From the moment Jade learned that Hoshigaki Sora had ventured into the Swarm Disaster zone alone, she began closely monitoring the outpost's situation.
Since you dare enter the swarm alone, let me see just how much you can truly accomplish.
With such a mindset, Jade instructed her subordinates to pay special attention to events occurring there.
She wanted to gauge precisely how effective Sora's actions could be—was he merely boasting, or could he genuinely produce results?
In her career as a loan officer, Jade had encountered far too many of that kind: people who promised everything yet became lethargic the moment action was required.
Laziness was instinctive in biological creatures. Apart from intelligent machines who literally coded their plans into existence, Jade rarely saw anyone who could fully overcome such inertia.
Let's see if your drive surpasses the pace of the IPC's endless deliberations.
Though admittedly, waiting and watching like this felt more suited to that little peacock than herself.
Self-deprecating lightly in her mind, Jade no longer dwelled on the matter.
But to her astonishment, news from the frontline came in astonishingly quickly.
The assignment had just been handed down to her subordinates in the morning, yet by afternoon, reports already reached her ears.
"You're saying refugees have already been rescued from the heavily affected zone?!"
Jade had explicitly instructed one employee to closely monitor developments there. Hence, when that employee received this news, he was dumbfounded.
How long has it even been? Just how many system-hours passed?
In disbelief, he double-checked his calendar, ensuring he wasn't dreaming.
Less than four system-hours had elapsed—and already, there was news of refugees successfully evacuated.
"Is this information reliable?!"
The answer was obvious—it was unquestionably true.
At the frontline outpost, the Silver Radiance transformed again into a silver streak of light, speeding off into the distant reaches of space.
The refugees stepping off the evacuation ship were still trembling with unease. The oppressive presence of the endless swarm had already partially invaded their home planet.
The deafening drone of countless fluttering wings had enveloped their world in darkness.
But just then…
"A crimson dragon tore through the swarm's veil!" one survivor recounted excitedly, fortunate enough to witness it firsthand.
"That scarlet dragon soared through the sky, obliterating every bug in its path."
"And then there was that red-armored knight. Just seeing him filled us with reassurance."
Aside from residual fear, several survivors couldn't help but praise the mysterious figure.
All these reports were gathered by IPC resources and swiftly sent to Jade's desk.
"Crimson dragon? Red-armored knight?" Jade tapped her finger rhythmically against the desk, reading these terms repeatedly in the report.
These descriptions were far too vague. She couldn't tell whether they were genuine or hallucinations induced by the swarm's influence.
A crimson dragon… That implied the presence of a Vidyadhara.
But Vidyadharas were exceedingly rare in the universe. Why would one casually wander into the Swarm Disaster to meet certain death?
Thus, that part of the account seemed highly questionable.
Then was the "red-armored knight" Sora himself? Could he really stand toe-to-toe with an Emanator? And if so, what kind of power did he possess?
Jade remained deep in thought. But soon, more and more reports arrived on her desk.
Upon seeing these latest reports, she became utterly dumbfounded.
The accounts included all kinds of bizarre claims, but the most frequently repeated was:
—[I saw the red-armored knight walk out from a mirror to rescue me!]
—[And that red dragon—it also leaped straight out of a mirror. I nearly fainted from shock!]
Such similar and repeated statements filled these reports.
Upon seeing these absurd descriptions, Jade immediately thought them laughably ridiculous.
She instantly assumed they were hallucinations caused by swarm exposure.
People and dragons emerging from mirrors?
How absurd. Such things could only happen in hallucinations.
Every rational being knew that nothing could physically emerge from mirrors.
After countless failed experiments, scholars from the Intelligentsia Guild had firmly established that mirrors were incapable of sustaining life, let alone allowing passage through their reflective surfaces.
Attempting such dimensional traversal would tear any organism apart instantly.
If published, this information would be dismissed as baseless nonsense.
It was probably something scribbled down after drinking too much SoulGlad on Penacony.
To put it simply, these reports would be treated as feverish dreams.
"I must be overthinking things." Jade shook her head and uploaded the report to the IPC's database.
Now, all information about the heavily infested regions would become reference material for future planning.
Anyway, Jade held no hope that this particular information would ever prove useful.
Yet, mere minutes after uploading, a message arrived directly in front of her.
—[Since this report originated from you, make it your top priority.]
Jade stared blankly at the message for a moment. Someone actually took that nonsensical, dream-like report seriously?
But when she glanced at the sender's profile picture, she fell silent.
It depicted a simple diamond icon—very few people within the IPC used it.
And among those with this icon capable of contacting her, there was only one.
