A middle-aged man walked down a busy sidewalk after working long hours at the office. When he walked down the street, a few explosions were set off in the distance.

"Looks like a villain is starting a fight," a pedestrian commented.

"Man, with the Hero Killer and this, I might just consider moving back to the countryside," his friend replied. The office worker sighed in frustration, forced to take a detour now that his main path was being destroyed by whatever hero and villain were fighting.

This detour took the man to walk along a river. As he walked beneath a bridge, the top-hat wearing Bugster jumped out of the shadows and grabbed the man from behind his head. The Bugster injected a virus into the man. Once fully infected with the virus, the Bugster dropped the man and disappeared. The office worker coughed as he struggled to stand up. He stumbled, latching onto the guardrail. The office worker groaned in pain as orange, pixel distortions irradiated from his body. He shortly passed out.

After encountering the Hero Killer, Iida, Izuku, and Kazuhiro are taken to Hosu Hospital. Iida was double-casted on the arms, while Izuku was bandaged up on his right arm and left leg. Kazuhiro was fortunate that his armor protected him from Stain's weapons. The Kamen Rider walked away with minor bruises but was kept in the hospital overnight at the request of the police. Kazuhiro wondered if the police wanted him here so the three boys could receive some form of punishment. This was something Kazuhiro was mentally ready for.

Kazuhiro checked his phone to see his classmates' reactions to the group chat messages. All of them were asking if they were okay because of the Hosu incident with the Nomus and the apprehension of the Hero Killer. Luckily, group chats don't reveal who reads the messages, and the three UA students were told to keep the incident under wraps for now. Kazuhiro looked to his side to see Izuku slowly sitting up.

"Got any sleep, Midoriya?" Kazuhiro asked.

"Not really," Izuku replied.

"I figured," Kazuhiro said. He looked at the ceiling. "Too many close calls."

"Thinking about that fight, we did something amazing," Izuku said.

"Yeah, we did."

"It feels like a miracle that we survived." Izuku looked at his bandaged leg. Izuku was slightly shaken, and he was almost cleaved by the Hero Killer if it weren't for Iida. Still, one thing confused him. "He almost killed me, but when that Nomu snatched me, Stain went out of his way to save me."

"You probably gained his respect and thought you were valuable enough to let live. He probably thinks you're worth letting go," Kazuhiro said. He sighed and said," He was trying to kill me, though. He thinks I deserve it because he thinks I'm in it for the glory, and Iida as well for vengeance." Kazuhiro turned to the glasses-wearing student. "Still, we both stood tall and overcame our toughest opponent yet."

Iida looked down and said, "That's not true. I was…"

The door opened, and Gran Torino and a Pro Hero named Manual walked in. The latter sported a blue shirt and helmet with a fin. He was Iida's instructor.

"Oh, so the injured younguns are awake?" Gran Torino remarked.

"Gran Torino!" Izuku greeted.

"Manual…" Iida acknowledged his instructor.

"You idiot, I'm going to chew you out, but before I do. You got a visitor," Gran Torino spoke as he moved away from the door. A tall man dressed in a suit walked in, his hands in his pockets. Of course, his most obvious physical trait was having a beagle's head. At this point, Kazuhiro saw Quirks of all types, so he had gotten used to them. "This is Chief Tsuragamae, Hosu's Chief of Police."

"Shit, this where we're going to get lecture or worse," Kazuhiro thought as both he and Iida stood in attention. Izuku tried to follow but was stopped.

"Please stay seated, woof," Tsuragamae spoke as Izuku stopped moving. "So, you're the bunch that stopped the Hero Killer? He's currently being treated for broken bones and other serious injuries. Oddly, his skin had this hard-to-remove ink."

"Here's a lesson you should have already learned. When Quirks became the norm, the police prioritized leadership and maintaining the status quo, so they decided not to use Quirks as weapons. This is when the "Hero" profession would fill in that voice, woof. Authorizing the use of such might, these powers that could easily kill, was heavily criticized, but it would garner public support. This is because all of your predecessors acted morally and complied with the laws, woof."

"Heh, he hasn't met the Kamen Riders I've met," Kazuhiro thought.

"That's why it's against the law to use your Quirk to cause injury to others. Whether you were up against the Hero Killer or not, you do not have the authority to harm the villain. That would mean the three of you and your supervisors," Tsuragamae explained.

"What? Kamui didn't know anything!" Kazuhiro clenched his fist.

"The six of you must be dealt with harsh punishments for this gross abuse of your powers."

