As a weirdo, I like being a Kamen Rider

"Protection?" Hikawa Makoto's voice came through the armor. "The New Human Alliance controls the entire city, so why are you here?"

A hint of grief and indignation flashed in Misaki Manase's eyes: "Kurosaki's alliance is not protection at all, it's dictatorship! The thugs in the alliance wantonly oppress civilians, and kill anyone who resists. We just want to survive."

She stepped aside, revealing the elderly, women, and children behind her. The children huddled in the adults' arms, trembling, while the elderly leaned on their canes, panting heavily. Their faces, filled with despair, held only a desperate will to survive.

“We are just ordinary Awakened and civilians. We don’t want to get involved in the fighting. We just want a place to stay.” Misaki Manase’s voice trembled slightly. “We know that G3 Base protects civilians. Please, take us in.”

Lin Chen and Bingchuan Cheng remained silent for a moment, their gazes sweeping across the entire scene. All three hundred people looked fearful and exhausted, with the elderly, women, and children making up 70% of them; they all looked like refugees.

Bingchuan Cheng turned to look at the monitor in the control room and nodded slightly to indicate the situation.

In the control room, Sumiko Ozawa looked at the elderly, women, and children on the monitor screen, paused for a moment, and immediately gave the order: "Open the door and accept them. Hojo, organize manpower to accommodate the refugees. The medical team is ready to receive the elderly and children."

Hojo Toru snorted coldly, but still turned around and picked up the walkie-talkie. His tone was still sarcastic, but his movements were incredibly swift: "A bunch of troublemakers, come with me. Don't touch the base equipment."

The concrete barrier at the main gate of the base slowly rose, and Lin Chen and Bingchuan Cheng stepped aside to make way.

With tears welling up in her eyes, Misaki Manase bowed deeply to the two of them, saying, "Thank you... thank you both!"

She turned and waved, and three hundred fleeing civilians and awakened individuals cautiously walked towards the G3 base, a glimmer of light igniting in their despairing eyes.

The night the refugees were successfully brought into the base, the underground shelters at G3 base were packed to capacity for the first time in a truly meaningful way.

The space, originally designed to accommodate over two hundred people, was crammed with three hundred and seventeen. The coughs of the elderly, the low sobs of children, and the suppressed groans of the wounded mingled together, creating a dull echo in the enclosed space. Sumiko Ozawa had cleared out all the spare storage rooms in the base, and even laid down moisture-proof mats in the unused passageways next to the equipment warehouse, but it still couldn't hide the growing weariness and fear in the eyes of the people.

In just two days, the news spread like wildfire to every corner of southern Tokyo.

More and more refugees flocked to G3 base—including civilians expelled by the New Human Alliance, awakened individuals who dared not abuse their power, elderly people and children separated from their families, and awakened individuals who had managed to escape from the Alliance and were unwilling to become pawns of a dictatorship.

Some of them were injured, some were carrying children, and some were leaning on broken wooden sticks. They came to the entrance of the base and raised their hands, begging for a chance to live.

The base's inventory is depleting at a visible rate.

Compressed biscuits, canned food, drinking water, first-aid medicine, disinfectant alcohol, bandages, heating fuel... all the supplies that could sustain survival were laid out and registered. Takahiro Omuro stared at the inventory list every day, his face growing paler with each passing day. The rationed food supplies were reduced from three meals a day to two, and then to just a small piece of dry, hard biscuit and a sip of warm water per person.

Lin Chen stayed at the base.

He didn't talk much, and most of the time he would lean against the entrance of the base, his senses activated, like a silent net spread around the base.

Hikawa Makoto and Hojo Toru took on the important task of going out to search for supplies.

The two had a clear division of labor: Hikawa Makoto drove the G3-X armored vehicle at the front, responsible for clearing the way, providing warnings, and dealing with sudden dangers; Hojo Toru led the team, gathering the few able-bodied young men in the base, dividing them into squads, defining routes, and taking inventory of equipment.

Before setting off, Sumiko Ozawa instructed everyone to prioritize finding food and medicine, avoid direct conflict with the New Human Alliance, and make the survival of all members the top priority.

As the two led their team away, dawn was breaking, and the morning mist, carrying a chill, enveloped the ruins.

As dusk settled and the sky turned a somber gray-red, the radar at the base entrance finally picked up the signal for the return journey.

Lin Chen was still at the entrance.

The concrete barrier slowly rose, and the footsteps in the distance grew closer, but the steps were unusually heavy, carrying an indescribable sense of oppression.

