Unlock Kamen Riders in Douluo's Way

Nine hundred and ninety-nine years...

Luo Pupu's face contorted with effort, a yellow light her only aura. A single year of power remained, yet time slowed to a crawl. Half an hour passed without change. Anxiety gnawed at everyone.

"Don't fret. It's just one year—one final push to reach the millennium level. That last bit is always the hardest, but she's holding on, absorbing every bit of it," Yin Xiaoya said, hoping his words would ease their worry.

Though his consolation offered some comfort, tension lingered. Even Jing Tieyang wavered, seeing Luo Pupu's visible pain. He considered telling her to stop, but the thought of how close she was—just a year separating her from a completely different level of power—stopped him.

Everyone shared the same sentiment, silently urging Luo Pupu onward. Then, the change arrived.

"AHH!!!!"

Luo Pupu screamed, her head thrown back, eyes wide. Two beams of light shot from her eyes. Simultaneously, the light around her erupted, a raging inferno of purple.

"She did it!"

Though it wasn't happening to him, Yin Xiaoya's excitement rivaled what he felt during his own transformations. The students cheered.

"Wait, it's not over!" Su Xuan cautioned, her eyes fixed on Luo Pupu. After crossing the threshold, Luo Pupu fell silent, her expression devoid of pain. She was calm. But more than that, she was changing—a transformation that went beyond spirit power. It was visible.

First, the wings of her Wing Viper Dragon Martial Soul grew, extending more than a meter. The scales on her wings and arms thickened. Her dragon hands, once mere claws and scales, resembled solid armor. And unexpectedly, a calf-thick, two-meter-long dragon tail emerged from her back.

Most strikingly, the brown-red dragon spirit turned emerald green. The changes were like the brushstrokes of an artistic masterpiece.

As Luo Pupu's body transformed, her very being shifted. The immature twelve-year-old morphed into a girl of about fifteen to sixteen years old.

"She's... beautiful," someone whispered.

Breaking from the reverie, Jing Tieyang spoke, urgency in his voice. "Yin Xiaoya, what's going on?"

Yin Xiaoya was stunned. He hadn't expected this. Stumbling over his words, he relayed what the system told him.

"Her martial soul... it evolved. After absorbing the power of the Green Fruit Swamp Dragon's thousand-year soul ring, it's no longer a regular dragon. It's become an emerald dragon—a Top-Grade Beast Martial Soul."

Martial soul evolution was far rarer than a positive mutation. Mutation was often innate, while evolution was a result of extreme conditions. Mutations were frequently uncontrollable and negative; only a lucky few, like Fang Xin, experienced a positive mutation. But martial soul evolution was always positive.

Such events were exceedingly rare, demanding immense effort and sacrifice, as well as luck.

So when Yin Xiaoya announced that Luo Pupu's martial soul had evolved, even Jing Tieyang felt a pang of envy. His own martial soul wasn't top-tier, and he'd achieved his rank through relentless training. Yet, it had never shown signs of evolution.

"Because her martial soul evolved, her original limits shattered. Now, she can absorb at least four hundred more years of soul ring power, and quickly. She's already exceeded the original limit by a hundred years, and it'll reach a thousand soon."

Yin Xiaoya's explanation clarified Luo Pupu's calm. The previous restrictions were gone.

Su Xuan, visibly relieved, asked, "Are you going to wait until she absorbs another for four hundred years before acting?"

Yin Xiaoya shook his head. "No. This soul ring is only about twenty-two hundred years old in total. If she absorbs too much, the remaining part will become a century-old soul ring—a waste. Two millennium rings are much more valuable than one millennium and a hundred-year ring. She's already done remarkably well. She's absorbed twelve hundred years. Time to stop her."

Yin Xiaoya walked to the soul ring, pressing the Grape Lockseed's switch. Since it wasn't properly unlocked, there were no special effects or sounds. The soul ring spun in reverse, its power rushing into the lock.

Everyone watched in surprise as the spirit ring poured into the lock, far faster than Luo Pupu's absorption. In moments, the lock regained its color. Yin Xiaoya attached it to the Sengoku Driver. The Grape Lockseed was unlocked.

As Yin Xiaoya stopped her absorption, the purple light around Luo Pupu condensed into a new millennium spirit ring, which merged into her body.

Her wings fluttered, lifting her slightly before she lowered her legs, standing firm. A flash of light, and she dismissed her martial soul, returning to her human form.

She was a young woman now. Taller, her figure more defined. Thankfully, Shrek's uniform was loose enough to prevent any embarrassment.

"Big brother, thank you so much." Luo Pupu opened her eyes, addressing Yin Xiaoya. She was aware of the changes and the discussions around her. She knew her gains were thanks to the man who called himself Kamen Rider.

