Kamen Rider Zi-O, Dimensional Descent

"Thank me?"

“That’s right. You saved these children and protected the village of Kahn. I am naturally grateful to you.”

"why?"

Upon hearing this, Ainz Ooal Gown was taken aback.

"Why are you asking why...? Of course it's because you saved these children..."

"I see. So you're the kind of person who gets happy about things like this too?"

What…?

Ainz Ooal Gown felt his thoughts pause slightly.

At that moment, he realized what was happening instantly.

"...Ah, what you mean is that this village is the base that you and I saved with our own hands. If the people in the village that I finally managed to save get hurt, I will feel quite unhappy."

He immediately switched to an indifferent tone, as if it were his own pet that had been rescued by someone else.

In fact, before he even spoke, a faint green light appeared above Ainz Ooal Gown's head, forcibly calming his emotions.

But Yan Ming asked one question.

"...Why would I thank him for saving those children?"

Although Yan Ming and Shalltear could not see it, Ainz Ooal Gown's mind was still filled with all sorts of thoughts.

"I'm already an undead, so the life and death of human children shouldn't concern me. In the end, even if humans die in front of me, I shouldn't care."

If that's the case, why should I thank him?

Was the expression of gratitude a result of happiness for those innocent children who were saved?

That shouldn't be the case...

"It should just be... the simple feeling of a pet being rescued by a passerby, like a small animal being cared for. It should just be... that."

Ainz Ooal Gown convinced himself of this idea, as if to convince himself otherwise.

His eyes returned to their usual coldness, now filled with bloodlust.

"Lord Ainz Ooal Gown... please don't be troubled."

Shalltear, who was standing nearby, felt a pang of negative emotion when she saw her master troubled by such a matter.

In other words, dissatisfaction.

"...If it's just what humans say, you don't need to take it to heart at all."

What… Ainz Ooal Gown felt his heart skip a beat—no, no, he didn’t even have a heartbeat!

"The noble Supreme Being has no need to think about the words of a mere human, and to speak to Lord Ainz in such a tone? Hmph! Even Shalltear wouldn't dare to do that!"

As the true progenitor of vampires, his hatred for humans is at a level of 100%.

Shalltear looked at the other person with utter disgust, and then—

Then she witnessed a scene that she would never forget.

The man, whose eyes gleamed with a faint purple light, gazed calmly at himself in the moonlight.

I was just looking at her.

There were no other emotions—no anger, annoyance, exasperation, or coldness.

The other person wasn't angry at all about what he had just said, however—

Those eyes just stared straight at me like that.

It evokes a strange sense of fear, reminiscent of the Sphinx.

She was just standing there looking at him... yet she had already made a demon like Shalltear freeze in place.

It's almost like—

Its imposing power is as unshakeable as that of a demon king.

If I were to say another word, I would be annihilated in the next second, leaving not even a trace behind.

That thought did indeed come to mind.

"Shalltear... you must not say those words again."

She blinked, then realized that less than a second had passed.

What just happened to me?

She tried her best to hide the various thoughts that were surfacing in her mind, and bit her lip.

"...Yes, Lord Ainz."

Even Ainz Ooal Gown himself felt a little strange. Why did Shalltear, who was so angry just now, suddenly become so docile?

The aura of the True Ancestor of Vampires just vanished like that?

What he didn't know was that even now... the man with a faint purple light in his eyes was still slowly watching the two of them.

That chilling gaze and aura were what truly made Shalltear behave herself.

"Let's go back to the village."

Yan Ming suddenly blurted out this sentence.

Ainz Ooal Gown and Shalltear nodded, each looking at the children around them.

Using the power of the Aurora Veil, Yan Ming pulled everyone back to the village.

————————————————————————

The night passed just like that.

The demons' attack was thwarted, and news of Ainz Ooal Gown and Shalltear's arrival in the village quickly spread.

The villagers rushed out to greet her, and then Ainz Ooal Gown gave Anri a large number of items to build a defensive framework for the village, as well as some items to enhance the level of goblins.

