I want to become a Kamen Rider

"boom--!"

The muffled explosion didn't originate from the surface, but from a depth of hundreds of meters. The massive shockwave even briefly subsided the surrounding waves. Through the churning, murky water, a colossal shadow, as large as a small hill, could be vaguely seen convulsing and twisting violently in the crimson-gold flames, its hard bio-shell torn and melted like paper. Seconds later, the enormous shadow lost all life, slowly sinking, leaving behind only a vast expanse of churning, spreading oil and the smell of burning.

This is not an isolated case.

The knight's movements were precise and efficient, like a pre-programmed killing machine.

Each time he raised his hand, each time he threw, it was accompanied by a flaming spear piercing the air, a muffled explosion like thunder from the depths of the sea, and the instantaneous annihilation of life. Those colossal bio-engineered beasts lurking in the deep sea, often tens of meters long and with terrifying forms, were like fish on a chopping board before him. They attempted to launch surprise attacks from different angles, spewing corrosive venom, opening their massive jaws filled with sharp teeth, or even creating raging whirlpools of water.

But all the struggles were in vain.

The flaming spears always manage to pierce their core or energy source with greater speed and more cunning angles. Occasionally, a colossal beast leaps from the sea, attempting to pounce with overwhelming force, only to be met with an even faster and more ferocious flaming spear.

Its enormous body was pierced and ignited in mid-air, crashing back into the sea like a burning meteorite, splashing up towering waves, only to be swallowed up by the boiling seawater in an instant.

The battle was a one-sided crushing and reaping.

On the sea, apart from where the knights tread, there were constantly rising steam, spreading oil slicks, and scattered, charred remains of bio-engineered beasts floating in the air. This sea area had become a veritable graveyard of giant beasts.

Just as the knight raised his hand again, preparing to throw the next flaming lance into the deeper sea, a specially made communicator on his waist emitted an untimely beep, signaling the arrival of a communication.

The knight paused slightly, his brow furrowing beneath his visor. He answered the call, his voice tinged with displeasure:

"I've said it for the fourth time. The reason so many people died in Beika Town was because of bad public order. It has nothing to do with the Gurongi who have already been wiped out, the Shockers who are hiding and dare not show their faces, or the Black Satan and Destrom who were wiped out twice. The Orphnoch have also been cleaned up. Don't bother me anymore!"

Just as I was about to hang up, a female voice came through.

"Looks like you're really annoyed by those incompetent Japanese police."

"They need the help of high school detectives to even solve cases. They can't be described as useless anymore. After I die, nobody will care about you. If you really rule the world, remember to make them commit seppuku as an apology to comfort their souls."

"I will do everything in my power to keep you alive, and then I will make you submit to me."

"Then come on."

The knight replied dismissively, raising his flaming lance once more.

The firelight reflected on the sea, and in the distance, the azure sky exploded once again with flames and steam.

"...I'm going to begin the artificial knight project."

"Oh."

"It's all so bland, there's no point in saying anything, offering advice, or even cursing me—that's definitely not going to work."

"Why are you acting like a child who wants their parents to praise them? You're not trying to create an Ultraman or a knight. What's wrong with creating a knight? Knights are born for humans and exist for humans."

Aren't you going to ask me where my skills come from?

The woman's voice carried a hint of smugness and boastfulness.

"Where did that technology come from? Was it stolen or robbed?"

"It's not mature yet, just an experiment. I bribed a low-level escaped experimenter from the Shocker organization."

"Oh, so they send a beautiful spy to lure him in, threatening his family's safety to force him to hand over his research findings, telling him, 'Your research is very valuable; science knows no borders. Even if Shocker really does rule the world, you won't get a share. On the contrary, Eleanor Mondebelle, who always keeps her word, will definitely get a share if she succeeds?'"

