I want to become a Kamen Rider

"?"

Looking at the confused-looking Toyokawa Shoko, Fan Kang recalled her from his memories.

While in most time-travel and rebirth stories, the time traveler can memorize the methods of making glass, soap, perfume, and gunpowder, recite ancient poems, and in more outrageous cases, even tinker with a steam engine or internal combustion engine by hand; and the reborn can be intimately familiar with every messy thing they experience in the future and find the optimal solution to improve themselves, he clearly does not have this ability.

He could only remember some major events in that hopeless future and some past events related to himself. Of course, Toyokawa Shoko in the "future" had nothing to do with him; her story belonged to the major events.

He was persuaded by Kyubey to become a Kamen Rider for his friend, and then... he went berserk.

As a contracted knight, the girl's combat strength is not outstanding. Although even Fan Kang has to admit that she has a certain will and spirit compared to ordinary girls, and her body is also quite good, it is not enough. In the future, becoming a Kamen Rider who signs a contract with Kyubey is truly a very despairing thing.

Many people broke down.

Toyokawa Shoko was no exception; however, after her breakdown and rampage, she went a little too far, to the point that her name was recorded.

The joke that a Kamen Rider becomes ten times stronger after going berserk is not convincing. It's more likely that people haven't fully understood Kyubey's Contract Rider mechanics. In any case, many Contract Riders perform only moderately when fighting as Kamen Riders, but become excessively strong after going berserk and falling, causing considerable trouble for humanity. Toyokawa Shoko is a prime example of this.

Therefore, determined to be a lone knight, he took the initiative to keep in touch with her, used coupons together, discussed how to save money, occasionally encouraged her in daily life, and finally borrowed some money from her to buy a motorcycle.

All of this was to prevent her from becoming a Kamen Rider who made a contract with Kyubey. She absolutely did not think it would be great to have a fellow sufferer with whom she could discuss how to save money!

Especially considering that the other party was the former heiress of the Toyokawa Group, with such a tragic fellow sufferer as a comparison, his sleeping under the bridge didn't seem so bad.

Frankly speaking, in the conventional sense, she is a very lovable girl. She is strong and stubborn, and she must have many stories to tell. Like Mizutani Migen, the apprentice he took in six days ago, she is in great need of help and guidance.

But he was busy.

Fan Kang, a person from the future, is busy saving the world and has no time to gossip about other people's family matters and growing pains. It's not that he ignores those who need help right in front of him, but rather that he reaches out to those who need help the most first.

The carpet-bombing campaign against the Grongi and the monsters, which Mizutani Mitsuyoshi described as "feeling like I'd die from overwork," was worth it as long as it saved at least one life.

After chatting for a while about their recent situations, Fan Kang, who had mentioned that he would definitely go to see Ms. Toyokawa's band performance next time but had never actually gone, inquired about the reason for this invitation.

The girl once again expressed her gratitude solemnly.

Whether it was for the help from her friend Deng or for saving her from the temptation of the evil white, suspicious alien creature, Fan Kang accepted the thanks without saying anything about it being a polite gesture.

Accepting thanks from others frankly, responding with a smile and encouragement, rather than letting them feel indebted to you, is also part of the Kamen Rider's job.

Thinking that the evening was over, Fan Kang, whose eyes were only on the bowl of buckwheat noodles that had been served, picked up his chopsticks and was about to start eating when the blue-haired girl in front of him spoke up.

"I'm very worried about you, Fan Jun."

"?"

Why does this scene feel somewhat familiar? Six days ago, someone said something similar to him.

"I didn't know what kind of job it was to be a Kamen Rider, and I'm very grateful to Fan-kun for dissuading me in time and giving Akari a chance to quit. But Fan-kun must have been very tired and stressed, right?"

"Yes, it's super tiring, super hard, and... there's no pay."

"What if I said that as someone who was helped and saved by Fan Jun, I am willing to give Fan Jun a reward?"

As she said this, the blue-haired girl pushed over a stack of papers.

The top page read "Application for Transfer to Zongwu High School". Fan Kang flipped through it and found that the documents were complete and the procedures were in order. Only the signature section at the bottom of the last page was blank. As long as he signed his name, it should be effective immediately.

“When we were discussing Amazon group buying coupons on the phone before, Fan Jun mentioned that he wanted to go to Zongwu High School. I didn’t know why Fan Jun, who should be of school age like me, would be riding a motorcycle around fighting. If Fan Jun didn’t want to talk about it, I wouldn’t ask.”

"All I know is that this might be able to help you, Mr. Fan."

This should be a classic scene of a rich young lady using her privileges to help a poor young man, but Fan Kang wants to complain more about whether it could be exchanged for money, and...

