I want to become a Kamen Rider

"for example?"

"For example, have you noticed that the way that child looks at you has always been different from how they look at others?"

"..."

The white, suspicious alien creature began to repeat itself in a rambling manner.

"Chubi, I pondered this for a long time before finally finding the answer when I looked up."

At first, I thought it would just be a bit heavier, a bit more profound.

"Later I realized that it was a look that took me for granted, as indispensable, as something I should possess. It's a look that's everywhere, that everyone has, that everyone has seen, but it shouldn't appear in the way people look at each other."

"what are you talking about?"

'Kang Jun will know once he looks up.'

"He looked up," Cupid said.

That's the look in people's eyes when they look at the sun.

.........

……

At the same time, in Los Angeles, USA.

[“Next news. A massive hurricane that suddenly formed off the south coast has moved at an unprecedented speed, prompting officials to decide against using its usual name from the typhoon naming list and instead give it a different name—”]

"...Alarm...Shh...Special alarm...Shh..."

"...A new typhoon has appeared...Shh...Uncertain movement...Evacuate immediately..."

[“…Special address…Shasha…Guga…Shasha…Lanna…”]

-

By this point in the broadcast, the radio's sound had become increasingly muffled, with only the final static dominating the narrow space.

The driver's seat of the SUV, overturned on the roadside, was ravaged by the raging wind and torrential rain. Muddy rainwater was pouring in through the cracks in the broken windows, quickly submerging the floor mats, which were icy cold.

The radio, soaked in water, emitted a dying, crackling static; it was only a matter of time before it fell silent completely. The original owner of the car was nowhere to be found, perhaps having fled. The surrounding streets were a scene of devastation, littered with torn-off store signs, broken bricks, and twisted metal frames; deserted and ghostly.

Without any warning, without any logical cause, this massive typhoon, destined to leave a bloody mark on meteorological history, formed out of thin air and swept in with devastating force. Strangely, even though its path traversed the heart of Los Angeles, the physical damage to buildings was relatively "minor." However…

All those who were outdoors when the storm hit and were fortunate enough to escape being swept away, enduring the raindrops that pelted them like bullets, invariably looked up at the sky, and for the rest of their lives, described that sight with almost dreamlike terror:

From the churning, inky black sky, four enormous tornado pillars, entwined with raging purple lightning, descended, connecting heaven and earth.

They were not still, but rather like terrifying limbs supporting some invisible behemoth, slowly moving in the center of the storm. Each "step" onto the earth caused a deafening roar, and the city in their shadow was like a fragile toy block.

That posture—

It resembles the feet of four colossal beasts, towering into the clouds, entwined with thunder, poised to trample and crush the entire civilized world.

……

……

The boy on the rooftop reached out his hand.

He caught a drop of water falling from the sky and watched the crystal-clear droplet slip through his fingers. Strangely enough, even though he was in the midst of a storm that shook the heavens and the earth, he remained completely still, not even a strand of his hair fluttered in the wind.

"...How did they manage to do that? I suspect there are other people in Shocker playing the same gacha game as me."

A smile spread across the boy's face, and he appeared calm and composed, as if even if Mount Tai collapsed before him.

But only those who understand know that it is the stubbornness of someone who has fought for too long, hovering on the verge of collapse but not even allowing for a moment of hesitation, let alone collapse... There is no other choice.

"Forget it, there's no point in complaining about Shocker's lack of monster design creativity. Anyway, the things we need to do won't change."

He was speaking to the spirit stone at his waist. Beneath his seemingly mad appearance lay boundless calm, as if he couldn't be bothered to invest even the slightest interest in the upcoming battle.

Black specks of light began to emerge from the boy's body. The inky energy, like a liquid that had been given a physical form, twisted and solidified the moment the boy was about to step on it, transforming into the "steps" in front of him that connected one after another, leading straight to the sky.

"There's another battle coming up, we need to hurry."

"Faster, faster, even faster."

"On the other side, there is another tragedy."

The boy pointed a single finger at the "deity" high in the sky, his eyes reflecting the towering beast. Tiny specks of fluorescence fell from the spirit stone, then bloomed into a dazzling white radiance. Black and white then stood side by side behind him, forming a vortex, seemingly in response to his words.

Deep within the vortex lies the spark that has been watching over humanity since the age of rampant demons.

There are too many tragedies; can you save them all?

The white, suspicious alien creature continued its usual sarcastic remarks, while he simply stared at his waist, where the spirit stone had cracked open for the first time.

"I faced all the tragedies head-on, just for..."

'Have you witnessed a miracle?'

"No, it's about creating a future, a future where they can cry when they want to cry, laugh when they want to laugh, and live a life they can take for granted."

The boy, climbing the steps, spoke with emotion.

Then raise your arm and light the fire.

"Kuuga—!"

There was no dazzling light or brilliance; emerging from the high skies above Los Angeles were ancient warriors, as black as ink.

The ancient warriors raised their arms, and a thousand-meter-long flaming spear pierced the sky, tearing apart the storm that stretched for hundreds of thousands of meters, and also knocking down the gods who wanted to trample on the human world.

Chapter Ninety-Six: The Value of Comrades-in-Arms

Eleven hours ago, in Tokyo, a follow-up meeting of the Cabinet was held.

