As a weirdo, I like being a Kamen Rider

However, there was nothing there.

The walls were painted snow-white, gleaming coldly under the streetlights. In the corner, only a faded community notice was pasted, its edges curled slightly in the wind.

Kota stepped forward, reached out, and his fingertips touched the cold wall. The rough, grainy texture came from his fingertips, but he couldn't feel the familiar texture of acrylic paint at all.

"It should be here...."

He murmured softly, his voice drifting in the night breeze. In that memory, they had fought Team Baron in dance battles for territory, and harbored grudges against other dance groups to protect this wall. All that sweat, laughter, and youthful passion had truly etched itself onto this wall.

But now, it's as if it never existed.

He continued walking and arrived at the square. The square, which had once gathered countless Beat Riders and resounded with street dance music, now only had a few couples sitting by the fountain, and in the distance, the automatic doors of a convenience store opened and closed, mechanically emitting a "Welcome!"

When I got home, the light in the entryway was still on.

"Kouta? Why are you so late?"

Ge Yejing peeked out from the kitchen, still wearing an apron and holding a cup of freshly warmed milk. Her hair was casually tied back, and her face wore that familiar expression—slightly reproachful yet full of worry.

"Didn't you win the game? Why do you still look so sullen?" She placed the milk in his hand, the warmth of the cup soothing his cold palm. "Go take a shower, the hot water's ready. I saved some curry for you for dinner. Eat it and go to bed early; you have training tomorrow."

Kouta looked down at the glass of milk, the milky white liquid swaying slightly.

"……elder sister."

"Um?"

“If… I mean, if,” he looked up into his sister’s clear eyes, his voice slightly hoarse, “if one day you discover that the world you live in is completely different from the world you remember. Many people should be gone, much suffering should have already happened… what would you do?”

Ge Yejing paused for a moment, then chuckled, reaching out to ruffle his sweaty hair: "What nonsense are you talking about? Did you get confused from playing soccer, or had a nightmare?"

Nightmare.

This word was like a needle, gently pricking Koutai's temple.

He carried the milk into the living room and sat down on the sofa. Outside the window was the peaceful night view of Zeya City, with its dim lights and sparse traffic. There was no fighting, no alarms, and no shadow cast by the towering white tower of the World Tree Foundation.

He suddenly remembered Yuya's natural smile when he patted him on the shoulder, the way Hase played around with a soccer ball on the sidelines, and the team logo sticker on Mai Takashi's cheek. Those who should have been taken away by death forever were now vividly alive.

Then what about the blood? — Was it all just a dream?

It wasn't a dream; at least that alien shouldn't exist.

"Kouta? The milk's getting cold."

My sister's voice came from the kitchen, accompanied by the soft clatter of a spatula.

Kota picked up the cup and took a sip. The sweet, warm liquid slid down his throat and into his stomach, a warm sensation gradually spreading. He leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes.

If this is a dream, he hopes he will never wake up.

But if that's the truth—

"Oh, as expected of the person I chose, you've still managed to retain your sanity." A flippant voice interrupted his thoughts.

Chapter 282 The Cunning Parasite

Kouta suddenly stood up, the milk glass sloshing across the coffee table. He looked in the direction of the sound—

Outside the balcony railing, DJ Xiang Le sat cross-legged on the narrow concrete edge, his headphones hanging in front of his chest. The moonlight cast his hip-hop style shadow on the floor, making it long, thin, and distorted.

"Sara!" Kouta rushed to the French windows. "Tell me, what exactly is going on? Those memories... Helheim Forest, the Otherworlders, Yuya's death, and the Golden Fruit... Which side is the dream? Is it this world, or..."

"Is it still that cruel battlefield you remember?" Sagara took over the conversation, tilting his head. He still had a smile on his face.

He wanted to say something more—perhaps the usual banter, or perhaps a deeper seduction. But the words caught in his throat.

The warning from the Man of Beginning still lingered in his mind.

