Global awakening! My Kamen Rider identity has been exposed!

Chapter 39 The Power of Zero

"Finally, the broadcast has started! Even the donkeys in the production team can't rest this long; we've been waiting for ages!"

"Now I'm curious, just who is this boy who keeps saying that ultimate darkness is coming!"

"I can't explain why, but I always felt that the young man in white was surrounded by a suffocating sense of oppression."

"No matter how strong that boy is, can he withstand Jiang Lan's double nuclear explosion kick?"

"Ever since watching Jiang Lan's memory livestream, no one else's memory fragments have come close to being interesting—"

"Jiang Lan's past life memories are really exciting—monsters, armor, bloody battles—every second is an adrenaline rush!"

"I only hope to uncover the truth behind the civilizational break in Jiang Lan's memories!"

Amidst the enthusiastic discussions among viewers, fragments of Jiang Lanxin's memories slowly unfolded on the screen of the live stream.

The scene opens with a torrential downpour. Large raindrops pound the ground, splashing up layers of water, and the world is completely shrouded in a thick curtain of rain, the night as dark as inky black.

The self-proclaimed young man who had appeared earlier stood in the rain, a faint, mocking sneer curling at the corner of his lips.

The next second, his body began to twist and swell, and his originally upright human form gradually faded away, eventually transforming into a Gurongi form!

The Gurongi was pure white, with staggered golden armor inlaid on its body. It had golden tentacles on its head that were exactly the same as Jiang Lan Kongwo's form. The spikes protruding from its elbows and knees gleamed with a chilling luster and were so sharp that they seemed capable of easily cutting through steel.

The strongest member of the Gurongi race, Zero—Dabba!

It stood silently in the torrential rain, its oppressive aura almost tangible, bringing the sense of despair of the entire rainy night to its extreme.

"This aura—it's terrifying! Just looking at the images makes my breath catch in my throat!"

"Jiang Lan's memories have provided the answer! This guy is the legendary Zero Gurongi, Daguba!"

"So he was Zero—no wonder his appearance was so suffocating!"

"Zero in the torrential rain—the oppressive atmosphere is practically overflowing the screen!"

Daguba, transformed into the form of a Gurongi, slowly raised his right hand.

In an instant, an unbelievable scene unfolded on the screen—a raging fire broke out without warning, sweeping across the surrounding area like wildfire, turning the entire region into a sea of ​​fire! Even as torrential rain poured down from the sky, the flames showed no signs of extinguishing; instead, they burned even brighter in the rain, illuminating the dark night sky.

All the viewers in the live stream were instantly filled with extreme shock.

What kind of terrifying energy could possibly ignite a fire against the rain?

In the video, Jiang Lan's heavy, rapid breathing could be heard, each exhale revealing his undeniable weakness. He staggered to his feet from the mud, his Yaguru belt riddled with cracks and even flakes of metal peeling off—clearly, he and Zero Daguba had just engaged in a brutal, desperate battle, leaving even his core equipment, Yaguru, on the verge of destruction.

Seeing Jiang Lan's weak and unsteady appearance, and then glancing at the nearly ruined Yaguru at his waist, the viewers in the live broadcast room all frowned.

The legendary Zero truly lived up to his name; he was terrifying beyond measure!

Even through a screen, viewers could clearly feel the insignificance and despair of humanity in the face of Zero.

Daguba seemed to relish Jiang Lan's disheveled state. Its laughter pierced through the rain and rang out in the silent night, sharp and shrill, carrying undisguised mockery and cruelty.

Before long, the inferno spread completely, and piercing screams rose and fell, gradually weaving into a desperate wail. The terrified screams of women, the helpless cries of children, the painful groans of the elderly, and the grief-stricken roars of men—these sounds swirled and echoed in the rainy night, piercing through the screen and weighing heavily on the hearts of every viewer, adding a profound desolation to the night sky engulfed in flames.

Despair overwhelmed everything like a tidal wave.

As the desperate cries echoed from the memories, a deathly silence fell over the live stream. A profound sense of powerlessness rose from the depths of every viewer's heart, spreading to every limb.

The city was engulfed in flames, and countless lives were lost. The wicked killer stood right before them, but they were already exhausted. They didn't even have the strength to raise their hands to fight again, let alone the strength of Number 110. Even Jiang Lan, who had been through countless battles, felt a deep-seated powerlessness.

"Hahaha—" Daguba's laughter grew increasingly unrestrained. It looked down at Jiang Lan with disdain, its tone full of contempt. "What's wrong with you? Get up. You should be stronger, and give me a brighter smile."

