John Keren

"Let me get this straight." I rub my head, seeing a soon to be headache "The adventurers we sent to investigate the spider monster confirmed that it was indeed from the Elroe Labyrinth, confirming even further that it's the Nightmare, by offering fruit, no less! But that they found it with a strange person that, apparently, was talking with it like nothing?"

"It… seems so, Master." Even you, Merazophis, are confused by it.

I coughed in order to recover some composure "And what was so strange about this person? Apart from talking to spiders, that is."

"According to the reports, the stranger is wearing clothes from some unknown material that could be confused for high quality fabric at first glance, as well as sitting in… a wheeled couch."

"Wait, what?" I blinked "Why would anyone bring a couch to the countryside in order to sit on it?"

"I don't know, Master, but I guess the wheels allowed it for easier transportation."

"Coaches aside, anything else of note?" I asked, trying not to fall into a nonsensical spiral involving furniture. Either that guy was rich, eccentric or both.

Merazophis was now somewhat indecisive and that worries me. One thing to commend my old friend is his frankness, so seeing him in doubt would mean that information is even more confusing. Or grave.

"He… doesn't speak our language."

Uh? Is that so?

"Have you tried recurring to a translator?" Keren County is one of the territories closest to Sariella's borders. In our case, our neighboring country would be the Ohts Kingdom, of which we have a somewhat tense relationship so we have at hand various diplomats for each time we have to deal with them. The Adventurers Guild, by being an international organization with many branches, may also have their own interpreters.

"That's the problem, Master. No one recognizes the language."

… Now I realize how worrying that is.

"Not a word?" I ask "Even a bit of grammar?"

"No, Master." Merazophis shook his head "The most they could do was comparing the writing, on a whole different alphabet, and attributing it to different concepts, as well as non verbal communication between the two sides. Oral language is… still difficult."

SICiaRFW,Iss

"Table. That is a table! T-A-B-L-E. TA-BLE!"

SICiaRFW,Iss

"The Stranger was the one to propose it, if I may add."

I can see the logic in that. If we can not understand him, then he doesn't have a hope of understanding a whole country. It would be in his interests if he learnt our language. Or us, his.

"Do we have his name, at least?"

"Of course. It's-"

Dustin

"Lucas, that is?"

The news that an unknown person was seen communicating with the spider monster that was making things for our operations in Sariella, reached us through the contacts we have in the Adventurers Guild. No thanks to it massacring the spies disguising themselves as bandits.

According to the report, Lucas' possessions remind me of a past from a long time ago. Especially an artifact that he seemingly lent to the spider which made sound and light.

For what I know, the only ones who still had that technology were the elves, though I doubt that man would be with them, due to giving it to a subject of Lady Ariel, who hates them even more than I for many personal reasons.

Which makes me think. How intelligent must that spider be in order to use an electronic device? Monsters and animals would either scatter themselves or just be curious about it, but the ability to manipulate it, even for playing? That is closer to human cognitive abilities.

Adding on its bizarre behaviour, I daresay it would be truly sapient, which only includes the most powerful specimens of its species. What is Lady Ariel thinking about when letting out her most powerful children, when it's in contact with humans and has already killed dozens of them like nothing?

I shook my head. Spiders aside, this Stranger is an unplanned variable. Not only is he in possession of advanced technologies as well as communicating with a biological weapon of mass destruction without difficulties but he speaks of a language that even I, who's been present since the beginning of the System, couldn't even recognize.

And the most puzzling of all: he cannot be Appraised. They tried it multiple times with Appraisal Stones, even with users of the Skill itself, but the most they got was an error message.

That… is worrying. To my knowledge, the only beings able to block Appraisal were the Rulers of the Seven Deadly Sins and the Seven Heavenly Virtues.

The other ones immune to Appraisal were those outside the System… like the Gods.

Güliedistodiez

"I forbid you from interfering with him."

A resigned sigh escaped my mouth at the words that came from the phone "Is he another reincarnation?"

D, the God that made the System in the first place in order to save this world. Also the monster who made the planet her own personal toy who I couldn't defy both due to a contract and the immense power she possesses.

