After last night's conversation, Yu Qi's changes were visibly noticeable.
For him to become the Xianzhou commander at such a young age, Yu Qi's intelligence obviously couldn't be too shabby. He'd simply been stuck in a narrow mindset, unable to see the full picture.
Now, after Sora had opened his eyes, he fully grasped the current situation.
Thus, when Yu Qi sought out Sora again, he immediately began discussing the next steps to take.
Having finally broken free from his previous rigid thinking, Yu Qi deeply understood one crucial thing:
Human strength had its limits, so they could only handle one big crisis at a time.
Once the most urgent matter was solved, everything else would fall into place more smoothly.
"Realizing this much means you're not entirely hopeless," Xi grudgingly offered a rare compliment, but quickly reverted to her true self. "But just that tiny bit! Even if you changed a little, you're still a rotten orange at heart..."
Before she finished, Feng Liqi hastily covered Xi's mouth again.
"Just hold your temper a bit. You finally got permission to talk again—don't lose it," Feng Liqi softly advised, calming Xi somewhat.
Their slightly intimate interaction caught the eyes of those around them.
However, though everyone noticed, no one dared jump out and say anything.
After all, Feng Liqi belonged to Sora's camp. With the Sword Champion backing him and even the young commander bowing his head, Sora effectively stood as the Xianzhou's real leader now.
Why seek trouble for themselves?
"Mr. Sora, what's our next move?" Yu Qi ignored Xi's provocation, sincerely seeking guidance. "Right now, everyone will act according to your plan. The Xianzhou faction fully supports all your decisions."
What Sora needed to do next hardly required explanation.
"I must head to the Vidyadhara and negotiate about using the relic of the ABUNDANCE."
This was the second method for mending the sky—one Sora urgently needed to investigate.
He intended to see if it was possible to repair this sky using the leftover ABUNDANCE relics.
...
"Supposedly, this is the home of the Vidyadhara of Xianzhou Cangyan ..."
A heroic-looking woman stood, arms crossed, gazing excitedly at the majestic landscape ahead.
She had a pair of upright, sharp ears atop her head. Clad in a form-fitting outfit highlighting her athletic figure, she looked strikingly gallant. If she'd carried a military flag too, she would surely have been the battlefield's most dazzling Valkyrie.
And indeed, her status matched that exactly.
In the cosmos, her name held significant prestige.
Among the Xianzhou Alliance, there was one flagship revered for producing the Aeon LAN, the Reignbow Arbiter himself—the Xianzhou Yaoqing.
Thanks to this glorious history, the people of Yaoqing became exceptionally martial-minded.
Rumor had it that anywhere in the universe, the mere mention of the Yaoqing Xianzhou was enough to make Denizens of the Abundance flee in terror.
Because the Yaoqing's inhabitants were far too ruthless.
Among private Abundance communiqués, whispers spread like wildfire:
"Did you hear? The Yaoqing's tactics have become even more brutal lately..."
"I heard the Arbiter-General stationed there even got a new title—'The Vanquishing General,.'"
"What?! No wonder the one of the leaders was torn into three pieces recently—seems he got targeted by that machine!"
These were the Denizens' private evaluations of this woman.
Clearly, this title alone demonstrated the sheer terror she inspired!
Her true identity was precisely that Arbiter-General of the Xianzhou Yaoqing—Feixiao.
Feixiao's current visit to Cangyan was purely for leisure after exterminating another group of Denizens.
With another Heaven-Mending Creation ritual imminent, how could she miss such excitement?
More importantly, Feixiao wanted to personally test herself against Cangyan's renowned masters.
Among the strongest figures on Cangyan, Fangyuan's Dragon Lord naturally topped the list.
"According to rumors, this Dragon Lord hasn't molted scales for a very long time, and her power has already reached perfection."
Precisely because of this, Feixiao arrived eagerly for a proper duel.
Around Fangyuan, great emerald waves surged powerfully, incredibly imposing.
From the surrounding scenery alone, it was clear that whoever controlled these tides was immensely powerful!
This Dragon Lord surely had an extraordinary presence and unmatched condition!
Today, Feixiao would finally have a worthy opponent to flex her muscles against!
Thus, with proud confidence and a faint smile, Feixiao entered the Fangyuan Realm—
And then she spotted someone hesitating awkwardly in front of what suspiciously resembled a gambling table.
"Dragon Lord will finish her business shortly. General Feixiao, please wait a moment."
The Vidyadhara guide quickly excused himself after these words, leaving Feixiao alone to silently observe.
...
