As a weirdo, I like being a Kamen Rider.

The deeper the forest, the dimmer the sunlight. The intertwined branches of the towering ancient trees filtered out the last rays of sunlight, leaving them fragmented.

Lin Chen followed behind Xiang Gui, keeping his senses half-activated and paying attention to every rustle of wind within a hundred meters.

He could clearly sense that the stale air was becoming increasingly thick, like a sticky black fog slowly swirling in the bushes ahead.

The demon stopped at the edge of a clearing in the woods. Without turning around, it simply raised its chin, gesturing for Lin Chen to look at the waist-high bushes: "There's a low-level demonic monster hiding in there. It's only recently formed and hasn't had a chance to come down the mountain to harm people yet. Go and deal with it."

His tone was so casual, as if he were saying, "Go pick a leaf."

Lin Chen didn't ask any further questions and nodded. He could sense the faint yet ferocious life force in the bushes, a typical characteristic of a demonized monster—born from the turbid air and resentment of the mountains and forests.

He flipped his right hand, and the dark gold Earth Emperor phone was already in his palm. His fingertips lightly touched the mode switch button, and without the slightest hesitation, he uttered two words in a deep voice: "Transform."

"Standing By."

A chilling mechanical voice rang out, and dark golden photon blood surged forth. Layers of jet-black armor, like an emperor's crown, enveloped him. The moment the Ω-shaped helmet closed, a single scarlet eye gleamed with a terrifying light. Kamen Rider Orga had arrived in an instant.

Looking at Lin Chen, who had suddenly transformed into the Earth Emperor, Xiang Gui, with a small yellow flower in his mouth, found it amusing: This wasn't the power of a demon, but it wasn't weak either.

Without any probing or unnecessary movements, Lin Chen stomped his foot, his figure shooting straight into the bushes like an arrow. The dark blade of the Earth Emperor Sword condensed into a dark golden energy blade, and he delivered a simple, straight thrust.

"laugh--"

The light blade pierced through the bushes without hindrance, precisely striking the toad-shaped demon that had just poked its head out. The monster, covered in gray-green bumps and drooling, didn't even have time to let out a scream before its body was instantly torn apart by the raging imperial energy, turning into a cloud of filthy black smoke that dissipated without a trace in the wind.

The whole thing took no more than three seconds.

Clean and neat.

Lin Chen slowly sheathed his sword, his armor dissipated into particles of light, and he returned to his human form, his expression calm, as if he had only done a trivial matter.

Hibiki turned around, his gaze falling on Lin Chen, a scrutinizing look in his eyes. He had never seen Lin Chen like this before—killing purely for the sake of killing, a simple and direct act of violence.

"Your fighting style is simple and quick," Hibiki said, his tone unreadable. "One sword strike, and you're dead without any hesitation."

Lin Chen responded calmly, "If it can be resolved quickly, there's no need to waste time."

Hibiki took two steps forward, standing in front of Lin Chen. His muscular body cast a shadow, and his sharp gaze met Lin Chen's eyes directly. "I'm asking you," he said, "why did you kill this demonic monster?"

Lin Chen was slightly taken aback, and looked at Xiang Gui with some confusion: "You told me to kill him."

In his logic, Hibiki ordered him to slay the demon, and he did so, nothing more. He used his power to fight, to become stronger, and to survive; killing enemies was merely a means to achieve his goals, and he never needed any additional reasons.

"You'll kill someone just because I tell you to?" Hibiki pressed, his tone hardening. "And if I told you to kill an innocent civilian, would you do the same?"

These words struck Lin Chen like a heavy stone. He fell silent, his brows furrowing, unsure how to respond.

Hibiki looked at Lin Chen's silent expression, a knowing glint in his eyes. He saw through the young man's true nature at a glance—possessing formidable strength but with a heart full of confusion, like a lone boat without anchor, drifting aimlessly on the vast ocean.

"You don't even know why you're fighting." Hibiki's voice was calm but struck straight to the heart. "You became stronger just to survive; but once you survive, you never thought about what you would do."

Lin Chen lowered his head and remained silent. Xiang Gui's words, each one precise, struck at the deepest confusion hidden in his heart. He wanted to retort, but found himself speechless.

Hibiki didn't press further, simply waving his hand: "Come with me, I'll take you to see someone. Perhaps you can find the answers you're looking for from him."

After saying that, Xiang Gui turned around and walked out of the dense forest. Lin Chen followed silently behind him.

They walked in silence, emerging from the dense fog-shrouded forest into a sunlit clearing. The air here was fresh, the vegetation lush, a stark contrast to the oppressive atmosphere deep within. In the center of the clearing, a young figure was diligently training—it was Tomorrow's Dream.

He was dressed in simple martial arts clothes, his forehead covered in sweat, his hair sticking to his cheeks, his hands tightly gripping two wooden drumsticks, striking them heavily on the training board in front of him again and again.

"Thump, thump, thump—"

The drumbeats were deep and powerful, the rhythm steady, each strike delivered with all one's might, without the slightest slackening. The boy's arms were already trembling slightly, sweat dripping from his chin, splashing onto the ground and spreading into a small wet patch, yet he still did not stop, his eyes focused and resolute, as if the drumsticks in his hands were his everything.

