NOVEL NEXT Chapter 14: Aaron vs Michinaga (14)
POV change.
Aaron comfortably lounged on the couch, his attention focused on the flashing screen before him. An edgy emo kid appeared, spouting threats about destroying the world and crushing every Kamen Rider. Aaron nonchalantly dismissed the threat, not paying it much attention. He had his own project to complete, working on a copy ID Core that would help him improve his memory.
Suddenly, the screen switched on, displaying Tsumuri's face. She requested Aaron's presence to meet with the other Kamen Riders. Confused, he glanced around the room, realizing that he was the only person present besides Tsumuri.
"Why am I here when nobody else is?" Aaron asked, puzzled by the situation.
Before he could voice his thoughts further, a light appeared above his head. Almost instinctively, Tsumuri placed her hand over his lips, silencing him. Aaron, ever the playful one, commented, "For someone so cold, you sure do have soft and warm fingers."
Tsumuri sighed, seemingly accustomed to his antics, before handing him a buckle. "Oh, how considerate of you, giving me something. Is this your way of telling me you have a cru—" Aaron attempted to say, only to be cut off once again.
"Nope, this was a gift from your sponsor," Tsumuri clarified, extinguishing any hopes Aaron had of a personal connection.
Disappointment briefly crossed Aaron's face, but he quickly concealed it, responding, "Well, I guess I'll say thanks then. Anyway, I have some stuff to do." With those words, he walked away, his attention shifting to his own tasks.
Time skip.
Aaron lay on his back, engaged in a battle with a Jamato. The creature spoke in its incomprehensible language, but Aaron paid no heed. He opened his watch, matching the Jamato language with the translation file he had come across earlier.
As the translation completed, a tick mark formed on Aaron's forehead. "God, fuck yourself," the translation read. Without wasting a second, Aaron swiftly eliminated the Jamato, before hearing the scream of a teenager coming from somewhere nearby.
Meanwhile...
"The Zombie buckle is mine!" Michinaga declared, relentlessly pummeling Sae. "What the hell are you doing?" Sae exclaimed, bewildered and hurt by the unprovoked attack from someone who appeared to be a fellow Kamen Rider.
"Give it back!" Michinaga demanded, continuing to beat on Sae, his rage consuming him. Neon intervened, trying to stop him, but he brushed her aside, resuming his assault on Sae.
Two familiar figures observed the fight from a distance. Their attention was caught by the appearance of a dark-skinned teenager, casually walking toward the scene with a hand resting on the back of his head.
POV change.
"Daaamn, Sae, he's really beating your ass," Aaron remarked, his jovial mood evident as he watched Michinaga relentlessly attack Sae.
"Who the hell are you?" Michinaga finally took notice of Aaron's presence.
"Call me Aaron," he replied, flashing a smile.
"Sae, you seem to have seen better days," Aaron commented, observing Sae's bruised and battered transformation state.
"Help me," Sae pleaded, swallowing her pride to seek assistance.
"I didn't hear that. Can you say it again?" Aaron teased, acting as though he hadn't heard her plea.
"Master, please help your little servant," Sae reluctantly repeated, her voice laced with a mixture of desperation and humility.
Aaron grinned before transforming into his Kamen Rider form. Michinaga immediately launched an attack, but instead of utilizing the buckle he had received from his mysterious sponsor, Aaron opted to use the contraction buckle. He swiftly immobilized Michinaga, pinning him to the hard concrete floor, severely restricting his movements.
"That was easy. Wait, aren't you the guy on TV who claimed he would crush every Kamen Rider? Hahaha, that's hilarious. You look as edgy as I expected," Aaron remarked, breaking into laughter.
"Do you think this is funny?" Michinaga seethed with anger.
"Yes, I do. You're absolutely hilarious. You act like one of those teenagers who get rejected by their crush and turn all emo," Aaron quipped, wiping away an imaginary tear from his mask.
"Once I get out of this, you're done. I will crush you," Michinaga threatened, his fury intensifying.
"And what are you going to do once you get out? Scream at me, hoping my eardrums burst? Or speak into my face, hoping your bad breath takes me out? My friend, you need some proper hygiene," Aaron replied casually, showing no signs of being intimidated.
He then retrieved the Zombie buckle he had taken from Sae and approached her. "See, it worked when you said please," he said, a playful tone underlying his words.
Although Sae's pride had taken a beating, she understood the importance of her family's safety. With great effort, she swallowed her pride and accepted the buckle. She dashed away with Neon following closely behind.
Neon's gaze lingered on Aaron for a moment, curiosity and uncertainty swirling in her eyes. She knew she could trust him to some extent, but she couldn't help but wonder what he had done to Sae to elicit such a reaction. (A/N: We won't delve into that.)