I want to become a Kamen Rider

"..."

The Kyubey that made a pact with the girl appeared in a corner of the desert, its words piercing the heart.

"You lost. All the sweat, pain, and countless days and nights of hard work you've put in have been defeated by a card your master casually pulled out."

"Wu Tina also worked very hard."

"But she didn't work as hard as you."

Mizutani Migen's punch didn't stop at all, as if he hadn't heard it.

With her fists flying through the air and her feet firmly planted on the sand, she resolutely practiced the moves that person had taught her, getting herself covered in dirt.

As Kyubey said, Hiiragi Tina used to be afraid of getting dirty when practicing, and it was only recently that she made up her mind to start working hard, but she had been like that for a long, long time.

"After that purple-haired little dwarf appeared, he stole so much of that person's attention and care. Your master spent less time with you, and all your hard work, your firm belief that 'power comes from within'... was easily negated by a card, a prop..."

The sand rose high with the girl's sharp kick, then fell like rain.

Cupid blinked his ruby-like eyes and continued to bewitch:

Don't you think that's unfair?

"feel."

Don't you feel wronged?

"feel."

"Kyubi is on Mikoto's side, so..."

Like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, its voice carried a hint of persuasion, as if offering an outlet for her venting, a reason to "help" her.

The sand and dust were once again whipped up by the powerful gust of wind, slapping against the girl's sweaty face and body, but she was completely unaware.

Despite being covered in sand and hearing such words from Kyubey, the girl's fist-throwing motion did not stop.

"Um, should we stop for a bit?"

"no need."

The girl practiced on her own.

"But if this continues, Master will be taken away by that purple-haired dwarf!"

The girl's movements froze for a moment, but then she unleashed an even more ferocious punch, striking the invisible air with a dull thud.

"My master said that what a martial artist wants, he should strive for and seize with his own fists."

The autumn dusk carried a chill in the air. The coldness of previous defeat was even more intense than the wind, almost piercing to the bone. All the long-term efforts, unwavering determination, and countless drops of sweat had been defeated by the power gained from a single card.

Training and cultivation are sometimes so inadequate in the face of talent and external forces.

Do you still have time?

"There will be."

Cupid was getting a little impatient.

"Are you an idiot? You're clearly jealous, clearly sad, clearly unhappy, but you don't show it or let it out. You're just like your master."

"I'm an idiot."

The girl continued to throw punches, slightly raising her head.

"I'm the same as my master because my master is also an idiot."

……

……

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the newly built stone buildings on Blue Island in a warm orange-red hue, while the sea breeze, carrying the unique salty scent of the sandy sea, swept over the rooftops of varying heights.

Fan Kang sat casually on the roof of a towering building, his figure blending into the twilight, appearing somewhat aloof. On his shoulder, a snow-white, red-eyed, suspiciously ringed beast sat steadily, its bushy tail occasionally brushing lightly against his neck.

Their gaze pierced through the deepening twilight and landed on a small, dirty figure in the middle of the sea of ​​sand below.

'Aren't you going to comfort her?'

"Don't go."

'Shouldn't we praise her and tell her that she has tried her best?'

"Don't go."

Qiu Bi turned his head, seemingly trying to see the expression on Fan Kang's face.

'Kangjun, do you think she's not sad?'

"You must be very sad, that all your efforts were so easily defeated by a card and a prop."

Kewpie loudly complained.

"I'm genuinely offering this advice for your own good. Aren't you worried your little apprentice might do something rash? Why don't you go down and comfort him, encourage him, and try to improve your relationship with him?"

"But I did it for her own good."

The sea breeze ruffled the stray hairs on his forehead, and the man who had committed cruel acts in the name of her well-being spoke calmly:

"There will be many more such things in the future. Her efforts are so worthless that they can be easily surpassed by talented people, easily defeated by external forces, and crushed by the luck of the fortunate."

'Wow, that's so cruel of you to say.'

"Because I've been there, after all."

Effort is the least valuable thing.

Because anyone can work hard, and everyone will have moments when they feel that they have given their all but still see no reward or result.

Why do those passionate comic stories in this country always end up sliding into a vortex of fatalism and bloodline theory?

It is precisely because the word "effort" is too cheap and too common that when people rack their brains but cannot figure out how their meager efforts can shake the mountain forged by talent or cross the chasm drawn by nature, they can only bow down to a grander, seemingly irresistible force.

'Aren't you really afraid your disciple will turn to the dark side, or become a fallen knight?'

"She won't."

'But even after trying so hard, there were still no results.'

So, are you just going to give up?

Fan Kang countered with a question.

"Kyubi, do you know how people become demons in the original Kamen Rider Hibiki? It's not through belts, not through cards, it's just... day after day, day after day, day after day of training and hard work."

The girl below continued to punch and tread the sand and waves, but her posture became somewhat strange, as if she was recreating or simulating something.

Upon seeing this, Cupid keenly sensed something.

'What is that pose?'

"The move that Hiiragi Mai Tina used to defeat her in a flash of inspiration."

'Isn't this good too? Getting up from where you fall, becoming stronger little by little—it has the feel of a thrilling, inspiring story.'

"In fact, even if you learn this move, deal with it well, and avoid being defeated by the same move a second time, it won't be of much use."

The girl's master watched as she repeatedly corrected and refined the movement, his tone remaining calm yet somewhat cruel.

Cupid asked, puzzled, 'Why?'

He turned to look at the distant, shimmering, and roaring blue sea: "Because true geniuses can create new moves on the spot; true monsters also have endless adaptability and evolutionary abilities."