"What era are we living in? Who still uses such rhetoric? I told him, 'You haven't become a weirdo after all these years, and you're still just a junior researcher working on the front lines. It's all because your superiors are sabotaging you. Sell me your stuff, and I'll arrange for your whole family to escape. When the truth comes out, all your superiors, big and small, will have to take the blame for you, and you'll have no hope of promotion. You'll never become a weirdo in your life. Isn't that wonderful?'"

"It has to be you."

The two flaming spears merged into one, and flames spread for hundreds of meters, briefly parting the vast sea beneath their feet. As another bio-beast transformed into a fireball, their conversation continued.

"So, it's not too late to win my favor. Soon, the great Lady Eleanor will rule the world with a massive army of artificial knights."

"You're overthinking it. Even with the complete technology, Shocker has become what it is now. You think you can rule the world with your defective technology? At best, you'll be able to make a few broken belts."

Seawater surged in, forming a tornado, yet the knight remained calm and composed.

"What's that noise on your end?"

"A few small fish."

The words have not yet fallen.

The sea not far in front of him suddenly exploded.

Boom——! !

A colossal bio-engineered beast, far larger and more grotesque than any before, burst forth from the waves, accompanied by the salty stench of seawater and deafening roars. It opened its gaping maw, large enough to swallow a small ship, and lunged at the knight standing on the sea. Its barbed jaws instantly blocked out the sunlight.

The knight didn't even move a step.

He simply raised his hand calmly.

Platinum flames summoned a more solid and fiery spear that took shape in his hand.

Then, casually, it's handed forward.

laugh--.

There was no earth-shattering explosion. Only a soft sound, like a hot knife slicing through butter.

The flaming spear, like a red-hot iron rod piercing through ice, effortlessly penetrated the beast's hard skull, entering through its wide-open mouth. With terrifying heat that could purify all filth, it instantly incinerated its brain and core nerves, emerging from the back of its neck, which was covered in bone spurs.

The behemoth's devastating pounce came to an abrupt halt.

The massive body froze in mid-air for a moment, its compound eyes, once filled with savagery and greed, lost all their luster, leaving only an empty, lifeless silence.

Immediately afterwards, the enormous body, devoid of all life, like rotten flesh with all its bones removed, crashed heavily and thunderously back onto the surging sea, splashing up towering waves.

When will the big fish arrive?

"They might already be here."

After the communication ended, silence reigned. Only the roar of the waves and the hiss of the flames provided the sole background noise in this brutal sea frontier.

The knight spoke slowly.

"It is the same whether it is a hundred times, a thousand times, or ten thousand times."

Even though there were no enemies in front of him or underwater, he still spoke with an air of certainty that the other party could hear him. Beneath his feet was the sea, dyed crimson.

"I have things I want to protect, lives I want to safeguard, even if it means raising swords and committing crimes... I ask my heart, and I have never regretted it."

The crimson spear pierced the heavens and earth, tearing through the waves, and the surging waves crashed over him like rain.

"If you're not afraid of dying, then come on."

……

……

Two days later, Hachiman Hikigaya, holding his number plate, embarked on his journey to Blue Island.

The icy sea breeze stung his face. He clutched the license plate with its simple numbers, his knuckles turning slightly white. The steel behemoth beneath his feet steadily cleaved through the dark blue sea, heading towards the mist-shrouded island on the horizon.

Only now did he realize that the Knights Club... was actually all Kamen Riders.

Over the past two days, with the help of Kamen Rider Kuuga—or rather, the Kamen Rider Council, whose structure and functions are difficult to comprehend—he transformed from a supposedly dead, unregistered individual back into a normal human being. The hospital's misdiagnosis report lightly covered up the truth of his "fake death," like erasing chalk from a blackboard.

Unlike most stories where the parents' inheritance is devoured by the evil uncle and aunt, the Knights Council, through government channels, helped him and other victims who had become Orphnoch obtain a considerable sum of aid, securing their return to a "normal" life.

Having mustered his courage, Hachiman successfully reunited with his sister, exchanged their thoughts after surviving life and death, and once again became siblings under the same roof.

