The days that followed were a tense, claustrophobic dance of evasion and sudden violence. Astrea became Seiji's shadow, and he, her silent, implacable shield. They moved from one safe house to another—a disused alchemist's storeroom, a quiet reading nook in the Great Library that Seiji secured with misdirection spells, even a night spent amidst the humming mana conduits deep beneath the city. Wherever Astrea went, the golden-armored knights of the Dawn were never far behind.
Their encounters were brief, brutal affairs. In a crowded market, a knight tried to grab Astrea's satchel; Seiji, without breaking stride, used a precisely applied pressure point strike from his Kuuga-based martial knowledge, leaving the man paralyzed and confused in the middle of the street. In a quiet plaza, two knights attempted to flank them; Seiji created a localized, blinding flash with a manipulated light orb, and when their vision cleared, he and Astrea were gone, leaving the knights disoriented and empty-handed. He was a ghost, a rumor, a force of nature that the Golden Dawn could not pin down or comprehend.
It was during one of these frantic chases, as he pulled Astrea into the cover of a mist-filled alley mere seconds before a patrol rounded the corner, that the Vanguard system chimed in his mind. The pursuit, the constant state of alertness, the role of the unseen protector—it had all resonated with a new frequency.
[Core catalyst recognized: Fighting as a silent guardian, protecting a single light in the darkness. Conditions met.]
[Unlocking: Kamen Rider Faiz.]
On his internal HUD, the section for Kamen Rider Faiz blazed to life, its icon now marked 'Unlocked' and glowing with the distinct, sleek aura of red, black, and silver. The power of the solitary warrior who fought alone to protect humanity's future was now his to command. He didn't activate it, but filed it away, another tool in his ever-expanding arsenal.
Despite his efficiency, the relentless pressure was taking its toll. Astrea grew pale and jumpy, and Seiji knew he couldn't maintain this defensive posture indefinitely. During a brief respite in a hidden courtyard, he asked the question that had been nagging at him.
"You said there are three Magic Knight Corps. Why do the Silver Wings and the Bronze Wall allow the Golden Dawn to run amok like this?"
Astrea sighed, leaning wearily against a moss-covered statue. "The corps are fiercely territorial and politically segregated. Golden Dawn handles internal security and order within the capital and its environs. They are the law here. The Silver Wings are specialists, deployed to secure ancient ruins, contain magical anomalies, and guard special facilities—they rarely set foot in the city proper. The Bronze Wall are the frontline troops, stationed at our borders and in dimensional outposts. They see the capital as a place of soft politics, far from the 'real' fighting." She shook her head. "Unless there's a direct, catastrophic breach of protocol, the other corps have no jurisdiction, and more importantly, no desire to get involved in what they see as Golden Dawn's domestic affairs. Lucius has a free hand here."
The situation felt increasingly boxed in. They were fighting a hydra in its own lair.
It was then, as if in direct response to his strategic impasse, that a report from Shadow Three pulsed into his consciousness. The agent he had assigned to follow "Alex" had returned with a comprehensive dossier.
The information was more valuable than a mountain of gold. "Alex" was, in fact, Her Imperial Highness, Princess Alexis Delacroix Fontaine. She was the product of a political marriage between King Arthen and a scion of the powerful Delacroix family—a family historically and vocally opposed to Arthen's line. Alexis had been raised largely within the Delacroix estates, insulated from her father's court. Her purpose in Magitopia was not merely scholarly; she was here to study advanced magic under Longinus himself, a right she claimed through her maternal grandmother, who was a documented descendant of Aether and Lumine, the legendary first monarchs of Magitopia. This gave her a unique, quasi-royal status within the magical kingdom, a status that likely granted her access far beyond that of a normal student.
Seiji's mind, the mind of a grand strategist, immediately saw the opportunity. The Delacroix family opposed Arthen. Alexis, raised by them, would likely be sympathetic to that cause, or at minimum, a neutral party disillusioned with her father's regime. She was a backdoor, not just to the Wizard King, but to a potential alliance that could shake the very foundations of the empire.
He decided to gamble.
That evening, in the secure silence of their latest hiding place, Seiji took out the ruby pendant he had given Alexis. It was more than a simple gem; it was a two-way communication focus, a trick he had learned from Orias. He channeled a tiny thread of mana into it.
A moment later, Alexis's voice, slightly surprised, echoed softly in the quiet room. "Seiji? Is that you?"
"Alex," he said, his voice calm. "I find myself in need of a… consultation. I have a friend. She is caught in a web of political intrigue she cannot escape alone. There are powerful forces arrayed against her." He paused, choosing his words with the care of a surgeon wielding a scalpel. "I believe you, with the resources and… perspective… you have demonstrated, might be able to offer sanctuary, or at least, a path forward."
He was careful not to reveal Alexis's identity to Astrea, who was listening with wide, curious eyes. He presented it as a meeting between equals, a scholar helping another scholar in distress.
On the other end of the line, there was a thoughtful silence. Then, Alexis's voice came back, clear and decisive. "Of course. It has been… refreshing to speak with someone who sees the world clearly. Bring your friend to the Sunstone Gardens at noon tomorrow. I will ensure we are not disturbed."
The connection severed. Seiji looked at Astrea, who was staring at him with a mixture of hope and trepidation.
"Who is this 'Alex' that you trust so much?" she asked.
Seiji allowed a faint, knowing smile to touch his lips. "Let's just say," he replied, "that our meeting with her tomorrow promises to be very, very interesting." He had just invited a princess of the empire to intervene in the internal politics of Magitopia. The threads of fate were pulling tighter, and Seiji was poised right at the center of the knot.