Chapter 14: Night Infiltration

"Ouch! That really hurt!" Kaito Haruno bolted upright in his bed, wincing in pain. It felt as if his entire body was cramped up as he yelled out in agony. During his eight hours of sleep, transitioning from night to day, Kaito had spent two hours in a mental training room, where he was chased and slashed by 15 Shuka soldiers. The pain from their knives cutting into his skin felt incredibly real, sending sharp feedback to his brain. Even after waking up from the realistic dream, Kaito could still feel the lingering pain.

Under two times gravity, Kaito's body was reduced to that of an average human, despite the support of his Observation Haki and Armament Haki. Facing 15 Shuka soldiers, each physically superior to him, he could only sense the attacks coming with Observation Haki and block with Armament Haki. However, his body, restrained to normal human limits, couldn't always keep up with his reflexes, leaving him unable to use Armament Haki across his entire body.

Despite being surrounded and attacked by the Shuka soldiers, Kaito gradually mastered the swordsmanship and combat skills that had been downloaded into his mind by the system. As the battle progressed, he started to gain the upper hand. While getting ganged up on was rough, it allowed him to hone his fighting techniques. After all, the Shuka soldiers were decent in combat and tactics, even if they often faced the infamous Seven Showa Thugs and stood no chance against them.

Thanks to the system's infusion of combat and swordsmanship expertise, Kaito experienced a significant transformation in just one night of fighting. He realized that, from now on, he wouldn't need to rely on his G3 armor suit as much when dealing with criminals. Didn't Kamen Riders traditionally fight monsters with just their bare hands? Transformation was always the last resort. After a night of torture, Kaito felt like he could even take on some DC mortal heroes in a fair fight. Yeah, even without his armor.

Despite his lingering pain, Kaito knew he had to get to work. A new time-limited mission had been assigned to him, and slacking off was no longer an option. "System, how many Taka cans can I exchange with my current points?"

"You currently have 100,000 points, enough to exchange for 500 Locust cans, 500 Octopus cans, or 500 Falcon cans," the system responded with a set of numbers that Kaito found quite satisfying.

"Exchange ten Locust cans, ten Octopus cans, and nine Falcon cans for me."

"Order confirmed. Initiating the exchange."

As soon as the words left his mouth, a flash of white light appeared on his desk. Thirty mechanical cans began bouncing around, waiting for Kaito's instructions.

"You, form groups of two and patrol the entire city. Find any suspicious activities, follow the culprits, and one of you report back to me."

The small mechanical creatures nodded at Kaito's command. The Falcons flew into the sky with the Octopuses, while the Locusts split into five groups and hopped off in different directions. With everything in place, Kaito finally prepared to head to school.

Later that afternoon, at the school cafeteria, Kaito sat alone by the window, quietly eating his lunch. Even though he had taken over this body, he hadn't planned on replacing the original owner's life. He still attended the school's basketball team practices, but when it came to eating and socializing, Kaito kept his distance. He didn't mind chatting with others at school, but after class, he preferred walking home alone—and eating alone, too.

"Hey, is this seat taken? Can we sit here?" Kaito looked up from his plate of braised pork knuckles and saw Kara and Emil standing before him with their trays.

"It's taken—by me." Kaito mumbled, barely lifting his head as he continued to eat. With so many empty tables, did they really need to ask if the seat was available? If they wanted to sit, they could just sit; no one was stopping them. Seriously, did Kryptonians come to Earth with a built-in stupidity buff?

Completely baffled by Kara's unnecessary question, Kaito focused on gnawing at his pork knuckles. Kara, stunned by his vague response, wasn't sure if she should sit or not. Emil, however, simply pulled Kara down into a seat. The two girls didn't eat; they just sat there, staring at Kaito as he devoured his meal.

He had survived being forcibly teleported to another world. What was there to fear from two girls staring at him? He wasn't just going to eat—he was going to savor every bite. Kara couldn't help but admire how Kaito even stripped the meat from between the bones. He was thorough, leaving nothing behind.

"Why do we have to sit here, anyway?" Kara asked her sister, Emil, still puzzled.

"Well, unless you prefer sitting with those guys fawning over you, I'm happy to sit alone."

"Fine, I'll stay."

Sure, every girl liked being pursued. It was a sign of popularity, after all. But there was a time and place for everything. Having people swarm you during lunch was just annoying. Meanwhile, Kaito had developed a habit of eating alone, and those who knew him respected that. So, when Kara and Emil sat at his table, a group of boys hesitated to approach.

