Honkai: Star Rail — Kamen Rider! [27]
Rustle.
The quiet sound of a page turning echoed softly.
In a small office, a boy in a striped long-sleeve shirt and long coat sat cross-legged on the floor, flipping through a book completely devoid of text.
Suddenly, his head lifted slightly as a voice rang in his ears.
"Come on, Philip. What are you even doing over there?"
The boy sighed, a helpless expression crossing his face. He closed the blank book in his hands and replied,
"Shotaro, you're just being impatient again."
"Whatever, just get over here already."
"Alright, alright. I'll be there in a moment. Don't be in such a rush."
The boy turned toward a silhouette that had just appeared before him. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"So, junior… that hothead Shotaro hasn't been giving you too much trouble, has he?"
Sora blinked in surprise.
Wait... seriously?
He hadn't expected to see both of them here so soon.
Actually—he remembered now—right after he hit the draw button, this guy had practically leapt out of the system.
Now that I think about it, Philip's the real impatient one, isn't he?
As if reading his thoughts, the boy brushed his hair aside and chuckled with mild exasperation.
"Well, the best way to manage a hothead… is to stay by his side, obviously."
"Besides, we're not a one-man act. We're a two-in-one detective. No way I'd let him come here alone."
"From here on, it's your case to handle. Just remember—don't let this planet scream in despair again."
His figure slowly faded, leaving behind a single green Memory in Sora's palm.
[Cyclone]
A system prompt echoed in his mind:
[Congratulations. Host has randomly drawn a main Rider: Kamen Rider W.]
Randomly drawn?
Buddy, that guy launched himself out the gate.
[You have received all Armaments and Memories of Kamen Rider W.]
More Memories materialized around him—icons he recognized immediately.
They settled into his pockets, left and right.
On the left: [Heat], [Luna], [Cyclone].
On the right: [Metal], [Trigger], [Joker].
Above his head hovered the majestic flying bird Xtreme, while a tiny white dinosaur—Fang—chomped playfully at his pant leg.
He now possessed every Memory and form of Kamen Rider W.
This... is what they call a senior's blessing?
Isn't this a bit too generous?!
[Congratulations. You've unlocked Kamen Rider Cyclone's special ability: Planetary Library.]
[Planetary Library: Formerly known as the "Gaia Library" on Earth. Now reconfigured to interface with the planet you're currently on, allowing the user to access the collective memory of the planet.]
Sora stared at the text, slack-jawed.
Wait, what? I didn't fall into the planet's core or anything... How do I already have a skill this busted?!
This ability was ridiculous.
He could tap directly into the planet's memory. Anything that had ever happened here—all of it was stored, searchable by keyword.
It was like being granted omniscient surveillance from a divine perspective.
I shouldn't be allowed to have this, right?
And just when he was spiraling into power-fueled panic, another line of text appeared.
[Warning: If user is not a data-type entity, accessing planetary memory may cause severe cognitive burn. Use with caution.]
...There it was.
Sora's excitement cooled immediately.
Still, he wasn't disappointed. He'd known from the start that great power would come with a cost.
Even in the original series, Philip (real name: Raito Sonozaki) had died as a child when he fell into a well linked to the Gaia Core—only to awaken later, connected to the library itself.
In return, he'd gained power unlike any other.
The Planetary Library was absurdly strong. Activating it was practically the equivalent of using cheat codes in a game.
Well then... since I've got it, no harm in testing it, right?
Sora let out a slow breath.
No point wasting this draw without at least trying it once.
He clipped the W Driver to his waist.
"[Cyclone]!"
"[Joker]!"
He slotted the two Memories into either side of the belt—then split them apart with a snap.
"[Henshin]!"
A breeze swept through the room.
His body felt as if it had become one with the wind—his right side resonating with JOKER's strength, his left harmonizing with the element of the storm.
Green and black shards formed streaks across his body. Twin forces—Cyclone and Joker—merged at the center.
A whirlwind surged outward, blowing away the surrounding mist.
And in the center of that gale—stood a figure clad in two colors.
The dual-toned mutant—ahem, no, the Kamen Rider W—had arrived.
The first thing Sora noticed: this form was so much stronger than JOKER alone.
It wasn't just raw strength—the wind itself danced to his rhythm.
He clenched his fist, and a glowing green cyclone swirled into his palm.
With a thought, it became a speed boost—or a slicing wind blade, as needed.
So this is Cyclone's power…
Perfect moment to test the Planetary Library.
Sora stepped outside and focused, intending to access Camille's planetary archive.
He was curious—could he use this to uncover the truth behind Anna's mysterious contingency plans?
[Planetary Library—Activate]
He called it forth in his heart.
The Cyclone Memory flared with green light, surrounding him in a shimmering aura.
His consciousness began to drift, descending deeper and deeper—as though falling into a vast dream.
Until—
His feet touched down.
He opened his eyes.
And froze.
This... wasn't what he expected.
Instead of a grand, orderly library like Philip's Gaia Archive, he was standing in absolute chaos.
Piles of books lay scattered in messy heaps. It looked like a public library that had gone bankrupt and hadn't been cleaned in years.
What... the hell is this?
Sora frowned.
Why would Camille's archive look like this?
Still, he had a way to test it.
"Planet origin. Camille. Fate simulation."
Three keywords, spoken clearly.
If anything could point to the planet's foundation—and Anna's mysterious "fallback plan"—these would.
Moments later, a few books vanished from the surrounding mess.
Then, one by one, new volumes appeared in front of him—these were neatly arranged and stacked.
Okay, progress. Let's see...
Sora opened the first book—and immediately his pupils contracted.
"Matia Knox leads the Galaxy Rangers to slay the Lord Ravager, Zulo. Outcome: Fatalities – All."
Wait, what?
Wasn't I asking about Camille's origin? Why is this connected to the Galaxy Rangers—those cosmic drifters?!
Before he could make sense of it—
A searing pain shot through his skull.
His vision went white.
And with a jolt, he was yanked back into the real world.
The Rider form collapsed.
Sora clutched his head, dizzy, panting.
And from his nose...
Blood.
Yeah... okay. Planetary Library is definitely not beginner-friendly.