Huffing and puffing—

Severely injured, Jiang Lan collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. Each breath aggravated the excruciating pain in her wounds, and her consciousness oscillated between drowsiness and lucidity.

A moment later, the memory suddenly went completely black.

When the light came on again, nine days had passed.

Nine days later, the torrential rain still hadn't stopped. The gale-force winds carried large raindrops as they pelted down, thunder rumbled in the sky, and lightning occasionally flashed across the dark night sky, illuminating the empty streets.

Jiang Lan rode the experimental Tracker at breakneck speed through the deserted streets of Mu County. The icy rain lashed against him, soaking his clothes, but his gaze remained as firm as iron, unwavering in the slightest.

"Jiang Lan, can you hear me?" A calm and steady voice came from the radio of the test tracker.

"I'm here. Is the radar ready?" Jiang Lan's voice was a little hoarse, but still clear.

"Not yet, it's expected to be finished around 9 PM tonight. How's it going on your end?"

"I'm almost there. I was too impatient, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, I'll contact you if anything happens."

"Then I'll leave it to you."

A moment later, Jiang Lan arrived at his destination—Kazehaya Elementary School in Ichiki Prefecture. Here, he would find his mentor, Shoji Kanzaki, who had profoundly influenced his worldview.

Stepping into the school, a television in the corner of the classroom was playing the news. The broadcast reached Jiang Lan's ears through the sound of rain: "[The whereabouts of the unknown life form Zero are unknown. As of now, the death toll has exceeded 30,000 —]"

Then, the news anchor began reading out the names of the victims one by one. Each name was like a sharp knife, stabbing deeply into Jiang Lan's heart.

Jiang Lan clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles turning white, the veins on the back of her hands bulging, and her eyes surging with suppressed anger and pain. Every nerve trembled because of the cruel numbers and names.

He came here prepared to die, bidding farewell to his mentor before heading to Zero to settle accounts with him.

Zero—must die!

Thirty thousand people —

These blood-soaked numbers sent a chill down the spines of thousands of viewers in the live stream!

With just a wave of his hand, he could take the lives of 30,000 people!

In the eyes of that being codenamed "Zero," human life was no different from that of weeds. With a mere gesture, he could unleash endless despair upon the world.

A heavy sense of oppression hung over everyone's hearts like a dark cloud.

At this moment, even the high-ranking officials and experts of the Blue Star Federation fell silent.

From the very first appearance of Zero, they had already given him the utmost attention. Yet, the strength Zero displayed still far exceeded everyone's expectations!

With a mere flick of the wrist, 30,000 people perished, countless families were torn apart, and people were displaced!

In the midst of this deathly silence, a slightly surprised call broke Jiang Lan's reverie.

"Jiang Lan?"

Jiang Lan was staring intently at the news broadcast on television when she suddenly heard the voice of her mentor, Shoji Kanzaki, behind her.

Shoji Kanzaki led Jiang Lan into his classroom. On the walls were sheets of white paper, each with the word "hope" neatly written on it.

Even in this turbulent era, humanity has never succumbed to utter despair.

"It's as if we can really see a glimmer of light in this desperate situation." Jiang Lan and Kanzaki Shoji exchanged a glance and sighed softly.

Listening to the patter of rain outside the window, Shoji Kanzaki chatted with Jiang Lan for a few moments, then his gaze darkened, and he asked, "Are you alright?"

He looked out at the torrential rain and slowly added, "I saw on the news that the black and gold Unit 4 suffered severe damage."

Jiang Lan smiled faintly and nodded gently: "I'm fine now."

"But—you still have to continue fighting Zero, right?" Kanzaki Shoji's eyes were filled with unconcealed worry. Jiang Lan was a child he had watched grow up, and he didn't want to see Jiang Lan in danger no matter what.

"Yes." Jiang Lan's tone was firm. "I have found the best way to make myself stronger. Next time, I will definitely defeat it. We were unable to locate it before, but now the police are working through the night and will be able to build a radar to locate it tonight."

His words were full of certainty, but his heart was heavy. He knew better than anyone that this duel was likely a one-way street. But he had no choice. If he chose to back down, the next loss would not be just 30,000 people!

"Is that so?" Kanzaki Shoji's voice was filled with undisguised melancholy.

"So, I will definitely defeat Zero tomorrow." Jiang Lan paused, a hint of relief in her smile. "Afterwards, I plan to go out and explore for a while. I don't know when we'll meet again, so I came to see you today."

