The Card Folder Was Shattered

Chapter 84 The Card Folder Was Shattered

The real culprit in the murder case of the antique shop owner that Jiang Lan was ordered to investigate has been revealed.

The murderer who killed the antique shop owner was none other than Detective Masashi Sudo, the Kamen Rider Scissors user.

Despite being a law enforcement officer, he was extremely treacherous and ruthless, secretly colluding with organized crime and having long since deviated from the duties and ethical boundaries of a detective. He had a long-standing illegal business relationship with an antique shop owner. During one transaction, the shop owner suddenly demanded an exorbitant price, prompting Masashi Sudo to murder him. He not only brutally murdered the antique shop owner but also secretly bricked the victim's body into a wall to cover his crime.

His primary reason for becoming a Kamen Rider was to evade responsibility for the murder. To confuse the public and cover up the truth behind the antique shop owner's disappearance, he didn't hesitate to use his contracted beast, "Volcano Crab," to attack innocent humans and even kill those who stood in his way, thus disrupting the investigation.

Seeing this, the viewers watching the live stream were all shocked and incredulous that Masashi Sudo, a detective upholding justice, could be such a depraved scoundrel. A sense of awe arose in their hearts: in this world, it seems anyone can become a Kamen Rider, even a heinous criminal, and gain this powerful ability.

With a simple mind, Jiang Lan only wanted to protect humanity and defeat the Mirror Monster from beginning to end, and never had the idea of ​​fighting.

Compared to this group of people who became Kamen Riders out of place with desires and for personal gain, he was like a breath of fresh air in a turbid world.

"I never imagined that guy would be such a complete scumbag. Jiang Lan could have killed him in one strike!"

"Don't even think about it. In this life, Jiang Lan will only kill Mirror Monsters and will never harm humans."

"Jiang Lan never killed anyone in her previous two lives. In every life, Jiang Lan's heart was always kind."

"If I possessed Jiang Lan's strength, I would definitely kill all the Kamen Riders, then wish for their resurrection, and completely shut down the Mirror World—"

"So you're not Jiang Lan. From the very beginning, Jiang Lan never wanted to hurt anyone. That kindness came from the heart and was completely different from all the other Kamen Riders."

"Speaking of which, I almost forgot about that black form that flashed through Jiang Lan's memory earlier. What exactly was it? That murderous aura was almost overflowing from the screen—"

"Could it be that Jiang Lan will turn evil later on? I'm already looking forward to it—"

"I also want to know just how powerful Jiang Lan would be if he truly intended to kill me!"

A cacophony of voices rose and fell, and Masashi Sudo, who had been identified as a suspect in the case, had completely descended into madness. He even went so far as to order his contracted beast, the Volcanic Crab, to kill his former comrades-in-arms.

This cruel scene was witnessed by Jiang Lan, who arrived just in time. Jiang Lan didn't rush to attack Sudo Masashi; instead, she looked at him with a serious expression and asked in a deep voice, "Why did you do such a thing?"

Masashi Sudo's face remained impassive as he detachedly recounted the truth: After murdering the antique shop owner, Shiro Kanzaki found him and granted him the power to become a Kamen Rider. From the moment he gained that power, he completely lost his way and began to despise all life.

"I've always been interested in becoming a Kamen Rider and standing at the pinnacle of all the strong."

"Then why did you attack innocent people?" Jiang Lan's tone became colder.

"I must strengthen the power of the Volcanic Crab! To survive, to reach the pinnacle, I must defeat all you Kamen Riders who are in my way!" Masashi Sudo's voice grew increasingly fanatical. "I must become stronger! Isn't that the only thing that matters?"

His words contained not a trace of remorse or repentance. In his eyes, human life was no different from that of ants, insignificant and not worth mentioning. Hearing these words, the audience truly understood just how strong Jiang Lan's will was. Even with power enough to crush everyone else, he could still uphold his principles and proactively shoulder the responsibility of protecting humanity. This level of character was undoubtedly extremely noble. In contrast, those with weak wills, such as Sudo Masashi, would only gradually succumb to the temptation of power, ultimately despising life and becoming slaves to power.

Jiang Lan took a deep breath, his eyes hardening with unwavering resolve: "I became a Kamen Rider solely to stop the Mirror Monsters from harming humanity. I only want to fight for this purpose, and that will never change. However, I cannot forgive your actions, and today I must fight you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Lan slowly took out his card set. He didn't want to kill Sudo Masashi, but just wanted to teach this heartless guy a lesson and make him pay the price he deserved.

Just as Jiang Lan was about to transform and attack Sudo Masashi, a familiar voice suddenly came from the side: "You can't beat him!"

The audience was immediately in an uproar, a flood of questions filling the screen: Jiang Lan couldn't beat Sudo Masashi? Not long ago, Jiang Lan had only...

He nearly defeated Masashi Sudo with a powerful attack. Not to mention he couldn't win, even killing him instantly wouldn't be difficult for him!

The speaker was none other than Akiyama Ren. He walked slowly toward Jiang Lan, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable firmness: "You shouldn't have rashly fought him just because you can't forgive him. As a Kamen Rider, you are meant to be an enemy of other Riders—Kamen Riders are born to be rivals."

"It's much more pleasant talking to you. Come on, one-on-one, let's settle this!" Masashi Sudo turned to look at Ren Akiyama, a hint of provocation flashing in his eyes. Before he finished speaking, the two of them simultaneously took out their respective card sets, quickly walked to an area with mirrors, transformed, and stepped into the mirror world together.

