Days passed, and life at school only grew harsher for Mei. Every day, students tried to bully her. But every attempt was crushed—sometimes literally—by Kouga and Kiana.
Kouga, however, often went too far. His retaliation left more than a few bullies hospitalized with broken bones. The atmosphere around him grew so heavy that even the teachers and principal, terrified of his glare, dared not do more than issue him half-hearted warnings. Word spread quickly, and both Kouga and Kiana gained a fearsome reputation.
Mei could only bow her head, apologizing to them for the trouble her presence caused. But both Kouga and Kiana dismissed her guilt with firm voices:
"It's fine. Don't worry about it."
Even outside school, the shadow followed her. Most stores shut their doors the moment Mei stepped inside, whispers filling the air. Only a few places dared serve her at all. The weight of isolation grew heavier with each passing day.
Finally, one afternoon, Mei's composure broke. Sitting in their room, tears slipped silently down her cheeks as she whispered:
"What if… what if those rumors are true? What if my father really did those things…?"
Before she could spiral further, Kouga lightly chopped her on the head.
"Don't ever say that again. I know—without a single doubt—that Mr. Ryoma would never do something like that. Not now, not ever. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise."
Kiana leaned in fiercely, fists clenched.
"Yeah! And if anyone dares say something like that again, just tell me. I'll make sure they regret even opening their mouth."
Mei's tears flowed harder, but this time from relief. She fell into their arms as both Kouga and Kiana hugged her tightly. Her voice trembled, but the gratitude in it was clear:
"Thank you… thank you both… for standing by me until now."
That night, after everything that had happened, Kouga noticed how shaken Mei still was. When it was time for bed, Kiana wrapped her arms around Mei without hesitation, holding her close. Normally, Kouga would scold her for not keeping her hands to herself, but tonight… he said nothing. Mei needed this warmth, and he allowed it.
Once the two girls had settled in, Kouga quietly slipped downstairs. His expression hardened as he raised his hand and summoned his candroids. One by one, their mechanical eyes flickered to life, awaiting his command.
"Patrol the perimeter," Kouga ordered. "Except you two—stay in the shadows and keep watch over Mei and Kiana. Nothing happens to them. Understood?"
The candroids chirped in unison, affirming the order.
But Kouga wasn't finished. If he wanted answers, he needed more than a few scouts. Extending his will, he summoned reinforcement: the sleek Plamonsters, nimble Foodroids, and sharp-eyed Memory Gadgets. They assembled before him like soldiers awaiting deployment, silent and loyal.
"Your mission," Kouga said in a low voice, "is to infiltrate ME Corp. No one sees you, no alarms, no trace. Find out what really happened to Mr. Ryoma, and who's pulling the strings. Report back immediately."
The support units emitted faint mechanical tones, then dispersed into the night as they make way to the ME Corp.
Inside the ME Corp headquarters, the infiltration had gone smoothly at first. The Plamonsters crawled along the walls and ceilings, their sharp claws silent as shadows. The Foodroids rolled across the floor, sensors humming, projecting faint interference signals to scramble cameras. The Memory Gadgets scanned documents, discreetly recording files and fragments of conversations.
By the time they reached the executive office, their plan was clear: access the main terminal and pull out any data that could expose the truth behind Ryoma's arrest. One of the Foodroids—a Burgermeal unit—hopped onto the desk, its metallic patty-body unfolding into an interface tool. Tiny connectors extended, preparing to jack into the main computer.
Just before the link was complete—
Click.
The office door swung open.
In stepped a small figure, her steps soft but deliberate. A girl—no older than thirteen—her expression unreadable, eyes cold as she scanned the room.
The Kamen Rider support units froze instantly, vanishing into the corners and shadows. The Plamonsters flattened against the walls, the Foodroids powered down their lights, and the Memory Gadgets stilled mid-flight, hoping to pass unnoticed.
But the girl wasn't ordinary. With a faint gesture, she summoned a massive floating mech that hummed with power as its sensors lit up.
Her lips parted only slightly as she gave the command:"Project Bunny. Attack."
The mech's left arm shifted, and a brilliant beam shot from its cannon, blasting across the office toward one of the shadows where a Plamonster hid. The unit barely managed to dodge, leaping across the room as the beam scorched the wall behind it.
The element of stealth was gone.
With metallic cries, the support robots burst from their hiding places. The Plamonsters lashed their claws, intercepting follow-up blasts. The Foodroids deployed smoke and blinding flashes, filling the room with chaos. The Memory Gadgets swooped in to jam sensors and cover the retreat, capturing every shred of visual evidence before shutting off their scans.
The girl didn't flinch, but her eyes narrowed ever so slightly as her mech swung its arms, firing rapid beams to cut down the intruders. But the support units didn't stay to fight. Their objective was survival—and escape.
Seizing the opportunity, a Foodroid rolled across the floor, deploying a mini smoke bomb. The room filled with a thick haze.
CRASH!
The support units hurled themselves through the executive office's wide glass window. Shards rained down into the night as the robots dove into freefall. The Plamonsters unfurled their limbs to brace the others, slowing descent before hitting the ground below.
Above, the girl stood motionless in the ruined office, shards crunching beneath her shoes. Project Bunny hovered at her side, its sensors glowing red as it tracked the vanished intruders.
She stared silently at the broken window, her face still blank—yet, just for an instant, a faint flicker of something passed through her eyes.
Then it was gone.