"Thank you, Kamen Rider Blade! If it weren't for him, we would have been turned into fertilizer by that Anomaly!"
Seeing the bespectacled tourist rush out from the main hall and grab his arm, Rikuo resisted the urge to slap him with an Ultraman-style backhand.
"You're welcome! It's all thanks to you."
"Is that so? Was it because I helped evacuate the other tourists to the main hall just now? Oh, by the way, my name is Fujiwara Kumata."
"Thanks to you, I wasn't able to sneak attack and take down the Anomaly in one go. You contributed to the fairness of Kamen Rider."
Seeing Fujiwara Kumata freeze, Rikuo shook off his hand. Not wanting to get further entangled with him, he started the Blue Spader and left.
"Wait, Blade, can you sign an autograph for me?"
"Next time, but not sure."
Rikuo started the Blue Spader, using the remaining energy of 9 of Spades to leave quickly. It would be troublesome if he got surrounded by reporters.
...
"Nyamu, the matter is resolved."
After getting far from Musashino City, Rikuo found an empty forest and dispelled his transformation. He called Nyamu.
"Nyamuchi saw the messages from fans and already knows the situation."
"In the future, if something like this happens, still call me immediately, like this. The current intelligence methods are only relatively stable on your side. You consume a lot of data, don't you? Don't even think about doing a hit-and-run; the band will bring you a considerable income later."
"Of course, Nyamuchi isn't a fool; she can distinguish between one full meal and a lifetime of full meals, as long as Mr. Kamen Rider doesn't abandon her. If he abandons her, Nyamuchi doesn't know what she'll do."
After confirming her attitude, Rikuo hung up the phone.
"It's certainly convenient to communicate with people who only care about benefits, but it's really, very boring."
Rikuo sighed softly.
"Although the side effects have been weakened, have I still used too many Undead Cards?"
Rikuo counted. Today, he had already used Undead Card 8 times: once for magnetic manipulation and ice attribute in the morning at Wakaba Takafumi's place, magnetic force upon entering the amusement park, and 5 times for combat and rushing to the scene.
"My body is cold and numb, and I feel sluggish, with weakness in my legs and torso. I can't possibly take the motorcycle home; that would directly expose my identity. I can only leave it in the nearby jungle and summon it when needed."
Rikuo let out a long sigh.
"Ask my adopted son to pick me up? I'm afraid he'll ride his bicycle again... Asking Wakaba Takafumi is definitely not an option; with people like him, I can't show a weak side. It seems there's no one else."
Rikuo, as if by a ghost's whim, opened Sakiko's Line and saw the message she sent: [Are you coming home for dinner tonight? What do you want to eat?] He replied, [I want to eat chicken drumsticks, but I can't go back.] Soon after, Sakiko's call came in.
"Rikuo? Are you injured? Or is it because of the side effects?"
Sakiko's worried voice came through.
"I didn't get any serious injuries. The Anomaly's parasitic penetration ability was destroyed by me immediately. It's just that I used my abilities too frequently today. My body is all worn out, lying like a corpse in the bushes."
"Then, Rikuo, I'll come pick you up. Turn on your location."
"No need, Sakiko, I'll just lie outside for a bit, recover, and then go back."
"How can that be? If you don't turn on your location, I'll dismantle the Gundam model that you just bought a few days ago!"
"Damn it! I painstakingly collected that! Alright, alright, I've turned it on."
"Hmph, wouldn't it have been easier to just do that earlier?"
Sakiko hung up the phone. Rikuo could only lie quietly on the ground, counting stars.
"Speaking of which, the night sky is quite bright today."
...
"I'm sure of it, you must be your dad's biological daughter. And even the same bicycle!"
Sakiko rode her bicycle to Rikuo's side. After parking the bicycle by the road, she helped him up.
"What are you saying, Rikuo? I came over first to give you a change of clothes, thinking you'd probably just be lying by the roadside, and your clothes would definitely be dirty. We can't let others see you like this, right? I've already notified the taxi."
Sakiko carefully wiped the dirt from Rikuo's body and helped him change his jacket.
"I'll change my pants myself!"
Sakiko turned her back, blushing, and Rikuo changed his pants.
"Alright, let's go."
Sakiko supported Rikuo's left arm, helping him walk towards the road.
'Actually, my arm wasn't affected by the side effects, but oh well, this wave isn't a loss!'
...
They got into the taxi. The bicycle was placed in the trunk.
"To..." Sakiko told the driver their destination.
The driver curiously looked in the rearview mirror, but seeing Rikuo's resolute gaze, he chose not to ask anything.
'Could it be a special mission? There seem to be quite a few Anomalies recently! Could it be Japan's special department? The Anti-Anomaly Special Attack Unit?'
In the driver's imagination, they arrived near the apartment.
...
After Sakiko returned the bicycle to her neighbor, the two walked towards the apartment.
"Oh, by the way, starting today, Kiyotsugu and I will live together, and you and Mutsumi will live together. You can't all three squeeze into one apartment, can you?"
"Yes, Rikuo, I thought so too. But for meals, let's all go to your apartment. Father and Mutsumi are both waiting for you."
"Kamiyama Rikuo can also live a life where someone waits for him to come home for dinner."
"Rikuo's father has been away for a long time, hasn't he?"
"My father has indeed been gone for a long time, leaving behind a mess. But he's barely worthy of my approval, as he's already done his best."
Rikuo thought of the fate passed down through the Joker generation and couldn't complain about his departure.
"But, Rikuo, Father, Mutsumi, and I can all be your family! We all like you very much, and you've helped us so much."
"Family? That word feels quite distant, but it's not bad."
Rikuo's impression of his family in his previous life only lasted until shortly after leaving the internet addiction treatment school. Because after that, even if you knew they were doing it for your own good, you would never trust them again, as they had never trusted themselves. His father in this life, though worthy of respect, he had only actually spent half a year with him.
'The word family feels very far from me.'
Seeing Rikuo's emotional expression, Sakiko didn't disturb him, but quietly opened the door.
"Rikuo-kun, welcome home."
"Rikuo, welcome."
Togawa Kiyotsugu and Mutsumi saw the door open and greeted him together, helping Sakiko support Rikuo.
'Although, I used to think it was troublesome to have to say "I'm home" every time I returned home. But now, it might not be so bad? Maybe, this is what family is.'
"I'm home."
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