Different from Kamen Rider OOO's Mantis Medal, the feather cat sublimation key stands apart. It began as a blank slate, devoid of any inherent power. Only after merging with the soul ring of the feather cat soul beast did it become something truly unique. Transforming with this key unlocks new forms, unseen in the original Kamen Rider Zero-One series. What's more, its utility extends beyond just the Zero-One Driver. It could potentially be used with other transformation devices like the Shotriser, Slashriser, or Forceriser.
Unfortunately, Yin Xiaoya's Rider Point stash isn't quite fat enough to snag any of those toys. Unlocking those extra weapons hinges on finding the right soul beast—a matter of pure chance. So, for now, the freshly acquired feather cat sublimation key gets shelved in the system space.
Since he's tagging along with Su Xuan and the gang to Shrek Academy, Yin Xiaoya figures he should try to unlock at least one main Rider form before Su Xuan's mission wraps up. That means setting his sights on the forms that only need a single soul beast to unlock.
[Scanning... A soul beast approximately 10 kilometers away can unlock a main Rider power. Specific information will be available upon confirmation of the soul beast's identity.]
As if on cue, Su Xuan strolled over.
"Yin Xiaoya, the student's back on her feet. We're about to get moving again."
"Right, give me a sec." Yin Xiaoya summoned a Batta Candroid from the system's inventory. Flicking the switch, the can transformed into a mechanical locust.
"Whoa, what's that?"
"A metal locust? Is that a new kind of soul beast?"
"Nah, it's gotta be big brother's martial soul, right?"
The Candroid's novelty sucked in the teens. They'd grown up in a world without mechanics, so the design was foreign to them. To be fair, these Candroids are the real deal—not mass-produced toys. The realism and detail made them far more impressive than anything they might've seen on TV.
Yin Xiaoya skipped the explanation, turning to the Batta Candroid in his palm. "Go find the soul beast. Snap a pic and send it to me."
The Batta Candroid gave a mechanical nod, hopped off his hand, and scurried into the forest, vanishing among the trees.
"You already know what soul beast you're looking for?" Su Xuan asked, tilting her head. "Need any help?"
Yin Xiaoya caught her meaning and shook his head. "I'm no soul master, so I'm not hunting for a fight. Let's just focus on getting those kids their soul rings."
Given their earlier run-in with the Bone Scythe Mantis, Su Xuan wanted to wrap things up ASAP. Seeing that Yin Xiaoya didn't need a hand, she didn't press the issue. After a quick cleanup of the campsite, they were back on the trail.
With the two teams joined, Yin Xiaoya finally got a taste of professional expertise. Jing Tieyang could pinpoint the right soul beast with alarming speed, piecing together clues that would have been invisible to anyone else. Then, working together, they'd bag the beast and extract the soul ring in record time.
According to Su Xuan, Jing Tieyang knows more about soul beasts and the forest than anyone at Shrek Academy—besides Master Yu Xiaogang, of course. Thanks to Jing Tieyang's guidance, the students were racking up new soul rings. Only Luo Pupu had yet to find her match.
"So, you already picked out the soul beasts before coming here?" Yin Xiaoya asked.
"Not exactly. Before heading out, Master Yu Xiaogang tests the students and puts together a list of potential soul beasts. Then, once we're in the forest, we combine that with Uncle Jing's route analysis to decide which one to hunt. Since this is only their second soul ring, they have a lot of wiggle room. It was just a coincidence that we stumbled upon two of the toughest soul beasts at the same time. And Uncle Jing calculated his route carefully, but nobody expected a ten-thousand-year soul beast to be laying eggs in that area."
Yin Xiaoya's respect for Jing Tieyang grew. The guy was seriously qualified. Even during the recent battles, he'd been coaching the students, teaching them how to fight. He, Su Xuan, and even Yin Xiaoya were told to sit this one out.
Just then, Jing Tieyang stopped, holding up a hand.
"Teacher Jing, what's wrong?" Luo Pupu asked.
A roar ripped through the forest, a primal sound laced with fury.
"Let's change our target. Someone else beat us to this one," Jing Tieyang said.
Yin Xiaoya understood the drill. Soul beasts are considered wild game—fair for anyone to hunt. It's not unusual for multiple groups to chase after the same beast. A bit of competition is expected, especially when it comes to thousand-year or ten-thousand-year beasts.
But squabbling over a hundred-year soul ring? That's just bad form. After all, the people aiming for those rings are usually young, low-level soul masters. It's not worth risking those kids over something so trivial.
So, when someone else snags a hundred-year beast, the other hunters back off, leaving the victor to their prize. It's an unspoken rule of the forest.
Jing Tieyang told everyone to take a breather while he whipped out his map, rerouting their search. Su Xuan moved to Luo Pupu's side, offering words of encouragement. It seemed like the beast ahead had been a perfect fit for her, with the others being less ideal.
