【 Kasyu 】
"Sota, are you alright now?" After Salty was defeated, Hojo Emu immediately removed his Gashat and canceled his transformation. He ran to the little boy, who Kariya Asuna had pulled to the corner, and asked with concern.
"He's fine, he's completely recovered." Poppy took out a stethoscope and diagnosed Sota.
Emu was also very happy at this moment. "That's great, Sota, you're really brave. We defeated the bad guy inside you together."
"Thank you, Doctor."
【 Kasyu 】
"Alright, since he's recovered, let's go back to the hospital to complete the discharge procedures. Emu, anything you want to know, you can ask me when we get back." Li Yu also canceled his transformation and came to stand beside the three of them.
In the distance, a white-haired man with streaks, holding binoculars, observed the group and made a gun gesture at them. "It looks like things are going to get interesting."
At the same time, a six-year-old man, wearing shoes but no socks, with his jeans rolled up, a jacket draped over his shoulders, and sunglasses, also looked in their direction. "How can I not participate in this game..."
Meanwhile, Dr. Kagami Haima's son, the genius surgeon Kagami Hiiro, also received a message in his car. "CR founder and Genius Gamer M? Hmph..."
---Dividing Line---
"Even though it's my second time here, it's still very strange. I had no idea there was a place like this in the hospital."
"Relax, relax," Li Yu waved his hand casually. "The Ministry of Health doesn't want news of the game disease to go public, so it's reasonable that the establishment of CR, as a special organization to deal with game disease, is unknown to anyone, right?"
"That's true..."
"Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Li Yu, I'm from Dragon Country, and I'm a game disease expert dispatched here by the Ministry of Health as a special invited doctor. If you have anything you want to know about game disease, you can ask me. The one with me is Kariya Asuna... huh? Where is she?" Li Yu was about to turn around to introduce Kariya Asuna, but he realized she had disappeared at some point.
"I'm here~" A large arcade machine nearby suddenly lit up, and a pink-haired figure appeared on the screen.
"My name is Poppy Pipopapo. I was sent by the Ministry of Health, primarily to care for patients suffering from game disease and to act as a Kamen Rider guide. Please take care of me." Then she ducked into the arcade machine screen, only to pop her head out again. "Oh, Li-san forgot to mention earlier, he's also the founder of CR."
"...Please take care of me."
No? Am I that amazing? How come I didn't know? Li Yu appeared calm on the surface, but his heart was in turmoil. Is my identity as a special invited doctor really that powerful?
"No wonder Mr. Li Yu knows so much about CR," Hojo Emu exclaimed at the opportune moment after realizing. Li Yu could only give an awkward yet polite smile.
"That thing you faced earlier is a computer virus called a Bugster. After infection, humans will show clinical symptoms of game disease, and the Bugster will eventually take over the human body, completing the transformation from data to physical form. We often call them malignant Bugsters, and the Ministry of Health's order is to eliminate them resolutely."
"However, according to the Ministry of Health's research so far, as long as the game is cleared, the patient's game disease can be cured. There are also benign Bugsters that can clear the game without a death match and coexist with humans."
"Therefore, our current work at CR is to clear these ten games. The game we just cleared was a Bugster that absorbed data from 'Mighty Action X' — Salty."
But... did the Ministry of Health know this much? Of course not. All of this was stated by Li Yu in his capacity as a game disease expert, but it was also the truth, like the later Hamburgmon.
"So... do you understand? The mission to save the world has fallen on our shoulders."
"This... such an important matter... can I really do it well?"
"It's best if you think that way. CR doesn't need someone like you, Intern Doctor." Before Li Yu could answer, a cold male voice came. Following the sound, an icy man in a white lab coat, with one hand in his pocket and the other holding a Gamer Driver, revealed his identity.
"Yo, Dr. Kagami is back." Li Yu greeted him with a smile. Li Yu turned his head to introduce, "Emu, this is the genius surgeon — Kagami Hiiro, and also Dr. Kagami Haima's son."
"Hello, Commander Li Yu," the other party greeted him indifferently.
"Mr. Li Yu... what he just said..."
"You just need to do your part as a pediatrician."
"Alright, alright, colleagues should get along well." Seeing the tense atmosphere between the two, Li Yu stepped between them, sighing inwardly, 'Is this the "bond" between the main Rider and the secondary Rider?'
"Oh, Li-san, before you arrived, CR had already prepared a room for you. Look, it's right next to mine." Poppy popped out of the arcade machine and pulled Li Yu.
"Huh? There's a room for me?" Li Yu was a little surprised, but he quickly accepted it. After all, CR is the setting for many important plot points, and living directly here would save a lot of trouble.
After a simple tidying up, Li Yu settled down in CR.
"System, claim the rewards for those two previous missions." Li Yu lay lazily on the bed.
"Congratulations to the host for obtaining Legend Rider Gashat x1, 3000 points, Constitution +3, Time Flow Card (1:24, one hour, for use only in the studio)"
"Oh?! A Legend Rider's Gashat? And it's a finished product! Let me see!" Li Yu excitedly sprang up from the bed.
"So it's you. Please take care of me from now on." Li Yu clasped his hands together, muttering something.
"System, enter the studio. Use that Time Flow Card too."
"Yosh!" After entering the studio, Li Yu cracked his knuckles and grabbed the Gashat he hadn't finished designing last time, starting to work.
A little over an hour later. (Real world)
"Li-san, come play a game with me.... Huh? How did he fall asleep?" Poppy's head peeked in quietly, only to see Li Yu sound asleep. Just kidding, after 24 hours of high-intensity research, if the system hadn't given him three points of constitution earlier, he probably would have gone from active sleep to passive sleep. But the results were naturally delightful.
---Dividing Line---
"So boring....." Li Yu, who had just woken up and finished breakfast, lay idly on the table.
"Then come play a game with me, Li-san~" Poppy suddenly appeared beside Li Yu.
"A game? Alright, what should we play?"
"How about 'DoReMiFa Beat'? That's my favorite game."
"Is it because you were born from it?"
"Hehehe~"
"Speaking of which, Poppy, you really like rhythm games, don't you?" Li Yu said thoughtfully.
"Of course, and I'm super good at rhythm games. Even Genius Gamer M can't compare to me in that aspect!"
"I think I understand." For some reason, the phrase "You play rhythm games like Kagami Hiiro" popped into Li Yu's mind again. Tsk tsk, should he say he truly is a genius surgeon?
"What's wrong?" Poppy saw Li Yu turn to go back to his room and immediately became anxious. "Actually, I can play anything, whatever you like, it doesn't have to be a rhythm game."
"Don't rush. Wait a moment, I'll prepare a small gift for you." Li Yu's lips curled into a mysterious smile.
"Huh? A gift, for me?"
After Poppy waited expectantly for half an hour, Li Yu walked out, twirling a gray and white Gashat.
"A Gashat? Is it for me?" Poppy's beautiful eyes dimmed a little, but she still happily took it.
"This Gashat is a bit different, you know." Li Yu smiled. "Go try connecting it to the arcade machine."
"This is...." Poppy obeyed, and when she saw the content that appeared on the arcade machine screen, her eyes immediately sparkled.
"'Piano Black 2'...." Poppy murmured somewhat dazedly the text on the screen. "This... is this a gift for me?"