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When Keitaro served him a cup of green tea and a few rice crackers, Super Rider happily drank the tea and ate the crackers without ever opening his helt or removing his mask.
Sohow, he still managed it, proving he could interact with the world.
"But why couldn’t anyone see you?"
"That skeleton did. I’m guessing only those attuned to the Realm of Magic can see ... or those who truly believe in , like you."
"Then that strength... were you the one making stronger?"
"Hah? ?! Hahahah! What? No, Keitaro. That was all you!"
"...?!"
"You are slowly being shaped into a Super Rider. I know my legacy is nearly forgotten, almost dead... so I want to pass it on to soone like you—soone who never stopped training for it, soone who truly understands what it ans to be a real hero."
"...Super Rider-sama! But... how are you here? What’s happening?!"
"I’m not sure why I’m here either, but I do know one thing. Villains are roaming this country, and monsters are terrorizing innocent people! This nation is crying out for a hero, Keitaro."
Keitaro swallowed hard. He stared at his bandaged hands—the ones he had disinfected and wrapped after punching that massive skeleton monster.
"A hero...?"
He looked down at the floor, eyes brimming with hope and long-buried dreams.
"Can I really... beco a hero, Super Rider-sama?"
"Hahaha! Of course you can, Keitaro! You were born for this! Haven’t you been training your whole life? Now that monsters and threats once thought impossible are real... are you really going to back down?"
"I can’t!"
"Exactly. You can’t. This country—no, this world—needs heroes more than ever. Corrupt criminal families control everything. The ancient mage clans that could help... they do almost nothing unless their own lands are threatened. No one is out there fighting for justice, for the people. No one is even trying to make the world better."
"...I know. I understand that very well."
Keitaro rembered the endless news reports: an entire country on the verge of falling to an invading Undead Army and becoming a Necropolis. Constant clashes between hidden families of magicians and sorcerers who had finally been exposed after First Contact.
And so much more.
The world was in danger, yet those with real power barely lifted a finger.
"If you’ll truly allow ... I will beco a hero."
His determination burned. His eyebrows furrowed tightly.
Keitaro looked ready to take on the entire world if that was what it took to beco like his idol.
"Good."
Super Rider nodded, crossing his arms after finishing the last of the food.
"One thing you must rember: heroes have secret identities! You can’t go around like so celebrity with your face known worldwide, alright?"
"I know! I’ll never beco like those Hunters who do nothing but pose as celebrities..."
"Well said! Now, you need a costu..."
"C-Costu?! Really?!"
"Yes—and a mask too! Hmm... wait, why not?"
"Eh?"
"How about I beco that costu? Look at my body—I’m pretty strange myself. I don’t fully understand it, but I can change form."
"Oooh?!"
Keitaro gasped as Super Rider dissolved into a swirling mass of colors. The mass wrapped tightly around his body, reshaping into a perfect costu complete with mask and everything.
"Uuuooohhhh?!"
Keitaro rushed to the mirror. His eyes widened. Tears of pure joy stread down his face as he stared at his reflection.
"I-I’m...! I’ve beco the Super Rider! UUUOOOHHHHHHHH!!!"
At 7 a.m., Keitaro once again scread like a madman, waking half the neighborhood.
"C-Calm down, Keitaro!"
Super Rider quickly reverted to normal.
"It seems my suit form greatly boosts your power, but we mustn’t rely on it!"
"What?"
"You have to train even harder from now on! With all my experience and knowledge as Super Rider, I will shape you into the perfect hero, Keitaro!"
"UOOOHH! YES! I SHALL FOLLOW YOUR LEAD, SUPER RIDER-SAMA!"
Keitaro dropped to his knees and bowed his head in deep reverence.
"Hahaha! I appreciate it, but no need for dogeza over nothing. Stand up. For now—sleep! You haven’t slept all night, have you?"
"I haven’t... Ah! But my job! I work construction, I should—"
"Your hands are wounded. Tell them you can’t co in for now—they’ll understand. And if they don’t, it doesn’t matter. We’ll find another way to earn money," Super Rider said, his tone calm and utterly reliable.
"O-Okay!" Keitaro nodded. "Anyway... uh, what do I do now?"
"SLEEP!"
"Eek! Okay, I get it!"
Keitaro dove into bed. The mont his eyes closed, he fell asleep like a rock.
Super Rider watched him in silence, a faint smile on his face.
He glanced out the window.
"I don’t know why I’m here, but I know who I am. This man called for when no one else ever cared about him. This city—full of cri, monsters, and evil... We will cleanse it!"
...
Keitaro slept an entire day and woke the next morning convinced it had all been a dream.
"Ah, it’s already 6 a.m... I need to get to work," he yawned. "Hm?"
But soone was in the kitchen cooking eggs. His eyes widened—he thought maybe his mother or grandmother had co to visit.
When he stood up, he saw a tall figure in a full-body tight costu and horned mask staring back at him.
"Ah, you’re awake. Good morning, Keitaro! I decided to make you a protein-rich breakfast to start the day strong."
It was Super Rider!
It hadn’t been a dream—he was real!
And why was he wearing a cooking apron over his costu?
He looked absurd.
Keitaro barely cared.
"S-So it wasn’t a lie? It wasn’t a dream?!"
"Of course it was all real!" Super Rider laughed. "Now get ready, Keitaro! Eat up, then we’re taking the train to the mountains. I’ve already planned your full training regin!"
"I can’t wait!" Keitaro nodded eagerly.
After finishing breakfast, Keitaro raced to the mountains and began the training with Super Rider.
Run up the mountain ten tis!
Fight mountain bears bare-handed and defeat them!
Carry the weight of ten whole trees on your back!
Punch trees until they collapse—at least once a day!
Ten thousand push-ups and sit-ups, followed by a "light jog" of fifty kiloters.
It was utterly insane. Multiple tis Keitaro thought he would die.
But... he was no longer an ordinary human.
And as he endured these brutal demands, slowly...
He began to evolve.
While slipping out to save random people from monsters—beating them down and vanishing—he trained relentlessly for the day he would be needed most.
Even beating low-level thugs barely took effort anymore.
Slowly, that day drew closer.
And all of this unfolded as Tokyo itself transford—countless similar phenona spreading across the world.
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