I want to become a Kamen Rider

The wind, carrying the salty smell of the sea and the lingering dust of distant ruins, forcefully rushed into their clothes. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yaguchi Rando tightened the collar of his trench coat, standing shoulder to shoulder with his superior, Akasaka Hideki, silently overlooking the land below that was struggling to breathe.

As far as the eye can see, there is shocking devastation. The once bustling urban center is now a vast graveyard composed of twisted steel bars, broken concrete, and charred remains.

In the more peripheral areas, the resilience of life and the will to rebuild are stubbornly emerging. The roar of heavy machinery is a new background sound, like the city's heartbeat—heavy yet continuous. Temporary housing areas are orderly, with people in colorful clothing moving like ants, carrying supplies and clearing rubble. In the distance, at the port, cargo ships are slowly unloading containers of international aid, bright flags fluttering in the wind.

Everything was rebuilding.

A long wind swept into his arms, ruffling Commander Akasaka's meticulously combed silver hair and dispelling the lingering weariness between his brows. He took a deep drag on his cigarette, slowly exhaling, the smoke instantly torn away by the wind.

"The Satomi interim cabinet will resign en masse in the near future."

"Was all of this written in the commander's script?"

"It's not mine. This is Prime Minister Satomi's script. The capital and government, destroyed in this battle, need to be properly rebuilt. What needed to be demolished has already been demolished. Reconstruction requires a completely new foundation and blueprint. The next government will be dissolved and a general election will be held after it has drafted the bill related to the giant unidentified creature and established the reconstruction plan."

Hideki Akasaka gazed into the distance.

"A new cabinet is needed for the more than one million refugees and the reconstruction of the country."

Yaguchi Rando looked up, his eyes filled with surprise.

"Only a little over a million?"

Everyone witnessed how Godzilla destroyed the country in an instant; it was like a god, violently marching and trampling the world.

Adding a zero to the number of damaged items is perfectly normal.

At first, I thought it was officials covering up the figures, but upon closer examination, how could anyone possibly cover up such figures that concern how much effort is required but not how much money is earned, when there is no profit to be made?

Hideki Akasaka did not answer immediately, but instead took a deep drag on his cigarette, his gaze fixed on the people in the distance who were going in and out of the temporary shelter, carrying their simple belongings.

Their faces did not show carefree joy, but rather a sense of vulnerability after surviving a catastrophe and a faint hope for the future.

But at least, it wasn't tears.

"Because there are heroes."

"But the hero is dead."

"At least he brought hope, and that hope he left behind can still support us, this country, and the world as we move forward."

Others, more optimistic, carried their belongings, helped each other, left the ruins and the shelter, and returned to the earth with smiles on their faces.

"The evacuation and relocation work went smoothly because everyone understands that this is a life that has been given back with great difficulty."

"But what about the funds for reconstruction?"

"Other countries will provide some assistance. In addition, the president of the European Knights Council has resigned."

"……Why?"

"He resigned to take responsibility."

Hideki Akasaka sighed.

“Originally, since the original cabinet was gone and we all kept quiet, she could have continued to sit in that position. Given time, we might have actually witnessed a seventeen-year-old prodigy taking over the EU—a scenario that only happens in comic books—but…”

"but?"

"She very 'friendly' knocked on the doors of some conglomerates in this country, and naturally she received 'friendly' thank-you letters."

Yaguchi Rando smiled.

"Although I regret it, I still can't help but laugh when I think about it."

He leaned on the railing again and looked into the distance, his gaze sweeping over the figures busy on the ruins. The huge crane arms moved slowly, as if stitching up the city's wounds.

Looking at the various tasks being carried out on the ruins, he suddenly thought of a rather grand question, although it seemed that this question should not be asked by a politician like himself.

"Sir, do you think the world will get better?"

Hideki Akasaka stubbed out his cigarette on the railing, watching the last spark extinguish completely. He gazed at the gray horizon, his eyes deep, and didn't answer immediately. After a long while, he spoke slowly, his voice carried somewhat by the wind:

"I don't know. But at least a lot of people have been saved. For example, recently there was a young upstart who, with the desire to unite humanity, suddenly decided to enter politics."

"Humanity united, huh? Hahahaha..."

Yaguchi Rando burst into laughter.

What was that person thinking?

"I heard that the idea came about because she was rescued by a hero in the ruins. Sometimes, when people see something too dazzling, they become unrealistic."

