Seeing Caelus's mind desperately trying to reboot itself after that introduction, Kouga—in his divine form—couldn't help but chuckle.
Kouga: "Yeah, that's usually the reaction."
With an amused shake of his head, he stepped closer and snapped his fingers right beside Caelus's ear.
Snap!
Caelus blinked.
Once.
Twice.
His eyes slowly regained focus.
Then he saw Kouga standing directly in front of him.
The overwhelming divine presence.
Caelus immediately launched himself backward several feet.
Kouga barely had time to react before—
CRASH!
Caelus threw himself face-first into the ground so hard that cracks spread across the earth beneath him.
Kouga could vaguely make out panicked gibberish.
Caelus: "Pleasedon'tpunishme!I'msorryforfailingtorecognizeyourgreatness!Ididn'tknow!IswearIdidn'tknow!Pleasehavemercy!"
Kouga stared.
Then sweatdropped.
Kouga: "...Where did all of this even come from?"
Walking over, he grabbed Caelus by the collar and effortlessly hauled him back to his feet.
Kouga: "Okay, okay. That's enough."
Caelus immediately snapped to attention.
Standing perfectly straight.
Arms at his sides.
Caelus: "Yes, sir!"
Kouga pinched the bridge of his nose.
Kouga: "Please stop acting like I'm about to smite you."
Caelus: "Yes, sir!"
Kouga: "...That wasn't an order."
Caelus: "Sorry, sir!"
Kouga sighed.
This was going to take a while.
Eventually he decided to move on.
Kouga: "Anyway, the reason I showed you this form is because you've somehow managed to absorb a portion of my power."
The moment Caelus realized what that meant, he immediately opened his mouth to apologize.
Kouga already knew where this was going and raised a hand.
Caelus froze.
Kouga: "No. You are not apologizing for that."
Caelus closed his mouth.
Kouga nodded approvingly.
Kouga: "Good."
He crossed his arms.
Kouga: "The reason I'm telling you this is because I want to teach you how to use it."
Caelus blinked.
Caelus: "Teach me?"
Kouga nodded.
Kouga: "I've seen how you act."
Kouga: "When that girl, March 7th, was in danger, you threw yourself in front of her without hesitation."
Kouga smiled slightly.
Kouga: "That tells me enough."
Kouga: "You're a good kid."
Caelus looked genuinely surprised by the praise.
Kouga continued.
Kouga: "Which is exactly why I'd rather teach you how to use this power before you accidentally destroy a solar system."
...
Silence.
Caelus stared.
Caelus: "...A solar system?"
Kouga nodded casually.
Kouga: "At minimum."
The color immediately drained from Caelus's face.
Kouga continued as if discussing tomorrow's weather.
Kouga: "Possibly more if things go really wrong."
Caelus somehow became even paler.
Kouga: "Granted, that's unlikely."
Caelus did not look reassured.
Kouga: "Probably."
Caelus looked even less reassured.
Kouga: "...Hopefully."
At this point, Caelus looked one sentence away from fainting.
Kouga finally sighed.
Kouga: "The point is, I'm going to teach you how to use it."
Kouga raised a hand.
Kouga: "First, hold out your arm."
Caelus immediately complied.
Kouga placed his hand over Caelus's.
The moment their hands touched—
Caelus felt it.
Warmth.
A gentle golden warmth hidden deep inside his body.
It felt comforting.
Like a flame that had always been there.
Kouga slowly withdrew his hand.
Yet the warmth remained, that golden power flowing through every part of his being.
Kouga smiled.
Kouga: "Do you feel it?"
Caelus slowly nodded.
His eyes were wide with amazement.
Caelus: "Yeah..."
Kouga: "Good."
He pointed toward Caelus's chest.
Kouga: "Now imagine releasing it."
Caelus listened carefully.
Kouga: "Don't force it."
Kouga: "Think of it like breathing."
Kouga: "You breathe in."
Kouga: "Then you breathe out."
Kouga: "Do the same thing with the energy."
Caelus nodded.
Then he closed his eyes.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then golden light burst from his body.
The energy surged outward.
Armor began materializing around him piece by piece.
Metal formed over his body.
A helmet took shape.
The transformation completed in seconds.
When the light faded—
Ganbarider stood where Caelus had been.
For several moments, he simply stared at himself.
He looked at his hands.
His armor.
His body.
Then back at his hands again.
Caelus: "Cooooollll..."
Kouga couldn't help smiling.
Then he deliberately coughed.
Kouga: "Ahem."
Caelus immediately looked over.
Kouga pointed behind himself.
Kouga: "As exciting as your first transformation is, we should probably leave your subconscious first."
Caelus rubbed the back of his helmet awkwardly.
Caelus: "Right..."
Kouga chuckled.
Then he snapped his fingers.