Yin Xiaoya didn't have a dog in this fight, so he wandered off to the side and pulled out another Batta Candroid. Linking it with the first one, he pulled up the image feed.
"Huh? What's that? Is that its back?"
The screen showed a hulking figure, its rear end reminiscent of both a gorilla and a bear. Brown fur covered its body, and based on the nearby trees, Yin Xiaoya guessed it stood three or four meters tall. Even from the back, the rippling muscles hinted at immense power. Looking higher, he saw a pair of massive red horns jutting from its head. All it was missing was the color scheme to be the Father of Ultra.
"Batta Candroid, let's see the front of this thing."
The Batta Candroid followed orders, the screen jostling as it sidled around the beast. But, out of nowhere, the figure rocketed off the ground. Before Yin Xiaoya could react, the screen shook wildly, then lifted off the ground. A pair of angry purple eyes filled the screen.
The poor little Batta Candroid had been spotted. The view zoomed out, revealing a long, blue-tinged face that looked like a mandrill on steroids. There was no need for it to bare its teeth; its face was menacing enough.
Yin Xiaoya spoke, a sheepish tone coloring his voice. "Uh... hey there, didn't mean to bother you. This is just a misunderstanding... I was just passing through."
"ROAR!"
Before Yin Xiaoya could finish, a gout of purple-red flame burst from the creature's mouth, and the screen dissolved into static.
[The Batta Candroid is a total loss and cannot be recovered.]
Yeah, thanks for pointing out the obvious, Yin Xiaoya thought, shoving the ruined Candroid into his system space. "Alright, can you ID that thing?"
[Blue-Faced Minotaur: a top-tier soul beast known for having the strongest body in its class. Based on the Batta Candroid's readings, that one's got about 6,000 years of cultivation under its belt. Combined with its strength, it's on par with the Bone Scythe Mantis.]
"You sure about that calculation? 'Cause it kinda makes the Mantis look cheap. Just saying."
[The calculation is accurate. The Bone Scythe Mantis had recently laid its eggs, so its combat ability was at an all-time low. If it were at its peak, the Blue-Faced Minotaur wouldn't stand a chance.]
Well, guess I got lucky. The system's explanation changed how he viewed ten-thousand-year soul beasts. Next time, he couldn't count on a similar fluke.
"System, lock onto the Minotaur again. I'm sending out another Batta Candroid. Stay connected this time."
[Not recommended. If you want the Blue-Faced Minotaur to unlock the power of a Kamen Rider, you'll have to defeat it. With your current abilities, you'll be shot into space faster than a shooting star. I strongly advise gaining the power of at least five Kamen Riders before trying that.]
Yin Xiaoya sighed. If the system said he was outmatched, he was outmatched. Finding soul beasts was all about fate. Maybe some other soul masters would stumble upon it before he did. You never knew.
"That guy's Rider is Hibiki, right?" Yin Xiaoya asked.
He didn't need the system to confirm it; the similarities were obvious.
[Yes, the Blue-Faced Minotaur corresponds to... Host, there's fighting up ahead. Soul beasts are rampaging, causing casualties.]
Yin Xiaoya's expression hardened. He shot to his feet and started forward, ignoring the curious stares.
Su Xuan rushed after him. "Where are you going? We're about to leave."
"There's trouble up ahead. Gotta check it out," Yin Xiaoya said over his shoulder.
Su Xuan hesitated, then grabbed his wrist. "This is the Soul Beast Forest. 'Accidents' don't happen. Let's not get involved in someone else's fight."
Yin Xiaoya knew she was just worried about him, but that didn't mean he had to listen.
"I know that soul beasts and soul masters die every second in this forest, and I can't save them all. But if I don't act when something's happening right in front of me, it's not an accident—it's me choosing to do nothing. If I hadn't acted, Pupu would be a corpse right now."
Su Xuan faltered. If not for Yin Xiaoya, half her team, including herself, would be dead. Thinking about it that way, she couldn't find a reason to stop him. She loosened her grip on his wrist.
Yin Xiaoya pulled his hand free. "I'm a Kamen Rider. I can't just stand by and watch."
"Kamen Rider..." For some reason, Su Xuan felt like she was finally starting to understand what Yin Xiaoya meant.
A monstrous roar echoed through the forest, clearly coming from a thousand-year soul beast.
Yin Xiaoya wasted no time. He strapped on the Meteor Driver and hit the activation switch.
[Meteor Ready?]
With a cheerful sound and a collective gasp, Yin Xiaoya buckled the belt.
"Henshin!"
A flash of light erupted from the belt, engulfing him. In the blinding light, Yin Xiaoya transformed into Kamen Rider Meteor. It was his first transformation in front of an audience, and the spectacle left everyone speechless.
The ball of light shot into the air and rocketed toward the sound of battle.
***
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Advance chapters are in my P@|r3on - Najicablitz