Little by little, the stage began taking shape—but as it grew closer to completion, fewer and fewer people remained on this planet.
Spider's approach naturally made the inhabitants feel deeply threatened.
Toward the very end, even the stage crew had to be replaced by Hotaru and the other girls.
The entire planet fell increasingly into desolation. Those who hadn't evacuated chose instead to hole up inside their homes, anxiously awaiting IPC to quickly step in and deal with Spider.
"Miss Robin, are you sure you still want to hold this concert as planned? If you cancel it now, you can still board one of our ships and evacuate safely."
At this critical juncture, the planet's administrators naturally sought out Robin, asking her once more.
Common sense dictated that during such an emergency, events like concerts should be canceled, and safety prioritized.
Not to mention, the girl standing before them was a galaxy-famous idol. Shouldn't she be even more concerned about her own safety?
Yet, to their astonishment, Robin gave them an answer completely beyond their expectations:
"Yes. The concert will continue as planned."
The administrators couldn't fathom such a reply.
"But…"
Spider's threat was obvious to everyone.
How many credits could one concert earn? Surely holding multiple concerts elsewhere could easily recoup any potential losses here.
Was there really a need to persist in this dangerous place?
Yet Robin's intentions were clear—she fully intended to stay and see this through.
"Relax. I believe Spider's threat won't actually arrive."
Robin's absolute confidence made them even more confused.
Could there truly be a turning point?
But no matter how hard they tried, they simply couldn't find any evidence of this turnaround.
IPC was still observing silently, and no other forces in the cosmos showed signs of intervening.
"It's fine. I'll bear the consequences of this decision myself."
Robin gazed softly at the now-completed stage ahead, smiling gently. "Besides, I already promised those children—I said I'd meet them here."
She had even taught them how to cheer for her. These children had been eagerly counting down the days to this concert.
"A promise is something that hurts even more for the one who breaks it."
Seeing Robin's determination, the administrators exchanged silent glances and finally chose to withdraw.
If Robin wanted to stay, that was her choice.
They, however, valued their own lives greatly.
Robin did not criticize their decision either. Everyone had the right to make their own choices.
She wouldn't hold others hostage to her ideals—she would simply fulfill her own promises.
This concert would go on as planned.
"All right, the rest is up to you," she quietly murmured to herself.
She'd give her all here, and leave the rest in Sora's hands.
...
Meanwhile, Sora arrived at the ship-maintenance company.
Unfortunately, by this point, almost no one remained at the facility. Most of the employees had already evacuated.
Those left behind on the planet were either stubborn locals or those who'd missed the chance to leave.
Of course, there was also Sora, who'd willingly stayed behind.
He'd come today specifically to check up on his ship's condition.
But to his surprise, after several days parked here, his nearly-falling-apart ship had already begun recovering on its own.
"Is the [Kingstone] really that powerful?" Sora couldn't help but marvel at this sight.
He already knew the [Kingstone] possessed the ability to strengthen vehicles.
After all, in the original shows, amidst countless unbelievable circumstances—
Ahem.
Under the influence of the [Kingstone], Battle Hopper and Acrobatter had accomplished countless astonishing feats.
Flying into the skies, diving into seas, traversing worlds, piercing mountains, digging tunnels—you name it, they'd done it.
There was nothing those two couldn't do.
But those two were merely a motorcycle and a car. Sora understood that the [Kingstone] could influence them easily due to their relatively small sizes.
But his ship was entirely different.
His spaceship spanned hundreds of meters, capable of carrying over a thousand people inside.
Thus, previously, Sora had only thought of the [Kingstone] as a mere power source for the ship.
But clearly, he'd greatly underestimated its true capabilities. Now, in just a few short days, this nearly-destroyed ship was already returning to perfect condition.
It even seemed ready to venture into deep space again. With his current abilities, perhaps another interstellar journey wasn't impossible after all.
Wait a second—if that's true, would this ship turn into Gouram when he randomly obtained Kuuga's power?
Or perhaps, with continued evolution, this ship could eventually rival even the Astral Express?
He hadn't forgotten the bold promises made by the ship's initial advertising.