The first thing that catches the eye is Hikawa Makoto.

His G3-X armor was covered with scratches of varying depths, with a slight tear on the chest plate and dark brown stains on the edges of the shoulder armor.

He walked at the front of the group, and when he took off his helmet, he looked exhausted, with a shallow abrasion on his forehead.

Hojo Toru followed beside him, his uniform sleeves torn, his left arm rolled up, and a blood-soaked bandage wrapped around his forearm. His face was ashen, his brows furrowed, and all his usual arrogance and meanness had vanished, leaving only an unconcealable solemnity and hostility.

The others were in an even worse state.

The original team of twenty able-bodied young men returned with only fifteen. Three others were injured, their arms or legs wrapped in makeshift bandages, their faces pale, and their steps unsteady. Each person's backpack was empty, containing only a few leftover packets of instant noodles, half a bottle of mineral water, and a few packs of expired biscuits—a pitifully small amount, not even enough to fill a tooth gap.

Seeing this, Sumiko Ozawa in the control room felt her heart sink.

Takahiro Omuro stared at the list of supplies on the screen, his Adam's apple bobbing.

The medical team went forward and bent down to examine the wounds of the injured.

The group arrived at the control room together.

Hikawa Makoto spoke first, his voice heavy with undisguised sorrow: "The situation with supplies is far from ideal. The New Human Alliance has completely sealed off all large supermarkets, warehouses, and pharmacies. All supplies have been confiscated and transported to the Ginza Fortress. Only the defective goods they picked over are left on the outskirts. We simply can't find enough supplies."

Hojo Toru snorted coldly, suppressing the anger in his heart, and said in a cold tone: "That guy Kurosaki Ryuichi clearly wants to force everyone to either starve to death or have no choice but to bow down and submit to his New Human Alliance."

Sumiko Ozawa closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

With supplies running out and the number of refugees surging, the situation is slowly heading towards a dead end.

But just as she was about to say, "Let's adjust the rationing plan again and get through these few days," she saw Hikawa Makoto's expression become even more serious, his lips moved as if there were other words stuck in his throat.

Sumiko Ozawa's heart sank.

She stared at Bingchuan Cheng and asked, "Are you hiding something? Is there... worse news?"

After a long silence, Bingchuan Cheng slowly nodded.

He put down the helmet in his hand: "During this outing, in addition to the Alliance's blockade, we also encountered a... new monster."

"A monster?" Takahiro Omuro exclaimed in shock, his face turning deathly pale. "Is it the Unknown? But the Unknown hasn't appeared for so long!"

“It’s not Unknown.” Hojo Toru took over the conversation, his tone carrying a barely perceptible hint of unease. “Unknown at least has a clear target, but this kind of monster is ferocious and has no rationality whatsoever.”

Bingchuan Cheng took a deep breath and slowly recounted that experience.

After leaving the base, they headed towards a large supermarket in the west of the city, following their original route. Everything was normal along the way until they passed through the ruins of a residential area, where they suddenly heard a piercing scream.

Acting on his instincts as a police officer, Makoto Hikawa immediately led his team to the scene.

The scene before them froze them in place, even though they were used to death and battle.

Several humanoid monsters were tearing and biting wildly in the ruins.

Their appearance is distorted, their bodies are covered with thick black fur, their skin is cracked, their mouths are stretched to their ears, revealing sharp teeth, and their hands are jet-black claws.

Several corpses lay on the ground, some civilians and others awakened, their deaths gruesome, their limbs mutilated and their flesh mangled.

Those monsters not only attacked ordinary people, but also bit those with superpowers nearby.

“They are extremely fast, far stronger than ordinary awakened beings, and have thick skin that ordinary bullets can’t penetrate,” Bingchuan Cheng continued. “We opened fire to fight back, but they are not afraid of pain or death. They pounce on us and bite us without any rationality.”

Hojo Toru's face was ashen as he added, "We fought for ten minutes and barely managed to kill three of them; the remaining two escaped. During the process, three of our team members were injured, all by their claws."

The already collapsed order has been further disrupted by the emergence of monsters.

This brought their already desperate situation one step closer to the abyss.

Sumiko Ozawa looked at Makoto Hikawa: "You said these monsters aren't Unknown, so what are they? How did you find out the truth?"

Hikawa Makoto remained silent for a moment, then slowly revealed the most terrifying truth.

While clearing the battlefield and preparing to evacuate, they discovered a curled-up monster in a corner of the ruins.

