"Impossible! I clearly froze time! How could you still attack?" Reiji Nogi proved worthy of being the Worm big boss; he was still alive after taking a Rider Kick.
"Because I am the one who truly controls time." Raven lifted his hand. A Hyper Zecter appeared naturally and landed in his palm.
Raven immediately used this Hyper Zecter to transform into Hyper Dark Kabuto Form.
"HYPER CAST OFF!"
Except for the color difference, this form was virtually identical to Hyper Kabuto.
"Maximum Rider Power!" Raven prepared to use the finisher of this state, confident it would instantly kill the current Reiji Nogi.
"1, 2, 3..." Pressing the full-speed switches in sequence, Raven executed his ultimate finisher.
"HYPER RIDER KICK!"
Reiji Nogi, meanwhile, was still in a state of shock, experiencing the first time his Time Stop had been ineffective. He was utterly bewildered.
BOOM!
Thus, accompanied by a tremendous explosion, Reiji Nogi's body was reduced to dust. He appeared to be completely dead.
Raven stood silently on the ground. He knew this was only the first of Nogi's lives. Reiji Nogi was somewhat similar to Jay from the Lucky Clover in the Faiz world, possessing three lives. However, unlike Jay, who grew stronger with each revival, Nogi's abilities actually weakened each time he died. He devolved from his bug-like Time Freeze ability in his first life to the power of replication and absorption in his second, and his abilities weakened even further in his third life, where his body split into two duplicates. Once weakened to this extent, even Gatack or the Hell Brothers could stand a chance against him.
Raven was interested in Reiji Nogi's replication and absorption ability, intending to absorb it when he revived. He thus left the scene immediately.
A few days later, the Worm army launched another assault on various areas, kidnapping numerous Native Worms. They also threatened ZECT, demanding they hand over the last batch of Anti Mimic Bomb in exchange for the Native Worm hostages.
ZECT's high command was instantly thrown into a dilemma. The Anti Mimic Bomb were vital weapons against the Worms, but the lives of the Native Worms were paramount. After all, the entire ZECT organization was created by the Native Worms to protect their own kind.
In the end, Riku Kagami chose to hand over the last three Anti Mimic Bomb to appease the Native Worms. Furthermore, he assigned the task to his own son, Arata Kagami.
In a secret laboratory within ZECT Headquarters, the general supervisor Negishi stood outside a lab, watching Mishima undergoing a transformation experiment. A smile spread across his face.
"It seems he has finally succeeded. The strongest Native Worm is about to be born." Negishi was ecstatic. This was the first time they had successfully created a Native Worm capable of molting through technology. They no longer had to fear the Worms.
Mishima, expressionless, stood up slightly and clenched his fist. He instantly transformed into his Native Worm form, which was already in its molted state. He was the second molted Native Worm in this story, besides Hiyori.
Mishima's fighting power was undoubtedly the strongest; calling him the Strongest Native Worm was no exaggeration. He was capable of breaking the Perfect Zecter's sword and overwhelming both Kabuto and Hyper Kabuto effortlessly. He was a genuine boss-level threat right from the start. This was thanks not only to his own innate power but also to the technology painstakingly researched by the Native Worms.
"It seems the plan can proceed to the next step ahead of schedule," Negishi said, a sinister smile on his face.
His plan involved distributing mass-produced necklaces to humans. He would deceive the unsuspecting public, claiming the necklaces could force nearby Worms to reveal their true forms. Unbeknownst to them, the necklaces had a crucial function: long-term wear would convert the wearer into a Native Worm. Negishi's ultimate goal was to convert all humans worldwide into Native Worms using this method.
It must be said that while Negishi's own strength was pitifully weak, only that of a grunt-level larval Worm, in terms of cunning and the threat he posed to humanity, he was absolutely the most terrifying.
After familiarizing himself with his current power in his Native Worm form, Mishima reverted to his human form, adjusting his glasses in his characteristic manner, and letting out a chilling laugh. Now, he didn't need to be wary of anyone. He was the strongest.
"Whether it's the Worms or Kabuto, I will defeat them all now." Mishima's confidence was overflowing.
On the other side, Tsurugi Kamishiro still hadn't remembered his identity as a Worm, nor did he recall the events that had transpired. He continued living as normal. However, Yuzuki Misaki was troubled. Despite having rejected Tsurugi earlier, he relentlessly pursued her, much to her exasperation.
While at a restaurant, she coincidentally spotted Raven. In front of Tsurugi, she affectionately took Raven's arm, announcing in an authoritative tone:
"I actually already have a boyfriend."
Yuzuki leaned her head against Raven's shoulder, putting on an intimate display. She then whispered to Raven, "Do me a favor and play along."
Naturally, Raven wouldn't refuse such a request. He proactively wrapped his arm around Yuzuki. In his eyes, Yuzuki was already his, and he wouldn't allow anyone else to lay a finger on her.
"No... Impossible. You must be lying to me, right? Wait, you're testing me, putting on an act on purpose!" Tsurugi couldn't accept the reality and burst out.
"It's true! I like him!" Yuzuki responded. She wasn't lying. She merely harbored a one-sided affection for Raven.
Seeing Tsurugi still unconvinced, Yuzuki suddenly mustered her courage, turned, and looked at him with an extremely serious gaze. Without further warning, she pressed her lips onto Raven's.
The kiss was fierce, leaving Tsurugi utterly bewildered. He maintained a frozen, open-mouthed expression and slowly walked out the door, clearly having suffered an immense blow.
"..."
Only after the kiss left her breathless did Yuzuki look at the door and breathe a sigh of relief.
"I'm sorry." She immediately apologized to Raven.
"What good is 'sorry'?" Raven feigned annoyance as he looked at Yuzuki, the corners of his mouth curving into a smile.