The two, who had just been feeling lost or in disbelief, suddenly froze in unison as the video began to play on its own.
Yuluo Lianyi’s editing skills were excellent, and he was very adept at selecting background music.
Even those completely uninterested in heroes or Magical Girls found it easy to become immersed in his videos, sparking their interest in the City Guardians featured.
Moreover, Yuluo Lianyi had access to a vast amount of exclusive high-definition footage—so much so that even professional Record Teams reportedly had to ask him to borrow material.
Rumor had it that he was even on friendly terms with several Kamen Riders…
With such quality, it was no surprise that each of his new videos would immediately top the trending charts.
The barrage of comments quickly filled the screen:
[As expected from Yuluo! I haven’t even recognized the new Rider’s suit properly, and there’s already a video?]
[Camellia, right? First impression, marry her!]
The video opened with a dazzling pure white, until a pair of boots slowly stepped forward, leaving footprints in the snow.
Only then did the scene become distinguishable as a snowy field.
The camera then gradually panned upward, revealing a Kamen Rider clad primarily in white armor with edges stained a flame-like dark gold.
His silver-white armor bore some resemblance to that of a medieval knight.
For those very familiar with Epic, certain design elements might evoke a faint similarity.
Most of Yuluo Lianyi’s audience had already watched his videos so often that even if they hadn’t seen Kamen Riders in person, they could at least recognize the Riders fairly well just from his clips—this was not lost on them.
[The new Rider is so handsome!]
[Is it just me, or do Legend and Epic look a bit alike?]
[Makes sense, there are only so many design elements; it’s not surprising they resemble each other after all these years.]
[Word on the street is, Legend is Epic’s kid.]
At the last comment, Cloud Li, who had been smiling dumbly at the praise for Legend, showed a faint crack in his expression before bursting into a tremendous cough.
Cloud You glanced at him coolly, signaling him to restrain himself.
Snowflakes fell thickly onto the silver shoulder plates of Kamen Rider Legend, quickly blending indistinguishably with his armor.
He tilted his head inside the helmet, his eyes beneath the mask seemingly fixed on the sky for a long moment before slowly lowering his gaze to a grotesque-looking monster across from him.
Against the backdrop of sweeping orchestral music, the expressionless mask surprisingly conveyed a hint of compassion.
Hmm?
[I get the feeling the new Rider isn’t very fond of fighting.]
[His eyes totally have that medieval knight vibe—I like it.]
[How do you even see that? I just think the new suit looks cool.]
[Hurry hurry hurry! I’m the King of Hurry! What are you dawdling for? Get moving already!]
Lin Zhifeng was watching the video intently, unaware that Cloud Li was quietly exchanging glances with
Cloud You:
“What were you thinking back then? “
Cloud You silently averted his eyes.
He was just thinking that after fighting for so long, it still wasn’t over.
Looks like he’d be up late doing homework again tonight…
Best not to spoil the mood with that.
The slow music tempo suddenly picked up speed and changed tone.
At the very beat of the drum, Legend drew his silver-white Rider Sword and swung it at the monster covered in a layer of scales.
As the rhythm grew more intense, they tangled in battle.
Perhaps because the editor had adjusted the video’s pace, the metallic clash of weapons and bodies perfectly synchronized with the drumbeats, while sparks flying mixed with drifting snowflakes to add an unexpected beauty to this passionate fight scene.
At the chorus’s climax, Legend swung his sword once more, and the silver blade’s glow instantly covered the entire screen.
When the light faded, neither the pure white snow nor the Rider remained; instead, a blazing scarlet hue appeared.
A high ponytail swayed.
Petals fluttered.
Her eyes were cold and distant, and only when the camera slowly pulled back did it become clear that she was standing atop a tree bursting with Camellia flowers—a whole grove planted with Camellia trees.
Above her stretched a sky filled with countless Magic Circles, all poised and ready against her.
Yet neither the precarious, easily breakable branches beneath her feet nor the dense Magic Circles in the air caused Magical Girl Camellia to show even the slightest hint of fear.
Her pale red eyes casually scanned the enemies in the sky and the overwhelming Magic Circles, as if assessing their strength.
Then, she gently lifted the lace-wrapped parasol in her hand.
Her movements were steady and elegant, not a tremor in sight, as if she were simply attending a tea party.
This relaxed and effortless gesture naturally enraged her opponents.
The moment she opened the parasol, the Magic Circles activated.
