Invention, which has the meaning of unique or novel device, method, composition, idea, or process, does not always have to be something grand or world-changing. Sometimes, cutting a wooden board into a long, oval shape and attaching two pairs of small wheels underneath it for fun is already enough to introduce something novel to this stagnant world. And that's what Meteos thinks as he finally got the chance to create a "skateboard" amidst the generous work schedule of his workplace. With a new toy of his creation, he surfed home along the perpetually quiet San Redentore road as he finished his shift in the Alpha Edge Project. Occasionally he pushed the ground with one foot to regain speed the moment he felt that his trip had slowed down.

…………

March 20, 1615 Central Calendar

San Redentore District, Runepolis

The icy grip of winter has finally loosened its hold in the Holy Milishial Empire, yielding to the gentle touch of the changing seasons. Nature, like a painter with a vibrant palette, adorned the forest on both sides of the road with hues of delicate pastels, as if brushing life onto a blank canvas. The ground that was once blanketed in snow now boasted a carpet of blossoms, their petals unfurling like secrets whispered on the wind. A harmonious chorus of chirping birds and rustling leaves celebrated this rebirth. Sunlight filtered through the canopy of budding trees, casting a dappled dance of light and shadow upon Meteos' path, chasing away the lingering chill of winter's farewell. The fragrance of blooming flowers enveloped him, an embrace that mingled with the sweet notes of hope and possibility. It was as if the world itself had donned a new attire, vibrant and resplendent, inviting him to share in its splendor.

However, despite finding himself in a tapestry of an awakening, a feeling of fatigue clung to Meteos like a heavy cloak, dragging his every step and eroding his usual resilience. The vibrant scenery seemed muted as if drained of its magic. The empty road, which usually gave him a sense of tranquility, now stretched before him like a desolate expanse, echoing his weary state of being.

Meteos inhaled the fresh air as much as his lung could afford, holding it for a moment, before exhaling it in a long and weary sigh.

"This annoying feeling has caught up to me again..." he murmured to no one, fully in realization on why his body felt this way.

Despite the measures he took, the adjustment in his sleep schedule to keep his mind and physique fresh, in the end, the rapidly increasing pace of the Alpha Edge Project and the sidequests he frequently took up on his own made his second life quite taxing, leaving little time for any sort of recreation or relaxation. His shift ended at midday, but his afternoons and evenings are far from leisurely, doing the aforementioned things.

Reincarnation aside, Meteos Roguerider is still a full-fledged human with all of its limitations, after all.

…………

"Angel Fruit, you say?"

Meteos recalled speaking that line when Robin found him and Walman having lunch in the cafeteria while showing them a long, but thin cardboard box she produced from her bag. He remembered earlier in the morning she had gone to the post office to retrieve a package. This must be it.

"Yup!" Robin cheerfully answered, "I might or might not have told my mom about how tired you kids can become during your shifts, so since she happened to order a bunch of these fruits from abroad, she decided to package some of them and told me to share it with you."

"That's very kind of Mrs. Candee," Meteos remarked.

"Huh? A fruit that can cure tiredness?"

"You don't think that's too good to be true, do you?" Robin said as if reading Walman's mind, before giving him a smirk. The boy, on the other hand, stared at the box with dubious eyes before nodding slightly.

Listening to Robin giving Walman an explanation, Meteos sighed.

He was aware of what those fruits are. Small red nut-like fruits, they grow only on a distant island nation nestled located in the Outside Civilization Area far west of the Mu Continent. Eventually, this land became a colony under the dominion of the Gra Valkas Empire when they appeared in this world according to the history of Meteos' first life. It was said that the Angel Fruit's substances—or a mythical power, as claimed by the island's inhabitants—are capable of granting individuals the chance to share a dream with someone they held a connection with. However, those who consumed it would invariably awaken with no recollection of their dreams, leaving the veracity of such claims in perpetual uncertainty. Nonetheless, one fact remained: the fruit was indeed capable of improving a person's sleep quality, fostering the potential for more delightful journeys within the realm of dreams.

In short, good sleep leads to the maintenance of physical beauty. It's something that a mage like Candee is understandable to be interested in.

