After confirming that Kiana and Mei were safe, Kouga transformed once more into Kamen Rider Ghost, this time donning Musashi Damashii. He rose into the air and phased straight through the hull of the Hyperion until he reached its interior.
The moment his feet touched the metal floor, a voice greeted him with a sharp edge.
"How the hell did you get onto my ship?"
It was the same voluptuous, crimson-haired woman he'd seen earlier. She leaned on her claymore with one hand resting on her hip, her black visor hiding her eyes but not her disdain.
Kouga didn't flinch. "First—how I got here is none of your concern. Second—I want answers."
She snorted but gave a lazy wave, almost as if daring him to amuse her. "Then ask. Let's see if you're worth humoring."
Kouga's eyes narrowed. "You and your people clearly knew what she was. You came prepared with weapons and systems built to withstand Herrscher-level threats. So I'll ask directly: what's your objective here?"
The woman's grin widened, and it only deepened his unease. He already suspected the answer.
"To assess the source of the outbreak," she said casually. "And we found it. That girl is an enemy to humanity. There's a high chance we'll need to eliminate her."
Kouga's hand tightened on his hilt. His voice was steady, but steel ran through it.
"That's not negotiable for me either. You have two choices—leave now… or I'll finish what your so-called mission started."
The woman lowered her claymore from her shoulder and brought it forward, both hands gripping the hilt. Her voice carried the weight of finality.
"Sorry, kid. This goes beyond three children playing soldier."
Kouga's gaze hardened, his voice low but cutting. "Do you really think I'll just stand by and let you kill her?"
The woman tilted her head slightly, visor glinting in the light. "Listen, boy. I'm a veteran of Honkai battles. I've fought horrors that would reduce you to ash in seconds. Monsters worse than anything you've ever faced. And you? You've been busy playing hero with a few beasts and shambling corpses."
Kouga's lips curled into something between a smirk and a snarl. "Well then, Miss Veteran… here's my response."
In a flash, the Gan Gun Saber materialized in his grip, splitting instantly into its Nitouryū twin-sword form. Kouga surged forward, blades whistling through the air.
The woman reacted on instinct, swinging her claymore up in time to intercept. Steel screamed against steel, the impact detonating a shockwave that rattled the chamber and forced her back a step—then another. Her boots skidded against the floor, knees nearly buckling as the sheer pressure of his strike pressed her down.
Her breath caught. "Tch—!"
Kouga leaned in, his face cast in shadow, his voice laced with venom.
"You have absolutely no idea who you're dealing with."
After a series of desperate blocks, Kouga's blade finally cut through the claymore, slicing it apart as if it were nothing. The force of the clash sent the woman stumbling back, barely managing to avoid the fatal blow. Her weapon clattered to the floor in two broken halves.
Breathing hard, she raised her hands in surrender. "Alright," she admitted, her tone calm but edged with frustration. "You've made your point. Let's make a deal before things get worse for both of us."
Kouga kept his sword leveled at her, his anger and exhaustion burning in his eyes. "You're going to kill her," he spat. "What kind of deal do you think we could possibly make after that?"
The woman lifted her hands to the back of her head, adopting a casual, almost mocking stance. "My mission wasn't to fight Honkai beasts, much less Herrschers. I thought I could deal with the problem, but I'm not about to risk my crew for this."
Kouga's body trembled with exhaustion, every breath heavy, but his eyes stayed locked on her. He raised one of the Gan Gun Sabers in Nitouryu mode and leveled the blade at her.
"If you're lying to me," he said, his voice low and sharp, "you can run, you can fight, you can do anything in your power. But know this—if anything happens to those two girls, I will hunt you and your crew to the ends of the world. Nothing will stop me. Do you understand?"
A bead of sweat rolled down the woman's cheek despite her effort to look unfazed. "Crystal," she answered quickly.
"Good." Kouga let the word hang in the air before his strength finally gave out. His form dissolved back to normal as the armor of Kamen Rider Ghost Musashi Damashii faded away. The sabers clattered to the floor, and he collapsed, meeting the cold surface of the ship before darkness swallowed him.