As he spoke, he gave a thumbs-up to Shoji Kanzaki, a gesture he always used to convey confidence.

Shoji Kanzaki patted his shoulder heavily, responding with the same gesture. He understood perfectly well that Jiang Lan's "venture" was actually a farewell. Jiang Lan had long since given up on returning alive, and he might never see this child again. Zero's power was known throughout the world; Jiang Lan's departure was tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock.

The viewers in the live stream were deeply moved as they witnessed Jiang Lan bidding farewell to her mentor with a death wish.

"Jiang Lan never expected to come back alive—"

"From the moment he drove to the ruins of Jiulangyue and accidentally discovered the belt, the gears of fate began to turn quietly and could no longer be stopped."

"He really—I broke down, and tears just wouldn't stop falling—"

"Jiang Lan, a true man!"

"This farewell is a way for me to take one last look at the most important person in my life before heading off to fight to the death —"

"Jiang Lan, did you already have a premonition that you wouldn't survive this battle?"

At this moment, the federal experts and high-ranking officials fell silent once again. Was Jiang Lan's life trajectory about to come to an end with this decisive battle?

Meanwhile, in another research room, Sakurako Sawatari was still engrossed in studying ancient scripts.

When the sacred spring dries up completely, fierce warriors will descend like thunder, and the sun will be swallowed by darkness.

She read that sentence over and over again. She knew in her heart that the only hope of defeating Zero was for Jiang Lan to become the "fierce warrior" mentioned in this legend.

After bidding farewell to his mentor, Jiang Lan went to the Scientific Police Research Institute and found Hikaru Enokida, the person in charge of analysis and equipment development for unidentified life forms.

He also told Enokida Hikaru that he would set off on a long journey after the battle with Daguba was over.

After a brief chat, Jiang Lan prepared to get up and leave.

"I should keep working hard too. After all, Zero is much stronger than any opponent I've encountered before." Hikaru Enoda suddenly spoke up, his gaze fixed on Jiang Lan, and asked softly, "You must be having a hard time."

These words made Jiang Lan pause in surprise.

Is it hard work?

It was undoubtedly arduous. Every battle was like dancing on a knife's edge; a single misstep could lead to utter destruction. But if he chose to retreat, who would stop the Gurongi's absurd and cruel killing games? Who would protect the common people of this world?

Jiang Lan turned around, a smile returning to her face: "Zero will disappear soon, and then everyone will be able to smile again."

A moment later, Jiang Lan arrived at Jiangdong General Hospital and visited Chun Xiuyi. This visit was both for a pre-battle physical examination and to bid a final farewell to his dear friend. Before the final battle, he wanted to see all the important people in his life, so that even if he died in battle, he would have no regrets.

"When you fought Zero before, Amadam was shattered by it. The damage on the outside has not been fully repaired yet, and your body is still in a state of organic weakness," Chunxiu said solemnly as she looked at the examination report in her hand.

"Can I still transform?" Jiang Lan asked in a deep voice.

Chunxiu nodded, then urgently added, "Transformation is feasible, but your body will have weaknesses, so you must be extremely careful!"

"Over the past year, I have dissected countless victims murdered by the Gurongi." Tsubaki Shuichi's voice was filled with barely suppressed anger. "The thought of those lives filled with dreams and hopes, lives that should have had infinite possibilities, frozen in time forever, never to wake up again—makes me want to bring those demons to justice immediately."

"So," he looked up at Jiang Lan, his eyes filled with utmost sincerity, "you must come back alive. You also carry infinite possibilities within you, and you absolutely cannot perish so easily."

Jiang Lan smiled and gave Chun Xiu her signature thumbs up: "Don't worry."

After bidding farewell to Chun Xiuyi, Jiang Lan mounted the experimental tracker and sped away in the torrential rain. As he passed through a street, his expression suddenly turned cold, and he gripped the handlebars tightly, slowly bringing the bike to a stop.

He stood in the rain, his gaze fixed on the memorial flowers laid out along the street. The image of his brutal battle with Zero nine days earlier flashed through his mind. The cries and screams of the deceased seemed to still echo in his ears, lingering long afterward.

Rain streamed down his face, and no one knew the immense pain and guilt Jiang Lan was carrying in his heart at that moment.

After a long while, Jiang Lan slowly clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white from the force, and rainwater slid down between his fingers.

The viewers in the live stream were moved by this scene.

Zero may be powerful, but can he really withstand a warrior who is determined to die and fights to the death with all his might?

This time, Jiang Lan will likely unleash unprecedented power.