Love Live and Kamen Rider 20

As if gazing upon a work of art, Doctor Shinigami stared with obsession at the machine before him capable of traversing time.

--Clap, clap, clap.

Simultaneously, the sound of palms striking together rang out from behind Doctor Shinigami, followed by a somewhat gloomy and hoarse voice entering his ears.

"Impressive, you truly have me impressed. I never expected the technical level of Shocker to have reached the point of interfering with time. I am truly filled with admiration." Wearing a white suit and sunglasses, the man—a member of Foundation X and the Knight Hunter who had defeated Divine and the others—looked at the time machine, which Doctor Shinigami had built using their Foundation X data on 'time', and spoke with admiration.

"Hehe, not at all, not at all. There is nothing I cannot create." Enjoying the praise, Doctor Shinigami responded haughtily, "Now, all that is missing is a real test."

The man walked to the front of the time machine and reached out to stroke it gently.

"A truly admirable machine. With this, I can easily wipe out those Kamen Rider before they have fully grown!"

"It is a great pity, but due to the limitations of the materials, this machine can only be used twice, and it is a one-way ticket—there is no return," Doctor Shinigami sighed. After all, he was a man who pursued perfection; in his eyes, this machine was both a perfect existence and an imperfect work.

"Is that so?" The man's hand rubbed against the surface of the time machine, his eyes half-closed for a moment before slowly opening again. "In that case, set the time to the Showa Era. If I remember correctly, that is the era when those two Kamen Rider were born."

"You mean... Kamen Rider Number One and Number Two?" Doctor Shinigami seemed to have guessed a hint of what the man meant.

"That's right, Kamen Rider Number One and Number Two, the two cyborgs created by your Shocker organization, and also the 'origin' from which all future Kamen Rider were 'born'! As long as I use this machine to return to the era where Kamen Rider Number One and Number Two existed, and then erase those two 'origins', the Kamen Rider who exist in this era will completely vanish from history! Hahahahahaha!" The man's body trembled as he covered his somewhat crazed and ferocious laughing face with one hand, and a certain seed within his body began to stir.

"The 'guy' inside me is already getting impatient. Come! Send me to that era!"

"Very well, let us begin." Doctor Shinigami nodded and signaled to a Shocker researcher beside him.

Understanding the doctor's intent, the Shocker researcher hurried to a switch resembling a valve and pulled it downward with all his might.

Following this, a distorted wormhole suddenly opened behind the man. A powerful suction force pulled him in before he could even react. Finally, the wormhole closed, leaving behind only a chaotic laboratory and a Doctor Shinigami and Shocker researcher staring blankly.

The Fading Silver, Gold, and Purple

"Senba... Senba... wake up... please, wake up..."

In a hazy state, a familiar voice swirled around the ears of Senba Gari, and his body seemed to be gently shaken by someone.

"Ugh..."

His tightly closed eyes furrowed, and immediately after, Senba Gari slowly awakened from the darkness. What met his eyes was a familiar shade of flaxen hair, though the exquisite face of the girl who owned it—which should have been clean and fair—was now covered in dirt. Moreover, her slightly red-rimmed eyes seemed to tell the story of why this girl before him had been crying.

"...Ko...tori?" Senba Gari looked at her, his face somewhat pale.

"Thank goodness! Senba, you finally woke up!!!"

Senba Gari, his mind still muddled, had not yet reacted before he was lunged at and held tightly in a desperate embrace by Minami Kotori.

"Kotori? What has happened to you?" Senba Gari looked at Minami Kotori, somewhat confused. "And, where is this place? Where is Phantom? Where is it?"

"This..." For some reason, upon hearing the latter half of Senba Gari's sentence, Minami Kotori's body trembled noticeably, and her amber-like eyes drifted uncertainly for a moment.

Not noticing the strangeness of Minami Kotori at this moment, Senba Gari tried to stand, but his legs suddenly went weak. Had Minami Kotori not regained her composure in time to support him, he might have fallen straight to the ground.

"Senba, are you okay?!" Minami Kotori said in a voice that was nearly choking with sobs.