"Then...! If it's very rare, it must be very expensive, right, Miss Robin?" Walman exclaimed.

"Why, yes, my dear student. But my mother's rich, so don't worry about that! Hahaha!"

"Eh......" Meteos sweatdropped. On one hand he's happy for them that their relationship is okay after being separated for so long, but she still caught him off guard with that declaration.

As a side note, Robin's monthly income might surpass Candee. But that's probably just mothers.

"By the way, Meteos."

"What is it, Teacher?"

"Take one day to not doing any sidequest after coming home from your shift, would you? I appreciate you try to adjust your sleep schedule, but are you sure you don't feel fatigue at all?"

"If you never mention it, I will not feel it at all," Meteos answered in half disappointment knowing what's to come.

"Kid!"

".........Very well."

…………

Such thoughts swirled within Meteos' mind as he beheld a red wooden box that contained the Angel Fruits. He had finally arrived in his apartment, where he decided to do what Robin said that day and sleep like dead. After leaving notes for Walman, Meteos made himself comfortable on the bedroom after consuming one of the fruits and let himself drift off to dreamland.

"........."

Meteos could have sworn he was dreaming.

He recalled going for a shut eye this afternoon, so this must be a dream. Yes, that must be it. But on the other hand, he felt lucid. He could move his limbs freely in this dreamspace.

"Too bad, I won't be able to remember this dream..."

Looking around, Meteos found himself within a corridor seemingly crafted from the purest alabaster in the world, stretching forth in both directions to unseen end. Tall mirrors adorned the corridor's walls, showing Meteos a reflection of his teenage self. Adorned in a neat clothing of white collared shirt with maroon vest and black trousers, his appearance was no different than his current life's self.

Now filled with curiosity and a burgeoning sense of anticipation, Meteos decided to walk forward, taking his steps carefully upon the corridor's gleaming floor. Each footfall echoed softly while his eyes continued to fixate upon the distant source of light from the corridor's end. Its beckoning luminescence held a promise of revelation, drawing Meteos ever closer, as if an unseen force guided his path. It felt like an eternity of endless walking, but Meteos continued to press onward until the light grew brighter and enveloped his entire being.

"What the..."

When he felt that the light had subsided, Meteos raised his gaze and found himself to be in another ethereal space. This time, it appeared to be some sort of a dimly lit circular courtyard, where he now stood on top of a rampart that surrounded the open space. The darkness of the sky seemed to blend seamlessly with the ground, with what appeared to be stars adorning the celestial garden. With him recognizing the Crown of Majesty constellation directly above his head, Meteos could see that this dream sky is taken after his planet's.

At that moment, bluish light flickered briefly in the middle of the courtyard, and then...

"Where am I? Why am I here?"

Meteos paused, chills running down his spine. Those words didn't come from his mouth, yet he knew that the voice belonged to him... at some point in his life.

As he watched, the light faded away to reveal a humanoid figure—a human male. Said human wore an all-too familiar dark gray longcoat complimented with brown decorations, navy blue collared shirt and matching ribbons. His short silver hair looked tousled, and overall his young face looked haggard.

With the silver mask absent, the man was an older doppelganger(?) of himself, with an attire matching the one Meteos wore the day Walman died, but with a twenty-something years old physical appearance that seemed to reflect his prime. Whatever does this mean, the younger-looking and real(?) Meteos watching from the ramparts already felt seeds of discomfort growing within his heart. It felt dream-like, but at the same time it's not. The older version of himself at first looked around in confusion, his gaze sweeping the place where Meteos stood once. However, despite him being clearly visible on top the ramparts, the young man did not react upon his presence at all. It's as if the boy was never there.

Could it be that Meteos is watching something similar to a holographic projection? Him being a spectator to the events unfolding in his dream?

"...What does this dream mean?"

But at the same time, it was intriguing. The reincarnator thus decided to watch what will happen next.

"Shouldn't I already be dead? Ah, is this an afterlife, then?" Meteos heard the man spoke.

…………

"Where am I? Why I am here?"

Meteos Roguerider, the Grand Mage, inventor, and former captain of the superweapon Pal Chimera could have sworn he was already dead.

