Global awakening! My Kamen Rider identity has been exposed!

Chapter 44 Lights of a Thousand Homes

Sizzle—

Several cracks suddenly appeared on Daguba's belt, and a feeling of weakness instantly swept over his body, causing him to sway. He finally managed to stand still, panting heavily, his chest heaving violently.

Clearly, he had never imagined that Jiang Lan would be able to shatter his belt.

Just a few days ago, Jiang Lan was easily defeated by him, collapsing to the ground unable to move; even after witnessing the horrific scene of him slaughtering 30,000 people, he could only be helpless and watch the tragedy unfold.

But who could have predicted that in just a few days, Jiang Lan's strength would soar to such a terrifying level?

The spectators were all astonished to see Jiang Lan gain the upper hand. They knew that Jiang Lan was always stronger when facing stronger opponents, and that after each defeat he would unlock a new form and create incredible achievements. But no one had expected that he, who had even had his belt shattered by Daguba just a few days ago, would be able to suppress his opponent in this ultimate showdown!

"Unbelievable! Jiang Lan is truly beyond the comprehension of ordinary people!"

"One punch ripped Daguba's belt? Such strength is simply terrifying!"

"Nine days ago, he was beaten black and blue and lay on the ground, unable to get up; nine days later, he was able to fight Daguba to a standstill, and even gained the upper hand!"

"His anger caused Jiang Lan's strength to skyrocket—"

"Even Daguba would find it hard to bear Jiang Lan's anger!"

, 9

"At this moment, Daguba must be filled with shock and bewilderment, right?"

Jiang Lan: Oh, isn't this Daguba? You've looked so disheveled in just a few days?

Inside the Federal Memory Exploration Supreme Command, the atmosphere was so tense it was almost suffocating.

All the experts involved in the research were utterly shocked and bewildered. Just when they thought Jiang Lan's power had reached its limit, this young man would always manage a breakthrough in a short time, becoming even stronger!

Just who is this kid?

Does he really possess a special system like those found in online novels? Otherwise, why does his strength surge every time he suffers a defeat?

"I have studied memories for decades and analyzed the past and present lives of countless people, but I never thought that I would be repeatedly shocked by Jiang Lan's memories." A white-haired expert said with a helpless expression, his tone full of amazement and incomprehension.

The atmosphere was equally somber inside the top-secret council chamber of the Blue Star Federation.

"That brat Jiang Lan—" An old man stroked his drooping beard and slowly began to speak, "If he could inherit everything from his past life—"

With his abilities, and with careful nurturing, he will surely become a pillar of our Federation in the future! But if he loses his way in the torrent of power, he will become a huge and immeasurable hidden danger for the Federation.

Upon hearing this, Qin Zhang slowly waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "Jiang Lan had the awareness to sacrifice the individual for the greater good in his past life, and his character in this life is unlikely to deviate too much. The future of the Federation needs Jiang Lan to break the deadlock and bring about change!"

Upon hearing Qin Zhang's words, the high-ranking officials in the council hall nodded slightly. For the Federation to achieve leapfrog development and uncover its many hidden secrets, Jiang Lan was destined to become a key figure rewriting the fate of the entire Federation.

After shattering Daguba's belt, Jiang Lan did not stop his attack. Instead, he unleashed all his anger into his fists, raining down blows on Daguba like a storm!

Bang bang bang!

The dull thuds of punches landing resounded one after another. Daguba was forced to retreat repeatedly, his armor cracked, blood flowing continuously from his wounds, and many of his bones were dented by Jiang Lan's heavy punches.

Just as Jiang Lan was launching a powerful offensive, Daguba seized a fleeting opportunity to counterattack! He suddenly sidestepped Jiang Lan's heavy punch, then gathered all his strength and slammed his fist into Jiang Lan's Yaguru belt!

Click—click—

Jiang Lan's Yaguru hadn't been fully repaired to begin with, and now, struck by Daguba's thunderous blow, it instantly shattered like fragile porcelain, spreading with countless golden cracks. With his old wounds unhealed and this additional blow devastating, Jiang Lan staggered back several steps, one hand—

He clutched his waist tightly, gasping for breath, his face turning deathly pale.

It should be noted that the Yaguru belt is closely connected to Jiang Lan's nerves, and now that the belt is on the verge of breaking, the excruciating pain it brings is unimaginable to ordinary people.

Hearing Jiang Lan's heavy and painful breathing, everyone in the audience frowned, their hearts filled with worry.

"Aguru's nerves run through Jiang Lan's entire body, and now that his belt is torn, it's as if his whole body is enduring excruciating pain—"

"I wonder if his current ultimate form has inherited the abilities of the Pegasus form? If so, the pain will be amplified thousands of times, making his situation extremely difficult!"

"Daguba is ultimately the strongest member of the Gurongi race, and he is not an opponent that can be easily defeated."

"Right now, the two are evenly matched. The final outcome will depend on who can grit their teeth and persevere to the end!"

Jiang Lan, who had taken several steps back, endured the excruciating pain that felt like her whole body was being torn apart, and staggered as she charged toward Daguba again!

boom!

Their fists collided again, and a terrifying shockwave instantly spread outwards, blasting away the surrounding snow and sending it flying everywhere. Even the entire Jiulang Mountain trembled under the impact of this immense power. The clash of ultimate forces, even in simple close combat, released enough energy to shake the heavens and the earth.

-

Meanwhile, Kaoru Ichijo was trudging towards the battlefield with great difficulty. The heavy snow had already reached above his knees, making each step extremely difficult, but he gritted his teeth and climbed step by step toward the summit.

A moment later, Kaoru Ichijo finally reached the summit. However, what greeted his eyes was a scene that tore his heart apart.

A scene of unbearable pain.

