I want to become a Kamen Rider

Lava crashed to the ground, his bones feeling like they were shattered. But as he struggled to lift his head and saw his old subordinates outside the window, who had fought alongside him all along and were now looking at him with fear but also a glimmer of hope, a surge of remaining bloodlust and resentment rushed to his head.

He struggled to sit up, pointed at the masked man, his voice hoarse but carrying a final accusation:

"But you betrayed the Dark Organization after all. You sided with that mistress of Kuuga! Relying on her power and money, you came back to laugh at your former brothers! What kind of hero are you?"

"hero?"

The masked man seemed to have heard the funniest joke, letting out a low, suppressed laugh. As the laughter subsided, he slowly raised his hand and touched his cold mask.

"I know that many of the brothers here are confused about me, even doubtful. They doubt whether I have truly betrayed Shocker, betrayed the dream of destroying the world and rebuilding order..."

His hand gripped the edge of the mask, his voice carrying a strange heaviness and determination.

"Well then, before you jump to conclusions... please take a look at the face beneath my mask!"

"Click."

A soft sound.

The mask was slowly removed.

What was revealed was a young, handsome face that struck all the Shocker members present like a thunderbolt, and some were even so frightened that they knelt on the ground.

Everyone gasped, seemingly moved by his sacrifice.

The masked man stroked the face that so closely resembled Kuuga's, his voice filled with self-mockery:

"This is... my contribution."

"Because I look like Kuuga, I gained some favor with my lover. In order to please her, I had plastic surgery to make every part of my body look like Kuuga."

"Do you think that stepping onto the battlefield and being killed by Kuuga like a dog is considered fighting? I endured humiliation and hardship to preserve the Dilza Legion. To leave behind the last embers, I groveled beneath Kuuga's lover like a lowly servant, licking her feet and enduring her anger and hatred towards me when she couldn't have Kuuga."

With each word he spoke, the anger and resentment intensified, until finally, his voice broke into a sob.

Even the lava was moved.

"...Mask you..."

"Do you know what it feels like to only look and not touch? Do you know what it feels like to be played with and humiliated by a woman like that? Do you know how many inhumane things that woman did to me when she couldn't have Kuga? I was nothing but a tool for her to vent her desires, not even a tool for sexual release, because she wanted to save the best of herself for Kuga. I suffered endless humiliation, but got nothing in return. Day after day, day after day, day after day, I eked out a living under that Kuga lover's body, just so that one day I could bring glory back to us Shokaku."

He tore open his clothes, revealing countless wounds and scars beneath the luxurious garments.

At this point, no one doubted the masked man's magnanimity anymore.

Because that posture is not merely the wounds left by being humiliated and whipped by a woman. Those hideous scars are marks of honor and battle that only a true warrior who has survived countless near-death experiences can possess.

"Now, I've done it. I've gained that lover's trust. The hardships and grievances I endured are beyond words. That woman chased me for miles, but to no avail. So she demanded that I lick her feet clean, but her feet smelled terrible!"

"Do you think I'm not wronged? It's just..."

He practically roared out his last words, his voice hoarse, filled with heartfelt grief.

"—If I stretch out, then Shuka bends; if I bend, then Shuka stretches out!"

It was a powerful and moving statement.

The entire scene was ignited by this heart-wrenching speech, and many emotional Shocker officers had tears welling up in their eyes, secretly wiping them away. Suppressed sobs could be heard from the combatants outside the window.

Even the most furious lava creature now looked at the boy with unparalleled shock, guilt, and deep respect.

Standing beside the boy, Tina Hiiragi, who witnessed the entire "epic" performance, had her lips twitching so much they were almost numb.

She quietly tugged at her companion, a woman with long, straight black hair and a large bust who always had a blank expression and an icy demeanor, and asked in a whisper that only the two of them could hear:

"Um, Sister Yingyue, is everything the minister said true?"

The girl's deep, icy eyes remained calm and still as she stated in a barely audible, emotionless voice:

"Aside from the fact that Ms. Eleanor doesn't have smelly feet, the rest... is reasonably embellished based on 'facts,' and is basically logical. After all, it's well known that the European-style Ms. Eleanor is obsessed with that man, and her actions are increasingly outrageous. Just selecting a part and embellishing it a little is enough to win sympathy."

The moment Yingyue finished speaking, her suppressed emotions erupted like a flood bursting its banks.

"Waaaaah... Leader of the Dilza Legion... You've suffered so much!"

We misunderstood you!

"For the sake of repairing the card... you actually..."

Cries rose from all directions, growing louder and louder. The Shocker members who had once been hostile and contemptuous of the "Dirza Legion" were now completely overwhelmed by this "blood and tears accusation" and "enormous sacrifice."

The lava completely collapsed.

