Unlock Kamen Riders in Douluo's Way Ch 80

Time rewinds to the day after Yin Xiaoya’s departure from Shrek Academy. After watching him leave, a sullen Luo Pupu applied for permission to enter the Soul Tower alone.

Reaching the second floor, she almost crazily pushed herself, using the Soul Tower's pressure to its utmost, straining her body. Despite the exhaustion and sweat, she refused to rest, the same questions echoing through her mind.

Why didn’t big brother want to take me with him?

Am I just lagging behind?

Why am I not as good as Fang Xin, or those two newcomers?

I must be too weak. I have to become stronger, so big brother can see my talent…

These negative emotions festered in her mind for a full week, fermenting under the combined influence of the Soul Tower and her own soul power, solidifying into tangible entities that radiated from her body. And then, something remarkable occurred: her spirit power began to surge.

When absorbing her second spirit ring, factors like the evolution of her martial soul and the sacrifice of the Green Fruit Swamp Dragon had rapidly elevated her spirit power to level 23.

Unbeknownst to her, because Yin Xiaoya had entrusted her with everything concerning the Green Fruit Swamp Dragon, more soul power remained for her to absorb. However, the swamp dragon, now a rider's power, had intentionally sealed it away, a precaution Yin Xiaoya had arranged, wanting to prevent her from losing sight of her goals due to a sudden surge in strength.

Yet, no one foresaw that she would be under the crushing pressure of negative energy and the Soul Tower, forcibly coaxing out the latent power.

"Stop! Such negative emotions will lead you astray, even if you absorb this power," warned the voice of the Green Fruit Swamp Dragon within her mind, but its plea fell on deaf ears.

"No! I know this is my strength! I want to absorb it all, so I can become stronger. Only then will big brother notice me!"

"But do you think the adults will be pleased with who you're becoming?"

"What did you say?"

"Open your eyes and take a good look at yourself."

Luo Pupu opened her eyes, unconsciously releasing her martial soul and spirit rings. Yet, her martial soul no longer shone with the emerald green of the Emerald Dragon. Negative emotions had tainted it a crimson red, transforming it into a Ruby Dragon.

Discovering this transformation, Luo Pupu realized her eyes, too, had changed. They had morphed into red pupils with black backgrounds, an unnerving sight.

Panic set in. "How… how did my Emerald Dragon Martial Soul become like this?"

"My lord sealed the extra power precisely because it contained the violent emotions I possessed as a soul beast. If you absorb it all with your current state of mind, you will succumb to its influence and embark on the path of an evil soul master."

"Evil Soul Master?!" Luo Pupu’s eyes widened, cold sweat trickling down her forehead. Under this emotional turmoil, her eyes slowly began to revert to their normal color.

"The things you imagined aren’t true. Even if Mister Yin Xiaoya isn't here, he has always cared about you. Look at this. This is what he has been doing these past few days."

Luo Pupu closed her eyes, and images of Yin Xiaoya's activities flashed before her, excluding only the most brutal fights.

"How do you have these images?"

"My lord sent them to you. He never left you. But you closed your heart."

"It turns out… it's like this…" Luo Pupu’s face softened. Then, she added mockingly, "Big brother did nothing wrong. I was wrong to have such thoughts. Thank you for stopping me in time…"

The Swamp Dragon said with some embarrassment, "Uh… about that, I couldn't stop you."

Luo Pupu was stunned. "What do you mean?"

"Once this power is unsealed and starts to be absorbed, it can only be absorbed, not stopped."

"What?!" Luo Pupu’s eyes flew open. She realized the red and black energy was still surging into her body, and she panicked. "Then what should I do? This isn't your power! Take it back!"

"If it could be taken back, would I have bothered trying to stop you? Now, you can’t prevent this power from merging into your being, but don't panic. You still have a chance to change its nature. If you can alter the violent emotions within this force, there won’t be a problem."

At that moment, Kamen Rider Ryugen's belt materialized around her waist.

"What are you going to do?"

"You can’t resist with just the power of a soul master. You need the spiritual surge of a Kamen Rider to eliminate the violent emotions."

Luo Pupu said unconfidently, "But I don't fully possess the power of Kamen Rider Ryugen. And after transforming, I don’t have a strong idealism, either."

