Honkai: Star Rail — Kamen Rider!

At Xiyi's shout, all eyes turned to the figure at the corner.

Bathed in silvery moonlight, the black-and-crimson figure seemed to blend into the surrounding darkness. Yet despite this, everyone could clearly make out his face beneath the moon's glow.

Instantly, tension crackled among the group confronting Xiyi.

"That face…" Xiyi's senior murmured gravely, startled to see him here. "There's no mistaking it. He's the one who stood against Nokiribi!"

Others quickly echoed her realization, their voices trembling with unease.

After all, this man had clashed evenly against Nokiribi herself—and not just evenly, but managed it with notoriously subpar armor. When his face had first been revealed, they'd all etched it firmly into their memories.

His mere presence here was enough to set everyone on edge.

Still, the thirty-two SAM Unit soldiers in Fyrefly Suits felt quietly confident. Their armor's superiority, combined with sheer numbers, seemed to tilt the odds in their favor.

"Squad Two, stay alert," commanded their captain, voice steady beneath her helmet.

All soldiers tensed instantly. Their armor's AI rapidly scanned the figure, pinpointing countless vulnerabilities as he stood relaxed at the corner. Yet, nobody dared underestimate him.

Hoshigaki Sora calmly counted them. "Thirty-two… hmm." Beneath the moonlight, he smiled faintly. "Seems manageable."

His nonchalant words stunned everyone present.

Manageable…? What exactly does that mean?

"Sora-senpai…" Hope brightened Xiyi's eyes at his appearance. "I knew you hadn't betrayed us."

She vividly remembered his words during their combat training:

"You may wear armor, but never let it obscure the heart that protects others."

That was why she'd stood firm until now.

Yet Sora ignored her call, instead eyeing the Fyrefly soldiers before him.

"I'm pressed for time. All thirty-two of you, attack together."

A heavy silence descended.

The soldiers exchanged incredulous glances.

"Did… did he really just say that?"

"He wants all of us at once?"

Annoyance rapidly displaced their shock.

Just how much does he underestimate us?

Certainly, they recognized his strength. After all, he and Argenti alone had defeated Squad One, and he'd fought evenly against Nokiribi herself. But those were different circumstances—single combat, one-on-one fights.

Did he truly view thirty-two trained soldiers as no more challenging than a single opponent?

Irritation simmered beneath their armor. They felt deeply slighted. Such blatant disregard wounded their pride—the pride of those who'd faced countless battles, who'd stood firm against swarms of True Sting to protect this world.

Their pride burned fiercely, now offended by this insult.

The captain's voice turned cold. "It seems you won't understand unless we show our true strength."

The SAM Unit shed their Zieltworth guard disguises, fully activating their Fyrefly Suits. Flames erupted from the suits' thrusters, lighting up the dark night like fireflies flickering in a summer sky.

Xiyi stood stunned. She had no idea what had roused their seniors' passions—but knew it spelled trouble.

She'd only intended for Sora to help subdue the captain. How had it escalated like this?

Desperately, she called out, "Sora-senpai, hurry—!"

"You're right," Sora interrupted, unfazed by the roaring flames around him. "Come at me with all you've got!"

A joyful grin spread across his face. "Only then, through the honesty of battle, can we truly communicate."

He slammed his fist into his palm sharply.

"That's the only way I can awaken you from confusion!"

He twisted a dial on his belt. A distinctive revving sound startled everyone.

What on earth is he doing?

Suddenly, rhythmic beats echoed from his belt:

'[Ready For Input]'

'[Are you ready to drive]?'

The captain's voice rose angrily. "Are you mocking us?!"

Her helmet flushed a vivid, furious crimson. This was battle—serious and deadly. And he… he was joking about driving?

"No," Sora calmly answered, meeting her blazing gaze.

Ready for input.

Are you ready to drive?

Absolutely.

"This," he declared, "is the horn sounding our burning battle!"

With a flourish, he activated his shift bracer. Tri-colored lights—crimson, emerald, vivid purple—burst forth, symbols of bonds forged across races.

"Allow me to race alongside you!"

"[Hen... Shin]!"

'[Drive: Type Miracle]!'

Radiant crimson energy exploded forth, illuminating the battlefield in dazzling brilliance.

Armor swiftly assembled around Sora's body, sealing into place seamlessly. At last, a figure with two prominent golden horns emerged.

'[Heart]!'

'[The Kamen Rider]!'

The battlefield plunged into stunned silence.

Both SAM Units and the Independent Squad stared in shock.