"Should I bet he'll return, or that he won't?"
The Dragon Lord appeared deeply conflicted, nervously clutching a coin as she faced this critical choice that arose every few years.
By logic, she should trust her instincts and bet on "he will return."
But rumors had it that her luck always turned out precisely the opposite way.
Meaning she should actually place her bet on "he won't return."
But... what if?
What if that guy who'd vanished so long ago really returned?
Wouldn't that prove the rumors of her bad luck wrong?
Finally, her eyes settled on the coin serving as her betting token.
The coin looked like pure silver at first glance, yet entirely unremarkable.
No decorations or special features—just an ordinary silver coin.
Yet the smooth sheen from constant handling revealed it was something the Dragon Lord deeply cherished.
"What should I really do…?"
Precisely this indecision had already kept her pondering half the day.
Perhaps she ought to follow her heart's desire and decide once and for all.
With a decisive toss, the coin flew high into the air.
Clang—clatter…
The coin landed on the gambling table, spinning briefly before settling firmly into a choice.
She turned to check the result and saw the coin clearly placed on the "He won't return" option.
Was this some hidden sign from fate itself?
The Dragon Lord went briefly silent, though not deeply disappointed.
After waiting hundreds of years, disappointment had become routine.
This time was merely one among countless others—utterly insignificant.
But... perhaps today she could vent a bit instead.
She pocketed the coin, straightening her posture.
"Rumor has it the so-called 'The Vanquishing General,' General Feixiao, wants a duel with me?"
Seeing they'd finally gotten to the point, Feixiao's excitement surged.
"Of course! I've long wished to test myself against one of Cangyan's three great masters—the famed Dragon Lord herself."
"Very well! Then I'll fulfill your wish!"
Rumble—!
The ground suddenly quaked violently. Feixiao remained calmly in place, observing the Dragon Lord closely.
The Dragon Lord's eyes instantly glowed pale blue, and two small horns emerged upon her forehead.
Endless emerald tides surged forth, seemingly drawn straight from the netherworld, swirling around her as she unleashed her full presence.
Feixiao responded in kind, displaying her own formidable strength.
In the air between them, two mighty forces collided intensely, appearing surprisingly evenly matched.
Yet this astonished Feixiao greatly.
To actually match her evenly in pure strength...
Did this Dragon Lord actually have power rivaling an Emanator?!
But the Undying Dragon had perished countless Amber Eras ago—how could another Emanator possibly appear?
If she wasn't an Emanator, how could her power surpass even that of General Vidyadhara?
"So this is Fangyuan's Dragon Lord… Cangyan truly hides formidable figures," Feixiao murmured with awe.
And this was merely one of Cangyan's three masters—
Feixiao dared not imagine just how powerful the other two might be.
But no time remained to ponder, as infinite waves already swept toward her, unstoppable—!
...
BOOM!!!
Sora reached out, smashing apart a pillar of water, staring grimly at the boiling sea before him.
Pillars of water constantly erupted from the turbulent ocean, each one heavy and powerful enough that an ordinary person struck by one wouldn't fare too well.
"What's going on? We didn't offend the Vidyadhara, right?"
Terrified, Feng Liqi hid behind Sora again, quickly pulling Ahri close as well.
These water pillars posed a huge threat to Ahri—her small body might vanish completely if hit by one.
Why bring Ahri along? Because they hadn't had any conflict with the Vidyadhara previously, right?
At most, there was just a wager between Sora and the Vidyadhara leader.
So Feng Liqi thought it would be safe enough for Ahri to see the world. Who knew they'd immediately receive such a warm greeting?
These water pillars that could effortlessly crush bones churned violently through the sea.
Without Sora, they'd probably have been broken into countless pieces already.
"How strange. Fangyuan Realm is normally peaceful, and the Vidyadhara are usually friendly. Why's it suddenly like this?"
Even Yu Qi found it bizarre. The Vidyadhara and the Xianzhou faction often had dealings, making him quite familiar with Fangyuan Realm.
So why had the Fangyuan Sea suddenly grown this restless?
"The only one who could cause this scene must be the Dragon Lord throwing some tantrum."
Xi, experienced and well-informed, immediately understood the situation.
"You'd best hurry up. If she accidentally activated an ABUNDANCE relic or something…"
Xi trailed off, but everyone understood her meaning clearly enough.
If anything went wrong, their hope of mending the sky was finished!
"We'd better pick up the pace," Sora nodded decisively. Turning around, he warned the group, "Stay close!"
Every churning wave around them had the power to crush them to bits.
