I want to become a Kamen Rider

Chapter 61 Tina Hiiragi's Turn [1/?]

The next day.

Summer is halfway over, but even as it draws to a close, the sun overhead remains scorching. The leaves of the roadside trees droop, and the cicadas' chirping pierces the stagnant air. The convenience store freezer hums softly, offering the only cool oasis in this sweltering heat.

"It's so hot. Just one more, just one more..."

Hiiragi Tina licked her ice cream, touched her tummy, and looked a little worried.

"If this keeps up, when the minister comes back, he'll not only laugh at me for being short, but he'll also make fun of me for being fat. Speaking of which, the minister is such a mean guy, he'll probably pat me on the shoulder with a 'kind' look and say I've gotten rounder."

Under the blazing sun, anticipating what kind of "misdeeds" the minister would commit upon his return from Europe, she seemed to remember something, took out her phone, and while continuing to lick her ice cream, made a routine call.

"Hello, is this the Minister? How's your European trip going?"

"Not good..."

The sounds on the other end of the phone were accompanied by gunshots, the sound of something exploding, and the howling of wind and waves that only occur at high altitudes.

She didn't know what the wind sounded like at high altitudes until the minister dragged her to ride the golem a few times.

"It's so noisy on your end, what happened, Minister?"

"I'm currently on a spaceship developed by the remnants of Destro. This warship carries a decisive weapon capable of destroying the world and is about to take off from the East African Rift Valley. I'm going to sink it. Bye, I'm not talking to you anymore."

"Ah, bye."

As they were talking, the phone was hung up. Didn't that person just leave for Europe yesterday? How come he's in West Africa today, fighting with the remnants of Destro and sinking a space battleship?

And why did that person speak so casually? Isn't this a terrible thing that threatens the world? It's like he does this kind of thing all the time.

Tina Hiiragi shook her head, putting aside the matter of the club president who might be working on the theatrical version of "Ultimate Kuuga: The Fall of the Sky Battleship," as she had her own tasks to complete.

Although it was just a small-scale operation.

However, she also received a mission from the Knights Council to find the remnants of the Shocker party hiding in the crowd.

Now it's Detective Hiiragi Tina's turn. She enters the restaurant and meets up with Kawasaki Saki, who was already prepared there. The girl is still the same as before, with blue hair, a beautiful face, and thin lips that are tightly pursed. She has a face that can be described as gentle and cute, but she is so cold that she keeps people at a distance.

She should really switch places with Mizutani Migoto. One has a cool and aloof appearance but acts so pathetic in front of the club president, while the other has a gentle and cute appearance but is too cold.

Only by starting with the minister's topic can I get to talk to her a little longer.

"The routine communication with the minister has been completed."

How are the students from the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University who went to Europe doing?

"The minister is not in Europe right now, but in the East African Rift Valley. A spaceship developed by the remnants of Destro is about to take off from there because it carries a decisive weapon capable of destroying the world, and the minister intends to sink it."

Tina Hiiragi opened her eyes wide, wanting to see Kawasaki Saki's wavering expression, but the girl in front of her just nodded naturally and praised the captain.

"As expected of the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University."

"..."

Don't use that "anything is fine as long as it's a minister" tone. Although this kind of thing may be very commonplace for a minister, do you really not care at all when you hear words like "space battleships," "East African Rift Valley," "weapons of the final battle," and "destroying the world"?

Hiiragi Tina was inwardly screaming, but outwardly she remained calm and inquired about the mission's progress.

"I'm here. How's the 'target'?"

"Target number one, Higashijima Tanzaburo, and target number two, Okada Yuriko, have made contact. The bugging device is in place."

She handed a miniature earphone from under the table.

Hiiragi Tina took it, plugged it in, adjusted the current, and the target's conversation came through clearly.

On the first day of monitoring Higashijima Tanzaburo, no fruitful conversations or information were obtained. Tina Hiiragi, who had received this mission from the Knights Council, couldn't help but ask with some curiosity:

"Let me ask you this: what is the basis for the conclusion that Higashijima Tanzaburo might be connected to Shocker? Didn't he also stand up during a Shocker attack?"

"That physical ability is just too exaggerated. Without undergoing Shocker's modification surgery, it's hard to imagine that an ordinary human could become that strong through training alone."