Some few years ago, she reincarnated the souls of deceased people from another world into this one, giving me a huge headache about how that idea would leave the world in chaos in more ways than one. A certain spider was proof enough of that fear coming true.

However, D forbade me from interfering even further, even when the spider killed a dragon, so I couldn't do anything but observe and pray that no more collateral damage could happen.

My hopes were broken after it destroyed a whole fortress and escaping the Elroe Labyrinth, forcing Ariel and one of her Queen Taratects after it, provoking even more damage to the world.

Not only did the otherworldly soul defeat the Queen but one of its soul fragments invaded Ariel's mind, assimilating it. I know she's strong but I worry that the intruder will overwhelm her.

And now, a new variable came upon this world and D took interest, as frustratingly usual.

"Is he another reincarnation?" I ask her.

"No. As far as I know. He seems more like transported instead of reincarnated."

As far as she knows? Someone of her power and station would have already known what the intruder could be.

"I know what you're already thinking. I tried gazing at his soul but I was blocked. And I couldn't even find his name in the soul registry." Despite her sickeningly cheerful and flat voice, I couldn't help but imagine a tinge of frustration and… excitement? I have never been able to understand this Goddess, even if she tried her damndest to pass as a human.

"So you have no idea of who he is."

"Let me finish this, Güli-Güli." I groan at the embarrassing nickname "While I have no idea how he ended up here, I know what he is. And given that I couldn't scan him, it makes even more sense."

"After all, he came from a different multiverse."

What?! "How could that be possible? Wasn't the multiverse the ensemble of all universes?"

"Yes and no." She said "While the multiverse is already nearly unfathomably big for most beings, including the majority of Gods, it's still finite. Not talk about how his abilities remind me of a superhero TV show."

"... I don't understand. Are you saying that he's a fictional character or something?"

"Unless he's a Self Insert, then no, he isn't fictional. But that belt of his is. Tell me, do you know what a Kamen Rider is?"

Taking my silence as a cue, she continued "A Kamen Rider is basically a person that transforms himself into an armored form, including a mask, hence the Kamen (mask) part and tends to ride vehicles like motorcycles, hence the Rider part. Most Kamen Riders are selfless individuals that would do everything to save the world and their loved ones, even defying the Gods themselves if it came to that."

My eyes widened. Defying the Gods? Those Kamen Riders must be incredibly powerful. Though… "When you said 'most'..."

"Yes. There are always Kamen Riders that use their gifts for their own 'villainy' ends. In fact, Kamen Riders either use the same power sources as their enemies or are the same as them. The first ever Kamen Rider was actually an attempt to create a supersoldier to conquer the world that rebelled against his creators."

My hand trembled in fury "And you're telling me, that one of those Kamen Riders, a being with power to face the Gods and that may put the world in danger, is right there and I cannot do anything to him."

"Yes."

Breathing heavily, I sigh "I see."

"Well, now that you're informed, I'll hang up. There's a new game that I want to try out, you know?"

The phone disappeared, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

Sariel… What would you do?

D

Well, well, well~

Now that is a surprise. The only reason I was able to take notice of him was thanks to my "toy". To think that little spider would be so lucky to encounter a real Kamen Rider.

However, this Rider has never appeared in the franchise, though from his interaction with the spider, it seems that he came from a few years in advance which would mean that his Rider form is also from a future series. I could easily figure out from peeking into the future but I choose not too. I don't want any spoiler.

Though time travel is complicated, is not completely unheard of for Gods with domains and powers related to time and space, but the fact that his soul isn't even registered and is impossible for me to check, gives more weight to the fact that he's not from this multiverse.

And that someone or something doesn't want me to poke around their things.

So, ok. I'll leave them to their devices. If some decently troublesome complication happens, I'll leave it to Meido to take care of it.

Especially since there's the possibility of that pink photographer and that fruit samurai involving themselves as well as other tokuverse entities that could be a pain in the ass to deal with.

For the moment, why don't you entertain me, my little Kamen Rider Cross-Z? Will you be a savior? A destructor? Or both?