The two of them sprinted toward the driver's cabin like leopards on the hunt.
Zhe raised his hand and fired—bang. The lock exploded apart. In the same motion, he whipped out a sharp side kick, and the steel door blasted open with a deafening crash, fragments flying everywhere.
"Don't move!"
Zhu Yuan burst in like a whirlwind, her sidearm cutting a hard, straight line through the air before locking firmly onto the driver's seat.
"You are suspected of hijacking a train, carrying dangerous contraband, and violating the public security laws of New Eridu. Under the authority of the Public Security Bureau, I am now authorized to use force!"
"Surrender and let us see your true face," Zhe said, smoothly shifting his position in tandem with her, crossing his twin pistols to block every possible escape route.
The seat let out a grating screech as it slowly turned.
A strange figure in red and blue came into view, its entire body threaded with flickering circuitry, its mechanical joints glinting coldly in the dim light.
"A Nightmare!"
The two of them spoke in unison, both their voices sharp with shock and vigilance.
"Correct." The monster rose elegantly to its feet and gave a theatrical stage bow. "Allow me to introduce myself, ladies and gentlemen—Bomb Nightmare."
The taunting display made both of them tighten their fingers on the trigger.
"Oh, don't be so tense." Bomb Nightmare raised its hands, metal fingers swaying lightly. "I only wanted to play a little... deadly game with the two of you."
"A game?"
"That's right." The electronic tone in its voice dripped with mockery. "This train's braking system has already been completely destroyed. Right now it's barreling ahead at two hundred kilometers per hour. Very soon, it's going to have an intimate encounter with that freight train coming from the opposite direction. And at the same time, the bomb I planted will detect the impact." It made a little explosion gesture with its hands. "And then—boom! Everyone will turn into the most beautiful fireworks imaginable."
"Deactivate the bomb. Now." Zhu Yuan's gun never wavered.
"That's the game's rule." The Nightmare spread its metal palm. "Go find the bomb I hid. Defuse it, and you win. Otherwise..." It let out a shrill burst of electronic laughter. "Everyone on this train dies with you."
"You bastard..." Zhe clenched his jaw so hard the veins at his temple bulged.
At some point, Zhu Yuan had already switched back into that deep-blue uniform, her gaze locked tightly onto the Nightmare.
At this moment, that flawless Peace Officer had returned.
The barrel of the K22 Pacifier glimmered faintly.
"Before we look for the bomb, I'll finish you first—"
She pulled the trigger without the slightest hesitation.
An ether buckshot round streaked out trailing a blue tailflame.
Boom!
The cabin erupted. Metal shards flew like rain, and a savage hole was torn open through the roof of the train's front carriage.
The Nightmare leapt out onto the exterior of the train like a phantom.
Zhu Yuan gave chase without pause, firing repeatedly. The shots detonated against the outside wall of the carriages in sprays of sparks.
"You're really not going to look for the bomb?" Bomb Nightmare asked while weaving nimbly through the barrage.
"I'll eliminate you first and end it once and for all." Zhu Yuan's voice was as cold as ice.
"How terrifying. Just as expected of the perfect Peace Officer."
The Nightmare snapped its fingers.
Dozens of miniature bombs whirred toward her like a swarm of hornets.
Zhu Yuan twisted and darted through the chain explosions, every step landing on burning fragments of metal, the flames lighting the hard lines of her face.
"Excellent reflexes. But—"
The Nightmare snapped its fingers again.
One tiny bomb silently appeared behind Zhu Yuan, its fuse already ticking down.
At the last possible instant—
Bang!
Zhe's bullet struck it dead on, blasting it high into the air where it exploded harmlessly.
With a flourish, he spun the pistol in his hand and let the spent shell fall with a little clink.
"There's more than one ally of justice, you know."
As the Nightmare's attention flickered toward him, Zhu Yuan quickly loaded another ether buckshot round and pulled the trigger.
A burst of blue detonated across the Nightmare's chest, staggering it backward as bright sparks flew from its damaged mechanical shell.
"We got it!"
"Don't relax. It won't go down that easily."
As expected, the Nightmare soon steadied itself, its damaged body grinding with a harsh metallic screech.
"That really hurt..."
"Stop resisting and deactivate the bomb immediately! Otherwise—"
Before Zhu Yuan could finish, the Nightmare snapped its fingers again.
The entire scene around them warped violently.