"Shouldn't I already be dead? Ah, is this an afterlife, then?" he muttered, still reeling from what had transpired to himself as the memories came back, surging like a tempest.

Surviving the ravages of the wars spanning the known world, Meteos had achieved the position and title of Grand Mage in the peace that followed. However, the scars of those conflicts, while not visible on his physique, seared deep into his heart. The Holy Milishial Empire, once stood at the pinnacle of prosperity, had crumbled beneath the weight of conflict and ambitions. Meteos had dedicated his life to serving his homeland, only to see it wither away, its glory stolen by alien powers. A twinge of envy gnawed at his soul as he thought of the otherworldly countries of Japan and Gra Valkas Empire, who now basked in the robbed radiance that should have been the August Star of Heaven's.

Ah... the Sin of Envy.

Countries steal, cheat, and lie all the time, yes. This was nothing new. But still... to be outdone in such a sordid way... Unacceptable.

Regret weighed heavily upon his shoulders, now his mind focused the weight of all the comrades he had lost, the lives extinguished in the fires of war. Their unfulfilled dreams, their unspoken words of farewell, weighing down upon him like an anchor dragging him into the depths of despair. At one point, he felt that his long life was a form of punishment for his sins. All the random things he had done one after another in the postwar period was just his way of escaping that feeling. Sometimes he felt that he did something good, but the feeling for the most part was still there.

It was incredibly infuriating. Being a loser, that is.

"Afterlife? Hehehe, not quite."

"...Who's there!?"

A voice that suddenly echoed out of nowhere alerted Meteos, forcefully dragging him out of his musings. From the direction of the voice, Meteos saw a young-looking man emerging from the darkness. His skin was pale and white, as if he had never seen the sunlight, with a pair of glowing lavender eyes that studied him with a tinge of mischief within them. He was clad in what looked like a white traditional garb, complimented with red lines and ornaments that adorned it. His hair, silver like Meteos', was short and spiky, two locks of which were wrapped in bandages framing either side of his face, while his forehead was covered with a red patterned headband.

".........?"

Meteos remained silent as this strange man approached him. The more he observed him, the less convinced Meteos was that he was an ordinary person. And that skin color, which was the exact same tone as the Light-Winged Devils, made his skin crawl. His appearance brought a sense of foreboding that invaded his heart.

"Ha? Are you going to keep your silence like that?" the pale man asked.

".........Who are you?" Meteos finally opened his mouth, absolutely disliking this freak's patronizing tone.

"Aha! That's a good start," the man jumped happily. "I have been called many names, but on this occasion, you can call me Kagaseo, the Brilliant Male."

"Kagaseo...? Like that star?" Meteos pointed to the brightest star in the sky above their heads.

"Yeah."

"The August Star of Heaven?"

"I just happen to have the same name as that meteor that your people revere so much, don't think about it too much, but yeah. The Japanese also called me by a different name... Hoshigami Kagaseo, Ame-no-Kagaseo, and last but not the least, Amatsu-Mikaboshi, which by the way can be translated as the 'August Star of Heaven.' Funny, isn't it!?"

"The rebellious Star God..."

Meteos remembered reading that once in a literature and muttered, causing Kagaseo to cackle.

"If you bear such grandiose names, you are a deity, then?" Meteos asked, trying to be calm.

"Let's say that I am a God, and I have summoned your soul after your death to this place. Can you guess what will happen next?"

Is this a riddle?

"I don't know... but earlier you said that this place isn't an afterlife."

Kagaseo began to pace around Meteos, still carrying a nonchalant air around him.

"Alright then. Suppose I'll just tell you. In the event of death, souls will be reviewed by gods and goddesses and will categorized into those who will be sent to afterlife and remain there, and those who will reincarnate. If the need arises, those who reincarnate will be allowed to keep their memories, knowledge, and experience intact. Usually. Oh... but you just so happened to end up in my turf."

Alarmed, Meteos narrowed his eyes at those last words, his mind struggling to comprehend what exactly Kagaseo meant. But judging from his tone, nothing good come from every conclusion that came to mind.

"What will happen to me?" he dared to ask.

"You, Meteos Roguerider, has somehow been chosen to reincarnate with your memories intact. But I find that absurd! Why it should be you that is been chosen as a special case!? A sore loser like you!? You don't deserve this honor!"

