Honkai: Star Rail — Kamen Rider!

From the very start, Sora had been aiming for one thing only.

His target was the masked faceplate of the opponent before him. Every maneuver he'd made so far had been precisely for this purpose.

Every dodge, every feint had been calculated to bring him within striking range.

And now, after carefully choreographing his every move, he'd finally achieved his goal.

Brandishing [Ixa Calibur] in his hands, his enemy's faceplate was mere inches away.

He could already see the narrow gaps between the twisted metal plates. All he needed was one decisive strike into that seam, and the mask would easily be cleaved off.

It was only now that Nokiribi finally reacted, turning his attention to Sora.

By all rights, at such close range, the outcome should already have been decided.

The crimson blade was about to pierce Nokiribi's mask—but at that precise moment, flames surged explosively from Nokiribi's armor!

Whoosh!

Scarlet flames engulfed Nokiribi instantly, as though highly concentrated alcohol mist had ignited all at once.

The body, the mask, the arms—all were enveloped in blazing crimson fire.

This wasn't merely some visual effect—Sora was close enough to feel the sudden spike in temperature, the air around him searing and scorching.

Yet, despite this sudden shift, Sora showed no hesitation, still determinedly bringing down his blade.

Though he could no longer clearly see the gap in the faceplate, relying on his memory and familiarity with the structure, he knew precisely where to strike.

When you swing a sword, do it without doubt.

It was a fundamental rule of swordsmanship, and so without hesitation, Sora continued his strike!

Yet what happened next exceeded all expectations. Nokiribi, now wrapped in flames, moved at a speed dozens of times faster than before.

A mere heartbeat ago, Nokiribi had barely begun turning his head, but now he'd already recovered his stance, reaching out and catching the incoming sword blade with one hand.

CLANG!

The clash echoed sharply as sword struck metal armor.

The sudden halt caused a faint vibration to resonate through Sora's sword, but it advanced no further.

The armor of the Iron Cavalry far exceeded the capabilities of Sora's own equipment.

Under Nokiribi's crushing grip, Sora couldn't even pull his sword free.

"You're strong," Nokiribi stated from amidst the flames. "You've practically reached the peak of humanity's potential."

Given the enormous technological gap—a difference of centuries, even—a lesser warrior would have been crushed instantly.

Such a technological divide was like primitive man fighting against the modern age. It wasn't even remotely fair.

And yet, despite this disparity, Sora had forced a stalemate purely by virtue of his physical strength and superb swordsmanship.

That's why Nokiribi gave him such praise:

He had reached humanity's limit.

"But unfortunately for you, that's merely the human limit," Nokiribi continued. "And we are not human."

As Nokiribi spoke, the grip tightened, clearly aiming to shatter the sword within his hand.

But to any swordsman, protecting his weapon was paramount.

Thus, Sora immediately let go, kicking Nokiribi squarely in the chest instead.

Instantly, searing heat burned through his leg armor. But using this momentum, Sora swiftly leaped backward to safety.

He quickly recalled the sword using his system, catching it again in hand.

But when he examined it, he found Nokiribi's finger marks deeply imprinted upon the blade.

Moreover, the scorching sensation persisted. Dark crimson flames now coiled around both his leg and sword.

Though surprised by Sora's capability, Nokiribi knew that in his current state—fully ignited by the trust of his comrades—he wasn't someone Sora could defeat.

"We aren't the same species. True understanding between us is nearly impossible," Nokiribi said quietly.

"We're a race born from the contempt of other species. Even a nation as vast as this has no place for us. All we can do is be endlessly manufactured, sent to the frontlines, and left to die."

Nokiribi continued earnestly, "Now, all we want is control over our own destinies and to protect what few comrades we have left."

Hearing this, Sora lightly flicked the holy sword in his hand.

"So, your idea of protection involves sacrificing innocent people to summon yourself? And how long can this form even last? Can you really lead your people like this?"

A device resembling a mobile phone appeared in Sora's hand, and he flipped it open, pressing the sequence:

1-9-3.

Nokiribi fell completely silent.

"If you want those words to carry even a shred of credibility, you'd better bring Hotaru back safe and sound first."

