Chapter 96: Kamen Riders Are Real!

"Kamen Rider! Kamen Rider! Kamen Riders are real!"

"He's back! My youth is back! Even if it's just Gatack, if there's Gatack, there must be Kabuto! If there's Kabuto, there are the others!"

"Kuuga, Agito, Ryuki, Faiz, Blade, Hibiki... One day, I might actually see all my favorite Kamen Riders in the real world! Tears!"

"As long as someone remembers, Kamen Riders are real!"

"I have no dreams, but I can protect other people's dreams!"

"The broken coin will eventually be restored, but the hand you need to grab is no longer mine."

"Heroes do not flee the battlefield!"

The moment the "Unlicensed Rider" transformed into Kamen Rider Gatack, the entire square instantly erupted!

Cheers, screams, and even some crying could be heard; at this moment, the commotion far surpassed anything before.

Because of the appearance of the Gatack Insect Gear, because of the appearance of Kamen Rider Gatack, it told everyone who loves Kamen Riders—Kamen Riders are real!

Not just around them, but the bullet comments in the livestream room also exploded, with countless viewers frantically spamming:

"Gagamii, it's Gagamii! Gagamii has appeared in the real world!"

"The Unlicensed Rider transformed into Gagamii, ah, pfft, I mean transformed into Gatack, damn it, you guys were led astray by the person above."

"On the day of the dimensional invasion, I believed Kamen Riders would appear in reality one day in the future; sure enough, Kamen Riders have really appeared!!!"

"Grandma said, 'I am the one who walks the path of heaven and governs everything!'"

"I am just a passing Kamen Rider."

"We are humans, we are detectives, and we are also Kamen Riders!"

"With just this one book, it is impossible to depict the tumultuous history of the Heisei Riders to people."

"Let you witness the power of the Kamen Rider, Deep Sea King!"

"Kamen Rider, fight on! Gatack King, fight on!"

"Fight on!!!"

Many people cannot understand why people love the stories of Kamen Riders, even until they grow up, their love for Kamen Riders has not diminished; do they not think it is childish?

Yes, why?

Why do they like Kamen Riders so much?

Perhaps it is Kuuga who fights to protect everyone's smiles; perhaps it is Agito who fights to reclaim humanity's destiny; perhaps it is Ryuki who wants to stop the Rider War; perhaps it is Faiz who wants to protect other people's dreams.

Every person who loves Kamen Riders cherishes their own answer in their heart; those transformation poses that seem childish to others, those old-fashioned stories about protection and hope, are exactly one of their most precious gains on the path of growth.

Childish? So what! They just love Kamen Riders!

Then what reason caused such a commotion when they saw the appearance of Kamen Rider Gatack?

In the Kamen Rider movie, there was once such a line.

"Perhaps Kamen Riders were indeed fictional."

"But as long as there are people in the world who remember Kamen Riders, then, they will truly exist in our time called memory."

But the Riders in memory are ultimately just fantasies; how can they compare to a real Rider appearing before them?

Now, it is them, the people who like Kamen Riders; in the future, when the characters others like appear before them, their reaction will not be calm either.

Hearing the constant cheers of "fight on" in his ears, Kamen Rider Gatack took a deep breath.

Is this the feeling of becoming a hero?

It's actually not bad!

The crimson compound eyes looked at the Deep Sea King.

"I, who carry the hope of humanity, will not lose!"

"Cast Off! (Explosive Armor Break)"

With Gatack's low shout, bright arcs suddenly burst forth from the surface of the heavy armor; the Deep Sea King squinted its eyes, seeing only those heavy armor plates suddenly eject, coming at it with astonishing kinetic energy!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The Deep Sea King waved its thick arms, batting away the flying armor plates one by one; metal fragments exploded around it, yet not even a single scratch was left on its bluish-gray skin.

"Hmph, you think putting on a layer of armor can beat me?"

"You are truly naive."

The Deep Sea King grinned its mouth full of sharp teeth; in its eyes, which completely did not understand the meaning represented by Kamen Riders, the so-called Kamen Rider was merely a human wearing a layer of armor.

Armor might make him stronger, but how much stronger can he become?

"Change Stag Beetle (Stag Beetle Transformation)"

A mechanical voice rang out in the air; the heavy armor originally on Gatack's body had burst and fallen off, revealing the streamlined blue battle armor inside; the full-body armor became lighter and more agile, and the sharp horns on its head rose up like blades.

Kamen Rider Gatack: Rider Form!

"Clock Up! (Acceleration)!"

Pressing his right hand against his waist, Gatack's figure instantly vanished from the spot; the Deep Sea King's pupils suddenly contracted, and it instinctively raised its hand to block.

"Bang!"

A whip kick had already heavily struck its waist; before it could counterattack, Gatack appeared behind it again, smashing its elbow fiercely into its spine!

"Too slow."

Gatack's voice came from all directions.

The Deep Sea King roared, suddenly turning to swing a punch, but only hit afterimages; Gatack, like a blue lightning bolt, moved at high speed around it, every appearance accompanied by a heavy strike.

"Damn humans!"

The Deep Sea King suddenly stomped the ground; a terrifying shockwave swept across the entire square; Gatack was forced to reveal his form, landing steadily amidst flying gravel.

"Frustrated and angry?"

Gatack said calmly.

"Merely a human, I would not be reduced to this."

The Deep Sea King tore off the cloak from his back, and the two figures collided once more.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The deafening explosions of fists and feet meeting forced the surrounding spectators to retreat another dozen meters in unison, opening up even more space in the already vast battlefield.

Excitement shone on their faces; though they could not make out Gatack's movements, they could see the Deep Sea King's, and while its own motions appeared blurred, the sight of it taking a beating was crystal clear.

The reality was indeed so.

Under the accelerated state of Clock Up, the Deep Sea King could not touch Gatack in the slightest; every one of its punches struck only air, while Gatack's attacks rained down upon it like a storm.

"Crash—!"

Gatack delivered a heavy kick that sent the Deep Sea King flying dozens of meters; its massive body plowed a deep furrow into the ground, but soon it rose again, its eyes burning with even greater fury; seeing this, Gatack removed the Gatack Double Blades from his shoulder and charged at the Deep Sea King.

Time ticked by second by second; the physical exhaustion from using Clock Up several times caused Gatack to gradually reduce its usage, and if the fight dragged on any longer, he could not guarantee whether he could eliminate the Deep Sea King before his stamina ran out.

"I must end it with a single blow!"

He took a deep breath and suddenly pressed the switch beneath his belt.

"ONE, TWO, THREE!"

The instant the mechanical sound effect rang out, he pulled the insect antennae of the belt back.

"Rider Kick! (Knight Kick)"

"You said Kamen Rider does not exist?"

"Perhaps we were indeed fabricated; but as long as someone in this world remembers us, then Kamen Rider will surely exist forever in the time called memory, becoming real."

I will always love Kamen Rider! Of course, not just Kamen Rider!





(End of this chapter)