"What...? Then... if you objected to that decision so much, can you just send me to the afterlife and be done with it? You are a god, aren't you?" Meteos replied in shock, a cold shiver now running down his spine as Kagaseo stopped in front of him, this time with a clearly displeased look on his face.

Meteos never asked all this to happen. Not allowed to reincarnate? Fine. He was already too tired anyway. The only thing he wanted now is just to rest and meet with the souls of those who died before him... Father... Mother... Walman...

"Hehehehehe... hahahahahahahaha... BRAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Kagaseo started cackling maniacally.

'...What now...!?'

"AS IF I'M GOING TO LET IT HAPPEN!" the God thundered, all traces of playfulness have now been replaced by a pure, unadulterated rage.

"B-but why!? Can you at least explain to me what did I do to deserve such damnation—was it my sins?"

"I don't give a flying fuck about your sins or your good deeds or whatever. If I say your soul is going to be erased from existence, that's what will happen. You just happened to end up here and I don't like your face. That's all there is to it," Kagaseo bluntly asserted.

Meteos now realized what this God meant that he just so happened to be ended up in his territory and sank to his knees in despair. The fact that there is some other unknown entity that judged his soul to be reincarnated was not at all important to him now. His unlucky soul was about to be erased to oblivion by a malevolent god.

'Is this how it ends...? To be pathetically erased by an impostor bearing the August Star of Heaven's name...!?'

His head drooped into his hands as he felt himself crumbling in agony. This nightmare has already lasted far too long.

"Haha! How pitiful. Hmm, what about we make this enjoyable as it lasts? Ah! Yes! I should put up stakes! How about this... I will give you a chance! If you win this, I will allow you to be reborn into your younger self with your full knowledge, memories, and experience intact. I will even grant you a perfect photographic memory! Should you amuse me enough, I will also give you a chance to have one wish granted. You can do whatever you want with it, but will you do it...?"

".........!"

Meteos raised his face and glared daggers at Kagaseo who remained looming over him, his body which initially trembled in terror, now shook as his despair gradually transformed into a burning cauldron of rage.

"Stop... toying around!" the human spat between the gritted teeth.

"Oh? But I know you want it. YOU know you want it. That glimmer in your eyes! Is that hope? Bwahahahaha! What? Resolving to make right the wrong that is decades in the making!? Eh!?"

"Grrrrrr!"

Ignoring him, Kagaseo snapped his fingers and four objects materialized in front of Meteos. At the same time, another object appeared in the god's left hand with purple light particles.

"What—"

Kagaseo let out a sinister chuckle. "I have chosen these tools to play our little game. Those are what will help you in the challenge I am about to give you."

"And that challenge is—"

"You are going to use that to try and survive against me in a one versus one fight!"

Meteos balked, "A mortal being pitted to fight against god!? So you're just setting me up to fail anyway, after all...!"

"Haaaaaa, but, bu... bu... bu... bu... but... but... muh... muh... You'll never know until you try... is that what you mortals always believe?" Kagaseo mocked. "Why don't you put that saying to use and TRY!?"

"Tch!"

Meteos could not hide his frustration any longer. It was clear that this 'challenge' is designed as a nothing more than a trap. He was about to get humiliated either way. But by the benevolent gods and the real August Star of Heaven, he swore that he won't die until he at least shoves his boot into this asshole's smug face. All the frustrations that he kept bottled up in life, he will let it all explode now.

"Bastard..." Meteos growled and instinctively grabbed the two objects sitting in the center. "In that case... bring it on..."

As soon as his hands touched them, Meteos could feel a light zap of electricity and a surge of knowledge rushing into his mind. The names of these objects, their mechanisms, parts, and how to effectively use them, he had all those clear as day.

"Hmph!" he scoffed. "So you're at least be kind enough to let me know how to use these..."

"Wouldn't be fun otherwise. Now, quick! Make your preparations!"