Whether it's the strange old man, Tanzaburo Higashijima, who carries a plastic mask and identifies himself as Kamen Rider 1 when he puts it on, or Yuriko Okada, who takes off her clothes and changes in front of a crowd and calls herself a "denpa woman" after putting on a cosplay outfit, they are all very suspicious.

Whether from a sociological perspective or from the perspective of human beings.

Although Tina Hiiragi intuitively suspected that these two might be other sub-species versions of the ministers who did not obtain the power of Kamen Rider, they were carrying out tasks assigned by the Rider Council and could not make judgments based on personal preferences and opinions. The one who had that right but did not exercise it was Kamen Rider Kuuga.

"Then let's continue to observe."

……

……

In a restaurant called "DEMY'S", Higashijima Tanzaburo felt that he was finally going to find like-minded partners.

Although I get along well with the foreign guy, he disappears every few days. Sometimes I'd be carrying bricks with him at the construction site the day before, and when I called him the next day, his phone showed he was in Iceland. Then, I'd see him at the construction site again the day after that. It's ridiculous.

Before her was Yuriko Okada, who called herself "Denpa-onna" (Radio Wave Woman), and who had stood up for her during a supermarket robbery by Shocker fighters, defeating two of them.

She is said to be a middle school teacher who has loved Kamen Rider since childhood. Influenced by her father, she even named herself Yuriko, the same name as Denpa Onna (the Denpa Girl).

She wasn't exactly beautiful, but her power was immediately apparent. She wore a clean, off-white cotton dress with a light gray cardigan over it. Her long, naturally curly black hair cascaded loosely over her shoulders, the ends slightly upturned, giving her a look somewhat reminiscent of the eccentric girl from "Kamen Rider Strongman."

At this moment, she was steadily holding the cheap white coffee cup with the "DEMY'S" logo on it with her calloused fingers, taking small sips with a strange sense of calm, as if the noise and greasiness around her had nothing to do with her.

"Putting on the mask and claiming to be Kamen Rider is childish."

"I'm better than any kid! I love Kamen Rider with all my heart!"

As he spoke, Higashijima Tanzaburo straightened his chest.

"Alright, we'll talk about that later. Right now, I hope you can calm down."

"But Shocker has already appeared!"

"..."

He slammed his fist on the table, extremely agitated.

“Half an hour ago, you and I both saw it for ourselves. Shocker was disguised among the crowd, and besides the combatants, there were other people there. He was… a strange person. Although we don’t know the details, given Shocker’s style, his possession of monster-level strength, and the presence of combatants beside him, why was that strange person in such a hurry to retreat, as if he were hiding from something…”

Recalling what he saw at the time, Higashijima Tanzaburo spoke with caution.

"But one thing is beyond doubt: it's not an urban legend, nor is it the strange terrorist organization that the police claim is impersonating Shocker. Shocker really exists and is secretly plotting to overthrow the world!"

In fact, he had been convinced of Shocker's existence for a long time and had even fought against many combatants at a festival.

However, the police issued a gag order to him, and he could only cooperate with the reporting, referring to the attack on Shocker as an accidental attack planned by a terrorist organization.

Taking a deep breath, Higashijima Tanzaburo looked directly at the woman in front of him and posed the most crucial question:

"If Shocker really exists, what do you plan to do?"

"...You want to ask me what I would do?"

"At this moment, my heart of justice is burning fiercely, what about yours?"

"I will fight! Because I am a 'radio wave woman'!"

A man and a woman, oblivious to their surroundings, completely disregarded the sociological consequences and costs of such behavior.

"...You stole my lines!"

Complaining like this, the man put the mask on his face.

"Me too, because I'm a Kamen Rider!"

Chapter Sixty-Two: His Daily Life

That night.

Midnight has passed, and the city has sunk into the silent depths of the sea.

Tina Hiiragi was wrapped in a soft, light blue blanket, tossing and turning like a restless silkworm. Her smooth purple hair was also a little messy from the constant turning, and a few strands clung to her cheeks, which were slightly flushed from the heat. She was wearing a loose nightgown with a small monster pattern, and the neckline was now slightly askew from being rubbed.

The sheets were crumpled up from her rolling around. She would spread out in a "spread-eagle" shape for a moment, and then curl up into a ball, looking like a fish that wasn't fully cooked in a pan.

