Super God Academy: Kabuto

At the summit of the mountain, a gentle breeze blows, temporarily isolating the noise below.

He Xi couldn't help but glance back down the mountain again. "From a physics and biology perspective, this makes absolutely no sense." He Xi crossed her arms, her silver eyebrows slightly furrowed, her eyes, capable of seeing through microscopic particles, scanning the distant "Kadoya Tsukasa" with incredible efficiency. "That energy entity called Momotaros didn't invade or replace anything on a material level. It's more like... a strong information state overlay, directly covering Kadoya Tsukasa's own bioelectrical signals and some of his conscious manifestations, thereby taking over his motor nervous system and language center. But how high an information intensity and how precise the encoding would be to do that? And it seems to be completely without delay."

"Possession?" Keisha sat on a flat rock, legs crossed, her posture still elegant and composed, but her golden eyes were filled with inquiry. "In the known universe, demonic civilizations possess some rudimentary consciousness projection and possession techniques, but these are usually accompanied by strong dark energy fluctuations and mental pollution, and the target will exhibit obvious pain and rejection. But look at them..." She pointed below at Tsukasa Kadoya, who was trying to strangle his right neck with his left hand, "It looks more like two noisy souls fighting for control of a body, and their relationship seems... quite good?"

Kadoya Tsukasa's body resembled an incongruous marionette, striking various exaggerated poses. One moment he was in Momotaros's signature "I'm here!" hands-on-hips pose, the next he was pointing one finger to the sky, shouting incomprehensible battle cries.

Lin Yu coughed lightly and explained, "The situation in their world is a bit special. Momotaros is an 'Imajin,' a special being from the Time Train. They make contracts with humans, and possession is a routine procedure. As for Kadoya Tsukasa... well, he's a 'passing-by Kamen Rider,' often getting caught up in all sorts of trouble, and he's been possessed more than once or twice. The two of them should be considered acquaintances, although the method is rather unusual."

Just then, the dispute below seemed to have reached a temporary conclusion.

"Enough! You stupid Imagin! Get out of my body!" Tsukasa Kadoya roared, slamming one hand into his chest.

"Whoa! Tsukasa, you went too far!" A red phantom was ejected with a "pop," tumbling several times in the air before landing. It was Momotaros, hands on hips, looking displeased. Tsukasa Kadoya staggered a couple of steps, his previously spiky hair falling down, the red highlights disappearing, and his eyes returning to normal. He kept rubbing his chest, his face darkening.

"You bastard, who gave you the right to possess other beings like that!"

"What does it matter? Aren't we comrades who fought together? So stingy!"

"That's no excuse for using my body in weird positions!"

Watching the two below argue like children, He Xi's lips curled into a faint smile, the kind of excited expression a researcher displays when discovering a new topic. "A time train? Otherworldly demons? The connection between information-state lifeforms and time… Interesting."

She turned to Lin Yu, her tone carrying an undeniable air of inquiry: "Honey, I want to 'study' him a bit."

Lin Yu felt a chill run down his spine and immediately warned, "Wife, calm down! He's the leader of the 'Train Four Idiots,' with a wildly unpredictable mind and formidable fighting ability. The key is that his level of trouble is cosmic!"

Keisha chuckled softly and said to He Xi, "You seem quite interested in that red creature. However, is directly studying a living organism... in line with your 'elegance'?"

He Xi blinked: "Of course not the barbaric method of dissection. Perhaps, we could ask him to 'cooperate' with some harmless tests, such as measuring the time ripples he causes when his energy field is stable, or observing the critical point between his materialization and informatization..."

Before she could finish speaking, a clearly annoyed shout came from down the mountain: "Hey! Lin Yu! Stop hiding! This guy promised not to cause trouble, come down here!"

Lin Yu exchanged a glance with Keisha and He Xi.

"It seems an 'agreement' has been reached." He Xi chuckled.

The three figures flashed again, returning to the lakeside courtyard. There, Tsukasa Kadoya had returned to his original hairstyle and eye color, but his face was a little dark. He was glaring at Momotaros, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground next to him with an expression that said, "I've already been very restrained."

"He promised not to possess anyone or destroy anything until he figured out the basic rules here."