In Meteos' right hand is a black buckle-like object called the Transformation Belt Desire Driver, developed based on a very advanced hydrogen cell technology capable of generating an enormous amount of renewable energy with an efficiency of over 96%. Not even the hydrogen engine magitech Meteos worked on just before he died and Japan's 22nd century technology can match that output in such a handheld size. Meanwhile, the object in his left hand is the ID Core, serving as a personal identification code terminal for the user... which is capable of transforming into an armored warrior called a Kamen Rider.

Meteos' given ID Core has a navy-blue color with white accent, depicting a crocodile. Without further ado, based on the knowledge in using it, the Grand Mage quickly inserted the ID Core into the Desire Driver's Perfecter Core socket.

DESIRE DRIVER!

ENTRY

The announcement was heard, followed by Meteos bringing the Driver to his waist and let the Ridol Line band extend to fasten the driver.

"Hehehehe..."

With a gleeful smile, Kagaseo started to don his own equipment, the Transformation Belt Vision Driver. Similarly, the belt announced its activation with a calmer and more robotic voice. The next step for him is to press his thumb to the belt's Biometricer authentication device to prepare for the transformation.

GLARE-X, LOG IN!

Reaching to his left side to pick up the Providence Card to continue with the procedure, Kagaseo declared in a voice that couldn't hide his excitement.

"Let the fun begin! Henshin!"

INSTALL

DESTRUCTION, CREATION, IMAGINATION

GLARE-X

As soon as he swiped the card down on the driver's reader device, five interconnected purple energy rings materialized from beneath Kagaseo and moved upwards, enveloping him in light particles as they passed. In his place was a menacing figure wearing a black suit underneath a set of futuristic armor, standing by as the spherical drones called Hypnorays that also materialized with the transformation latch on his shoulder, chest, and knee part of the armor. Unlike the original Kamen Rider Glare, Glare-X can be identified by the red flaming motif on his visor, chest armor, and the aforementioned Hypnorays.

Kagaseo, now Kamen Rider Glare-X, crossed his arms and patiently waited for Meteos' own transformation, lightly tapping his fingers as he did so.

"My turn..."

SET!

Next, Meteos grabbed the two other objects and forcefully inserted them into both slots on the either side of the Desire Driver. Turning the key on the right one and twisting the grip on the left one twice to activate them, the human remembered that one phrase that seemed just right to announce in this situation.

"Henshin!"

DUAL ON!

ZOM~BIEEEE! AND... BOOST!

With a cacophony of angry roars, death metal music blaring, and an engine revving, the Zombie and Boost Raise Buckles synchronized their powers, materializing a set of armors on either side of Meteos' transformed form. As the black undersuit encased his body, a mechanical apparatus emerged from behind him, seamlessly pulling the armor pieces onto the suit to complete the transformation.

Emerging from the transformation is another Kamen Rider. His navy-blue helmet appeared cracked with white lines, framed by crocodile jaw-like protrusions on both sides and completed by a pair of piercing orange visors and purple mouth guard. The Zombie Buckle, used to materialize the top armor, manifested as an overall bulky purple armor with menacing spiked pauldrons and a diagonal purple line that connected it to the Desire Driver. Adorning his arms were expansion equipment capable of generating potent poisons, while his left hand was wrapped in the Berserclaw as a feature unique to this form. A tattered shoulder cape hung from his left shoulder. Furthermore, the Zombie Buckle granted Meteos with the Zombie Breaker, a sword-chainsaw hybrid that he gripped using his free right hand upon materializing.

Moving downward, the Boost Buckle equipped Meteos with orange-red armor, adorning his thighs, kneecaps, and ankles. Protruding from the shins were exhaust pipes that erupted with menacing flames as soon as the transformation took hold. The combination of the Zombie and Boost Raise Buckles had resulted in a Kamen Rider that was mismatched in color, but looked formidable all the same.

The transformed Meteos took one second to look at his armored hands and the rest of his body.

"I transformed... this form... it's called... Kamen Rider... Rogue?"

"Ha! Kamen Rider Rogue, eh!? Even with that form, do you even have the power to rebel against your own fate!?" Glare-X taunted.

"It's not like I've given that many options!" Rogue retorted, brandishing the Zombie Breaker and took up a stance.

READY...?

FIGHT!