"Hold it," Kazuhiro said, trying to refrain from snapping. "If Iida didn't do anything, Native would've been killed. If Midoriya hadn't come looking for them, Iida would have gone along with him, and he was just trying to look after his friend by making sure he wouldn't get hurt. You're telling me we should just do nothing just because of some law?"

"So it's okay to break the laws just because everything worked out?" Tsuragamae questioned.

"We may be students, but it's still our job to save lives," Kazuhiro said. He thought, "I doubt my real predecessors went through this stuff. I could see why Diend has problems with this world."

"You have much to learn. Some education you're getting, woof, from UA and Kamui Woods," Tsuragamae said.

"Now, hold it…" Kazuhrio stepped forward but was stopped by Gran Torino.

"Calm down, kid, listen to what he has to say," Gran Torino said.

"What I said is the official stance of the police department, an obligation I must state as an officer, woof. However, any punishment would have been given if the details went public."

"Public?" Kazuhiro repeated.

"No doubt you would have been praised by the public, but you wouldn't escape the reprimand that followed. On the other hand, we could say that someone like Endeavor took out Stain," Tsuragamae said. "He did look like he got caught in an explosion of some kind, so we could use that to get an angle. We could pretend that they weren't involved, and you won't have to face any repercussions because of it. Although this would mean you would receive acclaim, as the public would be unaware of what happened in that alley. I know where I stand. I wouldn't want to damage the reputation of a promising group of up-and-coming Heroes. I'd rather not pursue charges over an incident like this."

"Either way, we need to take responsibility for our negligence and take the blame for the situation," Manual spoke.

Iida approached Manual and bowed his head. "I'm sorry for everything, sir."

Manual playfully chopped Iida's head. He said, "Yeah! You caused big problems for us, so don't do it again!"

"I'm sorry too," Izuku bowed.

"Same," Kazuhiro followed.

" I know it's not fair to not receive any recognition or any form of reward after what you went through, but, as someone who is invested in keeping the peace and as a representative of the Hosu's police department… " Tsuragamae bowed out with respect. "Allow me to thank you."

"At least start with that…" Kazuhiro sighed in relief as he plopped back onto his seat.

News of the Hero Killer's defeat spread quickly. As discussed behind closed doors, the truth was twisted to protect the three UA students who defeated Stain. The news reached Kaito, who was watching it from a Jumbotron.

The news reporter spoke: "The three villains during Hosu's riots are all men with unknown identities. Based on their distinctive appearance and the presence of two people, an NHA TV film crew filmed them by chance. There are those saying they are connected to the League of Villains that attacked the school last month."

"If I recall, Decade was in that class when the school was attacked," Kaito thought as he turned away and walked amongst the crowd. "That League could become a problem later down the line, but they're small fry when compared to the forces of Hundred. Even with a world full of superheroes, what chances do they have against them?"

Kaito's phone rang and he picked it up. He didn't have any contacts in this world, but he would answer it regardless, in case it was Kazuhiro or someone from UA. He answered the phone and held it up against his ear.

"Hello?" Kaito asked.

"This is the number for Diend, right?" Aizawa asked.

"I recognize that voice. You're the teacher who almost attacked me," Kaito remarked.

"Name's Aizawa, Kimura's homeroom teacher," Aizawa said, not entertaining Kaito by replying to that comment. "I'm reaching out to ask if you could come to UA to discuss Kimura's further training. Our principal believes you could… bring something new to the table."

"New to the table?" Diend parroted. "Hm, I didn't think you considered my methods worth trying, considering how much you disapprove of them."

"That's because you kidnapped him. As much as I would want you to stay away from Kimura, the principal saw value in another Kamen Rider training him. Are you interested in discussing, or will you keep acting aloof?" Aizawa asked.

"I'll go. After all, both of our necks are on the line if Decade falls to Hundred," Kaito said.

"Alright, just drop by later today after school. We'll meet on aonthe rooftop of the school."

"Rooftop? You don't want me to use the front door?"

"This is about secrecy. The students aren't aware of Kimura's situation."

"Alright, I'll see you there then," Kaito said as he hung up the call. He thought, "This world sure is interesting."

Later that day, Kazuhiro was dressed up in his hero outfit, ready to be discharged from the hospital. He was only in here because the police wanted all three students to be in one place until they settled on the deal. Since Kazuhiro's injuries were minor, he was able to leave. The Kamen Rider zipped up his jacket and took a sniff of it.

"Oh, yeah, I need to get this clean when I get the chance," Kazuhiro commented out loud.

"Kimura," Ida called out. "Before you go, I have something to talk to you about."

"Sure, spill," Kazuhiro said as he turned to the class representative.

"I got my diagnosis, my left hand could have permanent damage," Iida said.

