I want to become a Kamen Rider

Fists collided, and black streaks of light tore through the golden torrent, creating towering waves.

"That's just a byproduct of power."

The dark warrior calmly added the second half of his sentence only after his outstretched fist had made intimate contact with the god's chin.

He stood atop the pitch-black slab, his feet treading upon the remains of a star whose brilliance was now unknown, looking down upon this visitor from the ancient past, from beyond the heavens, from above the stars:

"But I chose another path, a path that leads to neither power nor glory, but to the death you await."

"What a loud tone."

The skirt armor spun around, and the deity used the distortion of space and time to open a vortex to avoid the punches coming from the black giant. Then, she formed a knife with her hand, and the knife sliced ​​through space in mid-air, bringing with it a sharp edge. Sharp golden light came rushing in.

"I hope you can still speak with such strength before you die."

The golden god slammed his fist down, sending shattered star debris flying. In the gaps between the fragments and the streaks of light, he turned and shifted his position, exchanging directions with the demon god who had been waiting in the corner with a trident.

"Fighting is always a high-stakes gamble with your life on the line, and I'm just a gambler."

"..."

The combined sharpness of the trident unleashed absolute destruction simultaneously, leaving even the dark warrior no room to easily ignore it. Yet, he remained standing, neither blocking nor dodging, letting the halberd and axe strike, leaving wounds on his body, before raising his fists to exchange injury for injury with his opponent.

"A true gambler won't leave the table until he's lost everything or won everything. Before asking me if I can hold out until the end, think about whether you're prepared to leave your life here, God!"

The pitch-black warriors were like a persistent, intractable disease, clinging on relentlessly.

"...Are you crazy?!"

The god glared angrily at the figure that was so close yet seemed so far away, his teeth clenched. Dark particles streamed down his forehead and between his fingers, shimmering with a golden luster.

However, it did not drip down. As soon as "blood" appeared and flowed out of the body, it was torn apart and decomposed by the gravity accumulated like a sea in this graveyard of stars.

Moreover, this is not just his "blood," but rather a mixture of his and my own.

What kind of price did the world behind you offer you?

"Do you want to use double experience points?"

"No, I just wanted to ask, because I don't think I can drive it."

From beginning to end, the dark warrior never dodged or parried even once. The length of his outstretched arms and body was the limit of his life-or-death struggle. Even a god would be curious about what the other party had obtained from the world behind him that made him go to such lengths.

"The answer is no."

"It seems you're not just a madman, you're a fool too."

"I've just gotten used to respecting every fight and every opponent."

Dark particles of light scattered across the sky, blurring the view. As the dark warrior naturally extended his arm, the scattered particles gathered in his hand, forming a long, inky blade. In this moment when every inch of space and energy was crucial, this guy actually chose to use blood as his sword.

His blood, their blood, crossed a certain boundary.

The golden god, believing he still had a mission to fulfill and a great task to complete, naturally could not possibly fight Kuuga to the death with an attitude of equal sacrifice. His life was not so cheap, nor was his awareness so high that he would treat every battle as the final outcome.

So he distanced himself and chose to give way.

"I'm curious, do you think your efforts were worthwhile?"

Large patches of black particles flowed down his body, and the phrase "riddled with holes" was insufficient to describe the body that showed no regard for evasion. The dark-skinned warrior stood still with his sword, responding by casting his gaze in the opposite direction.

"?"

"You risk everything here, but who will remember? You gamble your life here, but who will care?"

He coughed lightly, breathing heavily, suppressing the pain and injuries on his body, and the golden god spoke frankly.

"It is astonishing that only you, Kongwo, would guard the 'door' with such madness. What does the world behind the 'door' have to do with you? Whether you guard it or not, the world behind the 'door' may be destroyed."

He didn't expect to sway a madman with just a few words, nor did he expect the other party to rationally and logically consider his words. However, he was still slightly surprised by how decisive and swift the dark-skinned madman's action of raising his head and thrusting his sword, without even pausing to catch his breath.

"You are wrong, God, it is not only Kong who will stand here..."

The madman staggered, dragging his mangled body, leaving bloodstains all over the ground. He looked as wretched and ugly as could be, yet he didn't hesitate or think for a second before thrusting out his sword.

"But the one who stands here can be the empty self."

The tattered, blood-stained sword slashed towards the throat.

Chapter 106 Regardless (9/?)

Chiba Prefecture, train station platform.

The afternoon sun, warm and gentle, streamed onto the platform, which appeared even more bustling and tidy than the already shattered memories. Fan Kang looked at the purple-haired girl a few meters away, a mixture of amusement and exasperation on his face.

She stood like a startled rabbit, her face flushed, almost pressed against the pillar at the edge of the platform, as if trying to draw a line between him and the platform. She had been like this from the beginning, not even bothering to listen properly to the second story they had agreed upon.

"I said, if you're so shy, then don't kiss me."

Amidst the commotion, he walked through the crowd, took the girl's hand, and intertwined their fingers.

"Come on, stop being stubborn."

"..."

Tina Hiiragi let out a barely audible whimper, as if resigned to her fate, and let him lead her. Like a schoolchild who had made a mistake and was being taken home by her parents, she lowered her head, blushed, and timidly let him drag her onto the tram that had just arrived at the station.

The carriage was filled with a mixture of smells and was somewhat crowded. They found a corner to stand in. The small television screen above them was showing news footage—the newly elected governor of Chiba Prefecture was giving a speech.

"This is a new face."

Fan Kang glanced at the screen casually.

Many of the country's original bureaucrats died in that disaster, so I've heard that in the past six months, we've seen political upstarts appearing from time to time. But to rise to the position of Governor of Chiba at such a young age seems more like someone with powerful connections or a background, the kind who inherits their father's position.

