Amber skidded to a halt,
her boots kicking up a cloud of dandelion seeds.
She stared at the scorched, circular crater on the grass, then at the strange, high-tech belt strapped to Leo's waist.
"I saw a giant... glowing grasshopper from the Starfell Lake lookout!"
she panted, her hand hovering over her bow. "And then a flash of light. Was that you?
Are you a Vision bearer?
I've never seen armor like that—it looked like it was made of... stars and metal?
"Leo took a deep breath, his heart still drumming against his ribs from the Rising Hopper adrenaline spike.
He looked at the red-clad Outrider, then down at the Zero-One Driver.
It felt heavy, cold, and entirely out of place in this high-fantasy world.
"I'm just a passing-through Kamen Rider," Leo said, leaning into the cool-guy persona to hide how much his hands were shaking.
"Don't humiliate your memory by forgetting it."
Amber blinked, tilting her head until her ribbon ears flopped.
"Kamen... what? Is that a title from the Sumeru Akademiya? Or maybe some secret society in Fontaine?
They're always building weird Machine things there.
"[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[CURRENT RP: 500]
[NEW SPIN COST: 400 RP]
[WOULD YOU LIKE TO ENGAGE THE ROULETTE?]
Leo glanced at the HUD.
He was internally screaming.
He'd survived a swarm of slimes and an Eye of the Storm, but the "Rising Hopper" data was already flickering.
If a real threat—like a Fatui Harbinger or a dragon—showed up, he'd be a sitting duck with only one form. He needed more options.
Do it, he thought. Spin the wheel.The icons blurred in his vision, a neon strobe light of history. Symbols flashed past: a flaming hawk, a deck of cards, a silver wolf, and finally—a stylized, crimson beetle with sharp, angular wings.
[SYSTEM UNLOCKED: KAMEN RIDER KABUTO!]
[EQUIPMENT GRANTED: KABUTO ZECTER / RIDER BELT]
"Hey! Are you even listening?"
Amber asked, waving a hand in front of his face.
"I need to escort you to Mondstadt. Unusual travelers with 'mechanical Visions' need to be registered with the Knights, especially with Stormterror acting up lately."
"Right, Im in Mondstsdt . Lead the way, Outrider Amber"
Leo said, his fingers brushing a new, heavy metallic beetle-shaped device that had appeared in a holster at the small of his back.
The walk toward the city was tense. Amber talked about the "City of Freedom" and the recent windstorms, but Leo's focus was on the HUD.
Unlike Zero-One, which felt like high-speed cybernetics, this new Kabuto data felt... different.
Heavier. More deliberate.As the massive stone bridge of Mondstadt came into view, the peace shattered.
A frantic guard, Lawrence, came running toward them from the side gate.
"Amber! Thank the Archons!"
he shouted, pointing toward the lake shore.
"A group of Abyss Mages has set up a blockade!
They've got a Cryo shield we can't break through, and they're freezing the lake to trap the merchant carts!
"Amber notched an arrow, her face hardening."
I'll try to melt the shield with Pyro, but if there's more than one,
I'll need you to draw their fire, Leo!"
Leo stepped forward, his boots crunching on the gravel.
He didn't reach for the Zero-One Driver. Instead, a simple silver belt materialized around his waist.
"Actually," Leo said, catching a red mechanical beetle as it flew out of a digital rift and into his palm.
"I'll handle the timing."
He clicked the Kabuto Zecter into the belt.
[HENSHIN!]
Heavy, thick silver plating slammed onto his body, encased in a bulky, tank-like suit.
Masked Form.
Amber dropped her bow, her jaw hanging open.
"You... you're a walking fortress now?! How are you going to hit anything in that?"
"Wait for it,"
Leo muttered. He pulled the horn of the beetle on his belt.
[CAST OFF!]
The heavy armor plates exploded outward with the force of a grenade, shattering a nearby Cryo-icicle into dust.
Underneath was a sleek, crimson-and-black suit with a singular blue eye-visor.
[CHANGE BEETLE!]
"Grandmother told me this," Leo said, pointing one finger toward the sky as the Abyss Mages prepared to teleport.
"I am the man who walks the path of heaven, to rule over all."
He tapped a button on the side of the belt.
[CLOCK UP!]
To Amber and the guards, Leo simply vanished. To Leo, the world turned into a frozen photograph.
Raindrops hung suspended in the air. The Abyss Mages were mid-giggle, their lips barely moving.