Honkai: Star Rail — Kamen Rider!

At this moment, tension filled the air.

Guards clad in pristine white armor surrounded Sora's group completely.

The visors of their helmets, once gleaming gently, were now lit with a sinister red glow.

Weapons firmly grasped, they looked ready to strike at Sora and the others at any moment.

No one could have predicted such a scene occurring here, of all places.

This was the famed medical planet known as the Cradle of Rebirth—Zieltworth.

Moreover, if he wasn't lying or impersonating, the mechanical being standing before Sora's group was none other than the planet's actual ruler, Serus Zieltworth himself.

Though an inorganic lifeform, Serus had single-handedly built this planet's stellar reputation throughout the galaxy over thousands of years.

Rumors persisted that he'd once been organic himself, having later uploaded his consciousness to achieve his current mechanical existence.

Of course, those were merely unproven stories. Regardless, none questioned his significance and authority on this planet.

Logically speaking, the guards accompanying him to greet important guests would have been selected with utmost caution.

For them, defying orders or acting impulsively was unthinkable—a grievous taboo. After all, who could trust a guard prone to sudden irrationality?

Yet, these very same guards had now surrounded Sora and his companions. The lights on their visors had shifted from gentle blue to a threatening crimson.

All of this signaled clearly that something dangerous was about to unfold here.

Facing such a perilous scene, Robin—still shielded behind Sora—called out cautiously:

"Mr. Serus, what is the meaning of this?"

"Miss Robin, please do not misunderstand. This is not my directive. You are honored guests on this planet; we would never engage in such hostile behavior."

Serus quickly explained.

Unfortunately, his inorganic form gave no cues to determine if he was being truthful.

"We are currently investigating the source of this error."

After saying this, Serus quickly tapped on a holographic interface projected from his arm, seemingly running some kind of diagnostic.

"If we wait for your investigation, we'll probably all be in trouble by then," Sora muttered irritably.

Who wouldn't be annoyed at being surrounded immediately after landing, especially when violence seemed imminent?

Yet… to call it merely losing control seemed plausible enough.

With his exceptional swordsmanship and keen understanding of movement, Sora noticed something peculiar about the guards. Their armor trembled subtly, as if someone inside was fighting desperately to regain control.

This was not stiff robotic motion—it clearly indicated human pilots struggling against some external interference.

Realizing this, he thought: So, there really are people piloting these suits…

If that was the case...

"Argenti, hold back a bit when you fight. Their armor's probably been compromised by a hacking attempt."

Argenti paused briefly before quickly comprehending the situation. "I see. So, the culprit behind this chaos is that most despicable of inorganic creations—a virus!"

Hotaru reached out tentatively, intending to tug at Sora's sleeve to reveal the true nature of the threat.

However, upon hearing how swiftly Sora had already deduced the reality, she simply stared, lips parted in quiet astonishment.

Having finished instructing Argenti, Sora once again activated the Ixa System.

He touched the [Ixa Knuckle] lightly.

『Ready!』

"[Henshin]!"

『Fist On!』

As the announcement faded, a warrior clad in pristine white armor appeared on the scene.

Without hesitation, Sora immediately activated [Burst Mode].

The faceplate resembling a ship's anchor opened, revealing glowing red eyes beneath.

The [Ixa Calibur] appeared in his hand, though he refrained from unleashing its full power.

Witnessing Sora's armored form, Argenti's expression turned awestruck.

"Such a pure radiance, dazzling like the sun itself! Though not as sublime as Idrila, your brilliance alone is enough to dispel these ugly viruses!"

"Let's deal with the immediate problem first," Sora replied helplessly.

"Understood." Argenti nodded, aiming his spear toward the hostile guards ahead. "Then, in defense of beauty across the galaxy, kindly fall for now!"

With those words, Argenti charged forward, his spear weaving a streak of crimson and silver as he swiftly engaged the surrounding guards.

Meanwhile, Sora held the [Ixa Calibur] firmly, carefully observing the enemy.

Argenti could fight freely, but Sora had to shield the two women behind him, thus limiting his movements somewhat.

Yet, as he analyzed the attackers, a confident smile rose beneath his helmet.

I may be limited, but compared to me in close combat, you're all far too weak!

Openings—there are openings everywhere!

From his perspective, the guards attacking him were full of exploitable weaknesses. Likely, the forced control from their compromised systems disrupted their usual coordination.

Ironically, this created ample opportunity for Sora.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bullets erupted from his weapon. Instantly, the compromised armor's system analyzed the projectiles' trajectory and impact potential, quickly concluding that they were harmless.

These were merely primitive powder-based bullets; they posed no threat to modern protective plating.

Indeed, the bullets themselves couldn't penetrate their armor.

But trailing close behind the bullets was a blur—Sora himself moving at speeds far exceeding the system's calculations!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Sparks exploded as bullets impacted harmlessly against the armor. Yet, in the next instant, the crimson blade sliced precisely into the joints connecting the armor segments.

The blade's movement was graceful and fluid, enveloping the enemy's armor in a swift wave of red light.

Clatter… Clatter…

The sound of metal hitting the ground echoed repeatedly.

Moments later, scattered mechanical components lay everywhere.

One guard, his armor entirely dismantled, collapsed onto the ground.

Yet, when the pilot's face was revealed, Robin involuntarily turned toward Hotaru with wide eyes.

The pilot had the same snow-white hair and greenish-yellow eyes as Hotaru.

The only notable difference was their hairstyle—Hotaru's hair flowed long down to her waist, while the pilot's was short.

Though their faces weren't identical, their striking similarities were unmistakable.

These two people…