Chapter 43: Shocked Group Members, and Hokama Yukio Gets Fired Up

『Shirley』: Wait, "new world"? 『Shirley』: What do you mean by that? 『What to Do with My Chunibyo Sister』: I'm curious! 『Blade King』: Don't tell me... you can travel across different worlds? 『Passing Kamen Rider』: While it's not exactly how the group describes it, 『Passing Kamen Rider』: I am traveling through various worlds. That much is true. 『Wall Guard Commander』: That sounds... incredible. 『Blade King』: 666. 『What to Do with My Chunibyo Sister』: That's awesome! As they read the messages, the group members began picturing what "world-hopping" might actually look like. Even if it wasn't exactly like Hokama Yukio described, it still sounded amazing. Carl read through the chat silently, eyes narrowing in thought. Carl (thinking): So he's at that point in the timeline already... If I remember right, he should've traveled to several alternate Rider worlds by now. This just proves it, Every member in the group exists at a different point in time. Somewhere in the Decade World... Hokama Yukio stared at the screen, a smug smile creeping onto his lips. Being complimented like that felt... surprisingly good. After replying to a few more messages, he tapped open the [Group Marketplace] for the first time. Hokama Yukio (thinking): So this is the shop... Whoa, there's a ton of stuff in here. Some items looked completely unfamiliar, Things like Ninjutsu manuals, Haki tomes, and even... the Infinity Stones? Those definitely weren't from his world. But then he saw some things he did recognize: The Diend Driver. The Neo Decade Driver. The Oma Zi-O Card... Familiar names, yet somehow strange, too. He already had the Decade Driver, that was his own transformation belt. But what was the Neo version? And who the hell was Oma Zi-O? As he browsed through the descriptions, Hokama Yukio's heart rate quickened. The power in some of these items was beyond comprehension. Especially the Oma Zi-O Card. It could summon all Heisei Riders, copy their powers, and even bend space-time at will. It was practically divine. But the price? He gulped. Just an absurd string of zeroes. Hokama Yukio (grimacing): No way I could afford that. Even if I sign in every single day, I'd never reach it... So the others were right. If you relied only on sign-ins, you'd never touch the real treasures. While he walked with Natsumi Tachibana and Yusuke Onodera, Hokama Yukio still felt a bit dazed. Natsumi: "Tsukasa, you okay?" She looked over at Tsukasa Kadoya, Yukio's alias in this world, who was lost in thought. Tsukasa (Hokama Yukio): "Huh? Oh... it's nothing. Just wondering what we're supposed to do here." Natsumi (tilting her head): "Maybe... this is your world?" They chatted casually as they continued down the street. But then, Thud... Thud... Thud... Something was approaching. The trio turned around and saw grotesque figures moving in from behind, Monsters with warped faces and jagged armor. Hokama Yukio (narrowing his eyes): "Who the hell are these guys?" Before anyone could answer, sinister laughter rang out. They turned, but were immediately met with a barrage of blasts! Boom! Boom! Boom! Energy bullets flew at them, forcing them to scatter and take cover. As they regrouped, a towering mechanical figure stomped into view. ???: "I am the strongest soldier of the Crisis Empire, Mech-Beast Shubarian!" The metal giant raised a massive hand and pointed at Hokama Yukio. Shubarian: "Kill Kyoji Kasumi for me!" More monsters rushed out from the shadows. Hokama Yukio (confused): "Kasumi...? Did he just call me Kasumi?" But before anyone could react, Voice: "Crisis!" The monsters froze mid-attack. A man in white robes stepped between the monsters and the trio. ???: "I will protect Kyoji Kasumi!" He struck a pose. ???: "Henshin!" A belt appeared around his waist. In a flash, he transformed into a beetle-armored warrior, green, sleek, and radiant. ???: "I am the Child of the Sun, Kamen Rider Black RX! The rebirth of the Dark Sun!" Without hesitation, he launched into battle against the Crisis soldiers. Hokama Yukio (realizing): So this is the world of... Black RX! The mysterious warrior fought valiantly, but was quickly overwhelmed. Only after transforming into Robo Rider did he gain the upper hand. As he prepared to finish Shubarian, A strange distortion tore open behind the metal beast. Two new monsters emerged. They attacked RX immediately, turning the fight into a brutal 2v1. Yusuke (shouting): "Fangires!? Makamou!? Why are they here!?" RX was driven back. Hokama Yukio clenched his fists. He couldn't sit this one out. Hokama Yukio: "Henshin!" He pulled out a card and inserted it into his belt. Driver Voice: "Kamen Ride... Decade!" In a flash, he transformed into Kamen Rider Decade. RX's eyes widened. RX: "Kyoji Kasumi is... Decade!?" Even the enemy forces looked stunned. Hokama Yukio (muttering): "That name again..." Without wasting another second, he charged into battle. He shifted into Agito form and quickly dispatched one of the monsters. The last one realized the situation was bad and fled alongside Shubarian. RX walked up, tense. RX: "The Destroyer of Worlds... Decade." RX: "I won't let you destroy this world!" He raised his guard. Hokama Yukio mirrored him. Just before the fight broke out, Natsumi stepped between them. Natsumi: "Wait! Please, Tsukasa's been protecting Rider worlds this entire time!" RX paused, gazing at her expression. After a long moment... he smiled. He believed her. Both of them powered down. They began to talk. The group explained their situation, learned more about RX, and listened as he described the strange fusion of worlds and enemies appearing everywhere. It was clear: This world was being merged with others. Suddenly, the space around them warped again. Three new figures emerged. A man in a white suit stood at the front, flanked by two monstrous Makamou. White-Suited Man (grinning): "Decade... I've finally found you." Hokama Yukio's expression darkened. He was from Dai-Shocker. Then, without warning, the man transformed. A blood-red suit of armor encased him. A double-edged energy shield appeared in his hand. Before Hokama Yukio could react, Crash! His belt was struck and sent flying. Then he was hit square in the chest and collapsed. White-Suited Man (sneering): "Your life force..." He raised a mirror-like device with twin faces. Apollo Geist: "It now belongs to me." The device was aimed at Hokama Yukio, But before it could activate, Natsumi threw herself in front of him. The beam struck her instead. She fell immediately. Yusuke (furious): "Natsumi!!" He roared and transformed into Kuuga, forcing the enemy to retreat. [End of Chapter]