Her superior—currently the most influential Preservation Emanator in the IPC: Diamond.
Diamond, amid his incredibly busy schedule, had personally noticed this seemingly absurd report.
Moreover, he evidently believed in its authenticity—enough to order Jade to pay close attention to it.
This was beyond strange.
Jade picked up the ridiculous report once again, but no matter how closely she read it, she could find no trace of credibility.
Yet Diamond's instruction echoed persistently in her ears.
There must be something valuable hidden in this report!
Wait!
Upon realizing this, Jade suddenly remembered something vital.
Though Sora seemed ordinary in the IPC's files, perhaps he wasn't ordinary at all.
"If he really possesses Emanator-level power…"
Then, leveraging the near-omnipotent strength granted by Paths, perhaps dimensional traversal—like stepping out of mirrors—was indeed achievable.
"Could it really be…?" Jade fixed her gaze intently upon the seemingly absurd report before her.
"You… truly are an Emanator?!"
But if that was the case, which AEON's Path did he follow?
...
At the frontline, no one knew of the IPC's internal deliberations. But Robin had just received news from Jobs.
"Those IPC guys actually green-lit our request. The support fleet should arrive shortly."
Even Jobs sounded incredulous while reporting this.
Having languished long within the IPC, he knew exactly how it operated nowadays.
In his experience, nothing ever moved forward until the IPC had meticulously calculated every advantage.
He'd even been ready to leverage old personal connections to forcibly bypass red tape and secure the fleet himself.
Surprisingly, however, the IPC suddenly approved everything without resistance.
"Who knows what those decision-makers were thinking, but at least it's good for us."
Jobs decided not to dwell on factional politics any further. He'd been away from the IPC too long anyway—current relations bore little resemblance to his past.
As long as the results were beneficial, nothing else mattered.
Robin nodded quietly, understanding his sentiment completely.
"Though, now that you mention it…" Jobs's expression shifted slightly as he regarded Robin.
"Your older brother seems to be protesting repeatedly to the IPC, asking why you're still here."
Indeed, at this moment Sunday, the administrator of Penacony, had filed continuous protests with the IPC:
"My precious little sister! Why is she still stationed at the frontline?!"
The swarm's threat was universally known. Upon learning Robin had not withdrawn, Sunday had lodged over thirty complaints to the IPC within a single day.
Clearly, his concern for his sister was genuinely deep.
Robin merely smiled softly at Jobs's mention of family.
"Why? The reason is simple."
When people cried out in sorrow and panic, how could she ignore their pleas?
Continue being merely an idol on stage?
If so, what would become of those currently suffering amidst disaster?
And what about the one buried deep in the swarm zone, fighting endlessly?
"I simply cannot be at ease. I must remain here until everything settles down completely."
She would stay, awaiting the moment when the swarm's darkness lifted, and sunlight returned once more.
And until then…
"Let me at least soothe the refugees' hearts, even briefly, with my insignificant singing."
Robin smiled again. "Mr. Jobs, aren't you also hoping for something similar?"
"A reunion with your daughter, a chance to gather once more as family."
Jobs paused momentarily at her words, then quickly smiled in agreement.
"To think I'd end up being lectured by you."
Robin shook her head gently. "This isn't a lecture. This is merely the hope we all share."
Just as she was about to speak again, she noticed a silver streak soaring toward them once more.
"It seems our break is over."
He was still fighting ahead—so how could she remain stagnant here?
...
Several light-years away from the edge of the Swarm Disaster zone, there was a life-bearing planet.
The swarm had already begun wandering through this star system.
Only a few scattered rays of sunlight could slip through gaps between endless waves of insects, plunging the entire planet into complete darkness and solitude.
Everyone on the planet had gathered inside the emergency shelters.
"Mom, when can we go home?" Within the crowd, a young child asked his mother anxiously.
The mother could only comfort him gently, "Once all of this is over, we'll be able to return home."
Then, handing over her phone, she said softly, "Here, don't you love watching those Kamen Rider videos? You can watch your favorite show for now."
"Yay!" Cheering happily, the child expertly navigated to the video he had watched countless times.
A familiar scene began to play—a lone man walking down an abandoned street, clad in jet-black armor surrounded by dark crimson flames.
Naturally, such a cool image drew excited cheers from the child.
"If Kamen Rider were here, we'd definitely be okay!"
The child's innocent remark broke through the tense atmosphere somewhat.
Some smiled faintly, while others remained troubled by the looming swarm.
Hearing this, a man couldn't help but respond bitterly, "How do you know that?"
To him, it was obviously just a promotional video made by some interstellar idol agency.
