The story we started

"But now it seems that whether that choice was "wrong" or not, I'm afraid we need to put a question mark on it. After all—"

Xu Guoliang raised his head and glanced at the girl leaning against the wall and crying on the screen, and the corner of his eye twitched involuntarily.

At this moment, his eyes were a little dazed, and inexplicably filled with horror, as if he saw a bald eagle waking up naked on the bed in a bedroom in the Kremlin.

The girl’s baby face looked really familiar, and it immediately brought back his memories of the past.

There's nothing I can do if it doesn't look familiar. After all, when I was in college, the thing I saw every morning when I woke up was this limited edition, one-to-one pillow with eyes full of love and a pretty face full of shy blushes.

When you wake up every morning and see the full-length bunny girl image of this character printed on your pillow, you will probably leave an eternal pure land for her in your memory, buried with all kinds of unspeakable pink fantasies from your otaku days.

"I didn't hear about the cooperation agreement between the old thief Duhang and the old pigeon at the beginning...but why did even this great god appear in this "story"? "

"One of the main characters in this kind of urban fantasy series that is handed down from generation to generation will also be linked to a daily series? The ACG community will explode immediately. This is not how Renaissance works. They are summoning the spirit of the deceased Takemoto Sensei, right?"

"But if it's really her, then her source of information should be from the organization behind it. Since it's the information from that organization, it probably can't be wrong."

"The one who was supposed to be Kuuga in the first place was not the one I had chosen at the beginning, Hachiman Hikigaya, nor the unexpected Zaimokuza Yoshiki, but Kousaka Kyousuke who I had never thought of before... This is really a joke."

Xu Guoliang supported his chin with his hand and struck a standard posture of Commander Ikari. His glasses reflected the scene on the light screen in front of him, and the dark eyes behind him were so deep that they were impossible to read at this moment.

“I used to think that this ‘story’ was chosen and created by me, but now it seems that only the first half is true.”

"…It is not wrong to say that I chose this "story", but it was definitely not created by me. Instead, the "story" already existed from the beginning, which means—"

"It wasn't actually me who started this story, but someone else."

Having narrated this, Xu Guoliang suddenly remembered the ghost story adapted from "The Ring" that Zaimokuza Yoshiteru told at the beginning of the light curtain.

At that time, he thought that this ghost story was actually a short story similar to the convention of special effects dramas that led to the subsequent story lines, but now it seems that this ghost story actually contains some deep meaning.

Especially when he thought of the method that Zaimokuza mentioned at the end to break the curse, Xu Guoliang's mouth curled up in a sarcastic arc.

Curse... Isn't the identity of "Masked Rider" a curse? The so-called "hero" is just a title given to them by people who watch the story, but in the real world, the Kamen Riders are all unlucky people who have been cursed by fate, and almost none of them have a good ending.

"Especially Kuuga, the hero who protects the smiles of others is destined to lose his own smile, and in the end loses himself and disappears into the eternal darkness. Such a cruel 'fate' is indeed worthy of the name of 'curse'."

"But for this world, Kamen Rider is an indispensable savior, so there must be someone who will take on the fate of becoming the hero called 'Kamen Rider Kuuga', and anyone who is capable of taking on this title... can actually do it."

Just like if there was no Yusuke Godai in the original work, the one who became Kamen Rider Kuuga would definitely be Kaoru Ichijo, without exception.

Zaimokuza Yoshiteru and Kousaka Kyosuke, Godai Yusuke and Ichijo Kaoru, the high degree of commonality in their fate left Xu Guoliang speechless and amazed. How could there be such a similar combination in the world?

"And Zaimokuza Yoshiteru put the crown of 'hero' on Kousaka Kyousuke, who was supposed to bear the 'curse'... Isn't this just transferring the curse of fate to another person?"

What an ironic and cruel truth! It turns out that the so-called "hero" is just a prisoner bound by fate. Only when another person takes his place can he escape the cruel and ruthless ending.

"If one person wants to live, another person must die for him...hahahahahahahahahaha!!!"

Xu Guoliang, who finally saw it all clearly, couldn't help but burst into laughter. His laughter echoed in the boundless pure white space, which was filled with sadness and pity.

I feel sad for this cruel truth and pity for their ending.

"Now that you know the truth, what will be your expression when the destined end comes?"

"A survivor who escaped death from the clutches of fate."

"Kousaka Kyousuke."

【"Yeah?"】

[After listening to Ebina Himena's explanation, Zaimokuza's originally anxious heart finally calmed down. 】

[He looked at Kousaka Kyosuke, whose resolute face was revealed after the blood was wiped off, and his eyes flickered slightly, as if he was thinking about something.]

[“Don’t worry, given Kousaka-kun’s physique, this injury won’t be a big deal. We just need to send him to the hospital to recuperate for a while.”]

[“You’re right, Himena. Mr. Kousaka should indeed be sent to a hospital… but not a hospital here.”]