"What? Seriously?!" Kazuhiro exclaimed.

"You saw what happened. Both my arms were injured during the fight with Stain. He severed my Brachial Plexus Nerve," Iida said.

"Holy crap," Kazuhiro said.

Iida nodded and said, "They said I could get a nerve transplant to regain the feel in my hand and fingers, but… I want this to serve as a reminder."

"What, you're telling me you're just going to leave it as is?" Kazuhiro asked.

"When I saw Stain, my mind went blank, and I was just fueled by my desire to avenge Tensei. I should've told Manual, but my mind narrowed down to taking down the Hero Killer. I may hate Stain, but he had a point," Iida explained. "So until I become a true hero, my left hand will serve as a reminder."

There was a pause of silence. Kazuhiro sighed and said, "Y'know, as much as I would keep pushing you to get that transplant, I heavily respect your decision. It takes a lot of guts to punish yourself like that." Kazuhiro smirked. "Still, we both have a long way to go before we become heroes. So let's get stronger together, class rep."

"Thank you for understanding, Kimura," Iida nodded with a small but noticeable smile.

Kazuhiro walked up to the door and turned to Iida one last time. He said, "Hey, when you leave the hospital and we get back to UA, let's go for a run. I still need to learn how to do sharp turns with my speed-oriented forms."

"Of course," Iida said as he nodded, and his smile slightly widened.

As he entered the lobby, Kazuhiro ran into Izuku, whose body was shaking as he stood by the payphones. He approached the green-haired boy and asked, "Izuku, are you alright?"

"Huh?!" Izuku snapped as he turned around, causing Kazuhiro to jolt back from shock. "Oh, it's you, Kimura… I was just talking to someone on the phone.

"I-I see," Kazuhiro said. He wondered who on the phone could get Izuku so distressed. "Anyways, I'm about to head out."

"Oh, right," Izuku said. "Since the armor that you wore as Decade and Build protected you from Stain's attacks, you just have a few light bruises."

"Yeah, lucky me," Kazuhiro said.

"So, does that mean you're going to your internship with Kamui Woods?" Izuku asked.

Kazuhiro nodded. "Yep, he's picking me up here with Shiozaki from 1-B. He wants us to go on patrol as soon as possible to make up for being in the hospital all morning."

"Right back into the fray, huh?"

Kazuhiro nodded and said, "Yeah, I'm guessing there's no rest in the field of heroism."

Izuku chuckled and said, "There really isn't."

"Say, about last night, I noticed that you managed to use your Quirk without hurting yourself badly," Kazuhiro said. "I mean, you got messed up pretty bad, but most of your injuries are because of Stain."

"Well, let's say I got the hang of my Quirk now."

"Really? How so?"

"Well, it's a bit weird… but I imagined myself as a taiyaki," Izuku said. Izuku was slightly flushed with embarrassment.

"... Go on…" Kazuhiro said.

"It happened when I was microwaving some food, and the Pro Hero I was working under told me I was microwaving only one side of the taiyaki. It made me realize I focused all my power onto a single part of my body instead of disbursing it throughout."

"That… makes a lot of sense," Kazuhiro said. "Now that you've got the hang of your powers, you could keep up with everyone else."

"I look forward to going back to school," Izuku said. " I'll see you back on campus."

"Right, same," Kazuhiro said with a quick nod as he left the building.

When he walked outside, Kamui and Shiozaki were nowhere to be found. He pulled out his phone and decided to check his messages. He's been managing conversations nearly all morning as his classmates constantly check up on him and the others. He got a few new messages from the others. At the top was Kirishima, who was most concerned for his well-being since yesterday is when he was also attacked by Diend.

Kirishima: DUDE! ARE YOU ALRIGHT? I HEARD FROM TODOROKI THAT YOU RAN INTO THE HERO KILLER!

Kirishima: WAS THAT WHY MIDORIYA SENT HIS LOCATION?

Me: Yes and yes.

Me: I saw his message and I picked up that he was in trouble, so Kamui annd I investigated.

Kirishima: Sheesh. Stain must've been tough if three heroes and their interns couldn't handle him.

Me: He made it hard to attack with all those blades. Luckily, Endeavor managed to blast him out cold.

Kirishima: I see. Take cbekj adfva

Me: ?

Kirishima: Sorry! My instructor is strict on punctuality!. TTYL!

Another message was from Ojiro, who was almost as concerned as Ejiro. Atlhoguh, he was more casual, and the conversation diverged once Ojiro was satisfied knowing that he was okay.

Ojiro: How're you holding up?

Me: Just light bruises. I'll be fine.

Ojiro: Man, what're your suits even made of?

