I want to become a Kamen Rider

The silence of the Hiiragi family's guest room was occasionally broken by the chirping of insects outside the window. Moonlight flowed like mercury onto the tatami mats, outlining the tranquil silhouette of Fan Kang as he slept. However, this tranquility was merely an illusion. His consciousness teetered on the edge of an abyss, the feeling of weightlessness suddenly vanishing, replaced by the tactile sensation of solid ground beneath his feet.

He suddenly "opened" his eyes.

It was still that blindingly luxurious atmosphere. A huge crystal chandelier hung overhead, refracting artificial light. Pink cushions and plush unicorns were scattered on the expensive Persian carpet, creating a deliberately crafted girlish feel that seemed incongruous with the room's owner's age. On the clothes rack, a silk robe hung languidly, as if its owner had just taken it off. In the corner, an electric guitar and scattered sheet music silently spoke of a suppressed restlessness.

After briefly confirming his Divine Monument deck and Toyokawa Kang's trainer certificate, Fan Kang decisively decided to leave the Toyokawa residence.

This dream is probably able to be continued, or even played online.

If he really did something in this dream, how would he face Ms. Toyokawa during the day? Well, Ms. Toyokawa might not blame or criticize him, but he has his own principles.

Knowing full well that he likely had no "future," Fan Kang still took away the girl's most precious treasure. Unless he was out of his mind, he couldn't have done such a thing.

Despite his jealousy, envy, and disdain, Toyokawa Ko was still the same person who had been devoted to Toyokawa Madam until the very end, proving his love even in the final moments of his life.

Liking is affection, love is companionship, and marriage is responsibility.

He couldn't bear the responsibility. Even though the girl's affections were practically blatantly obvious to him, all he could do was bitterly recite the Heart Sutra and run away.

I hope that in one timeline, he could be as brave as Toyokawa Kou, without so many worries, and live a carefree and happy life. But in this world, Fan Kang is a Kamen Rider.

Just as he had told his disciples long ago.

It's romantic for a boy and girl to only talk about their current feelings, and it's also amazing, romantic, and cool to conquer and destroy a world for love, but... he's an adult.

Adults have lost the privilege of only talking about the present; they must consider the future, not just their own, but also the future of others. And those who stand before the masses, bearing the weight of destiny, must consider the future of everyone.

Even knowing the outcome of each step forward, he could only, at most, allow himself to say what he wanted to say.

"Shariputra! Form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form; form is emptiness, emptiness is form; so too are feeling, perception, volition, and consciousness. Shariputra! All dharmas are empty in nature, neither arising nor ceasing, neither defiled nor pure, neither increasing nor decreasing."

Suppressing his inner turmoil, Fan Kang recited the Heart Sutra, scratched his head, and walked out the door.

A familiar voice sounded behind my neck.

'You can tolerate this? If Xiao Kang could still work normally, I'd start to suspect that Kang-jun has practiced the Sunflower Manual to become so strong?'

"It's not that I can endure it, it's just... alas, autumn kills, spring kills, when will spring and summer bury me?"

'Upon closer inspection, regardless of autumn or winter, it is a sorrowful sight.'

"You managed to answer that? Wow, Cupid!"

He casually recited a line he'd seen online, intending to just mutter it in a low voice as if he were sick, but to his utter surprise, the suspicious white alien creature actually picked up where he left off.

"You flatter me, you flatter me. I'm one of the more cultured ones in Quebec."

"Wait, something's not right?!"

It wasn't until a short while later that Fan Kang, who was already familiar with this kind of scene, finally reacted.

He stopped abruptly, his back tensing.

Slowly turning his head, under the moonlight, the snow-white creature with ruby-like eyes and a tail with strange patterns—Kooby—was perched on his shoulder, tilting its head and looking at him with an eternally innocent gaze.

"How did you get here? I can't even sense the Emperor Stone here, how did you manage to follow me?"

'Perhaps the bond between me and Kang-jun transcends time and space?'

