Kamen Rider is the Villain in Pretty Cure

"I really—"

"I'm liking you more and more!"

"!"

Sweat trickled down the woman's forehead.

What was going on? Despite such provocative words, I… didn't feel any ill will?

Is this person… serious?!

In a place unseen, the wound on Hana's body, which had been stitched up, began to bleed internally again due to the battle. She raised her pale, near-exhausted arm, and the Melody Sword, pointed at Ash's nose, trembled even more violently.

"Who exactly are you! And what are you fighting for?"

"As I said again, I am Time Fire." He smoothly retracted the DV Defender from his hand after a few flourishes in front of him and put it back in its holster. Ash bowed subtly, bringing his hands to his chest, performing a perfect gentleman's bow. "A man utterly captivated by your incredibly beautiful form."

"The target of my fight."

Facing Nonohana, whose usually serious expression suddenly flushed red, Ash raised his index and middle fingers on both hands and brought them down towards her.

"Is you, of course, My Love!"

[Extra]Case File 25: The Shining Nonohana

"What… do you mean?"

"A tribute to you, and to the beautiful lady behind that invisible 'mask' of yours, and to that beautiful heart!"

She had heard similar thanks, even more extreme words, countless times. But whether it was admiration or gratitude, Nonohana had always treated it as respect for the existence of Pretty Cure, never feeling it was anything extraordinary, and thus had no reason to dwell on it.

But today, she was being singled out, with genuine sincerity directed at her.

This kind of thing had never…

Never happened before!

Since becoming a Pretty Cure at 12, and even at 22, becoming a "great" Pretty Cure, she remained the solitary legend of Nursery City, never having been in a relationship.

Guardian of the world, legendary warrior, defeating countless Doomsday Monsters with sword and skill, dedicating herself to protecting Earth for 8 long years!

Our hero, the savior of the world, the Messiah! Cure Yell, Nonohana!

At this moment, her brain completely crashed, ceasing to function.

Meanwhile, Ash, completely oblivious to Nonohana's near-overload state, felt his accumulated worries vanish during their battle, replaced by an immense sense of exhilaration!

Because he saw it – the noble state of mind he sought, an incredibly shining and radiant existence, right before his eyes!

Although he didn't know who Cure Yell was, or what sorrows she carried, these were minor matters. Just as the lunatics in Arkham Asylum never cared who the person in the Batman suit was, he naturally wouldn't commit the rudeness of prying into a lady's affairs… probably.

For him, the undeniably heroic Precure! was reason enough to get him "hard" enough to… well, you know!

"I never expected to meet someone like you here." As he spoke, Ash's excitement grew. "Perhaps I came to this world (transmigrated) just to meet you!"

To be able to find someone as brilliantly shining as you, I truly can't escape the influence of emotionalism!

With Ash's out-of-the-blue remarks, the surrounding crowd also stopped their cheers and fan rivalries. Everyone, like Hana at that moment, looked bewildered, exchanging glances.

Even Emiru and the others, who had been hiding nearby, suddenly stood up from the bushes. All eyes were fixed on the red-clad man at the center, who was either unaware or simply didn't care.

"Wait, wait, wait!" The serious expression on her cheeks gradually broke. The blush, as tempting and bite-able as a ripe apple, began to spread across the girl's face, and the heat rising from her head seemed to emit visible wisps of steam.

What is this, what is this! This is definitely a confession! This is an incredibly cheesy confession… It's so weird, so weird! My heart is beating so fast!

I'm not a middle school girl anymore, I can understand what's happening in this situation!

Saying something like this at this time… What kind of development is this?!

Burning, Gale.

Romance, Blossom.

What fitting words for a warrior—well, at least that's what Ash thought.

After all, he was currently dancing with this beautiful lady, who was becoming more radiant amidst the clusters of flowers, how could he not feel excited?

"You're just toying with me, aren't you!" Regaining what little composure she had left in this critical moment, Hana quickly pointed at Ash's previous victims. "Before you say such strange things, you should apologize to the people you've been messing with!"

"Before that, the truth will later reveal whether what I said was right or wrong."

Ash's gaze, seemingly unintentional, swept over Homare, causing her to shudder. However, there wasn't much fear in her eyes; it was more of a determined resolve.

Ash, of course, saw the change in her eyes, which led him to his conclusion.

"What do you mean to say…"

"This time, it's just a chance encounter. For the surprise that will come later, let's leave it at this for now." Ash changed his tone, suddenly becoming serious, and bowed again to the Yell in front of him. "Next time, I'll be the one to convey my feelings to you, Miss Shining Yell~"

After saying that, before the blushing Yell could react, Ash drew his gun and fired at the ground, kicking up a large cloud of dust. By the time the girl rushed through the dust that obscured her vision, the red figure had already vanished from the spot, leaving only the final word, "Adieu."

