Knights of the Digital World

"Ugh! What is this?!"

Cheche collapsed to her knees in agony, trembling all over, unable to move.

Shrimp Dumpling stepped forward with a healthy smile, pulled out the dangerous zombie card, and said with a grin:

"So, are you satisfied with my Christmas present? Blame it on you knowing too much."

Shrimp Dumpling kicked Kiriya to the ground, then looked at Emu standing at the factory gate:

"Kid? How do you know about this kind of cassette tape? Where did you get this information? Come on, brat, tell me everything you know, or else..."

As he spoke, Xiajiao took out the faulty driver and pressed the dangerous zombie cartridge in his hand.

"Dangerous Zombie!"

A phantom screen unfolded behind Shrimp Dumpling, and black energy waves emanated from him, spreading outwards. Within the range of the black energy waves, countless bizarre, zombie-like Bomb Origin Bodies emerged, blocking the approaching group of Emu and his companions.

Two more Bomb Origin Zombies emerged from behind Emu, raising their hands and waddling toward her.

"What do you want to do?! He's just a child!"

Kiriya struggled to his feet, yelled at Emu, and barely managed to run towards him, shouting as he ran:

"Child, don't be afraid! Come this way! I will protect you!"

"Hmph, I was just demonstrating the correct way to use this cartridge. After all, it's different from the cartridges you guys use; it's level 10! Hahahaha! Henshin!"

With a maniacal laugh, Shrimp Dumpling inserted the cartridge into the driver and, amidst eerie sound effects, transformed into Kamen Rider Genm, Zombie Player Lv.X.

As Emu transformed, Kiriya rushed to her side, pulled her behind him, and kicked the two Honkai entities away.

After hearing Emu mention the level of the dangerous zombie cartridge, Kiriya repeated it in a low voice, reached out and pulled Emu closer, panting, and said:

“Listen carefully, child, it’s dangerous here. I’ll stop this guy in a bit, you run out first and find somewhere to hide! Come out again after those weirdos have disappeared! Understand?”

Emu opened his mouth and said:

"Um, actually I..."

"There's no time. Just remember what I said, run!"

Before Emu could finish speaking, Kiriya gave him a light push from behind, then strode towards Emu, already pulling out the Ultimate Blademaster cartridge and pressing it hard:

"Let me see what LV10 is all about! Third gear!"

The Ultimate Sword Fighting Gacha summoned the black Sword Fighting Armor, which slammed into Emu's chest and bounced back onto Kiriya, causing Kiriya to transform into Kamen Rider Lazer's LV3 form, Sword Fighting Motorbike Player.

Shrimp Dumpling chuckled, looked at Lazer who was severely injured by the dangerous zombie cartridge and was still walking unsteadily, and rushed forward without saying anything more.

Although Emu had piqued his curiosity, it was definitely more important to deal with Kiriya first than to deal with a brat who had just appeared and whose situation he didn't know.

After all, he knows far too much!

Chapter Four: Two Eternal Dreams

Kiriya was no match for Emu. The Dangerous Zombie Gadget was already of a high level, and Kiriya had already been severely injured, so he was even less of a match for Emu now.

Kiriya barely managed to exchange two blows with Emu before being kicked away by Emu, rolling twice on the ground before landing at Emu's feet.

"Cough cough, you little brat, why are you so disobedient! Why are you still here?! Don't you see how dangerous it is?! Cough cough, get out of here!"

When Kiriya was severely injured by the dangerous zombie cartridge, he had already foreseen his fate. Although he felt regret and resentment, he was able to accept it calmly. This was because he believed that defeating Emu in the Eden Tournament would change the fate of humanity and the world.

However, seeing Emu, who should have escaped, still standing foolishly at the factory gate, Kiriya couldn't accept it. He didn't want to drag ordinary people into the battle between knights, especially children who were only teenagers.

He lay on the ground, unable to get up, but he still shouted at Yongmeng with all his might, hoping that this silly child would come to her senses and run away quickly.

"Oh, this kid hasn't run away yet? Good, saves me some trouble. You just stand there quietly until I take care of Lazer, then I'll see what you really know!"

Shrimp Dumpling wobbled out and was somewhat surprised to see Emu still there. However, unlike Kiriya, he wasn't worried about Emu's safety. He casually remarked something and then turned his attention back to Kiriya.

"That won't work."