While romance was fine, knowing the right moment and the right person was important. Interrupting someone's meal was just asking for trouble. And clearly, Kaito had no intention of paying them any attention.

"I'm done. You two can continue." After licking the grease from his fingers, Kaito muttered a quick goodbye and walked off. Once he left, the boys who had been hanging back finally gathered around Kara and Emil's table.

As they looked at the boys trying to win them over, Kara and Emil found themselves oddly missing the quiet, indifferent Kaito, who had been so focused on his meal.

That night, after his parents had fallen asleep, Kaito snuck out of the house. Sprinting through the deserted streets, he felt lighter on his feet—perhaps because of the mental training he endured for eight hours. Even his stamina seemed to have improved. Following the Taka can flying overhead, Kaito soon arrived at an old warehouse, the target for tonight's mission.

It was a storage facility for lumber, formerly owned by the Hellfire gang. After the gang's dissolution, it became property of other groups. Now, it was managed by Rabid Dog Obik, who controlled the Third District in the northern part of the city. The warehouse was used for storing and trading contraband. Kaito had already donned his Shinigami uniform and Hollow mask, fully prepared for action.

"Kaito, what's the situation inside?" The small mechanical Taka perched on Kaito Haruno's hand projected a holographic image, transmitted from an Octopus can hidden inside. The screen showed five automatic rifles, several handguns, and fifteen guards. With such a heavily armed group, Kaito abandoned his plan to charge in wearing the Shinigami suit. Although the suit was bulletproof, there were still vulnerable spots, like the back of his head. Since his reflexes weren't fast enough to dodge bullets, and his Armament Haki couldn't yet cover his entire body, it was better not to take any unnecessary risks.

Who says a main rider can't transform right away? I'll do it anyway.

Muttering "transform" in his mind, the blue G3 armor enveloped Kaito's body, and he rushed toward the warehouse door. The guards quickly noticed Kaito in his blue armor charging toward them. The sight made their hearts skip a beat, as they had heard stories about two of Hellfire's transactions being foiled by a guy in blue armor.

They immediately opened fire with their automatic rifles, but the bullets only sparked against Kaito's blackened G3 chest plate, barely slowing him down. In seconds, Kaito had closed the distance, grabbing both guards by their collars and slamming them into the ground with a swift, powerful motion.

The sound of bones breaking was lost in the roar of gunfire that filled the night. Kaito kicked open the locked door, and the men inside, alerted by the commotion, had already taken up defensive positions, firing in his direction as soon as he appeared.

This was where Kaito's Observation Haki came into play. He could sense where the bullets were heading, dodging just enough to avoid the worst of it. While not completely evading all shots, the recoil wasn't enough to halt his advance. He dashed toward the nearest guard, landing a punch that shattered bone, breaking the man's rifle in half. The guard crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

"One down, fourteen to go," Kaito thought, charging toward his next target. Despite the heavy-looking G3 armor, his speed wasn't hindered at all. Another swift movement, and the second guard followed the first, knocked out by Kaito's iron fists.

Seeing two of their comrades fall so easily, the rest of the guards started to panic. None of them wanted to be on the receiving end of those armored fists, especially after seeing the dented chest plate of their fellow guard.

What's more important—guarding the goods or saving your own life? Fear got the better of them, and they began to flee. That's when the hidden Octopus can sprang into action, spraying black ink at the escaping guards, blinding them. In their panic, some fired wildly, while others, less fortunate, lost their footing and tumbled from the upper floor, saving Kaito the trouble of dealing with them.

The entire fight was over in less than ten minutes. None of the guards escaped; all were either unconscious or incapacitated. Picking up one of their phones, Kaito dialed the police and made an anonymous tip before slipping away.

Fifteen minutes later, the police arrived to find the warehouse full of contraband and a group of groaning, defeated guards.

"What the hell…" The lead officer, Dick, cursed as he surveyed the scene, joined by Claire. The sheer amount of illegal goods and the beaten-down guards left them both stunned.

"Hey! Who did this?" Dick grabbed the nearest conscious man and barked the question.

"A blue-armored masked rider…" the man muttered weakly.

Hearing this, Dick froze. His grip loosened, and the already injured man collapsed, the fresh wave of pain knocking him unconscious.

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**Author's Note:**

Second chapter update for today! I'll be heading to the Guangzhou Strawberry Music Festival later—any readers going too? I'll be wearing Jay Chou's strongest fan gear, so fingers crossed I don't get punched, haha. Expect one more chapter tonight!

Feel free to recommend, donate, and bookmark!

**(End of Chapter)**