BA-G 61-85 (Patreon)

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61. Let's talk about compensation."Phew... Is it Sensei, the one everyone's been talking about?"Kayoko put away her phone, her eyes slightly strange. "The news said you were seriously injured to the point of being life-threatening. But it seems you're in great shape now, Sensei?""Could it be…" Kayoko’s eyes flashed with a sharp glint, as if she were channeling a master detective. "That purple bodysuit that knocked us all out, it was Sensei?!""No, it wasn’t me, absolutely not me." Sensei waved his hands repeatedly. "I was still lying in bed at that time.""That’s true… and the voices are different too.x"Looks like you guys are having a pretty good time here?" A familiar voice sounded from behind Sensei.Hearing this voice, not only Kayoko, but the other three in the cell were also drawn over. Finally, the Handyman 68 members got a clear look at Dan Kuroto’s true form.The white light bulb above his head divided Dan Kuroto’s face into black and white. His hair, styled with gel, was neatly plastered back, giving him an elite air.Combined with Dan Kuroto’s dangerous, smug expression and the eyes honed by his experience as a true villainous Rider, the Handyman 68 members witnessed firsthand what a real villain looked like, and Aru, among the four, was especially shocked."Waaah... An adult with an even more villainous aura than me..."Aru's tightly wound expression faltered. Compared to the other person, her forced villainous act was like child's play."An adult just like Sensei, huh~"Mutsuki's expression flashed dangerously for a moment, but quickly returned to normal, as if she had been pondering something."It was you who used that weird potion to make everyone act so strange~""Mutsuki, don’t say weird things," Kayoko habitually advised Mutsuki. Aru, trying to maintain a serious demeanor, inadvertently broke down when she saw Dan Kuroto’s eyes. When he wasn’t speaking, his appearance was even more frightening than any villain she had imagined.Seemingly recalling the feeling of being sent flying by Dan Kuroto’s hammer to the stomach, Haruka began endlessly apologizing again."I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, someone like me should just die…"Dan Kuroto looked at Sensei with suspicion."Have they always been like this?""Coming here now to judge our actions?"Kayoko’s voice was calm. After all, their phones hadn’t been confiscated, and their internet access wasn’t restricted.Just by reading news online, Kayoko’s data-driven mind had already pieced together the current situation from the snippets of information.They had received a request from Kaiser Corporation to attack Abydos students. Sensei, severely injured in the hospital, had disappeared. Kaiser Corporation had gone silent online.Numerous clues, big and small, combined to lead to a conclusion that surprised even Kayoko—Whatever Kaiser Corporation's intentions, they had failed.Kayoko's deductions led to this conclusion. Now, standing before them were Sensei, who had disappeared from the hospital, and Ayane, the bespectacled girl who, according to intelligence, was seriously ill and bedridden—both of them looked perfectly healthy."Ah… no wonder Kaiser Corporation failed."Kayoko understood something. "Was it because Sensei got up from his hospital bed to command the battle? To be able to confront Kaiser PMC head-on with such a small force… that’s truly Sensei…""Kayoko-san, I’m sorry, you’re wrong."Sensei waved his hand. "Most of the credit this time went to Mr. Dan Kuroto. He was a key player and helped a lot in the fight against Kaiser Corporation."Recalling Dan Kuroto’s fighting prowess during their previous battles, Kayoko understood."Using this kind of fighting force to fight against Kaiser Corporation’s army… is this your trump card?""In that case, what do you plan to do with us?"Kayoko glanced at her companions beside her, realizing she couldn't really count on Aru to handle the negotiations at this point.Aru, the leader of Handyman 68, was sitting nervously on the edge of the bed, her usually menacing expression now looking somewhat dazed; she was simply not someone to rely on. It was clear she would have to handle the negotiations herself.Kayoko and the others had tested their surroundings after being imprisoned and waking up.This prison of unknown origin was incredibly sturdy, and their weapons were all gone; an escape was utterly impossible. The guard cats that had appeared once or twice looked cute, but Kayoko found they were completely uncommunicative when she tried to extract information from them or negotiate anything; they were like programmed robots.After several tests, Kayoko realized the truth: they had no way to escape this prison.Handyman 68 was essentially a haven for troubled children; they had few friends, and no one was likely to attempt a prison break. Therefore, Kayoko understood that their entire group had been wiped out, completely defeated by this mysterious figure.If it weren't for the cats bringing in food every now and then, Kayoko would have worried they'd starve to death in the other cell."But this environment…"Kayoko glanced around the cell where they were being held. The adjacent rooms held several Helmet Gang thugs, people who had been there even longer than them. Kayoko recognized them; they were Helmet Gang members frequently hired by the Kaiser Corporation, always helping them with things the Kaiser Corporation couldn't directly handle."The environment where we're being held is actually surprisingly good…"Kayoko had visited the Valkyrie Police Station's solitary confinement cells, as well as Gehenna's. The conditions there weren't much better than this; there was no cell phone or internet access, and the meals were limited to strawberry daifuku without strawberries and Swiss rolls without cream. The beds weren't even as big as these."Could it be?! They're going to take us!?"Kayoko's mind raced for a moment before she snapped back to reality. The person in front of her had changed. Sensei stood to the side, while the man named Dan Kuroto stepped forward.A very oppressive feeling washed over her.Dan Kuroto placed his hand on the cell door."Your name is Kayoko, right? Now, I’ll open the cell door. We’ll discuss the property damage and compensation issues caused to Abydos School by the Handyman 68."---62. Follow-up to the Semi-Circular Interview“Compensation for damages…” Kayoko calmed down. “You can represent Abydos? Are you also a Teacher?”“No, I’m not a Teacher, but I am a direct beneficiary of Abydos Academy.”Dan Kuroto opened the iron gate and entered the room where Kayoko was being held. The unarmed student was just like any other girl, except for the halo surrounding her.“Direct beneficiary?”“Let me put it this way,” Dan Kuroto straightened up, light shining from behind him, making him appear imposing, much like the Kaiser Corporation director they had once met. “I will be assisting with the reconstruction of the Abydos School district and the cleanup of the sandstorm-affected areas. Takanashi Hoshino, the only current student council member at Abydos Academy, has agreed to transfer Abydos's rights in this regard to me. They will also become employees of Genm Corporation.”Ayane, standing behind him, widened her eyes. "Huh? Is that true?""So, this place will now belong to Genm Corp. Don't you need to compensate Genm Corp for the damages you've caused?"Dan Kuroto's sharp gaze was even more terrifying than that of Kayoko, who was known as the 'Demon Face.'With her fierce expression, Kayko would be questioned multiple times by the Valkyrie police students just by walking down the street. But now, an adult even more frightening than Kayoko had appeared. With his menacing aura, Kuroto Dan completely overwhelmed Kayoko before him.“But… but… the laws of Kivotos…”Kayoko wanted to argue with Dan Kuroto about the laws of Kivotos, but she stopped herself. Handyman 68 operated on the principle of punishing the wicked and punishing the good, committing one evil act each day.They had violated the laws of Kivotos countless times.To help Aru achieve her ideal image of a “villain,” coupled with Mutsuki's encouragement and Haruka's overzealousness, they had done plenty of lawless acts.In other words, handing them over to the Valkyrie Police Department would likely yield a hefty reward.Previously, Handyman 68 had always escaped capture thanks to Kayoko's intellect and the firepower of the other three. This time, their entire group had fallen to Dan Kuroto in his Kamen Rider form—an unexpected turn of events that even Kayoko hadn't considered."Speechless? Then let's talk about compensation."Dan Kuroto typed rapidly on a calculator that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere."You planted explosives in Abydos, destroyed valuable school assets, and recklessly used weapons on campus, damaging countless walls, floors, desks, and chairs...""Countless?! We were very restrained, you know!" Aru panicked, trying to defend herself. "There was only one wall!""Hmph, these are Abydos' official statistics! We have the final say!" Dan Kuroto snorted, turning to Ayane behind him. "You agree, right? These figures are all 'statistics' you compiled!""Ah... well... right, right?"Ayane was too embarrassed to lie, but under Dan Kuroto's gaze, she could only turn her face away and whisper."It seems there are this many...""Hey?! You're lying!"Aru pounded on the iron bars, her eyesight failing under the weight of her enormous debt. "You need to have a conscience, Glasses Girl!""You even dared to threaten Abydos students! Add that to the compensation for emotional distress!" Dan Kuroto typed a string of numbers. "Lost wages, repair costs, nutritional expenses, mental anguish, etc... add it all, I'll give you 700 million!""Pfft—" Aru spat out. "Seven hundred million?! What kind of lost work compensation is seven hundred million?"Dan Kuroto scoffed. "I'm worth around a million per minute. Just think about how many minutes you took me to handle your business! Even if you casually charge me seven hundred million, I'm the one who's losing out!""I've never seen such a shameless adult..." Kayoko gritted her teeth. "Is this your method?""Haha~ After all, we're all in his hands now." Mutsuki, who had been lying on the bed playing on her phone, sat up straight. Although she let out a "hahaha" laugh, her expression was anything but cheerful."According to the saying, we're like fish on a chopping board now, aren't we?"Haruka's fear deepened. "I'm sorry, it's all because of me, it's all because of me..."Aru was still struggling, tentatively asking, "Um... could you reduce the compensation? Seven hundred million is indeed a bit too much...""It seems everyone has some complaints about this punishment?"Dan Kuroto, one hand on his hip, surveyed the people locked in the cell. Each person's expression was different, and he couldn't help but click his tongue."Look at you all, it seems you're still thinking of resisting?"Sensei whispered, "Um... Mr. Dan Kuroto, isn't this a bit too much?""It's alright, I know what I'm doing.""I've done a lot of research on you guys."Dan Kuroto had previously gathered information from Handyman 68 while collecting data online. "You guys always dream of becoming true outlaws, so you've already done a lot of bad things and are on Valkyrie's wanted list. After going in Gehenna, your gang also clashed with Gehenna's Disciplinary Committee, right?""Yes, yes... why bring this up?" Aru asked, confused.“What I mean is, I need to warn you,” With his villainous nature fully unleashed, Kuroto Dan's cold eyes radiated energy as he spoke.“Even if I chain you up and send you to shovel the sands of Abydos clean by hand, you’ll have to accept it, because no one will come to rescue you, understand?”Aru’s face paled. “This guy—he seems serious!”Aru’s vivid imagination instantly conjured up countless images: under the scorching sun of over thirty degrees Celsius, Handyman 68 and her companions, in heavy shackles, digging the endless Abydos desert with shovels, each person having to work to their limit every day before being taken back to prison…"Waaaaah!! I was wrong!!!"Under the pressure of her imagination, Aru completely broke down, sobbing uncontrollably, her shoulders shaking with each sob."Waaaah... I... slurp... I'll never do that again, please forgive me!"In the past, Mutsuki would definitely have spoken up at this moment, criticizing Aru's cowardly behavior.But today, Mutsuki was unusually quiet.Because, in the past, Mutsuki's opponents were mostly disciplinary committee members or some cowardly yakuza thugs. Even if they made threats, very few of them actually carried them out.But this adult in the black suit—Mutsuki couldn't tell whether his threats were just empty words or something he could actually do.She couldn't tell...In fact, Dan Kuroto's aura gave Mutsuki a feeling deep down that this adult was truly capable of forcing all four of them to dig in the sand.And he wasn't wrong. Handyman 68 would be arrested no matter where they went, but... even being thrown into the Valkyrie cells or Gehenna's solitary confinement might be easier than digging in the sand to pay off their 700 million yen debt..."Wait, how did I automatically agree to pay off 700 million yen?"Mutsuki suddenly snapped out of it. Dan Kuroto's mature and imposing presence had completely disrupted their thinking.Simply put, he had drawn them into his rhythm. The more confused they became, the less they understood, the more they were led by the nose.Dan Kuroto was incorporating his business warfare mindset into their schemes; how could these children possibly resist?"Mr. Dan Kuroto…" Sensei's worried voice came again."Don't worry, they don't really need to dig in the sand." Dan Kuroto waved his hand behind his back, trying to calm Sensei down.Even the most intelligent Kayoko couldn't think of any rebuttal at this moment and could only say dejectedly, "...Please just say what you want to do.""Give up?" Dan Kuroto looked at her, but she didn't want to see this adult at all and turned her head away."Learned it?" Dan Kuroto turned to Ayane beside him, who could only awkwardly force a smile."This... is too cruel, I don't usually use it...""Ha... It's rare for me to teach something. What a mediocrity."Dan Kuroto listlessly pulled out four pre-prepared contracts from the game realm, handing one to Kayoko with a trembling hand. "Take this!"Kayoko looked up, puzzled, at the document in front of her. "What is this?""Take it, you must take it, otherwise you won't have another chance!" Dan Kuroto pushed the contract forward further. "And you should thank Kami!"Kayoko took the contract from Dan Kuroto. On the first page, several large words were printed.Meeting Dan Kuroto's gaze, Kayoko read out each word carefully."Genm Corp... Special Affairs Department... Contract for Outsourced Personnel?"“Yeah.” Dan Kuroto nodded. “Even if you don’t have money to pay off your debts, just sign this and work for me for a few years. Consider it the price for your freedom.”----63. We’ve caught a wild Handyman!“Looking at it this way, it seems we have no choice.”Kayoko carefully read the contract. It clearly stated that those who signed it would be unofficial staff under Genm Corp’s “Special Affairs Department.” Although they would be registered under the company name and considered Genm Corp employees, they wouldn’t receive a basic salary; they would only receive commissions.As for benefits, it only mentioned that they would have their own office and be free to move around when not on missions, but the company’s business would be their top priority—in short, they would be on call at all times. And what they would ultimately receive was commission based on their performance in each operation.Kayoko looked up. "May I ask what exactly this 'Special Affairs Department' is?""Just a simple precautionary measure." Dan Kuroto didn't directly answer Kayoko's question. His idea for establishing this department stemmed from what he'd witnessed in the Black Suit laboratory.Core technology research can't be held back!In Genm Corp, we need our own secret research institution!"Anyway, I won't let you work for nothing," Dan Kuroto rephrased. "Many times, I can't handle everything by myself. I can't personally handle everything, can I? Since Handyman 68 is basically a yorozuya organization, I might as well recruit you to work for me.""Trying to use us as free labor?" Mutsuki, resting her chin on her hands, asked. "Aren't you afraid we'll all run away as soon as we get out?"Dan Kuroto turned around and tossed a contract to Mutsuki in another prison cell, holding up a finger. "First, my Genm Corp is a legitimate company. I certainly wouldn't make you work for free, but as the defeated, I naturally want to reap the benefits. So, for working for me, you'll only get bonuses and commissions, no basic salary.""Second, if you really want to renege on the agreement, I have some methods that can guarantee you'll suffer a fate worse than death." Dan Kuroto smiled and waved his Gaschacon Bugvisor. "I can defeat you once, and I can defeat you a second time. You'd better think carefully, the conditions next time won't be so generous."“So, what are you going to do with those Helmet Gang members next door?” Kayoko asked, having seen several Helmet Gang thugs locked up nearby. Her question wasn't out of concern for the thugs, but rather to see how this wicked leader would handle them—perhaps it would reveal a glimpse into his psychology.“Them… well, we can't just let them go like that.”Dan Kuroto pondered for a moment. “Genm Corp definitely won't directly recruit these petty thugs. Their combat capabilities aren't up to par. They can only be used to fill gaps… well, maybe do some hard labor for me.”"That's too cruel!""Or we could just have re-education," Dan Kuroto said, shrugging. "Here, without school registration, nobody wants you; you can only be a hoodlum, right? If all else fails, Genm Corp can talk to other school districts about a partnership to set up a re-education school. Once you've been educated, you can get your registration back. And once you pass, you'll be brought into the group and become my employees!""You... do you really think school registration is something so easy to handle?"Kayoko felt no truth in the words of the adult before her, unable to discern whether they were genuine or false."For a student expelled, regaining their enrollment is virtually impossible. After all, in Academy City, enrollment is like our identity. Have you ever seen someone whose ID has been cancelled re-register?""That's true. Student status here is linked to quite a few things."Dan Kuroto had seen a lot online and knew what enrollment meant for Kivotos students. Almost all benefits, both explicit and implicit, were tied to enrollment.Without enrollment, you couldn't even find work—that's how those thug gangs were forced to band together."But for me, nothing is impossible."Dan Kuroto brushed the topic aside casually, as if it were a trivial matter to him.“While I may not be suited to be a Teacher, that doesn’t prevent me from being a school board member, does it?” Dan Kuroto was well aware of his own limitations. “If all else fails, I can always open my own school here, right?”“This…” Kayoko was stunned. “There’s never been a precedent for this… Aren’t Kivotos’ school districts fixed? How could they let you open a new one? Are you kidding me, adult?”“Children, don’t talk if you don’t understand.” Dan Kuroto waved his hand impatiently. “Sign or not? Give me a straight answer!”“…Here you go.”Kayoko didn’t hesitate. They were practically facing a knife to their throats. Anyone could see that this contract was a way out for them. If they missed this opportunity, Kayoko felt that this adult might actually assign them all to shovel sand for Abydos.After Kayoko started, the rest of Handyman 68 handed in their signed contracts one after another. After collecting the contracts, Dan Kuroto nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, remember to check your contact information later. You can go now.""That's... it's over?"Aru blinked. "Can we... go now?""The contracts are signed. If you want to renege, I have ways to deal with you." Dan Kuroto had the cat guards open the cells for the convenience store staff, releasing them all. "Work hard, and I'll give you permanent positions later!""We're a bunch of students, not some working robots. What do we need a permanent position for?" Kayoko sighed. "Isn't that just giving you a better excuse to exploit us?""Oh? You're pretty savvy." Dan Kuroto looked at Kayoko. "You're the smartest one out of you, aren't you?""Smart? That's hardly impressive," Kayoko said, turning her head away. "Besides, even someone as smart as me can't handle your fists, can she?""That's called brute force!" Dan Kuroto proudly raised his head. "Whether it's intelligence or strength, I'm superior to you all. That's the power of Kami! Ahahahaha!!"