Instantly the two found themselves back inside the simulated room aboard Herta Space Station.
At the same time, Kouga's divine appearance vanished.
The silver armor disappeared.
His silver hair returned to its usual red color.
Both eyes became red once more.
Within moments, he was once again the Kouga Hayata that Caelus had first met.
Unfortunately for Caelus, now he knew exactly how absurdly terrifying that seemingly normal man actually was.
A screen suddenly appeared in front of Kouga and Caelus.
Herta's message rapidly scrolled across it.
Herta:
- What was that?! Why is Caelus suddenly wearing some strange armor?! What did you do?! Why are there completely unregistered energy signatures appearing throughout the simulation?! This isn't even remotely related to Akivili's data! Explain yourself! -
Kouga sighed.
Clearly, Herta was having a difficult day.
Kouga folded his arms and addressed the floating screen.
Kouga: "So then, Herta. What do people usually do to gain the attention of an Aeon?"
There was a brief pause.
Then the screen refreshed.
Herta:
- Hmph. Normally? There isn't a reliable method. Aeons are incomprehensible beings who operate according to their Paths. Most people spend their entire lives without ever attracting an Aeon's attention. -
The text continued.
- However, if someone acts in accordance with a particular Path strongly enough, they may eventually draw an Aeon's gaze. In rare cases, an Aeon may acknowledge them and grant them a blessing, making them a Pathstrider. -
Another line appeared.
- Why are you asking? What does this have to do with the walking anomaly standing next to you? -
Kouga nodded thoughtfully.
Then he asked another question.
Kouga: "Is there an Aeon that embodies memories?"
The screen immediately refreshed.
Herta:
- Of course there is. The Aeon of Remembrance, Fuli. -
More text appeared.
- Fuli records and preserves memories throughout the universe. Every civilization, every life, every event, every story. Nothing escapes the gaze of Remembrance. -
Another line followed.
Though why you're suddenly asking about Fuli is another question entirely. -
Kouga nodded in satisfaction.
Kouga: "Good."
Then he turned toward Caelus.
Kouga: "Now, Caelus. I want you to think about this name."
Caelus tilted his head.
Kouga: "Den-O."
Caelus looked confused.
Caelus: "Okay, Mr. Hayata."
He didn't understand why that particular name mattered.
Still, he trusted Kouga enough to follow the instruction.
Closing his eyes, Caelus focused on the name.
Den-O.
The moment the thought crossed his mind—
The display embedded within his armor suddenly changed.
A new symbol appeared.
The emblem of Kamen Rider Den-O.
The instant it materialized—
Reality shattered.
Or perhaps folded.
The simulated room vanished without warning.
Space twisted around them.
A moment later, Kouga and Caelus found themselves standing within an endless cosmic void.
Countless stars stretched across the darkness.
Nebulae drifted in the distance.
Galaxies sparkled like jewels scattered across black velvet.
Then something changed.
The starry sky seemed to freeze.
Invisible frost spread throughout the cosmos.
Light became sluggish.
Colors faded.
Everything took on a cold, crystalline texture.
Countless mirrors and lenses appeared throughout the void.
Each floated silently in space.
Each reflected a fragment of memory.
A battlefield engulfed in flames.
A farewell between loved ones.
A forgotten promise.
A leaf falling from a tree.
Moments.
Countless moments.
Preserved forever.
A new screen appeared.
Herta:
- Wait a minute... Fuli? What are they doing here? -
For perhaps the first time since meeting her, Herta sounded genuinely shocked.
Then—
They appeared.
A distant figure formed from countless fragments of mirrors and crystal prisms.
Their shape was indistinct.
Their face impossible to comprehend.
Every reflection showed something different.
Every angle revealed another possibility.
Every fragment carried another memory.
The being's very existence seemed to distort reality.
Suddenly—
Memories flooded Caelus's vision.
He saw Kafka.
Her body stretched and distorted.
The umbrella in her hand merged with her form before dissolving into countless droplets of water that fell at his feet.
The scene changed.
He became a crying Adlivun infant.
His umbilical cord still attached.
The memory shifted again.
A dying world.
Golden blood flowing across its broken surface.
A golden scar burning across his body.
Another shift.
Dark skin.
A flowing robe.
An endless wasteland.
Another.
A swift shadow racing through an abyss.
A hand reaching toward a falling star.
Countless memories.
Countless lives.
Countless possibilities.
All overlapping.
All existing simultaneously.
Then the figure spoke.
Their voice was neither loud nor quiet.
It seemed to emerge from every direction at once.
Each word flowed into the next like an endless ocean.
"The robe flutters and wraps around your dark skin, you laugh at exploration. The silk threads spin, overlap, and weave into oceanic words..."
The whisper echoed across the frozen cosmos.