Me: No idea. I just summon them and don't even question it.

Ojiro: Haha

Ojiro: Not even a little curious about your suits or their origins. Like, why does one of your forms have a tire on his chest?

Me: Well, because its name is Drive, it's supposed to be a car.

Ojiro: But why is it a car?

Me: Look, it's better to just leave things as is and not think too hard. I just accept them the way they are because they work and get the job done.

Ojiro: Fair enough.

Tsuyu also checked up on Kazuhiro.

Tsuyu: Hey, Kazuhiro, ribbit.

"She also types in ribbit during text messages? How cute," Kazuhiro thought.

Tsuyu: I heard that you're in the hospital with Izuku and Iida. Are you alright?

Me: I'm okay, just got off with a few bruises, but Iida and Izuku got hurt pretty badly. They'll be back in top shape by the time we get back.

Tsuyu: That's good to hear, ribbit. How's your internship going?

Kazuhiro sighed, as yesterday was a rollercoaster of a day, and he couldn't even share the truth of his encounter with Diend or the Hero Killer. He began to wonder how his classmates would react if there was another Kamen Rider like him, who uses powers derived from others. That truth would come out eventually, but Kazuhiro will only tell it when it's relevant.

Me: It's fine. It's nice getting actual field experience. Stopped a crime and saved someone in a burning building. You?

Tsuyu: Nothing so far, ribbit. We're just doing training drills and patrolling along the coast.

Me: You're working for some boat crew, right?

Tsuyu: Yep, the Oki Mariner, ribbit. They mainly help out the Coast Guard, but outside of that, they just do constant drills and patrols.

Me: Sounds pleasant. Must be refreshing to work by the ocean.

Tsuyu: It is :)

Tsuyu: Have you ever considered working outside the city, ribbit?

Me: I thought about but my powers are best used in urban areas since a majority of my forms are geared towards combat.

Tsuyu: You wouldn't have any form that works well by the sea, ribbit?

Me: If you remember, OOO, the one that I used in the Cavalry Battle has an ocean-based form. Haven't used it in any large body of water

Tsuyu: Maybe next time you sign up for the Oki mariner or another marine crew!

Me: I'll think about it!

Yaoyorozu's messages were a lot more formal when compared to the other messages.

Yaoyorozu: Good afternoon, Kimura. I hope you and the others are safe after last night. I was worried when Todoroki informed all of us of what happened with you and the others. He told us that Iida and Izuku were injured badly. Are they okay?

Me: They're alive. Izuku's injuries aren't something new to him.

Yaoyorozu: I wouldn't talk about his injuries like it's something to be expected.

Me: Right, my bad. My point is that his injuries aren't something to worry about. Izuku's a tough nut to crack.

Me: Still, as for Iida, his injuries are serious.

Yaoyorozu: I see. I don't want to pry, but will he be all right?

Me: Other than his injury, he seems more positive, surprisingly, than before.

Yaoyorozu: I'm guessing that with the Hero Killer locked up, Iida is satisfied with his brother's attacker facing justice.

"Well, there are layers to it, but that sums it up," Kazuhiro thought.

Me: Pretty much.

Yaoyorozu: Well, I hope you and the others stay safe for the duration of our internships. I'll see you back at school.

Yaoyorozu: Kendo also sends her regards.

Me: No offense, but who is that?

Yaoyorozu: Oh, my apologies. She's the class representative of Class 1-B. The girl with the orange ponytail.

Me: Oh, yeah, now I remember. Tell her I said thanks!

Kazuhiro checked the last message that was sent to him, which was sent by Todoroki.

Todoroki: My father informed me about the story we're spinning in regards to last night.

Me: Yeah.

Me: I don't mind not getting credit since that's not something I'm striving for.

Todoroki: Then I guess everything is working out.

Todoroki: Mind if I ask what you were doing in Hosu? Was Kamui also searching for the Hero Killer?

Me: Well, not really. He was picking me up from a nearby police station.

Me: Let's just say I got abducted and was lucky enough that they didn't tie me up or anything.

Todoroki: How amateurish. Do they even know who you were?

Me: Yeah, they did.

Todoorki: I hope whoever tried to kidnap faced the consequences of their actions.

Me: They ran away once the other Heroes arrived. The fighting helped attract their attention.

Todoroki: So they're out there? Let's hope they don't be foolish and try to do it again.

"Oh, I doubt that," Kazuhiro thought.

Todoroki: Stay safe out there.

Me: Right, you too.

Kazuhiro closed his phone and put it in his pocket before sighing. Yesterday was a hectic day. He just hopes that today will return to stopping low-tier criminals who stole an old lady's purse.