"It depends on your awareness. You woke up in time, which means there is still hope. Take this opportunity to master all the power, including the soul bone I left for you."

With a flash of light, the right arm spirit bone left by the Green Fruit Swamp Dragon flew out.

"Wait! I don't even have a soul bone right now…"

Before Luo Pupu could react, the soul bone forcefully melded into her right arm.

The next moment, three forces—violent soul power, knight power, and the soul bone—collided fiercely within her body.

Under normal circumstances, Luo Pupu could not withstand the onslaught of these three forces. But under the Soul Tower’s unique environment, the intensity of the three forces was suppressed, giving her a chance to withstand them.

The pain, however, didn’t lessen. Luo Pupu endured what felt like an eternity of torment. At the last moment, her mind went blank, and she lost consciousness.

When she awoke, not only had her soul power broken through its limit, reaching the Soul Grandmaster rank, but her soul bone had fused perfectly. Moreover, the connection between her and her martial soul had reached a new level of perfection. Her hair, once short, now cascaded down her back, dyed with the color of emerald.

More importantly, she had fully mastered the power of Kamen Rider Ryugen.

Now, when she recalled punching Ding Yuan and reached for the Grape Lockseed, it was no longer the original purple but an emerald green.

"Transform."

[Budou!]

Everyone heard a female voice. The sound from the Grape Lock had become feminine, like the Energy Peach Lock in the original series.

Then, under the crowd's watchful eyes, streams of electric energy converged above Luo Pupu's head, coalescing into a large, green grape. She inserted the new Grape Lock into the Sengoku Driver.

[LOCK ON!]

[Soiya!]

Depressing the knife-shaped lever, the Grape Lock on the belt split open, and a gun-shaped light pattern flashed outward.

[Budou Arms!]

The giant grape descended steadily onto her head, and the energy of the splashed juice surged over her body, transforming into a slender, green cheongsam that hugged her form.

While some laughed at this strange shape, the green grape armor opened.

[Ryūhō! HA!HA!HA!]

Different from the bulky armor of the original Ryugen, the new Grape Armor possessed softer lines and a closer fit, accentuating the female form.

Not only did her visor become thinner at the chin, but the sharp lines of her face softened. The once short, purple tassels on her head were now emerald green, resembling a woman's ponytail. The knight's compound eyes, once purple, were now green.

This was a beautiful, female knight.

As for the Dragon Cannon supporting the Grape Armor, its shape remained unchanged, but the purple grapes had turned green.

Exclamations erupted throughout the arena. While some had witnessed Yin Xiaoya's transformation into Kamen Rider Meteor, most were seeing a Kamen Rider transformation for the first time, and such a beautiful female knight ignited their excitement.

"This is Kamen Rider? So Kamen Riders can transform!"

"Wow! So beautiful!"

"Even the true form of the beast spirit is not fully exposed like this, is it?"

Manla realized he had been outmaneuvered. Had he known Luo Pupu was a Kamen Rider, he would never have let Ding Yuan fight her. He knew from experience how Kamen Riders could be.

Angrily, he yelled at Ding Yuan in the arena: "Attack! Use all your strength! If you can't win this, I’ll hold you responsible!"

Hearing this, Ding Yuan glared at the girl in front of him, gathering his strength and activating his third millennium-level spirit ring: "I can't lose! I must defeat you! Poisonous Dragon Puppet!"

A 30-meter-long poisonous dragon made of black liquid gushed from his body, hovering in the air and staring at the Kamen Rider.

After releasing the poisonous dragon, Ding Yuan knelt, barely able to keep himself from collapsing. He had concentrated all his strength into this skill, preparing to go all in.

In the Shrek stands, the Shrek Seven Monsters grimaced.

"This is what makes poisonous soul masters difficult to deal with. Their abilities can be tangible or intangible, and they all have poisonous effects," said Miu Miao worriedly. "Luo Pupu resisted the toxins because of the spirit bone, but this poisonous dragon's toxicity can be felt through the air. Even a little exposure could be deadly."

Su Qilong stopped drinking and nudged Shi Er, who was dozing. "Get ready. You might need to detoxify her. Shi Er?"

Often, at critical times, Shi Er, who must be inexplicably sober, couldn’t wake up no matter how much they prodded him. Those who knew him understood what this meant: there was no need to worry about Luo Pupu’s safety.