"Saikou Hakkou! Get all Colors! X Sword Man! Episode 1: Full color de sanjou! Ba-ba-ba-ban!"
'[SAIKOU HAKKOU]!'
'[WHO IS THE SHINING SWORD]?'
'[SAIKOU ISSHOU]!'
'[KINGIN NO CHIKARA O ETA KAGAYAKU]!'
'[GET ALL COLORS]!'
'[X SWORD MAN]!'
'[EPISODE 1: FULL COLOR DE SANJOU]!'
'[BA-BA-BA-BAN]
"[HENSHIN]!"
Following a noisy call-out, brilliant light erupted amidst the waves.
Then, twin blades—one golden, one dark—shot directly into the turbulent sea.
The intertwined sword-energies unleashed an explosion of power impossible to ignore.
Slowly, the wild waves began to calm down.
Using the combined power of the Kougouken Saikou and Ankokuken Kurayami, Sora successfully sealed the endless, surging sea.
This was the safest method to guarantee everyone's advance.
After completing his task, Sora waved them forward.
He could sense within these waves an intense force still struggling restlessly.
Clearly, this was the Dragon Lord's power raging uncontrollably.
Sora dared not slow down. Taking point, he ensured safe passage for everyone else.
As Sora advanced, he continuously sealed the raging waters, forcibly carving a stable path through the wild ocean.
After trekking some distance, they finally reached the end of the waves, stepping once more onto solid ground.
"Oh my goodness, that was so dangerous! I was almost scared to death!"
Feng Liqi patted her chest dramatically, complaining despite never facing any real danger.
This was her survival tactic—claim credit whenever possible!
Unfortunately, no one paid her any mind. Instead, they stared solemnly at something ahead.
"Did something happen?" Feng Liqi asked curiously.
"It smells like blood, idiot," Xi bluntly explained the silence.
"Blood?!" Startled, Feng Liqi carefully peeked around Sora's shoulder.
The sight shocked her instantly.
The area before them was covered in bloodstains. Blood splattered everywhere, painting the walls and even staining the waves crimson.
The ground was littered with Vidyadhara corpses, each bearing deep, savage wounds.
Judging from these injuries, they were clearly claw marks.
Scarlet blood poured from wounds, pooling slowly into small puddles on the ground.
In one puddle was reflected the figure of someone kneeling motionlessly.
It was the Vidyadhara leader from their previous meeting. Now covered in blood, she sat frozen, dazed and unmoving.
Her spear was embedded in the wall, pinning several corpses in place.
Those furry bodies easily identified their origin—Feng Liqi recognized them immediately.
"B-Borisin?!"
Indeed, the corpses pinned to the wall belonged unmistakably to Borisin.
With this revelation, the claw-like injuries on the bodies made perfect sense.
These were precisely wounds inflicted by Borisin!
"How could Borisin have appeared in Fangyuan?!"
And judging by the scene, they'd clearly inflicted severe damage upon the Vidyadhara.
Unfortunately, nobody could answer her question right now.
Because for Sora, there was something far more pressing!
Quickly reaching the nearest Vidyadhara, he extended a hand to check for life signs.
Sora immediately detected faint, fragile traces of life, moments from disappearing completely.
As expected of the Vidyadhara. Any other race would've perished long ago after losing this much blood.
Yet these individuals were still hanging on by a thread, their vitality remarkably resilient.
Still, without immediate intervention, even this faint sign of life would soon vanish.
Realizing this, Sora's hands instantly shone with healing light, urgently restoring life to the injured Vidyadhara.
Only now, perhaps blinded by the sudden radiance, did the Vidyadhara leader finally snap out of her daze and notice Sora.
"Stop standing around! Hurry up and carry the other wounded over!"
Sora quickly ordered those around him, making sure to stabilize everyone as swiftly as possible.
He didn't need to heal them completely—just keeping their final breath from fading was enough!
Hearing Sora's command, everyone who'd come along swiftly got busy, bringing the wounded to him for healing.
As Sora concentrated, a shadow fell suddenly over him.
Looking up, he met the Vidyadhara leader's eyes—bloodshot, furious, filled with hatred.
"Don't touch my people…" Her voice was weak, but laced with deadly menace.
The Vidyadhara were few to begin with, and this brutal attack had devastated their numbers further.
Even though she'd exhausted every last drop of strength, all she could do was watch as her people fell one by one.
Each fallen comrade was like another knife slowly cutting into her spirit.
When the enemy finally got what they came for and retreated, she found herself surrounded by the scattered bodies of her people.
Only one thought remained in her mind—protecting their corpses.