At the top of Hosu General Hospital was the top-hat wearing Bugster. He giggled devilishly as he watched an ambulance arrive in the ER wing. The ambulance stopped, and a patient on a stretcher was pulled out by the EMTs. They handed the patient over to the hospital staff, and he was taken in. As the patient coughed, small pixelated distortions appeared all over his body. The patient was dragged away.

"This doesn't look like the flu. Why isn't the media covering this?" an EMT asked.

"Because it isn't a real virus," the EMT said.

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that this isn't a normal virus. This is the work of someone's Quirk. All patients reported a villain attacking them before being infected with this virus. Every single case of virus spread by a Quirk is easily reversible by the user of it."

"It sounds like a big deal."

"It is a big deal. The problem is that it's probably buried by the Hero Killer and the Hosu incident last night. I'm guessing media outlets aren't making a big deal about this because this isn't the first time someone with a virus Quirk is creating an outbreak."

Another ambulance arrived, carrying another patient. The Bugster chuckled as he playfully spun around. He said, "All the pieces are in place. Now, it's time for the dominoes to fall!"

Inside, there were several quarantined patients in a single room. In synch, they all groaned and cried out in pain as the orange pixelation distortions rapidly covered their body. The virus transformed their heads into something resembling a chicken served on a platter. The chicken legs act as a combination of an antenna and an eye.

The nurses and doctors in the room panicked. They stumbled back as a few of them screamed. The infected patients stood up and grabbed onto them. This allowed the virus to spread to them. Soon, the infected burst out of the rooms and began to spread the virus like zombies. A few from down the hall saw the infection spreading to others.

Gran Torino hung up the payphone when he suddenly heard shouting and screaming. He was quick to react when the hospital alarms went off. When he ran into the lobby, the elderly hero saw a pandemonium of infected patients and staff members pouring in and attempting to spread the virus. Gran Torino placed the pieces together in his head that the hospital was attacked by a villain with a viral Quirk. The virus is spread by touch, which makes it a lot more dangerous.

"As long as they don't get a hold of me, I should be able to swat them away to allow the others to escape," Gran Torino thought as he jumped into action.

The elderly immediately used his Quirk to bounce onto a column and ricochet into a group of infected. He used the force to kick the front infected and used him as a domino to push down the others, allowing the about-to-be victims to get up and run. Gran Torino immediately propelled himself away as another infected person was about to touch him.

"It's messed up to attack the patients of the hospital, but I can't let them spread the virus!" Gran Torino said as he ricocheted once more and kicked down another group of infected.

Kazuhiro saw the people pouring out of the hospital and knew something was up. Even though he was reprimanded for acting without a license or the supervision of another Pro Hero, it didn't matter in his head. He's a Kamen Rider first. He summoned the Decadriver and inserted the Rider Card into his belt.

[KamenRide]

"Transform!" Kazuhiro shouted.

[Decade!]

Decade saw the infected individuals coming out of the hospital. He knew that they were the ones causing problems. A nurse tripped as she was fleeing from the infected. As an infected was about to grab onto her, Decade shot him with the Ride Booker. He immediately helped her onto her feet.

"Don't let them touch you!" the nurse warned before she continued to flee.

Decade turned as more infected ran into him. From the looks of them, the infected were patients and the workers of the hospital. He gritted his teeth, as it meant that he would have to fight civilians who were unwillingly transformed into the minions of the one behind this. Even though the Ride Booker and other weapons weren't somehow lethal, he had to hold back. Decade dematerialized the sword, thinking it would be better to just ditch the sword and summoned an AttackRide card.

[AttackRide: Illusion]

About six clones of Decade materialized next to him. He assumed that the illusion clones won't get infected since they're clones. They threw themselves at the infected, allowing them to get the attention of a small group of them. They piled onto the Decade clones in an attempt to overwhelm and infect him. Decade saw a few infected tumbling out of the entrance and groaning.

Decade hesitated to enter the building but remembered that Izuku and Iida were trapped inside. The Decade clones will last for a little longer before they disappear, which should've allowed most civilians within the area of the entrance to escape. Decade pulled out an AttackRide card and inserted it.

[AttackRide: Invisible]

"If they aren't in their room, then I'll leave," Decade thought.

When he entered the lobby, Decade saw Gran Torino knocking down groups of infected with his powerful kicks. Groups of infected people tumbled down. However, when one group fell, another would get up and repeat the process. When Gran Torino took down another, a stray infected person tried to grab him. Decade quickly grabbed him and pushed him down onto the ground. This action unveiled him. Gran Torino turned to see the Kamen Rider now fully exposed.