---64. A New BeginningHaving retrieved their weapons, the group from the convenience store finally left Abydos. This defeat not only tarnished the convenience store's record but also added another layer to their identities: they became employees of the unheard-of Genm Corp, and even unofficial ones at that!"Alright, now if we ever need them again, we can just call and have them come over."Looking at the contacts he'd added to his phone, Dan Kuroto nodded in satisfaction. He hadn't even gotten the company sorted out yet; he had to handle everything himself, running around everywhere without a single employee. These four were, in a way, extra help."Try to get to know the students better when you have time," Sensei's voice came from the side. "If it were Mr. Dan Kuroto, he might actually be able to establish his own school district."Dan Kuroto replied proudly, "Don't use 'who knows' to describe me."The Handymen 68 were finally gone, but those thugs would have to stay a little longer.As the three of them walked out of the "cell," they ran into Hoshino, who had come to call everyone for dinner."You're all here just in time! Come and have some curry rice!"Hoshino's voice had returned to its former self from her school days—that lazy, relaxed feeling was back. She squinted her eyes and invited everyone over for the celebratory feast."Besides curry rice, there's lots of other delicious food! Thanks to Nonomi for buying so much by helicopter, and Mr. Dan Kuroto, the vegetables you grew so quickly in the greenhouse at school—today's dinner is quite a feast!""Oh, by the way, Mr. Dan Kuroto," Hoshino pointed in another direction, "Nonomi is waiting for you over there. She said she wants to settle your payment with you.""You should have said so earlier! I'm coming!"Dan Kuroto's long-awaited start-up capital was finally arriving. Before Hoshino could finish speaking, Dan Kuroto jogged off toward the annex, leaving Sensei and the two students exchanging knowing smiles.Pushing open the door and entering the annex, Dan Kuroto saw Izayoi Nonomi waiting for him in the corridor. The long-haired blonde girl leaned against the window, and upon seeing Dan Kuroto approach, she bowed deeply to him without a word.“Mr. Dan Kuroto… thank you for everything you’ve done for us!”Nonomi, maintaining her bow, presented a gold card she had prepared beforehand. “I know that ten million credits is insignificant compared to what you’ve done for everyone, but please allow me to shamelessly offer this as a token of my gratitude!”Dan Kuroto didn’t mince words like ‘it’s what I should do’ or decline; instead, he directly accepted the card from Nonomi’s hand.Only after Dan Kuroto received the card did Nonomi straighten up, intending to say a few words to him.“I thought until the very end that no one would take this job. After all, the opponent was the Kaiser Corporation.” Nonomi stared directly at Dan Kuroto. “…The result now is a miracle I couldn’t have imagined back then.”“However, I only took it because the price you offered happened to be able to help me at the time.” Dan Kuroto waved the gold card in his hand at her. “Don’t think of me as some kind of noble person. It’s just that the price you offered was pretty good, and I’m known for being easygoing, so I just happened to solve this problem for you.”Nonomi squinted and smiled. “If you were really that kind of person, wouldn’t you have agreed when that Black Suit offered you ten times that amount of credits to leave?”“That’s not a matter of character; that’s a matter of principles!” Dan Kuroto crossed his arms disdainfully. “Some things are better left unsaid than done.”“Whether it’s Kaiser Corporation or Gematria, I’ve actually used the same methods they used.” Dan Kuroto leaned against the wall, as if reminiscing, while Nonomi listened quietly. “Back then, to create a Level X Gashat, I also used tricks to poison my opponents, and I also killed people to cover up my secrets—”Seemingly remembering his old rivals and confidants, Dan Kuroto looked at the distant desert, his eyes slightly changing. “But such ruthless tactics can only be used against opponents of equal caliber.”“You…”“I’ve never considered myself a good person,” Dan Kuroto spoke calmly. “I’m just a ‘genius,’ and geniuses are never understood by the world.”Ten years ahead of their time, that’s genius.Twenty years ahead of their time, that’s prophecy.A hundred years ahead of their time, that’s a monster.“Can the era keep up with me?”It was the era that were chasing after Dan Kuroto. Dan Kuroto only needed to stop and turn his head to see the era he had left far behind. Overwhelmed with kindness, he decided to give the era a hand—And so the era fell flat on their faces."You... look very lonely."“There will definitely be someone who can understand you.”Nonomi reached out and held Dan Kuroto’s hands in hers. “I hope to repay your kindness, and I also ask that you give everyone the time and opportunity to understand you.”Nonomi was a child adept at observing others' emotions. On the countermeasures committee, she was the link connecting everyone. And in Dan Kuroto's fleeting expression, she caught a glimpse of loneliness.“…”Dan Kuroto hadn't expected Nonomi to so boldly offer her hand. Startled by the sudden gesture, he quickly withdrew it.Dan Kuroto turned and scoffed, “Hmph! You're still two thousand years away from understanding my genius!”“Then we'll just have to ask you to wait for us.” Nonomi smiled and nodded. “We'll try our best to catch up with you.”“Let’s go! Didn’t you say there was curry rice?! Let’s go, let’s go!”Turning and opening the door, Dan Kuroto stepped out first. He had to admit, he wasn't very good at dealing with this kind of maternal figure; he always felt like he didn't know how to use his strength and smarts against these types of people....In Kaiser's data server, a flash of orange lightning entered the body of a mechanical soldier uploading data. The mechanical soldier began to convulse.A small amount of Bugster virus that Dan Kuroto had inadvertently leaked had taken over one of Kaiser Corporation's servers. After constantly multiplying, iterating, and upgrading within it, this data virus, by a stroke of luck, eventually entered the body of a mechanical soldier."Buzz—"The orange Bugster virus enveloped the mechanical soldier's body. In moments, the host's body was completely transformed, becoming something entirely different from its previous appearance.Its head transformed into a black cylinder, and its body became more humanoid, with white armor covering its upper body. One arm transformed into a massive white mechanical arm.However, this Bugster didn't evolve directly from the Gashat data; it was merely an incomplete Bugster born from the body of a mechanical soldier."Data update, commencing. Blank document detected—"The newly born Bugster questioned its own existence."Who am I?"On this day, an attack occurred within Kaiser Corporation. The attacker fled Kaiser Corporation and disappeared into the Abydos Desert without a trace.create in this world full of students? Don't go away! More exciting content after the ad!*Neko King*Neko King Gashat, Level 2. Created by Momoi using the magical machine 'Creator MK1' built by Dan Kuroto and infused into the Gashat, this Gashat is a creation of Momoi's imagination. It can transform into a Rider form independently and is a Gashat with Momoi's unique characteristics. The game itself is a cute-style building and strategy simulation game where you lead cats to build a nation and conquer the universe.With the help of Dan Kuroto's immense power, the Gashat's unique 'Cat Construction Team' can use special abilities to construct unique buildings in the real world, primarily based on the Neko King art style.----*Alchemy Player*Alchemist Player Gashat, Level X, is created using mysterious materials remaining in Abydos's warehouse, combined with Dan Kuroto's brilliant game ideas and its own immense power to create miraclesCreated in accordance with Kivotos's 'rules', this Gashat possesses the characteristics of 'Mastering Mystery' and 'Researching Mystery.' It cannot transform into Rider form independently, and its normal level is 10.The game itself involves mixing ingredients to fulfill various customer requests, gradually growing into an alchemy master and unraveling the mysteries of the world.The small bottle device on top of the Gashat is an 'alchemy joystick,' which, when shaken, triggers the mixing of special energies, randomly creating potions with various effects.Under certain conditions, a special "Easter egg" will be triggered in Alchemist Player Gashat. The transformation dialogue and the upgrade screen will change accordingly.During this state, Alchemist Player Gashat's level will increase to 50 or higher, significantly boosting its abilities and special effects.----*Guide of the Stars*Gashat, Level 2, is a game created using data from the Mystery of Sensei. It's an action-adventure game about traversing world lines and saving the world with countless companions. The game's cover art seems to hint at something.It can transform into Rider form independently and possesses special abilities to solve certain problems.----65. Heading to the General Student Council!"Cheers~"A peaceful night in Kivotos, lights twinkling in the desert. Inside a classroom at Abydos Academy, a small gathering is taking place."Ah It's been so long since I've felt this relaxed"Hoshino leaned back in her chair, holding a cup of barley tea, raised her glass to everyone in front of her, and then downed it in one gulp. "Pfft!""Senpai! Don't make that drinking noise like you're drinking alcohol when you're just drinking barley tea!" Serika said speechlessly from the side. "Calling yourself 'Ojisan' is one thing, but don't actually become like one!""Because I'm just really happy" Hoshino giggled and leaned closer, putting her arm around Serika's shoulder and bringing the barley tea to her face. "Serika-chan, have a cup too It's so refreshing and cool~""Senpai!"Watching Hoshino and Serika playfully bicker, Shiroko got up and joined in the fun. The three of them squeezed onto one chair, shouting and laughing. Ayane, watching from the side, couldn't help but smile with satisfaction."That's wonderful.""Yes, that's wonderful."Nonomi, holding a cup of barley tea, smiled as she watched Hoshino's excessive antics. She and Ayane exchanged knowing glances; they both knew the reason for Hoshino's unusual boisterousness today.When they rescued Hoshino from the lab, the experimental machines left behind by the Black Suit had been activated, initiating an experiment that reversed 'Mystery' into 'Terror.' Hoshino happened to be in a semi-reversed state, and in her conscious state, she raised a gun at the Abydos members.This was perhaps a wound Hoshino would bury deep in her heart. If she didn't use this lively behavior to dilute that wound, Hoshino would probably be too embarrassed to speak."Come on, Serika-chan Yes, yes, let's have one"Using barley tea instead of alcohol, Hoshino playfully teased Serika with a tone of voice she'd picked up from somewhere, trying to persuade her to drink. Serika, already tipsy from downing several cups of barley tea, had a bulging stomach. A few more cups and she'd probably be clutching her stomach and looking for a toilet—the amount of barley tea she drank couldn't compare to the amount of alcohol she drank!"Mo—! Senpai! I really can't drink anymore!"Serika struggled to lift her head from the two people's embrace. "My stomach's about to burst from all that barley tea! Let me have a bite of food too!"Just then, Serika spotted Hanemi huddled by the table, unsure what to say. She grabbed Hanemi's arm and, while Hanemi was still in a daze, shoved her into the web of Hoshino and Shiroko's embrace."Hanemi, I'm leaving this to you! Let me rest for a bit!""Huh? Huh?"Hanemi, who had been dragged in, looked completely bewildered, seemingly still trying to figure out what was going on, when the "fierce-looking" Shiroko and Hoshino had already surrounded her."Hehehe Gotcha Delicious little one~""It's alright, I love both of you all the same!"Looking at the dangerous expressions of the two girls in front of her, and the large bottles of barley tea in their hands, Hanemi's face showed fear, and she shrank back."Uh... can we make up?""You drink some too!"Glug glug~~With Shiroko and Hoshino working together, it's probably impossible to know how much barley tea Hanemi will drink tonight, but under the barley tea onslaught, Hanemi gradually became more talkative, mingling with the people around her and slowly integrating into the group.The children's playfulness continued, while the two adults got up and quietly left the classroom. Ayane noticed their actions but didn't say anything to stop them.In her arms was a letter Sensei had written to her, detailing Sensei's impending departure from Kivotos.“Sensei… is leaving.”A sudden pang of melancholy washed over Ayane.Having secretly read the letter, she knew Sensei was only at his last gasp, needing to rush off to handle other matters in his final moments. In the letter, Sensei repeatedly apologized to Ayane and the rest of Abydos, and wrote farewells.'Ayane, you've always been the smartest. Find an opportunity to tell everyone at Abydos about these things for me. Sensei has no talent, and it's my fault for not being able to help you during your most painful time.''No, how could that be…'Ayane closed her eyes, her gaze narrowing.'Even though we didn't spend much time together, you… are still the best Sensei I've ever met.'...On the way to the General Student Council, Sensei sat in the passenger seat, his body flashing orange light intermittently and becoming somewhat transparent. It was a sign that a Bugster's body was on the verge of collapse."Is this all we have to say goodbye? No hugs, no tearful confessions?"Dan Kuroto was driving—or rather, just sitting in the driver's seat, using the Bugster virus to control the car's AI, guiding it along the predetermined route. Kivotos' vehicles were indeed highly intelligent; most could be controlled automatically by AI, but manual controls were still retained."Let's not. This is their reunion; how can we let the sorrow of parting extinguish this celebratory atmosphere?"Sensei smiled. "However, knowing Ayane's personality, she'll definitely read that letter beforehand."“Next, we’re going to the General Student Council, right?” Dan Kuroto rested his hand on his face, lounging in the car, his head tilted to one side as he looked at Sensei in the seat beside him. “Your body can’t hold on much longer. This is probably your limit.”“Isn’t it obvious at a glance?”Sensei’s lips curled into a smile.Actually, even now, his face didn’t show much embarrassment or sadness; rather, it showed more of a sense of reluctance and relief.“It’s already an incredible miracle that I’ve managed to hold on this long with this broken body. Any further, I can’t ask for more.”Cmpared to its initial robust appearance, Sensei's body had become somewhat transparent, constantly emitting orange flashes. This was a sight to behold; what normal human body would be so translucent that you could see the scenery behind it?So, after noticing the abnormality in his body, and not wanting to disturb the Abydos celebration, Sensei only symbolically raised his glass, drank two beverages, and then quietly left through the back door of the classroom.“Mr. Dan Kuroto, how much time do I have left?”“One hour exactly.”Dan Kuroto very considerately patted a constantly ticking timer on Sensei's face, though this kind of thoughtfulness wasn't something most people could understand.Sensei knew Dan Kuroto's personality, so he simply smiled with his eyes closed and dragged the timer aside—this was something only visible to the Bugster, essentially a timer displayed on his system screen.“Let’s change the subject,” Dan Kuroto said, continuing to drive, watching the towering building draw ever closer.“Are you planning to see someone else?”“My departure from Trinity Hospital's bed has probably caused quite a stir. Rin must be very worried right now.”Sensei’s face showed a hint of apology. “I was called here to help the students with their problems, but my arrival has only created more trouble for everyone. I feel bad for Rin, who has been taking care of me from the very beginning.”“Now the student council president isn’t here either, and I’ve even disappeared. The General Student Council must be in complete chaos,” Sensei spoke."In these final moments, I want to say a proper goodbye to her.”Sensei turned to Dan Kuroto beside him and said earnestly, "Mr. Dan Kuroto, I'll be troubling you a lot from now on.""Alright, it's your last wish, after all."Dan Kuroto waved his hand. "But I'm different from you. You're a Teacher, and I'm the president. Your job usually revolves around these students; I'm definitely not the kind of person who deals with these kids all day long.""That's already very good." Sensei nodded."It's enough that you can occasionally keep an eye on the students."---66. Kami, you've come at just the right time.The car stopped in front of the General Student Council building. Sensei and Dan Kuroto got out of the car.The Valkyrie police officers who were on duty in front of the General Student Council to protect its safety had all disappeared. It seemed that some new trouble had occurred in the area. Even some of the police officers who should have been on duty in front of the General Student Council had been transferred there."They're really too busy to even take care of themselves."He commented on the General Student Council before him. "Without you, the General Student Council's operation has plummeted to this level. How did they manage the entire Kivotos before?"“Actually, the current situation is caused by a lack of authority. The General Student Council sounds prestigious, but in reality, it's just a group of students managing it. They exist more as a cooperative organization between school districts; in more specific matters, the General Student Council doesn't actually have much say.”Familiar with the route, Sensei led Dan Kuroto to the elevator at the top of the tower.“While the General Student Council has many powers, most of them are concentrated in the hands of the General Student Council president. Previously, these kids acted according to the president's instructions.”As the elevator ascended, the entire panorama of Kivotos was once again revealed to the two.Previously, Rin had led Sensei through this elevator during the day, overlooking the entire city.Now, it was nighttime, and Sensei was leading Dan Kuroto into this elevator.Kivotos under the night sky appeared even more solemn and orderly than during the day. The almost uniform white skyscrapers resembled towering pagodas, adding an air of mystery.The starry sky overhead bore regular patterns, like a giant array enveloping the entire Academy City.Occasionally, the sounds of explosions could be heard from afar, along with the flickering lights between the buildings. Red and blue—that was the Valkyrie police on duty; red reflections and smoke from explosions—those were explosions and gunfights taking place somewhere.“The moonlight in Kivotos is quite unique, isn’t it?”In the ascending elevator, Sensei turned to Dan Kuroto. “During the day, looking down at Kivotos from here is breathtakingly beautiful.”Dan Kuroto nodded in agreement. “Indeed, it’s a completely different world.”This was a world unlike any other, and Dan Kuroto was just beginning to integrate.The elevator doors opened, revealing the student council office. Sensei stepped inside; the lights were still on, but few people were in sight.The entire student council was swamped with work, with most members either busy elsewhere or out putting out fires. Even the woman who usually leisurely ate her chips was now sprawled on the sofa.The only person in the room was the first person Sensei had seen since arriving at Kivotos.“Rin.”Sensei's call jolted the exhausted girl from her desk. Before her were reports on the ongoing events in Kivotos, submitted from various locations. The information had piled up like a small mountain, yet Rin hadn't touched a single piece of it. The usually shrewd and capable acting student council president seemed to have crashed.There were simply too many things to handle, far too many for Rin to manage. Now, she didn't know who else could take over.Rin felt utterly weary.This wasn't the weariness she felt after handling all the administrative tasks. This was a weariness that welled up from the depths of her being, a weariness with no end in sight.Normally, she could always find a solution to her work. But today, with mountains of situation reports piled up, Rin couldn't find a single way to resolve the current situation. It was as if all the answers were wrong, leaving her utterly hopeless."Rin."A familiar voice rang out before her. Rin shook her head.The instant she heard that voice, she almost sat up instinctively, but then she remembered that the person who spoke with that voice was now missing. She shook her head wearily again."Looks like I've really been working too long; I'm even hallucinating. Should I just abandon all this work and go to sleep...?""Rin!!"The second call was louder. Rin finally raised her head, adjusted her slightly askew glasses, and tried to look in the direction the sound came from.“…”Silence, a brief silence.“—Sensei!!!”Ignoring the piles of papers and documents that had been thrown to the ground by her sudden movement, Rin rushed to Sensei's side almost impatiently, then abruptly stopped.“Where…where have you been? And why are you like this?”Rin naturally saw Sensei standing unharmed before her, but also noticed that Sensei's body had become semi-transparent.A mix of surprise, astonishment, and hesitation overwhelmed her.All Rin could do was look up and ask Sensei.“To put it simply, Rin, I…I’m running out of time.”The first sentence was enough to extinguish all of Rin's questions. It wasn't that Sensei didn't want to use tactful language; it was simply that his time was incredibly precious."You..."The joy of regaining what was lost had just begun to well up in her heart, but it was instantly overwhelmed by the immense sorrow of losing everything. She staggered back a few steps, her hands bracing against the table behind her.“Why…why do you say that? Is there something I didn’t do well enough? Have we disappointed you?”Seemingly disoriented by the successive blows, Rin began to ramble incoherently. “The student council president is gone, and now even Sensei is leaving…”“No, Rin, things have turned out this way, and I haven’t been able to do anything. I’m truly sorry.”Sensei’s voice came through, sincerely apologizing to Rin. “It’s all because I couldn’t help you much that things have turned out this way.”