The following fragments of memory plunged the entire live stream into a deathly silence—

Before the cracking sound of the belt breaking had faded, Jiang Lan had forcibly shed his Ultimate Kuuga form and returned to his human body in a disheveled state.

The same was true of Daguba on the opposite side; the oppressive mutated form of the Gurongi faded away, revealing his human appearance.

Even without the enhancement of extraordinary power, this life-or-death struggle continued without pause.

boom! !

A dull thud exploded as Daguba closed in on Jiang Lan, aiming a heavy punch straight for his face. Jiang Lan, lying on the snow, had no time to catch his breath. He retaliated with a punch of his own, the force of which sent Daguba staggering backward before crashing heavily into the pristine snow.

The two struggled to their feet almost simultaneously, without any set moves or techniques, only a frantic exchange of punches! Even though they had both returned to human form and their bodies were extremely weak from being pushed to the limit, the fighting spirit and killing intent in their eyes had not diminished in the slightest.

Before this battle, they had already accepted that it was a fight to the death.

boom! !

A series of sharp, cracking sounds, mixed with the rustling of clothes, marked the start of a brutal, back-and-forth battle between Jiang Lan and Daguba. Each punch landed squarely, the force of the blows equal, neither willing to yield an inch.

Blood streamed down Jiang Lan's lips, dripping onto the snow like tiny red plum blossoms. Daguba's condition was no better; his somewhat youthful face was already twisted and deformed from the severe injuries, and copious amounts of blood gushed from his mouth, staining the snow in front of him red.

Even with such severe injuries, Daguba's lips still curled into a strange smile, and a low, maniacal laugh escaped from his bloodied throat, as if this bloody and brutal battle was not a desperate situation, but a feast that would allow him to enjoy himself to the fullest.

"Ha ha ha ha----"

Daguba laughed maniacally as he swung his fists at Jiang Lan like a madman, his twisted face contorted with extreme excitement. Jiang Lan's eyes were bloodshot, tears welling up uncontrollably, and a suppressed sob escaped his throat. He clearly felt that his body was on the verge of its limit.

He was terrified. He feared that even if he gave it his all, even if he burned his life out, he would not be able to completely end Daguba and would ultimately fail. He was even more terrified that if he fell and Daguba survived, this world would surely become a hell, and countless innocent people would lose their lives in his tedious killing game.

Before he left, everyone looked at him with eyes full of hope. They firmly believed that he could defeat Zero and protect everyone's smiles.

He couldn't fall here—Jiang Lan's sobs grew increasingly suppressed, each breath accompanied by a tearing pain.

Jiang Lan's choked sobs were conveyed through the screen, bringing tears to the eyes of all viewers. No one could remain unmoved after witnessing this scene. A young man who had no obligation to shoulder this burden was now carrying the expectations of the entire world, struggling to survive in dire straits. The hopeful gazes of his family and friends before his departure, the despair he felt on the verge of collapse—who could understand this torment?

"Waaaaah—Jiang Lan...he seems to be crying—"

"The white devil laughs wildly, the black angel weeps—"

"Only now do I truly understand what a fierce warrior is."

"I feel so sorry for Jiang Lan. How much he must have suffered to break down and choke up on the battlefield—"

"This is a battle with no way out. He's holding on, refusing to fall even when he's exhausted his last bit of strength!!!"

Behind him are the lights of countless homes, and the peaceful smiles of millions!

"It wasn't until I saw Jiang Lan's choked voice that I understood the heavy price that the word 'hero' carries."

"He could have chosen to retreat; he had no obligation to fight—"

"At this moment, his heart must be enveloped in despair."

"I wasn't crying, I just accidentally got a brick in my eye —"

The live chat was flooded with comments, and countless people were moved to tears by Jiang Lan's perseverance and despair. Even the many big names watching from the sidelines fell silent—how many people in the world could be like Jiang Lan, who sought neither fame nor fortune, but instead rushed to fight to the death to protect the smiles of others, sacrificing his life for his country?

puff! !

puff! !

Two muffled thuds rang out simultaneously as Jiang Lan and Daguba exchanged another punch, their fists landing precisely on each other's faces. Both coughed up mouthfuls of blood, the scalding drops splashing onto the cold snow, quickly spreading into large patches of crimson, the pungent smell of blood filling the air with a pungent stench.

Both of them staggered backward several steps, weak and powerless, until their bodies went limp and they collapsed heavily into the snow.

The entire Jiulang Mountain fell into a deathly silence in an instant. Between heaven and earth, only the howling wind and snow echoed, and there was not a sound of any other.

This time, neither Jiang Lan nor Daguba struggled to their feet as quickly as before. The heavy snow fell slowly, covering their bodies with a thin layer of frost, gradually blending them into the vast snowfield.

After an unknown amount of time, Kaoru Ichijo trudged through the thick snow, enduring countless hardships to climb from the foot of the mountain to the summit. When he saw the two figures lying on the snow, his pupils suddenly contracted—Daguba had indeed fallen there, but he felt no joy whatsoever. Instead, an overwhelming sense of sorrow welled up in his heart, and his eyes instantly welled up with tears.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Jiang Lan!!!"

"Jiang Lan!!!!"

Kaoru cried out Jiang Lan's name with heart-wrenching despair, but only the howling wind and snow echoed through the empty valley in response. The man who always smiled, gave him a thumbs-up, and said, "Leave it to me," never stood up again this time.

On this day, Kaoru Ichijo stood atop Mount Kuro, enduring the wind and snow for a long, long time—

And Jiang Lan's exploration of her memories quietly came to an end at this moment.

Kuuga's fragmented memories have finally come to an end.

Jiang Lan's name is destined to unleash a massive, earth-shattering wave throughout the entire Federation.