Kamen Rider is a Villain in Pretty Cure

I thought when you appeared, I finally had someone to confide in as another identity, at least a partner I could trust...

Looking back at everything that's happened, are you just manipulating all of this for your own selfish desires?

"This is too much..."

So, you're not... my friend?

In fact, Homare herself knew that escaping this terror was simple. All she had to do was overcome her fear, muster the courage to stand up, and stride away from the out-of-control wheelchair. For a woman as healthy as her, it should have been incredibly easy.

All it would take was breaking the chains within her own heart and creating a miracle.

However...

Easier said than done. Facing her fear, facing the fear of having broken her legs twice, facing the courage to pursue her dream under everyone's gaze only for it to shatter.

If it were that simple, why would she have been living in such a terrible future?

If you can't do it, you can't do it, you can't do it!

"Ahhh~" With an infuriatingly loud voice, Time Fire looked at Homare, who was moving further and further away, and couldn't help but shake his head.

"Looks like it's no use."

Honestly... as expected, placing expectations of brilliance on ordinary humans is just too much for them to bear.

Oh well, let's go look at the Pretty Cure in the distance, everyone.

Speaking of which, Cure Yell didn't show up at all this time. Did she not come because I stole her thunder? Well, considering her physical condition, it was probably a wise choice.

"Ah—!" Accompanied by a scream, Homare fell out of the wheelchair.

The wheelchair tipped over to the side of the road, its already bent wheel making a final, powerless rotation in mid-air.

The blonde girl who had been sitting in it had also fallen beside a large tree, her helmet rolling away.

"Homare—!"

Ash, shaking his head in disappointment, didn't stop her this time. However, the other three women didn't have the luxury of dealing with him; they rushed towards the fallen Homare.

"It hurts so much..."

The dented yellow cross helmet rolled past her hand. Her once neat casual wear was torn from friction with the ground. Homare, clutching her head as she lay on the ground, slowly got up, enduring the pain.

Her head didn't hurt, but she felt so dizzy... Blood, is that my blood? Maybe my hand got scraped? And my legs...

Her legs still couldn't stand, even after that bastard did this to me.

Am I really this useless?

"Yes, you are that useless."

With an effortless leap, Ash flew over everyone's heads and landed beside Homare. He had started later than Hana and the others but arrived before them. His emotionless black visor and unmoving steel lips were fixed on her, watching Homare sitting on the ground like a statue judging all beings.

"I... I tried so hard..."

Homare's beautiful blonde hair, once tied in a ponytail, came undone. Her brilliant hair, now stained with dust, scattered on the ground behind her like a ruined sunset. Facing the pathetic beauty clutching the floor, her shoulders trembling slightly, even the hardest heart should have felt a stir at such a broken and desolate sight. But Ash remained unmoved.

"No." Ash's voice was utterly cold. "No matter how hard you try, effort without results is just self-indulgence. So, no!"

"But I—!"

"No, no, no! If you can't do it, you can't do it!"

Refuting her without mercy, Ash clearly didn't understand the concept of cherishing a woman.

However, seeing her in such a humiliating state, Ash felt a sense of disappointed helplessness, and for some reason, he found himself expecting something more from her, which was why he was saying all these things.

Could it be that she also had the potential to become a hero?

"When you were escaping before, you were undoubtedly a burden to your friends. Even if she didn't hold it against you, the result was caused by you!"

Hearing Ash's cruel words that unhesitatingly exposed her wounds, Homare involuntarily clenched her thighs, leaving red marks where her fingers pressed.

"And even after I did all this, you still can't stand up. So that means..."

Ash appeared beside her ear like a phantom, his voice, like a mischievous demon from the flames, entering her ears.

"Does that mean, even with this crisis, and the fear that your companions' lives might disappear because of you...

"Is that more terrifying to you than standing up?"

"!"

Homare bit her lower lip hard and looked up. On Time Fire's burning, flame-like visor, she could clearly see her own reflection.

"No."