"Honestly!" Yell stomped her foot in embarrassment, crushing the paving stones beneath her. "What does this guy think he's doing!"

After venting her dissatisfaction, Hana then remembered she wasn't alone. Noticing the gazes of the surrounding crowd focusing on her, her embarrassment amplified tenfold. She quickly raised her hand and used her Tomorrow Energy to repair all the damage caused, then left the scene without looking back.

This is so strange—to be "confessed" to by an enemy… or someone who might be an enemy or a friend, on our second meeting—Ah, my stomach hurts so much… I should go back and ask Dr. Ash for some medicine.

Besides Ash, the instigator, not only Nonohana but also the other bystanders looked at each other in bewilderment. However, a strange glimmer appeared in the eyes of a few people.

After today, the topic that was originally on everyone's lips, "[New Warrior: Time Fire, Friend or Foe?]", gained a new faction of fanfiction writers dedicated to "[Cure Yell x Time Fire]"... but that's another story.

Regardless, the hero had once again defeated evil. Whatever happened in between was irrelevant to most people's lives; after all, ordinary people still had their own lives to live.

Of course, for the onlookers at the scene, what had happened not long ago was still vivid in their memories. They would tirelessly recount the story they witnessed to others. However, once a story began to spread among different people, it would gradually deviate from its original course. After all, there were significant differences between objective and subjective viewpoints...

"If you ask me, this was a complete victory for Lord Yell over that red guy! That's why he said those things to confuse Lord Yell," said one person, smugly lecturing others while surrounded by a crowd. "And to confess like that? So arrogant! If Lord Yell was really interested in him, she would have beaten him to his knees and forced him to come back with her to—"

"Whoa—that's amazing!" A passerby, clearly impressed but not understanding the details, immediately jumped back as if startled.

Of course, many people expressed their dissenting opinions.

"No, no, no, that doesn't sound right... Time Fire did defeat the Doomsday Monster, after all. He should be considered a hero, right?"

"If he fought Cure Yell, that would be terrible. It would just be playing right into the Doomsday Monster's hands!"

Listening to the rumors from the passersby, Hana, whose face was slightly flushed, quickly brushed the bangs from her forehead and hurried towards Ash's clinic.

[Extra]Case File 26: Is Ash a Fan?

The situation that was troubling Nono Hana was the rampant rumors lately. Even if she wanted to ignore them, she couldn't. After all, as the hero who had protected the entire world for 8 years, there was likely no one on Earth more famous than her – a true "star."

No matter how much she denied it, she was simply that kind of character with an overwhelming presence. With the sudden appearance of a male figure who was both an ally and an opponent by her side... to say that no one would overthink it would be to underestimate those fanfiction masters and artists, wouldn't it!

Completely caught in the vortex of the event, even if she wanted to ignore it, she couldn't escape the ocean of information. In less than a week, novels, fan comics, and even strange edited videos had become rampant online. As long as it was related to Cure Yell, there was no shortage of attention in this world.

There were even some masters who seemed to possess god-like speed, creating "that kind" of fanfiction on websites not suitable for children... Thinking of the blushing, heart-pounding scenes she had seen online, Nono Hana's face grew hot.

So annoying. It's nothing like that at all, why do they have such good imaginations?

As the person involved, if Nono Hana were to say she didn't care at all about Time Fire's unreasonable questions... that would be a lie. Well, after being told those things and then seeing him act as if he'd still need her help later, of course she cared.

What's with that? Why say such misleading things out of nowhere? Now everyone's looking at me strangely.

Even if these were your confessions, please be straightforward and don't use strange little tricks to confess seriously! Love and romance aren't that simple!

"Although I've been single for 22 years... I'm not just anyone's for the taking!"

Making a somewhat self-deprecating vow, Nono Hana also thought that if someone were to become her partner, the person under the helmet should at least have that slightly weathered, cool, and decadent look... Wait, that helmet seemed to have a mouth part... Could it be that it wasn't a helmet, but his actual face!?

Startled by her own fantasy, the girl shivered and hugged her arms tightly. Without even glancing at the "[Closed for Business]" sign hanging nearby, she pushed open the door to TOMORROW RESEARCH and walked in.

"Dr. Ash, are you in?"

In any case, while his words did stir something within me, they weren't enough to offset the negative impression he left on me, so it's no good—absolutely not!

If I had the right to choose someone I liked... and had to pick someone other than my family.

I'd choose Dr. Ash.

"Dr. Ash—Eh?"

Following her memory, she passed through several fluttering screens and successfully found Ash. However, the scene was vastly different from what she had imagined. Ash was currently lounging with his feet propped on the desk, a manga titled "Crossbone Gundam" covering his face as he snored loudly, embodying the picture of a decadent life.

