Kamen Rider is a Villain in Pretty Cure Chapter 2

"Don't rush like this, Hana." Nono Moritaro, the supermarket manager, gave a faint smile to his impulsive daughter. The middle-aged man, with streaks of white at his temples, simply patted his daughter's shoulder as usual.

"Look, your clothes are soaked. Go change in the locker room and then come back."

"Yes!"

Seeing his daughter's hurried back, the man couldn't help but sigh.

"Did you do something again, Hana?"

He knew it. He and her mother had noticed that their daughter seemed to be hiding something.

No matter how well she hid it, how could they, as parents, not notice her occasional, extremely exhausted expressions over the past few years?

But she never mentioned any of it. Even when they tried to probe, she'd brush it off, attributing it to her own clumsiness. Yet, the truth was that these hidden burdens were causing her suffering.

This time was no different. Nono Hana's newly established company had gone bankrupt, and her life, which had finally started to improve, had plummeted once again. Not wanting to worry her family, she, as always, hid all her hardships behind her smile, a sight that pained her parents deeply.

Hana, if you don't want to talk about it, Dad won't ask any more questions. We'll support you.

But no matter what you do, don't you dare lose!

"BOOM—"

A violent sound from the distance interrupted his thoughts. The man immediately ran to the window and looked towards the source of the noise.

"It's over—!"

A monstrous creature with a furious expression rampaged down the street, knocking over everything in its path. Its swinging fist smashed the asphalt road, creating a massive crater.

"Another monster! But the Pretty Cure just defeated one not too long ago!"

Moritaro turned and ran back the way he came, shouting instructions to his employees and customers to evacuate towards the emergency exits. He seemed quite practiced.

In fact, he was all too familiar with these events. After all, these sudden monster rampages and their subsequent destruction in the city had been going on for over eight years, forcing everyone to become accustomed to them.

Every time, the pink Pretty Cure would appear, offering words of encouragement. Cure Yell would defeat these monsters, restoring peace to the city.

For the past eight years, no matter when or where, she, enveloped in pink light, had fearlessly stood against the ferocious monsters, never losing even once.

This time would be no different...

"Hana!"

Receiving no response after knocking, the man burst through the locker room door and found the room empty.

Did she escape? Hana?

"Why... I just defeated a Doomsday Monster not long ago... Why...?"

Standing on the rooftop, Nono Hana looked at the "It's over!" Doomsday Monster in the distance, momentarily unsure if it was shouting at her.

"I'm already..."

The cumulative strain of consecutive battles, the immeasurable negative impact on a body that hadn't rested from prolonged fighting...

Her hands, clutching the pink transformation phone "Light Heart" and her "Future Crystal Pink," trembled slightly.

But...

Nono Hana raised her head again. The fear and timidity were gone. Her reopened eyes were once again filled with the gaze of a warrior.

"I have no choice but to go!"

The Future Crystal, no longer shining as brightly as before, was placed back into the Light Heart.

"Heart—Sparkle!"

"Embrace the shining future! Cheering everyone on—cough cough cough!"

A tightness in her chest made the girl cough halfway through her transformation phrase.

For some reason, the Tomorrow Energy, the source of the Pretty Cure's power, seemed to have greatly diminished within her body...

"Skipping the rest, now—"

Gathering her strength, she leaped towards the Doomsday Monster.

Hold on, body!

[Extra]Case File 3: Crimson's New Warrior

"Ahhhhhh—!!"

Her stamina almost completely depleted, unable to dodge any longer, the girl could only weakly brace her arms in front of her to defend against the incoming giant fist. The moment she was hit hard, a scream like a broken string escaped her throat, and she flew away like a pink streak across the sky.

"CRASH!"

Her body smashed through the brick wall structure. The back of her waist, injured in the previous battle, snapped a solid steel bar. The intense pain almost stole her consciousness in an instant. Nono Hana finally came to a stop at a water tower between tall buildings. Water accumulated in the dented tower leaked out, continuously drenching her body from behind. The biting cold also managed to awaken her senses.

Nono Hana, who had just finished a battle not long ago, had rushed into the fray again without any rest. The residual injuries from the last fight had not yet healed, even with the Pretty Cure's "Tomorrow Energy." Not to mention the significant amount of energy that had inexplicably vanished from her body, she was fighting the enemy at less than 20% of her capacity.

She no longer had the strength to summon the invincible Melody Holy Sword.

She tried to say something, but the sweet taste welling up in her throat blocked her words.

More than that, it seemed she had reached a critical point. The old injuries that hadn't healed over the past eight years, the hidden wounds that remained because she hadn't gone to a proper hospital to avoid worrying her family and friends, all erupted at this moment.

It hurts...

It hurts... it itches... it really hurts! It hurts everywhere!

I don't even have the strength to struggle to my feet. The pain in my body makes even this strong woman despair, wishing someone would kill her. The sounds coming from her throat are like a lark with broken wings.

Is this finally my limit?

Is today the end of my fighting? But, as a Pretty Cure, I should be protecting everyone... But it hurts so much, I have no strength left, I don't want to fight anymore...

"Pretty Cure!"

All I can hear are the calls of others.

"Pretty Cure, please!"

"Pretty Cure, save me!!"

After losing Nono Hana as a target, the Doomsday Monster turned its attention to the fleeing civilians. Having been protected for eight whole years, the people immediately began to cry out for help to the savior they held in their hearts.

"Clank."

Falling from the iron tower to the ground, the impact on my legs, which I could normally ignore, almost made me unable to stand. Nono Hana stood before the Doomsday Monster once again.

