"Kamen Rider Buster. My name's Ryo Ogami. I'm the Land Swordsman." The man stood tall, his voice calm but powerful, like a mountain unmoved by storm.
Rin stepped forward, arms crossed and brows raised. "Ogami-san, with all due respect—why are you dragging your kid around on missions? That Megid could've leveled the entire street."
Ogami didn't flinch. Instead, he flashed a toothy grin. "Because I'm the strongest swordsman and the King of Parenting." He patted Sora's head, who looked up at him with the unwavering confidence only a child with a hero for a father could have.
"I protect my son with everything I've got. He's safer with me than anywhere else."
"But still—" Rin began.
"I don't expect you to understand. Sora's grown up around swordsmen. He's not afraid." Ryo looked down at his son. "And I'm not just doing this for me—I'm showing him how to stand tall, no matter what."
Sora raised a fist in agreement. "That's right! I wanna be strong like Dad!"
Artoria watched the two with admiration before stepping between Rin and Ogami, gently placing a hand on Rin's arm. "Let it go, Rin-san. He's not wrong. I can feel it—he never once let his guard down, not even for a second."
"Tch... fine," Rin said with a sigh, though her eyes still carried concern.
"Then let's head back to my place," Artoria suggested. "We can talk more there—and maybe get something to eat that isn't just sugar."
"Sounds good to me," Ogami said, hoisting Sora up onto his shoulder once again. "Lead the way."
A short while later, Artoria, Rin, Ogami, and Sora arrived at Artoria's spacious apartment. She sent a quick text to Kay, updating him on the new guest. He arrived shortly after, yawning.
"Nice. We get to skip school today,"
Ogami took Kay back to the Northern Base to report his findings on Calibur, leaving Artoria and Rin to babysit Sora for a bit.
{At the Northern Base}
At the Northern Base, Sophia greeted Ogami with a warm nod. "Ogami-san, have you discovered anything about Calibur?"
"Not much I can confirm yet," Ogami said, arms crossed. "But I've got my suspicions."
"What do you think of Artoria?"
Ogami sighed deeply. "I'm disappointed. She's just some kid. Rin and Kay were trained for years, and she's practically walking in blind."
Sophia's voice remained calm. "Yet she was still chosen by Rekka."
Just then, Daishinji Tetsuo walked into the room. "She was there during the battle ten years ago."
Ogami's eyes widened. "What?"
"It's unclear how, but the Brave Dragon Wonder Ride Book was with her. It never left her side—not for a decade."
"She lost her memories," Kay added quietly. "She doesn't remember the fight… or anything about it."
Sophia nodded solemnly. "That, too, may be why Rekka chose her."
{Downtown in Kouh}
Meanwhile, Artoria and Rin took Sora downtown for ice cream.
"Hey Sora," Artoria said, licking her fifth cone, "Are you sure you don't want to be with your dad?"
"The Northern Base is boring. It's just books and more books."
Rin raised an eyebrow. "Understandable. You're still a kid. Books can be a little dull if they're not your thing."
"Not really," Artoria said between bites. "When I was your age, I loved books—knights, kings, swords. They're like portals to whole new worlds!"
"You're weird," Sora said.
"I'll show you the wonderful world of stories," Artoria smiled brightly.
"I'm gonna get more food," she said as her stomach growled again.
"You just had five chocolate ice cream cones!" Rin shouted after her.
"That gluttonous freak…" she muttered.
"She's kinda a weirdo," Sora added.
Rin chuckled. "Artoria's definitely something... but she's a good person. I only met her yesterday, but after fighting alongside her, I can already tell she cares about people."
"Do you like books too?" Sora asked.
"I do," Rin said. "I love reading about magic and magecraft. There's so much to learn. Stay here, I'm gonna make sure she didn't eat the whole store."
As Rin walked off, Sora spotted something on a nearby bench.
"A book?" he said, picking up a blank white Wonder Ride Book. "Are books really that interesting?"
Across the street, Artoria and Rin turned the corner.
"Sora, no! Don't open it!" Artoria cried, but it was too late.
The moment he cracked the book open—a blinding light engulfed him, and he vanished.
Back at the Northern Base, Ogami finished his report when Artoria and Rin came sprinting in.
"Ogami-san!" Artoria shouted. "It's Sora—he's gone!"
"He disappeared?" Ogami's voice cracked.
"We're sorry… we didn't mean—" Rin tried to explain.
"Apologies won't bring my son back!" Ogami snapped.
Sophia stepped in. "You're not the only one. Several people have vanished in a similar manner."
Ogami gritted his teeth. "Then they've been pulled into Wonder World…"
"I'm going after him!" He turned for the exit.
"I'm going too!" Artoria declared. "We don't know what Megido is causing this, but—"
"Know your place and stand aside, kid," Ogami growled.
Artoria clenched her fists. "I made a promise to Sora. I'm going."
"...Do what you want."
{In Wonder World}
Inside Wonder World, the trio appeared in a dense forest. Mist drifted through the air. Trees loomed high like towers from a forgotten time. A lone wooden bench stood nearby—the very same one where Sora had opened the blank book.
"There's no one here…" Ogami scanned the area.
"Sora!" he called out. "I'm coming! Just hang on!"
Artoria placed a hand on his arm. "Ogami-san, wait. We should stick together—if we split up—"
"I didn't ask you for advice," Ogami snapped. "You're just a child with a sword she doesn't understand."
Artoria stood her ground. "That may be true… but I'm not going to let you shoulder this alone. Not when there's also other people who need our help."
Ogami turned his back. "Do what you want. Just don't get in my way."
Rin sighed looking down at her boots. "This is going to be fun…"