Kamen Rider Zi-O, Dimensional Descent

"That's true. I've been thinking about it all day; the information in the book should be updated by now..."

As they talked, the two unknowingly returned to the vicinity of the apartment.

Just as Wozniak was about to open the book to see if there were any new additions—

boom--!!

The scorching air swirled up, transforming into a hurricane that swept past the two of them at high speed.

Immediately afterwards, a sudden, explosive sound rang out from behind them.

Clang—!

A sharp sound, like the clashing of steel, exploded out.

For an ordinary person, just hearing this sound would likely damage their eardrums.

A loud noise accompanied by a chaotic shockwave spread outwards, violently blowing the surrounding weeds and trees, and even blowing away objects that looked like signs in the distance.

"My Demon King? This..."

The two of them turned around to see what was happening behind them.

However, upon closer inspection, they discovered something quite unexpected.

It was a figure formed of steel.

Although he was dressed in human clothes, his body was clearly made of some kind of hard alloy, making him look like a cyborg.

After landing at high speed from mid-air, he raised his palm and looked at the sky not far away.

Those golden eyes were fixed straight ahead.

"...Burn it!"

Boom!! Flames erupted again, like a tornado, igniting the air and instantly engulfing the surrounding weeds and trees.

The fire tornado, brimming with terrifying power, shot directly into the air.

But in the next instant, some stronger force directly negated the attack.

Boom! In an instant, a flash of orange light streaked across the sky.

The fire tornado was sliced ​​in half as easily as cutting vegetables, the scorching wind was cut in two, and countless sparks spread out slightly to the left and right.

A man stood in mid-air, wielding a weapon like a chainsaw, deflecting all the attacks from the cyborg youth head-on.

This person was someone that both Yan Ming and Woz knew.

“…Gates?”

That was Geiz after his transformation, and... he had already transformed directly into the form of the resurrected Geiz.

The cyborg youth's gaze was fixed on Gates, but in the next instant, he raised his hand again.

"This time you won't escape again, burn it down—"

"Sorry, I'm not in the mood to play with you anymore."

As he said this, he turned the hourglass-shaped dial on his waist.

The armor on its entire body flashed blue light and instantly transformed into blue armor.

"Speed ​​Time! Reve! Shippu!"

What was stirred up was no longer a storm, but a loud bang.

In an instant, the figure that had turned blue vanished from the spot right before the cyborg's eyes.

"Disappeared...?!"

Those eyes, like those of a high-speed camera, quickly scanned the surroundings, trying to lock onto the other person's figure as soon as possible.

Like a shadowy figure, the resurrected Gale arrived in front of him in an instant.

"—!!"

The cyborg's eyes widened, and he quickly clenched his fist, almost instantly concentrating all his energy into his palm.

Gates showed no mercy, and the claws in his hands began to gleam with a faint arc of light.

Just as the two were about to have a more violent confrontation, which would further escalate the destruction—

hum-

Something suddenly opened automatically in front of them.

"what?"

At this moment, both Gates and the cyborg youth wore expressions of shock.

Those were golden doors, two in total.

Each door displays a red number; one door is marked "2012," and the other "2013."

Before the cyborg youth could even grasp the meaning of these numbers, two different figures emerged from behind the two doors.

—Bang!

Then, their attacks were all blocked.

A blue and white warrior wielding an axe, his body gleaming like diamonds.

And another figure holding long flags in both hands, dressed in orange armor that looked like a military general.

"Wizard!"

"Gaim!"

The two men used their respective weapons to block the attacks of the other two, holding them both in place.

"Well…!"

Shocked by the attack, both men took a step back and looked at the other end of the street.

There stood two people, one of whom held a golden watch face in his hand.

"what happened?"

The cyborg youth stared at the other with a puzzled expression, while Yan Ming, after confirming that the two had no intention of continuing the fight, put the two knights back into the dial.

"Zi-O...why are you stopping me?"

"Instead of asking why you guys started fighting, why did this guy even start? He's not some weirdo, is he?"

So the group stood together.

