Kamen Rider, but with a wild start.

Seeing the battle already underway, Akane stared intently at the enemy and drew her IXA fist gun.

"Then let me give it a try—"

He continued talking to himself, a cryptic smile playing on his lips, and clapped his fists to activate the system.

"Let's see what Kamen Rider is all about!"

"Henshin (Transformation)!"

"Ready!"

"Fist-On!"

A golden anchor phantom flew out and transformed into the IXA armor on Akane Otoya's body, its powerful aura creating a gust of wind around them.

Hongyin also raised her hand and clenched her fist to feel it: "Not bad strength~ It's quite comfortable to wear, awesome!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he took out his fist gun and held it in his hand. When the wolf tried to swing his claws but was knocked away by the Lion Fang Blood Demon's backhand, he rushed up from behind and threw a punch!

Bang!

IXA's punch knocked the Lion Fang Blood Demon's head to the side. Akane was about to throw another punch, but the Lion Fang Blood Demon, who had already reacted, immediately raised its arm to block. However, at that moment, IXA's fist was aimed at its waist and abdomen.

Golden energy erupted suddenly, and the Lion Fang Blood Demon was thrown back by the shockwave that was right next to him. Hongyin also raised her fist gun and pretended to blow away the gunpowder smoke.

The other three strange men seized the opportunity to rush forward and pressed the Lion Fang Blood Demon to the ground one after another. But the next moment, the Lion Fang Blood Demon suddenly roared and opened his arms!

"boom--"

The force that erupted scattered the three of them. The Lion Fang Blood Demon, whose ferocity had been fully aroused, roared and stared at IXA in front of him with eyes full of malevolence.

Hongyin also looked surprised. Just as the Lion Fang Blood Demon pounced on him, she quickly counterattacked, but the disparity in strength caused her to be knocked away as soon as she threw a punch.

Bashar the fishman and Degar the Frankenstein monster launched their attacks one after the other, but they were defeated in just two or three moves and fell to the ground in considerable discomfort, rolling around.

Clearly, even with all four of them attacking together, the Lion Fang Blood Demon, known as Rook, was still handling the situation with ease.

"This guy is way too tough to beat..."

Bashar lay on the ground somewhat timidly, complaining.

Be brave, little mermaid!

Hongyin also shouted jokingly and rushed forward again, attacking from the left and right with the equally indomitable Cilang. Their fists hit the Lion Fang Blood Demon, but this time it did not make it take a step back. Instead, it grabbed their shoulders and slammed the two of them together.

Just as the two, dizzy from the impact, collapsed, several water bullets came hurtling towards the Lion Fang Blood Demon.

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

The Lion Fang Blood Demon sidestepped and raised its arm to defend itself. Water bullets, which even humans couldn't kill, exploded around it, creating a splash. Just as it lowered its arm, the burly and heavy Dega charged at it from the front.

bang——

This attack did have some effect; the Lion Fang Blood Demon was knocked back and staggered.

The next moment, the Lion Fang Blood Demon, having regained his footing, raised his hands. The four people around him who were about to launch an attack were startled. Before they could find cover, the dense barrage of fire swept across the area in an instant!

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

All four of them screamed and fell to the ground!

After rolling around a few times, Hongyin quickly braced herself up. At this moment, the IXA armor emitted a burst of white air, and the signal lights on her waist flashed red.

Her body had become incredibly hot, and Kurenai realized that this was a weakness of the IXA system. If she didn't fight back now, she would have no chance at all. She immediately took out her whistle and inserted it into the IXA fist gun.

Like a final, desperate attack, as the golden energy reached its peak, Akane roared and lunged at the Lion Fang Blood Demon opposite her!

The Lion Fang Blood Demon snorted coldly and instead of retreating, he swung his fist at him as well. The two fists collided violently in mid-air!

"boom--!"

The violent explosion spread its energy, IXA and Lion Fang Blood Demon were blasted away together, but when Akane hit the ground, her IXA armor disintegrated in a burst of light.

And it wasn't just him; the other three were also forced to disenchant themselves in the explosion, leaving a circle of them lying on the battlefield.

When Yuri Aso woke up after being knocked unconscious, this was the scene she saw.

"How could this be..."

She stared blankly in that direction.

Yuri Aso was shocked not only by the fact that Tsuyoshi and the others were monsters, but also by the fact that this group of people couldn't even defeat a single Fang Blood Demon, let alone IXA!

Is that guy really that invincible and powerful?

Hongyin, lying on the ground, groaned. He tried to prop himself up, but every nerve in his body was transmitting an unbearable pain, a fine, dense pain like sharp knives constantly stimulating his brain, instantly leaving him drenched in cold sweat and completely powerless.

"This is... the IXA?"

First-time users need a long rest period to adapt to the excessive side effects; Akane was in so much pain that she even wanted to roll around on the spot.

As he struggled, he suddenly saw a familiar figure emerge from the forest and stand opposite the Lion Fang Blood Demon.

Hongyin's eyes widened suddenly.

"...Kino?"

Kino ran all the way here because there were no roads for taxis to get through.

He took a breath and said, "You guys could at least have chosen a spot under an overpass with a good view, or an underground parking garage or an abandoned warehouse would have been fine. I had to search for ages in the woods!"

If he hadn't heard the explosion, he wouldn't have been able to find where the group was fighting. It's true that the kind of situation in movies and TV shows where you can find people precisely once you know the location is impossible in reality!

After recovering, Kino raised his hand with a burning gaze and took out an IXA punch.

"Heroes always make their appearance last, so let me be your opponent from now on, Rook of 'Checkmate Four'!"

Lion Fang Blood Demon slowly turned around to look at him.

"you?"

"That's right, I'm here to end you!"