It resembled those frantically tearing monsters in appearance, with sharp claws, fangs, and crimson eyes, but it did not attack. Instead, it curled up in the corner, its hands covering its head, its body trembling violently, emitting painful whimpers, retaining only a faint trace of reason.

Instead of lunging at it, it uttered broken, hoarse human words.

"No...don't come any closer...I don't want to...I don't want to hurt anyone..."

They approached slowly, without attacking, and tried to communicate.

The half-mutated monster roared in agony, its body twisting and contorting, its sanity teetering on the brink of collapse. Every word it uttered seemed to be uttered with the utmost effort.

“I…I was originally…an Awakened One…”

“Abuse…abuse of power…out of control…”

"His body... has changed... he's gone mad... he wants to eat people..."

"Everyone...everyone who abuses power...will become...will become monsters..."

Every word was like a cold knife, piercing through all pretense.

Bingchuan Cheng closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he announced that terrifying conclusion to everyone, word by word:

"We confirmed with it three times and came to the final conclusion—more and more awakened individuals who abuse their superpowers are undergoing bizarre mutations. They are losing their minds, growing claws and fangs, and turning into monsters even more ferocious than the Unknown."

The people in the control room remained silent.

Takahiro Omuro slumped in front of the control panel, his face ashen, his hands trembling uncontrollably. The dots on the radar screen seemed to transform into bloodthirsty monsters in his eyes.

Sumiko Ozawa stood in front of the control panel, her whole body ice-cold.

She was a scientist, a believer in data and logic, but what she was seeing had already transcended the realm of science. A massive awakening of the power of light, and the mutation of its abuse.

She looked up at Lin Chen, wanting to ask him if he knew any other inside information, since he was the one who brought the news of the power of light in the first place.

Lin Chen shook his head. Hikawa Makoto's description reminded him of Agito from Zi-O. But it wasn't quite the same.

Chapter 87 The Ambitious Man's Declaration of War

The sudden news was like a red-hot branding iron, searing the hearts of every member present.

"Now, the urgent issue is whether or not to let the awakened ones in the base know about the impending mutation."

As Ozawa finished speaking, the faces of everyone under the cold, white light became solemn. Hojo Toru spoke up: "I believe that information must be completely controlled."

He stepped forward, his tone grave: “There are nearly a thousand people in the base, the majority of whom are elderly, weak, women and children. Once the truth about the anomaly spreads, the already tense morale will collapse instantly. Awakened ones will be isolated and ostracized, and civilians will fall into panic. We will be in chaos on our own, without even waiting for the monsters and the Alliance to make a move.”

"We cannot suppress the news."

Ozawa spoke up in rebuttal.

“It can’t be hidden.” She looked at everyone, “but we can’t tell everything either. Hojo’s decision wasn’t entirely wrong; panic is more deadly than alienation.”

She quickly defined the boundaries of information disclosure: the five core members were fully informed of the truth;

The medical and defense teams were only told that the emotional overload of awakened individuals could lead to a power rampage, and that they needed to closely observe signs such as hand tremors, red pupils, and abnormal heat on the body surface. If any signs were found, they should be immediately suppressed with sedatives and sent to the isolation area.

Ordinary civilians only need to know that the base has set up a special "Awakened Ones Rest Area" to help those companions who are unwell.

The quarantine zone was located in the weapons storage room at the deepest part of the base, where there was an independent ventilation system and reinforced walls. Ozawa personally recalibrated the sensitivity of the energy monitoring equipment, adjusting the threshold to the lowest level that could detect the precursors of anomalies.

Once the deployment was complete, she turned to Takahiro Omuro and said, "Raise the radar accuracy to 5 meters, record the three energy waveforms: Mutant, Awakened, and Unknown, and differentiate the warning sounds."

"Understood!" Takahiro Omuro replied, his fingers beginning to fly across the keyboard.

“Hikari, Hojo,” Ozawa turned to the two, “The search cannot stop, but it can no longer be a large-scale operation. Switch to two-person teams, traveling light and quickly. Medicines and medical supplies should be the top priority.”

Hikawa Makoto stood at attention and saluted. Hojo Toru simply leaned against the control panel and nodded slightly.

Lin Chen noticed this.

Since returning from the news headquarters, Toru Hojo has been like a different person. He no longer confronts Makoto Hikawa head-on, nor does he mock Ozawa's orders. Although he can still be sharp-tongued, he has changed a lot from before.