"Could I return the Kewpie and exchange it for a girl instead? Thank you."

'That hurts so much, Kangjun.'

Fan Kang ignored it and strode away. There were too many special features about his Cupid to count, so there was no point in investigating them.

What he was about to do required space and distance. He didn't stop until he reached a small, empty park on the side of the street, far from the Toyokawa residence.

The park was deserted late at night, with only the cold moonlight shining on the concrete ground.

He stood still, took a deep breath, and assumed the most basic boxing stance. There were no fancy moves, no earth-shattering momentum, just the most simple and unadorned actions—punching, kicking, blocking, twisting his body... Each movement was steady and powerful, bearing the marks of countless hours of practice, breaking the silence and producing a dull sound.

Sweat quickly dampened his temples, gleaming faintly in the moonlight.

This might be the second benefit of this great dream, besides the opportunity to get intimate with Ms. Toyokawa: it allows me to continue my spiritual practice and seek proof without affecting my daytime energy.

'Kang Jun, what are you doing?'

Cupid reappeared on the bench nearby, tilting his head as he asked.

"Practice."

"I know you're practicing, but I'm asking, having already reached this level, is there still a need to continue practicing?"

Its gaze seemed to pierce through the skin, staring directly at Fan Kang's doomed fate:

'The body you've honed over so long will be returned to its former glory; the unwavering will will vanish with the utter shattering of the past. Your journey will inevitably end with nothing remaining, not even a speck of dust.'

“I’ve just gotten used to it. And I feel there must be something left behind, even if I can’t quite put my finger on what it is.”

Even disregarding the financial gains, he had once stood at the end of a long road, and no matter how hard he tried, he could only pick up a few things at most.

Cupid asked him again in an incomprehensible tone:

'Whether it's going back to hug Toyokawa Shoko, or leisurely letting loose in this dream, both are better choices, right? At least you'd gain some... tangible experience.'

"Although I don't like the term 'gods,' there's one sentence I do like overall, which I read in a comic book."

The boy's punches remained perfectly steady, becoming even more focused and resolute in response to Qiu Bi's words. Sweat dripped down his chin.

He twisted his waist and hips, throwing a powerful straight punch as if to shatter the invisible shackles.

“The gods bestow many seeds upon each person and set them on a journey. These seeds are heavy and offer no help on the journey until they blossom and bear fruit. Some abandon their seeds because they are tired, some are forced to give them up in order to hurry on their way, and some cry out in exhaustion, yet none of them are willing to let go of even a single seed in their hands.”

"This journey is just a journey, not a race or a competition. Those who plant seeds should not be despised for lacking perseverance, and those who cry out in exhaustion should not be laughed at for being foolish. Everyone has their own choices, and these choices are neither superior nor inferior from the beginning."

Surrounded by tranquil vegetation, with sparse lights in the distance, and the ancient stars and moon overhead.

He stands at the end of the long road because every step he has taken has been a real one, not because of divine favor or bloodline.

With a sincere heart, one can overcome even the most gifted talents.

He rebelled against his mediocrity, carried out his will, and then used what he gained from rebelling against mediocrity to rebel against fate.

"This is my choice. Your choice is no better than mine, it's just easier."

The wind howled through the fist, breaking the silence of the long night.

Chapter 126 (6K)

The alluring dream has faded away; a new day begins with battle.

Kiribati, a string of forgotten pearls in the central Pacific Ocean, consists of thirty-three coral atolls and islands scattered across the vast ocean of the Gilbert, Phoenix, and Line archipelagos. What should have been a paradise of sunshine, white sand, and azure waves has now become an arena for storms and massive monsters.

Not all dark organizations are like Volcano Shocker, willingly signing a contract of servitude and waiting to plot against each other for that slim chance that can hardly be called a chance.

Just as Fan Kang chose to resist in order to save his life, even if their positions and beliefs are contradictory, some people will still resist the oppression of others' freedom in order to uphold their "justice".

Even knowing that a terrifying crisis capable of destroying the world would occur in a month, governments around the world could not truly unite and could only cooperate symbolically, let alone the dark organization.

