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Unlock Kamen Riders in Douluo's Way Ch 57
🕑 Added 2025-07-16 15:30:39 +0000 UTC"Human, are you the Kamen Rider?"
The words, spoken with a strange mix of curiosity and challenge, snapped Yin Xiaoya out of his bewildered stupor. Before he could stammer out a reply, the colossal figure spoke again.
What the hell is this? His mind raced, trying to catch up. This thing must be older than 100,000 years. What did I do to piss off such a big bird? Could it be… the Skullgarry's engine? Did I violate some local noise ordinance?
Just as panic began to set in, another, slightly more comforting presence arrived. The Ghost-Faced Griffin King, wings beating furiously, swooped in from behind and, with surprising familiarity, extended a massive clawed paw and planted it squarely on the head of the phoenix.
"Hold your feathers! I told you to wait a moment. Did you have to come make trouble here?!”
Seeing a familiar face, even one as imposing as the Ghost-Faced Griffin King, Yin Xiaoya felt a sliver of relief. At least he knew this guy… sort of.
"Uh… Senior, what’s going on?" he asked, trying to sound braver than he felt.
The Ghost-Faced Griffin King, looking remarkably sheepish for a creature of its size, proceeded to explain the situation. As the story unfolded, Yin Xiaoya's confusion only deepened. This… this was why he was about to be squashed like a bug? Because of a perceived slight to some Phoenix bloodline?
"Human boy," the phoenix boomed, its voice echoing through the lava fields. "You will give me an explanation! Why did you entrust my grandson to such a… weak individual? My grandson carries the blood of two royal lines! You’ve thrown the honor of both our clans in the mud!"
"Hey! Hold on a second, that's not fair," the Ghost-Faced Griffin King retorted, its voice laced with irritation. "I don't think so at all."
"Silence!" the Azure Phoenix King snapped. "In the final analysis, you are to blame for this entire incident! You stood by and watched it happen, and you didn't step forward to stop it!"
The Ghost-Faced Griffin King bristled, clearly annoyed by the accusation.
"Can you stop thinking like that for a moment? Do you have bird brains or something?"
"And what's wrong with bird brains?"
Watching the two avian titans bicker in front of him, Yin Xiaoya, finally grasping the situation, couldn't help but feel a sense of absurdity wash over him. "Well," he interjected, trying to mediate. "If you think that the, uh, junior Azure Flame Heaven Griffin was wronged by following me, you don't have to worry. There might be a few twists and turns right now, but he will definitely grow to a height that ordinary people can't even imagine."
"Hmph, that is not the point," the Azure Phoenix King countered. "I merely wish to understand why you believe my grandson is unworthy."
Yin Xiaoya rubbed his forehead, exasperated. This was ridiculous. How could he possibly explain his reasoning to a giant, prideful bird? Especially when his reasoning was based on the whims of a system this guy couldn't even grasp. Besides, he didn't see Azure Flame Heaven Griffin as unworthy. Not in the slightest. He just saw Ma Hongjun as a better fit, with greater potential.
But explaining that seemed like a lost cause. He could tell this guy was just looking for trouble. He might as well cut to the chase.
"Senior, if you have something to say, please just say it," he said, trying to project an air of confidence he definitely didn't feel.
Azure Phoenix King lowered its massive head, its avian face regarding him with an intensity that made him want to squirm. "I will see for myself just how capable you and these… Kamen Riders truly are."
Oh, come on! he thought, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Are you serious? You want me to fight you? Is it possible to bully someone so high-sounding?
As if reading his mind, Azure Phoenix King snorted. "Do not flatter yourself, human boy. You are not worthy of my attention. I have other ways to test you."
The Ghost-Faced Griffin King, suddenly realizing what Azure Phoenix King was planning, panicked. "Wait! No! He's not a soul master!"
But it was too late. Azure Phoenix King's eyes flared with blue light, and a beam of energy shot out, piercing directly into Yin Xiaoya’s chest.
"Ugh!"
A searing energy exploded within Yin Xiaoya's body. In a matter of seconds, cracks began to spiderweb across his skin, and wisps of blue flame flickered from the fissures. It felt as if his very being was being torn apart from the inside out. He dropped to his knees, the pain almost unbearable. But it wasn't just physical. It was a deeper agony, a sense that his inner world was on the verge of collapse.
"You are insane!" the Ghost-Faced Griffin King roared. "I told you, he is not a soul master! He has no soul power to resist!"
