Number One

"Is this the territory of that hundred-year locust?"

Xu Wenlong and Zhen Jianwu looked at the patch of dense grass before them.

"It should be. We circled the area, and there were locusts everywhere around it. Those low-level locusts didn't dare approach this place, so this should be where the hundred-year locust Spirit Beast is."

Zhen Jianwu said.

"Mm, then let's go in!"

The two of them strolled forward.

The area was vast and covered in tangled Blue Silver Grass, but it did not take long for them to traverse the entire patch.

"It's not here. That shouldn't be possible... Could it have gone out to hunt?"

Xu Wenlong rubbed his chin in confusion.

"It's possible if it went hunting. But if it's simply hiding, then what we need to think about now is how to lure it out."

"After all, Insect-Type Spirit Beasts rank below beast-type Spirit Beasts of the same level. It's probably hiding to avoid being hunted by other beast-type Spirit Beasts."

Zhen Jianwu analyzed.

"True enough. Then leave it to me!"

Xu Wenlong raised his left hand, and a green locust appeared in his palm.

"Come out!"

Xu Wenlong called softly. The locust in his palm lifted its head toward the sky as though it were calling out as well.

Suddenly, rustling sounds came from the grass.

"Looks like this is it."

Xu Wenlong narrowed his eyes and stared intently at the patch of grass where the sound had come from.

After the grass shook for a while, there was suddenly a whoosh.

The grass stopped moving, and the sound vanished.

"How could this be? Don't tell me..."

Xu Wenlong suddenly noticed the shadow on the ground.

He hurriedly grabbed Zhen Jianwu by the collar and pulled him out of the shadow's range.

Pong!

After a loud impact, a colossal locust appeared before them, three or four meters tall and more than ten meters long.

"Whoa."

Xu Wenlong could not help but marvel at the massive beast before him. Something this big definitely did not exist in his original world. Deep-fried, it would surely be delicious.

"But this seems rather bad."

Zhen Jianwu looked at the Giant Locust's scarlet eyes and felt that something was wrong.

The Giant Locust suddenly braced its limbs against the ground and raised its scarlet eyes to the sky, letting out a long howl.

After a brief silence, buzzing sounds soon rose from all around.

Before long, the buzzing was everywhere.

"This..."

Zhen Jianwu had never seen anything like this before. What was this?

Locusts filled the sky, all summoned by that enormous hundred-year locust.

The swarm formed a massive net in the air, surrounding Xu Wenlong and Zhen Jianwu.

As the locusts summoned by the Giant Locust slowly turned red-eyed, Zhen Jianwu had no idea what to do.

"This is the Locust Plague the older generation used to talk about. Sure enough, something like this shouldn't exist in this world."

Xu Wenlong stepped forward as he spoke.

"I remember you saying that your Martial Soul can temporarily control these low-level Spirit Beasts without intelligence, right?"

Xu Wenlong turned back and asked.

"Mm. Normal Spirit Beasts can't be controlled for long, but Spirit Beasts like locusts, with even lower intelligence and strength, are easier to control. Do you need me to try controlling that hundred-year locust? The odds aren't high, but it should be enough for the two of us to escape."

Zhen Jianwu answered.

"No need. You only need to protect yourself."

Xu Wenlong strolled forward. Before him stood the sky full of locusts and the enormous, red-eyed hundred-year locust waiting for them.

"Oh, right. This is for you. Remember, just protect yourself!"

Xu Wenlong suddenly reached his right hand behind himself, toward the area below his waist and above his thighs.

Xu Wenlong casually rummaged around and pulled out an orange object, then tossed it to Zhen Jianwu.

Zhen Jianwu caught the unknown object and lowered his head to examine it.

It resembled the upper tip of a broadsword, except the tip was instead a handle-like grip. In front of the grip was a ring for fingers to slip into, followed by a Disc that could be spun, while the very end was the barrel.

"Then, like this?"

The moment Zhen Jianwu touched the DJ Gun, an image appeared in his mind.

It was of a strange armored monster with two banner-like poles stuck in its back, facing a sky full of enemies much like the current scene and effortlessly wiping them out with this DJ Gun.

"So that's how it's used."

Zhen Jianwu gripped the handle with one hand, supported the front with the other, and began fighting.

"Ah!"

Zhen Jianwu pulled the trigger, and the shells fired from the barrel instantly blasted a gap through the encirclement in the sky. However, it was quickly plugged by other locusts.

So Zhen Jianwu shouted and kept pulling the trigger, shell after shell tearing open one gap after another in the net of locusts overhead.

Meanwhile, over on Xu Wenlong's side.

Xu Wenlong strolled toward the Giant Locust.

"Watch closely. This is the true power of a locust!"

As he spoke, a silver Belt appeared around Xu Wenlong's waist.

Suddenly, Xu Wenlong stopped. He spread his feet apart, turned his waist halfway, clenched his left hand into a fist at his side, and formed his right hand into a palm, extending his arm straight across his chest at a one-hundred-and-twenty-degree angle from his body.

"Wer~"

A Showa-style voice rang out.

Xu Wenlong slowly turned back, his waist returning from its half-turn to its normal position.

"Rider~"

As Xu Wenlong pointed his right hand toward the sky on his right, his arm suddenly tensed.

Xu Wenlong's left hand moved in the same pose his right hand had just taken, while his right hand clenched into a fist and returned to his waist.

The center of Xu Wenlong's Belt began to spin.

Xu Wenlong leaped into the air, did a backflip, and landed steadily.

Gaia gave that a zero out of ten.

But when he landed, it was no longer Xu Wenlong standing there, but a strange monster.

The upper half of the monster's face was green, while the lower half was silvery white and lined with jagged teeth. The most eye-catching features of its face were its red compound eyes and two antennae.

Its body was clad in a tracksuit patterned with white lines, while its upper body was covered in green, abdominal-muscle-like plates.

That was right—this was Kamen Rider 1, transformed from Xu Wenlong!

"As expected, I've gotten so much stronger!"

Xu Wenlong clenched his right fist, feeling the immense power within it.

"Die, locust monster!"

Xu Wenlong pointed at the Giant Locust and roared.

"???, what the hell are you talking about?"

The Giant Locust was utterly confused.

The Giant Locust attacked first. With a slight movement of its limbs, it easily leaped into the air and then smashed down viciously toward Xu Wenlong.

Xu Wenlong calmly dodged with ease.

But Xu Wenlong also took the chance to throw a light punch.

"Rider Punch!"

Xu Wenlong's glowing fist slammed viciously into the Giant Locust's abdomen, sending it flying far away.

"Die!

Rider Kick!"

Xu Wenlong sprang into the air, his entire body falling toward the Giant Locust like a meteor.

Pong!

Sparks flew everywhere as the entire area was engulfed by the sound of explosions and flames.

Xu Wenlong calmly turned his back to the fiery spectacle and walked forward without a hint of concern.