Global awakening! My Kamen Rider identity has been exposed!

Chapter 41 is worthwhile

Jiang Lan and Ze Du Yingzi stood side by side under the eaves of the archaeology research lab, sheltering from the rain. The rain fell obliquely, blurring the sky and earth into a hazy gray, and the atmosphere between the two was also filled with an indescribable subtlety. At this moment, even though there were a thousand words in their mouths, they were all stuck in their throats, unable to be spoken.

The air was so still it felt heavy, so still that you could almost hear the steady beating of each other's chests.

Jiang Lan kept her head down, her fingertips gripping her helmet, her knuckles turning slightly white. She remained silent throughout, except for a small dark stain on her shoulder where raindrops dripped from the eaves.

"Jiang Lan————"

"Sakura————"

After a long silence, the two called out each other's names in unison. As soon as they finished speaking, their eyes met, and a faint smile appeared on their faces. In that smile, there was an unspoken concern and an unconcealable heaviness.

Jiang Lan raised her hand and waved it gently, indicating that Ze Du Yingzi should speak first.

Sakurako Sawatari looked at him, her voice trembling slightly: "Are you planning to become that lone warrior fighting to the death?"

Jiang Lan's gaze fell on the reddened corners of her eyes, the faint glimmer of tears in them like shattered starlight, making his heart clench. Without hesitation, he slowly nodded: "Yes. After defeating Zero, I plan to—go on an adventure to faraway lands."

Sakurako nodded, but her eyes became even redder, and even the tip of her nose turned a light pink.

That idiot.

What do you mean by "going on an adventure"? He clearly anticipated the perilous nature of this trip and was only trying to comfort her by saying such things to avoid making her worry. He's always like this, always putting the safety of others first. When has he ever truly considered his own safety even a little bit?

But ironically, she was captivated by Jiang Lan, captivated by his gentleness and responsibility, unable to extricate herself.

Sakurako blinked hard, forcing back the tears that were about to fall, and smiled again, her tone firm: "I knew it."

Jiang Lan touched her nose, looking somewhat embarrassed and awkward, and said softly, "So you guessed it all along."

"Because I want to protect everyone's smiles, and I also want to protect your original aspirations." Sakurako Sawatari's voice softened, her eyes filled with expectation. "However, the sacred spring in your heart must not be allowed to dry up."

"Hmm." Jiang Lan, who was usually taciturn, showed a gentle smile and nodded solemnly.

"And also—don't let darkness devour your sun."

"Yes!" This time, Jiang Lan's response was particularly forceful, carrying an unquestionable determination.

"And—" Sakurako Sawatari wanted to say something more, but her voice was already trembling uncontrollably. All the unspoken words of advice and concern were stuck on the tip of her tongue.

But before she could finish speaking, a sudden burst of static broke the brief silence from the radio on the test tracker.

Jiang Lan's heart tightened. Ignoring the torrential rain outside, she turned and rushed towards the test tracker, pressed the answer button, and said in a deep voice, "Please speak."

Sakurako Sawatari slowly lowered her head, her long eyelashes concealing the tears in her eyes. She knew better than anyone that after this phone call, Jiang Lan would be leaving—heading to a decisive battle where life and death were still uncertain.

"Jiang Lan, Zero has appeared in Nagano City." A calm yet urgent voice came from the other end of the radio.

"Is the radar system ready?" Jiang Lan pressed.

"Not yet, that guy acted first, but the radar will be ready soon!" Kaoru's voice was filled with anxiety. "I'm heading there right now!"

"I understand." Jiang Lan's response was concise and firm.

After hanging up the radio, he slowly turned around, his gaze returning to Sakurako Sawatari. Her usually calm eyes were now filled with an intense, unyielding reluctance, heavy as ink soaked in rain.

Sakurako Sawatari looked up at him, her eyes red-rimmed, forcing a weak smile. She desperately suppressed the sorrow surging in her heart, unwilling to let her vulnerability affect Jiang Lan's fighting spirit—she wanted him to go to the battlefield without any worries.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" Her voice was as light as a feather, yet it carried a firm conviction.

"Hmm." Jiang Lan's Adam's apple bobbed, and she managed to squeeze out only one word.

"Take care on your journey."

"Then I'm leaving."

"You must keep going."

"I will."

As Jiang Lan spoke, she gave Ze Du Yingzi a big thumbs-up and forced a slightly strained smile: "Goodbye."

As soon as he finished speaking, he quickly put on his helmet, flipped onto the test tracker, and roared to life. The engine emitted a deep rumble, and the wheels splashed through the puddles. Without pausing, Jiang Lan jerked the steering wheel, turned the vehicle around, and sped off towards Nagano City, quickly disappearing into the thick rain.