Azure Phoenix King merely snorted. "It matters not. You claim he is a warrior with a strong heart? My Negative Heart Flame is the ultimate test of the soul! If his heart is truly as strong as you say, he will survive, even without soul power."
The Ghost-Faced Griffin King's face darkened. "Immediately withdraw those infernal flames! Do you not understand what will happen if he cannot withstand them? If something happens to him, what of your grandson? And what of my son? What of all our children?"
"Children?" Cang Huang tilted its head, confused. "What do our children have to do with this?"
"Can you not see? This human… he may be our only hope to save them!"
Azure Phoenix King, though prideful, was not unintelligent. Understanding dawned in its eyes. "You mean… to allow them to become Kamen Riders as well?"
"Precisely! I witnessed my grandson's transformation firsthand. This power… this ability to directly transform life… it may be the only way to change the fate of our offspring."
Azure Phoenix King was silent for a long moment, its gaze fixed on Yin Xiaoya, who was writhing on the ground. Finally, it slowly shook its head. "Even so, I will not remove the Negative Heart Flame. You may glare at me all you wish, but it is you who should be calm. Do you truly believe I intend to harm him? If he survives, I will grant him an opportunity. If he fails… then I will rescue him, and offer him a compensation. The Azure Phoenix clan never shirks its debts, even to humans."
Hearing those words, the Ghost-Faced Griffin King blinked, a hint of understanding dawning in its eyes. "You stubborn… Why must you always be so infuriatingly roundabout?"
It was all a charade. Azure Phoenix King didn't truly want to hurt Yin Xiaoya. This was merely its way of justifying a favor.
Negative Heart Flame, a fire that could ignite all negative emotions, could normally be resisted with soul power. But few knew that if one faced it directly, with nothing but their heart, survival would be rewarded with a blessing from Azure Phoenix King itself.
Given Azure Phoenix King's power, it was certainly aware that Yin Xiaoya possessed no soul power. But precisely because of that, he couldn't rely on conventional defenses, forcing him to confront the flames head-on.
Of course, failure meant being consumed by negative energy, becoming an empty husk. But Azure Phoenix King would intervene before that happened, ensuring his survival.
Inside Yin Xiaoya, the pain had ceased. He lay motionless, as if his soul had been ripped from his body, his eyes blank and unfocused. But a closer inspection revealed a storm of images flashing behind his pupils.
He found himself in a gray, colorless world, staring at a lifeless corpse. Beside it, another, bloodstained version of himself stood, clutching a dagger, his face contorted in horror.
The scene shifted without transition, yet with a disturbing sense of continuity. He was on a barren mountain, watching a group of soldiers escort a hooded man. The soldiers passed through him as if he wasn't there.
Yin Xiaoya turned, following the procession as they led the hooded man to a clearing and forced him to his knees. A soldier with a stern face stood behind him, a gun in his hand. Despite his hardened exterior, Yin Xiaoya could see the soldier’s hand tremble slightly. He knew what was about to happen.
Another soldier ripped off the man's hood, revealing a face filled with despair. It was Yin Xiaoya himself.
"The murderer, Yin Xiaoya, has proven his guilt. Execution is now authorized!"
The soldier with the gun slowly raised his weapon. The gray world began to shake violently, cracks appearing in every corner.
Both the Yin Xiaoya on the sidelines and the Yin Xiaoya about to die felt the approach of death, and a simultaneous, bitter smile touched their lips. They spoke in unison, their voices echoing through the desolate landscape.
"Die without regret."
Bang!
A gunshot rang out. The cracks in the world widened. The scene dissolved again. This time, he was in a place he didn't recognize.
It was a hospital ward. A frail girl slowly opened her eyes, emerging from a long period of unconsciousness. Seeing her, Yin Xiaoya could no longer contain himself.
"Xiaoman!"
He rushed towards her, but his hand passed right through her.
The ward door opened, and a middle-aged man and woman with exhausted faces entered.
"Dad! Mom!"
Tears streamed down Yin Xiaoya's face. He hadn't even noticed the cracks in this world multiplying.
"Ah, Xiaoman is awake!"
The woman noticed her daughter first, and the two rushed forward, embracing her.
"Thank God, you're finally awake… God didn't take you away from me."
"Damn it, child!"
The man's words snapped her out of it, and she quickly covered her mouth, horrified by her outburst. But Yin Xiaoman had already heard. Her eyes widened with fear. "Where's brother? What happened to him?"
