I want to become a Kamen Rider

He could also predict the enemy's objectives, plots, and weaknesses, and then analyze them for a long time, only to have them burned to death in a real fight. What's the point? No, it's meaningless.

He is actually very smart and perceptive, but most of the time he just doesn't have a choice.

The kind of oblivious male protagonist in light novels, who thinks that even when a girl makes him a bento box, it's just a sign of a good relationship, won't happen to him. It's just that he has no choice but to choose between being stubborn, remaining silent, or refusing.

Similarly, he only gives up thinking when thinking is useless because there is simply too little information, or when force can solve the problem without any need for thinking. The former is the dream that Tina Hiiragi had of him dying, and the latter is the endless and countless conspiracies of the Black Organization.

But now, holding this Kamen Rider Decade card in his hand, he realized... perhaps he could really glimpse a chance for change from it.

The self-proclaimed "time traveler," Kaze when his memories were complete, may have come from across timelines. He probably knew how powerful Kaze was but still dared to challenge him, and may even have waited until Kamen Rider Blade used his power before making his move, all for the sake of this card.

Like "Oma Zi-O," this card contains the power of a knight who does not exist in this world and is known as the destroyer of the world.

This card's power isn't unparalleled, but it's certainly special.

This was the first time he had ever seen a card whose nature changed with the alternation of day and night, and whose host power also changed.

"Kangjun, you've been staring at this card for almost two hours now; it's practically dawn."

My thoughts were pulled back to reality by Kewpie's sarcastic remarks.

He looked out the window, and indeed, the sun was already high in the sky, bathing the city in a bright gold. The morning light streamed through the glass, landing precisely on the card in his hand, making the crimson knight figure even more dazzling in the sunlight.

"Yes, let's talk about it later."

Putting the card away, Fan Kang seemed to finally remember that he was still a high school student in name only, and pulled out the Soubu High School uniform that he had hardly ever worn.

The dark uniform on him was completely different from his usual casual wear, and surprisingly showed a bit of youthful naiveté, even though he had already killed countless Gurongi.

He straightened his collar, pushed open the door of the rented room, and, for the first time ever, decided to go to the school to take a look.

Almost simultaneously, the door to the opposite room creaked open a crack. A small head with silver hair peeked out, its bright green eyes sparkling.

Good morning, boss!

"Good morning, little wind."

"The eldest is going to school today. You can play by yourself for now. Here's the money for breakfast and lunch. When you're playing games at home, remember not to open the door to strangers, and when you go out to play, don't go with strangers."

"Yes, Xiaofeng will be good."

He gave the silver-haired girl a brief greeting, when he was suddenly called to a stop.

"Boss."

"?"

Fan Kang hesitated and turned around. The girl stood there, her back to the light in the room, and smiled as she told him.

"No matter what happens, Xiao Feng will always stand by the boss's side."

"Ok, I know."

The boy walked into the crowd.

The girl shouted again.

"No matter what happens—!"

The voice was clear, earnest, and firm, like a clear bugle call piercing the morning sky:

"Xiao Feng will always stand by the boss's side!"

So—don't be unhappy!!

……

……

The morning sunlight dappled the tree-lined path leading to Sobu High School.

Fan Kang strolled leisurely, not caring whether he would be late. On his shoulder, the snow-white figure of Qiu Bi looked like an out-of-place decoration.

That girl is becoming increasingly suspicious.

"But there was no hostility or malice."

'Yes, there was no hostility, no malice; all she possessed was the purest sincerity. That's the most terrifying thing...'

Fan Kang frowned and gave the suspicious white alien creature on his shoulder a karate chop:

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about, Cupid.”

Perhaps you'll understand later, Kang-kun.

“I wouldn’t understand, Cupid.”

He truly had no choice. But it is precisely this lack of choice that sustains so many others who do have choices, and it is because they never regret their choices and face themselves honestly that they have been able to get to where they are today.

While engaging in their usual pointless verbal sparring with Qiu Bi, Fan Kang walked toward the gate of Zongwu High School with his empty schoolbag on his back.