An unnamed atoll somewhere in the Line Islands.

The seawater was no longer a gentle azure, but had been churned into a murky dark green, churning with ominous foam. A strange figure, over twenty meters tall, a terrifying behemoth forcibly fused together from twisted coral, jagged reefs, and writhing deep-sea silt, was slowly rising from the shallow waters.

With each heavy breath, it exhaled a foul-smelling, sulfurous vapor that formed a small, corrosive acid mist on the sea surface. Its thick, ancient tree-root-like limbs churned the seawater, each wave whipping up raging waves tens of meters high.

The surging waves are no longer the natural form of water, but rather, carrying fragments of coral, rough sand and gravel, and even uprooted small coconut trees, like a giant hammer swung by an angry sea god, crashing heavily onto the fragile edge of the atoll. Even more terrifying, as its arms lash out wildly, the airflow above the atoll is violently churned and compressed, forming a visible, funnel-shaped whirlwind.

The whirlwind howled, sucking seawater into the air and forming a terrifying waterspout that connected the sea and sky. Blades of wind sliced ​​through the air, emitting a piercing shriek, powerful enough to tear apart even the strongest alloys. The entire atoll trembled under its might, as if it would be utterly ripped apart and sunk into a lightless abyss in the next second.

Before them lay the umpteenth "ultimate weapon" created by the remaining dark organizations that had chosen to resist, codenamed "Sea Erosion Colossus."

Its very existence is yet another cruel trampling on the fragile ecosystem of this planet.

Thousands of meters in the air.

A gyroplane, entirely black with a more angular design than conventional helicopters and a distinctly unconventional technological style, skillfully weaves through the raging waves and turbulent tornadoes, much like a storm petrel.

Since his return, he has been constantly on the move, and now the boy has finally returned to the battlefield after a long absence.

The hatch was wide open. Fan Kang gripped the dangling rope tightly with one hand, his body swaying violently with the helicopter's violent turbulence and the howling wind. His other hand held the cracked Imperial Stone. Cold rain lashed against his face, but he merely squinted, calmly surveying the raging battlefield below.

Logically, being exposed so closely to the core of a physical storm unleashed by a twenty-meter-tall monster should have caused any conventional aircraft, let alone a helicopter, fighter jet, or rocket, to instantly disintegrate and crash. Yet, the helicopter carrying him navigated the storm with remarkable ease, smoothly avoiding every fatal impact. A faint energy field flowed across the surface of the fuselage, subtly deflecting and neutralizing the violent airflow and water pressure.

Shocker Technology is truly amazing.

This is why, when finalizing the giant humanoid robot manufacturing plan with Volcano Shocker yesterday, Fan Kang rejected the suggestion to manufacture other more practical tanks and war fortresses, and restrained himself from requesting an additional twenty units within Volcano Shocker's tight deadline.

The fact that the giant humanoid robot cannot replace the Contract Knight, who can fight endless battles at the cost of his soul and life, is only the most insignificant reason.

If technology is given to every country without restriction, what follows will not be collective wisdom and effort, but an arms race. A month later, there may be twice as many giant humanoid robots capable of fighting at the kilometer-long end, but naturally, the seeds of war will also be sown.

With a sharp weapon in the body, the murderous heart starts from the beginning.

The main advantage of designing it as a giant humanoid robot rather than a dedicated war machine is not its coolness or aesthetics, but rather that it is the first weapon of its kind for countries around the world. Lacking the supporting equipment and armaments for human slaughter, it can only be used to fight the behemoths according to its original purpose. Only after a complete analysis can other ideas slowly emerge.

By then, the meteorite had already fallen.

If such a war fortress were to be built, it would be equally efficient and convenient for slaughtering one's own kind. It's hard to say whether humanity would first engage in civil war or face its end.

This kind of thing has happened far too many times in the past thirty years.

Trust humanity, but don't test human nature.

"You played...surprisingly well."