"Since you two refuse to play by the rules..." it said, "then I'll just accelerate the process."
From behind them came the shriek of a train whistle—
a sound like the horn of death.
Zhe turned and looked.
The headlights of another train were rushing toward them through the darkness like the eyes of a giant beast. The thunder of metal on metal was already beginning to swell.
"How is that possible?! What did you do?!"
"Hahaha. Instead of asking questions, maybe you should think about what you're going to do. The game is just about to reach its most exciting part."
For the briefest instant, Zhu Yuan froze.
The Nightmare's ugly grin. The cries of the passengers. The two trains about to collide. The hidden bomb.
The pressure hit her from every side like a tidal wave, and for once—just once—she lost her footing mentally.
"So all we have to do... is stop the trains from colliding, right?"
A steady voice suddenly came from behind her.
Zhu Yuan turned.
There was not the slightest trace of panic in Zhe's eyes. Instead, there was only a calm confidence that somehow made people feel safe.
"I'll handle the train," he said, his voice low and solid. "You focus on the Nightmare. Protect the passengers. That's your highest priority, isn't it?"
"But..."
"Trust me."
Zhe smiled slightly, his gaze shining with determination.
"We may be temporary partners, but a partner is still a partner. I'll protect your back."
She had no real reason to believe him.
And yet, staring into those unwavering eyes, Zhu Yuan drew a slow breath, forced down the fear and anxiety inside her, and gave a heavy nod.
"Then I'm counting on you... partner."
Zhu Yuan turned and raised her weapon toward the Nightmare.
Zhe faced the oncoming train.
The two exchanged one glance in the screaming wind, then turned their backs to one another and stepped into their separate battles.
While Zhu Yuan clashed fiercely with the Nightmare, Zhe quietly made his way toward the front of the train.
He slipped the glowing red Impact Capsule from inside his coat and brushed his thumb lightly across it—
Vmmmm—
A surging force instantly flooded through his whole body. Every muscle fiber felt as if it had been awakened.
He lifted his eyes and looked ahead down the tracks.
In the dark, the outline of a switch point slowly came into view.
If he could pull the lever beside the junction before the trains collided, he could redirect the track and avert the disaster.
But to leap from a train traveling at full speed, flip the switch, and land safely—
that was madness beyond anything an ordinary human being could imagine.
Zhe lowered his center of gravity, coiling like a leopard ready to spring.
The gale tore at his collar. The carriage beneath his feet shook violently.
He narrowed his eyes and fixed on the rapidly approaching junction.
Now!
In the final instant before the train reached the switch, Zhe drove off with both legs and shot out of the carriage like an arrow released from a bow.
Midair, he twisted his body and seized the rusted switch lever with his right hand—
Grrrkkk—!!
Metal screamed in protest.
Zhe threw his full weight onto the lever, every muscle in his arms straining like steel cables, veins bulging at his temples.
As the rails slowly shifted beneath the force, he used the momentum to twist and land, boots carving two long trenches into the gravel bed.
BOOM—!!
The first train—C19—barely, barely slid onto the new track.
Its final carriage shrieked past the opposing train's rear by the narrowest margin.
Not stopping for even a second, Zhe immediately heaved the lever back into place so the other train could safely continue along its original route.
"It worked..."
Locked in combat with the Nightmare, Zhu Yuan caught that sight from the corner of her eye.
For the first time, the hard line of her mouth softened into the faintest smile.
She tightened her grip on the K22 Pacifier, her eyes suddenly sharper than blades.
"Now... it's time for us to settle this."
Meanwhile, standing beside the track as the trains thundered away, Zhe watched C19 recede into the distance.
On its roof, Zhu Yuan and the Nightmare were still fighting.
He turned, took out the black transformation belt, and firmly fastened it across his chest.
"Now then—"
He slotted the still-glowing Impact Capsule into the center of the Driver.
[IMPACT!]
"It's time for Kamen Rider to take the stage."
The capsule burst into crimson light.
Blood-red mist spilled from the belt like a living creature and rapidly spread across his body.
Facing the wind head-on, Zhe raised one arm.
His voice was firm as iron.
"Transform!"
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 175)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 119)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter105)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter100)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter79)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter125)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 60
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 40
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 73
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 55
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 66
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 64
The Way the Umamusume Look at 63
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 55
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 45
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 31
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 31
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 31
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