The morning sunlight streamed into the school gate, carrying a unique, slightly boisterous energy characteristic of the campus. A girl in the uniform of Soubu High School, with short black hair and a posture as sharp as a javelin, stood there solemnly, her gaze sharply scanning each student entering the school gate, occasionally correcting someone's crooked tie or skirt that was too short—Disciplinary Committee member, Ma Titian Aixing.

Fan Kang heard the name from a few students whispering among the passersby.

To be honest, it's a pretty cool name. Ma Ti Tian Ai Xing—it sounds like the kind of name you'd find in a shonen battle anime or a supernatural academy. Frankly, even though he's a Kamen Rider in battle, Fan Kang has never heard such a cool, action-oriented name from an opponent or a teammate. He only heard it from a disciplinary committee member at an ordinary high school.

Just as Fan Kang was about to blend into the crowd as usual, that sharp gaze locked onto him precisely.

Ma Titian Aixing stopped Fan Kang as he casually walked into the school gate.

"Excuse me, student, recently some people have been bringing prohibited items into the school. Therefore, according to school regulations, we need to conduct some routine checks. Just use this scanner to scan them."

She picked up a handheld security scanner and gestured to it.

"It will be quick. Please cooperate with the disciplinary committee."

Someone must have brought something really dangerous into the school for them to use a security scanner...

Cupid on his shoulder spoke up in time:

"How dare they! A mere disciplinary committee member dares to search us! Disobeying the emperor, let's teach her a lesson! Let her know what's what!"

"Are you in the wrong movie set? If I had even a little bit of your bullying mentality, would things have turned out like this? I'm the most respectful and law-abiding model student."

'A model student who barely goes to school a few times a year?'

"..."

While Qiu Bi was complaining, Ma Titian Aixing had already swiftly scanned Fan Kang's body with a scanning wand. The instrument did not sound an alarm, indicating that everything was "normal."

However, the girl did not let him pass. Her gaze fell on Fan Kang's overly empty backpack, and she spoke again, her tone still businesslike:

"Please open your bag. Recently, someone has been bringing very 'inappropriate' manuscripts and magazines into the school and spreading them, so it is necessary to check the contents of your bag. Don't worry, out of respect for your privacy, you only need to take out the books and show them the covers."

"……Ugh."

The man, who had previously claimed to be a model student who respected others and followed school rules the most, changed his expression. He first sighed, then looked at the girl in front of him with a mysterious air.

"Do you know who I am, young man?"

"Excuse me, who are you?"

"Seven campus legends...or the first of the ghost stories? Let me think, what did Wu Tina say again? Anyway, there's someone like me at Zongwu High School. I'm very powerful. I am Fan Kang."

"never heard of that."

"..."

Cupid continued to fan the flames from the sidelines.

"You haven't been to school in ages, no wonder people haven't even heard of you. You've probably been overtaken by someone else in that weird ranking."

Just as Ma Titian Aixing found Fan Kang increasingly suspicious due to his silence and "prestigious" remarks, and his vigilance intensified, Fan Kang took a step forward without warning.

This step was incredibly imposing, instantly closing the distance between them. He lowered his head slightly, looking directly into Ma Titian Aixing's eyes:

"I advise you not to cause trouble, woman."

'Here it comes! Even more outrageous school bully lines than before, from Bichubi! Next, is Kangjun going to say something like, "Woman, you've caught my attention?!"'

"Um, classmate, what you're doing is really bothering me."

Thinking he had encountered some misfortune, Ma Titian Aixing took a step back.

At that moment, Fan Kang grabbed his schoolbag and dashed out. He ran very fast; his earlier strange remarks were merely a pretext to find an opportunity to escape.

"catch him!"

Ma Titian Aixing shouted from behind, and several student council members on duty nearby also heard the noise and chased after Fan Kang in the direction he had fled.

But, there's no point.

Even if they chased him in a race car, they couldn't outrun him on two legs, not to mention that he could ignore terrain obstacles.

Under the stunned gazes of several student council members, he deliberately took a few steps to run up, his toes touching the edge of the flower bed. He lightly lifted himself into the air, grabbed the railing of the second-floor corridor with one hand, and performed a beautiful pull-up and somersault, landing steadily on the second-floor corridor.

The entire process was seamless, ignoring all terrain obstacles, and took less than three seconds.

