I want to become a Kamen Rider

High school girls huddled under the eaves of a convenience store to take shelter from the rain.

They carried their schoolbags on their heads, laughing and running into the rain. The splashes from their uniform skirts startled a calico cat on the roadside. Office workers in suits held their briefcases protectively to their chests. Everyone has their own choices, but Fan Kang tilted his umbrella towards an elderly man scavenging on the roadside.

Rainwater trickled down the transparent umbrella ribs, forming a beaded curtain that created a flowing dome between him and the old man.

'If you give the umbrella to someone else, what about yourself?'

"Of course, we'll get soaked."

With a hearty laugh, Fan Kang walked into the rain.

'...He really is a strange person.'

“I don’t want to be told that by a suspicious alien.”

'Kooby isn't some suspicious alien creature.'

"..."

The speech of the suspicious white alien creature on the shoulder was selectively ignored.

Looking out over the world, recalling the one-sided battle and the lives he had saved, he hummed narcissistically.

"My transformed Kuuga is indeed the strongest."

But before he could even gloat for a moment, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

'While I don't know just how gifted you are, managing to unlock the final form of the Rider on your very first transformation without any instruction, but... you've gone too far.'

'Overusing power that this body can no longer bear, and even sacrificing your own life for someone else... Does the Anti-King have absolutely no sense of proportion?'

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Fan Kang didn't seem to care.

"The lives at hand are what need to be saved. The so-called 'measure' is nothing more than the lightest weight on the scale."

Even though he had paid a heavy price in every sense, Fan Kang was still in a good mood, especially compared to the extremely hopeless future he had originally envisioned.

Wanting to gain power without giving anything in return, wanting to protect without contributing anything in return—there's no such thing as a free lunch.

At least he and Hachiman were unfortunately unable to meet.

He didn't have much to complain about; he was quite content. This time, he had truly changed the fate of many people who were supposed to die, and many people were saved because of it. Even his former dead-eyed partner, Hachiman Hikigaya, avoided the future of his sister's death.

Who knows, that guy might not become the tragic Kamen Rider Agito, but instead become an ordinary high school student with a rosy youth.

Fan Kangxu squinted, recalling his past and the future of this world.

Between 2011 and 2032 AD, fantastical monsters and enemies descend upon the human world one after another: Shocker, Black Satan, Chiton, Gael Shocker, Grongi, Unknown, Mirror Monster, Orphnoch, Undead, Demonic Wraith, Worms, Otherworldly Gods, Fangire, Grand Shocker...

Countless enemies and countless terrifying demons are ravaging humanity, threatening to devastate the entire world.

In 2032, a giant space meteorite, codenamed "2024 YR4", was observed falling to Earth in 2024.

The People's Federation was established in 2033 AD.

This species, scattered across the planet with countless nations and ethnicities, finally united, but not for the romantic reason of eliminating differences and hatred and moving towards unity.

Rather, it's because humanity has been driven to the brink of despair.

It may take hundreds of years to take the first step when people unite for a shared vision, but only a few decades to join hands for the sake of survival.

The reason why the first time period is from 2011 to 2032 is not because Pandora's box will be closed and the monsters and enemies will be dealt with by 2032, but because there is a heavyweight character who will appear in 2032 and needs to be highlighted separately.

Accompanied by a space meteorite, a monster resembling Godzilla destroyed everything. Its mountain-like form, like divine punishment and heavenly tribulation, utterly ravaged everything on the ground.

And not just on the ground...

In 2035 AD, Australia sank.

In 2037 AD, the Americas sank.

Most of the monsters and enemies mentioned earlier only wanted to eliminate humanity and then rule the world, but Godzilla destroyed the world itself.

Clearly, it would be impossible for humans to sustain this for so long on their own.

Early on, when humanity was in despair, an alien creation known as the "Descendants" quietly visited Earth. They took action, calling themselves Kyubey, and in a sense, gave the civilization on this planet a plan for self-salvation.

This plan was later referred to as...

—The Kamen Rider Project.

Chapter Four: The Knight's Contract and the Price

The contractors chosen by Kyubey became the first riders to stand up against natural and man-made disasters. For some unknown reason, they fought in the form of Kamen Riders from fantasy works, which further fueled the Kamen Rider craze of that era.

However, there is one problem.

Most of the contractors chosen by Kyubey are minors who have not yet experienced the harsh realities of society and are emotionally vulnerable. They especially favor high school girls. There are many theories about why Kyubey chooses minors as contract knights to fight, but one undeniable fact is the excessively high mortality rate of contract knights.

