What Does It Mean to Be a Kamen Rider? Chapter 03, a kamen rider fanfic

Chapter 03: Grow Up Well, Young Kamen Rider

"Shit, shit, shit, shit. Why the fuck did the old Demon King notice me? Heck, how did he notice me this quickly?"

"It is a pleasure to meet you, waga maou," so I did the best thing I could. That is imitating Woz. I gave him a slight bow with a hand on my chest.

"So, what is a person from the Reiwa period doing in Heisei?" Majestically sitting on his throne, the guardian of the Heisei Riders' tomb asked me.

'I am not from Reiwa though… am I?' I mentally asked my [System].

[You are! After finishing a mission in a world, you will be going back to Kamen Rider Gotchard's world for a break. So, you can say that will be your home world.]

'I see,' I mentally nodded at the answer. So… basically, after I finish my mission in Fourze, I'll go to Gotchard to take a break. After a break, another mission, and then another break in the Gotchard world.

"I was… on my journey to find out what kind of person I am," I replied and… that is true. In this world filled with heroes and monsters, I want to know what kind of person I am.

I am not like other Kamen Riders... I don't have a purpose to continue being a Kamen Rider. I don't have a reason to protect people's smiles. I don't have a reason to protect people from the Overlord of Darkness. I don't have a reason to save people and stop the Rider War. I don't have what it takes to protect people's dreams.

So, what does it mean to be a Kamen Rider?

The previous me would yell that a Kamen Rider is a person who fights to protect innocent people, fights for justice, for love, and peace. But now that I've really become a Kamen Rider, it changes a lot of things.

"You have no clear goal for your future," Ohma Zi-O's voice boomed from the other side of the Aurora Curtain. "That is something even I, the one who rules over space and time, cannot help with, young Kamen Rider," he continued with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

Since young, Ohma Zi-O has had a clear goal of what he wants to be in his life. A KING! He got a chance and grabbed it.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. Hell, I don't even know why I am apologizing. But being stared down by the Kamen Rider with one of the highest body counts doesn't help.

"Don't be," Ohma Zi-O dismissed my apology. "Since I now know why you are here, you can do as you like... as long as you don't threaten my kingship and cause chaos across the Heisei era, I will turn a blind eye to whatever you are doing."

Strange.

This is very strange. What… How? Why?! There is no reason for him to let me go without doing anything. I am, after all, nothing but a bug in his garden.

"You are still young," the golden Kamen Rider snorted. "Go and enjoy your school life and find your worth there."

"Wait!"

"That will be all," with a wave of his hand, Ohma Zi-O cut off the link between him and my side.

"So… I will be staying with you for a day or two," Kadoya-san rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish expression on his face.

"What? Why?!" I nearly screamed at his face. After all, I just ended an audience with the most horrible and villainous Demon King of all time.

"Natsumikan drove me out of the Hikari Studio, you see? I'm kind of homeless now," And the PINK Kamen Rider sat comfortably on the sofa like he owns the place.

"What did you do to make Hikari-san chase you out?"

"Not my fault," I don't know how a cup of tea appeared in his hand. "It's the world's for not accepting me."

"You meant you used up all the film in the studio," I stared deadpan at him. I don't know why but I'm not afraid of him like the first time I met him.

"No comment."

"How about Daiki-san? You can stay at his place," I tried recommending. No way in hell I'm housing the destroyer of worlds in my home.

"Kaito? Yeah, no. He's more of a homeless man than I am," a sudden smirk appeared on his face. "I'll be counting on you, young Kamen Rider."

Fuck my life.

On the other side,

"And… Cut! Good job, everyone!"

"I told you I am helping your fight against Another Ohma Zi-O, not to help motivate a young Kamen Rider!"

"Now, now, your Sougo-ness was showing during the live. As expected of an older me," the Silver and Gold Kamen Rider nudged the Black and Gold Kamen Rider's side.

"Hey, is this really the Ohma Zi-O we feared back then?" the clock-themed red Kamen Rider whispered to the girl beside him.

"He changed a bit, hasn't he?" the moon-themed white Kamen Rider whispered back to the red Kamen Rider.

"In what way?" wrapping his arms around each of the white and red's shoulders, the silver and gold Kamen Rider asked. Not wanting to deal with the mess caused by his younger self, the old Demon King quietly left this era to go back to 2068.

"That Sougo from the future… He really became the greatest, kindest demon king!" The white Kame Rider smiled inside her helmet. "And he didn't really need to agree with our blunder, but he did."

"We have met the Showa Riders of the Heisei era, and we are Heisei Riders of the Reiwa era, so it's not strange to have a Reiwa Rider of the Heisei era," The red Kamen Rider, Geiz, nodded like a sage.

"Geiz, your characterization is a little off today," the silver Kamen Rider, Sougo, smiled contently at his friends standing by his side.

"Leave me alone," Geiz turned his head to the side. "Since you are 'the greatest, kindest demon king,' aren't you just a normal king?"

"Do not listen to this bumbling fool, my demon king," Woz rushed to their side, afraid he would have to change his way of addressing his demon king to king.

"What is it, Woz?"

"It has to be demon lord after all," taking a deep breath, he answered his demon king's question.

"Why is that so?"

"Just going 'waga ou' doesn't roll off the tongue as well."

"Ah, I see," Sougo nodded his head with a smile.

"And it is slightly disgusting to say," Woz's face slightly winced at the thought of calling his lord like that.

"That's the reason," Sougo sighed in resignation. Together with him, both Geiz and Tsukuyomi slapped their foreheads.

"WAGA MAOU!"

"Look, it echoes nicely and feels good," Only Woz smiled in satisfaction.

"Other than that, I am looking forward to meeting Takahashi Kousuke-kun when he becomes the Kamen Rider he aspires to be," undoing his transformation, Sougo looked up at the sky.

"It will take a while for him to find the way, though," Geiz also undid his transformation. "But… it's for us to look after our junior, right Tsukuyomi?"

"Seriously, your characterization is off today, Geiz. But… I agree. Just like we received help from our seniors, it is time for us to help our juniors in their time of need," Tsukuyomi sighed at the other two males, her friends, for their current easygoing attitude.

"Well, just like we have protected the Heisei era, countless Riders will appear in the Reiwa era to protect the era," Sougo is happy to live in the present with his friends by his side. "And we will live as Heisei Riders in the Reiwa era to fight alongside them."

"So, Kousuke-kun… grow up well and be the Kamen Rider who can stand beside us, okay?" A new Ride Watch appears in Sougo's hand. On its surface, it reads 2023.

Author's Note:

That's a wrap on this chapter. Not a Fourze chapter but the talk between the Zi-O cast and our main character. And I got some dialogue ideas from the Zi-O final stage. Tsukasa will be hanging around for a chapter or two to help Kousuke with some of his problems.

If you don't know, Zi-O casts are from Over Quartzer + Final Stage timeline.

Unlike some SI, Kousuke doesn't have a clear goal in mind. That's the main reason why I chose Fourze as a starting point for him. Since being an author is the profession chosen by the [System] but not his own choice, there are teachers in Fourze to guide him toward his chosen future.

And yes, if I can finish writing the Fourze arc, there'll be some toned-down daily life of Kousuke in the Gotchard world for a chapter or two, with five at maximum.