Countless multicolored arcs rained down from the sky, their air-ripping sound alone enough to imagine their destructive power.
If allowed to strike, this entire Camellia grove would be leveled.
Faced with such danger, Camellia merely lifted her eyes coolly.
With a flick of her wrist, the magnificent parasol twirled lightly in her hand, and the myriad magical projectiles collided head-on with the scarlet canopy—disappearing as seamlessly as water merging into the sea.
[Elegance never goes out of style!]
[Three minutes in, and I want to see Camellia cosplay submissions @Maple Weaving!]
[I advise everyone not to try such a high-saturation death color! No one can pull it off except Ma Hou Shao Jiu—unless you have a face as cute as his, then ignore me.]
[Camellia, huh? If you don’t step on me today, don’t even think about leaving this place!]
[Hey you in front, the internet isn’t a lawless land!]
The red-haired girl holding the parasol bent her body slightly, pushing off the branch beneath her.
She lightly leapt, and the branch snapped back in the opposite direction from the recoil, shaking loose a flurry of crimson petals.
Wrapped in a swirl of petals, she jumped through the Magic Circles’ encirclement toward her opponent.
Her movements were as graceful as a dance, yet powerful.Then, with her petite frame wielding the somewhat oversized parasol, she struck down upon her opponent with surprising strength.
The foe was blasted backward, crashing through several trees before finally coming to a halt.
This violent beauty, so starkly contrasting with her appearance, paused the flood of comments on the screen, only to be replaced by an even larger wave.
“This kid…”
Lin Zhifeng clenched her fists tightly.
Just as Cloud You thought she was about to say Camellia’s actions were inappropriate, she finally relaxed, cupping her face in her hands.
“This kid is just too adorable! I can’t even imagine how happy I’d be if she were my daughter!”
Cloud You:
“?”
Lin Zhifeng’s words were so genuine, it was as if she truly didn’t know Camellia’s real identity…
Despite the fact Lin Zhifeng had seen Camellia transform countless times.
How could Cloud You not realize how good an actress Lin Zhifeng was?
He looked at Cloud Li, searching for an ally, only to find that his last ally had already betrayed him without receiving his signal.
Cloud Li nodded repeatedly, “She is adorable, no doubt. Zhifeng, you’ve always wanted a daughter, right? You even bought Xiao You a bunch of dresses. Too bad, once this kid grows up a bit…”
Lin Zhifeng also reluctantly wiped the screen with her hand, resembling some meme.
“Yeah, a daughter. My daughter…”
Cloud You understood.
That was it.
It wasn’t just good acting from his mother—she genuinely wished he’d become a daughter for real, rather than just temporarily transforming into a girl during transformation.
For a moment, Cloud You seriously wondered if he should let them continue arguing or sacrifice himself to save them.
But on second thought, if he didn’t do that, the next question would be
“Which parent do you like more?” and that wouldn’t be any better.
In their family, someone was always destined to be persecuted.
Maybe that was their bond.
Cloud You gave up struggling, gesturing toward the Riders and Magical Girls pieced together through editing, and closed his eyes peacefully.
“Anyway, as you all can see, these two are my favorites. Please don’t ask me that question anymore.”
Only then did Cloud Li remember the original topic and came back to his senses, giving him a thumbs-up.
“Classy, so classy! As expected of my son!”
He knew very well that Kamen Rider Legend was the transformed Cloud You, and Cloud You surely couldn’t be that narcissistic, right?
So his earlier words were just to help his old man out of an awkward spot.
His father would always be his one and only idol!
No doubt about it!
Lin Zhifeng nodded vigorously as well.
“Yes, yes, Xiao You’s taste is as good as ever! Speaking of which, after all these years, Xiao You, are you willing to cosplay again…”
There was no denying it: Camellia’s facial features were quite similar to Red Maple’s.
If Cloud You were a daughter, he would definitely look like that…
She silently regretted that Camellia only appeared after transformation—couldn’t she stay permanently?
“No, no way, impossible,”
Cloud You interrupted flatly, adding a triple dose of attitude.
Cloud You’s family was quite special, and both his parents harbored their own little secrets.
His father, Cloud Li, was the senior to all current Kamen Riders and the origin of the Riders—Kamen Rider Epic.
His mother, Lin Zhifeng, was the very first Magical Girl who had cared for nearly every Magical Girl since, the ideal self for many young girls—Magical Girl Hongfeng.
And at the same time…
Cloud You had his own secret.
He was both a Kamen Rider and… also a Magical Girl.