At that age when you're still a teenager and haven't fully recovered from your teenage angst, if a white mascot really jumped out and said, "Please become a Kamen Rider, bear a cruel fate, and fight against dangerous enemies. This is a great sacrifice for the future of humanity," few people would probably refuse in the heat of the moment.

But what will be the price?

Making minors fight terrifying monsters and confront all sorts of dark organizations, only to have their hearts worn down in each battle, ultimately leading to their utter ruin?

Humanity did survive thanks to the power of Kamen Riders, preserving the present, but also losing the "future".

In light of this, the World Government, following the technology brought by Kyubey, albeit clumsily, developed Knight Armor with fewer side effects and relatively lower combat power, allowing adults to fight.

That year, he joined the Knight Armored Force as the first volunteer, becoming "Kuuga". During subsequent training, he met Hachiman Hikigaya, the adaptor of "Agito". Then, he underwent training and, just as he had pursued, died on the battlefield, using his life to create a tiny hope for others.

If he had the power of a Contract Knight at that time, he could have done more, but he was no longer young, and Kyubey would not have chosen him.

And right now, he is a teenager.

Incidentally, perhaps due to the excessive amount of homework, Fan Kang's hometown, except for a few areas, had almost no underage high school students selected by Cupid. In the later era of the Human League, it actually contributed the most artificial knights like him back then, who required sufficient willpower and training to become.

According to Fan Kang's own speculation, the main reason why he was chosen by Cupid after his rebirth was that his younger self not only suffered from chuunibyou (middle school syndrome), procrastination, and social anxiety, but was also hospitalized, emotionally fragile, lazy, and procrastinating. He was practically a walking black history generator, perfectly matching the various criteria for Cupid's host selection set by the United People's Government.

As for why these suspicious alien creatures didn't approach him back then, he didn't know.

Raindrops cascaded from the eaves of the convenience store, forming a string of beads. Fan Kang squatted on the flooded roadside, flipping through promotional flyers he had picked up from a trash can.

He folded the flyer three times, pressing sharp creases along the edges, and then pulled it apart.

A paper boat takes shape.

Grabbing the paper boat, Fan Kang suddenly spoke:

"Chubi, can you tell me about the price?"

'? '

"The price of becoming a Kamen Rider."

"Khubi said."

That will be a long time.

"I have plenty of time now."

Just as he placed the paper boat into the murky puddle, a truck drove over the hole.

Amidst the splashing mud and water, a small boat, no bigger than the palm of your hand, began to drift, carrying the words "Fengchuan Supermarket Egg Special Price".

Fan Kang extended his index finger and gently pushed the stern, watching it navigate around cigarette butts and fallen leaves, through the network of waterways woven from tire tracks, and finally get stuck in front of the sewer grate, spinning around.

During his long wait, the suspicious white alien creature on his shoulder finally began to speak.

As previously recalled, in his origin, in that despairing future that was approaching, the power of Kamen Rider, bestowed upon him by the "Descendants," was the key to saving human civilization. Humanity was utterly defeated by monsters, demons, and monsters, and it was only after the first Kamen Rider who made a contract with Kyubey appeared that the counterattack began.

From this perspective, the Kyubeys are humanity's saviors, but not many people believe in these cute-looking alien creatures.

The high mortality rate of Contract Riders is the main reason. In addition, there is the risk of going berserk and falling into depravity. Some Kamen Riders do not even die in battle, but their minds break down, their power goes berserk, and they are eventually defeated by their former comrades.

Kyubey explained to him that the power to become a Kamen Rider is not directly given by them, but comes from the depths of the human soul. They merely provide the opportunity for transformation, and fighting in the form of a Kamen Rider is just a shared memory materialized from film and television works to facilitate human understanding and cognition.

The human soul contains both the courage and determination to save others, as well as unfathomable evil and ugliness.

As for the price...

'I've heard that some colleagues in other universes who save humanity have also chosen the magical girl form of expression.'

'And we in this world choose to express ourselves as... Kamen Rider.'

"Just like in the original Kamen Rider Kuuga, the character you transformed into, great power comes at a price; that's perfectly normal."

"The power one encounters during the process of becoming a Kamen Rider, let's call it magic for now. Magic is highly corrosive; without sufficient willpower, it can easily cause the power to go berserk, and those consumed by it will suffer a terrible fate."

'To minimize the corrosive effects of magic on the contractor's body, the contractor's physical form is thoroughly strengthened, allowing them to continue fighting regardless of the severity of their injuries, and they can also accelerate their recovery by consuming magic.'

"During the process of becoming a Kamen Rider, a core called the 'Rider Seed' is born. This core is especially important for the Riders who have signed a contract with us and are ready to fight. If the core is damaged, the Rider will most likely die instantly."