"Dammit, I thought it would've hold," Decade cursed. Suddenly, multiple infected tackled him down. Gran Torino was slow to call out to him or react.. The Kamen Rider shouted, "What?"

Gran Torino noticed a few of them rushing towards him. The elderly hero only had enough strength for one last burst of his Quirk. He launched himself at a suspended ceiling light and grabbed onto it.

"That kid…" Gran Torino ground his teeth in frustration when he couldn't save Decade.

The elderly hero watched as the infected piled onto him. There was something odd about the infected. They kept piling onto him as if they were trying to add him to their number, but couldn't. The Kamen Rider should've been infected by now, but he wasn't. Beneath the pile of infected, Decade had a Rider Card in his hand. He struggled to insert the card but managed to do so.

[KamenRide: Ghost!]

The decade transformed into Kamen Rider Ghost. His armor transformed into the Rider's pre-form. The armor and plates were black with a few pieces of silver, which were the kneepads and cuffs on the wrist and ankle. The helmet was black with a silver blank faceplate. The armor was traced with a thin orange accent with a silver eye in the center chestpiece. These accents were glowing. There was also a layer of transparent material over the helmet, giving the armor a slightly bulky appearance.

As the name suggested, Ghost had ghostly powers. He phased out of the pile of infected people and materialized over them. Suddenly, a ghost in the shape of a short-sleeved hoodie flew out of this belt. The ghost had orange eyes, and its face was concealed in the hoodie. The piece of clothing itself was black with an orange accent color.

[Let's go, get ready! Gho-Gho-Gho-Ghost!]

The hoodie flew into Ghost, merging with him. A decorated mask slammed into the blank faceplate. The mask was similar to other masks except that the material that made up his lens was everything except the eyes, and the lenses were blankly black. The material of the face was a translucent orange, and there was a curvy horn on his helmet.

[Go! Go! Go! Go!]

Ghost pulled down the hood so he could have a slightly better look at the lobby.

"Are you alright?" Gran Torino asked.

Ghost turned to the elderly hero and nodded. He said, "Yeah, I am. I'm not sure why…"

"I'm guessing specific people are unaffected by the infectious Quirk, or that armor of yours is that well-protected," Gran Torino said. "Regardless of what it is, you're still you. Listen, kid, you need to find the villain responsible for this. Defeating them should undo this mess they started."

Gran Torino pulled himself up and sat down on the ceiling light. He said, "I know we told you not to break the rules and act on your own, but I'm too exhausted, and you're the only one seemingly immune to this virus. Do you think you could do that?"

"Of course, as Ghost, I have the powers of a, well, a ghost. So I can slip by and find whoever is behind this," the Kamen Rider explained.

"Be careful out there," Gran Torino said. Ghost nodded as he went invisible. Even though he was ordered to find this villain, there was one thing he needed to check.

In their hospital room, Izuku and Iida lay low as the infected people were swarming the hospital. Their condition didn't allow them to do much, they couldn't even block the door. The two of them hid behind the farthest bed from the door.

"It's only going to be a matter of time before they figure out we're in here…" Iida muttered.

"There's nothing much we could do. With your arms broken, along with my bed leg. We're sitting ducks," Izuku pointed out. The infected suddenly began to smash into the door in an attempt to bust it open.

"Oh no! They already found our position!" Iida shouted. He turned to Izuku. "Midoriya! If this is the end, then I just want to let you know it's been an honor to fight alongside you and Kimura as heroes!"

"He already accepted this as the end!" Izuku thought panically. Three infected individuals burst through the door. Izuku closed his eyes while Iida stared them down. The two of them waited for the inevitable, but suddenly an invisible force pushed the most front infected with enough force to crash into the others. Ghost suddenly materialized and turned around. The two realized it was Kazuhiro once they saw the Decadriver.

"Kimura!" Iida shouted.

"Do you know what's going on?" Izuku asked.

"No idea, but let's get you two out of here," Kazuhiro said as he materialized a Rider Card.

[FormRide: Newton Damashii]

A hooded ghost flew out of the Decadriver. The hood was different. It was a puffy, blue jacket with silver shoulder pads. The ghost wore two orb-shaped gloves attached to pipes that connect them to the jacket.

[Eyes Open! Newton!]

The hood on Ghost disappeared as the Newton Damashii flew into its place. The orange visor was replaced with a visor. There was a decal of an apple and a down arrow that makes the visor resemble eyes. His hood was

[The apple has fallen! Was it pulled down?]

