Waking earlier than the others, I wasted no time. I set the rice cooker and laid the fish I had seasoned the night before onto the grill, the faint sizzle filling the quiet kitchen. It felt good, starting the day by giving everyone something warm, something good. A proper meal before I moved on to the rest of the work waiting for me.
After breakfast, there would be laundry piled high enough to rival a small hill, floors to scrub until they reflected light, and trash to sort and haul out. It was a routine I had slipped into without thinking.
Somewhere along the way, I had gone from being just a soldier to the dormitory's official caretaker. No one had asked me or forced me to take the role, and no one needed to. I would have done it anyway. The place was too disorganized to ignore—stains appearing in the most unexpected corners, clutter building like it had a will of its own.
What surprised me most was Nei-chan. She hadn't even scolded Shu-chan about her room, despite how bad it had gotten. Just remembering it made my eyes ache.
"Good morning…"
Himari's voice drifted in, soft and sluggish. She stepped into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes, a yawn escaping her lips.
"Oh, good morning, Himari-chi," I replied, tilting my head slightly. "You're up early."
She let out another yawn, scratching absently at her hair as she moved toward the fridge.
"Just didn't sleep well," she muttered, pulling out a bottle of water. "No big deal."
Gulping down the water, she let out a loud, satisfied sigh.
"Nothing beats cold water," she grinned, turning her gaze toward me.
With light steps, she circled behind me and leaned in, peeking over my shoulder to see what I was doing.
On the grill, salmon, trout, and mackerel sizzled together, each piece coated in a dry rub I had perfected over time. The aroma alone was enough to fill the kitchen with warmth.
"So we're having fish, huh?" Himari said, inhaling deeply. "It already smells delicious."
A loud growl followed almost immediately.
At that, a faint blush crept across Himari-chi's face.
I glanced at her, amused, my voice laced with quiet teasing. "Looks like your stomach agrees."
"…I mean, it's your fault," she huffed, crossing her arms. "Anyway, I'll just wait at the table."
"Aye, maam," I replied lightly as she turned and left the kitchen.
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Arranging the breakfast on the table, I noticed everyone was already awake and in their usual spots. Once my task was done, I took my seat with them.
My eyes caught sight of a chopstick reaching for an egg.
Like a hawk locking onto its prey. I met it midair with my own chopstick, blocking the attempt.
"I already told you to wait, Shu-chan," I reprimanded the culprit beside me.
"Just a little won't hurt anybody," she said, mischief dancing in her eyes.
She grinned slyly and dodged again, attempting another grab.
What followed was an impromptu chopstick duel, small sparks of laughter accompanying each move.
"You two, stop it" Chief Kyouka calmly called, her voice cutting through our antics.
We froze, and I shot Shu-chan with a deadpan look. She just wiggled her eyebrows at me, clearly unrepentant.
"Then, thanks for the food," Chief Kyouka said, nodding politely.
"Thanks for the food," Nei-chan, Shu-chan, Himari-chi, and I said in unison.
Taking a bite of the rice and fish, I praised the flavor inwardly.
As expected of me, there was no way it would taste bad after all the preparation I had put into it.
Himari, on the other hand, paid no mind to the rest of us. She ate like there was no tomorrow, lifting her bowl of rice and slamming it onto the table the moment it was empty.
"Another, please," she said, her mouth still full, the words barely understandable.
"Another batch of rice coming up," I replied, taking her bowl as I stood. "Does anyone else want more?"
"Mine!" Shu-chan chimed in, handing hers over without hesitation.
"Please," Chief Kyouka added, offering her empty bowl as well.
We continued our breakfast in relative silence, focused more on eating than talking, only speaking when asking for another serving.
"You three should eat your fill. Cause later, we'll be patrolling a nest Nei found nearby," Chief Kyouka said, taking a sip of her miso soup. Her gaze moved between me, Shushu, and Himari. "We'll need plenty of energy, and I don't want any of you slacking off."
"No need to remind me, Chief. I'll be ready whenever you are," Himari nodded to herself, casually popping another piece of egg into her mouth with her chopsticks.
"Me too," Shushu added, clenching her fist with determination. "There's no way I'm getting left behind."
"That's what I like to hear," Kyouka said with a satisfied smile, before turning her eyes to me. "You know the drill, Yuko. You'll be with me during the fight."
"Aye," I replied simply.
"Good luck," Nei said with a gentle, cheerful smile, her hands clasped together as if in quiet prayer. "I'll be rooting for your safety from here."
