As a weirdo, I like being a Kamen Rider.

Chapter 95 The Temporarily Departed Unknown

The roars and the sounds of colliding energy instantly shattered the silence of the battlefield.

Lin Chen, clad in the Earth Emperor Armor and wielding the Earth Emperor Sword, stood at the forefront. The armor, a blend of black and dark gold, gleamed with a cold light amidst the flames of war, and his crimson single eye was fixed on the Water Attribute Venerable charging at the forefront.

"Lin Chen, engage head-on! Hikawa, hold off the enemy horde on the left! Hojo, flank and attack from behind!" Ozawa's voice came through the communicator before he finished speaking.

Lin Chen had already leaped into the air, the Earth Emperor Sword carrying photon blood energy, and slashed towards one of the octopus lords that charged forward first.

The Octopus Venerable brandished several thick tentacles, which lashed out at Lin Chen with icy water droplets. Wherever the tentacles passed, deep trenches were carved into the ground.

Lin Chen dodged to the side, and the Earth Emperor Sword precisely struck the base of the tentacle. With a crisp "crack," the tentacle snapped off, and pale blue fluid gushed out. The Octopus Venerable let out a shrill shriek and frantically swung its remaining tentacles in a counterattack.

Instead of retreating, Lin Chen advanced, using his feet to propel himself forward. His figure moved like a ghost, circling behind the Octopus Venerable. The Earth Emperor Sword pierced its soft abdomen with all its might, and photon energy erupted instantly. The Octopus Venerable's body swelled up and dissipated into countless particles of light.

The minions fell in droves, yet they continued their advance relentlessly, showing no sign of retreat. Suddenly, a Squid Lord attacked from the side, spitting out a cloud of black ink. The ink landed on the G3-X's armor, instantly corroding tiny holes. The armor's energy indicator lights began to flash, emitting a low alarm sound.

"Damn it!" Bingchuan cursed under his breath, immediately switching weapon mode, shouldering a missile launcher and locking onto the Inkfish Venerable. Two missiles roared out and exploded on the Inkfish Venerable.

As the smoke cleared, the Squid Lord, though wounded, was still alive and charged towards Bingchuan Cheng. Bingchuan Cheng rolled to the side, and a sharp blade popped out from his wrist armor. He swung it out, severing the Squid Lord's tentacles. Then, he raised his rifle, precisely pulled the trigger, and the bullet pierced the Squid Lord's skull. The Squid Lord finally dissipated into particles of light.

Hojo Toru piloted the G3-II, using the upgraded armor's high mobility to maneuver nimbly across the battlefield, avoiding attacks from grunts and specifically targeting the weaknesses of his subordinate, the Venerable One.

He precisely aimed at the cleaver joint of one of the Crab Master's pincers, firing his beam rifle repeatedly until the pincer was severed. Enraged, the Crab Master swung its remaining pincer at Hojo, but Hojo swiftly moved behind it, launching a missile from his shoulder that blasted the Crab Master, leaving it riddled with wounds. Then, Hojo leaped into the air and delivered a devastating punch to its head, ending its life.

The battle intensified, with the three forming a triangular formation, cooperating seamlessly and giving their all in every attack. The G3 base's defensive weapons were also firing at full power, but the Water Angel easily held them off.

Lin Chen's Earth Emperor Sword required a large amount of photon energy for each strike, and it gradually became somewhat exhausted.

Hikawa Makoto's G3-X is consuming energy too quickly, making it increasingly difficult to control. The armor on his back is severely corroded by the ink of the Squid Lord, showing signs of damage.

Hojo Toru's G3-I shield was already on the verge of breaking, and his arm armor was shattered.

In the control room, Takahiro Omuro stared intently at the radar screen, his hands flying across the keyboard as he urgently reported, "Mr. Lin Chen! Mr. Hikawa! Mr. Hojo! Three more Unknowns are charging from the left, along with nearly a hundred subordinates!"

Sumiko Ozawa stood to the side, her brow furrowed, her eyes fixed on the battlefield. She watched the three exhausted figures and the increasingly damaged armor, her heart filled with anxiety, but she could only suppress her emotions and shout into the communicator: "Defense team! Activate the side-mounted defensive artillery to support the three! Medical team, prepare to receive the wounded!"

The base's flank defenses continued to roar, unleashing a barrage of fire on the Unknown cluster on the left, temporarily halting their advance. Seizing this opportunity, Lin Chen took a deep breath, raised the Earth Emperor Sword high, and his photon blood surged wildly towards the blade, the dark golden energy radiating ever brighter.

The Earth Emperor Sword, brimming with energy, swept across the battlefield with overwhelming force. The three Unknowns, unable to dodge, were instantly cleaved in two, dissipating into particles of light. Taking advantage of the situation, Hikawa Makoto and Hojo Toru unleashed their power. Hikawa Makoto's Vulcan Cannon fired at full force, clearing out a large number of miscellaneous enemies; Hojo Toru precisely killed the remaining subordinate Venerables, and the battlefield situation gradually shifted in their favor.

After nearly an hour of fierce fighting, the three finally killed more than ten water-attribute Unknowns and cleared out nearly two hundred subordinates, leaving only a few dozen Unknowns remaining.

"We're almost there!" Takahiro Omuro cheered as he watched the number of Unknown signals dwindle on the radar screen. The defense and medical teams in the base also breathed a sigh of relief, their faces showing the relief of surviving a disaster.