“Please don’t say that…” Rin shook her head repeatedly. “Before you came, our situation was even worse than this…”“My body was damaged beyond repair due to severe injuries I sustained earlier. So I asked this gentleman over there to make some minor adjustments to my body. Although it couldn't save me, it has sustained me until now.”As Sensei said this, Rin noticed Dan Kuroto, who had been silent for a while.This man exuded a completely different aura from Sensei. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching the conversation between Sensei and Rin. Only now, when Sensei mentioned him, did he raise his hand and beckon to Rin.“Oh, I didn’t want to interrupt you two while you were talking to him. How did your conversation go?”---67. Protect the Schale Tower!Rin looked at Sensei with suspicion. “Sensei, who is this gentleman?”“Just now, I transferred Shittim Chest’s certification to this Mr. Dan Kuroto. Even if I leave Kivotos, Schale’s permissions will still continue to operate.”Seemingly to corroborate Sensei's words, Dan Kuroto took out the Shittim Chest—the tablet—from his pocket. He unlocked it, and on the lit screen, Alona stared blankly."What happened? Is there anything I can help you with?""You just transferred access to the Shittim Chest to him like that?"Rin looked at this surreal scene, feeling a sense of absurdity, but considering that even Sensei was now in this state, this adult who had appeared out of nowhere made sense."The Shittim Chest is an important item passed down from the student council president. Isn't this issue of ownership a bit too casual?""It's an emergency, so don't worry about it too much in these extraordinary times." Sensei smiled gently, placing a hand on Rin's shoulder. "Let me tell you a secret: Mr. Dan Kuroto is a kind person with a sharp tongue but a soft heart. If you sincerely ask him for help, he'll definitely help you."“Hey, don’t just label me like that.”Rin mumbled, still a little dazed. “Sensei…so, should we call him Sensei from now on?”“I don’t think he can really be considered a Sensei yet. Calling him Sensei is definitely not quite appropriate.”In Kivotos, the highest level of binding rule is that of "Teacher" and "Students."Becoming a Sensei is extremely rare, a truly exceptional distinction, because the power of a Sensei lies in managing "students"—a statement applicable to every school district in Kivotos.As Black Suit stated, Sensei originally possessed the ability to rule everything, to reign supreme over Kivotos. This is not an exaggeration, but rather an apt description.If Sensei wanted to, he could easily turn the entire Kivotos into his personal playground, implementing his "education" there and transforming it into any kind of place they desired. But Sensei himself relinquished this readily available power, choosing instead to truly become a Teacher.“So, even if I told them, those guys in Gematria definitely wouldn’t understand.”Sensei reached out and ruffled Rin’s hair. His body was becoming increasingly transparent, clearly indicating that his days were numbered.“Mr. Dan Kuroto, please help these children.” Sensei looked at Dan Kuroto. “In the future, they will definitely help you in some way.”“Sigh—” Dan Kuroto scratched the back of his head and clicked his tongue. “Fine, fine, consider it keeping me occupied. I won’t let you off the hook without some benefit!”He placed the tablet on the table. The already activated Shittim Chest was the key to unlocking Schale Tower, including all the permissions left by the student council president. It was precisely because most of the student council’s power was blocked that Rin and her friends were in this predicament, where even thugs could brazenly storm the General Student Council headquarters.“So, what kind of weird power structure is this General Student Council?”Dan Kuroto frowned upon hearing this.“All the authority is concentrated in the hands of the student council president, and then that president disappeared? We finally found a Sensei, and now this Sensei…”Dan Kuroto turned to look at the increasingly transparent Sensei, still struggling to maintain his existence, but now nearing its end."So, what are you going to do when this Sensei is gone?”“Actually, the student council’s power structure is quite reasonable. The district council, the general affairs office, the administrative committee, the SRT Special Academy, and Schale together should be a perfect system, but in practice…”Rin’s face was full of embarrassment and sorrow. “We didn’t want it to be like this either…”"Reclaiming control of the General Student Council and Schale Tower is complete; permissions restored—restoration complete."Alona's voice came through the Shittim Chest. Even when working seriously, Alona's voice was quite earnest."Sensei... Oh, Mr. Dan Kuroto, do you need me to give a report?"Dan Kuroto crossed his arms. "Read it."“Okay.” Alona’s voice came through. “Currently, there have been a total of seventy-two violent attacks in the D·U area under the General Student Council’s control. Thirteen of these attacks involved heavy weaponry and armored vehicles. The Valkyrie Police Department that's responsible for maintaining order in the D·U area is currently at a disadvantage.”“Simultaneously, three armed groups carrying heavy weaponry and armored vehicles have been discovered attacking the Schale Tower. The Valkyrie Police guarding the Schale Tower are currently facing a severe disadvantage. This is currently the highest priority.”“Report complete.”Hearing Alona’s words, Rin immediately became anxious. “Schale absolutely cannot be taken away! We must organize reinforcements immediately…”The words were on the tip of her tongue, but Rin had to stop herself.At that moment, her sharp mind realized that the General Student Council had few resources left.The few special forces units they had available had already been deployed throughout the district for firefighting, and the Valkyrie police were all out fighting in various locations. There simply weren't enough people to deal with Schale's problem."Where else can we spare some manpower..."Rin pursed her lips, fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead.Finally, she took out her pistol from the cabinet, checked the ammunition, and clicked the magazine back in, as if she had made a difficult decision.“Even if it’s just me, I must protect the Schale Tower!”Rin turned to Dan Kurotoi, “Then, please stay behind me. I’ll protect you. Mr. Dan Kuroto, you can command me in battle, just like Sensei did before.”Rin then turned to Sensei. “Sensei, can you… keep up?”“I think… I can manage.” Sensei glanced at the timer he had forgotten about. “For him, it’s enough.”“He?” Rin asked, puzzled. “Could it be… there’s another expert?”Dan Kuroto stood up.“You said you’d protect me?”His expression was one of utter disdain.“You should have said you were leaving this to me!”Alona had already marked the location of the Schale Tower for Dan Kuroto. With both sides being cybernetic lifeforms, Alona’s information transmission was even faster than Sensei’s direct manipulation of the tablet.Rin quickly tried to dissuade him. "But you're not a 'student.' What if you get hit by a bullet...?""That's none of your concern."Dan Kuroto reached for his driver and casually fastened it to his waist.'Gamer Driver!'"Now's a good time to try out this new power—" Dan Kuroto turned to Sensei and waved the Guide to the Stars Gashat in his hand. "Shall I use it?"Sensei smiled and gestured. "Go ahead."Walking to the floor-to-ceiling window beside the bed, Dan Kuroto hooked the Gashat onto his finger."Grade 2."Dan Kuroto's confident gaze was reflected in the glass. The Gashat dropped, inserted into the driver, and then Dan Kuroto immediately pulled the upgrade handle."Hen Shin."Gachan!Level Up!Rider! Star!A deep blue upgrade beam passed through Dan Kuroto's body, altering the appearance of his purple armor.While purple and black remained the dominant colors, a golden star was embedded in the forehead of his helmet, and gradient blue stripes appeared on his combat suit. His shoulder armor also became thicker.In his hand, a kite-shaped shield with a predominantly blue color scheme appeared, with A and B buttons on either side, seemingly possessing the transformation function typical of Gashacon weapons.[Gashacon Aegis!]“Even your weapon is shaped like someone else’s protection. Just how much do you enjoy protecting others?” Dan Kuroto looked at Sensei. “Fine, I’ll make do with this. Let’s go!”Without breaking the glass, Dan Kuroto transformed into a Bugster virus, burrowing into the network cable and rapidly traveling along the network to the location of the Schale Tower, leaving Rin and Sensei staring at each other in disbelief.Rin pushed up her glasses. "Mr. Dan Kuroto... has he always been like this?"Sensei smiled. "You'll get used to it, you'll get used to it."----68. Lookalike (Confirmed)Transformed into the electronic virus form of a Bugster, Dan Kuroto swiftly traversed Kivotos's network.Because of Kivotos's highly intelligent academy city, network lines were practically everywhere; after just a few jumps, Dan Kuroto had already rapidly approached the Schale Tower—or rather, the Sanctuary Tower."Mr. Dan Kuroto, can you hear me?"Rin's voice rang in Dan Kuroto's ear. "We already have information on the enemy that caused the disturbance.""I took the liberty of letting Rin connect to the communication. Is that alright?"AAlona's voice came from the other end. "I think it's better to ask her directly at this point than for me to gather information again."---“I have no objections—”Dan Kuroto emerged from the network port and kicked a nearby armored vehicle with a powerful strike. With a loud crash, the vehicle spun around and overturned, landing motionless on the roadside.“Whoa! Who attacked us?!” The thugs who crawled out of the vehicle cried out in panic.The sudden appearance of Kamen Rider, or rather, the strangely dressed Dan Kuroto, on the battlefield attracted the attention of both sides. Both sides speculated about which side's reinforcements this guy, who had immediately displayed such violence, belonged to.“The mastermind behind the attack is named Kosaka Wakamo. After being punished by the Hyakkiyako Alliance Academy, she recently escaped from the correctional facility.”Rin spoke quickly and clearly; even Dan Kuroto, moving at high speed, could hear her clearly.“This person has many similar prior offenses and is extremely dangerous. Please be very careful.”“Don't worry~ I'm not going to fall over in a place like this.”Dan Kuroto swung his Aegis, holding it horizontally in front of his chest, and charged towards another Sherman tank like a rugby player.“Charge!”Under Dan Kuroto's powerful charge, the Sherman tank in front of him met the same fate as the armored vehicle, flipping over with its tracks in the air like an overturned iron turtle, instantly rendered inoperable.“Good opportunity, counterattack!”The Valkyrie police stationed in front of the Sanctuary Tower immediately returned fire.This strange-looking guy had overturned two armored vehicles opposite of them instead of attacking them was obvious an ally.“He actually overturned my beloved tank! Absolutely unforgivable!”The thugs still had quite a few tanks left. It was unclear where these rebels had gotten so many tanks and armored vehicles. Although most were ragtag units, there were some regular main battle tanks mixed in, and occasionally some decent weapons in their hands, which raised suspicion.“Fire!”Without the thug leader's order, Dan Kuroto, who had single-handedly overturned two armored vehicles, immediately became the target. Several tanks around him spontaneously turned their guns and fired at Dan Kuroto.Boom!Targeted at the center, Dan Kuroto neither dodged nor flinched, but simply raised the Gashacon Shield, which wasn't even half his height."I'll test my defenses. I haven't seen any brand-new Gashacon weaponry in a long time, but this shield... it's probably a defensive weapon, isn't it?”The Gashacon Shield is a weapon specifically designed for defense and counterattack. Judging from its name, it seems to be a set with the Gashacon Sword—and indeed, it can be. The defensive field inside the shield is designed to complement the game's mechanics; simply raising the shield provides protection against attacks from all directions.Dan Kuroto raised the shield, and in the next instant, cannonballs and bullets hurtled towards him.Explosions and ricochets occurred simultaneously, followed by a series of loud crackling sounds. Dan Kuroto glanced at the progress bar on the shield.“Defense full, counterattack initiated!”Dan Kuroto raised the shield, pressed the A button, and the attacks absorbed by the shield erupted from it as laser spikes.“Critical Finish!”Gripping the shield, he spun around, distributing the Holy Shield's counterattack energy evenly across the surrounding attackers.Some thugs fell without a sound, while lighter armored vehicles were penetrated and exploded after only a few shots. Only tanks farther away barely escaped unscathed, but after this counterattack, very few thugs remained standing.“I don't know who you are, but thank you for your help!”From behind the Sanctuary Tower's cover, the blonde, dog-eared girl called out to him."This is the Valkyrie Police. Leave the rest to us. Go support other areas!”BOOM!!The next second after she finished speaking, a large hole suddenly exploded in the upper level of the Sanctuary Tower.A girl in a kimono and wearing a mask dropped her rocket launcher and leaped into the interior of the Sanctuary Tower.“Whoa? The laws of physics don't exist anymore?”Dan Kuroto stared at the girl who had jumped directly from the rooftop of a building into the Sanctuary Tower. “Kivotos Superman?”“Mr. Dan Kuroto, be careful! That person is [Fox of Calamity] Kosaka Wakamo!”Rin's voice was unusually urgent in the earpiece. “Although I don't know what she's going to do, the Cataclysmic Fox's favorite thing is to go against the General Student Council! Maybe it's just for fun; she'll destroy the Sanctuary Tower. Please stop her!”“Yes Yes”Dan Kuroto pushed off the ground with one foot and followed Wakamo into the Sanctuary Tower.“Hmph Which one am I going to blow up Which one am I going to blow up~”Inside the Sanctuary Tower, Wakamo, wearing a fox mask, hummed a cheerful tune. She didn't care what happened to the thugs she had summoned.To her, these guys had all volunteered to follow her, so being used as a tool to draw fire was an honor for them.“The Central Council didn't personally intervene? Oh well... whatever."She looked around; the items around her were mostly unidentifiable, but that didn't stop her from recognizing that the Sanctuary Tower was “extremely important” to the Central Council.“Anything they value, you'll destroy, huh?”Just as Wakamo was about to start destroying everything in the room and causing a ruckus, a man's voice called out to her from behind.“Hey, little girl in front, I advise you not to make a move.”“A man?”Wakamo turned around in surprise, and the two masked figures met.“…Why are you wearing a mask?”“…How dare you say that to me?”In the dimly lit Sanctuary Tower, two masked figures confronted each other. To break the awkward silence, Dan Kuroto struck first.“Nice mask, just a bit retro.”“Yours is way too trendy!”----69. You can see him now just by opening your phone; what's there to worry about?Behind Dan Kuroto, the flames from the explosion reflected a reddish-orange light on his armor, illuminating the interior of the Sanctuary Tower, which had been darkened by the power outage.Although Arona had regained partial access to the Schale Sanctuary Tower and the General Student Council building through external operations, some things still needed to be manually restarted inside the Sanctuary Tower. Arona could only perform those operations after gaining complete control of the Sanctuary Tower.“Hmm? Who are you? The Council doesn’t have anyone like you.”Wakamo narrowed her eyes, a flicker of interest arising in her as she looked at the adult before her, completely shrouded in secrecy."Are you from the General Student Council? Or perhaps, you're Sensei?"Wakamo had seen news about Sensei while imprisoned in the correctional facility. However, news coverage there was limited. Although Sensei's serious illness was top news in Kivotos, it wasn't on television 24/7."I'm not Sensei, I'm Kamen Rider Genm!"Dan Kuroto's holy shield flashed forward as he arrogantly declared, "I'll give you a chance. Leave now, and I won't hold you responsible for the damage you caused here."Under normal circumstances, Dan Kuroto might have already launched a sneak attack from behind. But perhaps it was the Gashat from Sensei's Guide of the Stars that slightly restrained his actions; otherwise, Wakamo would have already been finished off with a beam rifle Finishing Move."Heh heh~ Let's see if you have the guts."As the infamous problem student, one of the 'Seven Prisoners,' the Fox of Calamity, Wakamo could not be easily subdued by Dan Kuroto's words.In fact, it only fueled her competitive spirit.Wielding her bayonet-equipped rifle, without even aiming, Wakamo casually fired a shot, the bullet flying straight toward Dan Kuroto's head."Fast enough, decisive enough, not bad! Looks like you do this kind of thing quite often—"Relying on the defensive capabilities of the Kamen Rider armor, Dan Kuroto did not even bother to move, letting Wakamo's bullet hit him squarely in the head."It should have stopped—uh?"The instant the bullet struck, Dan Kuroto felt a heavy impact.If being shot by ordinary thugs felt like being hit with a handful of soybeans, Wakamo's bullet felt like a hand drill pressed against his forehead, relentlessly drilling into his brain.This power made Dan Kuroto look at Wakamo with newfound respect."That shot was really powerful!"Dan Kuroto tilted his head, letting the bullet lodged in his head bounce away.Smoke was still rising from the spot on his forehead where the bullet had struck. Thankfully, his armor was thick enough.And this Guide of the Stars Gashat seems to have a weakening effect on student attacks; analyzing it this way, Wakamo's attack power might be even greater than Dan Kuroto had imagined.Of course, it was also possible that the kid's attack 'attributes' had come into play."You—are you human or an oni?"Wakamo froze.That shot, though not her full-power attack, was enough to leave only a few monsters of her level standing still and absorbing the bullet. Let alone someone hit in the head by Wakamo—they would all fall instantly.How could someone like this guy, with a bullet piercing his head, be standing there chatting and laughing a few seconds later?Was his brain filled with iron?No. Even a solid iron head should have been pierced by now. What was this guy's head made of? Gundanium alloy?"Ah, of course I'm human. Is that even a question?" Dan Kuroto spread his arms, showing Wakamo his armor. "Kamen Rider armor, my proudest invention—a genius invention. A mere bullet is nothing compared to this!"...Actually, it still hurt a little, but Dan Kuroto was not stupid enough to say it out loud."Heh heh heh... Looks like I've run into someone formidable today."Wakamo's tone remained the same, but her grip on the gun tightened."Hey, your name's Wakamo, right?""What?"Dan Kuroto was not afraid of what harm this girl, known as the 'Fox of Calamity,' could possibly cause him. In fact, in all of Kivotos, practically no one could effectively harm Dan Kuroto—the previous one did not count."You're always causing trouble. I've heard about it from the General Student Council. They're really annoyed by your constant mischief because they don't even know what you're up to."In this tense moment, he could even joke with the girl before him. From what Rin had heard, Wakamo is a child with combat abilities far exceeding those of ordinary students, frequently engaging in large-scale destruction without any apparent reason. Dan Kuroto was curious about her motives.“What reason do you have for causing so much destruction?”“Heh heh Want to get to know me? Too bad, I don’t even know if you’re the kind of man I’m interested in yet”Though she said this, Wakamo seemed unwilling to linger any longer with this mysterious and powerful individual.The thugs downstairs, used to stall for time, had already been mostly eliminated by the Valkyrie Police. Since the opportunity to destroy the Sanctuary Tower was gone, it was best to leave quickly.“I hate people who keep chasing me. Let’s talk again next time~”BOOM!!Wakamo's immense destructive power created another large hole in the wall on the other side.Seeing that Dan Kuroto showed no intention of pursuing her, Wakamo leaped into the night and disappeared."Her physical abilities are almost on par with those in Kamen Rider armor..."Dan Kuroto could have continued the chase; with his strength, catching up with Wakamo would not have been difficult. However, considering his original intention was to reclaim the Schale Tower, there was no need to pursue the escaped Wakamo."Mr. Dan Kuroto, the Sanctuary Tower is now secure. From this moment on, all permissions are unlocked for you."Arona's voice came from the side. It seemed that after Dan Kuroto completely seized control of the Sanctuary Tower, Arona had also acquired the last piece of permissions she had previously taken over. Once Arona had taken control of all permissions, the lights inside the pristine white building illuminated.A few minutes later, upon learning that Schale's safety was assured, Rin and Sensei arrived at the scene."Although only the Sanctuary Tower was secured, for the General Student Council right now, there couldn't be better news."For Rin, the Sanctuary Tower was linked to numerous special privileges; it was indeed a crucial location that could not be taken away. Dan Kuroto's outstanding performance also impressed her."You single-handedly secured the Sanctuary Tower's safety and even confronted that Calamity Fox head-on without student protection. Your abilities are far greater than I imagined."Gashu~"Actually, that Calamity Fox and I didn't really fight." Dan Kuroto drew his Gashat, deactivating his transformation. "However, her bullets hurt quite a bit when they hit my head. She must be a very strong student."