Then, as if something had just surfaced in her mind, Himari's gaze dropped to her bowl. She paused mid-bite, hastily swallowing her rice before lifting her head again, a flicker of curiosity crossing her face.
"Oh, yeah. I was wondering," she began, her tone casual but filled with interest. "Do you know what happened to that Kamen Rider, Chief?"
Shushu's attention was immediately caught when those two words left their Vice Chief's lips.
"Now that you mention it, it has been quite a while since he last showed up to help us," she said, resting a hand against her chin, her curiosity matching Himari's. "Did that guy kick the bucket or something?"
Himari scratched her chin in thought, her expression turning slightly conflicted.
"I hate to admit it, but that nosy bastard made our job a lot safer and easier than usual," she said with a small sigh. "Even if we could handle things on our own, having an unofficial helping hand really made a difference." She paused for a beat before scoffing lightly. "Not that I'd ever say that to his face. I'd rather die than admit it to him."
Before the moment could settle, Shushu leaned in from the side and gave Himari a light tap on the back, her lips curling into a smug grin.
"Miss him already?" she teased.
The words landed instantly.
It was almost visible, the way they struck a nerve. Himari's expression tightened, her usual nonchalance cracking as irritation flickered across her face. The shift was sharp enough to be felt, like heat rising in the air.
For a split second, I could've sworn there was pressure building above her head, ready to boil over.
Though clearly amused, Chief Kyouka answered before things could escalate.
"I'll be honest, I have no idea about his current status," she said, setting the bowl in her hands. "However, despite his absence for a while, he was recently spotted in the east."
Himari and Shushu glanced at each other, their interest instantly piqued as they leaned in, silently urging their chief to continue.
This so-called Kamen Rider… I had heard about him countless times from my teammates, yet I had never met him in person. Coincidentally, the moment I joined was the same time he stopped showing up. What surprised me the most was that he was a guy, with no Peach ability whatsoever. The only thing he had going for him was that strange suit of his, packed with an array of bizarre abilities.
It would be huge news if this guy were ever publicly revealed. But for now, only the Defense Force and the government officials know about him.
"Is he related to that incident involving the Third Unit?" Himari asked.
"Not just related, he was one of the central figures," Chief Kyouka replied with a small shrug. "You don't know what happened, do you?"
All of us shook our heads in sync.
"All I know is that something big went down there," Himari said, her tone turning serious.
As our Chief shared what she knew, we fell into a heavy silence, too focused to even form proper reactions to the story unfolding before us. I didn't know much about the other units beyond our own, but at the very least, it was reassuring to hear that they had made it out safely.
What truly caught both Himari and Shushu off guard, however, was the mention of a humanoid Shuuki—a completely new type of enemy that had only recently appeared, and apparently the very reason behind the chaos that had erupted during that fiasco in the east.
"You're saying that the Kamen Rider, against all odds, went all-out solo against a horde, a ridiculously strong Unique Shuuki, and that humanoid Shuuki they're calling the Thunder Gods?" Himari's face twitched. "That sounds insane… but also kind of on-brand, if we're talking about that cheeky bastard."
"Hard to call it a solo when he made an army of clones of himself," Chief Kyouka snorted. "But yes. Technically, he faced all of that without any direct support, wiping out every hostile in the area… except for that humanoid Shuuki, which managed to escape."
This guy was completely insane if he actually pulled that off. No wonder even Himari-chi respected him.
He was one hell of a monster.
"Lightning blasts, fire, super speed, super strength, and legs capable of covering absurd distances in a single leap. Powers he derives from those animal emblems he carries. And now, a cloning ability similar to Mira's," Chief Kyouka listed in a tired tone. "Instead of answers, we're only getting more questions. How many more is he still hiding?"
She let out a quiet sigh. "Even the Supreme Commander doesn't have this many."
Slapping her cheeks sharply, our Chief suddenly shot up from her seat, her fist clenching tight.
"Damn it, just thinking about it makes me want to move," she muttered, stretching her body as if she could no longer sit still.
Our Chief really is sexy.
"Himari!" she called out. "How about a quick spar for a warm-up?"
Himari's eyes lit up instantly, excitement flashing across her face as she sprang to her feet.
"Of course!" she said eagerly, before turning to me. "Yuko, join us—"
"Nope. Let me stop you right there," I deadpanned. "I still have a lot of chores to finish before our planned patrol, and I'm not leaving them for later."
Oi… don't look at me like an abandoned puppy, or I'm seriously going to feel bad.