On the black visor, there was her pitiful self, tears welling up in her eyes, but she was holding them back with all her might. On her face, besides the anger from her heart, there was more of an expression of unwillingness.

"I!"

I'm not, I'm not that useless person!

She grabbed her own ankle, trembling, and held it before her as if to force herself to stand.

After all, she didn't want to be looked down upon by such an unreasonable being!

"You! Stay away from Homare!"

Even without properly bracing himself, Ash was slightly surprised that he had been shoved away with such force.

After all, the Doomsday Monster had just been killed by him in front of them not long ago. Yet, for the sake of their friend, they still resolutely stood against him.

"You guys..."

"Slap!"

A loud slapping sound echoed across Ash's face.

Under everyone's astonished gazes, Saya's raised hand trembled slightly as it rested on the side of his helmet, and Ash's head turned in the same direction.

A slap to the face meant nothing to Ash, who was wearing a helmet, but Saya's palm felt numb and had turned a large patch of red.

However, the blue-haired woman still stood in front of her friends, her lips moving as she glared furiously at the figure slowly turning his head back.

"You apologize to Homare!"

[Extra]Case File 21 Saya's Wavering

The currently popular actress "Yakushiji Saya" confronts the current trending topic, the red warrior of unknown alignment, "Time Fire." Furthermore, in anger over the "unjust treatment" her friend received, she slapped the arrogant guy, simultaneously venting the frustration of hundreds of millions of fans of Cure Yell worldwide.

Look at that headline, how enticing and clickable! If a photographer happened to be nearby to capture this "scene of the century," it might even be possible to win a Pulitzer Prize.

Unfortunately, due to the rampaging Doomsday Monsters nearby, besides the four people who were a step behind and couldn't evacuate in time because of their companion Homare, no one else in the vicinity witnessed this scene.

However, Saya wasn't as brave as she appeared. If one looked closely, they would notice Saya's reddened palm trembling slightly. Facing the gradually turning, fiery visor, her inner turmoil, masked by anger and strength, was imaginable.

At the very least, the pain in her palm was undeniable.

As the leader of the group, Saya subtly signaled Emiru with a few glances. Though unwilling, Emiru, understanding the urgency of the situation, helped Homare, who had collapsed on the ground, and quietly led her away from the area, leaving Saya and Ash alone.

"Huh?"

Emiru looked around left and right in surprise but couldn't find the person she was looking for.

How strange, where did Hana-senpai go? Is she hiding somewhere because she escaped early? But Hana-senpai isn't like that at all!

But when did she disappear?

Compared to Time Fire's powerful combat suit, specifically designed to deal with time criminals, a mere human woman's body was incredibly fragile. The pain that Ash, inside his combat suit, couldn't feel was fully experienced by Yakushiji Saya.

"Woman, you dare to slap my face..."

Ash was slightly angered. Although the opponent couldn't even break through the surface defense of his battle suit, he was still slapped mercilessly in the face by an ordinary person and then asked to apologize for his actions. Never believing he had done anything wrong, Ash's pride was subtly wounded. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was a breach of defense on another level.

The last person who dared to slap my face... it seems like I was hit in the last world, which was the previous time.

"You mean to say I did something wrong?"

"Do you think this is the right thing to do?!"

Slightly releasing some of his aura, the blue-haired woman indeed began to retreat with a fearful expression. At this moment, Ash also saw her reddened and swollen palm. In less than a minute, it looked like even the slightest movement would cause piercing pain.

"Was it worth it?"

Ash's tone shifted, becoming very indifferent, his voice losing its vitality. Or rather, towards these people, whom Ash had already judged as "valuing friendship more than life," he began to feel more... helpless.

Even though they can't even transform... Alright, I'll accept you for now.

"That slap you gave me didn't cause me any damage. As for yourself, about one-third of your metacarpals are fractured, and your middle and index finger bones are broken."

Without dwelling on her slapping him, he then began to describe her hand injuries.

Ash's tone became incredibly "serious" as he put on a solemn expression, pretending to be concerned, and explained the severity of her injuries.

"Your actions are just causing yourself suffering, nothing more."