[“Hey? Yihui, what did you say——”]

【Zaimokuza's answer made Ebina Hime stunned, and she couldn't figure out what he meant.】

[Snap——]

【“——Hey! Yoshiki!?”】

[“How dare that guy cut off my communication???”]

[Just as she was about to continue asking, Zaimokuza's face on the screen suddenly disappeared with a "snap" and the entire screen turned into a mosaic.]

[This made Ebina Hina swallow back what she wanted to say, and she could only stare blankly at the screen covered with messy mosaics. ]

[“Hey, hey, hey, no way…”]

[Thinking of the last words the other party said when he unilaterally hung up the phone, Ebina Hime's mouth twitched as she figured out something, and she couldn't help but cover her forehead with her hand. ]

[“Saori will be very angry if you do this, Yoshiteru.”]

[Sorry, Hime, please let me be willful just for once. ]

[On the other side, Zaimokuza hung up the call and pulled the helmet off Hirasawa Yui's head, looking at the pair of extinguished compound eyes and thinking silently. ]

[He turned to look at Kousaka Kyosuke lying on the ground, his eyes firm.]

[——After all, I have an appointment with someone else. ]

31. I Just Want to Protect Your Smile 7 in K

[“Hmm——”]

[Zaimokuza grabbed the unconscious Kousaka Kyosuke's arms with both hands, and dragged him towards the machine charger that was not far away, enduring the pain from time to time. Go's leg armor rubbed against the ground and produced sparks as he moved. 186txt.com]

[“Wait, wait a minute! Where are you taking Officer Kosaka? Both you and he need to go to the hospital immediately!”]

[Several girls in the light music club were shocked to see his reckless behavior. Akiyama Mio hurriedly walked to Zaimokuza and grabbed his arm, trying to stop him.]

【When Zaimokuza's arm was grabbed by this girl, he felt like he was caught in a trap. He subconsciously twitched a few times but still couldn't move. He was surprised that this cute girl with long black hair could have such a magical power, but he had to stop his actions helplessly.】

[“You misunderstood. I just wanted to take Mr. Kosaka to the hospital, but due to some special reasons, both he and I had to go somewhere else.”]

[He gently laid Kousaka Kyousuke flat on the ground, looked at the girls who gathered around him and said with a wry smile.]

[“Special reason? Um…”]

[Akiyama Mio wanted to say something, but she was speechless after she remembered the true identity of Zaimokuza's unconfirmed life form No. 4. Hirasawa Yui and Tianzhong Ritsu who wanted to speak also shut their mouths when they remembered the scene when his unconfirmed life form turned back into a human.]

[Only Kotobuki and Nakano Azusa, who had just arrived and had not seen the previous scene, looked at their friends who were silent at the same time with strange faces. What happened? ]

[I always have a strange feeling of being excluded for no reason. ]

[“Also, um, you——cough cough cough!”]

【Zaimokuza, who was originally looking at Akiyama Mio, suddenly began to wander inexplicably, talking about something else, and at the end of his words, he turned his head and coughed violently.】

【"?"】

[Akiyama Mio looked at Zaimokuza in confusion, not knowing what this person wanted to say.]

[“Um… don’t you think the wind is a little chilly today? Maybe you should put on more clothes?”]

[When he saw the pure eyes of the girl in front of him, Zaimokuza suddenly felt an unspeakable sense of guilt, but in the end he still suppressed his embarrassment and said.]

[Clothes? The clothes I'm wearing today are normal. And the temperature today is almost 40 degrees. How can it be hot? ]

[Hearing him say this, Akiyama Mio was stunned, and looked down at the dress she was wearing with some confusion.]

【“…”】

[Akiyama Mio lowered her head and suddenly fell silent. A strange atmosphere of silence spread from her to the surroundings.]

[Then, a bright red color began to spread rapidly from Akiyama Mio's calves, where she was wearing short socks, to her body, spreading over her two white arms, covering half of her upright pale blue peaks, her well-defined butterfly bones, and her slender neck like a swan. Even if she lowered her head, she could see that her entire cheeks were filled with blood, and there was faint white steam coming out of her head.]

[“——Ugh!?”]

[A strange cry suddenly escaped from her mouth, and then she crossed her arms violently to wrap around her clothes in front of her chest. Even so, the white spring light could be seen faintly through the gap between her arms.]

【“…You—you—you—!”】

[Akiyama Mio trembled and raised her head to look at Zaimokuza again. Every word she uttered was stuttering and incoherent. Her wet and red eyes were almost about to shed tears. Her eyes were filled with indescribable shame and fear.]

[Because the situation was too urgent before, Akiyama Mio didn't have the extra energy to pay attention to her own situation, so she didn't notice this. 】

[But actually, when the missile fired by Kousaka Kyousuke exploded just now, the clothes of the three girls in the light music club who were swept away by the shock wave were damaged to varying degrees, especially Akiyama Mio.]

[A huge tear was scraped on her chest near her collar, and nearly ten centimeters of skin from her breastbone down was almost exposed.]

