The next second, a dimensional wall descended from the sky.
The clothing on Raven and Natsumi shifted instantly. Just like Tsukasa Kadoya, they were now wearing the local high school uniform, complete with student IDs and other credentials.
"Ah... what's going on?" Natsumi looked at herself in surprise.
Her usual black tights and short skirt were gone, replaced by the quintessential JK uniform commonly seen on high school girls—a youthful, pleated skirt that sat just above the knee. The look gave Natsumi a completely different, refreshing charm.
"Alright, we can head in now," Raven said to Natsumi, now sporting the male version of the student uniform.
These changes were, of course, his doing. Unlike Tsukasa Kadoya, who was forced into whatever role each world dictated for him, Raven could actively choose an identity for himself and those with him, allowing them to blend perfectly into the local environment. This was the power of the World Pass.
"That's amazing..." Natsumi didn't even have time to finish her thought before Raven, hands in his pockets, calmly walked toward the school gates.
"Whoa!"
"Is he a celebrity?"
"He's way too handsome! Is he a new transfer student?"
The female students of the high school immediately turned their heads toward Raven, completely captivated by his striking looks. In a matter of moments, several "school-beauty" level students had already approached him to strike up a conversation. A crowd of girls began to follow him as he walked.
Seeing this, Natsumi pouted her cheeks in a fit of jealousy, trailing behind him. But there was nothing she could do. She had to endure it, knowing their goal here was to investigate the Orphnoch situation.
Still, she felt a secret sense of pride. This incredibly handsome man was hers. That was something those girls could only ever dream of.
Meanwhile, Tsukasa Kadoya, who had entered the school ahead of Raven and Natsumi, had already crossed paths with the school's "rulers"—the members of Lucky Clover.
Just as a conflict was about to erupt, Daiki Kaito suddenly appeared and pulled him away.
"I believe I told you not to get in my way," Kaito said with unusual seriousness.
"I've heard a bit about Kamen Rider Faiz. Is he your target?" Tsukasa looked at him dismissively. "Why would Faiz protect this school anyway?"
"Because he's here," Kaito said flatly. "And I want to find out who he is."
"What's your angle?" Tsukasa couldn't quite read Kaito's intentions.
"None of your business. Just hurry up and leave this world," Kaito retorted.
Tsukasa wasn't one to back down easily. He countered, "Now I've decided I am going to get in your way. I'll be the one to uncover Faiz's true identity."
Kaito said nothing more and walked away. However, the moment he turned his back, his lips curled into a smirk. He had clearly used reverse psychology. His real plan was to use Tsukasa to find the person for him, then step in at the end to reap the rewards.
True to form, Tsukasa took action immediately after Kaito left, searching for the one who could transform into Faiz. It wasn't long before a girl and a boy appeared nearby; they had been watching from the shadows.
"And you are...?" Tsukasa looked at them curiously. They were the ones Lucky Clover had been bullying earlier, the girl he had stepped in to help.
"Thank you for earlier. I'm Yuri Tomoda."
The two led Tsukasa to the school's Photography Club. After handing him a cup of tea, Yuri expressed her gratitude again. The somewhat timid boy beside her added, "I'm Takumi Ogami."
"I'm Tsukasa Kadoya."
Yuri noticed Tsukasa's magenta camera. Being interested in photography herself, she picked it up to take a look. "Say, is this a custom color? It's so cute!"
Tsukasa was speechless at her choice of the word "cute." She probably thinks this is pink, he thought.
"By the way, why did you help us?" Yuri asked.
"I just didn't like the look of those 'Lucky Clover' people," Tsukasa said nonchalantly, taking a sip of tea.
"They really are unpleasant. Just as hateful as the Orphnochs," Yuri nodded.
"You have a grudge against Orphnochs?" Tsukasa followed up.
"No, but wouldn't anyone hate them?" Yuri answered naturally.
Hearing this, Takumi Ogami's heart skipped a beat. He was, in fact, the Faiz of this timeline, and just like the original Takumi Inui, he was also an Orphnoch. Though their personalities differed slightly, their fates were the same.
"Monsters disguised as humans... just thinking that monsters like that could be right next to us is terrifying." Yuri's expression shifted, filled with genuine fear and worry.
Seeing her distress, Takumi tried to comfort her. "Faiz is protecting the school, so it should be fine."
But Yuri just sighed. "Faiz doesn't even exist, okay?"
Tsukasa fell into a pensive silence, thinking of how to expose Faiz's identity. After staying in the club room for a while, he left to track down Lucky Clover again. He figured they must know something about Faiz; after all, during their brief encounter, the members had displayed strength far beyond that of a normal human.
"To think you'd challenge Lucky Clover... how overconfident."
On a tennis court, the members of Lucky Clover, now in athletic gear, stared Tsukasa down. They had agreed to settle things with a match.
"Do you even know how to play?" one of the girls in Lucky Clover asked skeptically.
Tsukasa gave a supremely confident smirk. He delivered a serve with perfect form, the speed and power far exceeding their expectations.
"Sorry, but there's nothing I'm not good at, except taking photos." Tsukasa pointed his racket at them.
Just then, a commotion drifted over from a distance.
"The tennis court is up ahead, let's go in and hide for a bit."
Everyone looked toward the entrance to see Raven and Natsumi rushing onto the court.
"Tsukasa? Why is he here playing tennis?" Natsumi said, sounding a bit exhausted.
She realized she had vastly underestimated Raven's charm. After just a short walk through the campus, they had caused a total uproar. Those female students were acting like they'd been injected with adrenaline.