"I... how am I..." Senba Gari looked at his unsteady legs in disbelief, and at the same time, he finally noticed his surroundings.

The broken concrete walls revealed exposed steel bars, and the place where he had just been lying was indeed formed by a pile of uneven rubble with a relatively intact stone placed on top to form a 'bed'. The ground beneath his feet was scattered with many plastic bags, stones, and so on—all sorts of trash.

And Minami Kotori before him had changed from the school uniform he remembered; she was now wearing quite ragged clothes, with one or two large and small holes in the pant legs. Her once fair and clean face was now dirty, and her neat, soft flaxen hair had become somewhat dry and messy. She looked even more frail and sickly than in his memories.

'Strange, where is this? Why has my body become so weak? And Kotori, she seems a bit strange, too? I... damn it! My head is such a mess. Why do I feel like there is something very important I haven't remembered yet? What is it? What exactly is it?!'

Senba Gari's pupils trembled as he looked around. At this moment, his brain felt like a bowl of mush, and his memories were as chaotic as a television from the old era that had lost its signal, filled with static.

"Kotori..."

"Yes?"

Senba Gari suddenly spoke her name, then grabbed Minami Kotori by the shoulders. His wide-eyed expression looked somewhat terrifying in Minami Kotori's eyes.

"Tell me, where... exactly is this?! Why am I here?! Where is Phantom? And where are that idiot Geki and Kashu? Where are they?! And what is with this appearance of yours?! Why... why is my head such a mess... what... what happened..."

As Senba Gari spoke, Minami Kotori looked at the near-breakdown state of the man before her. Seeming unable to bear it, she reached out and cupped Senba Gari's face, saying.

"...Senba... have you forgotten? Or was the blow from what happened the day before yesterday just too much for you? Please, don't scare me like this, really..."

"What... do you mean?" Senba Gari said, somewhat dazed.

---Divider

"This... what on earth... happened here?!"

Supported by Minami Kotori, Senba Gari walked out of the place where he had been resting, but everything before him felt exceptionally foreign.

Collapsed houses and high-rises, cracked roads, vehicles abandoned on the side of the road, streetlights knocked over by cars, and a gloomy sky without a single ray of light—this scene, which could be compared to the apocalypse, was imprinted into Senba Gari's eyes without reservation.

"This is the area around the gate of our old school, Otonokizaka. Senba... have you really forgotten?" Minami Kotori said, her tone choked with sobs.

"Otono...kizaka?" Senba Gari looked at the apocalyptic scene before him, unable to believe it, shaking his head repeatedly. Then, he turned his head sharply, and a very dilapidated sign was reflected in his eyes. This was a sign he would never forget, for it was the emblem of Otonokizaka!

Then, Minami Kotori led the mentally dazed Senba Gari to a certain corner. In that corner, many people Senba Gari recognized and did not recognize were resting. There were children, the elderly, young people, and even pregnant women, and their commonality was that their clothing was as ragged as Minami Kotori's.

Watching this scene, Senba Gari's heart suddenly became somewhat chaotic.

"Who are they..."

"Senba, come with me to one place first, and you will know."

Then, Minami Kotori supported Senba Gari to a much larger pile of rubble, and then, several familiar voices suddenly popped out from in front of the stone pile...

Umi: "Ah, it's Kotori, ah! A... A-Gari?!"

Nico: "Are you serious? Don't tell me it's your hallu... eh?!"

Rin: "It really is A-Gari!"

Honoka Kosaka stared with wide eyes at Senba Gari, who was being supported by Minami Kotori the entire time. Unable to suppress the impulse in her heart, Honoka Kosaka lunged into Senba Gari's embrace; if not for Minami Kotori supporting him, he might have already collapsed to the ground.

"Wuu wuu wuu... thank goodness... wuu wuu wuu... A-Gari, it's so good that you're okay, wuu wuu wuu..." Amidst Senba Gari's dazed gaze, Honoka Kosaka suddenly burst into tears.

"Eh? Ho... Honoka, what is this?" Senba Gari looked at the suddenly weeping Honoka Kosaka with utter confusion.

"Found it, I found it!"