“Uh… it’s more than just incredibly strong.”“To date, the Valkyrie Police Department has clashed with the Fox of Calamity hundreds of times, even deploying SRT special forces to fight her,” Rin adjusted her glasses. “However, the Fox of Calamity has escaped far more often than we’ve captured her, and every time we do, she escapes again after a while. So, no matter what, the Fox of Calamity is one of the ‘Seven Prisoners’ that gives the Valkyrie Police Department and even the General Student Council a major headache.”“Seven Prisoners?”Dan Kuroto was hearing this term for the first time, finding it somewhat intriguing. However, after a moment's thought, he could roughly understand what it referred to."Six more students like Wakamo?""I think you'll definitely have a chance to meet them in the future," Rin nodded. "These people are all incredibly troublesome. Even though the Valkyrie Police Department has increased security more than tenfold, they still manage to escape. Please be careful when dealing with these difficult students.""Why should I be afraid? Shouldn't they be the ones worried?" Dan Kuroto always seemed more confident when discussing such topics. "Do you know the Fox of Calamity? I could go toe-to-toe with her!""Uh... hahaha, just take it as a joke..."Perhaps because the Sanctuary Tower had been reclaimed, Rin's anxiety visibly lessened.Although there were still quite a few thugs rebelling within the city, according to communications from other student council members, their leader, the Calamity Fox, had escaped. The remaining thugs could probably be completely wiped out shortly. The SRT squads, previously dispatched to various locations to quell the unrest, also reported good news: their suppression of violent incidents was finally showing results.With signs of a resolution appearing here, Sensei seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.Having observed everything unfold, Sensei's barely maintained body finally gave way."...From here on, it's Mr. Dan Kuroto's prologue, isn't it?"Sensei's body flickered, seemingly uttering something nonsensical to Rin, but Dan Kuroto understood the unspoken meaning behind Sensei's words."It's almost time. Shall we say something impactful?"Dan Kuroto stood to the side, watching the man who wanted to change the fate of this world gradually fade away, while Sensei simply smiled faintly.“I can't be the thunder that changes my destiny. If there's a next time, I'll be the silent drizzle; that suits me better.”Dan Kuroto nodded. “Damn you, so kind.”“Rin.”Sensei turned toward Rin. The capable acting student council president had already heard Sensei's explanation. Although she still could not quite accept Sensei's death, there was nothing she could do.“…Sensei, I’m here.”“I’ll have to trouble you from now on.”“It’s my duty,” Rin nodded slightly. “Since Mr. Dan Kuroto is your chosen successor, I will assist him.”Sensei extended his fist toward Dan Kuroto, seemingly wanting to bump fists:“No further—”Dan Kuroto extended his fist, slightly displeased that this guy was not using his own lines, but still bumped fists with him.“—Let’s change our fate.”The fists gently collided, and Sensei’s figure, along with the Bugster virus that constituted his body, gradually had its vitality drained, finally reaching its limit. After relinquishing Shittim Chest’s authority, his time was already running out.The next moment, he transformed into scattered stars, disappearing before the dawn’s first light.“Sensei…” Rin looked at the specks of light, a sense of loss washing over her."His fate isn't over yet," Dan Kuroto said, showing no concern for the man. "Let's go. Is there anything else you need? I'll take care of it for you."————————[Game Over][Continue?][Yes]A shooting star streaked across the night sky; the Star of Bethlehem was about to fall where he was meant to be.------70. The End of the D·U District AttackThe sudden chaos came to an end when the ringleader, “The Fox of Calamity,” Wakamo, fled the D·U District. Without their leader, the thugs who had relied on their superior weaponry for temporary suppression quickly faced a counterattack.Led by the student council president's special operations team, after rapidly suppressing several of the largest riot areas, these unavailable special operations teams rushed to support the Valkyrie police, who were struggling in the fight.Even with their superior firepower, how many thugs truly knew how to utilize it effectively?With the special forces freed up, the scales of victory gradually tipped in favor of the General Student Council.However, it is worth mentioning that the special forces were able to free up their forces so quickly thanks to a purple Kamen Rider who traversed the D·U District, providing support from all sides.“Alona, tell me the next attack location.”“Coordinates sent to your map!”Dan Kuroto, traversing the D·U District's network at lightning speed, appeared and disappeared across the battlefields. Before the thugs could even react, he effortlessly uprooted their biggest asset. Armored vehicles and tanks—Dan Kuroto destroyed them in a few moves, leaving the thugs bewildered.In short, the fighting power of these student thugs was not a threat, since their greatest asset was the armored vehicles they had somehow acquired. After these were destroyed, their fighting strength plummeted, and they were wiped out by the recovered Valkyrie troops.“Who is that guy in the purple bodysuit? Does anyone know them?”The FOX Platoon members were stunned as they watched the unfamiliar figure vanish after swiftly destroying the tank in front of them.Kurumi nudged her classmate beside her. “Are there any of our classmates like that?”“How could someone possibly kick a tank to pieces?! I've never even heard of such a thing!”Niko standing nearby couldn't believe her eyes. “Is his foot a high-explosive armor-piercing round?!”“Hmm... but judging from their build, they don't seem like a student?”Captain Yukino had already memorized the person's general appearance. “To be honest, they are built like Sensei, the one we saw at the General Student Council.”“That strange outfit—it must be some kind of exoskeleton armor, right?”As expected of an elite squad from SRT Special Academy, Yukino was quite knowledgeable and even knew about such rare items as exoskeletons."I've heard that some equipment, once worn, allows you to use weapons with firepower exceeding that of a main battle tank. Maybe that thing is the same.”“Yeah, how cunning. I want one of those too.” Niko pouted, dissatisfied. “Captain, give each of us one! Our combat power will definitely increase dramatically!”“No money.” Yukino refused outright.“How could this be?!”Ignoring FOX Platoon's comments behind him, Dan Kuroto swiftly traversed the entire D·U District's battlefields, eliminating the most troublesome elements with his Rider Kick before speeding away.“Mr. Dan Kuroto, all enemy armored units in the riot areas have been eliminated. The Valkyrie Squad and FOX Platoon can handle the rest. Thank you for your hard work.”Alona's voice rang in Dan Kuroto's ears, and this good news naturally reached Rin as well.After securing the Sanctuary Tower, Rin returned to the General Student Council to oversee operations. However, before leaving, she still requested administrative control of the Sanctuary Tower from Dan Kuroto.After all, the reason they suffered so much was that all administrative authority was concentrated in the hands of the current student council president.With the student council president gone, the entire General Student Council lost control of the Sanctuary Tower, unable even to use its automated defense weapons—a truly embarrassing situation.“Even after gaining control of the Sanctuary Tower, we won't actually do much more. Rather, it's to save Mr. Dan Kuroto some trouble.”Rin's words were not without merit. The Sanctuary Tower itself wasn't linked to the General Student Council's authority; it was a facility exclusively belonging to the Schale Investigation Society. Therefore, it did not have a very significant function, serving more as Schale's office space.The General Student Council's decision to grant these permissions seemed more like a way to save Dan Kuroto trouble.After all, these permissions were needed for the building's maintenance, and with the General Student Council in charge, the building could simply be used directly.After Dan Kuroto assisted the Valkyrie Squad throughout the D·U District, he returned to the General Student Council office, where Rin was already waiting. Several other regular members of the General Student Council were also present.“Mr. Dan Kuroto, thank you for your great help.”Rin stood in the center of the office, bowing her head in gratitude."Tonight’s commotion, without your intervention, might have been irreversible. Your ability to reopen Shittim Chest is a tremendous achievement for us. Thanks to you reactivating the Sanctuary Tower, the General Student Council has also regained control of the entire D·U District.”“Sounds very important to you.” Dan Kuroto deactivated his transformation, reverting from Kamen Rider to human form. Subtle whispers arose around him, discussing his appearance.“So, is the compensation prepared?”“We’ve been considering the compensation for some time.” Rin had indeed struggled with how to respond to Dan Kuroto, whose nature was completely different from “Sensei.” Only after consulting Alona did she settle on this plan.“I heard that Mr. Dan Kuroto seems to be considering starting a company?”“That's the plan,” Dan Kuroto nodded.Rin tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her deep blue eyes fixed on Dan Kuroto. “Then, the General Student Council will provide you with an office building in the D·U District as your workspace. All necessary procedures and utilities will be covered by the Federal Council. What do you think?”---71. Haha, already turned into shrimp dumplings.“How did you know I was in need of an office building right now?” Dan Kuroto exclaimed happily.“It's free, isn't it? Then I'll accept it.”“It's what you deserve,” Rin nodded. “Besides that, there's something else. I wonder if you could consider it?”Dan Kuroto would naturally not refuse the benefit of receiving an office building for free. Rin's choice of this gift was also carefully considered; giving a building within the General Student Council's jurisdiction placed his activities under their oversight.This newly appeared Mr. Dan Kuroto was the latest holder of the “Shittim Chest,” and like Sensei, he had obtained its certification authority—without the former student council president's entrustment. This matter was beyond any reasonable calculation, more like a series of coincidences than a probable event.“Anything else?” Dan Kuroto looked at the three people in front of him. “By the way, who are these two? Aren't they going to introduce themselves?”Standing to Rin's left, a girl with long blonde hair that almost reached her calves and black wings on her back greeted Dan Kuroto timidly. “Hello, Mr. Dan Kuroto... I am Ayumi, the head of the Mediation Department of the General Student Council, and like Rin-senpai, I also serve as the student council secretary.”Standing to Rin's right, the much shorter girl with pink twin-tails was less reserved. She waved her hand, still holding a handful of mentaiko chips, and smiled sweetly. “I'm Momoka the head of the Transportation Department. But I don't usually handle these things; most of the time, my other officers help out”“Hm...” Dan Kuroto was not interested in that; his attention was fixed on Momoka's swaying tail.After arriving in Abydos, he had seen students with animal ears, elf ears, horns, and wings. These features were not particularly surprising compared to halos.However, Momoka's enormous, almost unnoticeable tail did pique Dan Kuroto's interest. He pointed directly at Momoka. “Was your tail something you were born with?”“Hmm? Oh?” Momoka wagged her large tail. “Interested in my tail? To be honest, I'm quite satisfied with mine. After all, you can't find a tail as good as this in all of Kivotos!”“No, I just want to study it...” Dan Kuroto pondered. “How exactly did this tail grow on you? The anatomy of you students is truly amazing~”“Huh? What’s there to research? Isn’t it like this from birth?” Momoka hid her tail behind her back. “Ugh, H is out of the question~”After introducing the others, Rin brought up the topic she had not finished earlier."Actually… as the nominal controller of Shittim Chest, your existence isn’t something we can easily disregard. After all, Shittim Chest is quite important to us.”“So?” Dan Kuroto looked at her.“So, we also hope to invite you to become the head of the ‘Schale’ Federal Investigation Agency.”Rin explained, “The Schale Federal Investigation Agency, while one of the five major components of the Federal Council, is actually quite independent, operating with a high degree of freedom.”Officially called an investigation agency, it can investigate anything. While its authority does not significantly interfere with other agencies, they also cannot interfere with Schale; it is a nearly completely independent entity.“In other words, you don’t need to worry about what to do after taking over Schale; everything is up to you,” Rin said. “Whether you want to support the General Student Council, handle requests from various school districts, or even recruit students across district boundaries into Schale.”“Furthermore, you’re not a ‘Sensei,’” Rin said. “While the absence of that identity will weaken your relationship with the students, it may allow you to use entirely new methods to solve problems.”Dan Kuroto pondered for a moment. “Whether I join Schale or not is entirely up to me?”“Yes.”“And what I do is also my prerogative?”“Theoretically, yes. However, if other school districts have strong objections, some things might not be possible.”“I still need to run my company. Is joining Schale okay?”“There’s no conflict between the two. This may be the only way you can manage both simultaneously.” Rin adjusted her glasses. “However, the General Student Council can’t directly intervene in competition between companies, so they may not be able to offer much help in this area. But if there are any students skilled in this, you can use Schale’s authority to have them assist you.”“This is one of the benefits you’ll receive after becoming the president of the Schale Federal Investigation Agency.”Being able to enter various school districts under the neutral authority of the General Student Council effectively grants Dan Kuroto an officially endorsed position in Kivotos—President of the Schale Federal Investigation Agency, commonly known as “President-san” (or “Egg Dumpling”).He can also directly recruit talents under his wing. Overall, the benefits are substantial, and it is not a bad arrangement.“Alright, sounds good, though it's a bit like a detective agency whose job is human resources.” Dan Kuroto extended his hand and shook hands with Rin. “Then I’ll take the job without hesitation.”Rin returned the handshake with the man's. “Thank you, Mr. Dan Kuroto. Let’s work together happily from now on.”72. Congratulations to Kami on acquiring an office building!"This is your office building."After taking over as president of Schale, Dan Kuroto quickly received his reward—a fully equipped office building. There are many such buildings in the D·U district; the General Student Council controls a considerable number of these assets; otherwise, they wouldn't be able to support the children at SRT Special School."Regarding the company registration procedures, you only need to provide the information; the General Student Council will handle everything else." Rin adjusted her glasses. "However, the General Student Council cannot guarantee anything about your company's future investments or profits and losses."They can't blame the General Student Council for failed stock market investments, can they?If they did, the council wouldn't have enough money to cover the losses.In fact, the fact that Kaiser Corporation can use its wealth to secure a foothold in various university districts shows that the General Student Council has little control over Kaiser Corporation, which has become a super-conglomerate. They can only allow it to exploit loopholes and seize control of the Abydos school district—something so serious that it could destroy the district that the General Student Council couldn't possibly be unaware of.Therefore, the only possibility is that they know but are powerless to provide any assistance. This means that if a company can grow into a massive conglomerate, it can, to some extent, exert a significant influence on Kivotos, much like the General Student Council.Even if the only concept here is "student," as long as the concept of "consumption" exists, the various attributes combined can still exert their influence on "students."“That’s no problem for me,” Dan Kuroto said dismissively. “When it comes to business, I’m a true expert!”“Well… since you’re so confident in your business acumen, we won’t interfere with your plans,” Rin said to Dan Kuroto. “If your company grows and expands in the future, it would be even better if you could cooperate with the General Student Council.”“Cooperate?” Dan Kuroto looked at her. “Is your General Student Council also interested in this?”“It’s less about interest and more about a long-standing need of ours.”Rin explained to Dan Kuroto, “Of course, this doesn’t mean the Federal Council has a financial need, but rather that it’s based on the impact of commercial activities on the students.”“What do you mean?”“You’ll see once you come with me.”Rin led Dan Kuroto from the high-rise building to a commercial street within the D·U district. It had suffered varying degrees of damage in last night's attack, but with a large number of construction club students moving in, it should be restored to its original condition within two days.“Mr. Dan Kuroto, this is a commercial street in the D·U district,” Rin explained to Dan Kuroto. “Sixty percent of the brands on this street belong to various companies under Kaiser Corporation. Kaiser Corporation has permeated every aspect of daily life in Kivotos. Presumably, Mr. Dan Kuroto has already had contact with Kaiser Corporation.”“They didn’t leave a very good impression on me,” Dan Kuroto said, crossing his arms and recalling the Kaiser Corporation director he’d encountered in the desert. “They were rather insidious and had no moral compass. I thought my standards were already quite low, but I didn’t expect them to be on par with me.”“Uh… Mr. Dan Kuroto, what do you see here?”“That goes without saying—monopoly.”Without much prompting from Rin, Dan Kuroto voiced the answer in her mind.At the same time, Dan Kuroto countered, “Is this the case on every commercial street in Kivotos?”“Actually, except for Hyakkiyako Alliance Academy and Shanhaijing Senior High School, where local business associations and unique specialty product demands exist, Kaiser Corporation's business scope only accounts for about 30% of their school districts. But in the districts of Gehenna, Trinity, and Abydos, which has been most severely encroached upon, Kaiser Corporation's control over commerce can be described as dominant.”“And, in the black market, which Kivotos already has intelligence on, there’s an underground market teeming with illicit funds. Kaiser Corporation naturally holds the largest share among those leading these activities.”Dan Kuroto asked curiously, “You’ve already gathered this much information; why haven’t you taken action to weaken Kaiser Corporation?”Rin shook her head regretfully: “Because these intelligence sources are, at best, just ‘information’ and ‘rumors.’ Without concrete evidence, we can’t take action.”This is precisely the necessary sacrifice made by the Federal Council, representing order. Because the Federal Council is the legitimate, overt controller of Kivotos, managing the entire domain, it must adhere to order and rules.Even justice must be based on justice within the rules. Even if one witnesses the current situation, without concrete evidence, launching an attack or punishment against Kaiser Corporation based solely on a few pieces of information is untenable under the rules.“Unfortunately, although the General Student Council has legal enforcement capabilities, we are still bound by the rules…”“However, now we see you.”Rin raised her head, looking at Dan Kuroto before her.“After you inherited Schale’s rights, you possess the enforcement capabilities of the General Student Council, yet you are not an executor in the traditional sense. Furthermore, you are now capable of making choices completely different from Sensei’s. Perhaps in this respect, I think we can have high hopes for you.”