Disturbed by Sora's sudden arrival, she naturally approached with hostility.
But right now, Sora had no time to comfort someone on the verge of breaking.
The Vidyadhara leader raised a clawed hand, her sharp nails stained with dried blood, ready to strike.
Haah—
No one… no one can touch my people!
Just as she prepared to attack, Sora calmly snapped:
"If you want your people to live, shut up and do what I say!"
To live?!
Those two words stunned her instantly, pulling her mind sharply back from the brink.
Her wild, unfocused eyes regained clarity. Urgently she asked, "Can you really save them?!"
Annoyed by her interference, Sora slapped her hand away.
"Shut up and trust me!"
He continued healing without pause.
At that moment, Sora noticed something peculiar.
Inside their bodies lingered a strange power.
Even without obvious vital signs, this energy stubbornly sustained their last breath.
No question—this was the Vidyadhara's innate power, their immortal molt-and-rebirth energy.
However, as their bodies lost life signs, this energy continued slowly fading away.
Now, with Sora's healing energy introduced, this fading power gradually began to stabilize and strengthen again.
Likewise, their chests began to shift slightly.
From certain death, they showed the faintest signs of revival—slight rising and falling of chests.
Witnessing this miracle, the Vidyadhara leader's empty stare filled with sudden, brilliant hope.
"They're alive! They're coming back!" she shouted excitedly, though sadly no one paid her any heed.
Well, almost no one—just one small ball nearby.
Xi quietly watched Sora's movements from aside. Strangely enough, she neither mocked nor interfered.
This level of restraint from Xi was truly unprecedented.
Yet she said nothing, simply observing quietly, eyes wide with silent OMO.
After Sora stabilized the wounded here, he slowly pressed onward.
Yet the number of casualties ahead far exceeded his expectations.
Scarlet trails extended endlessly from afar, all the way to Fangyuan Realm's entrance.
All along the path were corpses, bloodstains, and traces of combat.
"What in the world happened here...?" Even Yu Qi was utterly stunned at this horrific scene.
So many people... How could they possibly save them all?
He stared at the corpse-covered path ahead, then turned back to see how slowly Sora was healing them.
At this pace, it was impossible to rescue everyone!
Yu Qi could already sense the immortal energy slowly dissipating from some of the Vidyadhara.
Once that energy completely faded, they would become nothing more than lifeless bodies.
If it had been just one or two, perhaps it wouldn't matter, but now countless individuals faced this grim fate!
This meant that despite giving their all, they'd only manage to save a handful of lives.
The rest of the Vidyadhara might die right here.
Realizing this, Yu Qi wanted to warn Sora, but quickly noticed the Vidyadhara leader beside him.
Her hair disheveled, clothes torn and bloodied, she appeared desperate, continuously shuffling around Sora anxiously.
Each time one of her clansmen's condition stabilized, she clapped like an idiot in wild joy—only to be shooed away by an irritated Sora.
Yet she tirelessly repeated the same behavior again and again.
Yu Qi clearly understood the meaning behind her actions: as long as her people survived, she simply didn't care about anything else.
Precisely because of that, Yu Qi didn't dare inform Sora and the Vidyadhara leader about the true severity of the situation.
If she learned how hopeless things were, she might completely break down.
Unless there were a whole squad of healers with Sora's power, rescuing everyone was simply impossible.
In this moment, Yu Qi suddenly felt just how tiny and fragile life was.
As a Xianzhou native, his lifespan stretched across hundreds of years—perhaps even over a thousand, as long as his mind remained stable and didn't succumb to mara.
Because of this, the Xianzhou had always possessed only a vague sense of life's value.
Thus, Yu Qi had previously emphasized the dignity and pride of the Xianzhou far above life itself.
But after his recent enlightenment on the Rooftop and now witnessing life fading right before his eyes…
This series of events deeply impacted him, reawakening his understanding of how fragile and precious life truly was.
He finally grasped the deeper meaning behind the Sword Champion's words back then.
Unfortunately, despite this newfound wisdom, he still couldn't save those lives slipping away before him.
Thinking this, Yu Qi unconsciously glanced over at Sora.
Then, he noticed that Sora's colorful, armored form had silently faded away.
Though the armor had vanished, Sora's healing hadn't slowed in the slightest.
"What happened…?"
Yu Qi was curious. For healing alone, Sora didn't seem to need to undo that armored form.
Then why had he changed back…?
Of course, Yu Qi didn't know the real reason: Sora's borrowed power had reached its time limit.
Yuri's strength, lent to him for so long, had finally expired at this critical moment.
