Honkai: Star Rail — Kamen Rider!

"The heart is the most crucial organ in the human body."

A crimson figure stood before Sora, wearing a heart-shaped ring on his finger. Between his fingertips, he casually held a tiny sphere.

"As humans, you should take better care of this most fragile yet vital part of yourselves."

With that, he crushed the tiny spherical nanobot effortlessly between two fingers.

Then, as he turned around, his familiar features made Sora's eyes widen in shock.

Holy crap, the luminous wild man!

Wait, no, that's not right—

"Wait a second...Heart-sama?!" Sora blurted out, disbelievingly.

"Hey, hey, hey! Why do you have to react exactly like Brain?"

The smile on the man's face turned somewhat helpless at Sora's outburst.

Yet Sora's astonishment didn't diminish at all.

Heart—the antagonist from Kamen Rider Drive.

Roidmude No.002, the Heart Roidmude.

Although he was a villainous executive, Heart conducted himself honorably, even heroically. Among the characters of Drive, he had always been remarkably charismatic.

At the series' climax, Heart and Kamen Rider Drive joined forces to defeat humanity's scum, Banno Tenjuro, disappearing into the rain together, signaling the end of the Roidmudes.

And later, in the side story, he even transformed into Kamen Rider Heart himself.

Now standing quietly before him, Heart didn't say much. Instead, he looked up toward the starry sky above.

"I know what's happening in your world. Unlike Earth, there's no real reason for different species there to fight bitterly to the death. Truly, it seems like a beautiful place."

"Yet, even in such a world, there's a race that has lost its way."

He shifted his gaze back toward Sora. "Do you also believe their race faces unjust discrimination?"

Sora immediately grasped what Heart meant, answering sincerely:

"They have self-awareness and the ability to think independently. Each of them is a distinct individual."

"They experience emotions just like us—joy in growth, sorrow at loss, anger for their comrades. They're undeniably a part of this universe."

"Yes," Heart responded gently. "They're indeed part of the universe, yet they've chosen distrust due to the malice they've endured."

"But where there's malice, kindness also exists—just as I found among the friends I met."

"If you answer malice with malice, the world returns nothing but hostility. Yet, if you answer with kindness, something new may bloom."

Heart closed his eyes, smiling warmly.

"Thus, I entrust my power to you. Please help this lost race understand the truth."

His figure slowly dissolved into red particles, merging into Sora's body.

Suddenly, Sora's ears were filled with a rhythmic pounding—the sound of a heartbeat.

"A sword is meant for confronting deliberate evil, but for a race consumed by confusion and self-denial, you should use your fists to show them what the world truly holds!"

His heartbeat surged fiercely, roaring like an engine revving to its limit.

This was a heart blazing at full throttle!

"I leave this in your hands now…my new friend."

A soft smile crossed Sora's lips.

Friend, huh...?

If a friend had entrusted this to him, then he would surely—

"Oh, and by the way—your sense of fashion is absolutely terrible. Let me give you a new makeover."

Wait, what—?!

Before Sora could protest, crimson particles suddenly surrounded him.

---

"I repeat: All residents of this planet must evacuate within three days."

After sheltering the survivors, Argenti stared up at the projection screen above.

"So, this is the one responsible for banishing beauty from this world...?"

Despite his words, Argenti's brow knitted unconsciously. Something about the speaker didn't seem truly ugly.

"In three days, we will cleanse this planet indiscriminately to flush out our enemy—Serus Zieltworth."

"Someone attempted to stop me earlier...but was defeated."

An image of a towering building appeared on screen.

"This is the largest medical center on this planet."

"If memory serves, it's also where Mr. Serus keeps his offices."

A ripple of whispers spread immediately, confirming the building's identity.

Then, the footage shifted abruptly, showing the battle between Nokiribi and Kamen Rider Ixa.

At first, the silver-white figure pushed forward relentlessly, forcing Nokiribi to retreat step by step.

Even after Nokiribi was engulfed in flames, Ixa retained the advantage for quite some time.

However, countless arms emerging from Nokiribi's armor decisively turned the tide.

"There was nothing he could do. Just looking at their armor, it's clear he already gave it his all."

"Yeah, with such a huge gap in equipment, that swordsman already reached his absolute limit."

The crowd murmured regretfully. Considering the immense disadvantage, it was remarkable that Ixa had held out for so long.

Even Argenti quietly admitted that had he been in Sora's place, he might not have handled it as perfectly.

Yet, when the figure behind the silver-white armor was finally revealed, Argenti's eyes widened in shock.

That incredible swordsmanship just now was actually Sora...?

"As expected of a warrior of beauty shining with justice. Even I'm feeling inspired."

Argenti admired Sora's bravery, though he too regretted seeing him defeated.

"As you can see, the person who tried to stop me has fallen inside that building."

The image returned to Nokiribi's monstrous form, a twisted collection of iron shards, horrifying to behold.

"My final decision stands: You have three days. Anyone remaining on the planet afterward, regardless of who you are, will perish."

With those chilling words, the screen abruptly cut off.

Instantly, anxiety spread throughout the shelter. Many began preparing to rush toward the starport, eager to leave as quickly as possible.

Only Argenti stood firm, holding his spear thoughtfully.

Was it just his imagination?

Why did he feel that Nokiribi had purposely revealed Sora's location, as if subtly encouraging others to rescue him?

Was it just...his imagination...?

Argenti wasn't entirely sure anymore.