The infected individuals soon stood up and charged at the group. Ghost raised his right arm and aimed it at the oncoming infected. The orb unleashed a repulsive wave that launched the infected at the wall. The Kamen Rider then aimed the glove at the window and fired another repulsive wave that shattered the window.

"Come on!" Ghost shouted as he flew out of the window.

More infected individuals entered the room and tried to grab onto the hospitalized students. Ghost aimed his left glove at Izuku and Iida before pulling them in with gravitational force. The Kamen Rider managed to pull them out before they were grabbed by the infected. He flew his classmates to the roof of the hospital.

"Thanks for the save, Kimura," Iida said.

"Hey, Izuku, you know your hero history, right? Has there been someone with a Quirk like this?" Ghost asked.

"There have been cases of virus Quirks. This isn't the first time a villain has had a zombie-like Quirk attack the population. The diseases these Quirks cause aren't usually permanent. I say usually because who knows if this is reversible or not," Izuku said.

"So,o how did the heroes defeat the zombie Quirk?"

"They usually defeat the Quirk user, and if that's not enough, they have to quarantine an area until the disease leaves the body," Izuku said.

"Dammit, so we don't know what we're dealing with here," Ghost said.

"Ohohoho, I wouldn't say that, Decade," a voice spoke.

Ghost widened his eyes beneath the mask when someone called him Decade. He turned around as Izuku and Iida looked up. It was the top-hat-wearing Bugster, who was standing on a higher roof.. The way they said it, they were familiar with him. The public shouldn't be aware of his codename or know what he looks like as Ghost.

"No, it can't be," Ghost thought as he watched the Bugster jump down.

"Allow me to introduce myself, I am the Bugster known as Salty. I'm an agent of Hundred," the villain introduced himself.

"Hundred?" Izuku parroted

"So, you're the one who's behind this virus?" Iida questioned as he stepped forward. Ghost placed his hand on his classmate's shoulder and walked forward, reminding him that he was injured.

"Ohoho, that's right. You see, I'm not your typical villain with a Quirk. I'm a virus given form!" Salty explained. "You see, we Bugsters are an advanced virus, born from computers."

"So he's a living computer virus," Izuku figured.

"Do you believe his claim?" Iida asked.

"It's a possibility we can't rule out," Izuku said. Izuku glanced at Ghost. Salty's familiarity with Kazuhiro was something Izuku noted.

Salty chuckled as he walked around the group. The Bugster said, "As a virus, we spread by infecting specific individuals and let the infection spread until it consumes their being. Normally, we transform into the form you see here." Salty spun around. "However, thanks to Hundred, we're able to skip to this form, and we're able to infect anyone to turn them into our mindless minions. It's unfortunate that they don't think much, as they don't use the superpowers they're born with. Although the more infected, the stronger I get to become."

"So that's why you infected all those people. They would've been taken to the hospital, and when enough infected people are there, you'd unleash them to spread the infection like a barrel filled with gunpowder," Ghost said.

"Guilty as charged," Salty said as he tipped his top hat. Izuku and Iida glared at the Bugster. To attack the hospital is a very low blow for any villain. "Now that the infection has spread far enough, I think it's time for the next phase of my plan. Oh, it's just so convenient that you were. I didn't have to track or lure you in, Decade. Now I can claim your powers all to myself without sharing with the others."

Salty snapped his fingers.

Kamui Woods and Shiozaki were a few blocks away as they were holding back the waves of infected. Their Quirks allowed them to restrain large groups of infected. However, the infection didn't seem to stop. When they restrain five at a time, a dozen show up. Shiozaki started to slow down as she was overworking her Quirk. She trapped a large group of them in a sizable cocoon. Her long, vine hair has been reduced to a short bob. A chicken-headed infected ran from Shiozaki's side. Her hair couldn't extend, and she was exposed because of it. She raised her arms in an attempt to shield herself. It was pointless, but what was she supposed to do in shock?

Suddenly, the infected individual tripped as the virus-laden head turned into particles and flew in a specific direction. This happened to all infected individuals whom they apprehended.

"What happened?" the tripped person asked. Shiozaki bowed down and extended her hand to help them up.

"Looks like whoever was responsible has finally been taken down," Shiozaki said.

"Or maybe they're retreating," Kamui said.

"Then, should we try to assist the hero?" Shiozaki asked.

"You already pushed yourself to the limit, Shiozaki. Besides, we don't know the origin of this… outbreak," Kamui said. "Help me with the civilians, and we'll try to get a testimony on what happened to get a clear idea of what's going on."

Back at the hospital, the particles from the infected people began to fly towards Salty. They latch onto him, growing him into a large monster. Ghost and his injured classmates stepped back as Salty began to transform. He was a large, golem-like creature made out of clusters of the virus. The living computer virus turned into a Bugster Union.