After confirming these things, Ainz Ooal Gown left the village.

And that's what Yan Ming will do next.

"My Demon King, it seems you have made your decision."

After saying goodbye to the villagers, Yan Ming and Woz left directly.

Despite the villagers' strong pleas for him to stay, he said he had important things to do.

"The closest country to us is the Kingdom of Riestijer, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Please repeat the detailed information about this world to me again."

Woz picked up the book and looked at the new content recorded inside.

"According to this book... there are adventurers in every kingdom."

"Their operations are basically managed by the guild. By relying on the guild, they can obtain commissions, and in turn, all sorts of intelligence and missions will come their way. Many people maintain their livelihood in this capacity..."

To put it simply, it's about making money by completing tasks and defeating monsters.

Although it sounds cliché, it's just the kind of ordinary profession you'd find in isekai (another world) novels.

But if you want to learn more about this world, this is undoubtedly the best point of intervention.

"How much record do you think this world can bring to the Oma Zi-O Advent Calendar: Kotori?

"Although this world may not be that vast, recording it can greatly help us and may even shorten the interval between when you gain new powers."

"Then there is a need for me to stay in this world."

Moreover, those demons have also appeared in this world, and Yan Ming plans to investigate them thoroughly.

Right now, the two are walking on the plains leading to the kingdom.

"Woz."

Yan Ming, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped, causing Woz to stop as well.

"Tsukasa Kadoya told me something yesterday."

"I see. That guy has always been a free spirit. It seems he left without saying goodbye again this time... So what did he say?"

"He told me that you should also have the ability to become a Kamen Rider."

The air seemed to have stopped moving.

Yan Ming could clearly sense that the atmosphere around him had changed.

"...I see."

Wozniacki doesn't seem to intend to deny it.

"I could actually become a Kamen Rider back then."

"In the past... does that mean it's not possible now?"

"Yes, it seems that my power suddenly disappeared without warning from the day I obtained the Oma Tsukaima Calendar KT. However, there is a record of my history as a knight in this book."

That is to say...

"As long as my Demon King can finish the contents of this book as soon as possible, I will be able to regain the power of being a knight someday in the future."

Everything was urging Yan Ming to go to other worlds as soon as possible and record more of the book's contents.

Why are you so sure?

"This is also the guidance the book gave me."

Why didn't you tell me before that you could also become a Kamen Rider?

"I already said it was in the past, so telling you now wouldn't make any difference."

"Instead of thinking about these things, it would be more helpful to me if you could become stronger faster and improve the contents of this book more quickly."

Everything seemed to be being directed towards completing this book and making Yan Ming stronger.

Yan Ming could clearly sense that Woz was hiding something.

He must know something that he himself is completely unaware of.

But... no matter how much you press him now, he definitely won't tell you if he doesn't want to.

Rather than doing that, we might as well continue with the plan he suggested.

Yan Ming also wanted to figure out... what would happen if this book were completed?

Why did Tokiwa Sougo disappear? What exactly were those demons? What is Woz hiding? And—

Was it really just a coincidence that I got involved and became a knight?

Yan Ming vaguely felt a chill run down his spine from behind.

Something unseen is hidden behind all of this.

However, he was clear on at least one thing.

"Shalltear... you absolutely must not say those things again next time, or even I will get angry."

"Waaaa, I'm so sorry! Lord Ainz! I really won't do it again!!"

Inside the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Ainz Ooal Gown was reprimanding Shalltear for what happened yesterday.

Of course, he wasn't really angry... what he feared most was Yan Ming getting angry.

In short, he must do everything in his power to prevent this worst-case scenario from happening.

Then...

"Lord Ainz? What are your plans next?"

"My Demon King, what is your next purpose...?"

Different scenes, different people.

However, Yan Ming and Ainz Ooal Gown said the exact same thing at the same time.

"...Go become an adventurer and explore more of this world." ×2