Honkai: Star Rail — Kamen Rider!

Thump. Thump. Thump!

Sora's heartbeat pounded like a war drum. Adrenaline surged, breath coming fast and shallow.

His body was caught in the grip of raw emotion—fear, that primal instinct all creatures are born with.

The JOKER Memory pulsed faintly with light amid the drifting smoke, feeding that fear into something more—amplifying his physical power, sharpening his senses.

And on the battlefield, as the smoke slowly settled, two sets of crimson eyes locked across the distance.

One high above, savage and burning red. The other—his—sharp and steady beneath a helmet of black and violet.

If Sora had to choose the one thing he least wanted to face right now, it would be this: a Doomsday Beast.

He could still remember it—its image burned into his brain. That monster ravaging a ship in the sky like a hurricane of teeth and claws.

The sheer violence of it—the untamed destruction. Even now, he couldn't forget.

That day, he'd truly come to understand what made the Antimatter Legion terrifying: the Doomsday Beast—the ruinous dragon of annihilation.

And now, despite the absurd gap in size... he was face to face with one.

"Uh... what is..." murmured Ouja, finally stirring from unconsciousness.

But the moment her eyes fluttered open—was the starting shot for a new nightmare.

The Doomsday Beast raised its massive right claw and brought it down.

"MOVE!" Sora roared, pure instinct driving him. He threw himself sideways with impossible speed, still clutching Ouja in his arms.

She barely had time to process the movement. One second, she was half-conscious—the next, she was airborne, being carried by a violet blur.

BOOM!

The colossal claw smashed into where they'd just been standing. The ground exploded, stones and dust erupting as the earth caved in like it had been struck by a meteor.

"What... what's happening?" Ouja gasped, disoriented. Her memory was still stuck at the moment before the explosion.

"The Doomsday Beast saw its 'home' destroyed," Sora said tightly. "Looks like it's out for revenge. We've got to move."

He didn't take his eyes off the beast for a second, mind racing, calculating escape vectors, options for counterattack—anything.

The beast's eyes gleamed, blood-red with primal malice. It hadn't expected these tiny creatures to dodge.

That only stoked its rage.

It raised its left claw—another strike incoming.

"Take care of yourself!" Sora barked, and hurled Ouja upward into the air.

She barely had time to be confused before instinct took over.

She tucked and rolled midair, hitting the ground in a graceful tumble—just in time to evade the second blow.

The ground trembled again.

Sora rode the aftershock into a leap—straight toward the beast's underbelly.

He could feel it—his strength was still rising. The JOKER Memory was feeding him more power by the second.

So he made a decision he never thought he'd dare make.

"[Rider Punch]!"

With a roar, he launched a punch infused with all the force he could muster—right into the beast's body!

But...

The reaction was not what he'd hoped for.

The Doomsday Beast paused.

Then casually scratched at the spot he'd hit, as if confused by a mosquito bite.

Sora's heart sank.

So this is what it means to challenge the final boss...

Ever since the fall of the War Foundry, they'd expected something like this—the toughest fight of all.

Funny, Sora thought grimly. After everything, it's still the Doomsday Beast in the end.

Only this time... no cavalry was coming.

But with the Foundry gone, Anna's powers might have grown. They weren't completely helpless.

Sora's eyes narrowed.

He had his goal now.

"Run away now, you hear?"

Fighting the Doomsday Beast head-on was suicide.

It was said even a single one could wipe out an entire civilization.

Preserving lives took priority. That was rule one.

Grabbing Ouja again, Sora darted away, kicking up a trail of dust as he raced across the broken land.

If I can just make it to that spot... we can escape.

If I can just—

No.

His instincts screamed.

He slammed on the brakes, clutching Ouja tightly—accidentally burying his face in her stomach as they skidded to a halt.

There was no time to be embarrassed.

Because a moment later—

BOOM!!!

A familiar claw crashed down in front of them, making the earth quake.

Sora's body jumped from the sheer shockwave.

That was too close...

He swallowed hard and slowly looked up, following the line of the claw—

"Wait... wait, are we dreaming?" Ouja's voice trembled.

Because now...

Two Doomsday Beasts stood before them.

And then—

The ground trembled.

More thunderous footsteps. The final piece clicked into place.

Three Doomsday Beasts.

They had surrounded him—like hawks circling a caged songbird.

The others from earlier—the ones that had ambushed the rogue beast—had all gathered. And now, the circle was complete.

"You know," Sora muttered, eyes locked on the monsters, "your home actually blew itself up. You believe that?"

His tone was calm. Too calm.

In the face of death—what's the point of fear? Might as well die with some style.

"At least if I go down now... I'll die cool."

He took a deep breath and looked up at the three beasts, defiant.

"You think this is enough to make me despair?"

In that moment, something clicked inside him.

He felt it—his body responding, strength continuing to rise. It was as if some invisible interface was flashing above his head, like a video game HUD:

Power Up. Power Up. Power Up.

He smirked.

"Saa... come now, and let me count your final sins."

"[JOKER Maximum Drive]!"

"[Rider... Kick]!"

Alone, he charged the three beasts.

Even if it was suicide—he went anyway.

A half-baked kind of romance... but his all the same.

BOOM!

His foot struck one of the Doomsday Beasts, a deep, echoing impact reverberating from the blow.

But this time... something changed.

The beast staggered—toppling sideways from the force.

Had Sora gotten stronger?

No—

A storm of arrows had rained down.

Sora blinked in disbelief.

That figure in the distance... Robin, and a small form beside her.

They shouldn't be here...

But the retreating guards—those who had fled the explosion—they'd gone to call her.

Anna had arrived.

"I can't always rely on others to protect me..."

Floating in midair, Anna held a single silver-white bullet between her fingers.

"It's about time I was the one to return the favor."

The War Foundry had fallen.

And now, as Camille's last royal, Anna finally revealed her true power.

Behind her—an endless array of divine arrows hovered, their icy gleam dancing like the final death knell of the Doomsday Beasts.

A cold light flickered in the young girl's eyes.

"Let these beasts witness what happens when they dare offend a guest of Kaemomiar."

A thousand arrows flew as one.