Late afternoon sunlight poured in thick golden rays through the canopy as Team Two returned to the cliffside clearing. The distant calls of spirit beasts echoed faintly in the waning light, but the atmosphere was calm—almost serene.
"We'll shift to coordination training now," Li Wei announced, sliding the Diendriver into place at his waist. "Targeted combat exercises. This time, the Riders take point."
Zhu Zhuqing gave a small nod, brushing a strand of sweat-damp hair behind her ear. Xiao Wu bounced lightly on her toes, her excitement returning with every breath. Ning Rongrong held her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in hand, ready to amplify at a moment's notice.
But as fate would have it, the forest had other plans.
A low hiss vibrated through the clearing, followed by a crunching sound—tree bark stripped clean, as if peeled by invisible claws.
Li Wei's gaze sharpened.
From the far edge of the forest, a long, serpentine form slithered into view. Its body gleamed like burnished obsidian, etched with glistening silver markings that pulsed with internal heat. Fangs curved from a split jaw, and its tail ended in a spiked fan of scales. The beast moved with an unnatural grace, coiling and uncoiling around tree trunks as if it were part smoke, part liquid metal.
'The heck... Is this place curse or something?'
"That's not the same one from this morning," Xiao Wu said, her cheerful tone replaced by wariness. "What is that?"
Li Wei's eyes narrowed. "A Shadowscale Serpent. Over a thousand years old."
Zhao Wuji, standing in the shadows, took a step forward. "That's no mid-tier threat."
Li Wei raised a hand without turning. "Don't worry. Let us handle it."
The great serpent reared back and let out a hollow, warbling screech, its skin distorting the surrounding air with heat shimmer.
Without hesitation, Li Wei manifest the Rider Cards into his hand ready to use it. Each one glowed with a distinct aura, reflecting the era it came from. Entering the card into the sideslot and activate the card before shoot to the front one by one.
[KamenRide: BLACK RX!]
A black Rider clad in a luminous green chestplate and wielding a sword of radiant energy dropped into the field, landing with a thud that cracked the earth.
[KamenRide: BLADE!]
Steel-blue armor with a spade crest shimmered into view. Blade spun his sword once before taking a battle stance, scanning the beast.
[KamenRide: BUILD!]
A crimson and blue Rider appeared in a flash of gear-like particles, shifting his form into HawkGatling, feathers fluttering as a rifle took shape.
[KamenRide: ZERO-ONE!]
Yellow sparks exploded as Zero-One sprinted into the field with a high-speed dash, his glowing red eyes locking onto the serpent like a machine analyzing data.
Four Riders—four legacies.
"Team, engage!"
Zhu Zhuqing was the first to vanish, her Hell Rush skill triggering mid-stride as she paired up with RX, weaving between the serpent's lashing tail and RX's heavy sword strikes. Every time RX forced the beast's head downward, Zhu Zhuqing struck from the blind angle—her claws dragging sparks across armored scales.
"Hell Hundred Claw!"
The serpent shrieked, twisting its body unnaturally to try to strike both of them at once, but RX caught the tail with brute force and hurled it aside.
Xiao Wu leapt into the air, her braid whipping behind her as she coordinated with Zero-One, who was already flickering in and out of close quarters. Every dash drew the serpent's acid breath in the wrong direction, and every impact of Xiao Wu's Waist Bow landed when the beast was distracted.
"Li Wei! It's fast but blind on its left flank after it attacks!" she called.
"Got it!" he replied, already adjusting.
He inserted a BuffRide card into the Diendriver's side slot and shoot out.
[BuffRide: Zero-One!]
A flash of orange light streaked from the barrel toward Zero-One. The Rider's speed spiked—his movements now blurring into streaks of gold as he dodged two successive strikes from the serpent's jaws.
"Rongrong, dual buff. Target Blade and Xiao Wu."
"On it!" Ning Rongrong chanted softly, her pagoda shining brightly as Strength Amplification wrapped around Blade, and Agility Amplification enveloped Xiao Wu in a cool gust of wind.
Blade charged straight in, dancing between the beast's coiling movements. He wasn't the fastest Rider, but now—with Rongrong's enhancement—his evasion took on an almost preternatural rhythm.
He slashed diagonally across the serpent's side, sending a line of cracked scales trailing smoke.
"Blade, switch pattern. Go for the inner jaw fold!" Li Wei shouted, eyes locked on the movement data Build had transmitted through the Diendriver's HUD.
Blade responded instantly, shifting to a side-step feint before thrusting his sword deep into the side of the beast's open mouth.
Build, meanwhile, stood back, his eyes scanning the beast with his analyzer.
"Density of external plating is weakest along the spine, 0.8 meters below the base of the skull," came Build's voice—calm and calculated.
"Perfect," Li Wei said. "Zhuqing, RX, spiral assault. Push it to rear up!"
Zhu Zhuqing vanished again, her movement forming a corkscrew of darkness as she circled upward, slashing and baiting the beast.
RX surged forward, cleaving across its belly and driving it backward. As expected, the serpent reared, roaring in fury.
Li Wei acted.
[Final AttackRide: Diend!]
After slotting the card into the side slot, he then move it toward the snake, taking aim.
The nine Rider Cards floated in front of him, forming a portal of light.
"DIMENSION—SHOOT!"
A beam of radiant blue energy blasted forward, catching the Shadowscale Serpent just as Zero-One blurred across its spine and struck the weak point Build had identified.
The combined impact ruptured the plating. Showing the snake away from here into the forest with just enough force to damage but not enough to kill. He cannot let a beast like this growing backbone and might attack other as this place can be said close to settlement.
The serpent get up and then run away as fast as it can.
"Let it go." Li Wei ask all of them to let the creature. "It already learned it lesson and will not be coming here again as it already know there someone strong at this place. The snake might become other fate spirit ring."
Silence returned.
The forest stilled again.
Zhu Zhuqing landed lightly beside Li Wei, brushing dust from her gloves. "That wasn't in the plan."
"No," Li Wei said with a grin, "but plans change."
Xiao Wu walked over, eyes gleaming with excitement. "That was amazing! You really made the Riders flow with us like a real team!"
Rongrong smiled too, wiping sweat from her brow. "We didn't even need Zhao Wuji to step in."
Zhao Wuji, arms crossed and standing at a distance, gave a small grunt of approval. "That serpent was no joke. Good call adjusting to real-time threats, Li Wei. And all of you—well done."
Li Wei looked over the field—burnt grass, fallen leaves, and scorched tree trunks—then down at his team. They were tired, sweaty, but unbroken. In fact… they were smiling.
He watched as the four Riders slowly vanished one by one, their job complete.
In their place stood a team that no longer needed to be led through every step.
They were starting to lead themselves.