In a swift motion, Glare-X detached a Hypnoray from his left kneecap and kicked it, sending the projectile careening toward the crocodilian zombie Rider. However, thanks to the knowledge and muscle memory acquired from the Desire Driver, Rogue swung his Zombie Breaker with all his might to deflect it and willed the Boost Kicker on his legs to fire, giving him the power to charge at his opponent at breakneck speed.

At this point, being a fight occurring in a realm between life and death using powers given by a God, all common sense was already thrown out of the window.

'Fuck common sense, fuck rationality, let's go wild,' the Star-God Kagaseo would say. He was about to have a time out of his dull life with Rogue as his dance partner. Glare-X grinned under his helmet seeing Rogue running towards him, chainsaw-sword at the ready, and motioned his hand to recall the Hypnoray he just sent away. All the while, he just arrogantly stood still, as if inviting Rogue to land a hit or two. Within his mind, he was thinking about more fuel to be thrown into roasting Rogue.

"!!!"

Rogue sensed the incoming Hypnoray from behind and sidestepped to avoid an explosion from the impact. With his momentum disrupted, Rogue stabbed the Zombie Breaker into the floor to aid him in drifting before resuming his charge. He tried to run around the standing Glare-X, arriving at a spot behind his back, and attacked, his Zombie Breaker's chainsaw roaring and dripping with poison.

SKRIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE...!!

"Ara, ara, do you think it will be that easy, Dear Rider?" Glare-X chuckled.

Before the chainsaw could touch Glare-X's back, four more Hypnorays detached and formed an energy shield to block the strike. Sparks flew from the contact as the Zombie Breaker struggled to cut through the thick defense.

"At least you tried to fight and not RUNNING AWAY LIKE A COWARD!"

Without turning around, Glare-X snapped his fingers, ordering the shield to emit an energy pulse that sent Rogue back several steps and quickly disengaged it, commanding the Hypnorays to fire laser beams. Now showered by destructive lights, Rogue dashed backwards to avoid them, gain distance, and try to calmly assess his opponent. Each movement, each taunt from Glare-X held valuable insights for his next move. He took a deep breath, focusing his thoughts amidst the chaos of the fight.

'His defenses are impressive. Those drones he deployed formed a formidable shield that can easily block my strikes. I don't think direct frontal assaults will connect. I'll need to find a way to outmaneuver his defenses, exploit a weakness, something that he might be overlooking in his arrogance...' Rogue racked his mind in desperation. '...But he's a God... dammit, what should I do?'

Alas, just as Rogue was about to implement a strategy, out of the corner of his vision he saw the Hypnorays fired the laser beams to the floor, generating a thick cloud of dust that hid Glare-X from view.

'Smokescreen...!?'

"HA!"

"Oh, shi—AAAAAAAH!"

Out of the dust cloud suddenly emerged Glare-X's fist which impacted Rogue's helmet, sending him who was unable to react in time crashing into multiple pillars and generating more dust clouds. The next moment when Rogue tried to regain his senses from the disorienting impact, he felt a choking grip on his throat, restricting his airflow and causing him to gasp for breath. Amidst the settling dust, the flaming motifs of Glare-X's visor glow with an intense gaze, emanating a sense of sadistic pleasure as he revels in Rogue's vulnerability.

"Look at you, Rogue," Glare-X said in a mock-hurt tone, lifting his opponent's bulky armored form with ease before slamming him back down on the ground. "Fighting desperately for a chance of being sent back in time... tsk, tsk, tsk."

Feeling that to be not enough, Glare-X now straddled Rogue and cocked his fist again.

"What is even a time travel, but nothing more than a pathetic attempt to force the world to move around oneself!? What are you even trying to achieve in doing that, Rogue!?"

BOOM!

Each hit felt like it can turn a human's head into mush, but Rogue's helmet protected Meteos from that fate.

"Your dreams!?"

BOOM!

"Your happiness!?"

BOOM!

"Your IDEAL WORLD!?"

Rogue's body ached from the relentless pummeling he endured at the hands of Glare-X. With every hit, his armor rattled, and his vision blurred, but the refusal to die in the hands of fate burned with him. He used his Boost-powered leg to kick Glare-X in the back, sending him tumbling away. But just as Rogue managed to break free, Glare-X quickly recovered and gave Rogue a hard kick in the stomach, sending him rolling. In a panic, Rogue frantically reached for the Zombie Buckle and twisted its Waking Key once.

