In the men's restroom stall at RiNG.
As his consciousness world shattered, Rikuo returned to reality.
"That old man sure ran fast. Even though he left behind such a mess..."
"Because I wanted to defy fate? Is that why I became the Kamen Rider Blade, the one who defies fate in my heart? Then..."
Rikuo took out his fountain pen, releasing the spiritual will he had when he first became Blade. The fountain pen danced, as if drawing something in the sky.
Before long, a Rouse Absorber, primarily made of black and silver metal with gilded accents on the frame, appeared in Rikuo's hand.
"Sure enough, since even transformations are hand-crafted, then evolution can't be unrelated. But because it's an auxiliary system, not a vessel for defying fate, is it independently existing? Then storing it is quite troublesome, and there's no corresponding Queen card, so it can't be used yet."
"Never mind. Since I'm a Kamen Rider facing fate, then I'll first move towards changing fate... Since that's the case, for now, I'll just do what needs to be done."
Rikuo was complaining, but the ease in his expression couldn't be hidden. He used the 2 of Hearts again, testing its true ability.
There were no flashy effects; it was just like his brain had cleared of clouds to see the light. The world became clearer, his understanding of everything seemed to deepen, and he could see his entire life.
"The 2 of Hearts, soul, does that mean better control of one's body and emotions?"
Rikuo deactivated the card's effect.
"As the most special Undead card, its ability is indeed extraordinary, but I always feel that staying in this state for too long would truly prevent one from being human, wouldn't it?"
Rikuo felt that if one could remain rational at all times and face emotions with rationality, it wouldn't be human, but rather a god.
"The original Joker could defy the Creator by sacrificing his entire future, which indeed doesn't seem like a normal human. But it seems Joker isn't even considered human? And for the world, the fate passed down through generations, that's truly divine. In short, I'll use it to restore my mental state at critical moments; I don't want to become like Sakiko-sensei."
As he prepared to leave the restroom, Rikuo discovered a new blind spot.
"The 2 of Hearts has no side effects! Or rather, the side effect is being very close to god, and very far from human."
"Crazy."
Rikuo suddenly yelled, startling a passerby who had just exited the restroom. The passerby glanced at him with a look of bewilderment and quickly walked away.
"It seems I also have a lot of divinity! Sakiko-sensei is in danger!"
...
He walked to the three-person team's seats.
Tomori, Taki, and Soyo were chatting about something, while Anon was alone on the side.
"Rikuo-kun, they're all ignoring me, boo hoo hoo..."
Seeing Rikuo arrive, Anon felt she was finally not alone. With a dramatic fake cry, she grabbed Rikuo's sleeve.
"Rikuo-kun, why is your hair wet? And what's that in your hand?"
Rikuo had wanted to wash his hair to clear his head earlier, but there were no towels in the restroom, and the Rouse Absorber in his hand didn't look like something that could fit in a pocket.
"Nothing, I just sealed a Joker in the rain. This is a brand-new power, though I didn't use it in the rain."
"Mo, Rikuo-kun is saying things I don't understand again."
Rikuo felt that his old man was Joker, and he had used the old man's last remaining will, and the old man had indeed disappeared, so it was definitely Rikuo who sealed him away. The Rouse Absorber was indeed not used.
Anon, of course, didn't understand all that. She just asked Ririko for a towel and told Rikuo to wipe his hair himself. The discussion on Tomori's side also stopped. Tomori looked at Rikuo in front of her, not worried about his wet appearance.
"Rikuo-kun, do you feel much lighter?"
"Yeah, I feel like I've eaten two bowls of spicy miso ramen. Although the aftertaste is spicy, I feel completely refreshed."
'So I'm invisible again?'
Anon was greatly shocked to see Tomori actually able to communicate normally with Rikuo!
"You, what kind of incomprehensible things are you saying to Tomori? We don't sell ramen here, only coffee and desserts."
"Taki-chan, don't be so agitated. Rikuo-kun is just making a metaphor."
"What do you know? He's been with Tomori for two days straight! What if he's a bad guy! And how do you know his name? Do you know him?"
Taki was already a strict judge, and when it came to Tomori, she was even more unyielding. When she mentioned Soyo, she also called out her name, adding another person to her interrogation.
"Although we're not exactly close, I've met Rikuo-kun twice, and he's basically been helping me. He's a very thoughtful and gentle person, just like Taki-chan is when she cares for Tomori-chan."
Nagasaki Soyo just lightly chuckled, twirling a strand of her brown hair. As expected of someone who could be the center of attention among young ladies, she subtly praised both of them in one sentence, while indirectly bringing them closer.
"Hmph, what do you know about me?"
Taki averted her gaze, her voice considerably softer, seemingly only her mouth was tough.
"Anyway, let's all talk properly. And Chihaya-san, it was our fault for leaving you behind just now."
"It's alright, just call me Anon. I overheard you two talking, so you must be Nagasaki-san, right?"
"Just call me Soyo, no need for honorifics. Tomori-chan said you're desk-mates, so we're in the same grade."
"Really? Soyo looks like an older sister, so I'll treat you as a senior."
...
The bickering between the two 'clippers' was long. Rikuo was already thinking about what to name his second child with Sakiko-sensei.
"Okay, let's call him Kento."
Rikuo's single sentence interrupted their fierce bickering. The three-person team, except for Tomori, looked at him with puzzled expressions.
"Nothing, what I mean is, can we start talking about the band now?"
"Rikuo-kun is right, it's about time."
Soyo, although she hadn't seen Rikuo's abstract side, still took over the conversation.
"So, Tomori-chan is the lead vocalist, Taki-chan is the drummer, and I'm the bass. Does everyone agree with that?"
Taki: "That much is obvious, isn't it?"
Tomori: "No."
After no longer having to consider becoming human, Tomori had also clarified her own thoughts and would no longer deliberately imitate observed humans to casually accommodate others.
"And me, and me, I can be the guitar lead vocalist!"
"Huh? Tomori is enough as lead vocalist, right?"
"There it is, the stereotype. There are many bands with two lead vocalists!"
Anon put her hands on her hips, a rare moment of assertiveness in front of Taki.
But an untimely voice spoke up.
"Before that, I think, Nagasaki Soyo-san, I think you should first look at yourself."
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