Sagara shrugged, jumped off the railing, and landed silently. He brushed off non-existent dust from his trousers, and when he looked up again, a rare seriousness appeared in his usually cynical eyes.

Want to know the truth?

"you--"

"Then let's give it our all."

Sagara raised a finger and placed it to his lips, interrupting Kota's continued questioning.

"When you reach the end, everything will become clear."

The moment his words fell, his figure seemed to have been deleted. The colors began to peel away from the edges of his silhouette, turning into tiny specks of light, before completely dissolving into the night wind.

"and many more!"

Kota abruptly pushed open the French windows and reached out to grab them. But all his fingertips brushed against was a gust of air carrying the chill of early autumn. The balcony was empty, as if the hip-hop-dressed man had never been there.

Kota stood frozen in place, his hands still gripping, his knuckles white from the force.

In the distance, the lights of Zeya City remained peaceful, and traffic flowed orderly through the streets; everything was unusually calm.

"Give it your all... and make it to the end..."

Deep within the Helheim Forest lies the ruins of Fimsim.

The broken stone pillar cast a crooked shadow under the dark red sky, and Bai Ya still sat upright on that simple throne. In his hand resting on his knees, he still held the whistle he had blown in the arena, his compound eyes half-closed, like a statue forgotten by time.

Footsteps came from the shadows.

Lapis walked slowly into the open space in front of the throne, his face, half-hidden by his hood, appearing exceptionally pale in the dim light. He stopped ten paces from the throne.

"We meet again, Bai Ya."

Bai Ya slowly opened his eyes, his emerald green compound eyes looking down at him, his voice deep and resonant like the ancient wind passing through ruins: "It really is you, Lapis."

"it's me."

“I sensed your presence… mingled within the rules of those humans.” Bai Ya’s fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of the throne, producing a dull, rhythmic sound. “You lent your power to them; you betrayed Fimsim.”

Labis's voice was deep and resonant, as if it came from a great distance: "I did not betray you, Baiya. I just... wanted to confirm one thing with my own eyes."

"Confirm what?"

“To see if these humans will follow the same path as us.” Labis looked up and met Baiya’s gaze. “Baiya, you also participated in that ‘competition.’ They didn’t fight, but used a sphere, running and teamwork, rules and sweat. Even knowing that the winner would gain the power of the Golden Fruit, they still didn’t kill each other on the field.”

Bai Ya paused slightly as she tapped the armrest.

The ruins fell into a long silence. Only the water droplets dripping from the stalactites on the cave ceiling, hitting the humus-rich ground, made a monotonous but crisp sound.

"I hope you made the right choice!"

In the abandoned warehouse, dust floated in the slanting moonlight. Peco of the Baron team trembled as he dragged a rusty metal box from a hidden compartment—the Genesis Driver gleamed coldly at the bottom of the box, and a Pinecone Energy Lockseed lay quietly beside it.

"Why..." he gritted his teeth, his nails digging into his palms. On the field today, Jie Dou's banana-shaped long spear once again tore through the defense, leading the team to a successful advancement. As the vice-captain, Zach was surrounded by his teammates toasting him at the victory celebration. As for Peco, he couldn't even stay on the bench, and could only tidy up other people's dirty jerseys, like a transparent person.

"As long as there is power... that's enough."

Click. The driver snaps onto the waistband, and the pinecone lock is inserted into the slot.

"Soda! Matsubokkuri Energy Arms!"

The dark gray energy armor clung to him like poisonous vines, and surging power coursed through his veins. Peco felt an unprecedented power and couldn't help but burst into wild laughter: "This is... this is what I've always longed for!"

The warehouse door was suddenly pushed open.

“Pecorine?” Zack frowned, his hand still on the doorknob. “What are you doing?”

Kaito followed behind, his gaze falling on the pinecone energy armor, his eyes instantly turning cold: "Who gave you permission to touch the Genesis Driver?"