Fan Kang's gaze pierced through the churning water vapor and dust below, landing on the fierce hunt taking place on the atoll.

"Commendable".

At the edge of the atoll, a dozen figures of various shapes are surrounding the enormous [Sea Erosion Giant].

The tactics vaguely resembled those used a few days prior to suppress the Another Decade, but their execution showed a visible improvement. Facing an enemy as imposing as a mountain, the riders did not blindly engage in direct combat, but instead maximized their coordination and strategic maneuvering.

Crimson photon blood traced deadly paths through the storm. Faiz, like a scarlet lightning bolt, darted through the colossus's ankles at astonishing speed.

When fighting large land enemies and inflicting minor injuries, this is the most direct and effective combat method besides attacking weak points—attacking the feet.

Faiz sped along the undulating sea like a cheetah.

He precisely seized the moment the monster raised its leg to stomp, and his fist, imbued with photon blood and heavy armor, slammed into the monster's relatively vulnerable ankle joint like a pile driver. Each hit was accompanied by a piercing metallic creak and a massive energy explosion, causing the behemoth to stagger noticeably.

"It's now!"

The voice of the Magic Knight Eleanor Mondebelle rang out in the tactical headset channel.

She hovered in mid-air, her hands rapidly forming hand seals, instantly conjuring a chilling magical energy in the air. A massive magic circle spun and unfolded before her, and a colossal frost battle axe, over ten meters long, crystal clear, and with magical runes shimmering along its edges, materialized out of thin air.

Wizard gripped the giant ice axe with both hands, seizing the opening created by Faiz's stun, and aimed it at the back of the monster's supporting leg's knee, cleaving it down with the force of splitting mountains and shattering rocks!

“Boom!”

Ice shards and shattered shells flew everywhere, the monster let out a painful roar, its massive body shaking violently, almost collapsing to its knees in the sea.

Kamen Rider Kaixa, like a golden thunderbolt, launched a fatal surprise attack on the monster's relatively vulnerable waist and abdomen.

He leaped high into the air, his extraordinary jumping ability briefly hovering at the monster's waist.

"Awakening!"

The Kaixa blade gun transformed and combined in his hands, and brilliant golden photon blood surged and condensed into a slender lightsaber. The blade hummed and exuded a sharp aura that could cut through anything.

"Drink——!"

Kaixa gripped the sword with both hands, using the momentum of her fall to plunge the lightsaber fiercely into the junction of the writhing mud and coral on the monster's abdomen. The lightsaber pierced and cut without resistance, golden energy erupting from within the wound, producing a muffled explosion and an even more shrill roar from the monster.

The filthy slime and broken coral tissue splattered out like a fountain.

The knights' attacks were like a whirlwind, precisely striking the monster's weakest points in defense and energy. The gigantic monster roared repeatedly, and the storms and waves stirred up by its swinging arms, though still terrifying, were repeatedly evaded or neutralized by the knights' tacit cooperation and agile maneuvering.

Faced with this increasingly ruthless attack of a dozen against one, its massive body became a burden, firmly restrained by these "tiny" knights in the shallow waters of the atoll, unable to effectively unleash its terrifying power in deep-sea warfare.

"Now! Saturation attack!" Eleanor's calm command rang out in the tactical headset channel.

In the sky, several fighter jets and long-range missile launchers that had been circling and waiting opened fire simultaneously. Dozens of missiles, trailing long plumes of flame, rained down like a storm, their target the giant monster that had been pinned down by the knights and exposed to the fire's range.

Further away, a fleet of warships that had already locked onto their target provided fire support from several kilometers away.

After wave of artillery fire, the knights on the ground and in the air unleashed their strongest power.

Faiz's Crimson Drill in Burst Form erupted again at his ankle; Wizard guided the massive Flame Dragon to strike the monster's chest; Caesar's lightsaber burst forth with unprecedented light, piercing even deeper; all the knights' attacks converged into a destructive torrent at this moment, mixed with a rain of missiles falling from the sky, crashing together on the monster's body.