The large Bugster began to charge at the UA students. Ghost quickly raised his hands and locked the creature in place. Since one glove repulsed and the other pulled in, it locked it in place. Ghost threw the monster off the roof and into the hospital plaza below. It was reckless, especially since there were civilians down below.

"Izuku! Iida! I'll go deal with this guy! Just try to stay safe!" Ghost said as he ran to the edge of the roof and jumped off. The Kamen Rider managed to fly safely to the ground and materialized a Rider Card, and used its power.

[FormRide: Ryoma Damashii]

Ghost's hood disappeared, and his black armor turned red with black accents. The eye symbol on his chest turned white. The Ryoma Damashii flew out of the Decadriver. It was a blue and white coat with a style reminiscent of samurai garb. The top was blue with a Ghost's eye symbol stylized as a family crest. The lower half of the coat was white. The shoulder pads were shaped like the helm of a battleship. They had sails as decoration for the piece of armor. The hood was blue with a white line along the outer parts of it. Two golden dragon horns stick out of the side.

[Eyes open! Ryoma!]

The Ryoma Damashii merged with Ghost. A black visor slammed over his silver faceplate. There was a decal of an eastern-style dragon, with the horns and whiskers forming an eye shape for the visor. Just like with the Newton Damashii, Ghost didn't pull down his hood.

[Awaken, Japan! A New Day at Hand!]

Ghost materialized the Sunglasseslasher, one of the weapons used by his predecessor. It was a sword/gun hybrid, and the handle resembled sunglasses. As the Bugster Union began to recover, Ghost charged in. Most of the civilians present began to run away and flee from the fight, but a few began to pull out their phones and record the fight.

The Bugster Union began to raise its arm and slammed it down. Ghost rolled out of the way and slashed at the hand twice. The attack caused the monster to wince and step back before swiping its arm at the Kamen Rider. Ghost leapt backwards over the attack, using his supernatural powers to stay in the air. He flew around the Bugster Union, flying and attacking whenever he saw an opening. Even though Salty was now a large, powerful beast, he didn't have the speed to react to Ghost's attack.

Ghost flew right at the Bugster Union's face and thrusted his sword into the large viral monster. The Bugster Union tried to swat away Ghost, but the Kamen Rider flew out of the way. The monster smacked itself in the face. Ghost saw another opening and swooped in, slicing through the Union's other arm since it was only attached to the shoulder by two DNA-shaped bones.

"Let's finish this!" Ghost shouted as he summoned a Final AttackRide card into his hand and inserted it into the belt.

[Final AttackRide: Gh-Gh-Gh-Ghost!]

The blade of the Sunglasseslasher golded into the handle, transforming the weapon into a gun. Red aura began to irradiate from Ghost as he aimed the weapon at the Bugster Union. An image of Ghost's symbol appeared in front of the barrel of the gun as energy began to accumulate.

[Mega Omega Flash!]

The Kamen Rider shot a powerful, flaming blast at the Bugster Union. The creature blew up, the particles of the virus flickering out of existence. Ghost sighed in frustration as he transformed back into Decade. Suddenly, the small remaining particles flew onto the ground and formed Salty.

"What?!" Decade shouted.

"The only way to defeat a virus is to cure it, and none of the forms you used are it," Salty taunted. "No matter how many times you blow me up, I'll always come back."

Decade summoned his sword and charged at Salty, but he flew into a phone booth. The police soon arrived, along with their chief, Tsuragamae. The Kamen Rider unbuckled his belt, transforming himself back into his hero costume. He knew that he would face some heavy consequences for acting without a license or supervision from a hero who does have one.

Author's Note

I think this is the longest chapter I've written so far, sitting at 7.2k words before this note. Big things happen in this chapter. This is the first appearance of any proper Kamen Rider villains, if you don't count the Magia Replicas from chapter 9. I don't because they're not exactly villains, just blank dummies for target practice.

This is the start of the "Bugster" trilogy. An arc that will focus on the titular villains invading the World of MHA. Does that mean Hundred is invading the world? Nope, we're still far from it, but it shows the disorganization of Hundred. If you gathered several villain organizations that want to do nothing but pursue their personal goals, it's not going to build a cooperative environment. They work together to conquer worlds, but they're tribalistic in a sense. The Bugsters found Decade first and will want to steal his powers for themselves.

Before I go, I would like to tell people that my stories are my stories. I'm not going to take any suggestions from anyone. I know that's a majority of my followers, but I'm my own boss. Nothing against all of you guys, but I'd rather just have criticisms or comments on what's already written.