"The final boss of the Drago Knight Hunter game, the Demon Dragon, possesses immense vitality. Ordinary means are insufficient to kill it completely," Genm spoke leisurely, glancing up at the roaring dragon in the sky.
"Stop playing riddles. If there's a way, say it directly," Elena interrupted rudely.
Genm shook his head, looking somewhat exasperated. "Truly a group that doesn't know how to appreciate art. This is a game I designed with great care... Fine, I'll explain it simply."
"To clear the game, you must act like the heroes of myth and legend: find the Dragon Slayer Sword. Thrust it into the dragon's body, and like the legendary dragonslayers of old, you will defeat the beast."
"So, there's a special item called the 'Dragon Slayer Sword' in this game? As long as we find it, we can defeat the Demon Dragon?" Gwen asked pensively.
"If that's the case, where is this sword? Since you designed the game, you must know how to obtain it," Li Hua said, turning toward Genm.
"Don't be so impatient. As the ultimate item for clearing the game, it obviously won't be easy to get," Genm waved his hand dismissively. "The Dragon Slayer Sword holds the power to slay the dragon, so the beast threw it into a deep pool. To get it, one must dive into the waters to search."
"What are we waiting for? Let's go to that pool immediately," Elena urged.
"Not so fast. We must also lure the Demon Dragon nearby to trigger a reaction from the sword. Only then can we pinpoint its location in the depths. This requires teamwork—creating an opening so the Brave can find the blade."
"The Brave?" Li Hua sounded confused.
Genm chuckled. "In all the legends since ancient times, isn't it always the Brave who undergoes countless hardships to slay the dragon? Besides, your weapon is a sword. Entrusting the mission of the Dragon Slayer Sword to you is only fitting."
"Fine," Li Hua admitted. It did make sense.
Under Genm's guidance, the group fought off the Demon Dragon while moving toward the pool where the sword was hidden.
"The trees, the pools... everything in this Game Area feels no different from reality. It's like another world," Elena remarked, firing a shot into the water and watching the splash it created.
"What you touch and perceive in the Game Area is actually composed of Bugster viruses," Genm said with a cryptic tone. "But perhaps, one day, the Bugster virus will give birth to an independent, truly real world?"
"Illusions are illusions. Once we defeat the dragon, the Game Area will naturally vanish," Li Hua said coldly.
"Suit yourself. You go down and find the sword; we'll hold off the dragon," Genm replied noncommittally.
Li Hua nodded to Elena and Gwen and dove headfirst into the pool.
Sensing that Li Hua was after the treasure that could threaten its life, the Demon Dragon roared frantically. It charged recklessly toward the pool, desperate to stop him. Gwen and Elena immediately opened fire, unleashing energy arrows and munitions without regard for their energy reserves to block its path.
Enraged, the dragon spat out successive spheres of black dragon fire at the two girls.
"Genm! Why aren't you doing anything?!" Elena shouted, struggling to withstand the dragon's frenzied assault.
Genm raised his hands innocently. "I'm waiting for the right moment."
He then summoned dozens of clones. As the dragon lowered its altitude, the clones leapt up, collided with the beast, and self-destructed. The Demon Dragon seemed heavily wounded, its flight becoming shaky and uneven.
However, with a massive roar to the sky, countless points of light gathered from all directions and surged into the dragon's body. Its wounds healed instantly, returning it to perfect condition.
As I thought, ordinary methods won't work, Gwen and Elena noted inwardly.
"Damn it, how much longer is Li Hua going to take? My Rider Gauge can't hold out much longer!" Elena complained, glancing toward the still water as she struggled against the fully healed dragon.
Suddenly, a massive wave rose from the pool, condensing into countless ice spikes that shot toward the dragon. The dragon breathed fire, easily evaporating the ice. However, Li Hua was hidden behind the sheer volume of spikes, successfully closing the distance.
He held a sword in each hand: his own Ice-Fire Holy Sword and the key item for the game—the Dragon Slayer Sword.
Realizing the threat, the dragon flapped its wings to retreat. But Li Hua was prepared. His holy sword released a surge of frost energy; while not powerful, it successfully hindered the dragon's movement. In that fleeting moment, Li Hua plunged the Dragon Slayer Sword into the beast's chest.
The Demon Dragon let out a mournful wail. Light particles began to bleed from the wound until its entire body dissolved into shimmering dust.
"GAME CLEAR!"
The announcement rang out. A Gashat fell into Li Hua's hand.
"Drago Knight Hunter Z," Li Hua whispered.
"Wait... if we defeated the dragon and cleared the game, why hasn't the Game Area vanished?" Gwen realized something was wrong.
The three turned their gaze toward Genm.
Genm burst into laughter. "After defeating a dragon, one must collect the dragon's hoard of treasure!"
He produced a blank Gashat and tossed it into the air. The Game Area began to collapse, and the massive amount of Bugster virus converged toward the Gashat, forming a miniature sun of blinding light.
Outside the Game Area, Parado noticed the field dissolving. He turned to Otto Octavius beside him. "You can use the Virus Memory now. Take this chance to absorb the scattered Bugster viruses. Let the Gaia Memory fuse with them. After this, you will possess the power to control the Bugster virus."
Watching the dancing particles of light, Otto nodded and pressed the Memory.
"VIRUS!"
As he transformed into a Dopant, he absorbed the overflowing viruses, triggering a unique mutation. Parado watched the transformation with great interest.
Once the Game Area fully dissipated, the concentrated viruses took a humanoid form.
"Another Complete Bugster..." Li Hua, Elena, and Gwen looked at the newly born entity with guarded caution.
"So, you're our new comrade? What's your name?" Parado asked cheerfully.
"Graphite," the Bugster replied.
"Parado is here as expected... but who is that guy next to him? A Bugster monster that hasn't reached completion yet?" Li Hua noted Otto, his eyes narrowing.
"Thanks to you three Kamen Riders, we were able to clear the Drago Knight Hunter game so smoothly," Genm said mockingly. At least to the three of them, it sounded purely insulting.
"Do you think we'll just let you walk away that easily?" Li Hua asked.
"And if not? Putting aside whether you're a match for me, your Rider Gauges are nearly empty after that battle. How much longer can you keep fighting?" Genm's tone was indifferent.
"I have the Gashat we just won," Li Hua said, holding up the Drago Knight Hunter Z Gashat.
(End of Chapter)