Just then, Fumika's voice suddenly came from behind Honoka Kosaka. She was seen holding a piece of "scrap metal" that looked rather dilapidated as she arrived in front of Honoka Kosaka and the others, speaking with excitement.

But when she handed over the object in her hand, the look of confusion on Senba Gari's face instantly froze. There was no other reason.

Because that "scrap metal" was—Silver Phantom, or more accurately, the head of Silver Phantom. It looked incredibly tragic; the outer armor of the head had completely shattered, revealing the incomplete electronic components inside. Most importantly, all that remained of Silver Phantom now was a mangled, incomplete head.

Doubtful that the object before his eyes was truly Silver Phantom, Senba Gari snatched the suspected head of Silver Phantom from Fumika's hands.

But after he saw the object in his hands clearly, a heavy stone pressed down hard on his heart. He was certain now: this was Silver Phantom. And a memory, indistinguishable from reality, instantly flooded his mind.

--Bang bang bang!

--BOOM!!!

A city burning in flames, Takai Geki and Kashu hanging on the verge of death on two giant crosses, a Knight Hunter in blood-red armor, and himself fighting alongside Silver Phantom, Golden Firmament, and Ziying against the opponent.

But the opponent was simply too powerful. After only a few exchanges, he was defeated, and his Divine armor was blown apart by the opponent.

〖Master!!!!〗

Silver Phantom ran to Senba Gari's side to help him up, but at this moment, Senba Gari was too weak to continue fighting. Regarding this, Silver Phantom made a shocking move.

〖Master, please don't move around. Phantom is about to pull off a big move (｀?ω?′)ゞ〗

"...What does that mean? Don't do anything stupid, hey! Phantom! Phantom! Come back!" Unable to stand, Senba Gari shouted at the retreating Silver Phantom, but Silver Phantom seemed to have made up its mind and did not look back.

[Hm? What are you doing?!]

Knight Hunter looked in astonishment at the three robots gripping him tightly, a vague sense of unease rising in his heart. He struggled continuously, but it was as if he were stuck in a quagmire; the more he struggled, the tighter Silver Phantom and the others held on.

〖Self-destruction sequence initiated, estimated detonation in three seconds.〗

[What?!] Hearing the message from Silver Phantom and the others, which sounded like the arrival of the Grim Reaper, Knight Hunter twisted his body in a panic, attempting to break free, but it was a futile effort.

〖Brother Senba, I leave our master in your care.〗

〖Beep beep beep-- plea... sure...〗

[You bastards!!!! You bastards! Let go! Let go!]

〖Master! After I, Phantom, am no longer here to be your mount, please take care of yourself and keep moving forward! (′?︶?`)〗

"Phantom!!"

--Boom boom boom

A powerful surge of energy erupted instantly from Silver Phantom and the others. A massive, deep-blue mushroom cloud surged into the clouds, and the violent shockwave destroyed everything in the surrounding buildings. Senba Gari, blown away by the blast, felt his consciousness sink into an endless darkness.

--Drip

"No... it can't be... Phantom... hey, Phantom! You're just playing dead, right? You definitely want me to buy you a new game again, don't you? Alright, wake up already. I've figured you out, I pro... promise... I'll... I'll do it."

Tears would not stop, flowing continuously from his eyes and dripping onto the silver metal in his hands, gradually sliding to the ground.

Senba Gari had never imagined that Silver Phantom would leave him, because it was a robot with a theoretically infinite lifespan, while he was only a human. Yet, in the end, it was this robot that left first.

His current mood was the same as when his parents had left him one by one—painful, heart-wrenching. Although Silver Phantom would always annoy him from time to time, he had never truly been angry, because he had long since regarded this emotionless robot as his own family. Until now, the daily life in his memories felt like a dream.

〖May I ask, are you my master?〗

〖Master, give me a game (??? ? ???)〗

〖Master, do you think... human life is like these fireworks, fleeting and gone in an instant?〗

〖Master...〗

He would never hear that cold, mechanical voice again.

The Collapsing World Order

--Bang

In a corner of the city, Divine KingKong punched through a pile of rubble blocking his path.

