Far away, in the real world, the Justice League watched the simulation unfold. Their faces were grim, their voices heavy.
" Martian can you get them out," Batman said, worries in his eyes. "The Team believes this is real—they're breaking apart."
Martian Manhunter's face was stone. "This was meant to test them. But Ryotaro's… transformation… this was never foreseen."
On screen, Ohma-Zio unleashed a golden wave that erased the remaining alien fleet in an instant. The Earth itself trembled. If the simulation had no limits, soon nothing would remain—not even the fabric of the reality.
J'onn's fists tightened. "I must end this. Now."
He closed his eyes, diving into the simulation with psychic force. Inside the burning ruins of the world, he appeared before Ryotaro and M'gann.
"Ryotaro!" J'onn's voice thundered. "This is not real!"
But Ohma-Zio turned, said with cold voice. "What is real… is loss. And I will erase all who cause it."
J'onn braced himself as the boy's power surged like a tidal wave. The psychic weight was unbearable—rage, grief, and divinity entwined. He reached out to M'gann, who cowered behind him.
"Listen to me!" J'onn shouted, his voice straining. "This is a simulation! None of this is real! Your friends live! But if you do not stop, you will lose yourself forever!"
The words pierced faintly through the storm. Deep inside, Ryotaro's true self screamed, chained beneath Ohma-Zio's throne. He saw flashes—Robin's grin, Wally's jokes, Artemis' stubborn pride, Zatanna's warm smile. They weren't gone. They couldn't be.
"Ryotaro," M'gann cried, reaching through the golden flames. "Please… come back to us."
For a moment, the King of Time hesitated. J'onn seized the chance. With all his might, he forced the simulation to end.
The burning world collapsed into nothing. The Team awoke in the training room, gasping. One by one, they sat up—alive, unscathed. Zatanna, Wally, Artemis, Superboy, Robin, Aqualad—all of them alive.
M'gann sobbed, clutching Wally and Artemis, unable to let go. Robin looked shaken, his laughter gone. Superboy sat in silence, staring at his hands.
But Ryotaro lay apart, trembling. The Oma-Zio armor was gone, but the memory of its weight remained. He stared at his palms, as if afraid of what he could do and what he can becomes.
Batman's voice cut through the silence. "The exercise revealed your limits. But it also revealed… unexpected dangers." His eyes lingered on Ryotaro.
Ryotaro whispered, barely audible. "I killed everything."
M'gann knelt beside him, touching his hand. "No. You saved us. You just… lost yourself in the pain."
J'onn's gaze was heavy, filled with concern. "That power you wielded—it does not belong in this world. Guard yourself, Ryotaro. For if you lose control again, there may be no one left to stop you."
The Team exchanged glances, fear and trust warring in their eyes. Ryotaro could feel the distance growing already.
But in his heart, one truth remained. He had seen what he could become. The end of all things. The Demon King of Time.
~~~~ National City ~~~~
Inside his room, Ryotaro couldn't sleep whenever he falls asleep he dreams about becoming Ohma-Zio and he wakes up afraid and relief. Ryotaro called out the System in his mind.
'System. Am I one day going to become Kamen Rider Ohma-Zio?'
[Host didn't need to worry about it. It is still too early to think about it. But you had the potential to become one. In simulation, it becomes like that is because you knew about the power of Kamen Rider Ohma-Zio and you just can't accept the loss and take away your pain. Because of this you becomes the end game.]
'So, I can get stronger than everyone...huh. You know when I became Ohma-Zio, I didn't feel anything. I just feel alive and powerful. I just afraid of that.'
[Host doesn't need to be afraid of that the Rider Template System will always be with you and the Rider's heart is within you. Just do your best you can. After all, there is Ultra Dai-Shocker who is going to invade this universe.]
'Thank you for telling me. Now, I just need to rest a little bit. I hope there will be no more nightmares.'
Later the morning, Ryotaro found himself in his uncle's office above the Narumi Detective Agency. The room smelled faintly of cigarettes and old books, papers stacked in messy piles. Shotaro Narumi leaned back in his chair, fedora tipped low, watching his nephew carefully.
"You've been carrying a heavy weight," Shotaro said, lighting a cigarette. "Your eyes give it away."
Ryotaro hesitated, then told him everything—the simulation, the losses, the rage, Oma-Zio. His voice cracked as he confessed the terrible truth: "For a moment, Uncle… I wasn't me. I was him. I was the end of everything."
Shotaro listened quietly, letting the smoke curl into the dim light. Finally, he spoke. "Ryotaro, do you know what it means to be a detective?"
His nephew blinked at him, confused.
"It means facing the truth, even when it scares you. Running from it only gives it more power. You saw what you could become. That's frightening, yes. But it's also a gift."
"A gift?" Ryotaro repeated, disbelief in his voice.
Shotaro nodded. "You got a glimpse of your worst self. Most people never do. Now you know what you're up against. And you can choose not to be him. That choice? That's what makes you human. That's what makes you strong."
Ryotaro lowered his gaze. "But what if I fail?"
"Then you get back up," Shotaro said firmly.
"Because that's what it means to be human, My nephew. We are who we are. You are Ryotaro Nogami.Not a Demon King of time. Just a boy who refuses to give in. Never afraid of it because if you are afraid of something, you already lost."
The words hit deep. Ryotaro felt the weight on his chest shift—not gone, but lighter. For the first time since the simulation, he believed he might not be doomed to that throne.
*********
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