My uncle and aunt were very kind to them.

It seems that, apart from the departure of her parents, everything has returned to normal.

Just like that rainy day, the dark figure told him before leaving with his back to him, "Go back to school, go back to a peaceful and tranquil life."

He can now return to a peaceful life.

If we can get through today, we will regain our right to be human.

The ship was getting closer and closer to Qinglan Island, and the island's outline could already be seen clearly.

The affair between Kamen Rider and monsters was becoming increasingly difficult to conceal, and governments around the world decided to jointly announce the fact, albeit in a rather subtle way.

The Knights are categorized as weapons manufactured and managed by the state to counter special terrorist organizations, while organizations such as Shocker are referred to as new-generation terrorists.

Strangely, Kuuga still didn't stand in the center of the stage.

Instead, there is a very, very beautiful 17-year-old genius girl who claims that she will use her identity as a Kamen Rider and her authority in the Kamen Rider Council to compete for the position of President of the European Parliament next year.

When Hachiman Hikigaya saw the news, he thought he was going crazy. But then he realized that even Kamen Riders and monsters had become real, and he himself had become a monster. Maybe the world had already gone mad.

An announcement came over the intercom that they were about to dock. Like him, most of the passengers were victims of Orphnoch transformation and rushed to the deck or portholes. Inevitably, the murmurs reached Hachiman's ears.

"The truth has finally come out. The front pages are almost entirely dominated by the joint statement of 'Kamen Rider and special terrorist organizations.' The wording of various governments is cautious and consistent, which should be an attempt to bring the supernatural power into a 'controllable' framework."

"But that Kuuga who saved us... I asked around, and he's basically the one who saved everyone else. He must be a very famous knight, right? Why wasn't he mentioned in the news at all? Instead, it was that European girl named Eleanor Mondebelle..."

"A genius politician, huh? These days, all sorts of geniuses are coming out. As long as you have family background and wealth, even being hardworking and willing to endure hardship can become a virtue of the rich. It's good enough that those people writing the news didn't attribute Kuuga's achievements to her. At least for me, Kuuga who would actually come to save me is the real Kamen Rider."

"Speaking of which, were all the things that weirdo did in the past disguised as ordinary murders and robberies?"

"That makes sense. I've felt for a long time that there are too many cases, especially those in Beika Town..."

"Alright, alright, stop guessing. We'll know when we get to the island. Hopefully, this trip will go smoothly..."

Scrolling through my phone and browsing the news, besides the huge uproar caused by the Kamen Rider becoming a reality, there were a few inconspicuous messages in the corner of the news feed:

"Routine inspection of the Tokyo Bay undersea tunnel revealed localized water seepage. Traffic has not been affected so far, and repair work has commenced."

"Reports of missing fishermen in coastal waters have increased slightly. The Coast Guard is reminding fishermen to pay attention to safety and avoid going out to sea in bad weather."

Considering the quality of engineering and construction in this country, this news, which is not yet considered a major accident, did not attract much attention. It was obviously more serious than the bridge collapse that happened in Chiba a few years ago, which made the governor of Chiba bow in apology.

Woo——!

A long, drawn-out whistle announced their arrival. The massive steel ship smoothly docked at the pier of Azure Island.

Before he came, Fan Kang had already warned him not to have any expectations. The Blue Island Knight Council was the worst in the world in terms of infrastructure, only slightly better than the Knight Councils in Africa.

Stepping onto the solid, clean ground, Hachiman Hikigaya subconsciously looked around. What did the Second Minister say on the phone again?

"The Azure Island Knights Council? Oh, that place? Its infrastructure ranks near the bottom globally, only slightly better than those few tent-filled areas in Africa. Don't have high expectations; just treat it as an experience of primitive life. Remember to bring enough instant noodles."

However, everything before his eyes completely overturned Fan Kang's description, and also overturned all of Hikigaya Hachiman's imagination based on the word "countdown".