"Hahaha, that's certainly quite unrealistic..."

Yaguchi Rando was still laughing.

Having witnessed so much, I understand how difficult even simple cooperation is for the human race. If it weren't for the man-made miracle that followed, the previous prime minister's actions would have been enough to plunge everyone into the abyss.

Human unity—what a distant concept.

Even the heroes who created and changed everything must have not believed in such things from the bottom of their hearts, which is why they chose that way of life.

As it turns out, he was right.

It's because humans themselves haven't worked hard enough, and have been too greedy and short-sighted.

Many tragedies could have been averted, many lives could have been saved, and many mistakes could not have happened so directly. Therefore, when Yaguchi Rando, who had seen the ways of the world and knew how cruel this world was and how ugly humanity was, heard this idea, which was no different from a fantasy, he would laugh out loud.

It wasn't mockery, but rather a sense of helplessness and self-deprecation.

But the laughter faded with the wind, and as he laughed, he finally stopped.

He slowly straightened up, the smile fading from his face, leaving only deep weariness and a barely perceptible...bewilderment. He gazed at the land beneath his feet, a land struggling to survive amidst its wounds, and remained silent for a long time.

A long wind swept across the observation deck again, catching the hem of their clothes. Above the ruins, the roar of reconstruction echoed like the heavy yet resolute heartbeat of this scarred world.

The two stood facing each other here.

"...Although it's absurd and sounds like a child's unrealistic daydreaming..."

He paused, turned his head, and looked at Hideki Akasaka.

"But... that's quite a nice wish. I'll look after him if I have the chance. What's that hothead's name?"

"Sawai Soichiro."

…………

.........

……

The Earth will not stop spinning just because one person is missing; the cold, hard laws of physics, on a vast cosmic scale, ruthlessly illustrate this truth.

But as Tina Hiiragi curled up in the spacious, soft seat of the private jet, gazing at the clouds rushing past the window, one thought lingered: this world might truly be heading towards its end because of that person's departure.

Humans have never been a species that lives off inanimate objects. They can rebuild civilizations from ruins, unite in the face of despair, and pass on unfinished work to like-minded individuals, ensuring its continued existence.

The minister often said things like this when he was alive.

……

……

Hokkaido, Sapporo, deep in the forest.

A cold wind whipped up the accumulated snow, rustling through the bare branches. In a secluded mountain hollow, an abandoned mine had been transformed into a temporary stronghold for a dark organization. Inside, some unknown transaction or conspiracy was taking place, with faint, malevolent energy fluctuations emanating from it.

Tina Hiiragi took a deep breath, the icy air piercing her lungs. She activated the driver at her waist, inserting the "Pink Knight" and the Kuuga card in succession.

Clad in armor, his crimson compound eyes gleam in the shadows—Kamen Rider Kuuga, All-Powerful Form.

She made no attempt to conceal her presence, and walked steadily and slowly toward the entrance of the mine.

The noise and energy fluctuations inside the cave stopped abruptly the moment she appeared, as if someone had grabbed her by the neck.

Then came a deathly silence.

Then came a burst of extreme panic screams and chaos, like cold water being thrown into boiling oil.

"Empt...empty me, it's empty me!"

"Kuuga is coming! Run!"

"Help...don't kill me..."

"Run! Run!"

The mere presence of the girl before these conspiring organizations terrified them into a rout. They dropped their weapons, overturned equipment, and fled desperately into the depths of the cave or into narrow side passages, wishing they had more legs, and even clamoring that they would be given two more legs during the next remodel.

Even more ironically, deep within the mine,

A strange figure, radiating powerful energy and clearly the organization's leader or top henchman, was initially preparing for battle with overwhelming force. But when Kuuga, the avatar of Mai Hiiragi, stepped through the snow and gravel into the dimly lit mine, her crimson compound eyes coldly sweeping over him…

The muscular, grotesque figure froze abruptly. He glanced at the crimson knight before him, then looked down at the massive, ominous-looking greatsword in his hand, as if it had suddenly transformed into a red-hot iron.

"Bang!"

Without hesitation, he threw the greatsword to the ground, making a jarring metallic clang. His tall frame trembled slightly as he raised his hands and shouted in an almost fawning, terrified tone:

"I surrender! I surrender! I demand to be treated according to the 'Strange Man's Surrender Prisoner of War Law'! I demand humane treatment of prisoners! I... I can actively transmit intelligence! I have important intelligence! I can get a reduced sentence! Please give me a chance to get a reduced sentence!"

