Love Live and Kamen Rider 32

The red cube had black flame patterns on each of its corners, and all six of its faces featured a black bird emblem.

"What is this thing?"

Senba Gari looked at the cube in the hands of Silver Phantom and asked, puzzled.

〖Master, this is the reconnaissance-type robot Beast God Cube—With birds (Flame Sparrow).〗

"Just this? A cube?"

〖It is no ordinary cube; it is a Beast God Cube. If you don't believe me, just watch.〗

Silver Phantom twisted the top of the Beast God Cube, and as if it had received a command, the cube suddenly transformed into a small, red bird.

〖Chirp~〗

"Whoa, that's some black technology."

"By the way, how do I operate this thing?"

〖Master, you just need to speak to it.〗

Senba Gari looked at the robotic bird, With birds (Flame Sparrow), which was circling him, and couldn't help but marvel. After asking Silver Phantom how to use it, he let With birds (Flame Sparrow) land on his finger and issued an order.

"Fly over to that apartment building now and keep watch. If there's anything suspicious, report it immediately. Got it?"

〖Chirp~〗

With birds (Flame Sparrow) nodded and flew off toward the secluded apartment building.

〖So, Master, what are we going to do?〗

"We're going to the base of that apartment building, and then, we wait for the right moment."

In the distance, near a secluded apartment building, Senba Gari was "dating" his motorcycle robot, Silver Phantom, in the bushes—no, wait, he was lurking. He was lurking in the bushes (seriously, are you Garen from the bushes?).

〖Master, what exactly are we doing here? ←_←〗

Silver Phantom watched as its Master hid in the bushes, playing on his phone—or rather, watching the live feed provided by With birds (Flame Sparrow)—and...

"Ah, we're obviously keeping watch, what else? Nom, slurp."

He was eating bread and drinking a beverage. Silver Phantom looked at its Master in silence. Honestly, they were both Kamen Riders, so why was its Master so... lazy? He had been so serious just a moment ago, so how did it come to this?

〖Master, how can you be sure that person is the killer?〗

"Isn't that obvious? Hardly anyone lives in that apartment building."

〖But what if you're wrong? What then?〗

"That won't happen. It's my intuition."

〖Sigh~〗

"Don't worry, we just need to, nom, wait, slurp, until nightfall."

At night, Senba Gari and Silver Phantom continued to lurk in the bushes.

〖Master, I've received a signal from With birds (Flame Sparrow). It seems to have found the target, and the target has started moving.〗

"Is that so? Well, we might have to act a little late. Tell With birds (Flame Sparrow) to follow closely. After all, they gave us such a big gift; it would be rude not to respond."

"Rustle~" ×2

"Meow~" ×2

No sooner had Senba Gari finished speaking than two black figures appeared around them. By the moonlight, Senba Gari saw the appearance of these black creatures.

The opponents were humanoid cat-faced beings, standing no taller than 1.65 meters, with slender builds, black fur, a pair of scarlet cat eyes, sharp little claws, and long whiskers, occasionally letting out low growls.

〖Master, it seems we've been discovered. The enemy has sent two Servant Cat Mlortha to stall us. What should we do?〗

"What else can we do? Keep them as pets? There are only two of them, what's there to fear? We'll take one each, obviously."

Senba Gari stood back-to-back with Silver Phantom, who had transformed its left hand into a cannon and held a laser sword in its right. He looked seriously at the group of Servant Cat Mlortha before him and pulled out his Divine transformation card.

"Manifest."

The Transformation Belt of Kamen Rider Divine appeared around Senba Gari's waist.

"Henshin."

Senba Gari inserted the transformation card into the right side of the Transformation Device, and a synthesized mechanical voice rang out.

〖Vehicle armour appear〗

Ghostly images of fiery red armor appeared around various parts of Senba Gari's body, and then, another mechanical voice sounded.

〖Armed〗

Once the second mechanical voice finished, the fiery red armor images fully equipped Senba Gari.

〖Divine Garuda〗

After the third mechanical voice faded, Kamen Rider Divine stood revealed.

Divine then drew the Flame Feather Blade weapon card from his Card Box and swiped it across the top of the Transformation Device, triggering two more mechanical voices.

〖Weapon appeared〗

〖Flame Feather Blade〗

The card transformed into flames, then morphed into the weapon Flame Feather Blade.

Then, gripping the Flame Feather Blade tightly in his left hand, Senba Gari stood with his legs slightly apart, one forward and one back, leaning his body forward as his voice came from beneath the Divine mask.

"Alright, let's make this quick, or heaven knows what might happen."

〖Understood, master.〗

Then, the man and the robot simultaneously charged toward the Servant Cat Mlortha in front of them.

"Meow~" ×2

Seeing Divine and Silver Phantom charging toward them, the Servant Cat Mlortha let out low growls and lunged at them in return.

"Swish~"

Just as Divine was about to strike the Servant Cat Mlortha, the creature's figure suddenly vanished—no, it hadn't vanished, rather.

