Kamen Rider, but with a wild start.

In the battle against the Earwig Vampire, Kamen Rider IXA's figure in the photo melts like cream, while the Earwig Vampire and the street background are as sharp as blades.

He even struck a really cool pose.

Kino was truly on the verge of losing her composure.

……

Chapter 17 Even in a game, I'm serious.

When Kino, whose defenses had been broken, returned...

I met Yuri Aso, who was also breaking down.

She didn't know how long the other person had been waiting in the heavy rain. She stood in front of the duplex without an umbrella, completely soaked, staring at Kino with a stubborn and resolute expression.

Next to Yuri Aso was Akane Otoya, who was holding an umbrella and trying to shield her from the rain, looking helpless.

However, this small umbrella couldn't stop the rain from being even heavier than when Yiping asked her father for money.

Kino looked at them with some puzzlement: "The house is right behind us, but instead of going inside to wait, you're standing here in the rain. Do you think standing in the rain creates a sad atmosphere?"

When she saw him return, Yuri Aso immediately stepped forward to say something, but her expression was blank; all the emotions she had prepared had vanished.

She watched as Kino walked right past her into the small building, and after a pause, she silently followed him.

Seeing this, Hongyin also breathed a sigh of relief.

He tried to persuade him.

Unfortunately, the person in question insisted on getting soaked in the rain!

Although Aso Yuri did not know Kino's whereabouts, she knew that he was staying at her place, so she stubbornly insisted on waiting for Kino to return.

Kino collapsed onto the sofa upon returning to the attic, then glanced at Yuri Aso who had followed her up.

He certainly knew Aso Yuri's purpose.

"I will not give you the IXA."

Please—

Aso Yuri's attitude was not as assertive as it had been yesterday and this morning; her face even carried a hint of pleading. Upon hearing this, she immediately wanted to say something.

But Kino interrupted her: "However, if you're willing to do something for me during this time, I can lend you the IXA later."

"What can I do for you?"

Yuri Aso pressed for details, seemingly never having considered the possibility of not helping.

Hongyin, who was leaning against the stairs, also heard this and immediately looked Kino up and down with a wary gaze, as if she suspected that the boy was taking advantage of her.

Then, with expectant eyes, Kino pulled a Polaroid camera out of his pocket: "Take a picture of me!"

Clang~

Akane also twisted her ankle and almost fell down the stairs.

……

Yuri Aso originally thought that Kino wanted to take some personal artistic photos. After having witnessed Otoya Akane's narcissism, she had long since developed some immunity to this kind of personality.

It's just taking pictures.

It's so easy!

But the other party requested that he be photographed while he was fighting as Kamen Rider IXA.

Not only was her beloved mother's heirloom, the IXA, being used by the other party, but she was also forced to personally film the other party's cool poses while using it, because only in this way could she exchange it for a chance to get the IXA back.

Yuri Aso suddenly felt like she was being tortured.

why?

Why was her fate so tragic?

Regardless, in order to get the IXA, Yuri Aso stubbornly picked up the Polaroid camera.

In order to take photos that would satisfy Kino and prevent him from going back on his word, she had been practicing photography quite diligently these past few days, and her strong and determined attitude stirred Akane's heart.

"This is the Yuri I love~"

Akane also gazed adoringly at Aso Yuri, who was practicing taking photos of passersby outside.

With an indomitable and fearless spirit, she grows wildly like a rose in the desert—this is the music that Akane heard in Aso Yuri's heart.

Kino sighed and said, "But to be honest, Otoya, you and Aso Yuri are really not a good match."

"Alright, I told you I don't want to hear it." Hongyin also made a shushing gesture.

“Because Yuri Aso doesn’t understand your pursuit of music, nor does she understand your heart. You don’t share the same values. So, after you selfishly plucked this rose, it will inevitably wither as a result,” Kino said slowly, sipping her juice.

"..."

Akane's usual relaxed smile froze.

This time, without the wolf causing trouble, and after Akane successfully rescued the damsel in distress, although Aso Yuri still didn't quite like his frivolous personality, the progress between the two was surprisingly steady.

Especially with Akane's relentless pursuit of love and admiration, coupled with her captivating talent and sincerity, it's only a matter of time before Aso Yuri succumbs.

However, Kino also knew that when the true "Chosen One" appeared, Akane would also be unable to resist the attraction of their souls.

Therefore, abandoning Yuri Aso afterwards was inevitable.

"What do you know, you little brat?"

Perhaps the meaning of these words was a bit too serious, because Akane's expression seemed to turn a little cold. He stood up and stared intently at Kino sitting opposite him.

"A brat like you who treats monsters and battles like child's play, with an attitude like you're facing a game, has no right to lecture me, does he?" Akane said with a sneer.

"A game? Maybe it is."

Kino put down her juice, stood up, and faced him. Her expression was no less serious than Akane's, exuding a nonchalant yet undeniable seriousness.

"But even in games, I take them seriously, just like you, right?"

"..."

The same coffee table.

The two different people were locked in a fierce battle of wits.

Manager Kido, who was wiping cups at the front desk, glanced at the two people on his left and right, feeling a mix of worry and anticipation. In the end, he chose to watch the show silently.

