A familiar melody echoed in Hoshigaki Sora's mind. The breeze stirred gently around him—no dust, no grit. For a fleeting moment, it felt as if he'd returned to Earth.
In the distance, a giant windmill turned slowly, its rhythmic creaking blending with the wind. It was the symbol of this city.
Sora stood quietly, watching the figure ahead.
The man lifted his hat slightly, revealing a faint smile as his gaze met Sora's.
"I'm leaving this power to you, kid."
The figure dissolved into a flurry of particles, which swirled around Sora's hand—condensing into a rectangular, violet object.
"This is… the Joker Memory?"
The moment he held it, Sora instinctively knew its name.
The Joker Memory—a transformation device compatible with the Lost Driver, allowing the user to become Kamen Rider Joker.
In the original series, it was the form used by Shotaro Hidari, protagonist of Kamen Rider W, when he fought alone—without Philip's support.
It was also linked to a famous line:
"Once the wind disappears, the Joker grows more merciless."
When used, the Joker Memory grants its user immense hand-to-hand combat ability, enhancing the human body to its physical limit. It produced a specialized warrior with peak [Technique] attributes.
You could even call him the Heisei Rider who came closest to the spirit of the Showa era.
Just then, a system prompt rang out in Sora's head.
[Congratulations, Host! You have obtained the special ability of "Kamen Rider Joker": Hazard Level.]
Hazard Level? Wait—did the system just cross into another series?!
If he remembered right, wasn't Hazard Level something from the Build timeline—triggered by injecting Nebula Gas?
Why's it showing up in W's powerset?
While he was still wondering if the system had glitched, a detailed description popped into his mind:
[Special Ability: Hazard Level]
When transformed into Kamen Rider Joker, the Rider's physical and combat capabilities will continuously scale upward based on the user's emotional state.
There is no upper limit to this growth.
(Note: Briefly mentioned in the TV episode with the Triceratops Memory; canonized as permanent in the manga.)
Reading the description, one phrase surged in Sora's mind:
Mind over matter!
That's right—this was pure idealist mechanics! A power that scaled infinitely with the user's resolve and emotional intensity. The stronger your will, the stronger your power.
The name "Joker" made even more sense now.
In English, "Joker" can mean wild card, but in playing cards, it's also the clown.
So… whether you're a joke or a trump card depends on you.
"No wonder they call it Joker…"
Sora exited the system space, gazing at the violet Memory in his hand with a faint smile.
So this is my second power, huh? Let's give it a spin.
He stood up and pressed the button on the Memory.
[Joker]
The violet Memory locked into the Lost Driver. The belt split open, discharging a surge of purple electricity that wrapped around his body.
Violet circuit-like lines lit up across his skin. His muscles tensed; his wounds healed rapidly. His heart and lungs roared to life—pushed to their utmost potential.
"[Henshin]!"
[Joker]
Fragments of violet armor coalesced from the void, latching onto his body piece by piece.
The transformation completed with the iconic silver W-shaped crest and glowing red eyes forming over his face—Kamen Rider Joker now stood in the middle of the room.
"This sensation… it's kind of incredible."
Unlike the weighty G3X suit, the Joker armor felt… light. As if he were just wearing something casual and breathable.
But the strength it provided? That was undeniable. Sora could feel it flooding through him—raw, kinetic force.
I bet I could punch straight through a wall right now.
Then he remembered Robin was in the room next door and wisely decided not to test it.
Better not. If she thinks I'm trying to break into her room or something, there's no explaining that away…
BOOM!!
A sudden, violent tremor shook the entire building!
Dust cascaded from the ceiling. Cracks splintered across the walls.
"What the hell?!"
Sora spun around in alarm. Was that an earthquake?
He rushed to leave—but as he grabbed the door handle, it snapped clean off in his hand with a loud click.
The door itself remained stubbornly in place—neither letting him out, nor inviting anyone in.
A perfect standoff between man and frame… with a fist-sized hole where the handle used to be, just large enough for awkward eye contact and small talk.
Okay. Joker's strength is no joke.
"Sorry about this," he muttered to the door—then kicked it open without hesitation.
BOOM!!
The door and its frame flew off like shrapnel, crashing into the corridor.
And that's when Sora saw the chaos outside.
The sky was dark, but the survivor outpost was ablaze with activity.
Not because of a welcoming party…
But because the Antimatter Legion was here.
The area where children had been playing was now a war zone, ravaged under the Legion's assault. Adults fired from behind makeshift barricades, trying desperately to hold them off.
Their weapons flared with blasts of energy, each volley felling a Voidranger.
But it wasn't enough. Not even close.
They couldn't stop the advance.
At the front lines, Ouja had stepped up—defiant, alone.
Bladed limbs of the enemy slashed across her body, painting it with blood.
And yet she stood her ground. As a Pathstrider under the Preservation Aeon, she was more resilient than most. What would've torn a civilian in half left only gashes on her.
She clenched her jaw, tanked the pain, and smashed the butt of her rifle into a Voidranger's skull—then pulled the trigger before it could recover.
But… only she could fight like that.
The others? Just ordinary people.
Ouja spotted one Voidranger breaching the outer perimeter. It was right behind a young guard, arm blade raised, glowing a sickly yellow in the night.
A second more, and it would slice the man in two—
WHAM!
A shadow kicked the monster square in the chest, sending it flying like it'd been hit by a freight truck.
It smashed into a cluster of Voidrangers, bowling through them like bowling pins.
"…What the—?!" Ouja blinked, stunned by the sudden rescue.
There wasn't anyone in the camp who could move through shadows like that…
A Voidranger? No, they didn't attack their own.
The silhouette turned.
Red eyes glowed faintly in the dark. A silver W crest gleamed on its forehead.
It faced the Antimatter Legion like a predator savoring the scent of prey.
"You're…"
Ouja's eyes widened.
"Kamen Rider Joker."
Sora strode past her, straight into the swarm of enemies.
He flicked his wrist.
"Saa—let's tally up your sins, monsters."