Finally, she clicked her tongue in frustration, threw back the covers, sat up, and grabbed her phone from beside her pillow. The screen's light instantly pierced the darkness, illuminating her face, which was a mixture of drowsiness and inexplicable irritation.

My finger swiped unconsciously, clicking into a few match-3 games. The crisp sound effects seemed particularly jarring in the silence. I played a few rounds, but my mind was completely elsewhere.

As if guided by fate, she opened the photo album. The screen's light danced in her eyes, finally settling on a snapshot—a masterpiece by Sakuta Azusagawa. In the photo, a certain wicked and despicable "Knight Club tyrant" was smugly holding up a comic book, his arm outstretched. In the corner of the photo, she was standing on tiptoe, futilely stretching out her arm, her face puffed up and even a little distorted with frustration at not being able to reach it.

The background is the bright window of the department room, where the sunlight was just right.

Hiiragi Tina's fingertips gently brushed across the hateful smiling face on the screen.

Strangely enough, even though the mission was to sink a spaceship equipped with a world-destroying weapon, a plot that wouldn't be out of place in the finale and would even be normal for the protagonist to die in the end, that person didn't inspire any concern.

She couldn't imagine him being defeated or dying.

That person seemed determined not to give up, and was certain to return victorious.

Just then, an emergency contact pop-up appeared at the top of the phone screen, accompanied by a rapid vibration; it was from Saki Kawasaki.

The message was concise yet explosive: "Dansaburo Higashijima and his team have captured a Shocker combatant. Initial assessment indicates he has broken free from brainwashing and can be communicated with. Assemble immediately."

She practically scrambled out of bed, her bare feet landing on the cool floor. The neckline of her pajamas was askew, revealing her fair collarbone. She grabbed her coat from the back of the chair, then, as if remembering something, dialed that person's number again.

The call was answered almost instantly.

"Hey, Minister, we've caught a big fish! When are you coming back? How's the battle between the space battleships going?"

It's at least a living, communicable combatant; to exaggerate a bit, calling it a big fish wouldn't be an exaggeration.

There seemed to be gunshots and the sound of vehicles colliding on the other end of the phone.

"The space battleship was sunk in the Pacific Ocean during the day..."

"What are you doing now? I think I heard gunshots."

The person's voice was distorted as it cut through the gunfire, cannon fire, and explosions.

"I'm in South Africa right now. The remnants of Black Satan have built a massive bomb that can destroy an entire city, intending to use a huge explosion to announce the rebirth of their organization. Although the Knights Council here can probably handle it on their own, I still took action to minimize casualties. I'm currently chasing them on my motorcycle, and they're trying to intercept me with armored vehicles and tanks."

"..."

She thought she heard the sound of a tank's main gun.

It is worth mentioning that before the yield reaches the level of a hydrogen bomb, conventional nuclear warheads cannot even completely destroy the buildings at the epicenter of the explosion, let alone level a city with a single shot. The real damage is caused by nuclear radiation. And since the minister never lies openly, what the minister intercepted must have been something like an antimatter bomb.

"However, compared to the scenes caused by Black Satan in the past, this one is relatively small. It should be dealt with in about half an hour. But just two hours ago, I received a request for help from the Danish Knights Council. It seems that the underground people have attacked again through the underground tunnels they dug. We just quelled them last month. Anyway, I have to go and provide support. I won't be back for a while."

Hiiragi Mai Tina: "..."

An extremely loud explosion came from the other end of the phone, even more so than the previous tank main gun explosion.

"Minister, who is that voice?"

"Oh, they saw that land-based interception wasn't working, so they started dropping bombs from their planes."

She held her phone, her face covered in sweat.

The minister used to say, "My daily routine is to protect your daily routine," which she dismissed with disdain. Now, she is filled with trepidation.

"That's all for now..."

"Yes, Minister, keep it up..."

Thinking of this, she spoke earnestly into the phone:

"Minister, you've worked hard!"

"This doesn't sound like something you'd say, Tina..."

"I was ignorant before. From now on, I will buy any comics you want to read, Minister, and... give them to you for free."

Although he spoke through gritted teeth, he was still somewhat sincere, but it was not appreciated.

"Well, more than comics, I prefer that twisted expression on your face when I snatched the comics from you, that look of wanting to kill me but being unable to do anything about it."

"…Xinei, bastard!"

The feeling of gratitude that had just arisen vanished.

……

……

Meanwhile, somewhere in South Africa.