Before either of them could respond—
The figure vanished.
The memories faded.
Kouga let out an appreciative whistle.
Kouga: "That was pretty cool."
He grinned.
Kouga: "So that's an Aeon."
Unlike Caelus, the encounter hadn't affected him much.
The presence of Fuli was certainly impressive.
But compared to the cosmic entities, gods, conceptual beings, and primordial forces Kouga had encountered throughout his existence...
This was simply another fascinating experience.
Caelus, meanwhile, was still trying to process what had just happened.
Eventually he managed to steady himself.
His heart was still racing.
Yet strangely enough...
After witnessing Kouga's divine form earlier...
Fuli felt somewhat less overwhelming by comparison.
Not because Fuli was weak.
Far from it.
But because Caelus had already met a being who casually introduced himself as the embodiment of Heroism and Justice, the God of Genesis, the Demon King of Space-Time, and several other impossible titles.
His standards for "terrifying cosmic entities" had become somewhat distorted.
Kouga glanced at Caelus.
Kouga: "Welp, I think it's time for us to leave this place. You should probably give Himeko your answer, too."
Caelus nodded.
Caelus: "Yes, Mr. Hayata."
The two turned to leave.
Then—
The surrounding space collapsed inward without warning.
It wasn't an explosion.
Nor was it a shattering.
Everything simply began to fold into itself.
Light.
Dust.
The lingering fragments of Fuli's mirrors.
Even space itself.
All of it was crushed by an invisible force.
A silent groan echoed through the void.
It sounded like the universe grinding its own bones.
A pure and absolute will descended.
No anger.
No hatred.
No joy.
No sorrow.
Only destruction.
An existence that sought the end of all things.
Like a dying star sinking beneath a black ocean, the presence instantly crushed the framework of the Simulated Universe.
The stars dimmed.
Reality cracked.
A dark-skinned man appeared in the distance.
The moment Kouga saw him, his expression hardened.
Without hesitation, he stepped in front of Caelus.
Golden light erupted around him.
Armor materialized.
Vines and fruit blossomed from nowhere.
In an instant, Kouga transformed into Kamen Rider Gaim Kiwami Arms.
Kouga: "Stay behind me."
Caelus immediately obeyed.
The pressure alone told him this was not something he wanted to challenge.
The dark figure raised a hand.
The universe screamed.
Destruction descended.
Kouga responded instantly.
The power of the Man of the Beginning surged through him.
The divine blade Joeshuimu appeared in his grasp.
Countless streams of energy gathered around the sword.
Stars.
Worlds.
Possibilities.
All condensed into a single strike.
Kouga raised the blade overhead.
Then brought it down.
The collision shook the simulation.
Creation met destruction.
For a brief instant, the entire universe froze.
Then everything exploded into white.
Reality.
Caelus's eyes snapped open.
At nearly the same moment, Kouga was forcibly ejected from the Simulated Universe.
The room became eerily quiet.
Only a faint hissing noise came from the machine.
A thin trail of white smoke rose from several vents.
The unmistakable smell of burnt circuitry filled the room.
Nobody spoke.
Herta stood perfectly still.
Her doll-like face remained expressionless.
Yet somehow the atmosphere around her felt terrifying.
Even Caelus instinctively took a step back.
The Simulated Universe looked moments away from dying completely.
Kouga scratched his cheek.
Kouga: "I'll fix that."
He casually summoned the Recovery Capsem.
Rotating its Rotam Window, he pointed it toward the damaged machine.
Golden light washed over the Simulated Universe.
The sparks vanished.
The smoke disappeared.
Broken systems repaired themselves.
Within moments, the machine looked completely normal.
Kouga smiled.
Kouga: "There we go."
...
Herta didn't react.
...
Still nothing.
Kouga waved a hand in front of her face.
Kouga: "Hello?"
Finally, Herta spoke.
Herta: "You attracted the attention of 'Destruction' Nanook—albeit only a simulation of the concept of 'Destruction' at the level of cosmic data—and then you clashed your attack against His data, causing a chain reaction of failures in the underlying protocols of the entire system."
She slowly turned toward Kouga.
Herta: "And your data at the moment you clashed against Nanook revealed an energy signature comparable to, and remarkably similar to, that of an Aeon."
A long silence followed.
Then she asked:
Herta: "Are you an Aeon?"
Kouga considered the question.
Then shrugged.
Kouga: "I mean... I fit some of the requirements."
He rubbed his chin.
Kouga: "From what I've seen, Aeons embody concepts."
Kouga: "So I suppose I qualify to some extent."
Herta froze.
Her brain attempted to process the answer.
Failed.
Attempted again.
Failed again.
The being standing before her had casually admitted that he might qualify as an Aeon.
Not a Pathstrider.
Not an Emanator.