Hiiragi Tina stopped in her tracks.

Through the mask, he looked at the powerful, strange man before him who had no will to fight and only wanted to survive, then glanced at the desolate and empty mine.

The cold wind from Hokkaido blew through the cave entrance, brushing against her icy armor and emitting a faint whistling sound.

A profound sense of absurdity and powerlessness, accompanied by an indescribable bitterness, welled up in her heart. She hadn't even made a move; simply by donning this armor, simply by bearing the name "Kuuga," she had effortlessly dismantled a stronghold and paralyzed a formidable enemy that required the combined efforts of multiple Knight Council members to defeat.

She stood there, silent for a few seconds.

In the end, he ignored the strange man who was still begging for mercy, and did not chase after the henchmen who had long since disappeared.

She simply turned around and silently left the forest where only fear and surrender remained.

Tina Hiiragi, playing the role of "Kuuga," stopped in her tracks. Beneath her mask, her delicate face was expressionless, only displaying a deep, almost numb weariness. Watching the farcical scene of utter defeat and surrender before the battle even began, and feeling the suffocating atmosphere of terror, an indescribable sense of absurdity and bitterness welled up within her.

Is this... the "legacy" he left behind?

A mere name, a single gesture, is enough to terrify these demons and monsters of the darkness, causing them to collapse without a fight.

Standing there in the biting Hokkaido wind, she watched as the Knights Council's reinforcements quickly took over the scene and handcuffed the cyborg leader who had collapsed to the ground and surrendered.

The feeling of being both amused and exasperated eventually turned into a silent sigh.

Mission over.

We departed Sapporo on a private plane arranged by the Knights Council. The cabin was warm and cozy, a stark contrast to the snow-covered landscape of Hokkaido outside.

As soon as Tina Hiiragi reverted to her original form, revealing her exhausted state, a well-trained and impeccably dressed servant silently offered her a warm towel and just the right amount of lukewarm water.

Their attitude was respectful to the point of humility.

She had no doubt that as long as she was willing to speak, a single glance, or even a hint, whatever she wanted—top delicacies, rare jewels, or different styles of A-list celebrities, male or female—would be immediately presented to her.

This is just the natural reward for playing Kuuga.

But the real Kuuga, while still alive, did the most work, slept in a bridge hole, and was misunderstood by those he protected.

He can be criticized for being addicted to card games, and he can be attacked and insulted for being rumored to have had affairs with multiple women. When asked why he doesn't feel wronged, he said that he doesn't have the time for that.

He has never enjoyed such treatment, nor has he ever gained a truly commensurate reputation for everything he has done. He protects the world simply because "he stands here, and he is Kamen Rider Kuuga."

On the contrary, after he left, when that irreplaceable absolute barrier disappeared, when the Knights Council could only barely defeat those dark forces that were far weaker than before and were merely remnants, the number of casualties worldwide began to rise uncontrollably...

The status and treatment of Kamen Riders have been dramatically and significantly improved.

Ironically, even though governments around the world urgently set up special response forces, established complex coordination agencies, and invested massive resources to cooperate with the Knights Council... the final result was that no one was still alive, no reliable agency existed, and everything was just a makeshift operation, so the casualties were less.

Outside the window, the cold wind howled. Next, she would continue to play Kuuga in other places.

Hiiragi Tina felt a deep weariness, not only physical but also mental.

She stood up, nodded slightly to the attendants, indicating that she needed to rest. She entered the private lounge on the private jet, which was comparable to a five-star hotel suite. The heavy, soundproof door closed gently behind her, isolating her from the outside noise and prying eyes.

The luxurious lounge was completely silent, with only the faint rumble of the engine.

Tina Hiiragi leaned against the cold cabin door and slowly slid down onto the soft carpet. She didn't turn on the lights, letting the dim light streaming in from the porthole outline the luxurious features of the room.

She carefully took a card from her inner pocket.

It was no longer a card that shone with an unusual luster and contained magical power. It had completely lost its luster, turned grayish-white and fragile, like embers that had burned out, as if it would crumble into powder at the slightest touch.

This was the last thing that person left her. It was proof of his existence, and also a symbol of his passing.

Hiiragi Tina clutched the gray card tightly to her chest, as if it were the most precious treasure in the world, and the only source of warmth and comfort for her.