Emu took a few steps forward and blocked Kiriya's path, startling both knights.

"I went through all that trouble to come here, not to see you kill Cheche. Even though you'll be redeemed later, you're still an enemy for now. So don't blame me for being ruthless."

Emu's words left the two knights somewhat confused, but the game cartridges that suddenly appeared in his hand stunned them. One of them was the Extraordinary Action X Spinning cartridge that should have been in Emu's hands, while the other was a cartridge they had never seen before.

"You brat! Where did you get this cartridge?! I don't remember ever developing this kind of cartridge!!"

Shrimp Dumpling's voice was tinged with annoyance. He was proud of his talent and could not tolerate anyone surpassing him.

Because Emu Dai demonstrated his extraordinary talent in game design, he became extremely jealous and sent the game virus he discovered to Emu Dai, making him the first infected game virus patient.

Now, he is even more proud of developing the Rider Transformation Gacha. When he sees the unfamiliar gacha in Emu's hand, he is filled with vigilance and jealousy, just like when he saw the game design that Emu sent him back then.

Kiriya struggled to sit up and shouted, "Wait! I don't know where you got the cartridge, but cartridges aren't so easy to control! If you haven't had the adaptation surgery, you can't use the cartridge at all! Even if you have the surgery, there's a high probability of dying!"

"Don't worry, CarCar, I know what I'm doing. Shrimp Dumpling, come and test the power of this Digimon! His name is Flamedramon, level 20! Henshin!"

Emu inserted the cassette into the Player Driver at his waist, and a ball of flame enveloped him. Then, a large hand, which had been encased in fiery red armor, emerged from the flame and tore him apart.

"Kamen Rider ExAid, Flame Dragon Action Player LV20!"

Shrimp Dumpling looked at the knight in front of her. His head was still in the ExAid style, his body was covered with a layer of fiery red armor, and a pair of burning flame wings spread out from his back, making him look fierce.

"LV20? Hmph!"

Shrimp Dumpling snorted coldly. Even though the opponent's level far surpassed hers, she was still full of confidence. She raised her hands, assumed a dangerous zombie attack stance, and charged towards Yongmeng.

Seeing this, Yongmeng raised her hands, and the Flame Dragon Beast's super weapon "Loudora Mirror" equipped on her arms was aimed at Xiajiao, shooting out a scorching beam of energy:

"Coronavirus Shockwave!"

A laser beam, comparable to the sun's heat, struck Shrimp Dumpling squarely in the chest, sending him flying. The Knight's Gauge on his chest trembled slightly but remained unchanged. After spinning a few times in the air, Shrimp Dumpling crashed face down to the ground, lying there motionless.

"Such power! Is this the power of LV20? Dan Kuroto was defeated in a single blow? Who exactly are you?"

The car had deactivated its transformation, clutching its chest as it struggled to its feet. It glanced at the shrimp-dumpling lying on the ground, then at Emu's retreating figure, its expression complex.

Kiriya's feelings towards Dan Kuroto were complex. He acknowledged Dan Kuroto's talent, but could not condone his actions. Regardless, he always regarded Dan Kuroto as a formidable enemy.

However, this formidable enemy, who had been laughing wildly just moments before, was now lying sprawled on the ground. And the one who had defeated him was a child who had appeared out of nowhere. This left Kiriya with a complex and indescribable feeling.

"Ha! The power of LV20, that's impressive! But as the GM, I can't tolerate the existence of trash games created by others. Kid, just you wait, I'll be back and destroy your cartridge!"

Shrimp Dumpling's body suddenly trembled, and then, like a zombie, without bending his knees, he stood up from the ground in a twisting motion.

He glared at Emu, knowing that he was no match for her, and after uttering a few harsh words, he staggered away.

Emu showed no intention of giving chase. Although he possessed a host of powerful Gacha tapes, none of them had the ability to be reprogrammed, making it impossible to break Dan Kuroto's immortality. Since the car had already been rescued, his research on limiting Bugsters could be expedited immediately. Letting Emu enjoy his freedom for a while wouldn't hurt.

With Shrimp Dumpling's departure, all the Collapse Sources within the game world vanished. Emu and the others, no longer hindered, jogged over and, upon seeing Kiriya, called out:

"Mr. Kiriya, we're here. What can I do for you, ExAid?"

