Kamen Rider Zi-O, Dimensional Descent

With that energy that seemed to invigorate everything, Suwa Aoi walked slowly back to her class.

"Huh? Suwa delivered a bento to that boy again?"

"This has happened several times already, couldn't it be that... you two are actually... like that?!"

"No, we're just neighbors!"

"You're lying! That's so suspicious, they must have been dating for a long time!"

"And I think that boy is really handsome! His eyes are even black and purple! He's really good-looking!!"

"Um, I remember seeing him on the 'Most Desired Boyfriend' list on the school wall...!"

"Really? Wow, it really seems to be that boy! And he's even a senior? If I don't act quickly, even if we're neighbors, some upperclassman might snatch him away first, Aoi-chan!"

"So I already said no..."

The sounds of young girls chatting inside the classroom kept coming from the doorway, and a sense of life touched Yan Ming's heart.

He glanced at the lunchbox in his hand. Well, since they had given it to him, he might as well accept their kindness.

And so, ignoring the attention of those around him, Yan Ming continued walking downstairs.

During this time, it seemed that a girl came up from the first floor.

Long black hair, with a somewhat cold expression.

I haven't seen this person before, but I'd guess they're from the junior high school.

The two briefly crossed paths in the stairwell, each walking slowly in the direction the other was headed.

That instant.

The black-haired girl who brushed past Yan Ming immediately showed a strange expression.

"This is…"

She immediately turned her head and looked behind her.

But the boy who brushed past me was no longer here.

The transfer student, Akemi Homura, who had just arrived at the school today, stood on the stairs, staring blankly at the spot for a long time.

Just now, when I brushed past that boy, I felt a strange feeling...

Is it...an illusion?

Homura Akemi clenched her fist slightly.

Even now, he still seems to care about it somewhat.

——————————————————————————————

Which restaurant are you planning to go to?

"We'll talk about that when we get back. Look! There's a great new book out!"

"What? Let me see—'One-Way Street'? What is this? I've never heard of this book before."

"Me too... Hey! There are ants in this book!!"

"What?! How could this happen?! Hey, it's climbed on top of you! How did this guy climb up so fast—"

Noon, 12:15.

Most students chose to eat at restaurants outside, while the rest brought their own lunch or bought food and ate it elsewhere.

Some people eat in the classroom, while others eat outside.

Yan Ming chose to eat out.

This is the back playground, which is usually quiet with few people around. Today, however, it's completely deserted.

Yan Ming walked alone to a nearby bench.

When you open the bento box, you'll find a very generous selection of dishes inside.

Fried shrimp, fried chicken nuggets, scrambled eggs, vegetable salad, roasted tomatoes, and some specially stewed vegetables; even the rice was sprinkled with plenty of black sesame seeds.

"You have to eat it all!" A note was placed next to the bento box, indicating that it was indeed a dish carefully prepared by Aoi Suwa.

After taking a few bites with my chopsticks, I realized that each of these dishes was a feast for the senses.

Her cooking skills are also excellent.

While thinking this, Yan Ming also began to consider all sorts of things.

Many years ago, I came to this city called Mitakihara.

I originally lived with my parents in another city.

From his childhood, he had always possessed a remarkably powerful intellect.

At first, it might only be evident in how clearly one remembers flowers and water, but after starting elementary school, they gradually demonstrate the brainpower to easily memorize and even fully understand complex books and knowledge.

Yan Ming, who was once hailed as a genius, encountered such a thing after that.

One day, while returning from overseas, the parents lost their lives when their cruise ship sank.

Since then, Yan Ming has not chosen to stay where he used to live with his parents, but has moved to this city.

On the one hand, it was to avoid those relatives who invited him to live with them with false intentions, and whom he had hardly ever met. On the other hand, it was also for Yan Ming's own reasons.

The parents left behind a large inheritance, and even though he donated a lot to impoverished children, he still has a lot left.

As long as I don't squander money, I should be able to support myself for the rest of my life starting now.

However, Yan Ming did not choose to do anything casually enjoy himself.

He now spends most of his wealth on buying books.

I bought books containing all sorts of knowledge and then used my overwhelming brainpower to learn them all.

