As a weirdo, I like being a Kamen Rider

"Our stage...is not over yet!"

Kuzuha Kouta's pupils suddenly contracted.

He clenched his fist tightly and roared a soul-shaking roar towards the darkness and the lingering phantom of the golden light:

"My power... exists to protect everyone! It's not something a monster like you can touch!"

boom--!!!

In the center of the park in reality, the black armor on Dark Armor Warrior's body begins to peel away inch by inch.

The dark red light faded, revealing the silver-white feathered lemon armor once more. Kouta slowly raised his head, his eyes regaining their usual clarity and determination.

The swarming locusts then let out a final, piercing scream before vanishing into thin air, turning into a wisp of black smoke that was completely expelled from Gaim and disappeared into the afternoon sunlight.

Lemon Jinyu slowly straightened up. He looked down at his hands, as if he had just woken up from a long nightmare.

Labis stared blankly at the scene, a slight tremor in his emerald eyes beneath his hood. He recalled the Fimsim tribe members, consumed by desire and ultimately turning on each other; not one of them could remain sane under the spell of the golden light. But this human before him… this human whom he had once considered no different from the Fimsim…

"See that?" Lin Chen stepped forward, patted Lapis on the shoulder, his tone calm but with a hint of barely perceptible pride. "That's Kouta Kazuha. He may be naive, he may be foolish, but what he carries in his heart... is far heavier than the Golden Fruit."

Lapis remained silent for a long time, then slowly lowered his head, his voice so soft it was as if he were talking to himself:

"...Perhaps, humans and Fimsim are really different."

Jin Yu Lemon Armor turned around, looking at Zangetsu struggling to get up from the ruins, then at the platinum figure in the distance. Her voice, hoarse but firm, came through the armor:

"...I'm sorry for causing everyone trouble."

Guihu leaned back on the twisted bench, a very soft, relieved sigh escaping from beneath his tattered visor.

Chapter 288 The Ultimate Winner

Inside the giant stadium, the roar of 100,000 people surged like a tsunami.

On the commentary stage, DJ Xiang Le ripped off his headphones, placed his hands on the microphone, and his hip-hop style jacket gleamed dazzlingly under the spotlight. He took a deep breath, flashed that enigmatic smile at the camera, and his voice boomed through the loudspeakers, filling the entire venue:

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the stage that will decide your fate—the Golden Fruit Cup, Semi-Finals!"

He suddenly spread his arms wide, and the giant screen behind him simultaneously exploded with a sky full of fireworks effects.

"Look at this team! They've fallen to rock bottom, been considered losers, struggled to the very last moment in the quagmire of the revival round!" Sagara's finger suddenly pointed to the entrance of the passage, where the Baron team members were emerging one by one. "But Kaito Kabuto said—Baron doesn't know the word 'give up'! From the very first revival round, they crushed their opponents, piercing despair with their banana spears. This isn't a miracle, it's obsession! It's the purest thirst for victory!"

A deafening cheer erupted from the stands, and yellow flags surged like waves.

Sagara suddenly lowered his voice, as if speaking a secret, yet the words carried through the microphone to every corner: "And now, standing before them... is destiny."

The screen suddenly switched. Team Gaim, dressed in blue and white uniforms, slowly emerged from another passage, with Kouta Kazuha leading the way.

"That's right!" Sagara's voice suddenly rose, almost a roar, "Gaim vs. Baron! The two hottest shooting stars of Zeya City collide once again! Now, they will clash on this green field—for the one and only golden fruit, for the qualification to become a god, for the power to rewrite destiny—"

He took off his hat and threw it high into the air, his eyes gleaming with an almost frantic anticipation.

"Fight to the very last moment! Come, everyone! Let this trial burn so fiercely that even the gods tremble!"

The whistle pierced the sky with a sharp sound.

The competition has officially begun.

The Baron team kicked off. Kaito Kazuma stood in the center circle, dressed in a red and black jersey, his eyes sharp as knives. He merely glanced at Kouta on the opposite side before flicking the ball to Zach beside him.

Baron's style remained aggressive. The players coordinated perfectly, passing the ball swiftly and with immense pressure, reaching the edge of the Gaim penalty area in just two minutes. Zach dribbled past two defenders with a feint, preparing to shoot, but was blocked by the recovering Kota Katsuba.

