A few hours later, the rain had finally stopped. The air outside was fresh, but inside…
[Body reconstruction has been completed.]
[Deactivating anesthesia.]
Ritsuka jolted upright in bed, eyes wide. "Haah… haah… damn, that pain was something else. I'm never doing that again."
[I warned you, Host.]
He sniffed the air—and immediately recoiled. "What the hell is that smell?! It's like… rotten garbage and something died in here!"
[The odor is from your body. All impurities were expelled during reconstruction.]
Ritsuka leapt up and bolted to the bathroom, stripping off his clothes as he ran.
Moments later, the hot shower steamed up the bathroom, washing away the stench.
"Hot baths really are the best," he muttered, soaking in the warmth.
As he relaxed, his gaze fell on his hand—and froze.
"Wait a second… where's the scar? The one I got as a kid playing with that knife?"
[Your body is in self-healing mode. All physical damage has been healed.]
"Like in sci-fi movies, huh… That's insane."
[Any internal or external injury caused by external force can be healed quickly. However, severe blood loss or decapitation will take longer due to required cell division.]
"Still, that's amazing… Oh right, about the Kamen Rider Core data. I can actually use all those functions?"
[Correct. Host may access every function described in the instruction manual.]
"I'll test it later," Ritsuka said, stepping out and drying off.
As he passed the mirror, he stopped—again.
"Wait… I look totally ripped?! When did I get abs like these?"
[Body reconstruction has enhanced your muscle structure and removed excess fat.]
"Not complaining!" He chuckled, throwing on clean clothes.
A quick glance at the clock. "3 AM already?"
He sat on his bed and glanced upward. "Hey, System... uh, Sakura. Can I call you that? You sound a bit too human to just be 'System'."
[Registering the name: Sakura.]
"…You're no fun," Ritsuka muttered with a grin.
He pulled out his homework and grabbed his math book.
Then he paused. "Sakura… you said you can transfer martial arts to my brain. What about… this book?"
[I can scan and transfer its contents, including understanding of all formulas and concepts.]
"Seriously? Just like that?"
[Please flip through the pages so I can scan them.]
"Alright then… Starting now."
He quickly flipped through the entire book.
"Done."
[Scanning complete. Transferring data… Do you accept?]
"You scanned all 358 pages? That's crazy. Yeah, go ahead."
[Transfer complete.]
A brief wave of dizziness hit him—then passed.
"Not as bad as before," he said, blinking.
Suddenly, every formula, theorem, and chapter clicked into place in his mind.
"I... I get it. I actually understand all of this."
He flew through his homework, completing everything in just 20 minutes.
"Sakura, can you scan my other textbooks too?"
[Scanning possible.]
One by one, he flipped through the rest—science, history, literature. Each time, information flowed into his brain like pouring water into a glass.
"I can ace any exam now. Hell, I could probably rewrite the textbooks."
[Some textbook data had minor errors. I corrected them during transfer.]
"Corrected!? Sakura… with you, I could literally change the future of this world."
Stepping outside, Ritsuka took a deep breath of the fresh, post-rain air.
The garden was damp, but still there. He noticed the plants his grandfather loved.
"Damn, they're a mess. Sorry, grandpa… I'll fix this."
He knelt down, reorganizing the garden with ease, his hands strong and precise.
"…Wait. Now that my body's reconstructed, I should be able to use martial arts properly, right?"
[Your body is now in optimal condition for advanced martial arts performance.]
He stood up, took a stance, and executed a fluid karate combination—twenty precise moves, one flowing into the next.
Powerful footprints imprinted into the damp earth beneath him.
Ritsuka stared, stunned. "...This feels like something straight out of a movie."
[Host, your body unconsciously used mana from external surroundings.]
"Mana? You mean like mana circuits in system data?"
[Correct. Your body now possesses active mana circuits. They were fully unlocked during the body reconstruction. You should be able to sense them now.]
"Let me try, then..."
Ritsuka closed his eyes and focused. Within moments, he could feel the faint pulse of energy coursing through his body, like a hidden river flowing beneath the surface.
"...Whoa. This is real. I can feel it clearly."
[You are now capable of using basic magecraft and more advanced systems depending on future upgrades.]
"Okay, that's enough testing for now. Let's finish this work first." Ritsuka didn't actually cared about it because both system and he doesn't know how to use magecraft.
He resumed working in the garden, rebuilding the small plots and realigning the flower beds with strength and care. Just then, his grandfather came out and noticed the neat garden.
"You've done a great job, Ritsuka," his grandfather praised with a warm smile.
Ritsuka grinned and wiped the dirt off his hands. "Thanks, Grandpa. By the way, I'm heading out for a while today, so I won't be around for lunch."
