Silence…
Darkness…
There was not a single sound or sliver of light around, as if everything was the void.
Right at this moment, a sudden light broke the dead silence.
It was a cluster of grey light, as conspicuous as a trash can in a Trailblazer’s eyes.
The light grew increasingly brilliant, filling the entire space.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
It was the sound of a heartbeat.
…
The Tyrfing, having successfully drawn first blood, pulled out its large blade and circled the lifeless Li Qianqiao, seemingly mocking him.
Hehehe, a measly ant dares to challenge me, Emperor Tyrfing?
Sooner or later, I will become the king who dominates this Hollow!
And you are just my first stepping stone, born to be cannon fodder!
Bwahahaha!
The Emperor danced in excitement.
Other Tyrfings: ???
Tyrfing No. 2: Is there something wrong with this guy’s Core?
Tyrfing No. 3: Probably got bitten by that hound.
Let’s stay away from it.
The crowd of Tyrfings agreed and retreated one after another.
While our Emperor Tyrfing was waving his big blade to the side, Li Qianqiao’s body was undergoing a special mutation.
The wound on his chest healed rapidly.
Strange patterns crawled all over his body, and his face developed markings as well, making him look like a ferocious wolf!
Then, the sudden anomaly struck.
Li Qianqiao, who had already lost his life, suddenly opened his eyes!
However, his pupils had turned grey, looking incredibly bizarre!
Li Qianqiao slowly stood up.
The Emperor Tyrfing next to him was visibly stunned.
You can do the Undertaker sit-up too?!
Wait, why did I say ‘too’?
“RAAAHHH——!!”
With an angry roar, Li Qianqiao’s body burst with a blinding grey light!
When the light faded, a humanoid creature resembling a wolf stood there.
It was Li Qianqiao, who had evolved into the Wolf Orphnoch!
Li Qianqiao looked down at his hands and torso: greyish-white spiked armor and a body brimming with pure, unadulterated Power.
“Holy shit, I’m actually rejecting my humanity?! What kind of Dio script is this?!” Li Qianqiao was startled by his body’s transformation and blurted out curses.
Chat, who gets it?
I just resurrected only to find I’m no longer human, and there’s a cringe-ass Ethereal watching me…
Wait, Ethereal?
Li Qianqiao turned his head to find that the previously stunned Emperor Tyrfing was already lunging at him with its blade.
The distance between the two of them… the two things, was less than a step!
Hehehe!
Bet you didn’t see this coming, kid!
The Emperor knows how to sneak attack!
Even if you can resurrect and transform, you can never let your guard down in a real battle!
Remember this lesson and become my stepping stone once again!
Bwahahaha…
Pfft!
BAM!
Obliterated in one punch!
The Emperor’s grand conquest was half-finished before his untimely demise…
RIP!
Looking at the Emperor Tyrfing, whose head he had subconsciously smashed with a single punch, Li Qianqiao was completely dumbfounded.
He exclaimed, “I’m actually this OP now? Is this the perk of rejecting my humanity? Does that mean I also get immortality and a Stand?”
“No, wait! I don’t look like a vampire right now, and I didn’t even use a Stone Mask!”
Li Qianqiao looked at the Ether crystals nearby and hurriedly leaned in, using the reflection to get a clear look at his current body.
“Fuck, it’s an Orphnoch! And a Wolf Orphnoch at that? So it really is Takumi’s script, but isn’t this the Zenless Zone Zero universe?”
At this moment, Li Qianqiao’s brain was short-circuiting.
Was this the world of Zenless Zone Zero or Kamen Rider Faiz?
Slap!
Li Qianqiao gave himself a hard slap across the face to force himself to calm down, sitting on the ground to assess his current situation.
Calm down, calm down.
Freaking out won’t help.
Since I’m an Orphnoch, let’s go over the Orphnoch lore first.
Hmm…
First, short lifespan!
“Hehehe… haha… sigh… I accept my fate.”
Second, judging by my death, I’m an original mutation.
My strength is definitely top-tier, and I’ll live longer than those artificially created Orphnochs!