“If a group could emerge that cooperates with the Federal Council and can restrain the super-conglomerates, I think it would be beneficial to Kivotos’s current situation.”Dan Kuroto confidently entrusted the company’s paperwork to Rin, who then delegated it to her departments. With matters in the D.U. district settled and the Sanctuary Tower operational again, Dan Kuroto returned to Millennium Science School via the internet."After all, I promised Momoi and the others I'd teach them how to develop the ultimate game."Dan Kuroto, transformed into a Bugster virus, burrowed into cyberspace."I was just out trying to get some funding; how did I run into so much trouble...? It's about time I went back to see how far Momoi and the others were with their game development project. The Millennium Prize deadline is fast approaching."—Kami's Running Scene—"Ugh! I'm back!!"Shouting and yelling, Dan Kuroto burst out of the game development department's network port, roaring like a dragon and making an unladylike stretching sound."Even though only three days have passed! I've already acquired an office building, millions of credits, and you guys...""Eh? Where did everyone go?"Looking around the empty game development department, Dan Kuroto froze with his arms outstretched, then scratched his cheek."Could it be... the department has been disbanded?"---73. The Inspiration Volcano Erupts!After a closer look at the largely unchanged interior of the game development department, Dan Kuroto was finally certain that the department hadn't suddenly shut down in the last couple of days; rather, all the girls in the department had gone out—even the cabinet where Yuzu had been hiding for so long was empty. No wonder he hadn't sensed anyone's presence when he returned."During the three days I was gone, were they seriously preparing for game development?"Dan Kuroto looked around and saw the whiteboard he had left behind. The writing on it had been erased and replaced with brainstorming ideas. After deciding to develop a sequel based on Tales Saga Chronicle, they had indeed been working toward that goal. The whiteboard was filled with all sorts of whimsical ideas, seemingly preparing the game's elements in advance while Dan Kuroto used a Gashat to create the game."How about adding a time-travel element? Didn't we have that idea in the last game? That way, we can openly let different worlds in!"This kind of wildly imaginative idea was definitely Momoi's."How about adding more scenes about the protagonist's background? As the protagonist, they should have the most mysteries! If we have enough computing power, how about adding different explorable levels for each character?"This was definitely Midori's suggestion."Pixel art is still great, isn't it? We can't completely abandon the previous game mechanics!—Although Mr. Dan Kuroto said we also need to consider the gaming experience of modern players, I really don't want to give them up completely!"Undoubtedly, this was Yuzu's idea."He who draws this sword will become a hero who cuts down all evil!—This text has been highlighted and recommended!"Ah—this is Alice.Dan Kuroto carefully read through the words written on the whiteboard and noticed the notebook on the table. He opened it; inside was a continuation of the storyline from the previous game, Tales Saga Chronicle."Not bad, basically no major plot holes, although the final execution is a bit clichéd and bland." Dan Kuroto flipped through the notebook, switching into his genius game developer persona and seriously studying the original game script.So, when Momoi, Midori, and the group of four retrieved the limited-edition game discs from the Millennium School District's shopping street and returned to the game room, they were startled by the papers scattered everywhere."Whoa?! What are all these papers on the floor?!"Momoi's face turned into an "ovo" expression. Anyone who just went out to buy a disc and grab a bite to eat, only to return to find their once-tidy activity room covered in scraps of paper, would be shocked, right?"Ah, Momoi, look, it's Mr. Dan Kuroto."Midori was the second to enter and immediately noticed Dan Kuroto furiously scribbling at the table. He was using two pens simultaneously, drawing circles and squares—no, rapidly sketching and writing down his brilliant inspirations on two sheets of paper.His hands were busy, and his mouth wasn't idle either!"Hehehe!! Let the inspiration come! More of it!!"The paper spread out in front of him had something written on it, but Momoi and Midori could see him toss the completed sheet into the air; then, in a strange two-finger gesture, squatting on his swivel chair, he began typing on the computer."What... what is he doing?" Momoi was completely bewildered, utterly clueless about what Dan Kuroto was up to. "It's only been three days; how come his persona is completely different?""What's this..."Yuzu picked up a piece of paper from the ground. Although it looked like a discarded piece of paper, and given Dan Kuroto's exaggeratedly messy handwriting, anyone who saw it would assume it was covered in scribbles.But Yuzu, upon picking it up, saw that the writing on the paper, though chaotic, was still legible."The connection between the Hero's World Travel System and the Bond System...? Huh? Could this be..."On this casually picked-up piece of paper were ideas that would be completely compatible with Tales Saga Chronicle 2, which the game development department was currently considering. This made Yuzu, who was in charge, pause for a moment; then she bent down and picked up another piece of paper."Methods to enhance the cooperative combat system between companions and improve expressiveness...""Th-this is!"Yuzu, unusually flustered, picked up several sheets of paper and quickly scanned the information. She was now certain of one thing:"These are Mr. Dan Kuroto's revisions for Tales Saga Chronicle 2! And various additional suggestions!"She confirmed that the numerous drafts scattered throughout the room were invaluable revisions for their game development, containing the volcanic eruption of inspiration from the genius game developer, Dan Kuroto.At this moment, handwritten paper could no longer satisfy Dan Kuroto's torrent of inspiration, like an exploding faucet that couldn't be stopped.However, lacking a blank Gashat to hold his ideas and being impatient to type them by hand, he simply grabbed his computer, which he had left in the activity room, and directly stuffed his overflowing inspiration into the handwritten documents.Well, after all, they're data lifeforms—after all, they're Bugsters. Operating the computer doesn't even require typing; they just need to continuously transfer data into it—squatting in a swivel chair using two fingers is just expressing emotion!Yes, expressing emotion!"You're back? Perfect timing!"Dan Kuroto glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw the four members of the game development department walking in through the activity room door. He pointed directly at the game's lead creator."Yuzu! You answer this question! What exactly is your design for the final battle?!""Eh? I—" Yuzu's mind raced before she realized, "It's a total war where all the companions gather together to defeat the Demon King!""A large-scale battle where everyone gathers—you could call it a classic performance. I've read your overall script, and there are still many things that need revision. Now, start sorting and organizing all those documents on the floor!"Dan Kuroto's words were unquestionable. Under his command, the newly returned group, though still somewhat bewildered, immediately began working.“Excuse me… Mr. Dan Kuroto, what are these documents…” Momoi had been a bit confused since earlier.Dan Kuroto didn't even look up, his hands still busy pressing keys: “I just got back from a business trip and saw your development concepts and ideas for Tales Saga Chronicle 2. If we're talking about the ultimate game standard, this is far from enough!”Midori was stunned: “So you… are you going straight to developing the finished product?”“No, not at all!”Smack!Dan Kuroto slammed the spacebar down, the finishing motion reminiscent of those kids playing Audition Online in internet cafes, slamming the spacebar so hard it was deafening.“These are just my scattered inspirations!”“But… just consider this the perfect gold collector's edition of Tales Saga Chronicle 2.”“The regular version hasn't even come out yet, has it?!!!”--74. Download link for the digital version of "Tales Saga 2" edited by Dan Kuroto.The fluorescent lights illuminated the activity room. Dan Kuroto, emerging from his energetic work, stretched his back and handed the screen to the four eager game development team members who had been waiting impatiently."Done! This is—Dan Kuroto's cut of Tales Saga Chronicle 2!"Dan Kuroto's work speed was almost enough to overturn an entire studio. In terms of both speed and quality, he truly deserved the title of 'genius game developer.' Having simply reviewed the notebooks filled with ideas from Yuzu and the others, combined with their thoughts and opinions, and drawing upon his analysis of the core gameplay and spirit of his previous title, Tales Saga, after a few hours of high-speed work, he effortlessly created Dan Kuroto's digital version of Tales Saga 2."If I hadn’t been short on materials to build a blank Gashat, I would have just started working on the 'Genesis MK1.'"Dan Kuroto patted his newly created game development machine with a sigh."It has built-in software perfectly suited to my way of thinking and working. If I hadn’t overlooked this, I wouldn’t have ended up with papers covered in my inspirations.""This thing has this function?"Momoi curiously peeked out from behind the screen. "Why does a game development Gashat need all this software built in?"Didu~Dan Kuroto glanced at his phone. Nonomi had sent him a text message on Momotalk. After replying, Dan Kuroto continued."Because I developed this machine, it naturally has to suit my own usage habits first."Dan Kuroto liked to scatter his inspirations everywhere when he was thinking, which was a hassle to clean up, and he had to spend time categorizing and organizing them—though that time was definitely well worth it.However, the 'Creator MK1' game development platform, created by Dan Kuroto using the world's OPTZ material, had a built-in massive storage space and automatic sorting function that perfectly matched Dan Kuroto's high-speed transmission interface—yes, the data transmission protocol that came with Dan Kuroto himself, the Bugster. It could seamlessly interface with Dan Kuroto, quickly responding to the sparks of inspiration that sprang from his mind and organizing them into documents for backup in the blink of an eye."That way, we won’t scatter draft paper everywhere like before," Dan Kuroto said smugly, stretching his limbs. "That’s what paperless office work is all about! This is the benefit of Bugster life—do you guys want to try it too? Two students like you have already enjoyed this privilege!"Momoi, Midori, and Yuzu shook their heads in unison. "No, no, no, no, that’s unnecessary!"Alice was indifferent, she only cared about the game in front of her.Seeing Alice eagerly opening the Tan-cut version of Tales Saga 2, Dan Kuroto’s attention turned to her again. When he first met Alice in that ruined facility, he already knew this child was extraordinary.Alice was an android, or more simply, a robot. The biggest difference between her and the intelligent machines operating in Kivotos was her appearance—clearly different from other robots, she looked like a 'student.'A perfect, youthful figure, and an equally radiant aura—especially the appearance of this 'halo'—Dan Kuroto, having interacted with Kivotos's robots, hadn’t noticed any other robot with a halo above its head.'It seems Alice has quite a few secrets.'Dan Kuroto silently watched the four people before him, who had abandoned their development work and were now playing a Tan-style version of Tales Saga 2, recalling the 'transmission' and 'flow' he felt from the chair beneath Alice when he first awakened her.'Are there other machines sleeping under the ruins? Could they be machines like Alice?'Dan Kuroto's imagination ran wild, conjuring up images of tens of thousands of Alices chanting 'Bang Bang Ka Bang' as they rolled over him with all their might. Even Dan Kuroto wore an expression of 'old man, subway, cell phone.'"Ah... even though I've seen a lot of things, this thing is really damn weird..."Imagining the scene of a million spreading Alices, Dan Kuroto couldn’t help but chuckle. Leaving aside the sheer power of the image, the sheer impact of just seeing it would probably make anyone burst out laughing."It's a 3D version of Tales Saga 2..."Although she was eager to explore Dan Kuroto's Tales Saga 2, after experiencing the prologue, Momoi reluctantly put down the controller."Speaking of which, our idea was to continue the pixel art style of the previous game.""However, it’s undeniable that 3D graphics can definitely convey more information and detail." Midori reluctantly put down the game controller, a pained expression on her face."Ugh! I can’t play anymore. This game… it’s already far beyond our expectations…""If we continue playing, our part…" Yuzu said with a hint of fear, "is like a frog that’s seen how big the sky is—we can’t possibly continue developing our previous version with peace of mind…"Admittedly, Yuzu and her team had made some small progress. Their envisioned Tales Saga Chronicle 2 had received significantly higher praise from Dan Kuroto compared to its predecessor, which could be considered progress. But standing in front of the game Dan Kuroto presented was like seeing themselves infinitely evolved; the sudden, intense impact would instantly shatter all their ideas—that wouldn’t be innovation, but mere copying."Ugh—" Alice's face showed a look of unwillingness. "The hero has encountered the greatest barrier yet—himself from another world stands before him!""You don’t need to worry." Dan Kuroto reached out and pressed the screen, covering the game on display. "This is just a work that came to me spontaneously, an inspiration I had to express. Continue your development work as usual. Keep this as a demo.""This is no demo!" Momoi exclaimed in shock. "I’ve never heard of a demo being a thousand times more complete than the final product!""What I’m showing you is merely one possibility for your game’s future."Facing those seeking the path of game development, Dan Kuroto had learned to offer a little encouragement.After all, he was now a god formed from the fusion of the genes of a 'genius game developer' and a 'genius gamer.' Regarding game development, he was no longer the "forbidden to allow anyone but me to make a Gashat" type.For these promising game developers, Dan Kuroto was generous in offering guidance."Alright, alright, let's get moving! The development team needs to catch up on the progress of 'Tales Saga 2'!" Dan Kuroto clapped his hands, urging the four kids in front of him to get to work."There are only two weeks left until the Millennium Grand Prize, right? Hurry up and speed up!"---75. Isn't it normal for game developers to add their own personal touches?"Game development isn't just about finishing it and releasing it! To cultivate standardized work practices, you must follow my procedures!"Dan Kuroto stood in the center of the game development department, exuding an air of authority. Yuzu and the others, under Dan Kuroto's supervision, were carrying out pre-production work on Tales Saga 2—that is, perfecting the game's setting materials, text story, and various game system settings."To be honest, you guys are lucky." Dan Kuroto leisurely sipped his water, opening his Momotalk to confirm company paperwork with Rin, who had sent him a message. "Game development isn't that simple. There's early planning and production, mid-production, late-stage testing, plus potential debugging, and finally, the release. With you rushing like this, if a few unexpected events happen, it's hard to say whether we'll even make it to the Millennium Prize."Like a stand-up comedian, Dan Kuroto didn't care whether anyone paid him any attention or not; his mouth chattered like a machine gun."But the most tedious part of the production process can be completely handled by a single 'Creator MK1'! The new Gashat, using special port outputs, will be a revolutionary force in the gaming industry! Completely lag-free creation—hey, do you guys think we could use those lines in an ad?""Yes, yes, yes..."Momoi was completely absorbed in character design, her boundless imagination being her greatest weapon at this moment. She rolled her eyes and looked at the noisy Dan Kuroto beside her."Mr. Dan Kuroto, you're so noisy! We know you're amazing, but can't we just start working with that Genesis MK1? I'm starting to miss how convenient that machine was...""Unfortunately, no, this is for your training."Dan Kuroto reached out and ruffled Yuzu’s hair into a mess, flicking her forehead amidst her whimpering. "The advantage of the Creator MK1 is its unimaginable freedom; of course, this is also where ordinary people can’t fully master it."Overly free tools often led to unrestrained creativity, ultimately causing people to completely lose their direction and produce a bunch of nonsensical things stitched together from impromptu ideas.To prevent Momoi and the others from creating a bunch of unplanned Frankenstein’s monsters while using the machine, Dan Kuroto imposed a strict requirement: they must present a complete design plan before the machine could skip the subsequent production process."Um… Mr. Dan Kuroto, this is the script improved based on your feedback…" Yuzu handed the notebook to Dan Kuroto.Perhaps it was because Dan Kuroto was not only the adult who had helped them so much, or perhaps he truly seemed like a guide for them on the path of game development, but Yuzu surprisingly felt no fear toward this somewhat unconventional person. Even her usually somewhat socially awkward manner of speaking improved, though her voice became slightly softer."I’ve revised all the illogical plot points from before, but regarding your suggestions—" Yuzu pointed out a few that Dan Kuroto wanted to include, boldly retorting, "Don’t the ones I didn’t add seem a bit out of place with the game’s art style?""Hmm?" Dan Kuroto raised an eyebrow. "You think these characters can’t be included?""Eek?!" Under Dan Kuroto’s scrutinizing gaze, Yuzu, despite being a student, felt a sense of a 'superior’s gaze' and couldn’t help but swallow hard. "I… I think… 'a man from another world who gained superhuman fighting abilities due to an unknown virus infection' seems a bit too out of place with the game’s overall retro atmosphere?""Well…" Dan Kuroto took a sip of water and turned his head away. "Anyway, it’s in my version!""Uh, then… let’s make it an Easter egg!" Yuzu came up with a win-win solution. "It’s normal for game developers to add their own personal touches!"While the game development team was still busy, Dan Kuroto let the children work on their own. After giving Midori some suggestions on her level design, and also to clear his head, Dan Kuroto stepped out of the activity room."Come to think of it, I'm always traveling online; I haven't really had a chance to properly explore this school yet."Dan Kuroto was quite interested in the 'Millennium Science School,' a science and technology school with a strong emphasis on technological invention. Compared to other school districts, it was a rising star. The Millennium School District was said to contain many ancient artifacts, and there was even a dedicated antiquarian research association for studying them."That 'ruins' is also part of the Millennium Academy District, right?" Dan Kuroto ignored the curious and speculative gazes of the students around him."There seem to be a large number of combat robots in there, hostile to students… It seems there’s a lot more buried beneath this school."What else was buried beneath the Millennium Academy, Dan Kuroto had no idea.Just as he was pondering whether he could use these things, the sound of approaching footsteps caught his attention."Hello, Mr. Dan Kuroto?"Yuka's voice rang out from the side. Dan Kuroto glanced at her, then turned away again. "What?""That tone... never mind."Yuka looked at the adult she'd only met a few times, still unable to understand how he'd been dug out of the ruins and why Himari was willing to vouch for him, allowing him freedom of movement within the school. Yuka couldn't figure it out either."Are Momoi and the others in the activity room?""They're preparing for the Millennium Prize." Dan Kuroto gestured with his chin toward the activity room. "They're over there. What's up?""Just here to inform them about the Millennium Prize." Yuka didn't say it aloud, but she was clearly concerned for the game development team. "Didn't we say before that this year's Millennium Prize would be held depending on the situation? Originally, because of the unrest at the General Student Council, all the school districts were prepared for conflict."Yuka glanced in the direction Dan Kuroto was looking, but seeing nothing noteworthy, she looked away. "However, with the General Student Council back in control, some of the original contingency plans don't need to be activated. So, this year's Millennium Grand Prize will proceed as scheduled."Yuka, of course, didn't know that Dan Kuroto's actions had brought the D.U. riots to an early end, resolving many issues and getting things back on track.But Dan Kuroto didn't bother explaining; he was contemplating the series of actions his new company would be undertaking."Hmm… the first step is to expand the market…?""Hey, are you even listening to me?"Yuka looked at Dan Kuroto, who was starting to drift off again, and couldn't help but twitch her lips."Fine, I just can't connect with you. Anyway, I know Momoi and the others are still in the activity room."Yuka walked away. She and Dan Kuroto were simply incompatible, like oil and water. She'd better get back to her own business.---