Eh... I thought he wasn't responding, so he was asleep. He sleeps so ungracefully. But if it's a nap... it's almost dinnertime!

As the apologetic Hana thought about what to do after accidentally waking him, her eyes couldn't help but drift to the various decorations in the office.

The office, decorated in a very simple style, had no superfluous equipment. However, the desk and the filing cabinet behind it were adorned with all sorts of toys that caught Hana's romantic eye, including robot toys she had never seen before, Kamen Rider figurines, and...

Huh? That figurine looks like me... To the left is the SHF of Cure Yell, and to the right is the FRS assembly series of me at 14 years old! In the middle, with the effect parts, is the Figma of my flower ball mode that I haven't used in years! Wait, what's that on the very top? It's the Hottoys series of Cure Yell's eighth anniversary high-end articulated figure! I can't even afford to buy that for myself!

As a world-renowned "star," Cure Yell's merchandise was naturally incredibly popular and sold out quickly. There had even been people in charge of toy production who approached her, offering her exorbitant agency fees. However, she had generously requested that they be donated to others who needed the money.

Although she didn't receive the wealth she deserved, Hana felt a genuine sense of joy knowing that it would help others who were more in need.

But buying so much of my merchandise... Could it be that Dr. Ash is actually a Precure fan of mine?! Oh no... I'm a little happy~

"Honestly, barging in while I was sleeping. If you weren't my patient, I would have—"

A muffled male voice suddenly came from beneath the manga book covering his face, making Nono Hana, who had been curiously examining Ash's office, jump up like a startled thief, nearly hitting her head on the ceiling.

"I hung a sign on the door, didn't you see it?"

"D-Dr. Ash!? I really didn't see it..."

What? He wasn't asleep... He scared me even though he wasn't asleep.

"I could hear the sounds of you bouncing around from eight miles away as soon as your body started to recover. You even woke me up while I was asleep." As if hearing Nono Hana's thoughts, Ash's faint voice reached the somewhat embarrassed Hana.

"Alright, tell me, what is it this time?"

With a look of exhaustion and a dejected expression, Ash removed the Crossbone Gundam manga from his face and gestured with his mouth towards the chair opposite his desk, signaling the nervous Hana to sit down first.

"Th-thank you..."

Hurriedly tugging at her hip skirt, wearing such a skirt for the first time was quite difficult for Nono Hana. Unlike the loose pants and long skirts she preferred, she could barely take big steps, and she had almost ripped her skirt several times on the way.

"Um, how should I put it?" She frantically searched for the right words, but when she saw Ash's dead-fish eyes looking at her, she inexplicably felt reassured. "I'm feeling some pain... So, Dr. Ash, could you prescribe some medicine for me, like before?"

"So, you're saying."

At this moment, Ash displayed a professionalism that was uncharacteristic of his usual demeanor. His dark eyes scanned the woman before him like a machine. She had clearly recovered from the near-death state she was in when they first met, and the sight sent shivers down her spine.

"Pain, where does it hurt? Be more specific."

Ash's gaze sharpened.

He could clearly sense that this young woman in front of him was hiding something from him.

But what could it be hiding... Never mind, I'm not interested in prying into ordinary people's affairs.

Ash shook his head, dismissing the thought.

[Extra] Case File 27: Yell "Played With"

"Um..."

"Hmm?"

Seeing her scratching the back of her head and trying to play it off, looking just like someone caught doing something bad by their master after a certain twin-tailed girl from space did, Ash, with his arms crossed under his chin, had his eyes reflect a strange light. Behind him, it was as if the words "Confess and be treated leniently, resist and be punished severely" appeared.

Witnessing this scene, sweat couldn't help but trickle down Nono Hana's forehead.

Ugh, I feel like a criminal in a cop movie. Any second now, they're going to shine a lion-head lamp on my face, or offer me a pork cutlet bowl to eat... Dr. Ash is putting a lot of pressure on me right now...

But I'm sorry, I can't tell you the truth, because it will make you worry and trouble you. Sob, the psychological burden of lying to Mr. Ash is getting heavier and heavier...

"If it hurts~ Hahaha, it's mainly that." Nono Hana continued to play it off, lowering her hand from the back of her head. Her fingers nervously slid up and down her body, and finally, under Ash's scrutinizing gaze, she "honestly" confessed.

"Basically, my whole body hurts..."

"..."

"Um..."

[Ash's eyes showed disapproval and suspicion]

"I'm sorry!"

Nono Hana decisively bowed her head and apologized to the doctor, whose presence was oppressive and who seemed to carry a low-pressure aura even after waking up.

"Mmm..."