"Henshin!"
"[Altair Form!]"
With the system's unique sound effect, Ye Ming shouted the command. His body glowed, and as he raised his hand, a massive train appeared in the sky, its tracks extending into the clouds. As the train raced past, Ye Ming transformed into Kamen Rider Zeronos in his iconic bull-themed form.
The power of this transformation was immense. He had already fought countless battles in the simulator, so he was intimately familiar with the power of Zeronos.
Although it was a defective product, the raw power of Zeronos was undeniable. The side effects—memory loss, genetic collapse, and eventual erasure—were severe, but the power it granted was real. Just as the little girl was about to be devoured, Zeronos arrived.
Boom!
With a deafening crash, Zeronos landed, a massive insect crushed beneath his feet. He shielded the girl as blue-green light radiated from his armor, connecting the two of them to the ground.
Ye Ming turned his head slightly, his gaze falling upon the little girl. He saw the terror in her eyes. Holding back the slight trembling in his own body, he gave her a gentle nod. With a speed that defied the armor's bulk, he moved, leaving the girl behind him.
Ye Ming swung his arm, summoning his weapon, the Zeronos Breaker. With a spin, he deflected the attack of a diving insect and then, with a powerful slash, cut the massive creature in half.
Just as he was about to check on the little girl, the monster he had just bisected writhed, its two halves extending new tentacles that shot towards her.
With a grunt, Ye Ming spun his weapon again, dashing back to the girl's side. He deflected the tentacles with the Zeronos Breaker, saving her from the attack.
The girl was terrified. The pressure from the creature was immense. She tried to run, but her legs wouldn't obey. Just then, she saw Kamen Rider Zeronos take a step back, positioning himself to shield her and her family's coffee shop.
The girl stopped crying and stared blankly at the rider's back. She felt a strange sense of familiarity, but also a profound curiosity.
"So... that's what a Kamen Rider looks like," she whispered. "But where did the nice big brother who was just here go?"
Noticing the girl's confusion, Ye Ming used a special ability. A beam of light shot out from his belt, and the memory card he had just used transformed into particles of light and flew into the girl's mind.
The gentle voice of Zeronos filled her thoughts. "Don't be afraid."
Watching the kind and powerful Kamen Rider, the little girl broke into a bright smile.
"So, this is what he's really like," she said to herself. "He's not just a nice big brother, he's also a cool and handsome Kamen Rider! How amazing!"
Ye Ming took another step forward, his hand still on his weapon. He looked at the girl and gave a firm nod.
As he extended his hand, the girl finally noticed that his eyes were completely empty, devoid of any recognition or familiarity. All that remained was a professional sense of duty and a stranger's kindness.
"You... don't remember me anymore, do you?" the little girl asked, her voice trembling. Her father held her, his own eyes filled with a sad confusion.
Ye Ming tilted his head, then gave a bright, sunny smile.
"Miss, have we met before? I don't seem to have any memory of killing your family's pests."
He then turned back to face the monsters, his back to the girl and her father.
Aftermath and Commentary
"By the time I was your age, even the Swarm was afraid of me," the coffee shop owner said, patting Ye Ming on the shoulder. "But after what happened today, my coffee shop probably can't stay open. Why don't you come home with me? My daughter really likes you."
"Thank you for your kind offer, Uncle," Ye Ming replied. "But now that the Swarm is here, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you to take me back to the base. I'll come visit you and your daughter tomorrow. I'll have to ask you to explain things to her on my behalf."
The coffee shop owner nodded sadly, took his daughter's hand, and left.
Ye Ming stood there, watching them go. He saw the little girl look back, and he saw the bright, sunny smile on her face. Then he turned to Firefly, who was standing nearby, her face also lit with a radiant smile. As always.
[Ye Ming could clearly feel the ice-cold sorrow she was hiding.]
[Do not get too close to AR-26710521. Do not invest any unnecessary emotions in AR-26710521, otherwise—]
[Firefly finally understood the meaning behind AR-1368's warning.]
[The deeper the bond, the more painful the forgotten memories will be.]
[The pain is forgotten by the one who leaves, but remembered by the one who stays.]
[The truly brave are not those who are fearless in the face of pain, but those who can bear the memories for the one who leaves.]
[The weapon of battle is memory. The price of protection is forgetting.]
[The battle is finally over. The boy named Ye Ming is gone. He doesn't even leave a single trace of his existence in this world.]
[She watched the boy with the sunny smile, tears streaming down her face.]
["I can't tell the difference. Which one is the real you?" Firefly murmured, her voice filled with despair.]
["The next time I see that boy, I'll be sure to remember his new sunny smile," she thought, taking out the "Zeronos" card, which was now just a beautiful, emerald-green blank slate.]
[Firefly looked at the memory card from a different time, a memory she now shared with Ye Ming. She held each picture, each memory, and etched it into her heart.]
["Even if you forget the whole world, I will not forget your name!"]
-------
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