"Okay, I understand." Lin Yu looked at Momotaros, his tone becoming more serious. "Then, until the 'fun' begins, Momotaros, you can stay here for now. However," he gestured around, "there are three rules. First, you are not allowed to damage a single blade of grass, a single brick or tile here. Second, you must follow orders, at least in the general direction. Third," he paused, "stay away from my two ladies, maintain a safe distance."

Momotaros pursed her lips, but seeing Lin Yu's calm yet unquestionable gaze, and then glancing at the menacing Kadoya Tsukasa beside her (and the Decade Driver faintly visible in Kadoya Tsukasa's hand), she finally reluctantly grumbled, "Okay, okay! So many rules! I'll reluctantly... well, I'll listen to you for now!"

"Momotaros," Lin Yu began, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable seriousness, "If you want to fight, you'll have one soon. But the opponents might be more troublesome than you imagine. They come from beyond this world, their rules are bizarre, and their numbers may be endless."

"Oh? From beyond this world? Bizarre rules?" Momotaros's eyes lit up. Far from being afraid, he became even more excited. His fists clashed together, producing a clanging sound. "Isn't that even more interesting! I love dealing with opponents who don't play by the rules! Whatever they are, I'll just chop them all up with my ultimate move, 'Climax Assault'!"

His unfounded confidence and fighting spirit somewhat lessened the heaviness brought about by the Void Intelligence.

Tsukasa Kadoya, having composed himself, approached with a dark expression. He grabbed Momotaros by the back of the neck (where energy condensed) as Momotaros tried to get closer to Lin Yu: "You idiot, don't cause trouble here! If you're going to fight, you have to follow orders!" He turned to Lin Yu, his tone still somewhat annoyed, but he had regained his composure. "This guy may be an idiot, but his fighting ability is genuine. Moreover, the fact that he followed me here means that the Time Train and the 'wall' of this universe have temporarily established a stable connection. This might... be an opportunity."

Lin Yu understood what he meant: "You mean, through him, or through the Time Train, to connect with more..."

"Ryotaro, and the other 'Den-O' pilots, even... riders from other routes." Tsukasa Kadoya nodded, his fingers unconsciously touching the Decade Driver at his waist. "If the scale of the Void Invasion is really as exaggerated as Kieran described, it will be very difficult for just the few of us, or the existing power of this universe. We need more 'variables,' more power that can break the mold."

Upon hearing this, Keisha and Hexi's expressions also turned serious. Although they were proud, they were by no means blind. The lesson of the destruction of the Divine River Civilization was right before their eyes. Facing an unknown and powerful enemy, gathering all available forces was the wisdom of survival.

"Contacting other knights carries both risks and opportunities," Keisha said slowly. "They come from different worlds, with their own wills and rules. How can we ensure they are an asset, not a new variable or trouble?"

"Well," Tsukasa Kadoya rarely showed a calculating smile, "let's leave it to the professionals. Ryotaro and I have some connections, and Momotaros, though stupid, is surprisingly loyal. We can start by contacting Den-O. As for the others..." He looked at Lin Yu, "Perhaps 'that person' knows something too."

He was referring to Lin Yu in black.

Lin Yu pondered for a moment: "This matter needs careful consideration, but the direction is correct. Momotaros, you can either stay with Kadoya Tsukasa or stay with me. Don't wander off alone, and especially don't harass the ordinary soldiers of the Super Soldier Corps or the civilians of Earth."

"Okay, okay, you're so long-winded!" Momotaros pouted, but still obediently floated behind Kadoya Tsukasa. Her big black eyes still curiously darted around, especially glancing at Tsurugi's slightly protruding belly. As if sensing something, she muttered softly, "Huh? Strange life reaction..."

He Xi immediately shifted to the side alertly, and Lin Yu also stepped forward half a step, blocking Momotaros's view, his eyes slightly cold: "Watch your eyes."

"Tch, stingy!" Momotaros turned his head away.

"Then, continue weapon development, and simultaneously activate the 'Knight Liaison' contingency plan." Lin Yu summarized, "He Xi, Keisha, you're responsible for the technical aspects and coordination with the Angelic Civilization. Kadoya Tsukasa, Momotaros, you're responsible for exploring the possibilities and security of inter-world communication. I... need to talk to 'that person' again to confirm some things."