Hibiki led Lin Chen to Asumu's side and quietly watched him train without making a sound to disturb him.

Asumu only stopped exercising after one set of training was finished, panting heavily. Turning around and seeing Hibiki and Lin Chen, she immediately flashed a bright smile, wiping away her sweat: "Master Hibiki! Mr. Lin Chen! What brings you here?"

Hibiki didn't answer his question, but calmly asked, "Young man, why do you train so diligently in the Way of Sound Strike?"

Asumu paused for a moment, then straightened her back, her eyes bright, and said with unwavering determination, "I want to become a demon like my master!"

"Just to become a demon?" Hibiki pressed, his gaze deep.

"No!" Asumu shook her head vigorously, her little face full of seriousness. "I became a demon to have the power to protect! I don't want to see anyone else harmed by demonic spirits, I don't want to see anyone lose their family. I want to rely on my own cultivation, on my clear voice, to protect this mountain forest, to protect all innocent people!"

Pure, passionate, and without any distractions.

This is the path of Tomorrow's Dream—to cultivate oneself for protection and to become stronger for others.

Hibiki nodded in satisfaction, a rare gentle smile appearing on his face. This was the reason he took Asumu as his disciple—not to pass on the techniques of the Sound Strike Way, but to pass on the original intention of protecting her.

Lin Chen stood aside, listening quietly to Tomorrow's Dream's answer, lost in thought.

Both men strive to become stronger, but Asumu has a clear direction, people to protect, and goals to fight for; while he himself only has the flimsy obsession of "surviving." He possesses power far exceeding Asumu's, yet he lives with less clarity than this boy.

The meaning of power is not simply being strong, but having something worth protecting with that power.

Just as Lin Chen was deep in thought, Hibiki's actions suddenly changed.

He reached out and snatched the drumsticks from Asuka's hand. With a flick of his wrist, the two wooden drumsticks arced through the air before crashing heavily to the ground and rolling a long way.

"Master Hibiki?!" Asumu was instantly dumbfounded, staring at Hibiki in astonishment, completely unable to understand why her master would throw away her training tools.

Hibiki's expression returned to calm, without the slightest ripple, and his tone was as indifferent as if he were talking about something trivial: "From today onwards, you are expelled from the sect."

"W-what?!" Asumu was struck dumb, frozen in place, her eyes widening in disbelief. "Master Hibiki! What did you say? What did I do wrong? Why are you expelling me from the sect?!"

The boy's voice was filled with grievance and confusion, and his eyes were slightly red. He had been training day and night, giving his all to become a sonic warrior like Hibiki, but his master suddenly wanted to send him away.

Lin Chen frowned, about to ask why, but was stopped by a look from Xiang Gui. That look was deep and firm, signaling him not to say anything more.

Just then, Lin Chen's mental energy suddenly sensed a familiar aura rapidly appearing in the dense forest on his left. He turned his head to look to the left, and at the same time, Xiang Gui also noticed the disturbance. With a flick of his wrist, he had a sonic disc in his hand and, without hesitation, threw it directly at the figure.

The sonic boom, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, hurtled straight towards them!

A white figure darted out from the forest, moving nimbly and easily dodging the attack of the sonic disc. It landed steadily at the edge of the clearing and looked at the crowd with a playful expression.

A white trench coat, an arrogant smile, and the iconic Diend drive gun in his hand—it was none other than Daiki Kaito.

"Tsk tsk tsk, Mr. Hibiki, you're too impolite to attack right away." Daiki Kaito dusted himself off and said with a smile.

Hibiki withdrew his hand, his tone indifferent: "Quite a few guests today."

"Master Hibiki! Who is he?" Asumu hurriedly moved closer to Hibiki and asked in a low voice, still immersed in the shock of being expelled from the sect and feeling uneasy.

Hibiki didn't answer Asumu's question, nor did he give Lin Chen a chance to reveal Haidong's identity. He spoke directly, his voice clear and firm, echoing throughout the open space: "Young man, from this day forward, you are no longer a disciple of the Hibiki school. Your new master is him."

As soon as he finished speaking, Hibiki raised his hand and pointed directly at the large tree of Kaito standing to the side.

!!!

Asumu was stunned, staring blankly at the large tree in Kaito, then turning to Hibiki, her mind completely blank: "Hibiki-sensei? What are you talking about? He's a stranger! You're making him my new master?!"

Hai Dong Da Shu himself was stunned. The playful smile on his face froze on the spot. He pointed his finger at his nose, looking incredulous: "Hey, hey, hey, what kind of joke are you talking about??"

"Master Hibiki! You've been acting so strange lately!" Asumu was almost in tears, grabbing Hibiki's arm. "What did I do wrong? Tell me, I'll change! Don't send me away, don't let anyone else be my master!"

Hibiki gently pushed away Asumu's hand, his eyes firm and unwavering. He looked at Kaito Daiki, bowed slightly, and said solemnly, "I entrust the young man to you."

After saying that, he stopped looking at the devastated Tomorrow Dream and the bewildered Haidong Big Tree, turned around and walked to Lin Chen's side, saying in a calm tone, "Let's go."

Before Lin Chen could recover from this series of absurd changes, he was led by Xiang Gui towards the edge of the dense forest.