Honkai: Star Rail — Kamen Rider!

No one anticipated this sudden twist.

Nokiribi never expected Sora to resort to such a move.

Nokiribi knew its flames could burn anything on contact, which was precisely why it had chosen swordsmanship as their battleground.

The opponent's sword skills were formidable—so formidable that Nokiribi found it hard to believe a mere human, lacking any special power, could wield such techniques.

The suffocating pressure from Sora's swordplay even briefly transported Nokiribi back to the battles against the mighty Swarm.

Those creatures had spear-like appendages capable of penetrating any armor, coupled with blinding speed. Each strike had effortlessly taken one of Nokiribi's comrades.

That battle had been Nokiribi's most vivid memory.

It owed gratitude to the Preservation Aeon, Qlipoth, who had slain Tayzzyrruth, the Aeon of Propagation, and to Xipe, Aeon of Harmony, who had stripped away the concept of swarms.

Otherwise, if every True Sting had evolved into such blade-wielding terrors, the frontline SAM units wouldn't have stood a chance.

And now, facing Sora alone gave Nokiribi the sensation of confronting a swarm of Silver Stings.

Yes, just one human had given it the overwhelming pressure of an entire swarm!

Whenever Nokiribi eased its guard even slightly, Sora's attack would swiftly follow.

His sword moved with such staggering speed that it seemed multiple blades struck simultaneously.

And this was without any power from a Path reinforcing him.

Had Sora possessed even the slightest Path-based power to enhance his speed, Nokiribi would likely have already fallen.

More shockingly, after Sora's sword had been engulfed in Nokiribi's own flames, rather than becoming overwhelmed, he wielded them with even greater mastery!

In some respects, his manipulation of fire surpassed Nokiribi itself.

Most unexpectedly, Sora exploited his [Ixa Calibur]'s inability to endure those flames—

Just as their blades clashed, Sora seized the instant when his sword shattered under the flames' intensity, stabbing the broken blade directly toward Nokiribi's chest.

Every move, every detail had been executed flawlessly, as if carefully orchestrated.

Sora had pushed himself to the absolute limit. But unfortunately...

The shattered sword pierced through the flames, about to reach Nokiribi's chest.

Yet, at that exact moment, countless arms suddenly emerged from within Nokiribi's twisted armor plates!

Instantly, the entire scene became utterly surreal.

Those arms layered upon each other, blocking the broken blade, gripping Sora's hand tightly and preventing him from advancing even an inch further.

Even after sending me away, you're still protecting me...? Seeing this, Nokiribi's heart surged with indescribable emotions.

It was precisely in this moment that its resolve solidified completely!

It must fulfill the dreams of the comrades who sacrificed themselves to send it here—it must secure a future for those still alive out there!

So, I'm sorry!

Sora stared in shock at the arms enveloping him. By the time he reacted, hurriedly releasing the sword's hilt to retreat, that brief hesitation had already created an opening.

Nokiribi didn't use its blade—instead, it threw a heavy punch directly toward him!

Realizing evasion was impossible, Sora crossed both arms defensively in front of his chest to withstand the blow.

BOOM!

"Guh—!"

Despite his guard, the tremendous force surged straight into Sora's body.

The powerful impact momentarily stopped his heartbeat.

Eyes wide, Sora was thrown backward, flying through the air like a silvery meteor until crashing violently into the far wall.

Cracks spiderwebbed across the wall from the collision, sparks bursting from his damaged armor.

Though Nokiribi hadn't used full strength, that punch still reminded Sora painfully of the crushing blows he'd endured during the fight for Promia.

His internal organs felt compressed into a pulp. He wasn't certain how severe his injuries were, but they had to be substantial—after all, he could taste blood in his throat.

"You're strong. Incredibly strong," Nokiribi repeated several times to Sora. "If it were just me alone, I wouldn't be your match."

It never had been. From the beginning, it had been labeled defective, always shielded by the comrades who stood beside it.

"But I'm different. Even if you say I'm hollow, I still carry their will..."

They had sent it here. It had to fulfill their wishes.

