those he had sworn to protect, were now roaring and lunging at him. They no longer recognized him, no longer remembered the dance troupe's music, no longer remembered the dance steps they had danced together in the square. They only knew how to bite and destroy.

"Was it my fault...was it because I failed to protect you?"

The large orange pill slipped from his hand and crashed onto the shattered ground. The aliens swarmed forward, their claws scratching at his armor, their heavy bodies slamming him to the ground. Kouta tried to struggle, but his limbs were held down firmly. His vision beneath the visor was filled with dark green keratin and scarlet compound eyes, and the stench of decay filled his nostrils.