Honkai: Star Rail — Kamen Rider! [33]

CycloneJoker.

The default form of Kamen Rider W.

It excelled in close-quarters combat, channeling wind to enhance speed and embedding its elemental force into every strike. Wind-infused punches and kicks could send enemies flying and even create limited-range gust attacks.

Used properly, it allowed for high-pressure offense in melee combat.

But—this strategy was only effective against humanoid foes. Not giant creatures like the Doomsday Beast.

Trying to go toe-to-toe with something that massive? That was like hanging yourself because life was too good—pure suicide.

Sora had deployed CycloneJoker primarily to test how his body handled the strain of dual-slot transformation.

Once he confirmed he could endure the dual Memory load, he didn't hold back. Time to switch to the form with the highest offensive output he had access to.

He launched another attack. The Doomsday Beast, after parrying, grew wary.

Sora's movements were too erratic. It couldn't predict where the next strike would come from.

Which was exactly the opening Sora needed. He used the brief lull to land safely at a distance.

With practiced ease, he slotted two new Memories into his Driver.

"[Heat]!"

"[Metal]!"

Red and silver overtook his armor, and the moment the transformation completed, all relevant combat data flashed in his mind.

A metal staff appeared in his grip, and the air around him began to heat.

Kamen Rider W — HeatMetal.

The Heat and Metal Memories boosted fighting spirit and physical durability. It specialized in mid-to-close range combat with the "Metal Shaft," a staff that burned with intense flame.

It was the heaviest, least agile of W's forms—but also the most durable.

Except for the ultimate forms like Fang's Maximum Drive or Xtreme, its raw attack power was unmatched.

Why not use Fang, then?

Simple. Sora got the sense that Fang had… opinions about him.

Besides, he was on a scorched, ruined battlefield, and his clothes were already in tatters.

Anyone with eyes could see that his pants had long since been brutalized—practically rags at this point.

In short, he wasn't about to gamble on Fang's unstable behavior under these conditions.

He was facing a Doomsday Beast, after all—any mistake could be fatal.

And if he lost the ability to fight, the consequences would be unthinkable.

So, the best call was to use HeatMetal—reliable, powerful, and balanced.

Plus, among all Memory pairings, Heat and Metal had the highest sync rate. If this were Build's system, it'd definitely qualify as a Best Match.

As red and silver covered his body, the swirling winds around him gradually stilled.

Dust that had been lifted into the air began to settle.

Then—

A streak of blazing flame cut across the sky, rushing straight at the Doomsday Beast.

HeatMetal was slower than CycloneJoker, yes—but still far faster than any ordinary human. And that slowness was only relative to the wind-enhanced mobility of his previous form.

As long as he compensated for that shortfall, the form was more than enough.

His flame-colored left foot slammed into the ground, igniting a small explosion beneath him and launching him forward like a missile.

The metal staff in his hands sliced the air, leaving glowing streaks behind. Even the drifting dust seemed to ignite in his wake.

As he neared the Doomsday Beast, flames erupted around the staff, transforming it into a blazing rod of fire.

The temperature surged. The scent of burning metal filled the air. The Doomsday Beast tensed.

Emotionless though it may be, it felt the danger.

Despite its size, the beast was not clumsy—it launched into the air, wings flaring as it tried to dodge the incoming blow.

But Sora wasn't just swinging blindly anymore.

In HeatMetal, he could adjust mid-air too.

Another explosion burst beneath his foot, boosting him upward again—cutting off the beast's escape.

The flaming staff whistled through the air and struck with punishing force.

BOOM!

A shower of sparks flew as the weapon smashed into the Doomsday Beast's skull, sending it crashing back to the ground.

Mid-fall, Sora took the opportunity to slot the Metal Memory into the staff's drive slot.

"[Metal Maximum Drive]!"

The tip of the weapon ignited with a roaring flame. Sora raised it high above his head—

From afar, it looked like he was wielding a flaming warhammer straight out of myth.

"[Metal Branding]!"

The Doomsday Beast hadn't even recovered from the impact of its crash landing when it saw the fire-wreathed weapon descending.

It roared in defiance, drawing energy from its antimatter engines and unleashing a beam directly at Sora!

But Sora didn't flinch.

He came crashing down, staff first.

The antimatter blast struck the staff with a blinding flare, bathing the battlefield in white light.

But the weapon didn't shatter. Didn't disintegrate.

Instead—it burned hotter.

Sora could feel the temperature rising through his grip.

The Metal Shaft, empowered by a Gaia Memory, couldn't be destroyed by anything short of a planet-ending force.

And the Doomsday Beast's beam was only fueling it, making the Heat Memory's power grow exponentially.

Sora hadn't expected that.

He could feel blisters forming on his palms—but he refused to let go.

With a defiant roar, he parted the beam with a swing—

And brought the burning shaft down on the Doomsday Beast's skull.

CLANG!

A sharp, ringing impact echoed across the battlefield.

The monster froze, limbs locking for a split second—

Then staggered backward, swaying—

And collapsed with a thunderous crash.

"…Looks like that did the trick."

Dazed, not brain-dead. Just the right amount of force.

Sora immediately dropped the overheated shaft.

Ssshhhhh—

A puff of smoke rose from the scorched ground as the weapon hit it. The heat had seared the earth black.

It would take too long for it to cool. Best to finish the job while he had the chance.

He pulled out the Metal Memory and prepared to deliver the final blow—to end the Doomsday Beast once and for all.

The creature was already near death. During the battle at the War Foundry, it had barely escaped with its life. Its body was riddled with fractures.

Without the Foundry, it could no longer regenerate.

Sora had gotten lucky, really—a free kill.

But that didn't change the fact: this was still a Doomsday Beast.

"[Heat]!"

"[Trigger]!"

Blue replaced silver as a new form overtook his body.

He walked up to the monster, lifted his gun, and pointed it at its head.

Then—

Something small and silver sank its teeth into his wrist.

Huh?