【Given the height difference between Akiyama Mio and Zaimokuza, when Zaimokuza stood in front of her and lowered his head to talk, from his top-down perspective, he could basically see everything he should and shouldn't see clearly.】

"Oh my god! What the hell is this!?"

When everyone outside the screen had just come back to their senses from the shocking information, they discovered that there were new welfare scenes to watch, and they all became excited immediately.

As the camera moved from Akiyama Mio's calf all the way up, the eyes of many lsp and Ji became brighter and brighter. When it approached her chest, they all couldn't help but spit out hot white steam from their nostrils, and their eyes almost glowed green.

——But when it reached the most important part, a white holy light suddenly appeared from the side, completely blocking the beautiful scenery without leaving any gaps!

Countless people suddenly fell to the ground, and the sound of cursing could be heard all over the world.

“Damn it! Why is there a Paladin here too!?”

"I've taken off my pants and you're showing me this!"

Akiyama family, Toyosato town, Shiga Prefecture.

"Ugh...!"

"Mio, wake up!!! Don't let your mind get so gloomy that you fall asleep, σ(っ°д°;)っ!!!?"

Mio Akiyama, who had just woken up from a coma, fainted with her eyes rolled back after seeing "herself" on the screen being publicly executed in front of the whole world. A wisp of white mist that looked like her was slowly floating up from the mouth of the little girl, whose body had faded and turned pale.

This scene frightened Tanaka Iritsu, who had been guarding his best friend when she was unconscious. He immediately reached out and grabbed the soul that floated out of Akiyama Mio's mouth, stuffed it back into her throat, and then grabbed her arms and shook the pale body continuously. While shaking, he shouted anxiously, hoping to wake her up who was escaping from reality.

Akiyama Mio's head fell back, still being rocked by her childhood sweetheart without any reaction. Her rolled-back eyes showed despair and attachment to this world, as well as frustration.

Others - just let them never wake up!

The little girl, who had closed her mind, thought so before she fell into a coma.

【"--well?"】

[Just when Akiyama Mio couldn't help but scream out loud because of her inner shame, a warm feeling covered her whole body from behind, causing her to raise her tearful eyes and stare blankly at Zaimokuza in front of her.]

【Zaimokuza took off his old brown windbreaker, which he always wore, and put it on Akiyama Mio.】

[“When the weather is cold, remember to put on more clothes. This is what my grandma always reminds me.”]

[As he spoke, he buttoned up his windbreaker one by one. Considering Zaimokuza's height, the coat looked like a long down jacket on the girl. The chin dropped directly to the edge of her slender calves, wrapping her whole body like a brown duck.]

[“Since you didn’t bring any other clothes, I’ll lend you this windbreaker. Before you return it to me, make sure you don’t catch a cold because you’re sick.”]

[“Also, smile more in the future. For a beautiful girl like you, it would be a waste of the world’s resources if you keep crying. You know, cute children are the treasures of the world!”]

[Just like me, smile? smile——hiss! ”]

[Plop——]

[Akiyama Mio stared at Zaimokuza blankly, feeling the warmth on her body and looking at the gentle smile in front of her, her heartbeat suddenly quickened, and her rhythmic heartbeat suddenly became disordered.]

[Her fair face flushed uncontrollably, and she felt a stream of heat in her chest gradually rising up along the blood vessels that circulated blood, and then transported to her brain, making her feel dizzy.]

[“Thank you, thank you… eh?”]

[Akiyama Mio blushed and tried to stammer a thank you, but halfway through her words, her eyes suddenly froze, and she stared blankly at Zaimokuza's face, which was twitching a few times because of the pain.]

[This face, and these words, seem to be somewhere——]

[A flash of inspiration pierced into Mio Akiyama's brain, and she remembered it at this moment. ]

[I have indeed heard such words, and I have also seen such a gentle smile like the warm spring sun. ]

[That was the last time, when she first came to Tokyo, and she met the male clerk in that small cafe. What happened at that time sometimes made her blush and her heart beat fast, but she didn't faint from excessive shyness like the first time.]

[At that time, the man in a waiter's uniform who kissed her hand in a Western-style manner, his face, which was buried in the sunlight outside the window and the mist of memory, gradually became clear after he raised his head, and that smiling face appeared before my eyes again.]

[The face of Wazai Mokuza, which was covered with burns and charred skin, gradually overlapped until they were completely identical.]

[“I remember… you, you were from that time—!?”]

[“Then, we’ll see each other someday!”]

[When Akiyama Mio woke up with her eyes wide open, Zaimokuza had already helped Kousaka Kyosuke sit on the back seat of the motorcycle. After starting the motorcycle, he gave a thumbs up to the members of the light music club and then turned the motorcycle handle with his right hand.]

【boom--】

[The rear wheel of the machine charger kicked up a cloud of dust, and the motorcycle drew an arc on the concrete ground, carrying Zaimokuza and Kousaka Kyosuke, who was leaning on his back, and drove quickly into the distance.]