Chapter 155


My current focus is singular.

To join the Krayble Revolution and rise to become one of their core members.

Only then can I spread the seed of enlightenment while laying the groundwork to cultivate ‘common soldiers’ in this world.

But there lies the problem.

Will the Krayble Revolution welcome me just for showcasing my skills in a Kamen Rider suit?

The answer is obviously ‘no.’

Why would they welcome a suddenly appeared masked monster?

Even if they did accept me, it would only be because my skills are useful, not because they need me as a person.

To become a core executive among them, ‘mask and skills’ alone won’t suffice.

So what is needed to take on a central role?

“Belief.”

The answer is belief.

You must have your own firm philosophy.

Just like Thanos sought to sacrifice half of life for a greater cause.

I, too, need a personal narrative and belief that would draw the Krayble Revolution’s interest.

Charisma that attracts people comes from a steadfast belief.

“I must set up my character.”

Thus, I decided to craft a narrative for ‘Oliver Cromwell.’

I suddenly thought of the story of ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ and mixed it with various villains and revolutionary characters I’ve seen across multiple media.

As a result, I created an attractive revolutionary character who was originally a commoner but disguised as a ‘count.’

Now I just needed to match this character’s look.

“Eve. Show me a 38-year-old average-looking man’s facial model. I’m going to create an infinite face mask.”

“Okay. Got it.”

So I instructed Eve to create Oliver Cromwell’s face and waited for the results.

Soon, 17 facial models appeared in hologram form, and I scanned the sample data.

While doing so, a better idea struck me, and I instructed the next detail.

“Eve. Give model number 7 a 3rd-degree burn. Make it a severely damaged face.”

“····But it will be hideous?”

“I don’t care. I’m going to wear a mask anyway.”

Eve nodded with a reluctant expression.

The reason for changing from an average-looking concept to a man with burns was to incorporate the ‘time-limited’ setting.

After all, Oliver Cromwell needs to make an exit at a proper time.

In short, it means he only needs to remain as a symbol.

‘Moreover…’

It’s good for plausibility as well.

In other words, if I say that he has severe burns restricting his activities, he can have a short but impactful role and then disappear.

For instance, after 30 minutes of intense activity, he might need to recuperate at home for 3 days, and after an hour of activity, he would need 5 days of recovery.

With such parameters, it would be easy to switch between two characters.

“Here, it’s done.”

I then donned the infinite face mask of Oliver Cromwell and put on a matching mask.

Of course, to add the details of full-body burns, I also created a skin suit with burn marks all over and a device to modulate my voice.

I had become the perfect ‘Oliver Cromwell.’

“Now what’s left is…”

The perfect timing for my entrance.

Whether villain or hero, to truly leave an impression on the brain, the entrance scene must be striking.

As I pondered how to join the Krayble Revolution, a smile crept up on my face.

I had come up with the right moment.

***

“Thwack!”

In a dark, damp basement.

A woman shackled by chains spat out blood-tinged saliva.

Her red saliva dripped down, hitting a man’s left cheek, sticky and warm.

However, the man who was spat on simply displayed his open right palm.

Soon, his subordinate, who understood seamlessly, placed a whip on his palm.

The man gripped the whip tightly and wiped away the spit from his left cheek as he spoke.

“You’re saying you won’t scream until the end? Looks like you’re going to get whipped until you faint again today!”

With a sadistic grin, he raised the whip high.

And without mercy, he swung it at the defenseless woman.

The whip sliced through the air violently, wrapping around the woman’s body.

Flesh ripped, and blood burst forth, while pus oozed from various wounds.

In the overwhelming pain, the woman’s eyes rolled back.

“You fierce bitch. You won’t scream even now? Even now! Even now!”

—Crack! Crack! Crack!

The man’s whip lashed out mercilessly at the woman.

Yet, she grit her teeth and swallowed even the groans bursting from her lips.

Though she felt as if she might lose consciousness from the immense pain, there was still strength in her gaze.

She continued to glare at the man.

“Yeah. You’re finally getting into the groove. You need to endure that much to be worthy of being the leader of the revolutionaries.”

In response, the man rolled up his sleeves completely.

Sweeping his disheveled hair back, he arranged his sweat-soaked locks.

It had already been two days of torturing the revolutionary leader ‘Vanessa,’ but seeing her endure without screaming meant he needed to demonstrate a proper lesson.

This kind of soft whipping wouldn’t shatter her spirit.

“Let’s see how long your nails can withstand. Bring it here.”

“Yes!”

Thus, the man decided to use various tortures.

He had prepared numerous torture devices for this day.

“Heheheh… this torture will be quite unbearable.”

Finally, the man secured Vanessa’s right hand and turned the wheel.

Then a sharp spike began to slowly burrow under Vanessa’s nail.

The device made it so that every time the wheel turned, the sharp spike would dig deeper into her nail.

“Uhuhuh!… Guhhhhhh!!!”

Soon, Vanessa began to grit her teeth and moan.

Every time the spike pushed under her nail, she thrashed violently and glared at the man.

Yet, the man didn’t stop there; he even pulled out Vanessa’s thumbnail entirely.