Yet, even as the power expired, Yuri left him with one crucial ability.
[Healing Ability]: Capable of healing oneself and others.
[Note]:Using this ability consumes physical strength. Excessive use may result in unconsciousness.
Even though Yuri's power was gone, he'd left Sora exactly the skill he needed most at this moment.
Thus, losing Yuri's strength didn't slow his healing down at all.
But despite this, Sora knew his solitary efforts were far from enough.
He hadn't just been focusing solely on healing. From Yu Qi's troubled expression earlier, Sora realized how dire things really were ahead.
That expression of shocked confusion, urgency, hesitation toward the Vidyadhara leader—he'd observed it all.
Clearly, far more injured lay further ahead, yet Yu Qi had held back because of the leader.
One person's strength has limits... I desperately need someone's help!
Through these continuous rescue efforts, Sora deeply felt this truth.
With Yuri's assistance now ended, perhaps he could seek new aid from someone else!
...
Maintaining his healing, Sora quickly plunged his consciousness into the system.
Yuri's emblem slowly drifted out of his body, then dispersed quietly.
[Please begin your next draw.]
"System, draw a new power immediately, Sora commanded without hesitation.
[As you wish, Host.]
All Rider images dimmed before him.
One after another, capsule toys rapidly spun around until the familiar red button reappeared in front of him.
He had no time to hesitate—every second counted!
Sora pressed the button decisively. After a short pause, a capsule slid from the exit below.
The capsule opened, and the Rider image within swiftly merged into his body.
Sora's eyes widened. His ears filled suddenly with the clear, distinct sound of a coin flipping through the air.
Along with this sound, he found his consciousness pulled abruptly into an illusion.
Clink, clink, clatter.
Coins clinking against each other echoed continuously in Sora's ears.
When he finally came to his senses and reopened his eyes, he found himself no longer at the disaster scene.
Instead, he was standing in front of a small store, holding something in his hand.
This is...?
Sora carefully examined the object.
A faint white chill spread from the item up his arm, causing him to shiver slightly.
"An ice pop?"
He immediately recognized it. Indeed, this was clearly an ice pop.
Yet what Rider could possibly have anything to do with ice pops...?
Staring at it, Sora's eyes suddenly widened.
Could it be?!
"I finally got Ankh's favorite ice pop! That guy's gonna have to do some real work today."
Just as realization struck Sora, a cheerful voice rang out from a checkout counter nearby.
Following the voice, Sora turned around and saw an incredibly familiar figure.
"Eiji?!"
Exactly right—Sora instantly recognized the man.
If any Rider was famously associated with ice pops, there was only one answer:
The user of Kamen Rider OOO, Eiji Hino.
Of course, Eiji's connection to ice pops existed solely to bribe a certain someone.
Sora never imagined Eiji would form the new connection with him now.
Upon seeing Sora, Eiji's eyes sparkled brightly.
"Ohhh! Isn't that the newest limited-edition Fortune Ice Pop?!" Eiji approached excitedly, full of wonder. "They say this ice pop reveals your true heart's wish!"
Saying this, he rummaged hurriedly through his pockets before triumphantly producing an ice pop stick.
"See? It really works!"
Sora took it, noticing a short message engraved upon the stick:
[World Peace]
"Ankh's obsessed with this lately, so I bought one too. Turns out it's pretty accurate," Eiji laughed sheepishly. "Since you managed to get your hands on one, why not check your own fortune?"
Sora gave him a puzzled glance, but Eiji eagerly urged him on.
With no choice, Sora obediently finished the ice pop.
Immediately, he felt refreshed—mind sharp, fatigue vanished, energized enough to run up five flights of stairs without breaking a sweat!
This is...
Examining himself, Sora quickly realized what happened.
His exhaustion had completely disappeared.
"Your fortune's appeared!" Eiji called out excitedly, staring in surprise at the ice pop stick in Sora's hand.
Sora looked down and saw a new message engraved clearly upon it:
[Save everyone who can be saved.]
For a brief second, Eiji was silent after seeing these words. But a moment later, an even brighter smile appeared on his face.
So… that's how it is.
Then let me lend you my strength.
Eiji's figure shimmered gently, fading slowly away like particles of light.
Left behind was only a single ice pop stick engraved "World Peace," which quietly merged into Sora's body…
---
T/N: WOAHHHH KAMEN RIDER OOO??? anyways changes are uhh changing Azure Flame Domain or Realm to Cangyan which better fit the other Xianzhou fleets and ummm i forgot yea
and hiiii eijiii