76. Server Brute Force!!

"Momoi, I have great news for you all~"

Yuuka, having composed herself, walked into the Game Development Club with a beaming smile. "The Millennium Prize registration is open now! You guys are currently..."

Yuuka looked at the four people present. Before her were some of the few members of the Game Development Club actually doing something productive. In the past, when Yuuka visited the club, these kids were always either working on this game or that game.

But today, she saw Momoi and Midori hunched over their desks, writing furiously!

"Wait, did the sun rise in the west?"

Yuuka's surprise was palpable. Not only Momoi and Midori, but even the club president, Yuzu, who always hid in her closet and spoke in hushed tones, was now looking serious, seemingly studying something in her notebook.

Alice blinked. "It's Yuuka, the Great Demon King..."

"Who's the Great Demon King?!" Yuuka was quite unhappy with her title. "Momoi! Did you teach Alice to say something weird again?!"

"Yuuka-san, welcome..." Yuzu put down her pen and stood up. "We're currently working on the game for submission. Mr. Dan Kuroto gave a lot of helpful suggestions, so we're currently refining it..."

“Hmm… that seemingly unreliable adult actually offered serious advice?” Yuuka thought of Dan Kuroto, whom she'd run into outside. “That’s unexpected…”

“Yuuka, Yuuka! You just said the Millennium Prize is going to proceed as planned!” Momoi leaned closer, clearly very interested in the matter.

“Because some things have been resolved…” Yuuka chuckled. “You guys are preparing your entry for the competition. It’s rare to see you all working so diligently in the activity room. To be honest… this seems to be the first time I've witnessed the Game Development Department seriously working on a game, right?”

“What’s with that condescending talk?” Momoi huffed in dissatisfaction. “If we want to do it, we can do it!”

Yuuka kindly reminded the smug Momoi, hands on her hips, "If you're just cramming at the last minute, it'll be hard to stand out in the Millennium Prize, you know? Don't say I didn't warn you—other clubs have their own achievements all the time. Clubs like yours that just coast along might get disbanded if you don't win this time."

"Uh-huh!" Momoi choked for a moment, but then confidently crossed her arms. "No problem! We'll definitely do it this time!"

What happened between Yuuka and the Game Development Club was none of her concern for now.

Dan Kuroto was strolling slowly along the main road of Millennium Academy when he stopped in front of a security camera.

"I mean, aren't you checking a little too often?"

Dan Kuroto turned his head toward the security camera in front of him.

This was a relatively secluded corner of Millennium Academy, but even in such a remote location, surveillance cameras were meticulously deployed.

However, Dan Kuroto stopped in his tracks, faced with the hundreds of cameras scattered throughout the campus.

“…”

The cameras, of course, didn't respond. Not every camera was equipped with a speaker.

“Since I've started walking in the courtyard, you've checked at least twenty cameras. Although I can't see the people on the other end, this kind of staring is just too piercing.”

It's said that humans can sense gazes from others. An untrained person, after being stared at for more than twenty seconds, can sense that something is watching them, while trained professionals can reduce this perception to three seconds.

For digital lifeforms, the 'gaze' perceived from cameras follows the same principle, even more direct than the gaze of the naked eye.

"Oh dear, have we been discovered?"

In Kivotos, a place so secret that even the name of the Decagrammaton couldn't be detected, in the activity room of the Paranormal Affairs Department, a girl with white hair like an elf covered her mouth in surprise.

"You could still feel my gaze? Was it because the camera was moving too much?"

Himari's location was a specially modified secret area. Not only were the entrance passages interconnected, but even the network connecting to the outside world underwent multiple layers of encryption and address transformation. It was like the core of a labyrinth, both online and offline—especially the online portion.

This meticulous defense was naturally to guard against 'something,' which was the very purpose for which the Paranormal Affairs Department was established.

“Minister, just now, our third gateway was breached. The breach seems to have been caused by an unknown network virus.”

The pink-haired girl speaking beside her, Amy, was the second member of the Paranormal Phenomena Investigation Department. Her hands flew across various programs as she manipulated them, then she picked up a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from her brow.

"However, before the intrusion virus entered the fourth gateway, it was lured there by a pre-prepared fake exit, so we're safe for now.”

“Oh? That’s interesting.”

Himari unfolded her virtual keyboard.

At the same time, Dan Kuroto had disappeared from the monitor screen in front of her.

While reinforcing her network defenses again, she asked Amy, “The fake exit of the third gateway—I remember it was a physical processing terminal with many automated artillery pieces embedded in it, right?”

“Yes, once it receives a signal, it automatically disconnects, and the nearby artillery completely destroys the server’s physical trap.” Amy nodded, but then asked, “But why prepare such a strange trap?”

“Hoo hoo~ This isn’t an ordinary situation we’re dealing with; naturally, we have to consider all possibilities.” Himari chuckled softly. “However, to break through my first three lines of network defense at this speed, this person is quite capable.”

On another surveillance camera that had been activated, a server surrounded by numerous cannons appeared on the screen. Himari watched the screen with interest.

"Mr. Dan Kuroto, are you also a kind of ‘paranormal phenomenon’?”

“The exit is right here—hahahaha! What network can stop me!”

Dan Kuroto sped across the network cable, sensing that the server as the exit was right in front of him. With a sudden burst of speed, he leaped out of the server. Dan Kuroto was just about to mock the guy who dared to so openly spy on him for his lack of skill, but what he saw after leaping out of the server was a ring of automatically firing cannons lurking around him.

On the other end of the monitor, Himari chuckled softly.

"Boom~"

Dozens of cannons surrounding the server opened fire simultaneously.

Dan Kuroto was instantly engulfed in the barrage. He only had time to raise his middle finger before...

"F—"

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!

The server was engulfed in flames!

---

77. Fundamentalist Afro

"I got tricked..."

Dan Kuroto, dressed in tattered clothes, sat on the curb, exhaling a puff of black smoke. His afro, combined with his distinctive frizzy hair, made him hard to miss, drawing stares from passing students and pedestrians.

"Hey, sir! Hello! I'm from the 'Frizz Lovers' group! May I ask where you got your perfect afro?"

A student from some school, upon seeing Dan Kuroto's head, brightened up and ran over, curiously asking where she got her afro done, the effect so natural!

Dan Kuroto turned to look at her. "—After being bombarded by about fifty automatic grenade launchers, you too can have an afro like mine."

"Really! A true afro enthusiast! That's so rare!" The student grabbed Dan Kuroto's hand, thanking him profusely. "I know, I'll go try it right now! I should have known—an afro should be created through explosions to be a real afro!"

Seemingly serious, the afro-loving student thanked Dan Kuroto profusely, then dashed off, perhaps really going to find fifty automatic grenade launchers to blow her head off.

Watching the student run off energetically, Dan Kuroto blinked. "That works?"

Standing up from the curb, Dan Kuroto dusted himself off. His suit, ripped to shreds, was now back to normal, and his hair was back to its usual style. He ran his gel-coated hands through his hair, and Dan Kuroto was once again his handsome self.

Having been tricked by an online trap and bombarded by a barrage of attacks, barely escaping via a nearby internet connection, Dan Kuroto felt no anger.

Instead, he felt a long-lost sense of 'pleasure'.

'The person who set this trap was quite skilled,' Dan Kuroto thought, straightening his tie. That barrage of attacks hadn't completely obliterated him. Physical explosive attacks weren't very effective against Bugsters; perhaps they chose to use automated artillery because they considered the server containing all the virus files to be destroyed.

“What a vibrant city!”

Dan Kuroto stretched and turned to blend into the city's crowd.

“Minister, we detected something… strange in the recovered server debris.”

Amy brought in a truckload of servers shattered by artillery fire, which she had just retrieved from the site where Dan Kuroto had been bombed.

Himari closed the virtual keyboard in front of her and asked curiously, “Is it special data?”

“Some… rather unusual electronic viruses.”

Amy brought over a laptop and said earnestly, "It's now saved on this computer, Minister. Please be careful and don't connect directly to the network."

"You're going to so much trouble—this virus must be really special."

Himari took the laptop. "Let this super genius beauty see just how special it is..."

Then, Himari was captivated by the characteristics displayed by the 'computer virus' before her.

"It's unbelievable... a computer virus exhibiting such 'dynamic' characteristics." Himari looked at the Bugster virus undergoing strange changes on the computer. It was a fragment of the virus that Dan Kuroto had shattered when the server was bombarded, attaching itself to the server as fragments, which Amy had recovered.

“It’s like… ‘life’ itself, full of vitality, and it’s even reproducing right now.”

Staring at the screen, Himari’s expression turned serious, switching into the analytical mode of a genius girl.

“This virus definitely doesn’t have a similar sample in Kivotos. Is this another surprise brought from the ‘ruins’?”

“Minister, what’s the connection between this virus and that Mr. Dan Kuroto?” Amy already had a question in her mind but hadn’t voiced it yet. Himari looked at her and nodded without hesitation.

“Amy, sometimes you just have to trust your intuition.”

“Mr. Dan Kuroto is something constructed from these viruses.” Himari closed her laptop and handed it back to Amy. “Without a doubt, this is a ‘peculiar phenomenon’ that we need to pay attention to.”

“Artificial intelligence constructed from computer viruses…” Amy asked warily, “Could he be the new Decagrammaton ‘prophet’?”

“Decagrammaton doesn’t behave this human-like.” Himari said, then suddenly snorted in dissatisfaction. “Losing to Decagrammaton last time, no matter how careless I was, is still an indelible stain on this genius beauty of mine.”

“However, we can’t rule out the possibility of a connection.” Himari reached for the air conditioner remote and adjusted it to 30. “—It’s too cold, Amy, this isn’t a freezer.”

“Minister, it’s too hot.” Amy took off a few more layers of clothing and snatched the remote control from Himari’s hand. “Turn it to 12 degrees.”

“You’ll catch a cold!”

The two wrestled over the air conditioner remote for quite a while before finally settling on a comfortable middle temperature. After all that, Himari steered the conversation back to the main topic.

“Mr. Dan Kuroto’s style isn’t as discreet as Decagrammaton’s; in fact, none of his actions are ever unpredictable.”

The surveillance cameras scattered throughout Kivotos are like Himari's eyes. Dan Kuroto's activities in Abydos and the D·U District are naturally all under her watchful eye—not all of it, of course, but it sounds more impressive!

"He helped Abydos turn the tide, quickly suppressed the riots in the D·U District, and, of course, after doing all that, he even remembered to come back and help the kids in the Game Development Department develop a new game—just for that alone, he's already far superior to what Decagrammaton did."

Himari smiled, narrowing her eyes. "Perhaps with his help, our fight against Decagrammaton will be even smoother. Even now, that cute android sister who's the focus of the seminar doesn't rank as high in my eyes as Mr. Dan Kuroto."

“But that’s a project specifically commissioned by President Rio to investigate a relic named ‘Alice.’ Is it really appropriate to just put it on hold?” Amy asked worriedly. “President Rio pays for our air conditioning here, you know?”

“Just do it while we’re at it, right?” Himari reached for her keyboard and started typing again, busy with another task. “Rio-chan—she’s so suspicious of everything, always worrying about this and that. She’ll turn into a haggard old woman sooner or later.”

“A haggard old woman…” Amy seemed to think of something and couldn’t help but chuckle, but then quickly composed herself. “However, if we don’t submit some results soon, it’ll be hard to explain to President Rio. My suggestion is still…”

---

78. The Great Dessert War

Dan Kuroto was idly strolling down the street.

Although he said that, Arona on the screen had already urged him for the third time to look at the strawberry cake at the roadside bakery.

“Mr. Dan Kuroto, if you don’t buy me a strawberry cake, I’m going to throw a tantrum!”

Lying sprawled on the floor of cyberspace, Arona exuded an air of “I won’t get up until you buy me a strawberry cake!”.

“I want that cake with lots of sweet strawberries!”

“What are you, a cybernetic lifeform, eating cake for?” Dan Kuroto was happily munching on an éclair, and Arona on the screen, watching him, became even angrier.

“You're enjoying your meal, Mr. Dan Kuroto!” Arona glared at him angrily. “You're a lifeform just like me!”

Having leisurely finished his éclair, Kuroto Dan wasn't truly unwilling to buy Arona a cake; he was simply keeping her hanging on.

The tablet “Shittim Chest" was indeed a truly wondrous creation. Its self-generated power, its ubiquitous internet connectivity, its ability to remotely control Schale's permissions, and the digital lifeform Arona, so similar to himself—everything about it piqued Dan Kuroto's interest.

Especially Arona. This little creature was different from Bugsters like himself who was created through viral infection or even from naturally born Bugsters. She was a digital lifeform with a similar appearance but a different internal structure, naturally making her an object of Dan Kuroto's observation.

“All right, stop yelling. I'll buy it for you.”

Dan Kuroto dusted off the crumbs on his hands and turned to walk back into the cake shop. The robot clerk politely inquired, “What would you like?”

“This one, the biggest cake. Wrap the whole thing up for me.”

Dan Kuroto casually pointed to the enormous cake displayed in the center of the counter. Although Arona's request was just for a strawberry cake, this “Limited Edition Mega Fruit-Filled Sweet Cake” actually had strawberries on it, making it, in a way, the ultimate upgraded strawberry cake.

Truly worthy of Kami! Even their cakes are Kami-level! It's truly admirable!

“Okay, but this cake is usually sold in slices...” The sales robot looked a little surprised. “If you buy the whole thing, it'll cost 120,000 credits. And... with such a huge portion, are you throwing a party?”

“A party?”

Dan Kuroto thought for a moment, then images of the four little ones flashed through his mind. Such a big cake—he wondered if Arona could finish it all by herself. He figured he'd pack up the rest as a treat for the game development department.

From Dan Kuroto's perspective, Momoi and the others were already his intended employees, so giving them some early employee benefits wasn't a bad idea.

"Ah, you think so too.”

Just as Dan Kuroto swiped his card to pay, a petite blonde girl sprinted into the cake shop at top speed, her footsteps so loud that everyone inside could hear them.

The girl, named Yoshimi, had been preparing for a long time for the limited-edition cake launched at this cake shop.

Unfortunately, a large group of customers arrived just before she was supposed to get off work, delaying her by half an hour and disrupting her plans to immediately buy the limited-edition cake.

“Ugh! Seriously! Why does it have to be right after I get off work?!”

Yoshimi sprinted away, her bag slung over her shoulder, silently praying.

“It's okay! The information says that cake is huge. I'll definitely make it if I go now! As long as I get there as fast as I can—!”

Ding-dong~

The automatic doors had just opened when the girl, bag on her back, rushed to the counter, pointed to the enormous cake, and ordered.

“Limited Edition Mega Fruit-Filled Sweet Cake! Give me a slice!”

Yoshimi was still panting as she placed her order, but the robot teller gave her an apologetic look. “Sorry, miss, the ‘Limited Edition Mega-Quantity Fruit-Filled Sweet Cake’ is completely sold out.”

“Huh?” Yoshimi was stunned. “Isn't the whole cake still here?”

Ding~

The payment success sound came from the side. Dan Kuroto had just removed his card from the payment machine. He looked at Yoshimi beside him, and the teller explained, “This gentleman just bought the whole cake. As for payment... it just went through. I'm sorry, all the limited-edition cakes are sold out. Would you like to see any other cakes?”

“My... my limited-edition cake...”

Yoshimi slumped against the counter, deflated, her eyes fixed on the enormous cake the robot clerk had retrieved from the display case. She then looked at the robot and asked the adult beside her.

"Should I cut the cake? Or should I just leave it wrapped like this?”

“Cut it for me.”

“Can I cut it into eight pieces?”

“So he bought the whole cake...”

Yoshimi understood, of course. There was nothing to be angry about; first come, first served, and it was perfectly reasonable for someone with money to take the whole cake.

But she had painstakingly saved up for so long and had been looking forward to it for so long that she really didn't want to miss out on this limited-edition cake.

“It's me, so what?” Dan Kuroto wasn't trying to be kind and share the cake with her. “Oh, cut it into twelve slices. Eight slices aren't enough!”

Yoshimi held back her complaints and earnestly pleaded with Dan Kuroto, “Um... could you sell me a slice? I've been looking forward to this cake for so long...”

“Oh, you want some?” Dan Kuroto leaned against the counter, raising an eyebrow, looking incredibly smug. “No way!”

“You! How can you possibly eat all that cake by yourself?!”

Yoshimi stared at the limited-edition cake slices already packed into a box, her anticipation turning into anxiety.

This was understandable; one of her few hobbies was desserts, and she even belonged to the “After-School Sweets Club.”

Joking about desserts with Yoshimi was something she'd genuinely get anxious about.

"Even though it's cut into twelve pieces, each piece is twice the size of a normal cake! Two pieces would be enough for one person, and you've taken them all!?”

“I'm happy to,” Dan Kuroto said nonchalantly, but Yoshimi interpreted this as blatant provocation.

“You bastard!”

Her face flushed red, Yoshimi angrily drew her weapon. “How dare you be so disrespectful to desserts! Unforgivable!!”

Pointing the gun at Dan Kuroto, Yoshimi's anger was at its peak. “You disrespectful adult when it comes to desserts! I won't let this limited-edition cake fall into your hands!”

---

79. The scene descended into chaos!

Boom!

Kivotos's usual explosions, gunfights, and clashes.

Dan Kuroto had heard of Kivotos's fierce nature. He'd witnessed Abydos Sunaokami Shiroko's actions at the bank, students swaggering around carrying guns, and the engineering department researching electromagnetic railguns. However, none of this compared to the fight Yoshimi had started over a piece of cake.

“Just a piece of cake? It's a fight over nothing, right?”

Dan Kuroto was slightly taken aback by Yoshimi's abrupt attack.

Since arriving in Kivotos, the students' reasons for fighting were always either to protect their school or to maintain regional stability. Yoshimi's reason for pulling out a gun and firing at the slightest provocation over a piece of cake was something he'd never seen before.

“An adult like you needs a serious overhaul!”

Yoshimi's gun was already firing fiercely at Dan Kuroto. Although Dan Kuroto wasn't afraid of such simple physical attacks, he still found cover and hid behind a corner.

“Desserts are the salvation of this world, one of the few colors in this dull and tasteless world! Every dessert must be treated with reverence!”

Yoshimi, already fired up, continued firing relentlessly.

"Just to show off your wealth, you buy an entire cake and then waste it because you can't finish it—such shameful behavior is something only the worst villains would do!”

“But I paid for it too. Is it really necessary...”

Dan Kuroto had seen many fights for grand reasons, but this was the first time he'd seen someone draw a gun in anger over such a trivial matter.

However, perhaps this was just Kivotos' daily routine.

In this world where students don't die from bullets, this level of fighting is a common way for them to vent their anger—essentially a verbal battle.

Even hollow-point bullets, considered cruel in another world, are simply forbidden to the students because they leave scars.

Gunfights erupt over sweets, fights break out over limited-edition toys, and other disputes, big or small, often escalate into chaotic brawls. These situations are only stopped when the Disciplinary Committee or Valkyrie Police use heavy firepower to warn and disperse the crowd.

“As for! This is very important!”

As a member of the “After-School Sweets Club,” Yoshimi only takes desserts this seriously. Now, Yoshimi's anger isn't about not being able to buy desserts, but about this awful adult's attitude toward them!

“Eating these cakes properly is the most important thing! I'm going to teach you a lesson in respecting desserts!”

...

While the battle raged on one side, three other members of the After-School Sweets Club arrived near the shop from the other side—they were also there for the limited-edition cake.

The members of the After-School Sweets Club were second to none when it came to gathering information on limited-edition desserts. Each release of a limited-edition dessert was a silent war—or one that would eventually escalate into a full-blown conflict. Several clubs within Kivotos directly or indirectly competed with the After-School Sweets Club for limited-edition desserts.