With that immense pain, she could only let out a scream.

“Guhhhhhh! Aaaaahhhhhh!!!”

“Heheheh…”

The man chuckled with joy.

He felt exhilarated by having power over the mightiest Vanessa Agnes, known as the strongest in the Eastern Kingdom.

“Heheheh… You know, this is just the beginning. You still have 9 nails left. Do you think you can hold out until then?”

But that wasn’t enough.

His purpose was to break her spirit entirely and make her betray her own revolutionaries.

Just as Vanessa’s right-hand man had betrayed her.

“No need to struggle so hard. There are quite a few spies in your revolutionaries already, right? Even if you don’t give us your location, we can find it out.”

As he said this, he began to turn the wheel again.

The spike slowly penetrated Vanessa’s index finger.

The man took his hand off the wheel and grinned.

“I just want to give you a chance. A chance for you to redeem yourself. Spill the locations of all the revolutionary hideouts, and I’ll grant you a special pardon. Well, if you play nice, I might even take you as my concubine.”

The man said this, watching Vanessa’s reaction.

Vanessa, with half-closed eyes, glared at him.

“I will one day… judge you.”

Judgment.

It meant he would die.

The man stood up.

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he said.

“Pull all her nails out.”

“Yes!”

Thus, the gruesome torture began.

The woman screamed, while the man laughed at it.

But Vanessa didn’t submit, even as all ten of her nails were pulled out.

Not even when she was burned with hot tools, or hung upside down and beaten, did she break.

As the man continued to laugh, his expression began to harden.

If this kept up, she might die before he could even break her.

“Treat her.”

“Yes!”

Thus, the man planned for the next day.

After restoring her, he would shatter her belief with even more cruel torture.

“Wake up.”

So, the next day.

A splash of cold water hit Vanessa’s face.

Her shabby clothes clung to her as they soaked.

The man licked his lips, leering at her body line with lecherous eyes.

“Today, I’m going to give you a special reward. You must have had a hard time enduring the torture, right?”

He said this while caressing Vanessa’s face.

With eyes filled with lust, he scanned her beautiful features.

He saw her expression turn to one of fear in that moment.

Indeed, to break her spirit, this approach was the correct way rather than ‘pain.’

“Hehehe… Inject it.”

The man stepped back and ordered his subordinates.

Three sturdy men rushed to Vanessa, two holding her down while one prepared to inject her.

Vanessa resisted fiercely but ultimately had no choice but to allow something to be injected into her body.

“Guhhh…”

And the effects of the drug manifested immediately.

Her lower abdomen burned and her mind grew hazy.

It was a humiliating moment, caught by the dogs of the kingdom she hated the most, yet an uncontrollable lust bubbled up within her.

The man giggled as he began to loosen his belt.

“Let’s take it easy. If you play nice, I’ll end it with this today.”

Finally grasping Vanessa’s weakness, the man lowered his pants.

With hideous desires embodied, his manhood stood tall towards her.

Vanessa began to thrash violently while intermingling her screams with cries.

“Get that filthy thing away from me! I will not forgive you! One day I will, tear you apart and kill you!”

“Hehehe… but before that, your maidenhood will have to be torn first. So, here we go…”

The man said as he took his stance.

His subordinates laughed while tearing apart Vanessa’s clothes.

The lewd jokes like ‘This bitch is already wet?’ assaulted Vanessa’s spirit.

—Shhhhk!

At that moment.

Suddenly, a knife pierced the man’s member.

Immediately, it fell off with a thud, blood spraying everywhere.

As the man screamed, the eyes of Vanessa and his subordinates turned towards the source of the knife.

There stood an unfamiliar figure, leaning against the wall with arms crossed.

Dressed in a white robe and clothes, and wearing a white mask, their eyes gleamed brightly.

The subordinates shouted.

“W-Who the hell are you! Did you do this!?”

At their shout, the man leaning against the wall uncrossed his arms and stood upright.

Just that alone made the three subordinates flinch and step back.

Then the figure spoke.

“A small spark can ignite an entire forest; the light of truth will illuminate the world.”

“Wh-What the fuck are you talking about?”

“She’s the spark.”

—Whoosh!

As the figure finished speaking, they spun their hand around.

Mystically, two knives appeared in their hands.

The figure then threw the knives, knocking down two of the subordinates.

The remaining frightened subordinate began to step back.

“That’s the bastard!”

But at that moment.

Hastening footsteps could be heard from behind, and a massive crowd poured in.

The public security forces from the Franche royal administrative office had arrived en masse.

The figure shrugged.

“In revolution, many a blood shall follow.”

The figure said this and spun their hand again.

And this time, instead of knives, cards appeared.

Simultaneously, a mechanical belt clicked open, and shining circles began to rotate.

“Catch him!”

As dozens of public security forces rushed in, the figure inserted a card into the center of the belt.

With a clank—a sound of a mechanism engaging—and several spells generated in the air.

Then, the figure manipulated the mechanical belt and fitted it around themselves, and a bright white light began to envelop them.

And when the light completely faded…

“······.”

A Kamen Rider suit completed in a mix of white and black, with hints of red, was finished.