Rikuo put away the 10 of Hearts, observing the changes around him.
The eerie atmosphere dissipated, but the missing people did not return.
"Sure enough, even if the Anomaly itself isn't inherently malicious, the environment it creates isn't one ordinary people can survive in.
So, let's try again to see what abilities the 10 of Hearts has.
I'm guessing the side effects won't be small, right?
Then I'll call Kiyotsugu first."
Rikuo called Togawa Kiyotsugu, notifying him to come pick him up.
He informed him that the construction site matter had been resolved, and Kiyotsugu readily agreed.
"Well then, let's try it."
Rikuo chose not to transform, wanting to test using the 10 of Hearts directly, but his consciousness couldn't sense the card's ability.
He took out his fountain pen, transformed into blade, and swiped the 10 of Hearts into the Blay Rouzer.
He could feel that he could choose to restart, but it was similar to Yoshikage Kira's Bites the Dust.
It required a specific emotional anchor, and it seemed there was only one chance to mark an anchor, though he could loop until he reached his desired ending before choosing to stop.
"Is it a limited skill?
Then I can't just try it out.
I'll have to record lottery numbers every day; maybe I can earn an extra sum when I use it someday."
Rikuo deactivated his transformation and put away the 10 of Hearts, without telling Togawa Kiyotsugu not to come.
After all, he helped Kiyotsugu resolve a big problem, so what's wrong with hitching a ride?
...
"Kiyotsugu, I asked you to pick me up, and you came on a bicycle?"
"...What else?
I borrowed this from a neighbor.
I never used to drive; I don't even have a driver's license."
Rikuo watched Togawa Kiyotsugu pedal up to him on a bicycle, his mind full of questions.
"But, first of all, what if I were unconscious?
Don't you know that carrying a passenger on the back of a bicycle is against the island nation's traffic laws?"
"Late at night, who's going to check if you're carrying a passenger on a bicycle?"
Rikuo felt that he had found the right person in Togawa Kiyotsugu; he probably spent too much time with Pink Husky and his brain connected to the Murphet network.
"Anyway, I haven't fought transformed today, so let's fly back.
Kamen Rider riding on the back of a bicycle and getting pulled over by traffic police would be a lifelong trauma."
Rikuo thought of a certain most kind and strongest Kamen Rider who rode an electric scooter, and covered his face.
He took out his fountain pen and inserted the Ace of Spades.
Then he swiped the jack of spades into the Blay Rouzer, and golden-brown wings appeared.
"Kiyotsugu, hold onto your bicycle tightly.
Don't let tomorrow's news say Kamen Rider threw something from high altitude."
Rikuo grabbed a bewildered Togawa Kiyotsugu and flew back to the apartment.
After this day, a new urban legend emerged.
At the Ouma ga Toki in the evening, a blue-silver bird monster with golden wings, suspected of eating steel.
...
In front of the apartment door.
"Kiyotsugu, I told Sakiko about your situation.
You should be able to go home today."
Rikuo looked at Togawa Kiyotsugu, who was drenched in sweat from holding his bicycle all the way, or rather, all day.
He didn't have the heart to tell him that it was actually a joke; Kamen Rider has a biological force field.
'In the future, I must tell all passengers not to tell Togawa Kiyotsugu about the biological force field.
I'm afraid he'll interfere with my free love with Sakiko-sensei.'
"Thank you, Rikuo.
Speaking of which, I've been relying on you for everything lately, and I don't know how to thank you.
Ah, never mind, I'll go return the bicycle first."
"Alright, Kiyotsugu, you go."
Togawa Kiyotsugu originally wanted to make some promise, but thinking that Rikuo always mentioned Sakiko, and they would likely be family in the future, he didn't dwell on it anymore.
Rikuo opened the apartment door and saw that the small slippers on the shoe rack were gone, replaced by a pair of small leather shoes in the entryway.
"Young people these days, why do they put lunchboxes on the floor?"
Smelling the aroma from the apartment kitchen, Rikuo calmly took off his shoes, changed them, and walked towards the living room.
"Hmph, it seems the 10 of Hearts has a second phase.
It's not that simple after all, is it?
This time, I'll clear it in one go!
So, my godson Togawa Kiyotsugu just now was also fake!
I knew a middle-aged man over 40 couldn't possess such powerful abstract power, capable of rivaling me!
Is this world generated according to my desires?
Interesting!"
Looking at Sakiko who walked out of the kitchen, she was wearing an apron and had her hair tied up.
Her small face was slightly flushed from the kitchen's heat.
"Hmph! Even Sakiko-sensei wants to disturb my mind?
I am a man who is about to sever fate!"
"Rikuo, are you back?
Did you leave suddenly because of the Anomaly?
Are you not hurt?
Because I was afraid of disturbing you, I didn't ask what you wanted to eat today.
So, today, please bear with my best curry."
Sakiko wiped her small hands on the apron, took Rikuo's hand, and her gaze scanned his entire body.
"Hmph! Even the setting is so formulaic?
When it comes to cooking in Japan, it's always curry."
"It seems you're not hurt, Rikuo.
Don't you like curry?
Then can you tell me what you'd like to eat?
I can make you a bento in the morning."
Hearing Rikuo's seemingly dissatisfied words, Sakiko tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and asked softly in an even gentler voice.
"You fell for it!
Sakiko-sensei hasn't made me a bento in a long time!
No matter how much you imitate, an Anomaly cannot replace a human!"
"Rikuo, I know I promised you then.
But, I saw how close you were with Tomori and them... I was so lost then; I felt I had lost everything.
Soyo stopped bothering me, Mutsumi didn't contact me, and even you, who were similar to me, went to Tomori's side..."
Listening to Rikuo's words, Sakiko thought Rikuo was trying to counsel her in a joking way, so she expressed her feelings from these past few days.
"How can a god actively admit their mistakes?
At this moment, Sakiko-sensei should be sighing!"
"Sighing? What does that mean?"
Rikuo angrily stood up, with an expression on his face as if he was about to end the band, and took out the 2 of Hearts.
"Stop defiling Sakiko-sensei!
Shatter!
False memories!"
However, nothing happened...
Rikuo put away the 2 of Hearts and calmly sat down.
"Sakiko, I like curry.
Can you make fried chicken for my bento tomorrow?"
"Yes, I can, Rikuo.
Then I'll go back to cooking."
Sakiko finished speaking and got up to return to the kitchen.
Rikuo took out his phone and called Togawa Kiyotsugu.
"Kiyotsugu, so you're really 40 years old and still haven't gotten your driver's license, and you were planning to pick me up, a suspected injured person, on a bicycle?"
"..."
Togawa Kiyotsugu was silent for a moment before hanging up the phone.
After Rikuo shared his embarrassment with his godson, the discomfort vanished, feeling as refreshed as wearing new underwear to greet New Year's Day morning.
"Hehe, Sakiko-sensei came to my house to cook for me; do you guys have such a Sakiko-sensei?"
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