Sora couldn't suppress a faint spark of excitement in his heart—but that was a consideration for another time.
Right now, he needed to handle the immediate issue at hand.
Spider's attack was merely the prelude to his proper vacation.
This time, he'd absolutely relax thoroughly!
Soaking in hot springs... this was something he'd never experienced before!
"I wonder if it feels different from regular public baths..."
Shaking his head, he banished these distracting thoughts. Under the sun's gentle glow, a dark brown armored form quietly appeared:
Kamen Rider Black RX – Roborider.
"Prince of sadness, I hope you can deliver a final spark of hope to those children."
Sora entered the ship, beginning to accelerate its repair progress.
...
Time passed steadily. The stage was completed, preparations finalized.
Spider's figure didn't slow in the slightest, continuing inexorably toward this planet on its predetermined route.
According to IPC's observations, the Galactic Spider had already begun weaving its magnetic field-disrupting web along its path.
Clearly, Spider intended to completely ensnare this world.
Spider even issued a public declaration:
"Give me the location of that person known as 'Kamen Rider,' and I'll abandon my current course."
"If you refuse, every single planet along my route will be consumed by my great web."
Spider openly threatened the galaxy, demanding the whereabouts of Kamen Rider.
It even revealed Kamen Rider's appearance, thrusting him into the public eye of the galaxy for the very first time.
Everyone who heard this news felt confused—nobody knew who or what this "Kamen Rider" actually was.
Yet very quickly, some curious netizens uncovered a tiny, obscure website.
But all the website recorded was the existence of an ordinary human—utterly unlike the armored figure Spider had described.
"Also… when I hear 'Kamen Rider,' why do I think of the Knights of Beauty?"
"The Knights of Beauty are all classical knights, right? This one looks more like a mechanical armor."
"Mechanical armor? You don't think it could be someone from the Third Mechanical Nebula, do you?"
On the galactic internet, wild speculation arose everywhere. Yet none linked this mysterious figure directly to Sora.
Some speculated the figure belonged to the Galaxy Rangers; others considered it an unknown passing Pathstrider; still others thought Spider was merely fabricating an excuse for expansion...
Opinions were varied, each individual holding their own theories and ideas.
But no matter how they debated, nothing changed regarding the current situation.
While the galaxy discussed fiercely online, Spider advanced freely in reality.
The powerful magnetic web was already woven, distorting cosmic magnetic fields slightly.
IPC still took no action, continuing its passive observation.
Nobody knew what IPC's supposed final countermeasure was—the company simply remained silent.
Not that Sora really cared either way.
He'd never counted on IPC to begin with.
Bathed in the radiant light of the sun, the spaceship appeared before Sora as if completely brand-new.
Its sleek, gleaming hull betrayed no trace of previous damage.
No one who saw this pristine ship would have guessed that mere days ago, it was practically falling apart.
Standing before it, Sora also sensed a deeper transformation within the ship.
Not only had it gained the ability to regenerate via sunlight, it seemed something deeper was awakening inside...
But now wasn't the time to ponder that. He had something far more pressing to do.
Within the System Space, a symbol quietly separated from his body as the belt disintegrated into shimmering particles.
[Recovery complete. Begin selecting your next power.]
Sora didn't immediately start, instead savoring the new power that remained within him.
The power granted by Black RX—the ability to recover rapidly under sunlight.
"It seems pretty good. Though it kinda feels like I've become some sort of plant."
He idly wondered if artificial sunlight could trigger this ability as well.
Regardless, now was the time for him to draw a new power.
"System, help me connect with my seniors."
For Sora, this wasn't mere power selection. It was a way to connect spiritually with the Kamen Riders who came before him.
[As you wish, host.]
The System did not correct him, continuing as usual.
All the Rider icons dimmed momentarily, turning into small capsules spinning rapidly before him. A familiar red button appeared once more.
Without hesitation, Sora pressed it firmly.
The various icons before him collided repeatedly, finally expelling a single capsule from the dispenser below.
Opening it, the Rider icon within merged instantly into Sora's body.
In that instant, Sora fell into another vivid vision...
---
T/N: WHAT IS IT AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH also bro became superman woah