Shaking my head, I turned away and began gathering the used utensils. Soon enough, Nei-chan joined me, and the two of us started washing the dishes side by side, casually chatting as we worked.
I rolled up my sleeves.
If they were going to train, then I was going to clean the hell out of this dorm.
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Kyouka POV
By the time the planned attack arrived, I stayed in position alongside Yuko, who had already taken on her slave form.
Stationed far from the rest of our unit, I monitored the area through a pair of binoculars, carefully scanning every inch of the battlefield. In the distance, Himari and Shushu stood ready, waiting for my signal to begin.
"That's a lot…" Yuko muttered under her breath. "It'd be bad if some poor mishap victim got caught up in this mess and was sent here."
I smiled faintly and patted her shoulder.
"I know. But that's exactly why we're here. To make sure that doesn't happen, or at least to keep it to a minimum."
"...Yeah."
We exchanged a brief glance, then nodded to each other. Without wasting another second, I raised the walkie-talkie to my lips.
"Give them hell."
The moment my signal went out, everything exploded into motion.
A towering figure rose above the battlefield as Shushu increased her size, her body casting a massive shadow over the swarm below. Without hesitation, she struck first, her fist crashing down like a meteor, crushing a cluster of Shuuki beneath her.
With Shushu taking the lead, Himari didn't fall behind. She opened fire immediately, her weapons roaring to life as a relentless hail of bullets tore through both the wounded and the untouched alike, mowing them down without mercy.
I leapt from my vantage point and landed firmly on Yuko's back, gripping the chain in my hand.
"Go."
At my command, Yuko surged forward. Her limbs moved swiftly and fluidly, far more controlled than before. After undergoing this transformation multiple times, she had grown accustomed to it—no longer awkward, no longer hesitant. Now, she moved like it was second nature.
Unsheathing my sword, I leaned forward as we charged into the battlefield.
We cut through the Shuuki like an unstoppable hurricane.
Any that dared cross our path were cleaved apart in an instant—my katana flashing through the air while Yuko's fists crushed anything that got too close. Our movements flowed together seamlessly, like a perfectly synchronized duo.
Their shrieks filled the air, sharp and endless, but we didn't slow down.
Shushu continued to stomp and pulverize everything in her reach, each step shaking the ground. Himari maintained her barrage from afar, her gunfire relentless and precise.
And me?
I carved my own path through the mess—riding on Yuko's back, cutting down anything that still dared to stand.
They hadn't even been able to properly fuse, thanks to us keeping them spread out. Ideally, letting them merge and finish the job in one devastating strike would have been simpler, but at this pace, we might actually handle the cleanup without relying on that risky move.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly, the numbers of enemies gradually dwindling.
"Looks like the job's nearly done," Himari said cheerfully, stomping down on a cluster of Shuuki. "I'm already starting to get tired, but… it's kind of reassuring."
I smiled at her words, but then a sudden chill ran down my spine. A sharp, primal sense of danger screamed through me.
On high alert, I scanned the area, eyes darting across every shadow and corner.
"Where is it?" I muttered, frowning.
Am I imagining it? Overthinking things?
No. My instincts had saved me more times than I could count. There was no way I was doubting them now.
"All of you!" I shouted, voice cutting through the din of battle. "Stay sharp! Something's coming!"
"What do you mea—" Himari started, questioning my command, but her words were cut short.
Something came shooting toward Shushu like a speeding bullet.
A black, writhing shape.
In the nick of time, she managed to block the attack from striking a vital spot on her torso, but the force sent her crashing downward.
"Shushu!" I yelled, panic rising in my chest.
A laugh rang out—sharp, playful, almost cruel. A woman's laugh, full of delight at the chaos.
"We've come for the fun here, so don't mind us," a voice called, riding atop the very creature that had slammed into Shushu.
The moment my eyes fell upon the creature, everything went red.
My heartbeat started to pound violently, each thud echoing in my ears like a war drum.
"Kyouka-oneechan!"
"Kyouka! Run!!"
Flames engulfed my vision.
The village of my childhood, consumed by fire. Memories I had long tried to bury resurfaced: the screams of my friends and parents, their blood staining the earth, my sister's desperate pleas for help.
I might forget many things in life, but that maniacal grin, that mocking, condescending face… that never changed.
No doubt about it.
That's it. That's the demon that haunted every one of my nightmares.
Gritting my teeth, my chest burning with fury, I let out a scream.
The loudest, purest eruption of rage I had ever mustered in my life.
"UNIHORNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"