Just like in the past, heroes always had to face opponents who were almost impossible to defeat. Even if they knew they would be defeated within half a minute, they would still risk their lives to save their companions.

The actions and character of these people naturally earned Ash's immense admiration and praise, as he was a "hero fanatic" and longed to witness more.

However, even after traversing countless worlds and meeting and conversing with countless heroes, Ash still couldn't quite understand some of their thought processes.

"So what?"

Saya's expression remained unchanged, and she showed no intention of backing down. However, she still quietly withdrew her hand, shielding it with her other arm.

This guy... he explained it so clearly. Could Time Fire be a doctor?

Ignoring Saya's subtle movement, Ash brought his index finger and thumb together, forming a camera shape in front of Saya.

"Judging by your appearance, you should be an actress. With your current hand injuries, even if healed with today's technology, your dexterity will be somewhat affected."

"Wh-why can you tell!"

This time, Saya's surprise was visibly apparent. If he could accurately assess her and Homare's injuries because he might be a doctor, then why did he know so much about her? Could it be that...?

In her panic, Saya couldn't think of other possibilities. If Ash knew Saya's inner thoughts, he would probably retort harshly, I saw posters for your starring movie being advertised when I arrived, how could I not guess what you do?

Of course, this wouldn't affect what Ash was about to say next.

"For some roles that require specific movements, you might not be able to take them in the future. This includes works that could have made you more famous and influential."

"Because of this, you might fall irrevocably behind actors who are more famous than you, possibly becoming their background for the rest of your life."

As Ash's words fell, Saya, who had been maintaining her determined, confrontational expression, froze in place. It seemed as if Ash's words had struck a painful chord deep within her. The face of the meticulously made-up superstar contorted for a moment, becoming visibly ugly.

"Was it worth it?"

Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Ash realized he'd hit a nerve with something he'd said, causing the other person's mindset to change. He pressed his advantage, tossing the question back at her.

"I... I think it's worth it! What do you take our friendship for!"

"Is it worth it? But the voice you just used to answer took several seconds longer than your previous answers."

Ash's words completely cut off what Saya was about to say, and a chill spread from the soles of her feet to the top of her head in an instant.

[Extra]Case File 22: Dreams, Denied

Yakushiji Saya had a dream... or rather, she used to have a dream.

Even when she was still in her mother's womb, her mother, "Yakushiji Reiro," was already an actress. She was so dedicated that she often went to various film sets with her pregnant belly.

Naturally, Saya admired her celebrity mother from a young age and wanted to become an actress just like her mother, hoping to perform on stage with her someday.

So, in addition to her regular studies, Saya began learning everything an actor needed from a young age, leaving her peers far behind. While her growth was terrifying for her age, it was merely the effort she deemed necessary to achieve her goal of surpassing her mother.

As time went by, Yakushiji Saya entered the entertainment industry and gradually made a name for herself, becoming a globally renowned actress... If the story ended here, it would be a children's fairy tale about hard work paying off and dreams coming true.

But Saya's story didn't have such a happy ending.

While she was working hard, others weren't standing still. For example, by the time Saya became a big star through her own efforts, her mother had already become a legendary figure in the field, worthy of being in textbooks.

No matter how hard she worked to act, improve her skills, or take on more classic roles, people would always say about her, "Oh, she's that teacher Reiro's daughter! As expected of teacher Reiro, she taught her so well!"

She had always been chasing her mother as her goal, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't catch up to that overwhelmingly tall figure.

For her, this dream that she could never achieve gradually lost its direction and became something like a curse.

As her mindset changed and her dream faded, Saya could no longer find a reason to strive for it. Even the relationship with her mother, which was once incredibly close, had now become an awkward cold war due to intentional or unintentional distance.

Ash's remark, "You'll always just be a background character," perfectly struck Saya's unspeakable pain point, causing her to inevitably begin to shake violently.

The thought that she might never escape her mother's shadow for her entire life, as if negating all her efforts in the entertainment industry up to this point, felt worse than being killed.