ZOMBIE STRIKE!

Using the momentum from his roll, Rogue swung his Berserclaw and summoned a giant red energy claw that swept the general area where Glare-X stood. The transformed god brought his hands to guard against the attack, laughing as the force sent him flying. However, Glare-X's Hypnorays formed an elastic energy barrier in his path to serve as his cushion. Thanks to them, Glare-X rebounded and landed gracefully some distance away.

"So... what...?"

Amidst his ragged breathing, Rogue managed to stand up.

"So what if I believe in something? So what if I wanted to pursue my own wishes? I don't expect someone like you to understand... but for mortals like us, believing in something to keep them going... and desire to pursue their wishes... and happiness! It's what makes a mortal's life worth living! They—"

Some faces surfaced in his mind amidst his reminiscing.

"They even went so far as to put their lives in line so that they can achieve their ideal world! Don't you dare to trample upon their wishes...!"

Glare-X was amused by those words.

"Pfft! That sounds like something a pathetic dweeb would say! Believing in ideals, you say...? We higher beings call that cringe! Hahahahaha! That's why you mortals' lives will continue to be nothing more than insects in a trash heap!"

'Dammit all... to be able to brush off that attack with ease... His raw power is completely out of my league!' Rogue cursed in frustration; his stance already turned unsteady from the damage.

Seeing his condition, Glare-X mused nonchalantly.

"Oh, I know! Time to add more participants to the party."

HACKING ON. CRACK START!

With a press of the Vision Driver's Biometricer, Glare-X first summoned two GM Riders along with detaching his shoulder-mounted Hypnorays to begin hacking them as his slaves. Then, he manifested two more Raise Buckles out of thin air and inserted them to a slot on the left-hand side of the belt one by one.

SET. UPGRADE. REMOTE CONTROL. MONSTER.

SET. UPGRADE. REMOTE CONTROL. MAGNUM.

These successive commands granted the GM Riders the Monster Form, a blue and yellow melee-based form equipped with a pair of gauntlets, and the Magnum Form, a white gunslinger form brandishing the Magnum Shooter 40X at the ready. The two wasted no time to start lunging at Rogue, followed by Glare-X who watched the proceedings behind.

"!!!"

Rogue, having regained his breath, frantically sidestepped the Magnum GM Rider's barrage and shoved him out of the way to meet the Monster GM Rider's punch. Even though his Berserclaw managed to parry the opening punch, Monster subsequently followed up with a strike to Rogue's solar plexus. This was also countered by Rogue hopping backwards and kicked Monster's hand with a Boost-enhanced strike, sending him tumbling away.

"Believing in ideals, you say!? Stupid! Why can't you mortals be real?"

The fight unfolded in a rapid fashion. Magnum lunged from behind Rogue, but the crocodilian Kamen Rider caught his gun-wielding arm and pinned it under his left armpit, redirecting the bullets he fired to Glare-X. Amused, the transformed god approached leisurely and delivered a series of love taps in the form of half-hearted punches at the struggling Rogue.

"Oh, right! Hahahaha! I almost forgot! Your entire existence is just a fiction after all! You are never real to begin with!"

"What... are... you... talking... about!?"

Monster and Magnum tried to lunge at him again, but Rogue somewhat manage to endure their attacks while giving one or two counters in return. However, the two GM Riders then split to allow Glare-X to run between the gap and launch an explosive side kick at the surprised Rogue.

"Gah!" Rogue grunted, being the receiving end at the relentless attack. His attempt to recover his bearings was thwarted by Magnum who swept in and fired at him from point-blank range.

"That's right!" Glare-X laughed. "You are nothing more than a fiction that us higher beings use as entertainment!"

"What!?"

"Your kind's misery! Your kind's death! We cheered and hollered at them! We celebrate when aliens slaughtered your world! We devise scenarios to humiliate your people! One esteemed audience even suggested to just nuke your country... for no reason at all! Ahahaha!"

…………

'What kind of dream is this!?'