Don't ask him how he knows, because he is the man standing at the end of the long road of hard work.

He was surpassed by countless geniuses, injured by unimaginable monsters, and lost everything he could lose before finally gaining power. He could now defeat any genius in the world and finally possessed the skills to defeat monsters, yet he could not find his original self and could only try to prevent as few people as possible from repeating the same tragedy.

It was only after seeing him that the girl became convinced that hard work could overcome talent and transcend fate, and she believed it without the slightest wavering or doubt, because the answer was right before her eyes.

Day after day, day after day, day after day, countless days accumulate and layer upon day, with sweat and blood. Even if one cannot reach the end of the long road like him, one will still obtain something that is enough to rival a genius in a single field or a single skill.

Those are treasures for mortals.

Its name is Chicheng (赤诚).

"Um, Mr. Kang, Cupid, I have a question."

"You said."

'You're not worried about your apprentice at all, are you?'

"more or less."

Cupid tilted his head, his ruby-like eyes seemingly filled with genuine confusion.

'Then why did you run to such a high place?'

"Because the scenery here is beautiful."

"I'm saying, a man's arrogance is a dead end. Nobody will find you 'cute' or 'adorable'; they'll just think you're a super troublesome guy."

"Mind your own business and shut up."

Fan Kang leaned against the eaves, preparing to close his eyes and rest for a while.

result……

Years later, facing numerous cleavers threatening him with marriage, Kamen Rider Kuuga's heir, Kenjiro, will surely recall that afternoon when Kyubey taught him the technique of multi-jumping, only to be arrogantly rejected.

'Back then, Azure Island was a small knight council with few members. The stone-built training grounds were very high, and the buildings stretched along the island's ridge. The waves crashed against the cliffs on the sandy beach where they practiced, and the young girls' hearts were still warm and sincere. It was clearly the perfect time to become the queen of the harem...'

In the beginning of the world, many things had no names yet, and one had to point to them when they were mentioned.

Power sprouts in ignorance, rules are written in the blank spaces, and possibilities are as vast and boundless as a sea of ​​sand. Indeed, weakness is not the obstacle to survival; arrogance is. Like an invisible poisonous vine, it silently coils around in the years to come, ultimately leading those who resist to the throne to that inescapable, hellish battlefield of clashing swords.

Fan Kang leaned against the eaves, gazing at the figure on the sand below, his lips twitching as he commented:

“I think you need to apologize to Mr. Gabriel García Márquez, the author of One Hundred Years of Solitude.”

The suspicious white alien creature on the shoulder flicked its bushy tail.

'I'm doing all this for the good of resisting the emperor.'

"I'm confident, you don't need to worry about me."

Are you confident that you can learn more jumping techniques later?

"No, it's that I'm confident I won't live to see the future."

Comics and novels often exaggerate things to boost sales. There aren't that many heavy loves in this world; most are just fleeting infatuations that will be blown away by the wind. Time is a magical thing; it can heal wounds and erase sorrow.

He had even seen people rebuilding cities on the ruins ravaged by giant beasts. Humans are not beings that depend on inanimate objects for survival. Destroyed buildings can be rebuilt, lost prosperity can be regained, and if loved ones leave, then go and love others.

"By the time you mentioned, the grass on my cenotaph will be hundreds of feet tall. What good will that do? If you really like me, then come across time and let me live. Sometimes I fantasize about a beautiful girl who loves me so much punching all the bad guys and monsters, so I don't have to work or fight anymore. I can just be a useless person and create a world where I can live happily."

As he was talking, he started making a wish.

"Ideally, she should be a rich woman like Miss Toyokawa, more obedient and virtuous than Mizutani Mikoto, with a better temper, and easier to bully than Hiiragi Tina. Oh, and ideally, she should also be as cute as Kaze."

Fan Kang, who was prepared to be subjected to all sorts of sarcastic remarks from Qiu Bi, did not hear the suspicious white alien creature's complaints. In fact, he could think of several possible complaints himself, such as "I suggest you put your pillow up higher when you go back to sleep tonight," or "I suggest you make a wish at a temple or monastery."

But the suspicious white alien creature on its shoulder simply asked:

'...Why is it a cenotaph?'

"Because it is assumed that there will be no trace of the body."

I've already confirmed my fate with Tina Hiiragi.

If a long dream comes true, then fate has already been decided.

In fact, the terror of the extraterrestrial beast made him never have any hope of living to see the dawn. No matter how strong he became, he couldn't imagine the possibility of defeating that thing.

Although TV dramas, comics, and light novels often feature various majestic beings that claim to be able to destroy the universe and damage the Great Dao with a single punch, when these majestic beings get together to fight, they usually can't even break the ground after fighting for a long time. The behemoths they have to face are beings that truly tear the sky apart and shatter the earth in the literal sense.

Breathing is a tsunami, anger is an earthquake, and roaring is thunder.

I knew I had no chance of winning, except... this one and only burning opportunity.

As a result, in Hiiragi Tina's dream, he didn't even see the one that caused the end of the world before he collapsed in the waves.

Logically speaking, he should have felt resentful and fearful, and he did indeed feel resentful and fearful. However, what he didn't expect was that he also felt a sense of relief.

He acted well for a lifetime and never ran away.

In the end, he still lit the fire.

I'm risking everything I've ever had—my bones, my blood, my soul, my flesh—just this once, and I'm certain I won't lose to anyone in this willingness to die together.