But at that moment, something unexpected happened.

The water angel, suspended in mid-air, suddenly stopped all movement. Her previously cold and empty eyes flickered slightly, as if receiving some unseen command, and the water elemental energy around her gradually subsided. She did not issue any further attack orders, but merely glanced coldly at Lin Chen and his two companions below, then looked at the G3 base.

The next second, the Water Angel gently waved her scepter, and a pale blue light spread out. The heavily wounded soldiers and Venerables instantly stopped their attack, turned around, and converged on the Water Angel.

Lin Chen, Hikawa Makoto, and Hojo Toru were all stunned, their faces full of surprise. They thought that the Water Angel would personally take action and fight them to the death, but they did not expect that the opponent would suddenly stop attacking.

"What is she going to do?" Hojo Toru frowned, his tone full of doubt, and subconsciously tightened his grip on the beam rifle in his hand.

Hikawa Seiya stood up, staring warily at the Water Angel: "Something's wrong. It looks like she's about to leave."

As soon as she finished speaking, the Water Angel transformed into a pale blue streak of light and vanished. The remaining Unknowns followed closely behind, all heading in the direction the Water Angel had gone. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared into the end of the ruins, completely fading away, leaving behind only a desolate battlefield.

The battlefield returned to silence, leaving only the broken ground and the lingering scent of water and gunpowder in the air.

After a long while, Takahiro Omuro finally came to his senses and excitedly shouted into the communicator, "They're gone! They're all gone! We won!"

The crowd inside the base erupted in cheers. Members of the defense team rushed out of the base, cheering and shouting, their faces filled with the joy of surviving a disaster. Some collapsed to the ground, gulping down water; others hugged each other, celebrating this hard-won victory; still others began cleaning up the battlefield, their faces beaming with relief.

"It's finally over." Hikawa Makoto breathed a sigh of relief, rubbing his sore shoulders, a tired but relieved smile on his face. "I didn't expect that we would actually be able to drive them back."

Hojo Toruya relaxed his tense nerves, but he couldn't hide the weariness in his eyes: "These monsters are troublesome, but they're not all that great."

Only Lin Chen remained standing in place, showing no sign of relaxation. He had deactivated his Earth Emperor form, his brows furrowed, his gaze fixed intently on the direction the Water Angel had departed, his eyes devoid of any joy, only filled with deep unease.

He was well aware of the Water Angel's strength. As a high-ranking Ellord under the Black God, the Water Angel was no weaker than the Earth Angel. In the previous fierce battle, the three of them had fought with all their might, only managing to kill some of her subordinates and henchmen, without harming the Water Angel in the slightest. How could such a powerful being easily retreat?

There must be something fishy about this.

Sumiko Ozawa strode out of the base, not cheering like the others, but walking straight to Lin Chen's side. Her expression was grave, and her voice was low: "You also feel something's not right, don't you?"

Lin Chen nodded slowly, his voice hoarse and tired, yet still serious: "Hmm, something's not right."

The Unknown could not be easily repelled by us; their sudden retreat must have been at the behest of God.

"God's command?" Sumiko Ozawa's heart sank, her worry intensifying. "You mean, she didn't abandon the attack, but went to carry out other missions?"

"That's most likely the case." Lin Chen's gaze remained fixed on the direction the Water Angel had left, his tone heavy. "Either they're clearing out other Light Force strongholds within Tokyo, or they're preparing for an even more terrifying attack."

Sumiko Ozawa fell silent.

"We can't tell anyone else about this." Sumiko Ozawa took a deep breath. "Right now, everyone has just gone through a tough battle and has finally been able to breathe a sigh of relief. If they find out that the Unknown's evacuation was due to an even bigger crisis, it will definitely cause panic, and then the base will be in chaos."

Lin Chen nodded; he understood Xiao Ze's meaning. In this chaotic world, panic was more terrifying than the unknown. Rather than letting everyone fall into despair, it was better to let them enjoy this brief period of peace while secretly accelerating preparations for war.

"I know," Lin Chen said in a low voice.

They exchanged a glance, both seeing the heaviness in each other's eyes. They both knew that this brief period of calm was merely the calm before the storm. The countdown to God's destruction continued unabated, and the departure of the water angels would only make the impending crisis more deadly.

Meanwhile, everyone in the base was still immersed in the joy of victory, and no one noticed Lin Chen and Ozawa's unusual behavior. Takahiro Omuro, leading the defense team, was clearing the battlefield. The medical team was treating the wounded members of the defense team; Makoto Hikawa and Toru Hojo were resting and replenishing their strength, both wearing relaxed smiles.

Sumiko Ozawa took a deep breath, suppressing her worries, and walked to the group. In a calm tone, she said, "Thank you all for your hard work. We won this battle. But don't let your guard down; remain vigilant to prevent the Unknown from suddenly returning."

"Technical team, immediately repair the G3-X and G3-I armor and replace the damaged energy components; Defense team, repair the base's defensive barriers as soon as possible and reinforce the fortifications; Medical team, do your best to treat the wounded; Everyone else, take turns resting, replenish supplies, and be ready to deal with any emergencies."

The instructions were clear and firm, and everyone immediately suppressed their joy, each taking on their assigned tasks and throwing themselves into post-battle cleanup and preparations. Although still somewhat exhausted, each person's face carried a hint of anticipation for the future.