The dock was spacious and bright, its smooth, mirror-like floor reflecting the streamlined, cool light sources on the ceiling. Huge holographic signs floated in mid-air, clearly indicating directions in multiple languages.

In the distance, a cluster of futuristic, silver-white buildings clings to the mountainside, their massive glass curtain walls reflecting the sunlight. Small aircraft silently traverse unseen aerial pathways. An almost sterile cleanliness permeates the air. This isn't some kind of "countdown"; it's clearly a corner of a futuristic city straight out of a movie!

"Wow……"

Hachiman Hikigaya couldn't help but let out a low gasp of surprise. This was completely different from the simple, dilapidated "countdown" scene he had imagined.

Just then, not far from him, a guy who had also just disembarked and was wearing a red Kuuga mask craned his neck and let out an even more exaggerated and down-to-earth exclamation:

"Oh my god! How much money is this going to cost? Did Katagiri get tricked into taking out a loan?"

By the way, couldn't you have just flown here? Why did you have to take a boat?

Hachiman Hikigaya thought to himself, but before he could react, the body wearing the red Kuuga mask disappeared into the crowd. Hachiman Hikigaya had no choice but to abandon his idea of ​​catching up and walk into the crowd alone.

Following the number, he and other "visitors" in the same batch were led to a spacious and bright reception hall. The process was unusually efficient, unlike in Japan—they received a simply packaged but generously filled bento box and a more detailed electronic guide wristband, and then simply waited.

Surprisingly, despite it being Japan's own Knights Council, the staff responsible for reception and other tasks were all of European appearance, speaking fluent but accented Japanese or fluent English. This gave Hachiman Hikigaya a strange sense of displacement, as if he were in an overseas base of a European country.

A tall, voluptuous woman, dressed in what appeared to be the uniform of the Knights Council, with a striking "B" rank badge pinned to her chest, greeted Hachiman and his group of arrivals in fluent Japanese with a distinct European accent:

“New Orphnoch Awakeners? This way, please. Follow me to waiting area B-3. Please keep your wristbands safe; they are your identification and locator on the island. Remember to return them when you leave. I am your temporary guide; just call me Emily.”

Hachiman followed Emily to a place that resembled a large waiting room.

Rows of comfortable seats were occupied by people like him, each holding a number and displaying a different expression. A mingled scent of disinfectant and faint anxiety filled the air. He knew that the vast majority of people here were Orphnochs like himself, waiting for a cure, to reclaim their human identity and rights.

Scanning his surroundings, Hachiman Hikigaya, who had always been observant of human habits, finally spotted a knight with an Asian face in the crowd.

Hachiman even knew this knight.

Saki Kawasaki, his former classmate, reportedly transferred to another school about two weeks ago.

At the entrance to the hall, she was no longer the image of someone who always wore the Soubu High School uniform, exuding a sense of weariness and aloofness. Instead, she wore a sharply tailored dark blue uniform that accentuated her long, powerful lines. Her signature long blue hair was meticulously styled in a bun, revealing her smooth forehead and composed profile. A multi-functional belt cinched her waist, from which hung a communicator, several devices of unknown purpose, and… a compact, angular firearm.

She stood ramrod straight, her sharp eyes scanning the hall. On the shoulder of her uniform was clearly imprinted the insignia of an "S"-rank knight.

The girl would occasionally exchange brief conversations with other council staff members who passed by, or direct newly arrived people to their seats. Her movements were crisp and efficient, exuding an air of competence and unquestionable professionalism. This was a stark and startling contrast to the image of "classmate Kawasaki Saki" in Hachiman's memory—a girl who was busy working part-time, seemingly taciturn and aloof but kind-hearted at heart.

Having gone through a life-or-death experience, I've come to see many things in a different light.

After all, everyone has died once, so it's hard not to let go of the past.

In the past, Hachiman would have awkwardly tried to ignore the other person and went up to say hello, but he tentatively called out.

"Kawasaki... classmate?"