Watching that figure gradually blur and finally disappear in the heavy rain, Sakurako Sawatari's carefully constructed defenses completely crumbled, and tears streamed down her face like a broken string of pearls. She didn't even have time to open her umbrella before rushing into the rain, standing by the roadside, letting the cold rain lash against her body, soaking her clothes, but unable to extinguish the longing in her heart.

She wanted to look one more time, just one more time—she feared that this one look would be their last.

Rain mixed with tears, gradually blurring her vision and the receding figure.

"You absolutely must—" she choked back tears, her voice torn apart by the wind and rain, "You absolutely must come back!"

The heart-wrenching cries were ultimately swallowed up by the howling wind and rain; Jiang Lan, standing ahead, could no longer hear a single word.

"I'll leave the window open for you—" Sakurako Sawatari stood in the pouring rain, her voice low as if she were murmuring to herself.

She remembered that whenever Jiang Lan came to see her, she never liked to come through the front door, but preferred to climb in through the window and say to her with a smile, "I'm back."

She wished that after tonight, he could still sneak in through the window silently, still carrying the scent of everyday life, and say those familiar words to her, just like before.

At this point, viewers in front of their screens were all moved to tears. Jiang Lan's farewell to Ze Du Yingzi was so abrupt and heartbreaking. The unspoken words and the deep longings hidden in their hearts were all severed by this sudden war, becoming an irreparable regret.

"Waaaaah—Jiang Lan's past life memories are really breaking me!"

"Jiang Lan was so gentle and responsible in her past life, she will certainly not disappoint us in this life."

"Before the decisive battle at Zero, I said goodbye to all my relatives and friends. I didn't even finish my words to Sakurako Sawatari. All the concerns I had kept in my heart were left unsaid. I had to rush off to the life-or-death battle."

"If I possessed the power of the Void, I admit that I am far less responsible than Jiang Lan."

"To be honest, if I were in his position, I would definitely back down on the eve of the final battle—I can't let go of these concerns, I can't let go of the people who love me and the people I love."

"Jiang Lan was also struggling to let go. But he knew in his heart that if he backed down, countless people would lose their smiles, and countless families would be torn apart. Sacrificing the individual for the greater good—that's what makes Jiang Lan so admirable!"

Even the Federation's top leaders fell silent. In reality, how many people could be so selfless? To risk one's own life to protect the smiles of others—was this choice truly worthwhile?

The answers of others are unknown, but they all know that Jiang Lan's answer must be "worth it".

Meanwhile, Nagano City had been transformed into a living hell.

The raging flames swept through the city streets, and even the torrential rain could not suppress the all-consuming fire in the slightest. The firelight reddened the gray sky, thick smoke billowed upwards, obscuring half of the heavens, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of burning, making it hard to breathe.

In the center of a sea of ​​fire, a young man dressed in white stood silently, exuding a cold and eerie aura.

During the test tracker's radio test, an urgent police report suddenly came through: "Headquarters calling all patrol cars! Radar system now fully activated! Tracker Zero's location confirmed; moving towards Matsumoto City!"

"Jiang Lan, where are you right now?" A smoky voice followed closely behind, tinged with obvious anxiety.

"I'm near Guanyue Garden." Jiang Lan's voice remained calm and steady, coming through the radio with an undeniable firmness.

"Okay, you drive from Fujioka into the Shangxin Tunnel immediately, and exit the highway at the Saku exit. We'll meet there," Kaoru Ichijo quickly gave the order.

"I understand," Jiang Lan replied succinctly.

However, fate did not give them the chance to reunite.

Jiang Lan had not yet arrived at the agreed meeting point when she unexpectedly encountered her target, Zero One, at the entrance to Matsumoto City.

As soon as Jiang Lan stepped into Matsumoto City, the scene before her eyes caused her pupils to shrink sharply. The road was a mess, with many corpses lying on it, each bearing severe burn marks, some even burned beyond recognition, reduced to charred remains.

The surviving bodies all retained the painful postures of their deaths: mouths wide open, as if emitting desperate howls; hands clawed, as if struggling in vain; legs straight, muscles stiff. That deep-seated fear and despair could be clearly conveyed even through the cold rain.

Amidst the billowing smoke and raging flames, the young man in white slowly turned around. He seemed to have anticipated Jiang Lan's arrival, his dark eyes staring straight at him, their gazes meeting in mid-air.

The next second, the boy's lips slowly curled into a cold and eerie smile. His voice was light and airy, yet carried a chilling coldness that pierced through the wind and rain, reaching Jiang Lan's ears: "You've come—"

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