Honkai: Star Rail — Kamen Rider!

In his mind, Hoshigaki Sora seemed to hear the sharp, exasperated voice of a certain woman:

"If I hadn't stepped in back then, you'd be dead meat right now!"

"Honestly, brat, do you even value your own body? Couldn't you be a bit more careful?"

"That was Heart-sama's precious power—you should cherish it more!"

His current physical state was far from optimistic. Every organ, muscle, and even his blood seemed on the verge of collapse, as if they each possessed their own will and yearned for freedom.

A violet radiance desperately held his body together, but that was the best it could do.

"Even Sigma Circular couldn't handle power like that directly, yet he actually tried it… reckless fool."

A quiet sigh echoed, filled with helpless resignation.

Slowly, a dim emblem vanished from Sora's body—and along with it, the voice faded away.

[Rider Power Retrieval complete.]

[Please initiate your next power extraction.]

An electronic prompt rang in his ears, but he couldn't respond.

[Host consciousness detected as unconscious.]

[Countdown will continue.]

[Extraction temporarily suspended, suspended, suspended…]

The notification seemed to glitch momentarily. Then, the capsule machine filled with countless emblems began to spin on its own.

One capsule jostled through the others, finally dropping down.

Opening, it released a pale green emblem that merged into Sora's body.

...

"Protecting the world isn't an easy path. You'll face countless setbacks along the way."

A man stood beside the unconscious Sora, gently placing something upon him.

A pale-green aura enveloped Sora, gradually stabilizing his deteriorating body. Though faint, the energy it contained felt as though it could nurture a world, a tiny green tanuki emblem flickering gently, both insignificant and strangely vivid.

"If my power can help you even a little, then please, use it freely."

"This is all I can do for you."

The man stood up, his silhouette gradually dissolving into Sora's form.

"I pray you never lose anyone dear to you again, and may your ideal world become reality."

"And at journey's end… I wish you good fortune."

...

The hazy memories faded away. Sora's eyes slowly opened again, gazing upward toward the massive gap he had carved through the rain curtain. A deep green energy flickered gently around the edges, preventing it from healing.

"Is this the 'strength that won't lose to anyone'?"

Sora sat up slowly, sighing appreciatively.

"Truly powerful."

It had even overcome a phenomenon caused by an Aeon's larvae.

But this wasn't the moment to marvel at his own power. He had to hurry back before someone noticed he'd slipped out—then he'd really be in trouble.

Pulling out the [Shift Brace], Sora's body dispersed into smoke, vanishing from the rooftop. As he disappeared, the tanuki emblem on his belt glowed brightly.

---

In the increasingly restless crowd, Yingzhu anxiously pushed her way through, searching urgently for someone. Those she nudged aside recognized her and didn't complain.

She eventually spotted her target toward the back.

"Robin-san!" Yingzhu quickly called, approaching her.

"Huh? Did you need something?" Robin asked, puzzled. Shouldn't Yingzhu be overseeing the evacuation? Why seek her out now?

"Where's Sora? Have you seen him?" Yingzhu asked urgently.

"Him? He said he was going to the restroom," Robin replied uncertainly.

The restroom?

Yingzhu immediately turned, plunging back into the crowd.

Robin stared after her, confused—then realization dawned, her expression turning pale. Without another word, she hurried after Yingzhu toward the restroom area.

With the enhanced physique of an Iron Cavalry, Yingzhu easily shoved aside the ordinary citizens blocking her path, ignoring their irritated glares. She didn't have time to care—only one thing mattered now.

Chenyu had just informed her that a massive hole had appeared in the rain curtain. If her guess was correct…

Arriving outside the restroom, Yingzhu suddenly stopped short.

Standing before her was a young man casually drying his hands. He turned, looking mildly surprised at her sudden appearance.

Without hesitation, Yingzhu hurried forward.

"Huh? Wait, what are you—"

Before Sora could finish, Yingzhu pressed her cold, trembling hands firmly against his chest.

Feeling the steady rhythm beneath her palms, she finally allowed her anxiety to fade.

"Did you leave the ship just now?" she asked directly, releasing him.

"Huh? How could I? Aren't we airborne right now?"

Yingzhu paused, realizing she'd overlooked something crucial. Indeed, they weren't on the ground anymore—the ship was hovering in mid-air. Their movements were confined strictly within its hull. There was no way to leave unless someone could literally teleport or tear through space.

Even if Sora possessed that ability, his current condition couldn't possibly endure spatial displacement. His body would simply collapse.

And yet, she'd sensed none of the strange sensations associated with stopped time and conscious isolation.

Had she guessed wrongly?

Yingzhu wrestled internally for a moment before firmly rejecting the doubt.

No… there's only one person on this entire planet capable of such a feat—him.

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, scanning him for some telltale clue.

"Hey, why are you staring? I promise, I know my limits. I won't run around carelessly," Sora assured her, smiling gently.

Before Yingzhu could question further, her communicator beeped urgently—a prompt from command, asking impatiently if they should begin the next phase.

She glanced between her communicator and Sora, brows knitted in conflict.

Just then, Robin caught up to them. "What happened?"

"Nothing. But I think it's time I kept constant surveillance on him," Yingzhu replied resolutely.

"What?!" Robin stared incredulously, unsure why Yingzhu's tone had abruptly shifted.

But Yingzhu had already decided. If she couldn't prove Sora had sneaked away, she'd simply keep him at her side, watching him at all times. She doubted he could slip away under her constant gaze.

Decisively, she grabbed Sora's sleeve, dragging him toward the command bridge.

Robin hurried after them, still confused but sensing something major was unfolding.

When they arrived at the bustling command center, the crew was frantically coordinating communications, awaiting orders. The giant rift above still gaped open, faint green energy stubbornly holding it apart.

They'd waited long enough. Yingzhu had vanished momentarily, causing anxiety, but now she returned with purpose.

"All ships, accelerate immediately toward the breach!" she commanded clearly. Turning to the mercenaries, she asked firmly, "Are you two ready?"

"No worries! Our ship's been warmed up since earlier," one mercenary replied confidently.

"Good! Remember, eject the escape pod before impact," Yingzhu cautioned sharply.

"Relax. Blowing up pirate ships is practically routine for us!"

Despite the casual bravado, the mercenaries acted swiftly. The massive bomb-laden ship, surrounded by a silver-white radiance—enhanced by Path of The Hunt—approached the rain curtain rapidly.

One by one, the civilian ships hovered anxiously, passengers holding their breath. This desperate gamble could only happen once—they'd exhausted all available cores and ammunition. Failure meant waiting helplessly for their inevitable assimilation.

Success meant freedom; failure meant becoming Titanironia's offspring. Everything rested upon this singular moment.

As the bomb-ship approached the breach, an escape pod ejected swiftly, instantly retrieved by a nearby vessel.

And then the explosive ship slammed mercilessly into the barrier.

For a moment, all color vanished from their sight, replaced by blinding white light.

Riiiing—

A deafening buzz filled their ears, all sound suddenly indistinguishable as their bodies instinctively blocked the overwhelming sensory input.

Yet, faint green radiance shielded Sora slightly from the impact, allowing him to clearly experience the raw force of the explosion.

An earth-shaking roar erupted above them, the barrier violently erupting in a spectacular explosion.