"I do know that the Toyokawa Group is a major shareholder of Sobu High School, but Miss Toyokawa, aren't you with your family?"

"Thanks to Fan Jun and everyone's encouragement, I have also made some changes."

It's being described so casually, but something must have happened.

Just as the other party said, Fan Kang didn't ask any more questions. Instead, he put away the documents, checked them, and found that even the tuition and accommodation fees had been paid. At least with this, he wouldn't have to sleep under bridges anymore.

It's not that he wanted to go to school. He had already learned what he needed to learn in the future. He was already a Kamen Rider, and the world was on the verge of destruction. Who would have the mind to go to school?

The reason he inquired about Soubu High School was that some "targets" who might be helpful to him in future battles and were worth cultivating were at Soubu High School.

In addition, due to his excessive hunting, apart from enemies like the Demonic Wraith who have a low tendency to cooperate in teams and can still be caught in the wild from time to time, most of the systematic and organized dark forces have joined forces to ambush him instead, and he will basically no longer appear openly alone. He will be much more relaxed for a short period of time in the future.

"Thank you, that's a big help."

"Really? I'm so glad."

So Fan Kang sincerely thanked her, and the girl in front of him smiled, not because something funny had happened, but because she had helped him.

Despite the strange rumors surrounding Ms. Toyokawa's band, the Ms. Toyokawa he knew was a kind person.

"Then let's eat noodles, they're getting cold."

As he said this, the boy picked up his chopsticks, and in the darkness, a man and a woman chatted and laughed as they ate the rather inexpensive noodles.

It wasn't anything valuable, but they enjoyed it very much.

……

……

It's almost dawn.

As the noodle shop owner wiped the fogged-up glass, he caught a glimpse of the girl secretly hiding the sticky note the boy had used and carefully tucking the coupon into her music score book.

The locomotive's taillights, fading into the rain, resembled falling stars, reflecting two fragmented spots of light in the puddles—one roaring into the darkness, the other heading towards the platform where the first light of dawn was breaking.

Chapter Thirteen: The Knight Who Failed to Become One

How many people dreamed of becoming heroes as children?

Some people want to become giants of light, some want to become Kamen Riders, and some like magical girls. But as they grow up, the shouts and wishes of their childhood gradually fade away.

When exactly did the desire to become a giant of light, a Kamen Rider, or a magical girl begin to be abandoned? Even more realistic desires like becoming a scientist or a pilot are ridiculed by some adults. If you were to squat down and ask a child on the street now, they would answer that they want to be an internet celebrity, a star, or a rich person.

These sentiments would not come from the mouth of Higashijima Tanzaburo.

Because he wanted to be a Kamen Rider when he was five, when he was fifteen, when he was twenty, when he was thirty, and now at forty, he still wants to be a Kamen Rider.

In the foreseeable future, at fifty, at sixty, and until the day he dies, he will still want to be a Kamen Rider.

The sound of wind chimes tinkling as the shop door opened was accompanied by the blast of cold air from the air conditioner.

"There is no kingdom of light in the distant M78 Nebula, nor would there be any evil organization in this world foolish enough to create a father for itself. Give up unrealistic fantasies, think more about the future, and pay attention to the people around you. That's what makes a proper adult, Fan Jun."

Higashijima Tanzaburo watched the man and woman arguing over there with a smile. "Youth is truly wonderful."

"Ultraman and Kamen Rider must really exist somewhere in this world!"

Even if it's a kind of naive persistence, it's still persistence.

"Even if there really is no land of light in the distant M78 Nebula, and perhaps there are no evil institutions in this world foolish enough to create their own fathers, those who believe in these things and still bravely fight the monster called life to the very end are the true heroes, Shopkeeper."

To say such things in public, to defend what one likes without feeling ashamed, and to stubbornly stick to one's own beliefs—that boy was very similar to him, and they often worked together on construction sites. However, the foreign boy named Fan Kang was much braver than him.

The mottled glass windows filtered the cicadas' chirping into a hazy background sound. Higashijima Tanzaburo pushed his things to the cashier and watched the sunlight flow across the Chiyo brand gashapon machine produced during the Showa era.

When guests arrive, the store manager naturally steps forward to greet them.

Wait a minute, shouldn't Fan Kang, the worker, be the one to host him in a place like this? It feels like everything that's connected to this foreign boy has become strange.

To be honest, he and Fan Kang have a pretty good relationship, probably because they often work together and share common interests. Although they occasionally fight over who is the strongest Kamen Rider, Kuuga or Number One.

“I want to sell these.”

Higashijima Tanzaburo pointed to the merchandise and figures he had treasured for most of his life and began to speak.