There was no chance such an idol would ever show up in a disaster zone like theirs.
"Because someone in the comments said whenever people are in trouble, Kamen Rider always comes to help!"
Comments? The moment this was said, several soft chuckles arose around them.
How could anyone believe comments online? Those were nothing but idle chatter from random internet users.
Only a child would believe something like that.
Realizing this, the man who had spoken didn't say anything else.
Silence once again descended, with only the cached video's audio playing from the child's phone.
But at that very moment, the ground suddenly began to shake violently.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Wave after wave of severe tremors caused dust to rise within the shelter, quickly followed by an urgent announcement over the facility's speakers:
—[The swarm has landed on the planet's surface! The swarm has already begun—]
Before the voice finished, the buzzing of countless wings was already audible in the background.
"We're done for! The IPC's rescue hasn't arrived yet—we're doomed!" Despair gripped someone immediately.
Just then, an intense explosion shattered a distant wall of their defensive structure.
The broken wall now revealed a scene outside to the terrified survivors.
An endless swarm of insects had enveloped the entire planet, their incessant buzzing overwhelming everyone's senses.
Only when faint glimmers of outside light seeped inside could people see clearly: the wall had not been destroyed by explosives…
…But by a giant insect.
"Run!" Panic instantly spread through the crowd.
The swarm forced people deeper into corners, frantically seeking safer refuge.
But this facility was already their safest place—there was nowhere safer left to hide.
At the entrance corridor, countless insects piled up, ripping and shredding their way further into the building.
Those inside now faced a direct threat to their very lives.
The child's mother hugged him tightly, retreating desperately into a corner.
But this corner offered no further escape; it was simply a place to await inevitable death.
Thud—the phone slipped from the child's hands, hitting the ground, still playing.
Yet this time, the line that played was one he'd never heard before:
"I have to fight. If I fight, more lives can be saved."
Confused, the child stared at the screen, noticing the phone had somehow regained a signal from the IPC's network, automatically playing the newest, uncached video.
"Is this… a new form of Kamen Rider?"
The child didn't truly grasp the horror of the insects outside. He was simply captivated again by the heroic figure on-screen.
He wanted to tell his mother, wanted to pick the phone up again—
But as his gaze passed a mirror nearby, he froze in confusion.
Inside that mirror, a figure was clearly visible, riding a dragon-shaped motorcycle at astonishing speeds.
Was this some kind of moving poster? But how could a poster move?
No one answered the child's question, as the opening in the wall had grown large enough for the swarm to flood inside!
Buzzing filled the air instantly, the shrill noise piercing people's ears, forcing them to cover their heads in agony.
The child continued staring at the mirror until he turned suddenly—an enormous insect was charging straight toward him and his mother.
He froze, completely terrified, unable to move as a bug the size of a truck hurtled at them.
The sheer momentum alone would crush them both instantly!
The fear of death paralyzed him completely, his mind going utterly blank.
Is this it? Am I… going to die?
No—the answer was a resounding no!
A surge of flames suddenly rushed forth, incinerating most insects instantly.
A curved blade slashed down, cutting the giant bug cleanly in half.
Splurt!!
The insect's body split into two, collapsing to the ground.
The child stared dumbly at the scene, before joy immediately flooded his expression.
"It's Kamen Rider!"
That figure, that posture—without a doubt, this was Kamen Rider's new form!
Sora paused briefly upon hearing the child's joyful shout behind him. Turning around, he saw the boy gazing at him with pure admiration, as if meeting his idol.
He gave the child a thumbs-up, then immediately commanded Dragreder, using its tail to sweep all survivors into the [Mirror World].
Obeying his command, Dragreder extended its dozens-of-meters-long tail, scooping the crowd safely into the mirrored dimension.
Before they could even process what had happened, the survivors realized they'd entered a world completely devoid of insects.
And within this [Mirror World], many others had already been rescued.
Then, they saw clearly—a crimson dragon hundreds of meters long emerged directly from a tiny mirror, hurtling back outside.
"Are we… actually saved?"
Even now, people still couldn't fully believe it.
Only the child leaped excitedly, shouting loudly, "Kamen Rider really came to save me!"
His pure excitement resonated joyfully throughout the safe haven.
Outside, the emergence of the hundreds-of-meters-long Dragreder instantly caused the already damaged structure to collapse completely.
"You really should lose some weight…" Sora sighed helplessly.
"Roar~" (I don't care. It's not easy finding something so tasty—I won't hold back my appetite!)
"Fair enough. Then let's begin today's feast!"
'[STRIKE VENT]'