Despite being nearly eighteen years old, he was already fluent in many languages ​​and possessed a wide range of knowledge, culture, skills, and experience.

The excellent culinary skills mentioned earlier are only one part of this wisdom.

After avoiding relatives he didn't know at all, Yan Ming lived alone in Mitakihara City, where he was virtually impossible to find, for several years.

During this period, one of the few people Yan Ming made friends with was Suwa Aoi.

She not only attended the same school as Yan Ming, but she also lived next door to him.

Although Yan Ming doesn't have a particularly strong concept of food and doesn't usually cook for himself, he's content as long as he can eat his fill and maintain his nutrition.

However, after Suwa Aoi became familiar with him and learned that he was a skilled cook, she would often come to his house for meals.

She would always insist that Yan Ming cook a sumptuous meal, and of course she would help. Her cooking skills were also excellent. The two of them often did this, asking Yan Ming to cook a good meal after returning home in the evening, or when Yan Ming was too lazy to bring lunch, Kui Yu would prepare it for him in advance.

The relationship between the two was quite close.

…Even though Yan Ming had some controversial experiences since childhood, she didn't care much.

Tomorrow will be my eighteenth birthday.

That being said, someone with Yan Ming's personality would naturally not care too much about things like birthdays.

After swallowing the last mouthful of rice and finishing the meal, he planned to go back to his homework.

"I would like to extend my best wishes for your upcoming eighteenth birthday."

A man's voice came from right behind him.

He immediately turned his head, but saw no one behind him.

"..."

Yan Ming's eyes then sharpened.

His whole body tensed up, as if he were sensing everything around him, and his body would react to any unusual changes.

next moment.

A soft laugh came directly from the right side of the bench where Yan Mingyuan had been sitting.

"Oh dear—please put your guard down."

Yan Ming was about to do something, but when he noticed the person on his right, he couldn't help but stop.

"As expected of you, you already have such a wary mindset on our first meeting. That's a very good start."

Who are you?

Even Yan Ming, who rarely speaks, couldn't help but be attracted by the man in front of him.

Because his appearance... was really strange.

He wore a gray-brown coat and a very long scarf.

Black hair, black eyes, but his hairstyle was somewhat unique, as most of his hair was gathered on the side of his face.

In addition, the man was also holding a thick book in his hands.

"I'm here to celebrate with you."

celebrate?

Under Yan Ming's gaze, the man swung his arms in an exaggerated manner.

"Soon, it will be your eighteenth birthday, which is indeed a big event for the world."

"But what I want to celebrate is something much more important than that."

The words fell.

A young man, probably between twenty and nineteen years old, handed himself a strange black and white object.

Please accept this.

What is this?

"In the coming future, you will have the right to embark on a path to become a king... however, whether you truly possess the qualifications to become a king depends entirely on it."

That was a watch face.

The dial has a very complex mechanical structure; no, strictly speaking, this is not a watch at all.

It's unusable for telling time; aside from a black button at the very top, it only has an extremely complex gear design.

The man kept his hand outstretched, and under pressure, Yan Ming had no choice but to accept the watch face.

"If you can truly inherit the history of that Demon King, then in the near future, this blank dial will naturally react."

"Demon King? What are you talking about..."

The moment Yan Ming questioned him, the other person had already completely disappeared from the spot.

All around was silent.

Despite the eerie atmosphere, Yan Ming remained calm and focused on his thoughts.

“Supernatural phenomena…? No, none of the strange phenomena that have happened around me so far have ever been like this.”

The black and white dial is real; it's not an illusion or a dream.

For most people, encountering this situation would not only cause fear, but they would also likely throw away anything of unknown origin.

However, this was not the case for Yan Ming, who possessed an extraordinary way of thinking.

Perhaps, let's start from here.

A branch that was completely different from the path he was supposed to take began... who knows?

"Well then... let me see for myself."

The mysterious man who was looking at Yan Ming was still standing on the top floor of the teaching building.

A wider smile crept onto his lips.

What choice will you ultimately make?

"I really hope you can inherit the history of that Demon King, it's something to look forward to..."

Then, in some impossible situation.

The man's body flashed with a few colorful lights and then disappeared into space.