"Wow, let me see, these are all rare collectibles!"

"Yes."

“I have ten more of these big boxes at home, and there are six boxes in total on this cart.”

"..."

"These are all Kamen Rider merchandise."

"Are we really going to sell all of these at once?"

It was Fan Kang who interrupted the ongoing transaction.

"Have you encountered any difficulties, Mr. Tanzaburo?"

A secondhand store is a type of shop that is similar to a pawn shop but also has the characteristics of a secondhand goods market. It buys collectibles from collectors who need money at low prices and then sells them to enthusiasts who are interested in the collectibles at higher prices, making a profit from the price difference. Fan Kang, who was busy fighting as "Bloody Kuuga" a while ago and couldn't find a good full-time job, occasionally worked here.

As an employee, he shouldn't have interrupted when the store was about to purchase a batch of well-preserved and valuable vintage items at a relatively low price, but he was also a friend who, like Higashijima Tanzaburo, loved Kamen Rider.

There was no possibility that the man in front of him would quit, Fan Kang could say that with certainty, which was why he directly asked if he had encountered any difficulties.

"It's Fan Jun."

The unshaven middle-aged man turned his head.

"If it's Fan Jun, he should be able to understand. I'm already forty years old."

"?"

"At forty, I'm already at an age where I start to think about life and death. If any unfortunate disaster or illness strikes, when I die alone, all that will be left behind is probably a room filled with Kamen Rider figurines. Although dying surrounded by the Riders wouldn't be bad, I still don't want them to be treated like trash and disposed of carelessly by the people who come to collect their bodies."

Under the hopeless gazes of the store manager and his companion, the man before them, just like before, frankly and unreservedly expressed his love for Kamen Rider.

"I am so obsessed with the Kamen Rider series that I cannot accept that ending. Rather than letting them be buried with me when I die alone, I would rather have them transferred to other people who will like Kamen Rider through your store."

"What's going on? That guy, he's making selling figurines sound so cool..."

After the transaction was completed, the store manager watched the man's departing figure, loudly complaining. Turning around, he saw his employee nodding with an expression of complete agreement and understanding.

"I don't understand you tokusatsu fans."

The shopkeeper's dark blue hair swept across the lacquerware counter as he began assigning tasks.

"Alright, Fan Jun, go and promote it to that girl over there who's been looking at the magazines but hasn't bought anything for ages."

"Yes, yes, shop manager."

Following her fingers painted with dark red nail polish, a casually dressed JK (high school girl) was squatting in a corner of the Heisei Ward.

The "Kamen Rider Kuuga Setting Book" rustled in the girl's hands, and the close-up color page of Kuuga giving a thumbs-up peeking out from between the pages subtly corresponded to the Musou Ryu figure from "Kamen Rider Ryuki" on the shelf.

Fan Kang walked towards the girl who was engrossed in looking at the setting book, while mentally considering the wording for his sales pitch.

He recognized the girl's expression; it was the look of someone longing to become a Kamen Rider.

……

……

Higashijima Tanzaburo walked out of the secondhand store clutching a coin that cost less than one percent of what he had originally spent on those figurines.

He sold all his "Kamen Rider merchandise".

When he was a very young child, he fell in love with Kamen Rider. If the Kamen Rider on TV was fighting in the mud, he would imitate him, even if he got dirty with mud.

He wants to become a real Kamen Rider.

This is a wish that is impossible to achieve and will never happen, but even so, it is still his wish.

The heat outside the secondhand store was intense. He put the money he got from selling all the merchandise into his pocket, and as usual, as he did every day, he took out his phone.

He was just casually browsing without any specific purpose, maybe to check the time or to confirm the tram schedule, but he saw a news item in a notification pop up on his phone—a headline news story.

It was a five-word headline, but it was enough to make his eyes widen and his face break out in a cold sweat...

—“Shocker has appeared!”

Chapter Fourteen: The Knight's Question (4K)

Blue Island.

The island is like summer all year round, with the sun shining brightly every day. It is called Blue Island because it is surrounded by a beautiful blue sea, and the Knights Council holds its meetings here.

The azure waves shattered into countless fireflies somewhere deep within the island's karst cave. Beneath the sea-eroded rock archway, twelve figures traversed a phosphorescent mossy path. Stalactites hanging from the cave's dome resembled an inverted forest of swords, with a curtain of water appearing every few hundred steps. Passing through the final curtain of water, a round table stood in the center of the suddenly opened spherical cavern.

The figure with the mask resembling a shovel beetle and a body as red as fire, possessing the most imposing presence among the twelve, took his seat directly, followed by the other eleven.

The light and shadow flowed like water between the knights' armor, cutting each person's expression into fragments of light and shadow.