"Clang."

The Servant Cat Mlortha's claws raked across Divine's back, sending sparks flying.

"Ugh!"

The force of the surprise attack from behind made Divine cry out in pain.

"Damn it, I didn't expect those guys to be this fast. Hiss, they don't hold back."

〖Master, are you alright?〗

Silver Phantom, who had been engaged with the enemy, saw that Divine had been wounded on his back.

"I'm fine, Phantom. Don't worry about me. Let's finish this quickly; find a way to group them together."

〖Understood, master.〗

"Hoo~ It looks like I'll have to pull out my trump card."

Divine then channeled a portion of his spiritual energy into the Flame Feather Blade, held it vertically in front of him, closed his eyes beneath the mask, and slowly cleared his mind of all distractions.

Gradually, the surrounding noise seemed to fade away, leaving only the sound of the wind, the friction of leaves, and...

"Swish~"

The sound grew closer and closer until, the moment it was about to reach him, Divine swung the Flame Feather Blade down at the approaching Servant Cat Mlortha.

"Slash!"

"Meow~!!!"

After being heavily wounded by Divine, the Servant Cat Mlortha collided with its companion, which had just been thrown over by Silver Phantom. Divine inserted the Finisher Card into the guard of the Flame Feather Blade, and before the mechanical synthesized voice could sound, he shouted to Silver Phantom.

"Phantom! Get away from here!"

〖Kill weapon〗

〖Energy storage〗

〖Exploding Phoenix Flame Feather〗

The semi-closed wing guard on the Flame Feather Blade in Divine's hand instantly spread open, and the blade erupted with several streams of fire, which then wove together into a blade made of feathers and slashed down at the Servant Cat Mlortha.

"Boom!!!"

As the explosion flared, Divine mounted Silver Phantom, who had transformed into motorcycle form, and sped toward the destination icon provided by With birds.

However, at this moment, a pitch-black beastly shadow had already set its sights on a young girl with blue hair.

Sonoda Umi was in a pretty good mood today; school at Otonokizaka would be starting in a few days, and she would be able to go to school with Honoka and Kotori again.

Having just left Honoka's house, Sonoda Umi was walking home alone when she suddenly felt as if something was watching her. Years of kendo training allowed her to sense that the visitor was ill-intentioned.

"Rustle~"

"Who's there!"

Suddenly, Sonoda Umi felt movement in the nearby bushes. She turned her head and saw a pair of green eyes staring fixedly at her; those green eyes looked exceptionally eerie and terrifying in the dark night.

Years of experience told her that if the owner of those eyes lunged at her...

I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die... This thought kept circling in Sonoda Umi's mind. She didn't even realize she had collapsed to the ground. Then, her vision blurred, and the monster that had been in front of her suddenly vanished. She looked up and saw a black, humanoid monster cat lunging at her.

Goodbye, everyone, she thought to herself, closing her eyes as tears slowly traced paths down her cheeks. Suddenly, the roar of an engine in the distance caught her attention. She opened her eyes and turned her head to see a person wearing strange, fiery-red armor riding a silver-white motorcycle charging toward them.

--Perspective Shift

Divine, who was rushing toward the coordinates indicated by With birds while riding Silver Phantom, suddenly saw the scene before him.

〖Master, it seems that is the culprit we are looking for.〗

"I know that without you telling me, Phantom. Push the speed to the maximum."

〖Understood, master.〗

Silver Phantom simultaneously accelerated to its top speed.

"Bang, screech."

"Meow~!!!"

Just as the Black Cat Mlortha was about to touch Sonoda Umi, Divine leaped into the air on the Silver Phantom, colliding with the Black Cat Mlortha, who was also mid-air.

The front wheel of the Silver Phantom struck sparks against the chest of the Black Cat Mlortha, sending it flying backward.

"Screech~"

Landing and performing a tail-flick drift, the bike stopped perfectly in front of Sonoda Umi. After Divine dismounted, the Silver Phantom transformed into its robot form to stand guard beside her.

Divine pointed the Flame Feather Blade in his hand toward the Black Cat Mlortha and spoke.

"Now, let the hunt begin~"

--Perspective Shift

Just when Umi had thought she was done for, a person clad in fiery red armor riding a silver-white motorcycle had rammed the monster away and shielded her.

Then, that motorcycle had actually transformed into a robot.

"Now, let the hunt begin~"

Is this his voice? I feel like I've heard it somewhere before.

[Who are you? Why do you interfere with my business!]

Suddenly, the monster spoke, questioning the armored figure.

"Me? I am the Kamen Rider who specializes in hunting you lot, Divine."

Divine? So that's his name. Kamen Rider? I think I've heard my father mention that before.

Umi just stared blankly at Divine's silhouette, her eyes filled with admiration, and it was precisely that admiration that brought her... (I won't tell you, I just won't tell you).

--Perspective Shift