Super God Academy: Kabuto

He Xi looked at the unfamiliar soldier Lin Yu brought back, covered in blood and barely breathing. A hint of surprise flashed in her icy blue eyes, but more so, a researcher's inquisitiveness. She stepped forward, carefully assessing Wei Laoqi's condition, and frowned slightly.

"Who is he?"

Lin Yu carefully placed Wei Laoqi on the medical platform in the research room, his movements unusually solemn. He looked at He Xi and replied:

"A warrior, a man with a remarkably strong will." He paused, his gaze falling on Wei Laoqi's fist, which remained clenched even in his unconscious state. "I think... Gatack would suit him quite well."

"Steel Bucket?" He Xi repeated the unfamiliar name. Before she could ask any questions, the space beside Lin Yu rippled, and a mechanical insect device that shimmered with sharp blue light and resembled a stag beetle quietly appeared. It hovered in mid-air, exuding an aura similar to the Kabuto insect device but even more fierce and combative.

He Xi's gaze was immediately drawn to the new insect device, and she observed it with great interest: "A system creation like Kabuto's?"

"Hmm, different branches of the same technology tree." He turned his gaze back to the unconscious man on the bed. "I intend to revive him. Such will should not be buried by ruins. If his inner conviction is as strong as his body demonstrates, then he should... no, he definitely can master the Steel Fighter."

He Xi looked at Lin Yu, her researcher's curiosity piqued again. She gently tapped Lin Yu with her finger, her eyes shining with a thirst for knowledge: "You're planning to give the Kamen Rider system to someone else? Give me one to study."

"It's not 'giving'," Lin Yu corrected, his gaze sweeping over the Kabuto and Gatack insect devices floating beside him. "They are vessels with independent consciousness. I will only guide them; the final choice is in their own hands."

He was about to entrust Wei Laoqi, who was lying in bed, to He Xi's care: "Please look after him for me, I have something to do..."

Before the words were even finished, the surrounding space instantly twisted and changed! A familiar feeling of being pulled away came over him, and he was as if he had been dragged away by an invisible force, disappearing from He Xi's sight in an instant, leaving only a faint spatial ripple in the air.

The scene before him shifted instantly, and Lin Yu reappeared in that strange space independent of the timeline. Opposite him, his future self—Kabuto—wearing a black trench coat and exuding an aura as deep as an abyss, stood quietly, as if he had been waiting for a long time.

Without a word or even a glance, the instinct for battle was triggered. The red Kabuto insect device sensed the summons, materialized from the void, and landed precisely in Lin Yu's hand!

【Henshin! (Transformation!)】

A flash of light, and armor instantly covered his entire body!

The battle erupted in an instant! Two red figures clashed and intertwined like lightning, their fists and feet exploding with muffled sounds and scattered sparks of energy. After several intense exchanges, the two suddenly separated, and Lin Yu steadied himself.

"Too weak." Kabuto uttered three words calmly, his tone devoid of emotion, yet carrying a condescending scrutiny.

This assessment jolted Lin Yu. Almost simultaneously, the two activated their form transformation!

【Cast Off! (Armor Burst!)】

The heavy armor shattered and flew apart, revealing a more streamlined and explosive knight form beneath! The battle escalated once again, with speed and power increasing dramatically! Lin Yu exerted all his strength, pushing his skills and speed to the limit, but he was still repeatedly repelled and blocked by his opponent's seemingly prescient and precise attacks. Finally, he was sent flying by a tricky heavy blow, rolling awkwardly to the ground.

He quickly got to his feet, his eyes becoming even sharper, his heart burning with resentment and fighting spirit.

【Clock Over!】

No, this wasn't a simple acceleration ending! The next moment, the two transformed into streaks of light that surpassed the limits of the naked eye, transcending any single acceleration domain, flashing and colliding wildly throughout the entire space! Each appearance was accompanied by a thunderous clash, so fast it seemed as if countless versions of them were fighting simultaneously in every corner of the space!

However, the difference in absolute strength remained as vast as an insurmountable chasm. Lin Yu's barely perceptible weakness was instantly and precisely seized upon by Kabuto!

"Bang!"

He was kicked into the air by a swift kick, and his body was completely out of control!

Kabuto hovered in the air, and the two horns of the Kabuto insect device at its waist opened with a "click," accompanied by a solemn, unique electronic sound effect that signaled the end.

One, Two, Three

Rider Kick!

A spinning kick, imbued with ultimate destructive energy, carrying an aura of tearing everything apart and certain death, fiercely attacked Lin Yu, who was unable to dodge in mid-air! Lin Yu's pupils shrank sharply. He could clearly feel how precisely that energy locked onto his core. The icy touch of death instantly wrapped around his heart and soul as if it were a tangible thing, almost freezing his thoughts!

boom!!!!

A deafening explosion rang out, and intense light engulfed all his senses. In that instant, Lin Yu's consciousness seemed to be completely shattered and dissipated, plunging him into boundless darkness and nothingness.

But the next moment, all his senses returned like a tidal wave! He found himself standing unharmed on solid ground, the fatal blow and near-death experience seeming like an overly realistic nightmare. Only the violently surging blood and qi within him, the slightly trembling arms, and the lingering fear deep in his soul silently testified to the terror of that knight's kick.

Kabuto landed slowly, his indifferent gaze sweeping over him. He made no comment on the "kill," but casually tossed over a silver-gray, antique-style metal box.

Lin Yu subconsciously took the box. It was slightly heavy in his hand, with a cool metallic feel. His eyes still held lingering confusion.

Kabuto then spoke, his voice still calm: "There are two sets of armor inside. One set can be used by He Xi for research. The other set is something I traded from another 'place,' and you should be able to use it now." He paused deliberately, then added, "However, under the suppression of the rules of this universe, its power will be somewhat limited, and it won't be as strong as before."

After saying that, before Lin Yu could ask any more questions, the entire strange space began to collapse and dissipate from the edges like a weathered sandcastle, turning into specks of light.

As He Xi was carefully observing the unconscious Wei Laoqi on the medical platform, as well as the steel-bucket insect device that was still emitting a stable blue light and seemed to be having some kind of subtle resonance with its host, she felt a familiar fluctuation coming from the space beside her.

Lin Yu's figure reappeared, his posture almost unchanged from before he was dragged away, except that he now held a metal box he had never seen before.

He Xi's sharp eyes scanned Lin Yu from head to toe. Although there were no obvious injuries on his body, she could not escape his slightly rapid and not fully calmed breathing, the sharpness and fatigue that flashed in his eyes, and the subtle fluctuations that emanated from his body after the impact of high-intensity energy.

A knowing yet playful smile instantly appeared on her stunning face. Her red lips parted slightly, and she asked in a relaxed and teasing tone:

"Oh, so... you've come back after getting beaten up?"

Upon hearing this incredibly precise "finishing blow," Lin Yu's forehead immediately creased with several invisible black lines. He glared at He Xi, who was watching the spectacle with annoyance. But looking at her cunning, fox-like smile, which seemed to know everything, and recalling the real threat of death in the training space, he ultimately shook his head helplessly, suppressing his frustration.

"Fine, I won't hold it against you." He shook the rather heavy metal box in his hand and placed it on the lab table next to him. "Look, it wasn't a wasted trip. I brought back some 'local specialties' for you. One set was specifically designed for you to study."