Seeing the events play before him, Meteos the reincarnator could feel his jaw went slack at the sheer absurdness of it all. He knew it was a dream, but he couldn't help but feel that way. Two men having an intense talk and then transformed into armored warriors before duking it out is something that wouldn't be too out of place in a morning television show for kids. His thoughts and feelings oscillate between awe, confusion, and concern. If all meanings do have a meaning, then he still couldn't wrap his mind around what does this dream mean, whether this was a real vision of his period before rebirth or not.

Meteos couldn't recall that something like this happened between his death and rebirth, yet this whole exchange implied that this was happened to Meteos' soul the moment after he died. Therefore, as he observed Rogue, the transformed form of his older-looking doppelganger, Meteos couldn't help but feel a strange mix of connection and detachment.

"When we are born, we cry that we are come to this great stage of fools..." the silverette murmured, thinking about Glare-X's scathing insults. "Then, are we in the end exist only to be laughed at by the higher beings?"

That's unfair. This fate, this existence, all of them are unfair. He couldn't help but feel a burning envy for those higher beings. It was selfish, yes, but he was done being mocked at every single time. He wanted to pursue his dreams, his happiness, his ideal world.

Meteos bitterly glanced at Rogue.

"I don't know if this dream is a reflection of my desires which clashes against the cold reality... but I was here, being able to slowly see my wishes and happiness grow... You can do it too, Rogue... come on! Fight it!"

Rebel against fate!

…………

Whether Rogue listened to Glare-X's mockery or not, he decided to unleash a finishing move. Rogue gripped the Boost Buckle's Boost Throttle and twisted it once.

BOOST TIME!

As the standby sound echoed, Rogue used the Boost Kicker to leap high in the air. At the same time, Glare-X detached two Hypnorays from his knee armors to open fire at him. Vulnerable in his position, the laser beams impacted Rogue and sent him crashing down.

"Argh!! AAAAH!!"

Once again, Rogue was not given a chance to regain his breath as Magnum immediately rushed and threw his downed form in front of the others. Magnum then inserted the Magnum Raise Buckle into the Magnum Shooter 40X's Hop-Up Assemble.

MAGNUM!

At the same time, Monster slammed his Raise Buckle's hat-shaped button twice, while Glare-X swept the Providence Card once on the Vision Driver's reader device.

DELETE

Glare-X was the first to act. He unleashed a roundhouse kick that sent a black and red energy crescent at Rogue.

MAGNUM! TACTICAL BLAST!

"RAAARGH!"

ZOMBIE! BOOST! GRAND VICTORY!

Finally activating his own finisher, Rogue countered Magnum's energy bullets by kicking at them in rapid succession, but as a result, it allowed Monster a window to strike at him.

MONSTER STRIKE!

Monster's energy punches exploded on Rogue, sending him far away with the sheer power. To make matters worse, Rogue's desperate finishing move instead deprived him of a power boost since by performing the Boost Time finisher, the Boost Buckle ejected from the Desire Driver in the aftermath and flew away. Kamen Rider Rogue thus reduced to the much slower Zombie Form. The only solace for him was that he wasn't forced out of his transformation yet.

"Hmm? Are you mentally broken already?"

"........."

"Whatever. Finish him."

Monster lifted the weakly struggling Rogue and propped him up, while Magnum took up the position as an executioner.

"This is where a dream ends! You mortals just should go and be the monkeys to keep us entertained!"

BANG!

…………

"Curses!"

Meteos pounded the floor in disappointment and frustration. The energy bullet poised to end Rogue felt like it traveled very slowly in his vision.

Unbeknownst to him, hidden behind a pillar somewhere in that dreamspace, there was someone else watching the fight. Even though that someone's name was already made to be forgotten, wiped from the minds of this world forever, that someone was still watching over this world.

'I don't want this, please... stop!'

One version says:—"The two Gods at length put to death the malignant Deities and the tribes of herbs, trees and rocks. When all had been subdued, the only one who refused submission was the Star-God Kagaseo. Therefore they sent the Weaver-God Takehazuchi no Mikoto also, upon which he rendered submission. The two Gods therefore ascended to Heaven."

—Excerpt from Nihon Shoki, Book II: Kami no Yo no Shimo no Maki (The Age of the Gods Part II)