Even now, his thoughts were exceptionally chaotic. He had been perfectly fine at home just a moment ago, yet now he appeared in this apocalyptic city. Everything that once was had long since turned to ruins; Silver Phantom, Golden Firmament, and Ziying no longer existed in this world.

He learned from Honoka Kosaka and the others that this world had been occupied and destroyed by Knight Hunter, and this was the last territory not yet completely obliterated because the three of them were still here. As for now, Takai Geki and Kashu had been captured and were bound to the roof of the original UTS Building.

He also learned one more thing from Honoka Kosaka and the others—Kamen Rider no longer existed. Every Kamen Rider from the Showa era to the Heisei era had vanished, as if they had never existed at all. The only ones left were the three of them, but...

"What exactly... is going on?" Beneath his mask, Divine frowned, looking at his own hands as they flickered in and out of existence. Ever since he woke up, this condition had been happening to him.

[That is because you were born because of Kamen Rider. Now that the history of Kamen Rider has been erased by me, you, who were born because of Kamen Rider, are also about to vanish from the history of this world.]

"Who?!"

A voice suddenly rang out from behind him. Extremely vigilant, he immediately threw a punch backward, but it struck nothing but air.

[What a rude gesture, Divine.]

As the voice faded, a pool of blood-red, nauseating flesh suddenly surged up from the ground. Seeing this, Divine quickly retreated several steps.

At the same time, the disgusting mass of flesh writhed, gradually growing larger as its shape shifted constantly, eventually forming a humanoid figure. As certain features began to clarify, Divine finally saw the true face of his opponent.

"It's you!"

[Oh? You still remember me? It seems your condition is much better than that of your two companions.] Shouldering the Serrated Sword in his hand, Knight Hunter said with a meaningful tone.

"What do you mean?" Divine asked in confusion, his body tensing into a stance ready to counterattack at any moment.

[It's simple. Because Kamen Rider no longer exists, and you people born from Kamen Rider, along with this world, will gradually self-destruct!] Knight Hunter spread his arms, speaking with a tone of intoxication. [To rebuild a new world order, one must break the existing one. You maintainers of order are my greatest obstacles. Instead of defeating you one by one, it is better to directly destroy the source of your birth—the origin of all Kamen Riders, the first Kamen Rider—Kamen Rider Number One!]

"Ugh... ah..."

The moment Knight Hunter finished speaking, an intense sense of powerlessness and a tearing sensation surged through Divine's body. He collapsed weakly onto one knee, trembling as he reached out his hands.

To his shock, his hands were beginning to turn transparent. If not for the concrete debris still clinging to them, he would have thought his hands had already vanished.

--Rumble

As if the phenomenon of his hands turning transparent were a signal, everything around Divine began to collapse—a collapse in the truest sense of the word.

The surrounding buildings gradually crumbled. In the sky, the clouds suddenly dispersed and re-gathered into a ring, as if the heavens had been pierced with a massive hole. The earth began to split, much like the tectonic plates of the ancient Earth dividing into many pieces. With him and Knight Hunter at the center, bottomless ravines covered the entire landscape; some areas collapsed, others rose, and some even defied gravity, floating into the air.

[As expected, the three of you are the "center" of this world. As long as you three disappear from this world, the order of this world will fall into chaos.]

Ignoring the floating rocks around them, Knight Hunter walked slowly to Divine, raised his foot, and kicked Divine's shoulder lightly, then pressed his foot against Divine's chest, which was flickering between transparent and solid.

[Look, just look. What am I stepping on? A hero of the people? A Kamen Rider? Oh, my goodness, I'm so clumsy. What's wrong? My hero, did you catch a cold? Why do you feel so weak? Come on, defeat me, the big villain who is destroying the world! Come on! Come on! Defeat me! Get up! Get up, damn you!]

As if he were stepping on an insect, Knight Hunter continued to humiliate Divine while repeatedly stomping heavily on his chest. Every strike sent sparks flying, and fine cracks began to cover his entire chest armor.

"Ugh..."

The intense sense of powerlessness and the tearing sensation left Divine unable to resist Knight Hunter's abuse.