Honkai: Star Rail — Kamen Rider!

"Yingzhu's communication vanished five hours ago..." Yunqing spoke, her heart heavy with worry.

However, upon entering the room, she abruptly swallowed the rest of her words.

Nokiribi was sneaking around awkwardly, and Yunqing glimpsed something oddly familiar. If she wasn't mistaken, it was the wafer roll she had brought earlier.

But wait, hadn't it been eaten already?

Where did Nokiribi manage to find more?

Hold on!

Yunqing suddenly recalled seeing a brief flash of flame earlier. Initially, she had assumed another clan member had arrived to deliver a message. But now it appeared Nokiribi had secretly snuck back alone and was caught in the act.

A wave of helplessness washed over Yunqing, mixed oddly with a pang of tenderness.

These wafer rolls were such ordinary treats in this planet's sweet shops, mundane to the point she herself had grown tired of them. Yet Nokiribi was so utterly fascinated by them.

I wonder what she experienced in her past…

Yunqing sighed softly, deciding it best to wait until Nokiribi finished her snack before delivering her news.

After a short wait, Yunqing judged it was time and entered the room. By then, Nokiribi had straightened herself up.

"You mentioned something earlier?" Nokiribi inquired calmly.

Yunqing nodded and explained Yingzhu's situation. Like Chenyu before her, Yingzhu had lost contact at precisely the same location.

"Could that place really be Serus's hideout?" Yunqing wondered aloud. Two captains losing contact at the same spot was hardly coincidental.

"Should I investigate personally?" Yunqing asked.

Nokiribi stroked her chin thoughtfully, then quickly reached a decision.

"No. Let him come to us."

Serus, as the creator of this planet, wouldn't allow it to remain as it currently was. He would surely come for them eventually, just as harassment units would inevitably draw retaliation from insect swarms.

"We'll simply wait for him here," Nokiribi concluded firmly. "How many of our people remain?"

"Excluding the thirty-one who left earlier, we still have one hundred nineteen here," Yunqing reported.

That number was higher than Nokiribi had anticipated. Against the swarm, this would have been enough to form three solid squads. With these numbers, they could maximize the Iron Cavalry's capabilities and prepare for Serus's arrival.

Yunqing acknowledged her orders and moved to leave, pausing briefly at the doorway. "Um, I don't mean to overstep, but next time, remember to wipe your mouth after eating."

She left swiftly, closing the door behind her.

Nokiribi sat in embarrassed silence before finally, with trembling fingers, wiping a smudge of cream from the corner of her lips. She stared at the white cream for a moment, expression complex, before gently licking it clean.

She treasured every morsel and refused to waste even the tiniest bit.

---

"You're certain this aura matches?"

Hoshigaki Sora wasn't pursuing Nokiribi at the moment, but instead busied himself at the shelter.

"Yes, I'm certain," replied the Doctor of Chaos before him. "I've battled this aura long enough to recognize this destructive presence."

Sora glanced down at the report in his hands. It belonged to Yingzhu, who had recently chosen to trust him. During their earlier battle, he'd noticed something peculiar about her aura, and now, after examination and confirmation from the Doctor of Chaos, he understood the source of Nokiribi's flames.

Despite their roaring, fiery appearance, their core was...

"Void," Sora murmured.

Only one entity matched that description—The Aeon of Nihility, IX. A mystery wrapped in layers of fog, IX believed existence was inherently meaningless. Known affectionately among some as the "Dark Lord," IX passively consumed those who came into contact with its essence, dissolving their consciousness into nothingness.

The flames Nokiribi bestowed carried traces of Nihility.

"If this continues, those imbued with Nokiribi's power will unknowingly step into Nihility's embrace."

Stepping into Nihility meant annihilation.

"I need to act swiftly."

Realizing the urgency, Sora immediately sought Yingzhu, inquiring about Nokiribi's whereabouts.

"There are still over a hundred left. Should we come with you…?"

"No," Sora interrupted decisively. "This is my matter. I've already said, I'll carve this path myself."

He worried if Yingzhu and others continued using Nokiribi's flames, the consequences could become irreversible. Better to minimize their exposure. If necessary, he'd seek the Chaos Doctors' help to treat them later.

Thus, he set out alone towards Nokiribi's location. Though the journey wasn't long, his figure, dressed in stark black and crimson, oddly reassured those watching. For the first time, they saw someone stepping forward solely for their sake.

Following the directions, Sora eventually reached Nokiribi's stronghold.

Zieltworth's Square Tower—the planet's most iconic landmark.

As if sensing his approach, over a hundred silver-white figures took flight from the tower, filling the sky.

"You again?!" Yunqing exclaimed in surprise. "You've already fully recovered from your injuries?"

"Who knows?"

"What do you want?" Yunqing immediately took a defensive stance.

"I'm here to make friends," Sora replied calmly, a playful smile tugging at his lips as he eyed the army above him.

Friends?

Yunqing's expression turned bewildered.

Ignoring her confusion, Sora twisted the throttle of his driver.

'[Vrooom]~'

The engine's roar echoed powerfully around him.

"[Henshin]!"

The armored figure crowned with golden horns appeared once more. Sora clenched his fist firmly, facing the army arrayed before him.

'[Drive: Type Miracle]!'

'[Heart]!'

'[The Kamen Rider]!'

"I prefer friendships forged with fists."

At this moment, it was one hundred nineteen against Hoshigaki Sora.