"Alright. Be safe."
After changing into fresh clothes and putting on his shoes, Ritsuka left home and started wandering the streets of Tokyo, keeping an eye on the live news updates through his phone.
"So far… nothing. Seriously, no crimes happening in broad daylight?"
[Criminal activities tend to decrease during daylight due to public visibility.]
"Sakura, can't you just give me a regular mission instead? At this rate, I'm gonna start hoping for someone in a ski mask to jump out. At least that'd be something."
[Negative. Kamen Rider missions are permanent and must be accomplished through your actions.]
"Yikes, alright… Let's check out the quieter parts of town. Crimes usually happen where there are no eyes to see."
He began walking toward a lesser-populated district. As he turned into a side street, he noticed a dog barking near the road. It was limping, its leg visibly injured.
[Scan complete. The dog is requesting help.]
"Wait, you can understand dog language?"
[Not exactly. I analyze facial expressions and muscle tension, allowing me to interpret intent. This dog was recently kicked. It should recover within a few days.]
Ritsuka slowly approached and crouched beside the dog. "Hey there, buddy. I won't hurt you…"
The dog sniffed him, then barked and motioned toward a dark alley. Curious and concerned, Ritsuka followed it. As he turned the corner, his eyes landed on a sealed box dumped in a pile of garbage.
[Warning: Human life detected. A six-year-old girl is inside. She is in critical condition. Immediate action required.]
"What…?!"
He rushed forward, hands trembling. The box was tightly sealed, as if someone had deliberately tried to ensure no air got in. With a shout, he tore it open using his enhanced strength. Inside lay a frail girl with long black hair—unmoving and barely breathing.
"Who the hell would do this to a child?!"
[Cardiac arrest imminent. A defibrillator is required within seconds.]
"Sakura! I don't have time to get one! What do I do?!"
[Place your hands on her chest. I will release a controlled electric pulse.]
He didn't hesitate. He pressed his hands against her small chest.
[Charging… Delivering shock—now.]
A jolt surged from Ritsuka's palms. The girl's body twitched—then slowly, she gasped.
She was breathing.
"…Thank God…"
[Mission: Save One Life — Completed.]
[Reward: 100 Points, 1 Draw Ticket Acquired.]
Relieved, Ritsuka picked up the girl gently. The dog followed closely behind.
"I can't just leave her here... What if whoever did this comes back?"
Not knowing who to trust or where to go, Ritsuka made the decision.
"…First, I need to get her somewhere safe."
He turned and headed home—this girl and the dog now under his protection.
Ritsuka stood inside the house, the little girl wrapped tightly around his arm as he explained everything to his grandfather.
"…And that's how I found her. Sealed inside a box, barely alive."
His grandfather remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded, placing a hand on Ritsuka's shoulder. Ritsuka put the girl on mat.
"You did good, Ritsuka. Real good."
The girl sat quietly on the tatami mat, with the dog—now named Jerry after the nameplate on its collar—lying beside her, nursing its injured leg. The girl hadn't said a word. She stared at the floor, trembling, her tiny hands still gripping Ritsuka's shirt as though he was the only thing keeping her grounded.
"She's scared," Ritsuka murmured, glancing down at her.
[Correct. She is suffering from post-traumatic stress-induced amnesia. She cannot recall her name, identity, or the incident.]
His grandfather crouched in front of her and tried to smile warmly. "Hello, little one. You're safe here, alright? No one's going to hurt you."
But as soon as he leaned closer, the girl flinched and hid behind Ritsuka.
"…She's terrified," Grandpa whispered, sighing. "She's got blue eyes… just like you. Rare ones."
Ritsuka blinked, noticing it for the first time. Her eyes—clear, pale blue—looked eerily familiar.
"They're beautiful… but sad," Ritsuka said softly.
Then Grandpa stood. "We need to go to the police. Whoever did this has to pay. We'll get justice for this little girl."
He then noticed the collar on the dog and read the name aloud. "Jerry, huh? At least we know her pet's name."
As they were talking, the TV in the background suddenly changed to breaking news.
{{ "We bring urgent news: the daughter of Hinata Harato, recently assassinated Yakuza boss of the Hinata group, has reportedly been kidnapped. Police sources claim the girl disappeared hours after his death. Multiple Yakuza factions are in disarray and have launched city-wide hunts. Chaos spreads across Tokyo as the balance of the underworld collapses…"}}
The room went silent.
"…Yakuza?" Ritsuka said, his heart skipping a beat. He looked down at the girl. Her hands had started trembling violently. Her breathing picked up.
"She's… she's the daughter?"