"Yeah, I am a Pretty Cure..."

If I give up, how many people will get hurt? How many people will lose their loved ones? If I give up, their future will be stolen.

"I will defeat the Doomsday Monster that harms everyone, I will fight, I will protect everyone's future..."

Muttering these words like a self-hypnosis, amidst the cheers of countless strangers she had always protected, Nono Hana raised her trembling fist again.

"Come on, I'll be your opponent..."

[Whoosh——————!]

Several crimson beams struck the Doomsday Monster's raised fist. The monster, where the attacks hit, instantly erupted in sparks and wailed as it fell backward, the sound of it colliding with the ground deafening!

"Tap!"

While Nono Hana was stunned, not understanding what had happened, the crisp sounds echoing around her suddenly touched her taut nerves.

"Tap!"

Another sound! Nono Hana took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and attempted to locate the source of the sound. But the sound didn't seem to come from any particular direction. It felt as if she were in the center of a barrel, with someone constantly tapping the outer walls, the echoes reverberating, making it impossible to pinpoint the source.

"Tap!" "Tap!" "Tap!"

The crisp sounds seemed to disregard her feelings, pressing in on her from all directions. Attacks from unknown friend or foe could come from anywhere. This feeling of being targeted by a viper coiled around Nono Hana's spine. The pressure accumulated from the battle until now surged, almost breaking her!

"Over here."

As if tired of this game, a slightly lazy voice came from above.

"You... who are you?!"

Nono Hana, who was about to say something, froze. Looking at the crimson exterior that seemed to be burning in flames, she was momentarily speechless.

The fiery red battle suit had a flame emblem in the center of its chest, and the helmet that completely covered her face had flame-shaped edges around the goggles. The red warrior standing on top of the tall tower tapped the back of the strange handgun in his right hand against his raised left wrist guard, the crisp sound coming from there.

Bathed in the midday sun, the strong sunlight left a patch of darkness in front of him from behind, revealing only a silver mouth with a slight smile.

This was Ash, transformed into [Time Fire].

"You... may I ask who you are?"

Is it a new Doomsday Monster? A new enemy, or perhaps...

Or perhaps...?

A long-abandoned wish resurfaced in Nono Hana's heart.

"Who knows."

The man's flippant answer almost made the tense Nono Hana's legs go weak and fall to the ground.

"I don't know who I am either." Ash's head, slightly raised, shed the dark shadow. In his black goggles, the pathetic appearance of Cure Yell was reflected.

"But, I've been looking for a target to practice my shooting."

"Doomsday Monster!"

The unwilling Doomsday Monster shot black energy at the red warrior. Seeing this, Ash leaped from the railing, raised the [DV Defender] in his hand, and pulled the trigger, aiming at the giant creature.

Traces of explosions erupted behind the warrior as he fell, and the continuously fired crimson beams pierced the monster once again.

Nono Hana's gaze met the gaze of the falling red warrior as he got up. Their eyes locked.

Who exactly are you?

[Extra]Case File 4 A Different Kind of Warrior

Nono Hana's doubts were not answered. The unknown red warrior simply moved his feet and pulled the trigger again and again.

The huge fist swung down, heavy and slow. The propulsion device under his feet sprayed air, and Ash flowed against the direction of the attack, his movements effortless as if he were toying with the enemy.

Under the fiery goggles, information about the "DV DEFENDER" in his hand began to play automatically, but Ash no longer needed it, as he had already remembered his past fighting style.

The DV Defender, covered in a dinosaur shell, spun several times in his hand. He pressed the red button in the center to inject more energy into it.

"DV Conversion, Vulcan Cannon Mode."

He switched from firing scattered high-speed light bullets to a focused, high-output beam irradiation mode. With the Vulcan Cannon Mode's high-output beam engaged, the red beam extending from the muzzle became like an infinitely long giant beam sword. As he swung his palm, a series of pink sparks erupted on the Doomsday Monster.

Each beam precisely struck the Doomsday Monster's weak points. The vulnerabilities of the Doomsday Monster, which Nono Hana had spent years discovering, were being effortlessly exploited by this new warrior.

Seeing this scene, a hint of frustration welled up in Nono Hana's heart. The desire to ask who he was grew stronger, but her arm, still in intense pain from her struggle, made it impossible to move. After a brief effort, Nono Hana decided to stay put.

It wasn't just Nono Hana; the ordinary people who had just escaped danger also noticed the new warrior.

"Go for it! Unknown red warrior!!"

Even without knowing his identity or purpose, they believed he must be there to protect them since he was fighting the Doomsday Monster. The people cheered him on.

The powerful combat ability the new warrior displayed, treating the Doomsday Monster like a plaything, gave them hope again after the Pretty Cure had faltered.

"Doomsday Monster!!" Hit in its vital spots again and again, the Doomsday Monster let out a ground-shaking roar of defiance.

Seeing the Doomsday Monster's fatigue, the people cheered even more enthusiastically.

"So noisy..."

Did they think this was some kind of festival?

Ash muttered under his breath, unsure if he was complaining about the Doomsday Monster or the people cheering for him.

"However, it's time to finish this."

The Doomsday Monster, having been on the defensive, could no longer tolerate it and roared in fury. It smashed its giant hand down in front of him and pushed forward, preparing to unleash an area-of-effect attack to crush him.

"DV Conversion, Guardian Sword." Ash remained unfazed by the scene, issuing a voice command while pressing a button on his gun. With a mechanical whir, the dragon-head-shaped muzzle of the handgun closed, and a sharp blade extended out. The grip also straightened, becoming a sword hilt.