But the cyborg-like youth still had a furrowed brow and looked at the three of them with a complicated expression.

"Do you all know each other? Could it be... that you all really live here?"

"That's why I already told you! Besides, I don't know this 'teacher' you're talking about at all, and frankly, I don't know who you are either!"

"Is that really the case? You really didn't disguise yourselves in this area on purpose to secretly learn the teacher's lessons?"

"How many times do I have to tell you, you idiot..."

The two were arguing louder and louder, and just then—

Click. The door on the right side of the second floor opened.

Then a person dressed in pajamas walked out of there, looking very reluctant.

"Hey, if you're going to argue, can't you go somewhere else? I'm watching TV here, and I can't hear anything..."

"teacher!"

Upon seeing the other person emerge, the cyborg shouted with delight.

...Old, teacher?

At this moment, Gates had deactivated his transformation and... looked at the man standing on the second floor with a very surprised expression.

"What, what did you say?"

That guy with the art style that looks like he jumped out of a very rough slice-of-life manga, and even his head is bald... was actually called "teacher" by that cyborg just now?!

"You call this person 'teacher'? Are you serious?!"

"Oh... I see. You really didn't know how powerful Saitama was. It seems I really misunderstood you. I'm sorry."

"No, no... I don't mind apologizing, but—"

That guy with the dead fish eyes, that man who looks like a complete stranger—is he really that guy's teacher?

Gates still can't believe it to this day.

Yan Ming and Woz, who were standing to the side, looked at each other and couldn't help but shake their heads.

"Explain this to me properly, what exactly happened..."

————————————————————

The cause and process are as follows.

Gates spent the day investigating intelligence, but just as Yan Ming had predicted, there didn't seem to be anything of great importance left to investigate in this world.

After a busy day, Gates was thinking of going back to his apartment to rest.

…Near the corridor, he saw the man staring intently at him.

"What are you doing?"

"A suspicious person. The intelligence I gathered up until the day before yesterday tells me that this house should be uninhabited."

"Oh, I see... That's a pity, we moved here yesterday."

"'Us'? If that's the case, those monsters that the teacher defeated not long ago seemed to have come from a group, something like the House of Evolution, and you just happened to come to the apartment building where he lives. Is that really just a coincidence...?"

"What... what exactly are you trying to say, kid?"

“I suspect you’re here to spy on the teacher—that’s my thought. Although I don’t have any concrete evidence yet, as his next apprentice, I have an obligation to ensure his safety.”

"I'm telling you, you've been talking about teachers and all that since just now... I can't be bothered to care what's going on!"

"So what do you plan to do? Explain the situation to me?"

"I can't be bothered to waste my breath on a lump of metal like you."

“Iron lump…watch your words. You look like the kind of guy who’s always going to get beaten up and lose face.”

"You, you little brat...you really dare to say that!"

Then this is what Yan Ming and the others saw.

Neither of them intended to explain further, and they immediately started fighting.

"…no."

After hearing everything, the man named Saitama... scratched his empty head speechlessly.

"I'm telling you, is it really necessary for you to fight over such a trivial matter?"

"I think it's absolutely necessary."

"I second that, after all, this guy still calls me Iron Lump..."

"I can't take it anymore..." Woz and Yan Ming both sighed.

The cyborg's name is Genos.

Gates himself has a rather fiery temper, but Genos, whom he encountered this time, also seems to have a fiery temper. So, neither of them would give in, and the final result was…

"Seriously, when did I ever say I was going to take you as my apprentice?!"

"Then please accept me as your apprentice now, Saitama-sensei!"

"No—I refuse! And why does it have to be me! I don't have anything to teach you at all... How about teaching you how to go bald?"

"But... I want to know why you are so powerful, teacher! I want to learn the secret to your strength!"

"Ugh...what a self-absorbed guy, so troublesome—!"

What's wrong with this guy's head? This was the thought that couldn't help but pop into Gates' mind at this moment.

'But where does this guy with the dead fish eyes and bald head get his power from...'

However, unlike Gates, Yan Ming simply glanced at the man named Saitama next to him.