"Henshin."
As I spoke those words, multiple rings of light in various colors spun around me, forming an acting shield just as the Shuuki launched themselves forward. The barrier repelled them, throwing their bodies backward through the air.
[๐๐๐๐]
[๐๐ ๐ฃ๐]
[๐น๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐]
[๐๐-๐๐ -๐น๐! ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐-๐๐ -๐น๐!]
Three glowing circles, each resembling the animals engraved on the medals I had scanned, emerged in front of me. They merged into one and surged toward me as light enveloped my body. A jingleโcombining the three namesโrang in my ears like a melody.
Isadora giggled like a little kid about to open a present as she watched Hideo, now fully clad in a suit.
A red, sharp helmet resembling a hawk's head crowned him, its green compound eyes gleaming. His main body was predominantly black, with a large circular emblem at the center of his chest. His arms were yellow, equipped with claws reminiscent of a tiger's. His legs were green, evoking the image of a grasshopper crawling freely through nature itself.
I stared at the four-legged Shuuki charging toward me. Without wasting any time, I ran straight at it.
Planting one foot, I twisted my shoulders and hips sideways, giving the Shuuki its stairway to death as I drove a brutal elbow strike into its head. It collapsed onto the ground, showing no signs of consciousness.
I wasn't even given a moment to rest.
A muscular one tried to punch me from behind. The instant I noticed it, my legs lit up green as I leapt upward and flipped through the air.
I landed on its back, right near its neck. The claws on my arms extended. Without the slightest hesitation, I stabbed straight into its neck. It thrashed wildly in response, but I didn't budge an inch.
Deciding to end it, I spread my claws apart and ripped its neck in half. The headless body plopped to the ground.
I ran wildly through the battlefield, slaughtering Shuuki one after another. My claws pierced straight through their bodies, tearing open holes and tearing them apart as I moved without slowing down.
"What the actual god is happening?!" I shouted as I dodged another Shuuki.
Oddly enough, I wasn't even nervous. The sight of the Shuuki didn't faze me at allโI just charged straight at all of them and killed them without hesitation. This suit I was wearing made it way too easy to slaughter these guys.
"Go, go, go, Kamen Rider OOO!" Isadora cheered, wearing a headband and waving a lightstick in her hand like an idol fan.
Ignoring her, I had already lost count of how many I'd killed. Tsk. It's better to end this now. With the number left, I could finish them all in one blow. Luckily, they were gathering together like moths to a flame.
Holding the handheld scanner, I scanned the Medal once again.
[๐โ๐ธโโ๐โ๐พ โ๐ผโโ๐ธโ๐พ๐ผ]
Lowering myself, my legs lit up as my feet transformed into grasshopper-like limbs. An aura of red, yellow, and green burst from my body as I inhaled deeply and let out a battle cry.
I leapt into the air, the Shuukis staring up at me in.
Three circles appeared vertically before me. The aura formed a crimson wing behind my back as I descended toward them.
As I passed through each circle, I felt my kick grow exponentially stronger. The Shuuki didn't even register what happened.
They were completely vaporized the moment I landed, explosions erupting a split second later.
Black smoke surrounded me, but I simply walked away, brushing it aside.
Only to see Isadora clapping enthusiastically.
"Did you like my surprise?" she asked.
I said nothing. Instead, I grabbed her cheeks without mercy.
"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!" she complained cutely.
"You've got a lot of explaining to do later," I said as I let go.
She shot me an annoyed look, rubbing both her cheeks in protest before sticking her tongue out at me.
With the temporary calm after I wiped them out, I looked at her seriously. Even if she couldn't see my face.
"So this is the thing you said would help me be a hero?" I asked. "Being what you call a Kamen Rider."
"Yes, sir," she replied. "And the best part? We're only getting started. You haven't even used the other big guns in your arsenal yet."
Looking up at the desolate sky, I couldn't help but grin. This might be the first time in my life I'd ever received a gift this big.
"You know," I said calmly, "being a Kamen Rider might not be so bad after all."
I'd always complained about how unfair the world was. How I was never given peach blessings, how a man like me was destined to be treated lowly, how powerless I was in the face of death when I got sent to Mato.
But with this powerโฆ this might actually help me. Help me escape my boring, monotonous, purposeless everyday life. I don't know what the future holds, but I'm damn sure I'll do everything I can to use the things given to me to help others and eradicate all the evil plaguing humanity.
Isadora smiled at my current mood, but her expression quickly turned serious. Her eyes shifted to red as she looked south, noticing a vehicle approaching.
"Twoโno three individuals are incoming," she said, her eyes turning blue again. "They're humans. It's the Defense Force."
"Geh? They're already here? Let's get out of here!" I said urgently.
Without wasting any time, she opened a portal, ran backward, then suddenly sprinted faster than an Olympian. Kicking me hard in the back with a flying kick as we passed through the portal.
"Damn you, woman!" I complained. I felt that kick even through the suit.
How strong is this gal?!
========
Minutes after the two had left the scene, a jeep roared to a halt nearby. Two women stepped out and began inspecting the area.
The ground was riddled with craters and gouges. Whatever had happened here hadn't been subtle.
This was the aftermath of a fight. They'd come to investigate due to an explosion in the area.
"This isโฆ something else," the black-haired woman muttered, scanning the destruction. "You think Shuuki were the only reason, Saki?"
Saki, her expression as stoic as ever, slowly shook her head. "No. Someone definitely fought a Shuuki here, Kaiko."
Kaiko frowned. "All units are accounted for. Everyone's still in their dorms. And this is Fifth Unit jurisdiction. We would've been notified in advance if another squad entered the area."
Saki crouched, examining a deep groove carved into the ground. "Which means whoever did this wasn't supposed to be here."
An outsider.
"So illegal access from the outside world or a mishap." Kaiko added.
Before either of them could say more, the wind shifted violently. The air pressure dropped, dust and debris spiraling upward as a sudden tornado formed in the middle of the ruined field.
The vortex collapsed just as quickly as it appeared.
From the dispersing wind stepped a woman with black hair streaked with vivid purple highlights. She wore a cropped Anti-Demon Corps uniform and a matching crop top that left her midriff unapologetically exposed. She stretched theatrically, then flashed a peace sign and winked.
"Chief Yakumo-chan, reporting for duty. yay yay!"
Saki and Kaiko stared at her in silence, their expressions flat. They were long past being surprised by their leader's behavior.
"Hey! Don't look at me like that, you two," Yakumo pouted. "Maybe a kiss would cheer you up?"
She suddenly lunged toward Kaiko.
Without missing a beat, Kaiko caught Yakumo by the forehead, holding her at arm's length as Yakumo continued trying to propel herself forward.
"We're not here to play," Kaiko sighed.
Yakumo huffed, squirming free at last. Then abruptly froze. Her nose twitched.
She sniffed the air once. Twice.
Her playful demeanor faded as she straightened, eyes narrowing while she surveyed the area. A moment later, her eyes snapped open.
"Oho," she said, grinning. "A beautiful woman was here. Very recently."
Kaiko raised an eyebrow. "You're sure?"
"My Yakumo radar is tingling," she replied proudly. "And it never lies. Someone was definitely here earlier."
Saki studied her carefully. "You're confident?"
"Of course!" Yakumo beamed. "I'm an expert at finding ladies."
She might be a shameless pervert with zero sense of personal space, but Kaiko knew better than to doubt her instincts.
Someone had been here.
And now the real question wasโ
Who?
___________________
Author's Note:
Might post a chapter later if I'm in the mood.