Hua Jia Da Ye also trotted over from another direction, his face indifferent:

"Forensic pathologist, you mean... ExAid? The pediatrician is here too. Then who turned ExAid into this?!"

Emu was at a loss, looking completely innocent as he said, "I...I don't know. The cartridge is still with me. Mr. Kiriya, what's going on?"

Kiriya gave a wry smile and said helplessly:

"I don't know either, sir. Now you can tell me who you are, right? I don't believe you're just an ordinary kid!"

“I’ve never said I was an ordinary kid.”

Emu shook his head, deactivated his transformation, smiled at everyone, and introduced himself:

"Hello, I am Emu Hojo!"

"Huh??!!"

Chapter Five: Visitors from Another World

"What?! This kid is from another world?! And his name is Emu Hojo?! He even has a Rider Transformer cartridge and can transform into a Kamen Rider?! You're not kidding me, are you?!"

Kagami Hiiro's father, the director and surgeon of Seito University Hospital, Kagami Haima, displayed his excellent facial expressions, exclaiming in surprise as he looked at Emu, who was calmly drinking water at the CR table.

"Father, don't be so alarmed. It's not completely certain yet..."

Jing Feicai looked at her elderly father, sighed, and felt a great headache coming on.

"He said it wasn't confirmed, but I think he's telling the truth. After all, the facts are right in front of me; he transformed right in front of me. You all saw him de-transform. Now the main thing is to figure out what to do..."

Having already treated his wounds and still wearing some bandages, Kiriya leaned back in a chair and, unusually serious, spoke in a tone far from his usual nonchalant manner.

"Dr. Hua, what do you think?"

Kiriya glanced at Hanako Taiga, who had silently followed, and then threw the question at him.

Hua Jia Da Wo stood with his hands in his pockets, as aloof and silent as ever:

"Regardless, it's a fact that he can transform into Ex-Aid. But he's still a child, and I don't think he should get involved in something so dangerous. I want to retrieve his cartridges and Player Driver."

"Hey, can't you at least say these things away from the person in question? It's going too far to openly say you want to take back my cartridges and player drivers right in front of me!"

Yongmeng hadn't expected these doctors to be so bold, starting a conversation right in front of him. He put down his cup and muttered:

"Besides, even if you want to take it back, can you beat me? Let me tell you, LV20 is not my limit."

Emu was also helpless. After deactivating his transformation, he returned to CR with Emu (Dai) and the others. Even Hana Tai, who had been traveling around, followed out of curiosity.

Emu didn't hide his identity and directly revealed his origins as a visitor from another world. He hadn't yet settled down in the Knight World and was hoping that the CR national organization could provide some support.

The origins of Emu were quite a shock to the CR members. They had never imagined that they would one day encounter someone from another world, and they were all somewhat bewildered.

Especially Emu (the older one). He never expected to encounter someone with the same name as him, also a Kamen Rider Ex-Aid user, and even someone who looked somewhat similar. Most importantly, this person was older, making him even more unsure how to communicate. After Emu revealed his background, he huddled to one side, lost in thought.

Taiga was very interested in the information revealed in Emu's witty remarks. He narrowed his eyes and said:

"LV20 isn't your limit? You have even higher-level cartridges? Kid, I'm serious, Kamen Rider isn't child's play! You'd better hand over the cartridges. No matter how strong you are, it's all the same."

And the rest of you, you'd better hand over your cartridges too. Kamen Rider, one of me is enough!

"Hmph! Unlicensed quack! You're saying that again! Let's fight! Let's see who's more fit to be Kamen Rider!"

Fei Cai snorted at Da Wo, defiantly.

Hiiro's girlfriend, Momose Hime, contracted Game Disease five years ago, and Taiga is her attending physician, responsible for treating Hime's Game Disease.

Taiga was originally quite strong, but due to the severe damage the Prototype Gashat inflicted on his body, he was defeated in the crucial battle against Graphite, the Hollow entity that split off from Hime's body.

This defeat resulted in Taiga having his medical license revoked and also led to the death of Hiiro's lover, Momose Kohime. Taiga was expelled from CR, and Hiiro resolved to become a Kamen Rider as a result.

Because of Hiiro's death, Hiiro and Taiga have never gotten along. Their relationship only improved somewhat after the group recently defeated Graphite. However, after hearing Taiga reiterate his original thoughts again, Hiiro retorted without hesitation.