Upon entering the Mirror World, the two exchanged no unnecessary words and immediately engaged in a fierce battle. From the outset, they plunged into close-quarters combat, their fists and feet clashing with the sharpness of powerful warriors. However, after only a few rounds, Akiyama Ren gradually found himself at a disadvantage—Sudo Masashi, as a detective, had received professional combat training, and his physical skills far surpassed Akiyama Ren's.

Taking advantage of the situation, Sudo Masashi circled behind Akiyama Ren and, with a swift chokehold, held him tightly in his arms. In the critical moment, Akiyama Ren quickly drew a card, summoning his contracted beast. Using the ultrasonic waves released by the beast, he forced Sudo Masashi to retreat several steps in pain, barely managing to break free of the restraint.

Immediately afterward, Akiyama Ren decisively used his weapon to summon the Winged Spearman. Wielding the dark spear, he instantly turned the tide and began to gain the upper hand. "Clang!" A crisp metallic clang rang out as Akiyama Ren's spear slammed into Sudo Masashi's breastplate. The immense impact sent Sudo Masashi flying, crashing heavily into a nearby stone pillar with a dull thud.

Despite falling to the ground, Masashi Sudo was not discouraged. He immediately unleashed a powerful attack, summoning a giant, bladed claw, causing his combat power to surge once more. In an instant, the tide of battle reversed again, and after several rounds, Ren Akiyama was once again on the defensive. Sudo...

Masashi seized the opportunity and kicked Akiyama Ren in the back of the knee. With a soft "click", Akiyama Ren could no longer hold on and fell to his knees.

Immediately afterward, Masashi Sudo stepped forward and used his sharp, giant claws to clamp down on Ren Akiyama's neck, gradually increasing the pressure. At this moment, Ren Akiyama was completely at a disadvantage, with barely any strength left to struggle.

"It seems I've won." Masashi Sudo looked down at the disheveled Ren Akiyama, his tone icy, with an undisguised killing intent mixed in.

However, Akiyama Ren was not one to give up easily. In this life-or-death moment, he mustered all his strength, drew the Dark Summoning Machine hanging from his waist, and slammed it down hard on the card case on Sudo Masashi's belt!

With a muffled thud, Masashi Sudo was instantly thrown back by the immense impact, and the force restraining Ren Akiyama dissipated. Taking advantage of the moment, Ren Akiyama stood up, swiftly drew a card, and without hesitation inserted it into the Dark Summoner, shouting in a deep voice, "FINAL—VENT!"

The final moment has arrived!

Seeing this, Masashi Sudo dared not slacken his efforts and immediately unleashed his own Final Descent to try and counter it. Ren Akiyama merged with his contracted beast, Dark Wing Bat, and soared into the air, surrounded by a chilling dark aura; behind Masashi Sudo, his contracted beast, Volcanic Crab, slowly appeared, its massive body radiating a scorching heat.

The volcanic crab lifted Masashi Sudo with its giant claws and tossed him upwards. Sudo gathered his strength in mid-air and unleashed a fierce knight kick at Ren Akiyama. At the same time, Ren Akiyama transformed into a black spiral, carrying a world-destroying aura, and clashed fiercely with Sudo's knight kick.

A deafening explosion echoed throughout the Mirror World, and a violent energy shockwave swept around. The final showdown between the two had finally come to a conclusion.

Akiyama Ren collapsed heavily to the ground, panting heavily, his body covered in wounds, and he didn't even have the strength to struggle to his feet; while his opponent, Sudo Masashi, remained standing in place, seemingly unharmed, and his breathing remained steady.

Seeing this, the audience shook their heads, already concluding that Akiyama Ren's strength was ultimately lacking, and he was defeated in the final showdown. However, this also indirectly proved Jiang Lan's formidable power: Akiyama Ren's all-out final assault failed to harm Sudo Masashi in the slightest, while Jiang Lan, with just a single powerful assault, not only broke through Sudo Masashi's defenses but also severely injured him. It's easy to imagine just how terrifying Jiang Lan's strength truly is.

"Good heavens, if I had known it would turn out like this, I would have preferred to let Jiang Lan go—"

"In the play 'You Can't Win Against Him,' Akiyama Ren ended up losing miserably himself; he was somewhat overconfident."

"He and Jiang Lan are like two extremes. One is lacking in strength but obsessed with fighting; the other is exceptionally strong but always unwilling to take the initiative to fight."

"Akiyama Ren has his own desires and wishes that he wants to fulfill, which is why he is so obsessed with fighting, even knowing that he might lose."

"I didn't expect Masashi Sudo to be so terrifying, especially in physical combat. He almost completely dominated Ren Akiyama. I really underestimated him before."

"It's not that Masashi Sudo is too strong, it's that Jiang Lan is too abnormal, which makes Masashi Sudo seem weak."

Before the murmurs had subsided, Masashi Sudo glanced down at Ren Akiyama, who lay motionless on the ground, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips: "That way, there's one less person in the way."

As soon as he finished speaking, he slowly walked towards Akiyama Ren, preparing to deliver the final blow and eliminate his opponent completely. However, the next second, an unexpected scene unfolded—the card case on Sudo Masashi's belt suddenly and without warning shattered into countless fragments, which clattered to the ground.

"What?!" Masashi Sudo was utterly astonished, his eyes filled with disbelief. He knew perfectly well that the shattering of the card case meant he had completely lost his qualification to become a Kamen Rider, and had also lost that powerful ability.