He scrambled to the masked man's feet, grabbed his leg, and his face was covered in snot and tears:

"Brother, my good brother! All this time... we've wronged you. I, Lava, was blind. I'm incompetent! With my abilities, I really... really couldn't give the brothers of Shocker a better future! Waaaaah..."

He cried his heart out, filled with regret and guilt.

Someone in the crowd, choked with emotion, uttered the first cry:

"The world belongs to Shocker!"

Like a spark thrown into boiling oil, it ignited everyone's emotions.

"The world belongs to Shocker!!" A second voice rang out, choked with sobs, yet utterly resolute.

Then came the third, the tenth, the hundredth… Finally, throughout the entire park, all the Shocker combatants, monsters, and executives raised their fists and, with all their might, let out deafening, sky-piercing shouts. The sound coalesced into a frenzied torrent, as if to rip the roof off:

"The world belongs to Shocker!"

"The world belongs to Shocker!!"

"The world belongs to Shocker!!!"

Amidst the frenzied cheers, the masked man put his cold mask back on, concealing the face that resembled Kuuga's.

He slightly raised his hand, signaling for silence. As the commotion subsided, he looked around at the thoroughly moved Shocker members and solemnly announced in a powerful voice, waving the acquisition proposal in his hand:

"I've already fooled that madwoman and convinced her that the priority right now is to win people over! So, as long as you're willing to sign this outsourcing contract and... well, the necessary 'slave contracts,' the Delza Legion won't forcibly acquire the Volcano Shocker Company. We can first use the resources of my lover to develop and strengthen ourselves, and when the time is right... we'll overthrow that madwoman together, and the great undertaking of destroying the world and rebuilding order... will ultimately be accomplished by us, Shocker."

His response was an even more fervent and unified roar:

"The world belongs to Shocker—!!!"

Chapter 124 Gundam, Unit-01, and Knight Vehicles (4K)

Top-floor office. In front of huge floor-to-ceiling windows.

The setting sun bathed the entire park in a golden-red hue, its rays streaming through the enormous, spotless floor-to-ceiling windows, spilling onto the gleaming floor and landing on the particularly forlorn figure leaning against the window. Lava, once a spirited figure hailed as the "Stock God of Shocker," now stood hunched over, his expensive suit unable to conceal the profound despondency that emanated from him.

Lindsay Timejacker, a girl from the Timejacker Kingdom of another dimension, stood quietly not far behind him. She looked at his blurred, weary profile reflected in the glass window by lava, sighed softly, and broke the silence in the room.

"I still think you should reconsider."

Lava didn't turn around; his gaze remained fixed on the park outside the window, a symbol of his glory and collapse. His voice was hoarse yet exceptionally clear:

"There are three possibilities. First, the Delza Legion may have made a comeback and harbors malicious intentions to annex our Volcano Shocker. Second, the Delza Legion may be a shell company jointly launched by the remaining dark organizations, with the aim of reviving all things through the whale's fall and prolonging the life of our Volcano Shocker. Third, the Delza Legion may have already been destroyed by Kuuga, and the masked man we see today is Kuuga in disguise, with the purpose of achieving some unspeakable and despicable goal."

He paused, as if gathering his strength, or perhaps weighing the weight of each word.

"Firstly, even if we are swallowed up by the Dilza Legion, we will still be a dark organization, only losing our autonomy and the name of independence. Given time, we may be able to establish ourselves again, which is a middle-ground outcome. Secondly, being scattered and used separately, turning into cannon fodder, is the worst outcome. Thirdly, the Dilza Legion is impersonated by Kong. If we join him, exposing him would be tantamount to wiping out our entire family. Conversely, if we do not expose him and simply obey, we will cut off the possibility of being destroyed at any time, which is the best outcome."

Lindsay's brows furrowed deeply, her delicate face filled with bewilderment and absurdity:

"I don't understand, why would it be the best outcome if Kuuga were the one impersonating him?"

The girl was puzzled.

The stock market guru, Lava, who had previously looked ashen-faced, snapped his fingers.

The sound of lava suddenly rose a few decibels, carrying a weary and mocking tone of world-weariness:

"Do you think it's faster to die under the command of a ruthless colleague, or to die under the command of a hero who cares about his reputation? That person is the kind of guy who would do his best to save even brainwashed monsters and Shocker combatants if there's any chance of saving them."

"Ultimately, why do you think Shocker is trying to rule the world?"

The girl, who had merely been a bystander to the farce from beginning to end, shook her head.

"Uh, I've never thought about that. I've always just regarded you as one of those whimsical dark organizations that exist in every world."

Ignoring the young woman's offense, the once-proud stock market guru simply asked and answered his own question.

"The answer is, it's to make the world a better place according to their own ideals. Just like you Time Jackers, under the leadership of the royal family, want to invade this world. If you succeed, it will become a paradise for the Time Jackers. Similarly, Shocker wants to rule the world, but only to make it a better place according to their own ideals. The world will become a paradise for Shocker members. Every organization is only friendly and responsible to its true members, and uses that as an excuse to arbitrarily harm others."

