That evening, the halls of the Nine Nights and Five Halls residence buzzed with warmth and laughter.
"I was shocked when Sougo told me that everyone's staying tonight!" Uncle emerged from the kitchen, carrying a tray of homemade cakes.
"To celebrate Gates' return—and Tsukuyomi's too—and since it's Christmas, your friends and I prepared a full Christmas dinner!"
"Our friends?" Zhuang Wu, Gates, and Tsukuyomi exchanged surprised glances. Could he mean… Woz?
As they puzzled over the idea, Ryuga and Ora stepped out of the kitchen, each holding more dishes.
"Uncle, we barely helped at all. You did everything!" Ryuga said modestly.
"Why are you two here?!" Sougo and the others looked at them, stunned.
"Because it's Christmas, obviously! No way I'm missing out on Uncle's cooking," Ryuga grinned, then elbowed his way between Sougo and Tsukuyomi. "Scoot over!"
Sougo was pushed toward Gates as the group tried to rearrange themselves at the table. Whether Ryuga's previous "spoilers" were true or not, one thing was certain: for now, they were all on the same side.
Even Ora, who had once stood as an enemy, seemed to have been "persuaded." She had ditched the usual silver-themed villain attire for something even more silver—turtleneck sweater, skirt, stockings, snow boots—all in shimmering silver hues.
That being the case, no one saw the point in picking a fight. Not now. Not during dinner. Especially since they didn't know whether Ryuga and Ora might turn on them one day. Better to stay cautious.
Ryuga and Ora began digging into the food eagerly, prompting the others to quickly join in, not wanting to be left with scraps.
"Zhuang Wu," Uncle said while secretly pulling something from behind his back, "you've given up being king, right? So which university are you planning to apply to now?"
The "secret" gift in his hand was the familiar cram-school staple: Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Mock Tests.
"University? I'm not going," Sougo replied with a smile.
"Huh?"
"I gave up on being king, yes—but I've given up on exams too," he added with a chuckle.
"…Well, in that case, never mind!" Uncle casually tossed the test book into the trash bin.
Ryuga, still chewing, spotted the book and smirked.
"Hey, Gates, Tsukuyomi," she called out, "did you two digest all the info I gave you last time? Want another spoiler drop?"
"Get lost!!"
The two scowled. Appetite gone. That last spoiler had hit them like a truck—and they hadn't recovered since!
Meanwhile, Ryuga calmly helped himself and Ora to more food. His expression was innocent, but his tactics were obvious.
Gates and Tsukuyomi sulked. It was clear now—Ryuga wasn't eating out of goodwill. She was here to mentally break them with spoilers.
Zhuang Wu, meanwhile, laughed quietly. None of this affected him. After all, Ryuga hadn't spoiled much for him, and the one thing she had revealed—that he might one day become a monster—was already the most important thing weighing on him. Everything else was secondary.
Since that Christmas dinner, Ora's tastes had changed. She refused takeout and instead dragged Ryuga to Nine Nights and Five Halls every day, eating like royalty.
Thankfully, Uncle didn't mind. Sougo had grown up friendless, consumed by his dream of becoming king. So any friends he made were more than welcome—whether to visit, eat, or even stay.
As Ryuga put it, the two of them were part of the "Resistance Army of Freeloaders"—they'd never be slaves, unless food and shelter were provided!
Eventually, at Ryuga's suggestion, they even started learning to cook from Uncle—after all, once they left this world, there'd be no more of his cooking.
The world, as it stood, was nearing its end. And when Sougo destroyed it, Ryuga intended to take Ora and escape.
But that afternoon, as they cleared the table, something unexpected happened. Sougosuddenly collapsed in front of everyone.
"Huh?" Tsukuyomi rushed to catch him, and Ryuga's eyes widened in shock.
What's happening? A prophetic dream? No… it's too early for that.
Puzzled, Ryuga tried to piece it together, while Gates looked on with concern. Nearly two hours passed before Sougo finally came to—and began explaining what he had seen.
"Kamen Rider is a fictional story… on TV," Sougo began, stunning Gates and Tsukuyomi into silence.
Ryuga, however, understood instantly.
This is it—Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Forever.
He hadn't encountered this plotline during his time in the Build world. He had assumed all theatrical releases were part of parallel continuities. But perhaps he was wrong.
So even the movie stories are real here… but why didn't I experience them in Build?
Maybe he had altered the Build timeline too much, unintentionally skipping certain events. There was no use speculating now.
Sougo finished recounting his experience. It was straightforward:
He had entered a so-called "real world" where Kamen Riders were nothing more than fictional characters on TV. But somehow, a fantasy Rider appeared in reality, and Sougo was pulled into the dream-like illusion without knowing why.
"Dream less during the day," Gates muttered.
Ryuga sighed. Gates had a habit—if anything felt like a threat to his worldview, he instantly dismissed it as fake.
Just like he did with her last spoiler dump.
"This wasn't a dream," Ryuga said coolly. "But it wasn't the 'real world' either. It was a parallel world."
"Is there a difference?" Sougo asked, puzzled.
"To us, the 'real world' is the 3D world we physically live in," Ora explained. "If that world Sougo saw was the 'real world,' then this one—ours—is just a fictional 2D space."
"A parallel world is one that runs alongside another, similar but not identical."
As she finished, the door opened.
A new figure entered the room.
Ryuga narrowed his eyes.
It was Kiryu Sento—Kamen Rider Build.
"War Rabbit!" Sougo exclaimed. "You're here too? Then it really wasn't a dream!"
Sento nodded. "Sougo."
"So it really happened," Sougo murmured, rubbing his head in confusion.
Ding!
Tokiwa Sougo has been kicked from the group chat by the group admin!
Ryuga looked at him with deadpan eyes.
"Let me give you a real-world example," he said with feigned patience.
Gates felt a chill run down his spine.
Something told him this was going to be another spoiler bomb—and he wasn't ready.