Ka-ka-ka—

The armor on Sora's body began to loosen, revealing seams across its structure.

"Otherwise, your promises are nothing more than empty words."

BOOM!

Sora's armor burst apart from his frame, exposing the mechanical interior beneath.

The crimson flames wrapping his leg armor scattered onto the floor.

[Kamen Rider Ixa Rising—Burst Mode]!

"Come on, time for round two!"

The [Ixa Calibur] in Sora's grip shone brilliantly with dazzling red light.

Seeing Sora still refusing to yield, Nokiribi finally stirred his arm in silence.

Whoosh!

In Nokiribi's hand appeared an equally blazing sword, burning with dark crimson flames.

"Then I'll defeat you in the realm you know best," Nokiribi declared.

Anyone defeated in their own domain would inevitably feel confusion and despair, questioning their very existence.

Nokiribi now intended to utterly crush Sora in the field of swordsmanship.

With neither side interested in further argument, they swiftly prepared for battle.

Draw your swords—that was enough!

The dazzling crimson brilliance of Sora's sword faced off against the burning dark-red blade of Nokiribi.

Sora's body tensed, poised for his best possible strike, while Nokiribi's armor rapidly calculated all the possible avenues of attack.

Both waited patiently for the other to strike first. While attacking first would seize the initiative, it also risked exposure.

Since Nokiribi sought to defeat Sora purely through swordsmanship, they restrained himself from using the armor's enhanced speed.

Sword against sword—nothing more!

The air rippled under Nokiribi's searing heat, distorting the space around them. Seeing his chance amidst the flickering waves, Sora instantly lunged forward!

With a sharp thrust, his dazzling sword sliced through the distorted air, unleashing a condensed shockwave toward Nokiribi.

In Ixa's Burst Mode, [Ixa Calibur] could spit fire—but Sora compressed this power into [Ixa Calibur], effectively creating blade-like energy.

Nokiribi responded swiftly, twirling his blade gracefully and easily deflecting Sora's strike.

Then, Nokiribi flashed forward like a phantom, his burning blade piercing toward Sora's chest—but deliberately avoiding vital points.

Sora twisted aside at unnatural speed, his sword grazing along Nokiribi's weapon, aiming directly for his opponent's armored wrist.

They crossed paths in midair, sword-light intertwined with flame, each clash tearing violently through the air.

Relying purely on physical skill and swordsmanship, Sora held his own against Nokiribi.

But Nokiribi's attacks, reinforced by superior armor, were formidable; the slightest mistake could prove fatal.

Still, it wasn't without gain…

Sora's lips curved slightly as he saw dark crimson flames now coiling around his sword as well.

A knockoff [Kaenken Rekka]!

Before, it had been purely about swordsmanship. But now, he wielded an additional power.

As he'd said before—purely with swordsmanship, he could confidently defeat weaker Pathstriders.

But grant him other powers, and he'd dominate most Pathstriders completely!

However, his sword couldn't sustain this state for long. Nokiribi's flames, though potent, would quickly damage his weapon.

"In short, we end this quickly…"

Sora clarified his objective, just as Nokiribi lunged forward once more!

The massive figure filled Sora's vision, exposing clear vulnerabilities to his sharp eyes.

Since you've revealed such an obvious flaw to me while I wield this knockoff [Kaenken Rekka]—

Then, sorry about this!

Sora swung decisively, unleashing the flames on his blade upward like a fiery serpent, directly striking Nokiribi.

"What—?!"

Caught off guard, Nokiribi's eyes widened in shock for the first time.

They hadn't expected Sora to turn his own flames against him.

Immediately afterward, Sora flashed forward once more, his sword clashing fiercely against Nokiribi's blade.

"Your sword carries many burdens, making it heavy," Sora declared firmly, gazing into Nokiribi's eyes, "But beneath that weight—is only emptiness!"

In that instant, Sora poured strength into his strike.

For a brief, shocking moment, Nokiribi staggered under his pressure!

Crack!

Just then, the sword in Sora's hand snapped sharply.

Taking advantage of this, Sora ducked low, driving the broken blade straight into Nokiribi's chest!

Hoshigaki Sora—Victory!