From the waist down, the armor looked ordinary enough—red plating accented by heart-patterned fabric.

Yet from the waist up, it became utterly bizarre. Vehicle-like plating and wheels on his shoulders looked jarring. But most disconcerting was his faceplate: green eyes, strangely placed gaps resembling a mouth, and two unmistakably heart-shaped horns atop his head.

Sora awkwardly cleared his throat amid the silence. "Ahem. These horns on my head actually form a heart shape. Fun fact."

An extremely niche fun fact nobody asked for or cared about.

"Though I don't know why you refuse to use your previous silver armor…" the captain spoke slowly, voice oddly distorted by her helmet, "don't expect us to hold back because of this…thing."

"Of course not." Sora tightened his fists, knuckles cracking sharply. "I plan on beating some sense into you as well."

A tense silence held briefly, broken only by the roaring flames behind the Fyrefly Suits.

Then, without further delay, the captain charged forward fiercely, her squad following in perfect formation.

Flames erupted violently behind her, shifting their output until they became thin, razor-like threads. Her speed surged instantly, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye, beyond mere human perception.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

She shattered several sound barriers within seconds, but her superb piloting ensured absolute stability.

Her gaze locked unwaveringly onto Hoshigaki Sora, who appeared utterly frozen in place.

Just who do you think you are, challenging us alone?!

We've faced countless horrors on the frontline, honing our skills on the edge of death itself!

Closing the distance in an instant, she roared furiously, "Repent your arrogance!"

The momentum of her strike was immense—enough to puncture through armor with ease.

Yet, just as her blow descended, she saw him turn his head calmly, his green eyes precisely tracking her incredible speed, and saw his fist, raised high and poised.

"Hah!"

With a fierce shout, his blazing red fist met her attack head-on.

For a fleeting moment, she glimpsed a vivid memory:

"They have consciousness, their own thoughts… They're part of this universe, too."

"They've known nothing but hostility since birth. If that's the case, let me greet them first with kindness."

In the memory, Sora clenched his fist tightly.

"No one planted malice within them. I believe their hearts are fundamentally good."

"If no one believes, then I'll believe. If no one protects, then I'll protect."

"Under my protection, even fireflies bound by endless chains can shine in this starry sky."

"Because that's what it means to be a Kamen Rider. Because that's… who I am."

The vision faded like foam into nothingness, and Squad Two's captain awoke amidst shattered rubble.

A deep, smoking furrow stretched toward her from afar, marking her violent landing.

What just happened…?

She rubbed her aching head, darkness receding from her eyes, clarity slowly returning. Her gaze flicked anxiously toward the battlefield—

—and froze.

The Fyrefly Suits were rapidly diminishing.

Surrounded, Sora threw punch after punch, ordinary yet relentless. Those struck were flung backward violently, carving deep trenches into the earth as their transformations shattered midair.

Already, more than a dozen such furrows scarred the battlefield, each ending in a short-haired woman, unconscious and reverted to human form.

Dull amber cicada wings lay quietly on their chests, faint glimmers reflecting the tremendous energy spent to resist each strike.

Yet despite severe losses, the remaining Fyrefly Suits relentlessly charged forward like moths drawn toward a blazing flame.

The captain experienced a sudden, surreal reversal—

It felt exactly like facing the endless swarms of True Sting in the past, only this time…

This time, they were the swarm, and the lone, unyielding figure at the center was them.

He didn't retreat. Nor could he.

Yet strangely, she heard an invisible voice whisper reassuringly, "No need to fall back; ahead of us stands an immovable shield."

An immovable shield…?

Aren't we supposed to be that shield…? Isn't that our very purpose…?

"Hey, are you alright?"

Her vision refocused. Her entire squad was defeated, and before her stood the man who'd defeated them, reaching out his hand kindly.

"Are you hurt somewhere? Strange, I thought I held back pretty well…"

Sora studied her curiously as she stared blankly, struggling to comprehend.

He's concerned about me? Do we even deserve that?

While Sora frowned uncertainly, a small, cold hand suddenly slipped into his.

Warm. His hand is so warm.

She finally asked, in a voice heavy with uncertainty: "Can I…trust you?"

He blinked, startled, then grinned brightly.

"If you're willing to become my friend, then yes, you can."

Friend? Does trusting someone really require reasons?

"And right now," he continued gently, pulling her to her feet, "you're already my friend."

He steadied her, voice firm and reassuring.

"So trust me…"

"Because trusting a friend needs no reason at all!"