I listened to a playlist of songs by The Pillows, the same ones I used to play back when I still lived with my dad. Earphones in, MP3 player tucked away, I leaned against the balcony railing and watched the sun sink slowly toward the horizon, my hand resting on the cold guard rail.
Strangely enough, even though I always complained about cold weather, it didn't bother me at all right now. Maybe it was the mood, the quiet atmosphere settling around me. Eh, whatever.
Come to think of it, it had already been over a month since Isadora started living with me, and since we began visiting Mato so I could train and get used to the suit. Honestly, this single month alone held more events than any other period of my life.
Getting dragged into Mato. A mysterious bracelet appearing on my wrist that turned out to be a woman. Being handed the chance to become something greater. Becoming a Kamen Rider for the first time.
And speaking of that woman, even though our start had been strange and rocky, Isadora being pesky, loud, and an absolute riot hadn't made the experience unbearable. Maybe it was even… great, in its own way.
Not that I'd ever say that to her face. Doing so would only invite an endless parade of smugness.
"Meow~~"
Lost in my own spiral of thoughts, I hadn't even noticed the orange cat sitting on the floor nearby, quietly watching the sky as it slowly surrendered to dusk, much like I was.
I blinked, startled, and turned toward it. The cat looked back at me in perfect stillness, as if we'd both just realized the other existed. I must have been far deeper in my head than I thought if I hadn't noticed it sooner.
A collar rested loosely around its neck. A small tag hung from it, the name Reo engraved into the metal.
"Did you get lost, my guy?" I asked.
"Meow Meow."
The cat shook its head, almost as if it understood me, then turned its gaze back toward the darkening sky.
…Okay. I'll just let this one be. If it gets bored, it'll probably wander off on its own.
"Haaa… things are about to get a lot more troublesome from here on out," I sighed.
Isadora had decided it was time for me to start meddling in matters related to the Anti-Demon Force, with or without their consent. Ideally, we wanted to stay on good terms with them. According to her, they would be crucial allies in the conflict ahead, especially against the ones she was growing increasingly wary of.
I still didn't fully understand what she meant about someone watching our movements back when we were hunting Shuuki.
Whatever it was, it wasn't a normal Shuuki. And it certainly wasn't human. It was something far more troubling. She expects that the real main smackdown in Mato would begin the moment these things stopped hiding and started causing actual destruction.
She said she would explain everything to me today. Apparently, she had already pieced together their appearances and features.
Something soft brushed against my legs. I looked down to see the orange cat tapping my knee with its paw, almost as if it were trying to reassure me.
"Meow, meow, meow," it chirped, tail flicking lazily.
"Thanks, my guy," I chuckled. Whoever this cat belonged to, I appreciated the small guy's presence.
The sliding door opened, and Isadora stepped outside.
"Hideo, the chocolate's ready," she said, then noticed the cat. "Oh, a cat."
The cat froze.
It took one look at Isadora, its body trembling as some ancient instinct screamed danger. Without wasting a second, it leaped away, disappearing onto the neighboring balcony.
"You scared it," I said, half amused.
"Eh, not my fault," she replied, flipping her red hair with theatrical pride. "I'm just too fabulous. Anyway, come on. The hot chocolate's waiting."
"Ay," I answered, stepping inside and sliding the door shut behind me.
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Seated at the table, I lifted the mug and took a sip. Warmth spread through me instantly, sinking deep into my chest. Paired with the chilly season, it felt perfect.
Isadora and I let out a satisfied hum at the same time, the world briefly fading into silence.
Once the mugs were empty, we set them down. Isadora's expression shifted, the playful ease vanishing as she straightened.
"Okay," she said. "Can you give me a pencil and some paper?"
Without questioning her, I reached into my bag and handed them over. The moment she got them, she began drawing at a ridiculous speed, her hand barely pausing. When she finished, she pushed the paper toward me and tapped it.
I studied the sketch.
It depicted a woman with a delicate face, almost cute at first glance. Her hair, however, twisted into snake-like tips, tied back with a red ribbon. She wore a kimono, the design simple yet striking.
"Is this the one you were talking about?" I asked, taking the paper from her hands.
"Yes," Isadora replied, crossing her arms. "That's one of the stalkers I've been keeping an eye on."
She had mentioned before that this woman and the rest with her was possibly one of the greatest threats lurking in Mato. Yet looking at the drawing, she appeared harmless. Normal, even aside from the serpentine hair.
I frowned.
Appearances really could be deceiving.
"If I use a combo, what are my odds of actually fighting back?" I asked. Since I'd never tried it before, the question burned at the back of my mind, demanding an answer.
Isadora snapped her fingers without hesitation.
"High," she said, as if stating the most obvious fact in the world. "High enough that you could even kill them." she added, her tone sharpening slightly, "Though, you still need the proper combo for the matchup."
Well, that much was obvious.
Medals weren't something you could just throw around at random. Take my fight against that Unique Shuuki, for example. Using a tiger or an eel medal against it would've done absolutely nothing. The thing's body was built like a fortress. The gorilla medal, on the other hand, made it possible to crack through that toughness with a very refined strategy: hit it until it stopped moving.
The same logic applied in reverse. Bring a gorilla medal into a fight in the water, and you're just asking to drown. In that situation, the eel medal would dominate without question.
There were no useless medals. Only people who didn't know which one to use.
Fail to think critically, pick the wrong core medal for the situation, and you weren't just at a disadvantage.
You were already screwed.
"Never mind that for now. We should focus on the quota and that is earning the trust of the Defense Force, especially Yamashiro Ren, the current Supreme Commander," she said. "Saving the world won't be possible without strong people watching your back."
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After finishing the conversation with her partner, Isadora drifted into her own thoughts, reflecting on other things she had noticed in Mato.
We have a bigger problem than those rats spying on us.
The thought echoed quietly in her mind. True to her curious nature, she had sensed something else while they were there—something far more dangerous. She didn't know where it was located, nor how long it had been hiding, but there was no mistaking it.
Somewhere in Mato, a hidden being lurked.
A presence steeped in immense divinity of death
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Author's Note:
Finally, our wifi came back.