He stood by the second-floor railing, looking down at the bewildered student council members who were panting and chasing after him, and made a big face at them.

So, Kangjun, what exactly is in your bag?

"secret."

Chapter Seventy-Six: Omens of the Vast Ocean

The sky was clear and blue, stretching to the horizon under the sun. The deep blue of the sea blended seamlessly with the horizon, dotted only by a few wisps of clouds. The sea breeze, carrying a salty and cool scent, caressed the small fishing boats moored in the harbor.

However, this tranquility was shattered by a steel behemoth slowly departing the harbor—a large, well-equipped whaling ship. Its thick booms and massive nets gleamed with a cold metallic sheen in the sunlight. It sailed into the deep blue sea, carrying an air of grim greed that clashed in stark contrast to the magnificent landscape.

Mizutani Migen stood at the bow of her dilapidated little fishing boat, which she had bought with money scraped together from her master, her gaze following the departing whaling ship, her eyes filled with complex emotions. The girl wore faded fishing clothes, her figure appearing thin beneath the loose garments, yet she stood ramrod straight.

whaling.

Beneath my feet lie the stubborn, persistent bad habits of this country.

Before the industrial age, whaling was justified for a country with barren land, low agricultural productivity, and scarce resources. However, as time progressed into the modern era, with readily available alternatives and the fragility of marine ecosystems repeatedly proven, this killing carried out in the name of "tradition" has become nothing more than greed and self-deceiving hypocrisy.

In 1986, the International Whaling Commission adopted a global resolution to suspend all whaling activities in order to protect whale populations.

The country beneath our feet has chosen a self-deceiving and ostrich-like way to maintain its traditions: "scientific whaling."

Under the guise of scientific research, Japan continues to hunt whales at will, because it is indeed profitable or because of the industrial chain connections. The Arctic, Alaska, and even Norway cooperate with Japan's whaling activities.

Even under the guise of protecting the Earth, humanity has never been united.

Mizutani Migen looked at the vast expanse of waves before him and the whaling ship sailing away ahead, his feelings a mix of emotions.

It's hard to imagine what the master must have gone through and seen to be so distrustful of the governments of various countries, and what he must have gone through and seen to still choose to fight to protect humanity despite knowing its ugliness.

"Mizutani, you're up so early today too?" A dark-skinned, weathered man poked his head out from a nearby fishing boat and greeted her familiarly.

"Being diligent is never a bad thing, right?"

The sea breeze ruffled the girl's hair. The girl on the small fishing boat was dressed in fishing clothes, but she was not in a hurry to go out to sea to fish.

The sea breeze grew stronger, causing her clothes to flutter loudly. Unlike other fishermen who rushed to untie the ropes and cast their nets, she stood steadily at the bow of her small fishing boat, facing the vast sea.

"Are you going to start practicing boxing again?" the uncle asked knowingly.

"Ok!"

Mizutani Migen responded, her gaze becoming focused. She took a deep breath of the salty air and assumed a fighting stance. Her fists whistled through the air, her steps steady, each move unfolding between the sea and sky. The rise and fall of the waves became her natural footwork, and the howling sea breeze became her invisible opponent.

Day after day, day after day, day after day...

Sweat soaked her brow and slid down her cheeks. The effort seemed endless, yet the visible "results" always arrived late, like elusive schools of fish beneath the surface of the sea. But she had no choice. All she held tightly in her hands was this martial art, soaked in sweat.

She knew it.

The master doesn't prefer hardworking disciples, but rather talented ones, even though that guy only reached the end of the road purely through hard work.

However, she also knew that her master just wanted to see fewer deaths and injuries.

With a sharp blade in one's heart, the desire to kill arises spontaneously.

After gaining power, everyone has their own desires. Some want to become the strongest, some want to rule the world, some compare themselves to gods, some want to be popular, some want to help others, and some want to change the world. Everyone has their own sense of justice.

The master abandoned all sorts of different kinds of justice and picked up the most basic and simplest justice: saving lives.

Is it because this most basic form of justice is so powerful, or is it because it is powerful enough to choose this most basic and simple, yet also the most burdensome, form of justice? I can't figure it out.

An older man from another boat, preparing to set sail, tossed a carton of milk across the gunwale: "Catch!"