Until the shop door was pushed open and Shima walked in, he turned his head to look at the two people who were trying to defeat each other with their eyes.

"Yo~ Shima-chan~"

Store manager Kido immediately greeted him loudly.

Kino remained unmoved, but Akane, upon hearing the commotion, immediately looked away, her calm expression suggesting that nothing had happened.

The island guard walked towards them: "Fang Blood Demons have appeared. Seven people have been killed in a row, and the victims almost all have the same characteristics."

……

An incident that can be definitively identified as the work of the Tooth Vampire can either be investigated by the Supreme Blue Sky Society, or the perpetrator had no intention of hiding their tracks.

This time, the Tooth Vampire brazenly committed crimes on the street, attacking any target he encountered without caring whether it would cause a stir in human society and lead to punishment.

"People wearing pink clothes were attacked."

"In that case, let's send Cilang out in pink to lure the enemy," Kino said after hearing the suggestion.

"cough!"

The island guard choked on his coffee after taking a sip.

To be honest, it might not look out of place if Akane wore pink, but it's quite an eyesore to see a guy like Jiro, who's bursting with masculine hormones, dressed like that.

Yuri Aso walked into the store at that moment, her gaze firm, and said, "Let me go!"

As long as she helps Kino end this battle, she can get IXA. Aso Yuri's fighting spirit is at an unprecedented high!

Hongyin also scrutinized her carefully, her eyes filled with a strange and complex expression, before she said, "No, I can lure the enemy away."

After saying this, Akane smiled at Yuri Aso after she frowned and looked over.

"It doesn't matter who goes, and you still have to work, right?"

"I……"

Yuri Aso gripped the Polaroid camera in her hand.

Although it wasn't really a job, she now understood that Akane had chosen to act as bait to protect her.

As she thought about these things, Yuri Aso lowered her head slightly, a hint of joy rising in her heart. The resentment she had felt before because Akane also disagreed with her using IXA had completely vanished.

Kino, standing nearby: "?"

No, why can't we use the wolf as bait? The vampire attacks people wearing pink, not just handsome men and beautiful women.

Are they all rushing to protect that wolf?

……

Chapter 18 The Four Executives of the Fang Vampires - Rook!

In the end, the person strolling around outside in a pink suit was still Akane Otoya.

In order to quickly develop the less demanding IXA system, Kino provoked Tsuyoshi to wear the IXA armor and conduct another test yesterday. Now, Tsuyoshi is recuperating in his den (he refused to go to the hospital to avoid being harassed by Kino).

To prevent the vampire from picking on the color difference, Akane wore at least five shades of pink from head to toe, and even changed her violin case to pink.

In terms of being flamboyant, no man on the entire street can compare to him.

Kino and Aso Yuri stayed a short distance behind Akane Otoya, keeping watch for any possible appearances of the Fang Blood Demons.

After the three of them had been wandering around for almost the entire morning...

Suddenly, a tall man in a leather jacket walked out from the side and openly followed behind Akane.

Yuri Aso immediately became alert: "It's appeared?"

Occasionally, people would follow behind Akane, but they were mostly fellow travelers. This man, however, strode forward, seemingly heading steadily toward Akane's location.

The two sides are getting closer and closer.

Just as Akane suddenly changed lanes and turned, the man also turned, allowing Kino to see the other's face clearly.

His center-parted hair fluttered in the wind as he walked, and they noticed that the man had a ferocious, excited smile on his face, his burning eyes like those of someone who had encountered prey.

Kino's expression faltered slightly.

This man...Rook?!

Rook, one of the four executives of the Lion Fang Vampire, is the bodyguard of the King and Queen. In chess, he is represented by the "Rook"!

Kino's expression immediately became somewhat strange.

Q: What should I do if I encounter a BOSS right after I've graduated?

Lion Fang Blood Demon is undoubtedly a formidable boss-level opponent; this guy is practically invincible.

In the original series, it was destroyed once by Aso Yuri using IXA in 1986, but this only put its life energy into a dormant state. Later, in 2008, it was attacked by Aso Megumi to finish off its old wounds and finally died completely—in fact, the reason it was destroyed was that it went to its own death.

Because this toothed vampire had lived for so long, and the powerful King didn't need his protection at all, he just spent his time playing all sorts of games around the world to pass the time.

The reason he attacked the person wearing pink was because he set a rule for himself.

He would reward himself if he finished the game, and punish himself if he didn't. After finishing one game, he would move on to the next.

His games are mostly about harming humans.

It's that boring and cruel.

"Wait, this person..."

Kino saw the man's face clearly, and Aso Yuri, who was standing next to him, naturally saw it too. After a moment of stunned silence, she suddenly remembered what had happened back then.

When her mother died in front of her, she also saw a man riding a motorcycle and swaggering away from the research institute. She remembered the man's profile, the pattern on his clothes, and a strange tattoo on the back of his right hand.

—He is the murderer who killed his mother!

Yuri Aso's emotions collapsed in an instant. Almost instinctively, she wanted to rush forward, but the next moment her arm was tightly grabbed.