'Facing the abyss grants power, but constant companionship with the abyss signifies corruption and decay. Many are qualified to become Kamen Riders, but only a select few possess the courage to fight for the future of humanity.'

The white creature on its shoulder clearly illustrates the various side effects and consequences of becoming a Kamen Rider, using sincere language and respecting the personal choices of qualified individuals. It seems to truly possess a kind heart, just as its cute appearance suggests.

The premise is that it didn't say it only after he asked it.

'Speaking of which, I don't recall seeing any of the Knight's Seeds that defied the King. Did you put them away?'

"Hmm... I've put it away."

Fan Kang asked casually.

"By the way, do contractors who sign contracts with you receive Kamen Rider's transformation device?"

'Usually, they transform directly. However, if the contractor wishes to do so for ritualistic reasons, they can materialize the form with magic before transforming.'

"...That's it."

Fan Kang looked at his waist, and as his fighting spirit surged, the silver belt appeared in response to its master's call.

The spirit stone embedded in the center shimmered with dazzling light, but the suspicious white creature on his shoulder seemed oblivious to it, as if it couldn't see it.

Chapter 5: Becoming Stronger Through Love

"hiss."

Fan Kang gasped and blinked.

Kyubey believed that he had signed a contract with it and that he had transformed into Kuuga through the power of the Knight Contract.

He also believed that he had signed a contract with Kyubey and that he transformed into Kuuga through the power of the Rider Contract.

But if he became Kuuga through Kyubey's power, then the "Knight Seed" that Kyubey spoke of should have been born, and Kyubey, the instigator, would have no reason not to see the spirit stone at his waist.

Thinking back to the beginning of his rebirth, the belt was already on him when he first woke up. Because the moment he touched the belt, he saw Kyubey, and he thought the belt was given to him by Kyubey. Now it seems that his power to transform into Kuuga and the spirit stone on his waist have nothing to do with Kyubey.

Even whether he had actually signed a contract with Cupid was questionable.

When the contract was signed, the light emitted by Kyubey was swallowed up by the crimson of the spirit stone at his waist. At that time, he thought the belt was a gift from Kyubey and didn't think much of it, but now it seems that this is not the case.

This belt was clearly not the one he wore when he was an artificial knight. Artificial knight belts do not have such power, let alone appear and disappear so freely with one's will, just like... the "Agur" worn by the real Kuuga.

After breaking free from the preconceived notion that the belt was a gift from Cupid, many doubts that had been subjectively ignored before came to mind.

Whether it was Kyubey's completely unexpected astonishment when he manipulated microscopic particles to distribute his life force to everyone, or the most incomprehensible sense of erosion after entering the ultimate form.

Having memories of the future, he subconsciously assumed that the transformation was the wear and tear that all Kamen Riders who had made a contract with Kyubey would inevitably experience, but he was surprised that the wear and tear was so great during his first transformation.

I have, in a literal sense, challenged Godzilla in human form and mustered the courage to die. Why was I almost unable to withstand the corruption that occurs during a normal transformation of a Contract Knight?

If this belt is indeed "Aguru", then everything makes sense.

Fan Kang decided in his heart that he should use the ultimate form less often in the future.

It's hard to say whether becoming empty of self through "Aguru" is necessarily better than becoming empty of self through a contract with a kubbi. In fact, the former may be a greater test for the mind than the latter.

After all, according to Kyubey, Contract Knights can also hunt Fallen Knights and powerful monsters to obtain Fallen Knight Seeds and Monster Cores to purify their own Knight Seeds. Since he relies on the Spirit Stone Belt to transform, he can only bear it all by himself...

It seems that only when one completely turns against the "Descendants" can the Spirit Stone Belt transformation method, which is not subject to others, be considered truly superior to the Knight Contract.

Thinking of this, Fan Kang glanced at the suspicious white alien creature on his shoulder and wanted to question it on the spot, but in the end he couldn't speak.

It's one thing to avoid alerting the enemy, and it's another to ensure that all the tragedies haven't happened yet.

In any case, humanity has survived thanks to the power brought by Kyubey. As for whether aliens who are selfless and devoted to humanity truly exist, whether Kyubey has his own agenda, the reasons why the fantastical monsters and demons came to life, and the truth behind the monster that nearly destroyed the entire world with the meteorite, these are all mysteries that have yet to be solved.

And now, peace remains, and humanity endures.

"Let's have a bottle of MAX coffee first."

The coffee was discontinued the year after the monster appeared, and Dead Fish Eyes kept nagging him that it was time to reminisce about the taste of the past.