"Thus, even if I've lost, I'll still fulfill my mission."

I'm sorry you trusted me so deeply. But for my people—discriminated against for so long—to finally be free...

"Farewell."

Saying nothing more, Nokiribi smashed through the corridor wall with a single punch.

Explosions outside continued without pause. Fierce winds rushed into the corridor, rapidly cooling the heated air.

Nokiribi turned its head once more toward Sora, who now knelt on one knee, desperately trying to stabilize his breathing.

But the force of that punch had been too much to bear.

He attempted deeper breaths to suppress his turbulent internal injuries, but the attempt only intensified his pain.

The Ixa Armor vanished into nothingness, leaving Sora vulnerable at last.

Cough—cough, cough...!

Blood mixed with violent coughing as Sora collapsed slowly, consciousness fading away.

Nokiribi briefly reached out a hand, but quickly clenched it into a fist.

Now isn't the time—I have others I must help!

Decisively, Nokiribi dove from the broken corridor and vanished into the chaos below.

Cold wind rushed through the breached wall, stirring Sora's clothing as he lay unconscious, a forlorn figure on the cold floor.

Yet moments later, Nokiribi's large figure returned through that same gap.

The flames surrounding its armor had completely disappeared, leaving behind only the bulky frame.

Gently lifting Sora from the ground, Nokiribi placed him carefully inside a medical pod, activated the basic healing cycle, and left without another word.

Nearby, a medical robot—previously deactivated—suddenly flickered to life with a faint blue glow.

It seemed to have observed everything closely, quietly approaching the active medical pod.

"How intriguing."

The robot's hand morphed into a slender tentacle, carefully connecting to the medical pod and injecting a tiny nanobot into it.

That nanobot entered Sora's body through the pod's treatment cycle.

"Just an insurance measure, though who would've imagined that you—a mere human—would become the greatest variable."

Having said its piece, the medical robot once again went completely silent.

The nanobot reached Sora's heart and came to rest—but just before it settled, it abruptly vanished.

In that instant, it appeared as if a hand adorned with rings had snatched it away.

...

[Current Randomized Rider duration has ended.]

[Retrieving now…]

The emblem representing Kamen Rider Ixa floated out of Sora's body.

His consciousness returned instantly, memories from before unconsciousness flooding his mind, helping him grasp the situation clearly.

"Well, that went poorly," Sora sighed bitterly. He hadn't anticipated such an outcome.

Who would've guessed those twisted armor plates could sprout protective arms? This was beyond mere advanced technology—it was outright bizarre.

The Ixa emblem flickered briefly, as if bidding Sora farewell before vanishing completely.

Assessing himself, Sora realized that Ixa hadn't left him with special abilities, unlike the W's [Planetary Library] or the fully inert [Super Hero Senki] granted by Touma-sensei.

Rather, Ixa had refined his physical resilience, pushing his bodily capabilities to peak human limits.

"At this rate, won't I end up a Showa-era brute?" Sora clenched his fists lightly, half-joking. If this continued, he might one day achieve the absurd strength of a Showa Rider.

But that was a matter for later. Now, his priority was resolving the crisis unfolding on this planet.

And Serus was ultimately to blame—justice demanded he settle accounts properly.

At worst, I'll just have to beat Nokiribi again and force a detransformation!

Sora checked his other abilities.

[Planetary Library: Linking to 'Zieltworth' 30% complete.]

Soon, he'd uncover the planet's truth and Serus's schemes.

[Rider Retrieval complete.]

[Ready to draw your next Rider.]

One Rider emblem after another filled his vision.

"System, draw a new Rider power," Sora commanded firmly.

He hoped for something strong enough to disassemble Nokiribi in one punch, giving it a taste of defeat!

[As you wish, Host.]

All Rider icons darkened, becoming capsules that rapidly spun before a bright red button appeared before him.

Without hesitation—hesitation was defeat!—he slammed his hand down on it.

Riders, lend me your strength!

Icons clashed fiercely until one clearly emerged.

The capsule opened, and the Rider's image surged into Sora's body.

Eyes wide, he sank deep into visions of newfound power.