Okay, still a short lifespan, only a dozen years or so…
Third, I can transform back into a human!
Li Qianqiao quickly gave it a try.
A flash of light passed, and he easily transformed back into a human, as if it were instinctual.
It was just… looking down and realizing he was butt-naked, Li Qianqiao blushed and scrambled into the ruins to find some clothes.
“Why did my cosplay suit disappear?!”
A short while later, Li Qianqiao walked out wearing a set of casual clothes.
Although a bit worn out, they fit.
He casually picked up a broken piece of glass from the ground to use as a mirror, checking if there were any lingering effects from the previous Ether corruption.
The youth in the mirror wasn’t breathtakingly handsome, but he had well-defined features and an enduring charm that would look even better if he styled himself a bit.
“Hmm, not bad. It seems the previous corrupted state is completely gone. But to think an Orphnoch actually has Ether Aptitude?” Li Qianqiao was very satisfied with his current appearance, but he soon raised a question.
“Whatever, maybe I mutated and evolved due to the Ether corruption. Right now, I need to test a theory.”
Saying that, Li Qianqiao began a grid search of the area where he first passed out.
It didn’t take long for him to find what he was looking for.
“Found it! Let me see… Digital camera is here, the Faiz Pointer is here, the Faiz Axel… they’re all here! Even the Faiz Blaster I left on the motorcycle is here. That thing literally drains your HP to use. Wait, motorcycle!?”
Li Qianqiao hurriedly looked around and, sure enough, found a motorcycle planted upside down in the rubble.
He quickly ran over to pick it up—it was his heavily modified Auto Vajin!
Looks like Old Man Li was completely screwed now.
Speaking of which, Li Qianqiao had also thought about how to return home, but since he only had a dozen years left at most, he didn’t know if he’d ever get the chance in this lifetime…
“Sigh, forget it, forget it, business first.” Li Qianqiao shook his head, throwing away his stray thoughts.
He looked at the belt and phone in his hands, his eyes filled with anticipation and burning passion.
He was almost certain that this… might be an authentic Bandai product!
He strapped on the belt, picked up the phone…
5 — 5 — 5
STANDING BY…
Raising his hand above his head while the other hand slid the phone into the Driver, he shouted: “Henshin!!”
COMPLETE!
A red light flashed, and what appeared was the real Kamen Rider Faiz!
First came silence, followed by a burst of maniacal laughter!
“Hahahahaha, my ultimate Tokusatsu Kamen Rider fan fantasy has been realized!! Rejecting my humanity isn’t so bad after all! Ahahaha!”
Li Qianqiao was so excited he wanted to roll around on the ground, but that would be too embarrassing, so he silently went to practice riding his motorcycle instead.
However, the thrill in his heart still hadn’t faded.
He was highly talented and had pretty much mastered the riding techniques.
Once post-adrenaline clarity set in, Li Qianqiao deactivated his transformation and sat on the Auto Vajin, realizing the most crucial problem.
He didn’t have a Carrot.
Yes, he couldn’t get out…
(Translator’s Note: In Zenless Zone Zero, a Carrot is essentially a digital map or route used to navigate and safely escape a Hollow.)
“Crap, I’m screwed. The spatial dimensions in the Hollows are chaotic. Without a Carrot, I’ll just be running around like a headless chicken.”
Li Qianqiao was incredibly frustrated.
He couldn’t get out.
What was the point of being able to transform?
To show off to the Ethereals?
While Li Qianqiao was still agonizing over this, a voice suddenly echoed from the distant sky.
“Aaaahhh—! I’m gonna complain! I want to file a complaint!”
Li Qianqiao hastily looked up.
That faint red jacket and highly distinctive mechanical voice immediately gave away the newcomer’s identity.
“It’s Billy! Could this be the very beginning of the main plot?! Now’s my chance to get out!”
There was no time to be sentimental.
Li Qianqiao hopped onto the Auto Vajin, revved the throttle, and sped toward the location where Billy was falling.
Li Qianqiao’s murmurs were carried away by the wind:
“It seems my story is about to begin…”