Yin Xiaoya nodded, deactivating his transformation. He glanced at the Sengoku Driver and Grape Lockseed in his hand, his expression shifting. After a moment, he chuckled. "Fate is a funny thing. Take it."

Luo Pupu caught the thrown Sengoku Driver and Grape Lockseed, stunned. She felt an unusual connection to the items. When she saw Ryugen's portrait on the Sengoku Driver, she felt the portrait looking at her, as if resonating with her.

"Big brother, what do you mean?"

"If your martial soul hadn't evolved into an emerald dragon, I wouldn't have needed to do this. But now, you're more suited to it than me. In my hands, it's just what it is. But with you, it'll undergo new changes. And for it, it'll be closer to its draconic essence. That's what I promised it."

Everyone understood. Yin Xiaoya was giving her the items fused with the Green Fruit Swamp Dragon's body and soul ring.

"But big brother, what are these for?"

They'd seen Yin Xiaoya produce inexplicable objects, but didn't know their purpose.

"This black one is the Sengoku Driver. The Green Fruit Swamp Dragon's will resides within. When you need power, put it on your waist. You'll know what to do. They can make you like me."

Luo Pupu realized what he meant. "An existence like you... a Kamen Rider?"

"Wait! Kamen Rider?" Su Xuan interrupted. She'd vaguely understood the term before, but now that Yin Xiaoya was making Luo Pupu a Kamen Rider, she finally grasped the concept. "I thought Kamen Rider was just your title, but it seems I was wrong. Does it refer to a position with special power, like a Soul Master?"

Yin Xiaoya nodded, then shook his head. "You're close, but there's more to it. I can't explain it. Those who become Kamen Riders will understand. Pupu, if you accept this power, you'll continue to grow as a Soul Master and a Kamen Rider. You'll gain more power, but it may be hard. You can also decline. You have the emerald dragon—a Top-Grade Martial Soul that can take you to the top. How do you choose?"

Luo Pupu hesitated, her friends urging her to accept, citing strength and coolness. But Luo Pupu considered the will of the Green Fruit Swamp Dragon within the belt and made her decision.

"Big brother, I'm willing to shoulder this power."

[Ding! Congratulations to the host, the will of the Kamen Rider has been planted in the brand new world, and the inheritance has begun. Now enter the points calculation, please wait and see]

Yin Xiaoya smiled. "Pupu, I believe you'll use this power well. Since you've chosen to carry it, this should be yours too."

A flash of light, and a jade-green scale with gem-like luster appeared in Yin Xiaoya's hand. Everyone gasped. They'd forgotten about the soul bone. This was the soul bone from the Green Fruit Swamp Dragon's body.

"This soul bone is the right arm bone—the Green Fruit Swamp Dragon's final power. You've absorbed its twelve-hundred-year soul ring power, and its thousand-year soul ring power is in the Grape Lockseed. Its body and will are in the belt. Add this soul bone, and you've inherited everything except what the core took. Use them to your full potential."

Luo Pupu nodded, carefully placing the soul bone and the items Yin Xiaoya gave her into her bag. Soul bones didn't disappear like soul rings, so she'd absorb it in a safe place.

Yin Xiaoya approached Jing Tieyang and Su Xuan, apologizing. "Pupu is a student of Shrek. I've interfered with your academy's policies. Please forgive me."

The soul ring was one thing, but the soul bone should be returned to the academy for consideration. But this time, they didn't fault Yin Xiaoya.

Su Xuan shook her head. "You're worrying too much. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have found this soul beast. Pupu wouldn't have had this opportunity. Besides, the Green Fruit Swamp Dragon sacrificed itself willingly, so you have the right to decide."

"Yes, you're still a mystery, but your actions have proven that you're a good person, and I, Jing Tieyang, acknowledge you."

Luo Pupu's soul ring mission was complete, and everyone had exceeded their goals. They'd gained Fang Xin, a girl with a Top-Grade Martial Soul, and witnessed Luo Pupu's transformation. For the students, it was a great haul.

Their focus was on sticking close to Yin Xiaoya. The students circled him, knowing that as long as they followed him, their martial souls might evolve next.

No one noticed, but after they left, the forest began to rustle, as if something was approaching. The sound was widespread, closing in on the spot they'd vacated. The grass rustled throughout the forest.

The sound converged on a patch of blue grass. After a moment, a faint red light appeared, and the grass transformed into a blue-haired boy of eleven or twelve.

He watched Yin Xiaoya's group leave, his expression shifting from doubt to surprise. "Why is he warmer than those existences, even though he's human? Kamen Rider? Maybe this is a path more suitable for me than a soul master... That's right! It must be like this! Mom! Just wait, I will definitely avenge you!"

***

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Advance chapters are in my P@|r3on - Najicablitz