An actual conceptual existence.
The more she thought about it, the more absurd it became.
Aeons didn't casually wander around space stations.
The only one insane enough to do that would probably be Aha.
Yet Kouga clearly wasn't Aha.
His power was different.
His personality was different.
His concept was different.
This could be an entirely unknown Aeon.
A completely undocumented existence.
And somehow...
He still retained his humanity.
Her mind raced.
The research possibilities alone were enough to make her dizzy.
Then her eyes lit up.
Herta: "This is... fantastic!"
Kouga and Caelus blinked.
Kouga & Caelus: "Eh?"
The Herta puppet suddenly lunged forward.
Its face stopped mere centimeters from Kouga's.
Its eyes sparkled with fanatical excitement.
Herta: "Fantastic! Do you hear me?! Fantastic!"
Herta: "Nanook's data remnant!"
Herta: "Fuli appeared!"
Herta: "And then an unknown conceptual existence fought against Destruction inside my simulation!"
She spun around toward her control panel.
Her fingers moved so quickly they became a blur.
Data streamed across countless screens.
Herta practically vibrated with excitement.
Herta: "Perfect!"
Herta: "Absolutely perfect!"
Herta: "This is a textbook example of high-energy variable intervention!"
Herta: "The amount of data we gathered is unbelievable!"
Meanwhile, Kouga quietly motioned toward the door.
Caelus immediately understood.
The two slowly began backing away.
Unfortunately—
Herta suddenly grabbed Kouga's leg.
Kouga looked down.
Herta looked up.
Neither moved.
Then:
Herta: "You two aren't leaving."
Kouga: "...I beg your pardon?"
Herta: "You don't have to leave."
Herta: "In fact, I need you."
Herta: "No."
Herta: "I'm begging you."
Herta tightened her grip.
Herta: "Please."
Kouga stared.
Caelus stared.
Herta stared back.
Completely serious.
Herta: "Come back and do that again."
Kouga: "Do what again?"
Herta: "Everything."
Kouga: "Everything?"
Herta: "Everything."
Herta pointed dramatically.
Herta: "Bring more Aeon data!"
Herta: "Summon more conceptual anomalies!"
Herta: "Break reality if you have to!"
Herta: "Just let me record it first!"
Much later...
After a surprisingly lengthy negotiation, Kouga and Caelus finally managed to escape Herta's office.
Both looked exhausted.
Kouga: "Well... that happened."
Caelus nodded.
Caelus: "Yeah."
The two walked through the station in silence.
For a while neither spoke.
Then Kouga noticed something.
Caelus looked deep in thought.
Kouga glanced at him.
Kouga: "What's on your mind, Caelus?"
Caelus blinked.
The question pulled him out of his thoughts.
After a moment, he answered.
Caelus: "I've been thinking about what Himeko asked me."
Kouga nodded.
Caelus looked ahead.
Caelus: "What should I choose?"
Then he turned toward Kouga.
Caelus: "What would you do?"
Kouga looked surprised.
Kouga: "You're asking me?"
Caelus nodded.
To him, Kouga was practically a god.
If anyone had an answer, surely it would be him.
Kouga remained silent for a while.
Then he smiled.
Kouga: "Honestly?"
Kouga: "I don't know."
Caelus blinked.
That wasn't the answer he expected.
Kouga shrugged.
Kouga: "You're you."
Kouga: "I'm me."
Kouga: "Your life isn't mine to decide."
Kouga folded his hands behind his head as they walked.
Kouga: "I've traveled through countless worlds."
Kouga: "I've met heroes, kings, gods, monsters, and ordinary people."
Kouga: "Every world was different."
Kouga smiled slightly.
Kouga: "There was even a traveler I knew once."
Kouga: "His journey wasn't about reaching a destination."
Kouga: "It was about moving forward."
Kouga: "World after world."
Kouga: "Meeting new people."
Kouga: "Learning new truths."
Kouga: "Discovering who he really was."
His gaze drifted toward the stars beyond the station.
Kouga: "Sometimes the road itself becomes the answer."
Caelus listened quietly.
Kouga continued.
Kouga: "If you stay here, you'll learn things."
Kouga: "If you board the Astral Express, you'll learn different things."
Kouga chuckled.
Kouga: "Neither path is necessarily right or wrong."
Then his expression became a little more serious.
Kouga: "But if I had to give you one piece of advice..."
He looked directly at Caelus.
Kouga: "Choose the path that you'll keep walking even when it gets difficult."
Kouga: "Choose the path you'll be proud of."
A small smile appeared on his face.
Kouga: "But above all else..."
Kouga pointed at Caelus.
Kouga: "I think you should choose the one where you won't have any regrets."
Caelus fell silent.
For some reason, that answer felt far more meaningful than being told what to do.