“That’s Governor Sawai.”

The girl next to him took a long time to recover, and seemed to have calmed down a bit.

"His outstanding political achievements led to his rapid promotion, but he also made too many enemies. This was probably due to his unrealistic ambition."

"He's not a good politician."

After glancing at the figure on the TV screen who had spent so much time talking about people's livelihoods but had barely uttered any slogans, Fan Kang commented:

"This guy seems to really believe what he says. Occasionally, there are incompetent politicians like him."

He actually seems to have some sense of propriety and integrity, but as a politician, he is completely unqualified. I estimate that he will be removed from office soon.

But before he gets taken down, he can probably help some people do something.

"I heard that Governor Sawai is a survivor of the disaster that happened six months ago."

"Would he have died there?"

From this perspective, it's not like there's no good thing that can happen.

Although, it was only a tiny bit.

The boy held the girl's hand, feeling its delicate, soft warmth. The tram ran smoothly, the street scenes outside the window flashing by, reflecting the hurried or calm expressions on the faces of pedestrians. He then gently rested his head on Hiiragi Tina's shoulder, closed his eyes, as if absorbing the reassuring warmth emanating from her, or perhaps sensing the ordinary yet precious vitality flowing outside the window.

"Woo..."

The girl was startled by his leaning against her and became even more shy.

She was panting heavily, and it took her a long time to calm down before she looked at the boy's profile on her shoulder.

"I have a feeling that many things have changed since the minister came back."

"People always change, that's normal."

"But I used to think that everyone changes, except you."

Her fingers unconsciously brushed lightly against the back of his hand.

"Even I change, Mutina."

"You clearly said before that you couldn't and wouldn't fall in love with anyone."

"I've said things like that before..."

At some point, he seemed to become somewhat tired.

He closed his eyes, as if he were feeling her body temperature.

"Minister, can you tell me where you've been for the past six months?"

"Didn't I already tell you?"

"Your story is so unbelievable. The first one was one thing, but the second one is even more absurd. I can understand that you want to show off, but please put some effort into your story. We're still on Earth right now, but you insist on saying you've been to the center of the Milky Way and fought with the gods."

"...If it's fake, then it's fake."

The boy had no desire to argue, while the girl, with her cheeks puffed out, continued to complain to herself.

"And even your storytelling is incoherent. It's obvious you only thought about the beginning and forgot about the ending. You didn't even think about how to make it up, or you just knew the gist of the story and started making things up. If Ms. Toyokawa's friend's stone really has such great power, wouldn't you be invincible if you just went and snatched it?"

The boy sighed.

“I’ve tried it. I’ve tried it in every world with Takamatsu lamps since then. The shape of the stone hasn’t changed, but it’s no longer the stone it was back then. It’s like I used up all the possibilities in that battle.”

"Still making things up, still making things up. To cover up one lie, you have to tell countless lies. I used to be like that when I was having a teenage angst, coming up with a whole bunch of impressive settings on my own. If this isn't just a story, then let me ask you, what is the golden god, what is the 'gate', and what are you all fighting against?"

"I do not remember."

"So what do you remember?"

"All I remember is that I have to come back, no matter what, to protect you."

"..."

Hiiragi Tina opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but felt a tightness in her throat. After a long while, she finally came up with a suitable explanation.

"The minister probably can no longer transform into Kuuga."

"Ah."

"Was this a big blow to you?"

"Ah."

Sunlight streamed through the car window, dancing on his hair.

The weight on her shoulder came evenly, and the boy seemed to have really fallen asleep. His breathing became long and steady. She touched his head, her fingertips trembling slightly and filled with tenderness, as gently as if touching a fragile treasure.

"Just come back. Even if you can't become Kuuga, no matter what happens, you'll still be my captain."

……

……

Sakuta Azusagawa leaned against the advertising board on the platform, his gaze sweeping over the throng of people, finally settling on two people who had just stepped out of the turnstiles, their fingers intertwined. He casually flipped through a crumpled newspaper in his hand; the front page prominently featured the headline, "Stock Market Plunge, Eccentric Investor Attempts Suicide, Sparks Riots."

"Wow, the stock market has been really bad lately. There are even news reports of strange people jumping off buildings."

Beside him, Hachiman Hikigaya, also leaning against the railing, glanced at the newspaper with his signature dead fish eyes.

"Do strange people really die from jumping off buildings?"

"The reason he didn't die from the fall is said to be because he lost all of the organization's operating funds in the stock market. In a fit of anger, he made too much noise by slamming a hole in the ground, which attracted the attention of the patrolling Kamen Riders, resulting in the organization being wiped out."

"This is truly a cautionary tale full of educational value."

"So, investing in stocks is risky, and you should be cautious when entering the market."

The two chatted incessantly.

They watched as the two holding hands boarded the bus in the distance. Hachiman Hikigaya asked Sakuta Azusagawa:

"How?"

Sakuta Azusagawa didn't say anything, but simply raised his chin, gesturing to the roadside outside the platform.

There was a Kawasaki ZII motorcycle parked there, its body covered with scratches and dents of varying depths, and its paintwork looked dull and old, exuding a rugged aura that was out of place with the bright and clean surroundings.

Hachiman Hikigaya raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying just the right amount of surprise and teasing: "Wow, your car... which battlefield did you just retire from?"

"It was given to me by Kuuga-senpai."

"He is no longer empty-headed."

"But they have always been our seniors."

Sakuta Azusagawa walked over, skillfully straddled the motorcycle, and ran his fingers over a deep scratch on the fuel tank. He started the motorcycle, and the engine roared with a deep, powerful sound, like a sleeping beast awakening.

Hachiman Hikigaya sat in the back seat and shook his head.