Honkai: Star Rail — Kamen Rider! [32]

The Doomsday Beast.

A symbol of the Antimatter Legion's wrath—and the executioner of this planet's downfall. It was the appearance of the Doomsday Beasts that had pushed the world's defenses to the brink of collapse.

It wouldn't be wrong to say that Camille's current devastation owed much to their presence.

But now, with the War Foundry destroyed, the Doomsday Beasts had lost their source of regeneration.

Only one remained, and it had taken up residence atop the ruins of what had once been a luxurious palace.

From afar, the beast's massive silhouette loomed unmistakably. Even beneath the overcast skies, its antimatter engines glimmered faintly.

It had been nesting there for quite some time, seemingly treating the ruined palace as its territory.

And yet—its actions were… strange.

For some reason, it had taken to stacking pieces of the ruins into odd, crude formations—like a child with no understanding of the world, piling dirt into heaps.

No one knew why. No one understood what it was trying to do.

But as the last Doomsday Beast on this planet, it suddenly sensed something—and turned its head toward the horizon.

Then it shifted into an aggressive stance. The red glow from its forehead intensified, and beneath its battered armor, its muscles tensed, ready to strike.

Its eyes locked onto the figure approaching on a motorcycle.

Sora skidded the bike to a halt, his gaze steady.

He could feel it—the killing intent radiating off the beast. It was like a predator guarding its lair, eyes filled with instinctive hatred for the intruder.

But Sora had no choice. He had to move forward.

"If you leave now, no one needs to get hurt."

ROAR!!!

The beast's only reply was a thunderous roar.

Its tattered wings, still capable of movement, flared as it surged toward him.

"…Tch. Too bad you're not human," Sora muttered, snapping the Driver onto his waist.

"[Cyclone]!"

"[Joker]!"

Twin lights flickered across the belt. Around him, the dust stirred—caught by an unseen pull, it began swirling in a spiral.

But the beast didn't hesitate. Even as the strange phenomenon intensified, it charged straight ahead, claws raised.

"[Henshin]!"

Whoosh—

A breeze stirred across the lifeless land. It began as a whisper, barely there—but quickly it grew stronger, spinning into a whirlwind that engulfed Sora's figure.

The Doomsday Beast didn't flinch. With a vicious roar, it drove its claw through the storm, ripping apart the cyclone.

But—there was no impact.

Was he that weak?

"Hey. What're you looking at?"

A voice came from its flank.

Startled, the beast turned—and saw a figure wreathed in emerald light plummeting from the sky.

A flying kick smashed straight into its face.

BOOM!

The creature staggered back, its enormous body reeling. Sparks flew as the edge of its armor cracked under the blow.

The wind had seemed harmless—but gathered to a certain intensity, even the gentlest breeze could change the course of a battle. And this wind carried with it the planet's last remaining hope.

The attacker landed like a falling leaf, light and sure.

Half green, half deep violet. A silver crest on his helmet. A silver scarf flowing behind him.

Kamen Rider W — CycloneJoker.

Sora pointed straight ahead.

"I've paid the price for my sins. Now it's your turn—to answer for yours, for what you've done to this planet."

As he spoke, the wind stirred again. Dust lifted, swirling through the air like a living thing, rising at his back as he surged forward.

From a distance, Robin watched the figure framed by the storm and let out a breath.

"Sora's changed his armor again."

Since they met, he'd already worn three different sets of armor.

First blue, then deep violet—and now this new form, split between violet and emerald green.

He changes armor faster than I change outfits.

But despite the shift in appearance, Robin could still feel it—underneath the gear, it was unmistakably Sora.

That quiet sense of reassurance he carried… it only grew stronger with every transformation.

"Even if he's got a new form, that Doomsday Beast won't go down easily," Anna said, standing beside her.

Her hand clenched the token tightly. Her face was pale, tense.

If only I had been more careful… if I hadn't let that strange thing ambush me...

Then Sora wouldn't have to fight alone now.

But regrets wouldn't change anything. And here he was—an outsider, stranded on their world—risking his life for it.

"It's our own weakness that brought us to this point."

"Hey, now's not the time for that," Robin said firmly. "Sora isn't the kind of person who'd just watch your world die and do nothing."

"Sure, he might not say much—but his actions speak for him."

Her gaze returned to the green-and-violet Rider standing amid the storm.

"He's the kind of guy who fights for others. I know that. I feel that."

She'd helped him stabilize his mind using the Path of Harmony more times than she could count. In those moments—quiet, vulnerable, unguarded—she'd caught glimpses of his true heart.

He might complain, might grumble—but he never once turned away.

"That's who Sora is. A total handful, but… kind to the core." A small smile tugged at her lips. "And besides, we don't exactly have a Plan B. Believe in him. A Doomsday Beast? He'll handle it."

Anna looked at the swirling storm ahead. Her heart, long gripped by fear, began to settle.

Yes.

Sora would lead this planet out of despair.

Without question.

On the battlefield, Sora had already pushed CycloneJoker's abilities to their limits.

Cyclone gave him incredible speed. Joker amplified his physical potential. Together, they made him a blur, moving faster than the eye could track.

Most importantly—he didn't feel that mental strain this time.

So long as I don't use the Planetary Library, I can handle this transformation just fine.

With that realization, his hesitation vanished.

He dove into battle with everything he had.

But for all CycloneJoker's speed, its striking power left something to be desired.

Which meant—it was time to switch it up.

Sora reached down and pulled out a new Memory.