Kino lifted his cotton-padded coat, revealing an IXA belt already fastened around his waist.

Akane suddenly spoke up from behind: "Kino! You should understand that you're no longer in a suitable state to transform. The overload of the IXA system will take your life!"

Having personally experienced the side effects of using IXA, Akane understood the kind of damage this armor could cause.

"Yes, I understand."

Kino smiled and said, "But as I said, I'm serious when it comes to games. As a 'Kamen Rider,' I would never back down at the last minute! So watch my transformation!"

Hongyin also looked at him with a complicated expression: "Is that so? I understand."

He never stops others from doing what they want to do, because that must be the music playing in that person's heart.

Just as Akane finally managed to stand up, she suddenly realized that she was holding something in her hand. Looking down, she realized it was an IXA punch gun.

Wait... no!

Since IXA is still on him, what is Kino holding?

Akane looked up in bewilderment and saw Kino holding an almost identical IXA punch gun, clapping his hands together to activate it!

"Ready!"

"Fist-On!"

……

Chapter 22: Slaying the Lion Fang Blood Demon!

wow——

The moment Kino transformed into Kamen Rider IXA, a powerful burst of energy emanated from him, and the surrounding air seemed to distort under the intense heat.

Akane stared blankly at IXA, while Yuri Aso, not far away, also stared wide-eyed in astonishment.

Prior to this, the IXA's head armor was completely covered, like that of a medieval knight, with only a dark slit on the face.

While IXA, now transformed from Kino, is still in its white form, the golden anchor symbol on its head opens outwards, revealing a pair of crimson oval compound eyes.

It looks like they've "opened their eyes".

Having completed his transformation, Kino let out a deep breath, raised his palm to look at it from all sides, and said with satisfaction, "That feels better~"

—Kamen Rider IXA Burst Mode!

But the [Kamen Rider Chronicle] version.

After obtaining the test data of the IXA system from Shima, Kino discovered that the information about "Kamen Rider IXA" recorded in the chronicle was different from the IXA data provided by the research institute.

He had some vague ideas, which were now confirmed—the IXA included in the chronicle was the latest version from 2008!

This is truly an unexpected delight!

The only thing that is still uncertain is whether Kamen Rider IXA, at full proficiency, can be transformed into repeatedly.

But that doesn't matter anymore.

Because at this moment, all we need to do is fight.

"Ah, I think I remember now..."

Kino slowly drew the IXA Holy Sword from the void, pointing its crimson tip at the Lion Fang Blood Demon opposite him, and a voice like that of judgment rang out.

"Return your life to God!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Kamen Rider IXA streaked across like a rainbow, his sword slicing through the waist and abdomen of the Lion Fang Blood Demon, sparks flying in an instant!

"boom!"

The Lion Fang Blood Demon howled in pain, and before it could regain its footing, Kino swung his sword twice more, knocking it back.

Although the exploding sparks looked intense, the Lion Fang Blood Demon didn't seem to have any wounds on its waist and abdomen. In fact, once it realized what was happening, it didn't hesitate to launch an attack.

The fist came hurtling towards them, and the enraged Lion Fang Blood Demon used his other hand to slap away the sword tip, while the fist struck IXA's chest, the immense force causing Kino to stagger backward.

It took two quick steps to catch up, and as Kino swiftly raised his sword to attack, it grabbed him directly. With its other hand, it grabbed IXA's shoulder armor and then bent its knee to slam into his waist and abdomen.

Kino groaned, his strength weakened by the blow, but in the next moment, he suddenly gathered his strength and slashed the blade downwards!

The IXA Holy Sword, stuck on the Lion Fang Blood Demon's shoulder, hummed, and amidst the exploding sparks, it drew a crimson streak of light diagonally downwards from its shoulder.

"what!!"

The Lion Fang Blood Demon cried out in pain. As it staggered backward from the impact of the attack, Kino seized the opportunity to kick it away, sending its massive body crashing into a tree trunk and falling to the ground.

Kino took a slight breath, when suddenly a figure walked over to him. He turned his head and saw Akane Otoya.

"Although I don't know exactly what's going on, let's just count my power!"

With a smile on his lips, he picked up the IXA punch gun again, and his expression became slightly more serious the moment he activated it.

"Ready!"

"Henshin (Transformation)!"

Akane shouted with unwavering determination, inserting her fist gun into the IXA belt without hesitation. The IXA armor, almost identical to Kino's, covered her body.

—Kamen Rider IXA Security Mode!

The two generations of IXA armor stood side by side, and Kino did not stop Akane Otoya from transforming again.

Because the power of the Lion Fang Blood Demon was somewhat beyond his expectations, if he wanted to completely defeat it in 1986, more help would increase his chances of winning.

Who are you?

The Lion Fang Blood Demon, severely wounded by the IXA Holy Sword, clutched his chest and finally adopted a more serious attitude, staring at them with fierce eyes.

Don't ask that kind of question.

Kino held the IXA Holy Sword in both hands and said, "Just remember this: the one who defeated you was Kamen Rider!"

After he finished speaking, Akane rushed forward and threw a punch, while Kino followed closely behind and launched a surprise attack from the side. The ready-to-go IXA Holy Sword slashed fiercely at the Lion Fang Blood Demon with both swords, trying not to give it any chance to breathe.

Although this was the first time the two had fought side by side, they did show some tacit understanding during their confrontation.

And Akane might not only be a musician, but also a born warrior.

After he threw a punch but was grabbed by the shoulder and thrown away by the Lion Fang Blood Demon, taking advantage of the moment when Kino was distracted, Akane also seized the opportunity to rush forward and delivered a heavy kick that sent the Lion Fang Blood Demon flying, and then let out a sigh of satisfaction.

Kino gave him a chuckle.

"Ho-"