“Permission?” Peco slowly turned around, his eyes bloodshot beneath his visor, his voice distorted with excitement. “I don’t need your permission! Chameleon Fighter, what makes you think you can be Baron’s captain all this time? When it comes to craving power, I’m no less than you! Today, I will defeat you and take your place!”

He charged forward, brandishing his pine cone spear. Kaito snorted coldly, his Sengoku Driver already strapped to his waist: "Lock On! Come On! Banana Arms!"

Golden armor covered him, and a banana-shaped spear blocked the thrust of a pine cone-shaped spear. The metallic clang echoed in the warehouse. Peco's strength had indeed increased, but his moves were chaotic and disorganized, completely controlled by that energy. After a few moves, he was forced to retreat steadily.

"Something's wrong with this guy!" Zack shouted from the side, his face grim. "Pecorine, stop! The scent on you..."

That wasn't the scent of a human. It was something utterly repulsive, emanating a nauseating, sweet, putrid stench through the gaps in the armor.

Peco ignored him, his eyes red with fury as he lunged again. Kaito sidestepped, sweeping his spear across and knocking him back. Peco crashed into a shelf, causing the metal frame to collapse with a deafening roar.

Just as he was about to get up again—

"Ugh... Ahhhh—!"

A vine glowing with an eerie green light suddenly burst forth from the gap in his breastplate! Then came a second, a third... They were like living venomous snakes, coiling around his neck, arms, and thighs, their tips digging deep into the armor, greedily sucking something.

"Peko!" Zack tried to rush forward, but was stopped by Jiedou.

"Don't go over there!"

Peco's body shriveled at a visible speed, his armor and flesh being decomposed and devoured by the vines. He reached out his hand, as if to cry for help, but only gurgling sounds came from his throat. A few seconds later, the eerie green light shone brightly, then suddenly went out.

The warehouse was empty. There was no blood, no remains, as if the boy named Peco had never existed.

A single, fingernail-sized fragment of the golden lockseed lay silently on the concrete floor, its surface flashing with an eerie dark red glow before fading completely.

“What the hell is this…” Zack’s face turned pale.

Kaito stared at the fragment, his expression grave: "Be careful. Peko... that thing ate him."

"Have they already run away?"

A figure suddenly appeared on the warehouse beam. Lin Chen squatted there, his dark trench coat hanging down, his dark golden pupils looking down, and a slight smirk on his lips.

"What a cunning insect."

He leaped down, picked up the golden fragment, twirled it between his fingers, and casually tossed it to Kaito. Kaito caught it instinctively, frowning at him: "Do you know what this is?"

“I know one thing, don’t worry about that boy. In this world, no one loses their life.” Lin Chen patted non-existent dust off his hands, turned and walked towards the door, his voice carried on the wind, “Also, I advise you to be careful lately… especially, don’t touch those ‘picked-up’ powers.”

His figure disappeared into the night, leaving only Jiedou holding the fragment, staring at Zack in bewilderment.

At almost the same time, at the Charmant team's training base.

Ryoji Hatsuse stared at his reflection in the dressing mirror, his fingertips unconsciously picking at the edge of the glasses. The training room still held the distinctive, strong smell of the Durian Armor, proof that Ouren had just finished extra training. Jonouchi had just passed by carrying his tactics board, muttering about the next match's defensive setup against the Gaim team, without even glancing at him.

It's always like this. It's always the same.

Hōren is the king standing in the spotlight, Jōno is the strategist who plans and strategizes, but what about Hatsuse Ryōji? He's just a dispensable supporting character in the team, even the cheerleaders get more screen time than him.

"The Golden Fruit... can grant any wish..."

He muttered the words DJ Xiang Le had shouted on the commentary stage, his eyes gradually becoming obsessive and burning. If he could get it, he could prove he was stronger than Huang Lian, stronger than everyone else. This thought grew wildly in his mind like a poisonous vine, suffocating him.

Just then, a jet-black locust landed on his shoulder, its compound eyes glowing with an eerie red light.