The strongest competitor was the Gourmet Research Society, which encompassed everything in the realm of “food,” including “desserts.”

However, as long as the Gourmet Research Society's hunt for rare delicacies didn't conflict with the After-School Sweets Club's, the two clubs wouldn't clash.

“I wonder if Yoshimi managed to get the limited-edition cake yet... She's been looking forward to it for a whole month!”

Ari, a gentle girl with long black hair, is also a student at Trinity General School. Although both are members of the confectionery club, Ari's preferences differ from Yoshimi's. Her “limited-edition” items are mostly ice cream—recently, she's become obsessed with chocolate mint ice cream, even renaming her weapon “Refreshing Mint Chocolate.”

“There should be enough time, right? After all, Yoshimi only unleashes unimaginable energy when it comes to desserts.”

This petite girl with a pink ponytail, carrying a shield and submachine gun, is none other than Natsu, the number one troublemaker in the After-School Sweets Club and a self-proclaimed romantic.

Although she's already hunted down her own “limited edition,” she's also very interested in the “limited-edition giant fruit-filled sweet cake” that Yoshimi is eagerly anticipating.

"I wonder if there are any left I hope I can get some too”

“Natsu, didn't you already eat a limited-edition chocolate cake? If you eat any more, you won't be able to control your weight, will you?”

Kazusa, a quiet and easygoing member of the After-School Sweets Club with short black hair and cat ears, walked at the back of the group, carrying her machine gun. Her cat ears twitched. Kazusa asked, puzzled, “But why are we hearing gunshots up ahead...? It sounds like they're coming from near the cake shop ahead.”

“That cake shop, isn't that the one that sells the limited-edition cakes?” Natsu stood on tiptoe, peering into the distance. Ari spoke with some worry, “Could it be... that Yoshimi got into a fight with someone over the limited-edition cake?”

“Really?” Kazusa and Natsu exchanged a glance. “Could it be that another club is trying to steal the limited-edition cake?”

Ari spoke, puzzled, “It can't be that bad—although it's a very rare limited-edition cake, it's only reissued once a year, a super-sized fruit cake made with some rare ingredients... uh...”

Hmm, that's a bit hard to say?

“Hey! You guys! We told you we were coming to steal limited-edition cakes today! Why didn't any of you set alarms on your phones?!”

“Boss, we all thought you did, so we didn't...”

While Ari and the others were hesitating, a large group of thugs emerged from a nearby alley. Kazusa knew these people; they were the local “Rare Cake Hunting Gang,” a group of thugs who frequently used violence to rob limited-edition cakes from cake shops—a gang that only targeted the “cake” itself.

“Seriously! All of you, load your guns! If we don't get that ‘Limited Edition Mega Fruit-Filled Sweet Cake,’ you'll all be eating the tiger-skin edges of that cake!”

“Yes, yes!!”

Kazusa's eyes twitched as she looked at the group in front of her. “It can't really be...”

“Hoo-ha! Junko! We have to get that supposedly super delicious cake today! I secretly got an armored vehicle to help us get it; this time we'll definitely succeed!”

Kazusa stared in disbelief as a tank bearing the Gehenna insignia sped out from the opposite intersection.

Inside was Haruna, the triumphant president of the “Gourmet Research Society,” ready to claim her prize of the limited-edition cake!

“What... what the hell is going on?!”

The three members of the After-School Sweets Club were completely shocked!

“Quick, quick, go help Yoshimi!!”

---

80. Limited Edition Cake Battle

“What's going on? Why is it so noisy on the street?”

Dan Kuroto peeked out from behind cover, and Yoshimi, who was furious because of Dan Kuroto's inappropriate comments about the dessert, stopped firing. Their argument had created a huge hole in the cake shop, spilling out onto the street.

“Hmm?” Yoshimi spotted some familiar figures. “Isn't that Airi and the others? And the ‘Rare Cake Hunting Group’? Even the ‘Gourmet Research Society’ is here?!”

Yoshimi was familiar with these rivals who had fought each other several times over limited-edition desserts. She had done her research before buying the cake; this “Limited-Edition Giant Fruit-Filled Sweet Cake” by a famous pastry chef was sure to cause a stir, and she expected her old rivals to show up.

But unexpectedly, Dan Kuroto, this unforeseen obstacle, happened to be there ahead of everyone and bought the entire cake.

If the “Gourmet Research Society” and the “Rare Cake Hunting Group” found out, they wouldn't just stop like Yoshimi did—simply reprimanding Dan Kuroto for his disrespectful remarks about desserts—they would definitely snatch the cake from him!

“Oh, right, my cake's still at the counter.”

Dan Kuroto slapped his forehead. He had just paid, and the cashier robot was about to cut and pack the cake when Yoshimi, that meticulous dessert club member, chased him all the way into the street.

Though it was just a joke, Dan Kuroto wasn't really going to take it seriously.

Who could have imagined this cake would involve so many people?!

“Still at the counter?!” Yoshimi paused, then panicked. “Then hurry back and get it! If the Gourmet Research Society and the Rare Cake Hunting Group find out you bought the whole cake, they'll just take it from you!”

“Aren't you taking it from me too?” Dan Kuroto pointed at Yoshimi.

“I can't help it that you bought it! I didn't mean to rob you! But your disrespect for desserts and that smug look on your face are really infuriating!”

“However, I won't take your cake, but those people are a different story!” Yoshimi had already put away her gun. “The president of the Gourmet Research Society, Haruna, is the kind of person who would blow up a restaurant in anger after eating tempura shrimp coated in too much starch!”

“Hmm... all starch and no shrimp in one bite?” Dan Kuroto imagined the scene and nodded in agreement. “If I ate that kind of tempura shrimp, I'd blow this shop to smithereens too.”

“As for the ‘Rare Cake Hunting Group,’ they're a violent gang that uses force to steal limited-edition rare cakes. It's said they were originally thugs from the Helmet Gang, frequently committing crimes in this area.”

Watching the other confectionery club members gradually gather, Yoshimi snorted at Dan Kuroto with displeasure.

"You! Don't say such insulting things about desserts again! As an apology, I'll bring your cake back!”

“She was shooting at me one second, and the next second the atmosphere completely changed?”

Dan Kuroto emerged from behind cover. He understood Kivotos's atmosphere a little better now.

"Just because they insist on what they like, they can be this straightforward in their actions? What a strange Academy City.”

“Oh right! I just realized—where's your Halo?! Looking closer, you didn't even bring a gun!”

Yoshimi suddenly realized, letting out a shocked exclamation, while Dan Kuroto retorted.

"You emptied a whole magazine at me, and you only just realized this now?”

“I-I just wasn't paying attention...” Yoshimi's face flushed red, and after a long pause, she said, “Okay! It's my fault!! I'll go get the cake for you right now!”

At the cake shop, when they discovered the limited-edition cake had been taken out of the freezer, the group of students predictably went berserk!

“Who bought all the limited-edition cakes?! That's inconsiderate!” The thugs were indignant, their leader already taking the safety off his G3 rifle. “At least leave me one! I can't stand it! I'm blowing this up!”

The sales robot's screen displayed a Σ(°△°|||) expression.

"Excuse me, please calm down. Even if you blow up our cake shop, you still won't get any cakes, and you'll just get arrested by the Valkyrie Police...”

“Someone beat us to it? The Gourmet Research Society isn't afraid of that! This is just a necessary trial to taste the ultimate gourmet! But...” Haruna, on the tank, frowned, a thoughtful expression on her face. “The Limited-Edition Cake Hunting Group is here too, so the only suspect is...”

On the other side, the three members of the After-School Sweets Club, who had already spotted Yoshimi, joined her and learned from her the “preconditions” that led to this commotion.

Kazusa lightly touched her lips with her finger as if in thought. “Hmm... So, it was this person who bought the store's limited-edition cake, leaving everyone empty-handed?”

Ari's gaze fell on Dan Kuroto beside her. “But because Yoshimi's actions interrupted the cake-taking process, the cake is still sitting in the display case...”

“And right now, a group of cake-hunting members with maxed-out anger are surrounding us, along with the ever-watchful Gourmet Research Society.” The romantic Natsu analyzed the situation briefly, finally pulling out her weapon. “There's no other way! Let's just rush in and snatch the cake!”

Natsu's weapon was a submachine gun called “Beyond the Rumination.” When Natsu drew this weapon, it meant she had given up on thinking, and only this “last resort” remained.

“Before everyone reacts, let's just grab the cake and take it!”

“Isn't this just F2A tactics?! Natsu, what were you thinking?!”

“I said...”

Dan Kuroto seemed to want to say something, but with the four members of the confectionery club engrossed in their own discussion, it was clear that this “cake battle” had somehow escalated into a major incident involving everyone.

Only Kazusa belatedly realized.

"Speaking of which, haven't we gotten ourselves into some strange incident again?”

“Don't think about that now!”

---

81. Kazusa Simply Seeks a Peaceful Dessert Time!

Yoshimi regained her fighting spirit without realizing it.

"However, our firepower might be a bit insufficient, especially against the Gourmet Research Society's armored vehicles. What if we get hit by their shells while we're bringing out the cake...?"

The group imagined the tragic scene of the cake being blown to pieces by a shell, and everyone couldn't help but feel fear.

"Do we have to deal with both the thugs and the Gourmet Research Society's armored vehicles at the same time...?"

"If only we had some help. We're missing a sniper to fill the gap..."

Natsu looked around, trying to find someone who could help, but unexpectedly spotted a girl who was a little hesitant, wandering the streets near the cake shop, her face constantly troubled.

"I heard about the limited-edition cake and couldn't help but come here... but if I eat any more, I'll lose control of my weight..."

Hasumi, a black-haired student at Trinity College, the second-in-command of the Justice Realization Committee, was currently suffering from inner guilt.

It was the guilt of being unable to control her weight, yet wavering because of the limited-edition cake information right in front of her!

"Hasumi-san!"

A voice suddenly rang out, startling Hasumi.

"I didn't!"

"Nothing?"

As Natsu approached, Hasumi finally recognized who had called her.

Relieved, she quickly composed herself and replied with her usual Justice Realization Committee demeanor.

"It's Natsu-san from the After-School Sweets Club. Is...is there something you need?"

"Actually, it's like this, like this..."

Natsu succinctly explained the situation to Hasumi. Just then, some of the thugs in the shop finally spotted the packaged cake.

"That sweet smell! That enormous portion! There's no mistake! This is the 'Limited Edition Mega-Quantity Fruit-Filled Sweet Cake' that hasn't been claimed yet!"

The gang leader, with her sharp eyes, spotted the cake immediately. Consumed by possessiveness, she couldn't wait any longer. "That's it! Hand it over!"

"But this belongs to another customer..." Before the teller robot could finish, the gangsters fired several shots at the ceiling. "Who cares! If we find it, it's ours! Sisters, let's go!"

As the gangsters erupted in cheers, Haruna on the tank also spotted the cake. Now, Haruna was excited.

"Now the tank I tricked from Makoto... that got me sponsored will come in handy! Junko! Adjust the angle, and blast these thugs out of the store!"

"Y-yes! We'll get it this time!"

Junko stepped on the rudder, adjusting the cannon to aim at the thugs inside the shop, avoiding any impact on those behind the counter—as for the shop, that wasn't their concern at the Gourmet Research Society! Junko was going to get her cake today!

Haruna gave the commanding order. "Fire!"

"Fire!!"

A cannonball struck precisely in the center of the 'Limited Edition Cake Hunting Group,' and with a deafening "BOOM!", a large group of thugs were sent flying by the explosion!

With Junko firing the first shot, the battle for the limited-edition cake officially began!

"You Kivotos people are so kind and honest... Ah, your name is Airi, right?"

Dan Kuroto, now a spectator, was munching on a cup of Mimi Ice Cream milk tea he'd bought from who-knows-where, completely oblivious to the tension that his cake was the culprit behind all this.

The scene was so absurd and hilarious that Dan Kuroto no longer cared about the cake; instead, he was eager to see how things would unfold next.

"Yes, I'm a first-year student at Trinity College, and a member of the After-School Sweets Club. Just call me Airi."

The gentle-looking girl was greeting the strange adult before her. Although she didn't know where this adult came from, Airi was still very curious about seeing him.

"Are you... the new Sensei?" Ari asked curiously. "I saw the news on TV that Sensei left Kivotos. Mr. Dan Kuroto, are you the new 'Sensei' successor?"

"Me? I'm not." Dan Kuroto took a sip of his bubble tea. "I'm just the president of 'Genm Corporation' and the new president of 'Schale Federal Investigation Agency'."

"Schale? Ah... so you're also a member of the General Student Council!" Ari suddenly remembered something. "The previous Sensei was supposedly also from Schale!"

"Excuse me, I think I just heard something."

Hasumi, who had already learned what had happened and was ready to join the dessert club's 'cake reclaiming battle', walked over.

"Sir, you said you are... the new president of Schale?"

"Yes?" Dan Kuroto looked at her. "Oh? With your figure... you're a student too? Kivotos's definition of a student is that broad?"

"...This isn't our topic." Hasumi gripped her weapon. "Since you claim to be the new president of Schale, it means... you're the second 'adult' sent by the General Student Council, and..."

Hasumi's gaze fell on the tablet in Dan Kuroto's hand. "That belonged to the previous Sensei, and now it's in your hands."

"I've already said, I'm not your new Sensei." Dan Kuroto shook his head. "But this tablet is indeed mine now."

"I see... then are you skilled in commanding operations?"

Another shell exploded behind Hasumi; it seemed the battle for the limited-edition cake was intensifying, and now was the perfect time to enter the fray.

"To be honest, it's not really feasible, but I can fight alongside you." Dan Kuroto strapped the driver to his waist. "However, once I join the battle, it'll lose its appeal. So you guys go first, and I'll come out when it's time to finish things off."

"...Alright, if that's how you see it."

Hasumi realized that the man before her was indeed different from Sensei.

Whether it was his attitude toward students or his tactical choices, the two were completely different. However, it's true that two people with the same personality do not exist in this world.

With a gun cocked, Hasumi raised her spiked rifle. "Then, I'll take charge of the tactics. You guys, follow me!"

"Alright! I'll lead the charge!"

Natsu had already removed her shield. As the student carrying the shield, she naturally stood at the front of the group, while the others followed behind her.

"Take back the limited-edition cake!"

Following behind Natsu, Kazusa, clutching her machine gun, sighed somewhat helplessly.

"I just wanted to eat sweets normally... At this point, I don't care who ends up with that limited-edition cake anymore."

---

82. Haruna: Activate Plan B!

"How could someone come in a tank?! This is outrageous!"

The thugs of the limited-edition cake hunting party were thrown about; those hit harder were basically sent flying half a meter away, landing unconscious on the ground. Only those thugs farther from the shell's landing point didn't pass out immediately.

Thankfully, this is Kivotos. Elsewhere, these thugs would probably be in deep trouble.

"Haha! This is the power of our Gourmet Research Society! Caliber is justice!"

Haruna laughed wildly. The robot clerks behind the counter were already trembling with fear. The thugs' scramble for the limited-edition cakes stopped.

Facing the muzzle of the armored vehicle's cannon, even the thug leader didn't dare rush across the counter to grab the cakes—anyone who could withstand a direct hit from an armored vehicle's shell and still stand was definitely not a thug.

"Minister! Approaching personnel spotted from behind! It's Trinity's confectionery department!"

Junko shouted from inside the tank to Haruna, who was standing outside the cockpit.

"The leader looks like Hasumi from the Justice Realization Committee!"

"Hasumi? Does she care about this limited-edition dessert?"

Haruna had already turned her sniper rifle around. These thugs in front of her were no threat at all; Haruna didn't even consider them a threat.

But with the After-School Sweets Club approaching from the other side, and Hasumi leading them, these people were the ones she had to be wary of.

The clashes between the Confectionery Club and Haruna usually occur when they compete for limited-edition desserts.

Although the Gourmet Research Society's scope is broad, 'desserts' are part of 'gourmet food,' and their interests inevitably overlap at times—that's when the two clash.

"Yoshimi, Airi, you two will provide rear support,"

Hasumi calmly ordered. "Natsu, even with shields, don't engage their tank cannons head-on. Kazusa, let's take out that infantry fighting vehicle first—disable its tracks!"

"If we're going to fight, we'll fight hard—that's what I mean!"

Kazusa quickly approached the infantry fighting vehicle using the surrounding buildings as cover, raised her machine gun, aimed at the vehicle's tracks, and pulled the trigger.

"This is sweet gunfire!"

Rat-a-tat-tat!

The continuous machine gun fire echoed loudly on the infantry fighting vehicle, and Junko frantically reversed it, shouting.

"President! Which side should we attack first?"

"Um... both sides are important!"

Haruna glanced at the thugs who had already gotten up inside the shop. The limited-edition cake, their target, was clearly still inside.

If she turned her attention to them now, what if the thugs grabbed the cake and ran? She'd have wasted her time!

"Seriously! Why did Hasumi have to get involved at a time like this!"

Haruna raised her sniper rifle, aiming at Natsu, who was charging at the front.

"But as a gourmet, the path to tasting delicious food is full of such difficulties! Even so, maintain the composure of a gourmet!"

"Fire gracefully!"

Bang!

"Ugh! That was a heavy shot—!"

The shield Natsu raised suddenly carried immense force, almost knocking her over. In terms of strength, Haruna certainly had the ability to be so reckless.

"Junko, can Izumi and Akari come to help now?"

After slowing down the attack of the confectionery club members with a few shots, Haruna fired a few more into the cake shop, forcing back the thugs who wanted to steal the cakes, and then looked down at Junko beneath her. The red-haired girl with twin tails put down her phone and spoke.

"I can't get through to them! They're probably still enjoying their eating contest!"

"Sigh... why do these two heavy-firepower guys have to get into trouble at this time..."

Haruna, speechless, pressed her head. "Junko, fire another shot into the shop! If this drags on, the Valkyrie police from nearby will be here!"

"Yes, yes!"

Junko turned the cannon and fired another shot into the already dilapidated shop, sending the 'Rare-Cake Hunting Group' thugs screaming for their lives—oh, and it should be noted, there was no scene of tomato sauce flying everywhere; in Kivotos, even being hit by a shell is quite safe!

"Who was that commentating just now...?"

Suppressed by Haruna's sniping and tank fire, Natsu and the others, who could only advance slowly, watched as the armored vehicle drove straight into the cake shop. Then, taking advantage of the chaos, Haruna jumped off the vehicle.

"She's going to take the cake!" Yoshimi fired several shots with her rifle, only to have them ricochet off the tank, making her even more impatient.

Dan Kuroto, leaning leisurely against the wall, speaking.

