Na'er's Choice

"By the way, Senior Juggler, how do you know about Kamen Riders? Shouldn't you have little connection with that other world?"

Lan Kai answered instinctively, then suddenly realized what he'd said and hurriedly asked.

In Lan Kai's impression, unlike Kurenai Gai, who had played a villain under the same name in Kamen Rider Den-O, or Fujimiya Hiroya, who had joined the Rider War under a different name in Kamen Rider Ryuki, Juggler shouldn't have had much of a connection to the Kamen Riders.

Lan Kai vaguely remembered that Juggler seemed to have made a guest appearance in <The Kamen Rider Who Believes in Science Despite Gods Above and Ghosts Below, Despite Being a Hot-Blooded Middle-Aged Rider>, but hadn't he just been some random passerby?

And it shouldn't have been the episode where the middle-aged rider transformed in public...

Juggler didn't answer, but his expression seemed to darken a little.

Lan Kai's memory hadn't been wrong. Juggler had actually played a villain in the middle-aged rider's series, too, though he'd only lasted one episode before being arrested in public.

And his reason for causing trouble had been downright bizarre.

You helped me, so you must look down on me, so I'm going to kill you.

Na'er shuddered and edged closer to Lan Kai.

"Take care, Brother!"

A question mark popped over Lan Kai's head again. He couldn't quite understand what Na'er meant.

But when Juggler beat him to a pulp that night, he understood.

"Damn it, Juggler, you just confessed without even being accused!

"Looks like you must've had some serious issues with your guest appearance in the Kamen Rider series!"

Lan Kai gritted his teeth and struggled back to his feet. Seeing the wicked smile spread across Juggler's face, he felt a surge of indignation.

Three years passed in the blink of an eye, and Lan Kai was already nine years old.

Now he stood on a desolate stretch of wasteland, with no one around for miles, his expression grave as he took out his Martial Soul, the Orb Ring, ready to try once more.

Juggler held Na'er's hand and leaned against a jutting rock, his expression complicated. The terrain around them always reminded him of a certain show-off who could part the sea whenever he transformed.

And that guy had actually stood there with his arms crossed, just watching while Juggler fought!

Though Juggler himself had asked him to do it, even the show-off had never seen such a bizarre request.

Lan Kai took a deep breath and raised the Orb Ring. He crossed his arms in front of himself, then drove his free elbow backward while thrusting the hand holding the Orb Ring forward.

The next moment, a burst of light flashed, and Lan Kai found himself in a mysterious space.

The backdrop was a vast cosmic starfield, seemingly without end.

But Lan Kai didn't stop to admire the scenery. He promptly took out a card.

"Senior Ultraman!"

"'Ultraman'"

As Lan Kai inserted the card into the ring, the figure of Ultraman on it appeared beside him.

"Senior Tiga!"

"'Ultraman Tiga'"

Lan Kai inserted another card into the Orb Ring. It turned into light and coalesced into the shape of Ultraman Tiga on his other side.

"Lend me your power of light!"

Shouting, Lan Kai raised the Orb Ring.

"'Fusion Up'

'Ultraman Orb: Specium Zeperion Form'"

As the two Ultramen turned into light once more and merged with Lan Kai, an Ultraman Orb utterly unlike his original form appeared in the real world where Lan Kai had stood.

"I can finally transform successfully?"

Seeing Lan Kai finally take on the Specium Zeperion Form, Juggler smiled again.

He released Na'er's hand, drew the Snake Heart Sword, and walked up to Lan Kai.

The next moment, a flash of dark power swept over him, and Juggler transformed into a Sharp-Horned Alien.

"Let's see how much of this form's power you've mastered so far!"

With that, the Sharp-Horned Alien charged at Lan Kai.

Lan Kai immediately raised his guard, trying to draw on the power of Ultraman Tiga Power Type to gain a slight edge in close combat.

But after only a few exchanges, the Sharp-Horned Alien vanished.

"Brother, behind you!"

When the Sharp-Horned Alien reappeared, Na'er hurriedly shouted, but she was already too late.

The Sharp-Horned Alien slashed Lan Kai viciously from behind, sending him stumbling several steps forward.

The next moment, the Sharp-Horned Alien vanished again, and Lan Kai simply gave up trying to sense him.

At his current level, Lan Kai's ability to sense his surroundings naturally couldn't compare to those overpowered prodigies and his senior. But he had his own way of dealing with this.

If the Sharp-Horned Alien was going to appear in his blind spots, then he'd just attack those spots directly!

Soon, when the Sharp-Horned Alien appeared again, Lan Kai immediately turned around and fired a Specium Ray.

It wasn't very powerful, but it still knocked Juggler back several steps.

However, just as Lan Kai was about to pursue him, the light on his chest suddenly flashed red, and an alarm blared.

Lan Kai stumbled too, nearly losing his balance.

Juggler reverted from the Sharp-Horned Alien and struck Lan Kai on the shoulder with the back of his sword, forcing him out of his transformation.

"Not bad—you can even use a beam now. But you're still too weak to keep fighting for long.

"Of course, if the weather were better, you might be able to hold out a little longer. But your strength and your heart still need to grow."

Juggler steadied Lan Kai as he wobbled on his feet, then handed him a bottle of sports drink.

Na'er hurried over too, took out a handkerchief, and wiped the cold sweat from Lan Kai's forehead.

But her expression had grown more complicated.

The memories she had deliberately sealed away were now completely unlocked, and she had to make a choice.

Should she stay by their side to pursue Lan Kai's power of light and Juggler's power of darkness, or follow her original plan, leave them, and search for a human who might possess the power of the Golden Dragon King?

Soon, as the three of them sat together on a flat, clean rock, admiring the rare sight of the sunset's afterglow, Na'er finally made up her mind and asked:

"Brother, if I left one day, would you miss me?"

"So this day has finally come..."

Lan Kai thought, though his expression didn't change.

Three years ago, when Juggler had beaten a horde of Ferocious Beasts with the back of his sword, he had already made a Three-Year Promise. Now that the three years were up, it really might be time for Na'er to leave.

"Of course I would... But, Na'er, have you remembered your family? That's wonderful."