Lava's gaze swept over the figures of his men, vaguely visible outside the window, who had fallen into a daze after their initial fervor of slogans. His tone became even more desolate.

"A world where everyone is happy is impossible. Even if it were possible, it would take an incredibly long time."

"There are countless people in this world who hold their own sense of justice, attacking and hurting each other. In the end, they are all just trying to influence the world with their own ideas, whether they claim to be righteous or openly admit to evil."

"No matter the outcome, the lives lost in the process will never come back."

Lava was an orphan who was kidnapped and brainwashed by Shocker in a war-torn region. He knew very well that in war, there are no victors, only survivors and crushed dust.

Regardless of whose ideology ultimately prevails, the lives lost in the struggle will never return.

"Therefore, by cleverly avoiding claiming to be righteous and instead focusing on doing only one thing—saving lives—I am the true hero that even I would acknowledge."

Lava got up dejectedly and patted her on the shoulder as he passed by.

"I was their leader, incompetent and cowardly. When I was in charge, I didn't even dare to launch an invasion. I also lost everything in my investments. But thanks to that, I didn't have much blood on my hands. If it really is the last outcome, many people in this organization should be able to survive and return to normal life."

"Wash away the marks, forget the past, and start living like an ordinary person again."

"So, letting them temporarily take jobs with social insurance and housing fund benefits and overtime pay, letting go with a clear conscience, and not indulging in our own ambitions to bind their lives as fuel, is a kind of restraint and blessing."

……

……

The atmosphere in the Schuker conference room was heavy.

Outside the window, the fervent echoes of "The world belongs to Shocker" still seemed to linger, but the atmosphere inside the conference room was completely different.

Lava, a man who had just undergone a spiritual baptism and whose identity had changed from "boss of Volcano Shocker" to "minister of the Far East branch of the Dilza Legion," was sitting at the conference table, his face ashen as he looked at the several design drawings pushed towards him from the opposite side.

What was depicted on the blueprints was not the efficient and practical weapon of war he had imagined, but several complex structures filled with unnecessary joints and balance problems—giant humanoid robots?!

Lava felt a surge of heat rush to his head, and the complex emotions he had just developed towards his new boss were instantly replaced by the instinctive rage of a technical talent.

He slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly, his voice rising with utter absurdity and bewilderment:

"Mask... No, Commander, are you serious? Why do we have to fight with these giant humanoid robots?"

He waved his arms excitedly, trying to persuade the other party with the simplest engineering principles.

"With its high center of gravity, fragile structure, and complex, lengthy energy transmission lines, its battlefield survivability is questionable! For long-range artillery, wouldn't it be more efficient to design it as a sphere or a sturdy fortress? For close-quarters combat, wouldn't it be more efficient to design it as a low, heavy assault tank or multi-legged vehicle, offering greater mobility and defense? This humanoid shape... besides looking good and being a target, what practical combat value does it have?!"

The sound of lava echoed in the empty conference room, filled with the anger and bewilderment of the technicians. Several former key technical personnel from the volcano behind him nodded subconsciously, their eyes showing the same confusion.

The young man standing before the main seat had a delicate face that resembled Kuuga's, but it was expressionless. He slowly and deliberately straightened the cuffs of his expensive suit, which was now tattered and worn, as if the volcanic eruption of Lava's questioning was merely a breeze brushing past his ear.

"It was Kuuga's lover who forced him to do it in order to please Kuuga."

Lava: "..."

Lava gaped, and all the long-winded discourse about engineering, materials science, and battlefield practicality that followed were abruptly cut off by this single, light sentence.

The air seemed to freeze. The anger on his face instantly turned into astonishment, then helplessness, and finally a numb feeling that "the client is an idiot."

"Is it technically impossible?"

"It's technically feasible, but... the funding."

"Five billion, I only need two units. I don't need to worry about their lifespan or subsequent maintenance. As long as they are operational and ready to fight for the first few hours after startup, that's enough."

The boy listened quietly, his face remaining expressionless. Only when Lava's voice trembled with excitement did he slowly and clearly extend his right hand.

Five slender fingers, their knuckles clearly visible under the stark white light.

"While you're at it, contact the other Shockers and tell them that Kuuga's lover, who secretly wants to rule the world, has connections everywhere. He can even prepare some military-grade materials for you. I want to see the results as quickly and effectively as possible. The project only has one month to complete."

"Isn't the timeframe and construction period a bit too tight?"

The boy raised his five fingers again.

“I already said it, five billion.”

"This isn't just a matter of money; it also involves manpower, timelines, technology development, departmental integration..."

"Dollar."

puff.

Lava knelt down on the spot.