"Well done, Kouta!" The Gaim team fans in the stands cheered.

In the fifteenth minute of the first half, Kaito received a pass on the edge of the penalty area. Without hesitation, he raised his hand and pressed the Sengoku Driver at his waist. The familiar transformation sound effect echoed throughout the stadium, and red armor instantly covered his entire body—he transformed right there on the field into Kamen Rider Baron Banana Armor.

The audience erupted in even more enthusiastic cheers, as if this were the most normal thing in the world.

"Hey! Wait a minute! Kaito-san, what happened to not transforming?"

Jie Dou paid no heed. He leaped into the air, his right foot, encased in banana-shaped armor, slamming into the soccer ball. The ball, whistling through the air, hurtled into the top corner of the goal like a cannonball. The goalkeeper had no chance to react at all.

1-0. Baron scored first.

Kaito, having deactivated his transformation, landed and coldly looked at the bewildered Kouta on the sidelines: "You're too naive, Kuzunoha. On the battlefield, the enemy won't obediently abide by any promises they make. The essence of battle is to use every available force to win."

On the stands, Huang Lian chuckled and said to Cheng Nanai beside her, "Kuwen-kun's style is still so direct. But that's what makes it interesting, isn't it?"

Jinonai pushed up his glasses and took notes seriously: "That's right, after transformation, explosive power and jumping ability will be greatly enhanced. Making good use of the Lockseed ability is indeed an efficient way to score points."

Kouta stood there, speechless for a moment. Sure enough, Kaito was just as competitive in every world.

At the start of the second half, Kouta Kazuha also let loose.

He constantly weaves through the defense, utilizing Gaim's mobility. During one wing breakthrough, he deftly turns while stepping on the ball, dodging a defender's tackle, then activates the driver, transforming into Orange Armor. The instant the orange armor dons, he leaps several meters into the air, his body arching in mid-air, unleashing a spectacular bicycle kick that powerfully strikes the ball towards the goal.

Zach quickly transformed into Baron Pinecone Armor and jumped to intercept, but the ball was too fast and flew into the net, grazing his fingertips.

1-1. The score is tied.

The entire stadium erupted in cheers. DJ Sagara's voice came over the loudspeaker, tinged with his signature playful chuckle: "Fantastic! Team Gaim's ace, Kouta Kazuha, has tied the score with a beautiful bicycle kick! It seems this opening match will be even more exciting than we imagined!"

Kota landed, deactivated his transformation, and his chest rose and fell slightly. He had to admit that playing soccer with the power of a Rider did indeed have a unique kind of exhilaration. There was no heaviness of a life-or-death struggle, only the pure joy of the competition itself.

In the final ten minutes of the match, the intensity of the game reached a fever pitch.

Kaito transformed again, using the power of his banana armor to forcefully break through, dribbling past three defenders in succession; while Kouta switched to his pineapple armor, using the trajectory of pineapple steel needles to disrupt the ball's trajectory, creating chaos on the edge of the penalty area. The other teammates also seized the opportunity, receiving a pass from Kouta, transforming into their pinecone armor to head the ball across, and Kouta followed up with a shot that grazed the post and flew into the goal.

2: 1.

The final whistle blew, and Team Gaim won the semi-final.

The players gathered together, cheering and celebrating. Mai ran onto the field with a towel, handing water to everyone. Kaito led the Baron team over. Zach looked unconvinced, but Kaito extended his hand to Kouta and said, "Well played. Next time, I won't lose."

In the stands of the World Tree team, the blue team flag drooped low in the wind, a stark contrast to the boiling cheers of the Gaim team below.

Lin Chen leaned against the railing, hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed on Kouta Kuzuba, who was being tossed high into the air by his teammates in the center of the field. He turned his head, his voice low but clear, cutting through the surrounding noise:

"Are you really sure?"

Wu Daogui stood half a step to his side, his back ramrod straight beneath his blue and white team uniform. He didn't answer immediately, but instead looked down at the face below, illuminated by the lights, bearing a silly smile—the brat he had once considered an unstable element in the Helheim Forest, the fool who chose to believe his best friend even after being betrayed.

After a long silence, Guihu slowly spoke, his voice deep and steady:

"It's decided."

He paused, his fingers unconsciously stroking the Sengoku Driver at his waist, then released it.

