Fortunately, Kazumi still had the helicopter Full Bottle in his possession. With Ryuga by his side, he used it to trace War Rabbit's location. Had they searched on foot, by the time they found this dilapidated factory a few kilometers out, the Three Crows would've already been beyond saving.
—Though, technically, HazardSmash leave no ashes when they're destroyed.
By the time they arrived via air, Sento had already dispatched the Three Crows in his regular state. But now, his head hung low. When he looked up again, something in him had changed.
"Second Uncle Fighting Mode."
That's what Ryuga would later call it.
Sento radiated a cold, focused rage—a warrior in a trance-like state, devoid of hesitation. His aura became sharp, deadly. Before the Crows could even blink, he was on them again.
Akabane and Huang Yu were lucky—defeated and forced out of their transformed states just before Sento judged them no longer a threat.
But Lan Yu, still in HazardSmash form, was not so fortunate.
[Max Hazard On!][Ready? Go!]
Sento turned the lever.
"No!" Ryuga saw it coming.
He dropped Kazumi, used him as a springboard midair, and launched himself toward the battlefield.
[Ready? Go!][Dragonic Finish!]
As Sento's Rider Kick charged toward Lan Yu like a missile, Ryuga reached him in the nick of time, knocked him aside, and took the full force of the blow himself.
"Rider Kick!"
[Overflow!][Yabee!!]
Silver light met black smoke. The two forces collided midair in a blinding eruption.
Then—silence.
A beat passed before a massive shockwave blasted out in all directions. The entire factory trembled, and a deafening roar followed, leveling everything in sight.
"Down! Now!" Kazumi shouted as he tackled Akabane and Huang Yu, shielding them with his body.
Lan Yu, already wrecked from Sento's assault and Ryuga's interception, was now half-buried in rubble. Ironically, the beatdown might've saved his life.
Aftermath
When the smoke finally cleared, the damage was shocking.
The once-standing factory was gone—flattened within a radius of several hundred meters. Only crumbling walls and twisted steel remained.
Had this not been an abandoned zone near the Sky Wall, civilian casualties would have been catastrophic.
"..." Kazumi and the Crows stared in stunned silence at Ryuga, who stood unscathed at the center.
Was he still human?
Even Sento—transformed—had been caught in the blast and buried under debris.
"...Go. Take Lan Yu. Get him treated," Ryuga ordered, eyes not leaving the impact site.
Kazumi nodded. "You have our thanks."
With that, Akabane and Huang Yu supported the broken Lan Yu and left.
Ryuga soon dug Sento out of the ruins. He was alive—just unconscious and bruised, most of it from falling debris rather than the battle itself.
"We'll get you patched up," Ryuga muttered.
Back at the base, Misora had only just finished healing the Prime Minister and had promptly collapsed. With no one else available, Ryuga simply laid Sento beside her on the tiny single bed.
Somehow, this didn't sit well with Kazumi, who muttered something about his hair turning greener again.
Hours later, both Sento and Misora stirred.
"OW!" Sento jolted up in pain.
"S-Sorry!" Misora flushed with embarrassment. She had instinctively kicked the mysterious figure sleeping next to her—only realizing it was Sento after he hit the floor.
"What happened?" Sento groaned, rubbing his side.
"You lost control. Nearly killed Lan Yu. I knocked you out," Ryuga said casually, eyes glued to the drama he was watching.
"Then why am I covered in bruises?"
"Falling bricks. Not me."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. Stone-handed justice."
Sento winced. "That's absurd."
"Hey!" Sawa burst in, waving a tablet. "Check this out!"
The screen showed aerial shots of the destruction. The report claimed an earthquake had caused the damage.
"Tch. Shameless," Ryuga muttered.
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" Sento asked.
"Who else would destroy an entire factory with a single kick?"
"You don't mean…"
"Better hope you're insured," Ryuga said, not looking away from his show.
"I DIDN'T DO THIS!" Sento panicked.
"Then who did?"
"I DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING!"
"You're still paying for it."
"Nice weather today. Great for a nap." Sento pulled the blanket over himself with dignity.
One Week Later
The Northern Capital, having suffered consecutive setbacks, suspended its offensive.
Officially, the reason cited was that both sides had entered a stalemate, and the Eastern Capital's newly-restored Prime Minister Himuro proposed a Kamen Rider Representative Battle—a duel to prevent further bloodshed.
The Northern Prime Minister, overconfident and eager to conserve resources, agreed.
In the meantime, Stalk, ever the opportunist, stole Full Bottles from both Northern and Western Capitals and began secretly training Sento, pushing his Danger Level higher and helping him master the Hazard Trigger.
A week later, Sento, representing the Eastern Capital, faced off against Kazumi Grease in the Representative Battle.
The fight raged for hours, the sun falling behind the horizon.
Finally, Sento bit his lip and pulled out the Hazard Trigger once more.
"I'll end this. Even if it costs me everything."
He still thought the previous destruction was his fault.
The truth? Ryuga had taken most of the brunt that day.
But Sento—always the martyr—feared not the loss of his life, but the cost of property damage.
"He says it's to protect people," Ryuga later commented. "But really, he's just scared of getting the bill."