The meetings went from large conferences to smaller ones, then to expert meetings, and finally to meetings on specific solutions. The lengthy meetings were like nesting dolls, layer upon layer, yet they always seemed to be hovering around the edge of the problem.

On the conference screen, the shadow captured by the satellite, resembling a giant "tail" or "spine," was clearly stirring up storms and creating towering waves in Tokyo Bay. Each tumble tightened the nerves of the attendees.

The representative from the Ministry of Defense broke the silence first, speaking with unwavering conviction:

"I believe that eliminating it is the safest solution. Regardless of the catastrophic accident it caused to the undersea tunnel, the economic losses from forcing the complete shutdown of Haneda Airport and the indefinite closure of Tokyo Bay alone are astronomical. It must be eliminated immediately."

"I second that. I also agree to eliminate it immediately. This enormous risk of unknown origin is a threat every second it exists."

Someone echoed.

"That's right, swift elimination is the only way. Minister of Defense, what's your opinion?"

A middle-aged man tapped his fingers on the table and said in a deep voice:

"Just drop a torpedo and that'll be the end of it."

"Please consider the dangers of using weapons in Tokyo Bay."

An advisor who looked like a scholar adjusted his glasses:

"Academia and environmental organizations believe this is a very precious species and have proposed capturing it, while ensuring its survival, for future research."

"I also favor the live capture option. Its physiological structure and energy source could be invaluable."

The room was filled with arguments once again.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Rando Yaguchi took a deep breath and mustered the courage to interrupt the noisy scene:

"I propose that we immediately gather different data on the giant creature and select the most appropriate response."

Seeing the momentary pause, the candidate for Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary looked at him with some confusion:

"Um, which department are you speaking to specifically?"

……

……

Three hours ago, five hours after the behemoth landed.

In the basement of the Prime Minister's official residence, a joint evacuation command meeting was held between the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and the Metropolitan Police Department.

The atmosphere was even more tense than during the cabinet meeting. The screens displayed live footage of the behemoth slowly but relentlessly advancing through the city, buildings collapsing like toys, and billowing dust into the sky.

"The cabinet has just issued the order to direct evacuation in the disaster area."

The official responsible for relaying the message wiped his sweat, his voice hoarse.

A high-ranking officer from the Metropolitan Police Department slammed his fist on the table, his voice filled with anger and disbelief:

"Why is the order only being issued now?! It's been five hours. The danger was obvious from the moment it made landfall."

"This incident is so illogical that we can't find suitable operational guidelines for the time being."

When have disaster response guidelines ever been useful?

"Immediately, I mean immediately. Study and release an evacuation plan."

The Vice Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, who was presiding over the meeting, suppressed his frustration and gave the order.

"But we have never dealt with a disaster like this before. If we rashly carry out a city-wide evacuation, it could cause panic."

"Then what do you think we should do?!"

"The only option is for residents to take refuge on their own."

An official struggled to state the conclusion.

"We will do everything in our power to ensure the smooth operation of major transportation arteries."

The representative from the Ministry of Transport added in a faint voice.

……

……

An armed helicopter, its tail belching black smoke and its fuselage riddled with bullet holes and dents, hovered with difficulty over the Cabinet Minister's residence in the heart of Tokyo.

Through the porthole, one could clearly see the streets in the far distance completely blocked by panic and chaos, a vast traffic jam resembling a giant parking lot. The sounds of horns, cries, and curses could be faintly heard even at high altitudes.

Inside the cabin, Eleanor Mondebelle leaned against the bulkhead, her once elegant clothes now tattered and stained with blood and dust. Blood-soaked bandages covered her bare skin, and a gruesome wound stretched from her neck into her chest.

She looked at the scene in the distance and sighed.

"The bureaucrats in this country are more hopeless than I imagined."

She turned her head to look to her side.

"Have you found Mizutani Migoto?"

"No, it's possible that it's already..."

"Temporarily classified as missing."

The helicopter broke through the defenses, and she raised her hand, knocking over a group of guards.

Ahead lies the entrance to the command center for underground disaster emergency response.

The head maid, who had been following her for a long time, looked at the girl, her golden hair flying in the wind, half her face blackened by gunpowder, and couldn't help but ask:

Do you really understand what you're doing?

"They don't understand what they're supposed to do."

She jumped out of the helicopter, limping.

"I think it's all because of Sora that they've been spoiled. That guy is a hero, but he can't be a devil... no matter how he tries to act. But he's tried so hard, so probably no one in this world has the right to say he's wrong."

The head maid quickly followed, trying to dissuade her.

"I think you should think more about your own affairs."

"I'm currently thinking about my own things."

She called out the head maid's name.

"Isabella, when I was young, I used to think I was a chivalrous knight-errant who robbed the rich to help the poor and used force against the thieves outside the castle. Later I realized that it was just vigilante justice."

“My mother told me that before boasting of force against the thieves outside the castle, one must first understand that most thieves are created because of bad circumstances, bad weather, or the mistakes of the rulers. One must feel sorrow for the ordinary people who are harmed by thieves, and feel guilty for the existence of thieves. This is a responsibility that those in power must bear.”

"Otherwise, one would not be qualified to guide others to a higher position as a superior."

Isabella paused, then reminded her:

“They are not your people. If you insist on going your own way, do you really understand what the consequences will be? All your long-term efforts may be destroyed in an instant.”