Yu Xiaogang and Bibi Dong remained calm. Dai Yin showed only slight interest after seeing Luo Pupu’s transformation.

"Master? Are you not worried?" asked Miu Miao.

Yu Xiaogang shrugged helplessly. "It’s not that I’m not worried, but I don’t know how to worry. Kamen Riders are as unpredictable as a soul master’s martial soul. It's beyond my comprehension."

Bibi Dong took Miu Miao’s hand. "Don’t worry, Junior Sister. This battle was decided the moment Pupu transformed. You'll see."

She glanced at Manla, whom Flender guarded, and fire flashed in her eyes.

Luo Pupu chuckled at the sight of the poisonous dragon. "Dragon… perfect for testing my power."

She buckled the lever on her belt three times in a row.

[Budou Sparking!]

She lightly pulled the energy-filling bolt on the back of the Dragon Cannon, and green energy gathered on the gun. She pulled the trigger, releasing an emerald oriental dragon surrounded by green energy balls.

"Eat this!" She leaped and merged into the dragon's body.

"Remember, the one who defeats you today is Kamen Rider! I am Kamen Rider Ryuka! Rider Kick!!"

"Roar!!!"

Luo Pupu, now Kamen Rider Ryuka, performed a knight kick on the emerald dragon’s head. Roaring, it slammed into the poisonous dragon.

Sensing the terrifying power, Ding Yuan blanched and commanded the dragon to attack.

Two dragons, one black and one green, collided in the air. Venom and green energy exploded, engulfing the Soul Arena. The less powerful trainees shielded their eyes.

This made Jing Tieyang anxious. He didn’t care if the opponent died, but Luo Pupu couldn't suffer an accident. As the referee, he alone could enter the arena, so he immediately moved to confirm her safety. But just as he prepared to jump down, Flender held him back.

"Dean?"

Flender, unflinching to the blinding light, simply stared at the field, a knowing smile on his face. "Don't worry, Tieyang. The outcome is already clear."

Flender glanced at Manla, whose expression had grown increasingly grim.

When the light dissipated, the Soul Arena was dramatically altered. Patches were corroded by venom, while others were charred from scorching energy. The two draconic constructs were gone. Ding Yuan lay on the ground, his condition unknown, while before him stood a graceful figure, radiating power. It was Kamen Rider Ryuka.

Seeing this, Jing Tieyang visibly relaxed, and announced with a smile, "The winner is… ha… the winner is Kamen Rider Ryuka!"

Immediately, deafening cheers erupted across the arena.

Bibi Dong’s prediction had been correct; the battle's outcome was decided the moment Luo Pupu had transformed into a Kamen Rider.

Had she remained in her previous, incomplete state as Kamen Rider Ryugen, she wouldn't have stood a chance against Ding Yuan. However, fully embracing the Kamen Rider’s power allowed her to unlock a brand-new form, one uniquely her own. More importantly, it unlocked that critical element that defined a Kamen Rider—the surge of idealism.

Because her martial soul, spirit power, and soul bone had fully integrated with the Green Fruit Swamp Dragon, her bond with its power was now complete. The combination, amplified by the unlocked Kamen Rider’s potential, was not weaker than Ma Hongjun's Kamen Rider Souki.

With Ma Hongjun's transformation, Souki could challenge even Spirit Kings, so Ding Yuan, a mere Spirit Elder, stood no chance against her. Even with Manla’s last-minute blessing, he’d only reached the strength of a common Spirit Sect. He was no match for Kamen Rider Ryuka.

Had he unleashed the poisonous dragon before Luo Pupu’s transformation, he might have had a sliver of hope. The dragon's toxicity was formidable, but since it was, why did she touch it?

When she merged with the grape dragon to execute her Rider Kick, the emerald energy orbs had already disintegrated the poisonous dragon. Not a single bit of its venom ever touched her. The conclusion was, naturally, inevitable.

After hearing Jing Tieyang’s announcement, Luo Pupu stared up at the sky, her heart strangely calm.

Big brother, I won as a matter of course. Don’t worry; I will not forgive anyone who dares insult the name of Kamen Rider.

She didn't know that, at that moment, a red light flashed within the emerald compound eyes of her visor.