[Confirmed. Based on matching facial recognition with restricted Yakuza records. Her identity is Hinata Airi, age six. The last living blood relative of Hinata Harato.]
"…This changes everything," Ritsuka muttered.
"I have to go to the police—tell them the truth about what happened to her."
But his grandfather's expression turned deadly serious. "No. That's exactly what the killer wants."
"What?"
"Think about it. This news? It's a setup. Whoever killed her father spread that lie—to make it look like she was kidnapped. But no Yakuza group would ever leak something that personal to the media. They value silence above all."
"So, the killer…"
"Is waiting. Probably at every police station. The second you walk in, they'll move to erase you and take her back—or worse."
Ritsuka clenched his fists. "Then what do we do? We can't just hide her forever."
"We take her to a public hospital," Grandpa said. "Have the doctors treat her. Then you call the police to that hospital. In public. With eyes all around, the killer won't dare strike."
Ritsuka nodded. It was the safest route.
"I'll go alone. You stay here and look after Jerry. He can't walk right now."
"Be careful, Ritsuka. She's not just some kid anymore—she's the key to something much bigger."
Ritsuka lifted the girl into his arms. She clung to him without saying a word, but he felt her small body relax ever so slightly.
"…It's okay," he whispered. "I'll keep you safe."
And with that, Ritsuka stepped out into the world again—now not just as a hero, but as a protector of a fragile life that had already lost so much.
---
The hospital room was quiet save for the faint beep of the medical equipment. Ritsuka sat by the bed, watching over the little girl as the doctors treated her wounds.
He had just finished telling the attending physician everything—how he found her, the condition she was in, the dog, the news. The doctor, an older man with sharp glasses and calm eyes, had listened closely before nodding.
"…I'll help you," he said. "I promise."
Ritsuka exhaled in relief. "Thank you."
The girl, still pale and shaken, refused to let go of Ritsuka's hand. He leaned in and tried lightening the mood.
"You know, back at school, they said I had the best jokes. Wanna hear one?" He cleared his throat, trying to force a smile. "Why did the mage cross the road? …Because he ran out of mana on the other side!"
The girl didn't laugh. Her eyes didn't even flicker.
[Host, that joke statistically ranks in the bottom 8% of effectiveness. Even a penguin wouldn't laugh.] Sakura's voice echoed in his mind, playfully judgmental.
"…Ouch. Not helping, Sakura."
But just then, something else caught his eye.
Across the corridor was a blood donation center. Ritsuka tilted his head.
"I'll be right back."
He gave blood. It was a habit—something ingrained in him over the years. Whether it saved lives or not, he felt it was the least he could do.
A few minutes later, the doctor returned. His face, however, was tense.
"There's been a development," he said quietly. "Police have received an order. Shoot on sight."
Ritsuka's body froze.
"…Shoot who?"
"You."
His heart pounded. "Then they're really in on it. They want the girl dead too."
The doctor nodded grimly. "You're being hunted for saving the girl. By more than just criminals now."
There was a pause. Then the doctor smiled awkwardly. "But… on the bright side, congratulations! You've won a lucky prize from your blood donation!"
[Host, that is 80% a lie. Facial muscle analysis confirms forced smile, narrowed eyes, delayed blink. High chance of deception.]
Ritsuka narrowed his eyes. "What are you trying to say? Are you working for the killer too?"
The doctor chuckled, raising both hands. "Not quite. Actually, I want you, not the girl. Though the part about the police was true—they will shoot you both if given the chance."
"…What?"
The doctor's tone turned serious. "I represent a special organization. We need someone like you. Someone with potential as mage. I can send you both to Antarctica. A safe zone. Away from all this. But only if you agree to join us."
"Antarctica?" Ritsuka repeated. "I don't even know how to use magecraft."
"You'll learn. We'll train you. You'll be joining Chaldea, an organization that monitors the fate of the world itself."
[Host, his sincerity level is at 90%. He's not lying expect 10%.]
Ritsuka looked down at the girl. She was finally asleep, breathing calmly.
"…I'll do it," he said. "I Just want her to be safe."
"Good," the doctor said with a smile. "you both will leave tonight. Leave everything to me"
Before leaving, Ritsuka made one last call to his grandfather. He explained everything—well, the parts he could.
His grandfather was quiet for a long time.
"You've always walked a strange path, Ritsuka. Just promise me one thing: don't lose yourself out there."
"I won't," Ritsuka replied. "I promise."
[To be continued…]
---
Note: I want to write Ritsuka as daddy type hero. So i brought this plot and Airi here. And ofcourse Olga will mommy to Airi. Much like Spy x family type emotional slice of anime type story.