"Perfect timing!" Raven naturally sensed the surprise attack. He abruptly hurled Wataru toward the opposite direction.
The Kamen Rider Ixa saw this and abandoned his attack, catching Wataru in mid-air. They quickly vanished from the scene.
Just as Raven considered giving chase, Natsumi mustered her courage and stood in front of Raven, blocking his path with her outstretched arms.
"I don't know who you are, but this is going too far..."
"Are you really not afraid of death?" Raven said with a cold tone, intentionally trying to tease her.
"I am... but... but Raven-san will definitely defeat you and get revenge for us." Natsumi's voice was firm.
"Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to be here." Raven slowly advanced, raising his hand, attempting to touch Natsumi Hikari's cheek.
She immediately turned her head away, preventing the current Raven from succeeding.
"No... only... only Raven-san can do that," Natsumi whispered. Having fallen for Raven, she didn't want to be touched by any other man. She was the type to be devoted to one person.
"It seems you like him very much," Raven continued.
"Of... of course! He's handsome, powerful, and a gentle man." The overwhelming pressure from Ultimate Kuuga (Black Eyes) forced Natsumi to speak her heart honestly. After saying these words, she felt a slight relief.
"Powerful? How strong can he be?" Raven said with a mocking tone.
"Stronger than a big bully like you, who even picks on children!" Natsumi, somehow finding the courage, instinctively retorted. With Tsukasa and the others already defeated and out of commission, she knew she had to stall for time.
Hearing Natsumi's answer, Raven was secretly delighted. He seemed quite satisfied with her reaction. He then turned and walked away.
"He... he just left?" Natsumi froze in place, having expected him to kill her.
Her beautiful black-stockinged legs instantly went weak, and she collapsed onto the ground. The sheer presence of Ultimate Kuuga (Black Eyes) was hard for an ordinary person to endure. Even though Raven had specially restrained much of his aura for Natsumi, the impact was still significant.
A short while later, Raven deactivated his transformation and walked back from the opposite direction.
"Raven!" Seeing him, Natsumi immediately scrambled up from the ground and rushed into his arms, completely distraught. She clung to him like a wronged wife.
Raven felt a pang of sympathy. He wondered if he had taken the joke too far, scaring her so badly.
"Natsumikan, what happened?" Raven asked, feigning ignorance, placing his hand on her back to comfort her and give her a sense of safety.
"Where did you go? There was a terrible guy here just now!" Given Natsumi's naive and sweet nature, she would never suspect Raven, especially since she had seen his transformation—the two looked drastically different.
"Nature called; I had to go to the washroom," Raven casually lied to placate her. Though, he mused internally, you are currently clinging to the "terrible guy."
"I see." Natsumi didn't doubt him at all.
"Alright, let's go check on the others first," Raven comforted her, then gently guided her toward Tsukasa and Yusuke.
Although both men had been forced out of their transformations, they hadn't suffered any fatal injuries, only minor scrapes. After resting for a while, they were able to get up.
The group returned to the photo studio. Eijiro Hikari saw the injured pair and calmly retrieved a first-aid kit from the room, skillfully treating their wounds.
"I didn't know you could do this, Grandpa," Natsumi said, impressed by his smooth motions, like an experienced doctor.
"I just happen to know a little bit," the old man replied with a smile.
"Hiss... that hurts." Yusuke cried out as the antiseptic touched his wound.
Tsukasa, sitting in a chair with his legs crossed, looked at Yusuke with a serious expression and asked, "Putting that aside, why are you here?"
"Because I'm Kuuga," Yusuke replied nonchalantly.
"That's no reason at all," Tsukasa couldn't help but say.
"Actually, after you left, I started thinking about what saving the world really meant," Yusuke recalled. "Then a little bat appeared and inexplicably brought me here."
"What is this 'little bat' you mentioned? What is it?" Tsukasa inquired.
"At first, I didn't understand why it brought me to this world, but now I do," Yusuke continued. "Because I need to help that Prince."
"Huh?" Tsukasa said.
"That Prince is the child of a Fangire and a human."
"I see," Natsumi Hikari nodded.
"He's just an arrogant brat," Tsukasa clearly had a poor impression of Wataru.
"This is a world where humans and the Fangire Tribe can truly coexist. If that child becomes King, it can definitely happen," Yusuke said, standing up after treating his facial injuries. "That's why I joined the Royal Guard."
"The problem now isn't that brat. The real enemy that this world needs to defeat has appeared," Tsukasa stated.
"You mean that black Kuuga?" Yusuke asked.
"He seems to have the same power as me," Tsukasa replied.
"But he was too strong. The three of us together were no match for him," Yusuke said with lingering fear. "If he shows up again, I wonder if he'll hold back next time." Yusuke knew that Raven hadn't been serious, or he wouldn't have just received minor injuries.
Tsukasa scoffed, "Are you afraid of him?"
"Maybe," Yusuke answered. He no longer possessed the fighting spirit he had in his own world.
"No matter what, there are things I need to ask that person directly." Tsukasa stood up and walked straight away.