"No! Don't! Don't say it!"
Yin Xiaoya roared, but the people in front of him couldn't hear a word. The cracks in the world grew again.
"Did my brother do something stupid? Did he get arrested? No! Take me to the police station! I’m willing to forgive that person! Just please, let my brother go!"
The middle-aged man and woman lowered their heads, weeping uncontrollably.
"What's wrong? Tell me! What happened to him?"
The woman could no longer bear the weight of the secret. Sobbing, she revealed the truth, her voice a mournful lament that Yin Xiaoya could only watch helplessly.
"To avenge you, your brother… he accidentally killed that person. He’s already… he’s already been executed. Daughter… you've been in a coma for a whole year! Oh God, I’m sorry!"
Yin Xiaoman's already pale face turned ashen. Her eyes were empty as she shook her head. "No… no, it's impossible. My brother wouldn't die. He promised he'd always protect me."
Her body went limp, and she collapsed backwards, only to be caught by her father. Her hand brushed against something on the bed. She looked down and saw a doll – a Kamen Rider Kuuga doll. The one Yin Xiaoya had given her for her birthday.
"Brother… didn't you promise you'd always protect my smile?"
"I’m sorry, Xiaoman. I'm so sorry," Yin Xiaoya sobbed, kneeling beside the hospital bed, tears streaming down his face.
"Ah! Xiaoman! What's wrong with you?!"
"I'm going to call the doctor!"
"No! Xiaoman!!"
Seeing the girl, overwhelmed by grief, vomit blood, Yin Xiaoya lunged forward, only to pass through her, once again unable to touch her. He spun around, finding himself in yet another unfamiliar room.
It was a cold, sterile space, with a narrow bed covered in a white sheet. A body lay beneath, still and silent. Yin Xiaoya couldn't bring himself to lift the sheet. He simply stared at the hand protruding from beneath it, still clutching the bloodstained Kuuga doll.
The cracks had spread across the entire world, threatening to shatter everything.
"It's all my fault. It's all my fault."
The collapse began. Countless fragments rained down, and a torrent of blue flames erupted from the void, engulfing Yin Xiaoya, the source of despair.
In the real world, the Ghost-Faced Griffin King watched, horrified, as Yin Xiaoya’s body cracked and the blue flames consumed him. It turned to Azure Phoenix King, its voice laced with urgency.
"Do something! Now!"
Azure Phoenix King nodded, its expression a mixture of disappointment and resignation. "It seems his strength only extended this far. A pity."
It spread its massive wings, preparing to intervene, but then paused, sensing a change.
"Huh? What is this…?"
Within the inferno, Yin Xiaoya, resigned to his fate, allowed the flames to wash over him. The gray world was on the verge of annihilation. The blue flames surged towards Yin Xiaoman’s body, threatening to consume her as well. But then, Yin Xiaoya unleashed a primal roar.
"No!! I will not let my sister die! I will not let her be taken from me! This is wrong!!"
The collapse faltered. The flames hesitated.
"I'm not dead! My sister cannot be gone! As long as I live, she will live on! Because I… I am hope!"
The white sheet on the bed stirred, rising into the air. The girl sat up, clutching the Kuuga doll, a faint smile gracing her lips.
Suddenly, the doll in her hand and the girl had colors as the light illuminated the world as it restored to its original colors.
"Thank you, brother."
The girl smiled, gently tossing the Kuuga doll towards Yin Xiaoya. The scene shifted back to the day of his execution. As the gunshot rang out, a beam of light descended from the heavens, merging with Yin Xiaoya's body.
This time, he saw it all from an outside perspective. The light… it wasn't divine intervention. It was the Kuuga doll.
[Detecting the owner's hope… Hello, Host… This is the Kamen Rider System… Please become the hope of this world…]
In that instant, Yin Xiaoya, bound and kneeling, vanished into thin air.
"So that’s it… Sister… you were the one who gave me my power. You were the one who gave me hope."
In that moment, the grayness within Yin Xiaoya vanished, replaced by a burning resolve. He understood.
"System! Come out!"
[Host, you’re finally awake! It’s truly amazing! Congratulations on conquering despair! Please, turn around and behold the results of your triumph.]
Yin Xiaoya turned. A massive blue flame blazed in the center of his inner world.
"What is this…?"
[This is your despair itself. You have overcome it, and now it is yours. This is the Phantom, the manifestation of despair from the Kamen Rider Wizard universe. It is the source of power for all magic riders.]
