Chapter 1: Welcome to the DC Universe
In the city of Nanxinnu, a fourth-year high school student of Chinese descent, Kaito Haruno, stared at the news on TV in disbelief. "At 2 AM last night, Gotham's Dark Knight, Batman, once again cracked a human trafficking case. Although the Gotham police repeatedly stated that this case had no connection to Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, who is currently running for mayor, Batman's sidekick, Robin, found an electronic account list at Cobblepot's residence. As for what happens next, our city's reporters will keep you updated."
What just happened?! This was the only thought racing through Kaito's mind. Just a moment ago, he was in the theater watching the latest movie featuring Kamen Rider Build, marveling at the dazzling appearance of the Rabbit Dragon form. Now, he blinked, and suddenly, he found himself in a classroom. And what was this news on the TV? Batman, Robin, Cobblepot—if I had to be transported to another world, couldn't it at least follow some basic logic?
Yes, Kaito wasn't naïve. Seeing himself in an unfamiliar environment and watching the news on TV made it clear he had crossed over. He had unexpectedly found himself in the body of a high school student in a world far more perilous than the Marvel universe—the DC universe! "Damn it, can someone give me a cigarette? I need to calm down!" he shouted in frustration as he stood up and hurried toward the classroom door.
"Hey, Kaito, class is about to start! Where are you going?" Kara Danvers, who sat behind him, called out.
"I really need to go!" Kaito replied without looking back, rushing to the restroom to gather his thoughts.
As the bell rang, Kaito sat on the toilet, sorting through his memories. Though he couldn't comprehend why his seemingly idyllic life had been upended by this unreasonable crossover, he knew that, barring any miracles, he wouldn't be going back. Since returning was off the table, he had to figure out the environment he was in. As he settled into this thought, memories belonging to this body flooded his mind.
This body shared the same name as Kaito, with parents of Chinese descent who owned a business in Nanxinnu. They were well-off, owning a house and car, and both parents were alive. The previous owner of this body attended Zhongcheng High School, a prestigious private institution. In America, there is a significant difference in education between private and public schools.
Fortunately, this body hadn't suffered the typical bullying faced by many unfortunate superheroes during their formative years. Instead, standing tall at 188 cm and with a strong build, Kaito was a key player on the school basketball team, dabbling in photography as a hobby. While not a notable figure, he enjoyed a decent reputation at school and wasn't isolated or bullied.
"Well, this isn't too bad. At least I don't have to worry about my next meal. But now, I need to figure out what kind of special ability I have!" Kaito muttered, rubbing his slightly aching temples.
Seriously, if I've crossed over, how can I not have some sort of special ability? This world is far more dangerous than Marvel! Despite Marvel's current cinematic success, DC has still excelled in animated films, games, and distribution. Compared to the often excessive events in Marvel, DC can be described as divine battles. From the creation of the Justice League to the addition of each hero, they are essentially a group of deities, facing off against equally powerful adversaries.
Just consider Metropolis, where Superman spends most of his time battling cosmic-level threats that can wreak havoc across the globe. In comparison, Marvel's Chitauri invasion would be a walk in the park for Superman. Even in Nanxinnu, Kaito recalled it being a hotbed for incidents. Facing such a treacherous environment without a special ability would be foolish—he might as well buy a gun and end it all!
*"Knight System, activated."* Just as Kaito was about to bang his head against the door, the prompt echoed in his mind like a divine message. It was true! As a crossover character, he must have a special ability! Following the prompt, Kaito's eyes rolled back, and he fainted.
When he came to, he found himself in a dark space, surrounded by chaotic lights. Images of Kamen Riders he recognized began to materialize in front of him: "Kuga, Agito, G3, Ryuki, Knight, Hibiki, Garren, Faiz, Caesar—what? Even Golden Cousin is here! And what's with that question mark image?" Kaito counted the Kamen Riders from the Heisei series that appeared before him. Among them, even Kamen Rider ZI-O, the twentieth entry, showed up, but the question mark image intrigued him even more.
*"Welcome to the Knight System Space, host."* An electronic voice, indistinguishable in gender, resonated throughout the space, prompting Kaito to voice his concerns. "System, you've already included all the Heisei Riders. Why is there still a question mark image?"
*"As you mentioned, the Knight System has cataloged all Heisei Riders. However, this is not set in stone. You can develop new forms, but this requires you to develop and exchange points."*
"Points?" Kaito focused on the keyword. "System, please clarify how to earn points. You're not going to make me act heroically just to earn them, right? This is DC! I could run into aliens out there!"
"Of course, Kamen Riders are warriors who secretly protect humanity. I'm not asking you to act heroically, am I? Want to watch cartoons instead?" The system's human-like banter left Kaito speechless. He had been unexpectedly transported into a different world while watching special effects films! The issue was that he had nothing to work with. Even if he wanted to earn points, he couldn't even stand up to a peanut's worth of threat. "Don't worry about your current physical condition. Since you're expected to earn points, you won't be going in empty-handed. As it's your first time in the system space, you'll have ten chances for a newbie draw."
The system understood Kaito's worries and addressed them directly.
"Ten? All Kamen Riders?!" Kaito was instantly stunned. If he drew ten times, even if he didn't get the main riders from the Heisei series, just getting the side riders would give him enough power to challenge the local gangs!
"Haha, do you really think that's possible?" The system mocked him, leaving Kaito speechless. "I've said before, the Knight System includes all Heisei Riders, but it also encompasses their items and adversaries. Moreover, this system has cataloged some cultivation systems and treasures from other worlds. If you're lucky, you might draw something good in those ten chances."
As the images of the Kamen Riders faded, new images appeared—faces of bosses and subordinates from each Heisei Rider series. Additionally, some equipment emerged, including Hibiki's Ongekiken, Faiz's Accel Watch, W's Gaia Memory, OOO's medals, the game-breaking Golden Fruit from Kamen Rider Gaim, and the Eyecons from Kamen Rider Ghost. Kaito was dazzled, particularly by the Golden Fruit, which was arguably the most powerful item in the Heisei series.
Eating this would make transformation devices unnecessary, as they only limited his potential. Remembering his luck in Overwatch, where he often received legendary items from loot boxes, Kaito felt optimistic and said, "So, what are we waiting for? Let's get started! I want to survive in this DC universe a little longer."
"As you wish, host."
With that, all the images disappeared, and a luck wheel materialized in front of Kaito, spinning wildly as he watched eagerly.
(End of Chapter)