"I choose to believe in Kuzuha."

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow, turning his gaze from the court to Gui Hu's cold, hard profile. He stared at him for two seconds, a faint smile playing on his lips, almost like a knowing sigh.

"Yeah."

He straightened up, patted off non-existent dust from the railing, and turned to walk towards the passageway.

"...As long as you don't regret it."

The footsteps faded into the distance, eventually disappearing at the end of the steel steps.

Wu Daogui remained alone in the same spot, the wind ruffling the stray hairs on his forehead.

"...Do you regret it?"

He muttered to himself, as if answering someone who had already gone far away, or as if speaking to himself.

No one heard the second half of his sentence.

The Golden Fruit Cup Grand Final, afternoon.

The blazing sun cast a white glow on the dome of the giant stadium. The stands, capable of holding 100,000 people, were packed to capacity, with colorful flags and banners billowing in the heat, and cheers nearly lifting the grass. The World Tree team and the Gaim team stood on either side of the center circle.

On the commentary stage, DJ Sagara spread his arms wide, his voice booming through the loudspeakers: "Ladies and gentlemen! The moment we've all been waiting for has finally arrived! The final stage to decide who gets the Golden Fruit! Team Yggdrasil versus Team Gaim! Will Chief Takatoro's ironclad defense prevail, or will Kouta Kuzunoha's brilliance shine through—"

"We concede defeat."

A calm voice interrupted Xiang Le.

The entire arena fell into a deathly silence. Ten thousand eyes were fixed on the tall figure in the center of the arena. Wu Dao Guihu took a step forward, his cold face expressionless, as if he had just announced not a forfeit of the finals, but merely a routine tactical adjustment.

"...What?" Sagara nearly dropped the microphone, and for the first time, a genuine crack appeared in his playful smile. "Kihira? You just said..."

"Team World Tree, forfeit this match." Guihu's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly cut through the frozen air. "The champion is Team Gaim. The Golden Fruit... belongs to Kuzuha Kouta."

The deathly silence lasted only a second before erupting into chaos. Shouts of disbelief, disapproval, and anger swept through the room like a tsunami. Sid and Minato Yoko stood behind Takatora, exchanged a glance, but unusually, they did not voice their objections, instead silently lowering their eyes.

"Director Guihu!"

There was no joy in his eyes, only utter confusion and stubbornness: "Why?! This is the finals! Why give up here!"

Guihu looked at the stubborn young man in front of him.

He recalled the look in Kouta's eyes in the Helheim Forest, where he chose to believe his best friend even after being betrayed; he recalled Lin Chen's words on the rooftop: "As long as you don't regret it."

Then, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

It was an extremely faint, subtle smile, like an undercurrent surging beneath the ice, or the relief of having unloaded a heavy burden. He didn't answer Kota's question, but simply raised his hand and patted the other's shoulder heavily.

"Go."

Leaving only those two words behind, he turned and removed the drive from his waist, walking towards the players' tunnel without looking back. His dark blue jersey cast a straight and aloof shadow in the blazing sun. The World Tree team members silently followed him, their figures disappearing one by one into the shadows of the tunnel.

Kota Kuzuha stood there, stunned, the warmth of that hand still lingering on his shoulder.

In the stands, Lin Chen leaned against the shadows, watching the departing figure, when a voice from Earth's consciousness echoed in his mind: "I thought you were sure you would make him the ultimate winner."

“I hate the feeling of being controlled, but I never thought that power would gradually turn me into the kind of person I hate, so this time I choose to respect his choice.”

"Yeah."

......

Kouta Kuzuha walked step by step toward the award stage.

The cheers from the stands surged like a tidal wave, making his eardrums vibrate. He instinctively clenched his fists, his gaze fixed on the figure in the center of the stage. It was Lin Chen.

He stood out conspicuously among the blue, white, and orange-red team uniforms in his dark trench coat, a half-smile playing on his lips, and in his hand he held a fist-sized, apple-shaped energy object radiating a soft glow.

Kouta opened his mouth, then stopped on the steps. Countless questions stuck in his throat—Why you? What exactly is this world?

Lin Chen, however, raised his index finger first and placed it in front of his lips.

"Shhh."

A simple gesture, yet it made all of Kota's words catch in his chest. That gaze was calm and profound, as if to say: Now is not the time to ask.