"You're getting impatient, aren't you?"

"Who...who's in a hurry!" Yoshimi's face flushed red with anxiety. After all, it was indeed her fault that the cake was in this predicament. "Ugh! Really! Don't underestimate me!"

Taking a button from her backpack, Yoshimi pressed the irresistible bright red button.

"—Now is the time for the final battle! Reinforcement missiles activated!"

To win in the increasingly fierce dessert war, ever-increasing firepower was clearly necessary.

This included not only using more powerful rifles, but also dealing with enemies who might be driving armored vehicles—Yoshimi had considered this as well!

A missile, trailing a plume of fire, roared into the air from Trinity, precisely guided toward the infantry fighting vehicle in front of it.

Dan Kuroto looked up, once again marveling at Kivotos's marshal spirit.

"For a piece of cake, they're even using missiles...?"

"Haruna! A missile is falling!"

Junko was so anxious that she forgot to call out to the minister. She hurriedly prepared to start the reverse gear and launch the missile, but the rapidly falling missile had already embedded itself in the ground, like a steel radish that had grown out of the ground.

"It's going to explode—! Huh? It didn't explode?" Junko's panicked shout stopped abruptly in her throat.

Looking at the 'dud' beside the tank, Junko wiped the sweat from her brow and let out a long sigh. "Phew, thank goodness..."

The next moment, the dud exploded.

"So, this is the plan: to let the missile prepare a little longer." Yoshimi crossed her arms, turned her head, and snorted.

BOOM!

The missile, embedded in the ground, easily overturned the armored vehicle. Even Junko inside was thrown out by the explosion, landing on the ground dizzy and disoriented.

"Ugh, so dizzy..."

"Whoa... I'm going to have a hard time explaining this to Makoto..."

Haruna who was carrying a cake ran out of the cake shop and looked at the mess before her, slightly surprised. Without the armored vehicle and Junko's suppression, even the Trinity forces had caught up.

"In that case, let's implement Plan B!"

Haruna earnestly picked up the still-dazed Junko from the ground and shook her awake in a few quick movements.

"Junko-chan! Hold them off for me! Then we'll split up!"

Haruna, clutching the cake, took off running, leaving the just-awakened Junko staring blankly at the approaching Hasumi and the confectionery club members, raising her two rifles in bewilderment.

"Eh? What? Me?"

---

83. The Final Spoiler

"Junko, this is a sacrifice made for the Gourmet Journey. The Gourmet Research Society will not forget you!"

Holding the cake, Haruna, her long legs clad in black stockings, sprinted down the alley. She knew, of course, that Junko alone couldn't hold off the confectionery club members for long, especially with Hasumi mixed in. Holding them off for even a few minutes would be a testament to Junko's hard work.

"If we keep walking along this path, we'll reach the place where Akari and Izumi are having their eating contest!"

Although Haruna seemed to be forced to abandon Junko and run away, she had already planned a backup plan before fleeing the battlefield—but whether the plan would succeed depended on luck.

"At this time, Izumi and Akari should be nearing the end of their eating contest." Haruna hurried through the alley, clutching the extra-large cake. The weight of the cake, combined with its enormous packaging, meant she couldn't move too fast, even while running, in order to maintain its shape.

"Hmm… still within my calculations. We're almost at the location of Izumi and Akari's eating contest. Just cross this alley, meet them on the other side of the street, and this cake will be ours!"

If she didn't want to find a quiet place to properly enjoy her prize, Haruna would have already opened the box and eaten it.

But wouldn't it be an insult to her dedication to food if she couldn't enjoy this limited-edition cake intact? This was the core principle of their Gourmet Research Society!

"As long as we get there!"

"—I'm sorry, miss, your escape with the cake ends here."

However, someone blocked her path. An adult, who had appeared out of nowhere, stood in front of her, completely blocking the only way.

"You—you're the adult who was with those people from the confectionery club!"

Haruna paused for a moment, then remembered. At the start of the competition, this dark-skinned adult had been standing with Yoshimi from the confectionery club.

At first, Haruna hadn't paid much attention, but now it seemed this person was also an enemy trying to stop her.

"To be honest, I don't really care who ends up with the cake anymore. The antics you reckless students have caused have been more than enough for me."

Dan Kuroto could hear the footsteps of the confectionery club chasing after Haruna in the alley behind her. "However, the confectionery club students haven't even officially faced you yet, and you're already trying to skip ahead? I don't think that's very appropriate~"

"Damn it—you're also an enemy trying to stop the culinary path of the 'Gourmet Research Society'?!" Haruna waved her hand dismissively. "In that case, I won't hold back!"

Slinging her sniper rifle out with one hand, although still looking arrogant, Harunahad already begun to assess her escape route.

"If you move aside now, you won't get hurt!"

"I've been wanting to say this for a while now…"

Dan Kuroto pulled his hand from his pocket, hooking his fingers around the handle of his Gashat, spinning it like a top with one hand. "Is it really worth blowing up the whole shop for a box of cake? But judging from the way those thugs handled it, this is just Kivotos' daily life, isn't it?"

"That's the wrong way of putting it. This isn't something that can be measured by whether it's worth it or not! The existence of food is meaning itself!"

Haruna raised her sniper rifle. "Just like the mountain is there, the food is there—how can you not go there!"

Inserting the Gashat into his driver, Dan Kuroto pulled the upgrade lever on his waist with satisfaction.

"That's why I say, you students are really interesting!"

"Henshin!"

Level up!

Mighty Jump! Mighty Kick!

Mighty Action! X!

A flash of pixelated light, and Dan Kuroto appeared before Haruna in the form of Kamen Rider.

A bullet fired from Haruna's sniper rifle struck Dan Kuroto, sending sparks flying. However, with just one bullet, Dan Kuroto could easily stand still and let her fire—Haruna's weapon seemed to possess a "Mystery" effect, even managing to leave a "Hit" mark on Dan Kuroto, who was only level 2.

"Hmm, pretty powerful," Dan Kuroto patted his chest. "Not bad, still within my tolerance."

Interrupted by Dan Kuroto, Haruna had no way to escape. The four members of the confectionery club and Hasumi, who had been pursuing her, had also arrived. It seems that Haruna's escape was now hopeless.

Large beads of sweat streamed down Haruna's forehead. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't break free from her predicament. Even so, she didn't intend to destroy the limited-edition cake in her hands in a desperate, suicidal manner.

"However, letting you fail like this is indeed a bit too bland an ending," Dan Kuroto snapped his fingers. "Domain expansion—actually, I've wanted to shout that for a long time!"

"What?" Haruna exclaimed in surprise, watching the scene around her rapidly change from a familiar alleyway to a wide-open space. "How did you do that?"

Not only Haruna was trapped in his game space, but Yoshimi and the others who had arrived behind him were also enveloped. Having brought everyone into his Game Area, Dan Kuroto had transformed this place into his own controlled world.

"Finally caught up with you, Haruna!" Yoshimi shouted breathlessly from behind. "Give us back our cake!"

"You care more about the cake in my hand than the changes in the world around you?" Haruna retorted. "But I refuse! Once the cake is in the Gourmet's hands, there's no going back!"

"What kind of sophistry is that?" Natsu, at the front, held her shield more securely, but her attention was also drawn to the changing scenery around her. "So, where exactly is this place?"

"Hmph! Everyone, look over here, I have an announcement to make!"

Dan Kuroto, clad in striking purple armor, stood atop a lamppost that had appeared out of nowhere in this vast area. Ignoring the speechless looks from Hasumi below—"Where did this lamppost come from?"—and Kazusa—"Why are you talking on a pole?"—he spread his arms wide and loudly proclaimed.

"Now, you have all entered my 'Game Area.' Until the conditions for exiting the domain are met, none of you will be able to leave!"

--

84. A Total War Here Too?!

"It all feels so bizarre…"

Hasumi sighed helplessly. She could already sense that this faceless purple Rider was up to no good, forcing a reason regardless of its validity.

"So, what are the conditions?"

"Hehehe~ I am the Dessert Monster, Count Salty!"

A blue monster wearing a top hat, wielding a scepter, emerged from the game realm accompanied by a large group of chef Bugsters. Then, seemingly noticing the limited-edition cake in Haruna's hands, Count Salty's eyes lit up.

"This cake is of very high quality! Therefore, I, Count Salty, the monster who controls all desserts, will accept it!"

With a wave of its scepter, the box containing the limited-edition cake in Haruna's hands vanished, reappearing on the platform behind Count Salty, seemingly confiscated as a "Post Game Reward."

Dan Kuroto shrugged. "That's why I said I have countless ways to get the cake back if I take action. However, given your wonderful performance, consider half of the cake a reward."

He pointed downward at the menacing Count Salty. "As for the reward and how to leave—you'll have to defeat this freak who appeared out of nowhere."

"You're the one who orchestrated all this, aren't you?!"

Yoshimi stomped her foot angrily. "Ugh! Honestly! I shouldn't have gotten involved with you, an adult! You better keep your word!"

"Looks like this fight can't go on…" Natsu peeked out from behind her shield. "Um, Haruna, how about we call a truce?"

"Where's my cake? Where's my huge cake?" Haruna stared blankly for a long time as her cake was taken away by "magic," until she saw Count Salty's eerie laughter and the cake box mysteriously covered on the table. Then she realized, "They actually stole my cake!"

Seemingly resentful of having her prize taken away like this, Haruna pointed her gun at Count Salty.

"Hmph! The Gourmet Research Society has never had its prize stolen before. This humiliation must be repaid by you right now!"

Looking at the students below, who seemed to have instantly formed a strategic alliance, Arona on the tablet asked curiously.

"Mr. Dan Kuroto, why did you summon that monster? It wouldn't matter to you who got the cake, would it?"

"It shouldn't have made a difference."

Dan Kuroto took out a strange object, a heavy, entirely purple Gashat, with a completely different aura from the Gashats he had previously displayed. However, upon closer inspection, it became clear that this mysterious purple Gashat was merely a faint phantom.

"Just now, I was able to produce this thing—Arona, do you know what that means?"

"What is this? It looks just like the Gashat you use."

Arona looked curiously at the Gashat in Dan Kuroto's hand, but it was merely a hollow phantom, flickering with moiré patterns like an unstable television screen. Even with Dan Kuroto holding it, it was just an empty shell, unable to interact with anything.

"This is the God Gashat I once created, capable of changing the world."

Under the lamppost where Dan Kuroto stood, Count Salty led his Bugster minions in battle against this makeshift reinforcement. Bullets and syrup flew, cakes exploded alongside grenades, the scene a sweet chaos, like something out of a bizarre children's tokusatsu film made after drinking half a pound of fake alcohol.

"Change the world?!" Arona exclaimed in surprise. "Although your Gashat is really amazing, how can a Gashat change the world in this game?"

"Matter digitization and data digitization." Dan Kuroto, unusually serious, fondly toyed with the blurry, almost Gaussian-filtered "God Maximum Mighty X" in his hand. "By completely understanding the laws of the world and eroding reality through the realm of games, one can transcend common sense, arbitrarily mold the entire world, and possess the power to create and destroy."

"This is God Maximum X, a divine Gashat containing a billion units of power beyond common sense, the culmination of my talent."

"This…" Arona was speechless. The words from the man before her carried no trace of deception. Arona could hear the certainty and nostalgia in his voice. Dan Kuroto had once been just like that, a dark genius wielding divine authority. Then, why hadn't he used such a terrifying Gashat before?

"Arona, you should know that I am not from this world. Level Billion was unable to adapt to the new rules of this world when I arrived and was thus confined within me, unable to be used."

Dan Kuroto looked down at the battlefield. Natsu from the confectionery department, shield in hand, stood at the forefront, locked in combat with Count Salty, using the shield for defense and her submachine gun to continuously wear down Count Salty's stamina.

"And now, my God Maximum Mighty X is showing signs of loosening, which means—some condition must have been triggered for it to manifest."

Kazusa took a large bite of a macaron from her backpack, clearing her mind of the sweet taste. With that momentum, she used her machine gun to mow down hordes of Bugster minions. Those hit and fell exploded on the spot, turning into a pile of cookies, cupcakes, and donuts.

Hasumi and Haruna, snipers from different schools, weren't exactly in perfect sync, but their teamwork was still commendable. Students from Trinity and Gourmet were never on good terms, especially Hasumi from the Justice Realization Committee and Haruna from the Gourmet Research Society, always causing trouble. But with a common enemy, these two snipers managed to cooperate effectively.

"Headshot!"

"Me too!"

Two bullets struck Count Salty's head. Hasumi and Haruna exchanged a glance, then, unwilling to give up, raised their sniper rifles again. "Again!"

Behind them, Ari and Yoshimi, providing support, used their unique support skills to create a favorable battlefield environment for those fighting ahead.

With everyone working together, the Bugster soldiers surrounding Count Salty had been completely wiped out, and it was only a matter of time before Count Salty, now alone, was eliminated.

---

85. Unsealing, Albeit Only Slightly

"Do you think the unsealing of this magical Gashat is related to these students?" Arona asked, mustering her courage. Dan Kuroto couldn't be sure either.

"Whether it's due to adaptation over time, the students' interactions, or some other unclear reason, it's impossible to confirm right now," Dan Kuroto said, shaking his head. "I'm just eliminating possibilities one by one."

Originally, these Bugsters shouldn't have been so easily defeated by students using guns. Dan Kuroto had specifically released the low-level Bugster leaders to confirm one thing.

—Was it because I, too, participated in weaving the "story"?

Bonds.

A vague yet indispensable word in Kamen Rider. A word capable of creating miracles, of turning the tide of battle.

"These idealistic things are the hardest to ascertain, so I have to do this." Dan Kuroto watched the "Count Salty's All-Out Battle" nearing its end. "If it really is this thing that caused 'Level Billion' to be unsealed, perhaps I've already done the right thing from the very beginning."

"Hasumi-senpai, give it the final blow!"

Natsu's submachine gun fired at Count Salty, sending sparks flying as it staggered backward. Hasumi, the sniper, wouldn't let the opportunity slip by.

"Pierce—"

"I won't let you steal the spotlight!"

Haruna brushed her long, silver-white hair, which had fallen to her shoulders from the intense battle, behind her back, her sniper rifle also aimed at the monster's head. "Elegantly pierce the enemy!"

Bang!

Bang!

Two bullets fired from the two gun barrels, leaving two holes in the monster's head. The unwilling monster struggled and fell backward.

"My... dessert master—"

With a special-effects-like explosion, Count Salty's massive body exploded into a pile of cookies, cupcakes, and donuts, while the seal around the limited-edition cake on the podium behind it shattered.

With a crisp sound like shattering glass, the surrounding sealing array crumbled, and Dan Kuroto fell from the height, deactivating his transformation.

"Well done, everyone." Dan Kuroto smiled and clapped, and the crowd exchanged glances before cheering for their victory.

---

Even if they didn't know where the battle started, and even if the final reward was just dessert, the feeling of victory, like conquering a boss in Dark Souls, was enough for these students to celebrate.

"So tired..." Natsu plopped down on the floor. "Now that I've relaxed, I'm hungry."

"Then let's enjoy the cake here."

Dan Kuroto took the 'Limited Edition Giant Fruit-Filled Sweet Cake' off the table, and with a wave of his hand, a long table and chairs appeared in the game world. This act of creating things out of thin air completely stunned the students.

"What a cool move!" Haruna, no longer bothered by Dan Kuroto blocking her escape route, leaned closer, her eyes sparkling. "If I learned this, I wouldn’t have to lug around folding tables and chairs anymore; we could have picnics anytime!"

"So that’s all you care about?" Hasumi retorted bluntly. "Haruna, you don’t feel any guilt at all leaving your friends behind to cover your retreat. Typical of Gehenna’s student."

Looking at the group of students who had just met during a dessert-fighting battle, Dan Kuroto glanced at his tablet. "Arona, come out too."

"Eh? But I’m an AI; I can’t come out, can I?" Arona waved her hand. "Don’t bother me with this. Just bring the cake directly to Shittim Chest."

"In the Game Area, it’s a Bugsters’ domain. Data lifeforms can also have physical forms here." Dan Kuroto shook his tablet. "With my abilities, what’s impossible? Stop being so fussy, acting like a woman."

"It is womanly—a young girl! Not like that! It is!"

Arona stomped her feet in frustration. "How can you describe a young girl like that? What do you mean by womanly? Is that crude term used to describe a delicate, beautiful, and adorable young girl like me?!"

However, despite her words, Arona naturally heeded Dan Kuroto’s advice. She cautiously tried to explore the outside world, only to discover that the outside world, which should have been inaccessible, now had a connection.

"The Game Area is a realm where data lifeforms can exist freely—you are no exception."

With a flash of light, Arona’s figure appeared in this space. The dessert department staff, who had already started cutting the cake, naturally noticed the child in the blue sailor uniform.

"Huh? A child I’ve never seen before." Hasumi looked at Arona curiously. "Which academy are you from...?"

"I... just call me Arona! I’m a member of the General Student Council!" Arona’s high-performance AI pondered for a moment before simply skipping over the topic. "Give me a piece of cake too! I want one with strawberries!"

A giant limited-edition cake was cut and shared with every student present. Yoshimi, looking at the large slice of cake before her, put down her phone, which she had been holding to take pictures, and her mood gradually improved.

"After going through so much, I finally got to eat a limited-edition cake!" Yoshimi cut a piece with her fork, put it in her mouth, and happily closed her eyes. "Mmm—! It's a delicious treat that can only be enjoyed on a limited-edition basis~"

Unlike the dessert club members who were cheerfully enjoying the limited-edition cake, Hasumi stared at the thick slice of the extra-large cake before her. The 'Limited-Edition Giant Fruit-Filled Sweet Cake' was three times the size of the regular version. Not only was the weight increased, but the ingredients were also upgraded and plentiful. One bite was three times the usual enjoyment, but...

"The calories are also three times the usual..."

Holding her fork, Hasumi remembered the top-secret number on her scale, and a bead of cold sweat trickled down her forehead. "Ugh... my weight... but this limited-edition dessert was so hard to get..."

Haruna, standing beside her, nudged her with her elbow with a mischievous grin.

"Look here, it doesn't have a calorie label, right? If it doesn't say so, it's zero calories! Zero calories means you can eat whatever you want!"

"Y-Yes..." Hasumi's eyes were already darting around, and she started to convince herself. "That's right... it doesn't say so, it doesn't say so, it's zero calories, haha~"

Sitting on the outermost side of the group, Arona used her fork to pick up a strawberry from her cake and happily popped it into her mouth.

"So sweet!"

In Kivotos, such everyday miracles are never lacking

----

Junko, waking up on the concrete floor, cried, "Where's my cake?! Where's mine?!"

---