Kamen Rider is the Villain in Pretty Cure

"Thank you for taking care of my daughter during this time." In front of the man who squinted his eyes slightly, the parents and a girl who looked very much like Hana bowed deeply to Ash. They were offering their sincere gratitude for the second time to the doctor who had saved their daughter's (sister's) life. "We don't know how to repay your kindness to Hana! Come on, Hana, you should thank Dr. Ash properly too."

"Oh, oh!" Hana, who seemed a bit reserved for some reason, only snapped back to attention when she was mentioned. As she was about to bow her head, Ash stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder.

"You don't need to. I've already collected my payment elsewhere." Looking at their bows, Ash, who had been squinting, finally relaxed his brow completely. "However, I accept your thanks, Auntie and Uncle."

After all, I've already decided that no matter what's wrong with you, I'm going to cure you.

Although I was very reluctant at first, the actual feeling of interacting with them isn't fake... It's nice. If it develops like this, I might be able to accept it.

The serious atmosphere didn't last long; this kind of setting wasn't suited for such a warm family. Ash was quickly invited to sit. The middle-aged man brought out snacks meant for honored guests, while the woman served tea to everyone.

"I'm so sorry to trouble you to come all this way on such a hot day. Is black tea okay?"

"This temperature is nothing to me. Iced? I'll take it!" Ash naturally accepted the tea from Nono Hana's mother, Nono Sumire, and as he felt the cool sensation on his lips, his gaze naturally drifted to Hana's three family members.

Sitting opposite him, wearing an apron and possessing incredible muscles, was her father, Nono Moritaro, looking like a perfect househusband. His mother, Nono Sumire, who served him tea, was also looking at him with a smile. As for the last one, who kept glancing their way, thinking he hadn't noticed, it must be...

"Hello, sis... Dr. Ash, my name is—"

"I know, your name is Kotori, right? Nono Kotori." Ash remembered Nono Kotori, with whom he had spoken on the phone before. Hana had also praised her brilliant younger sister, who had gotten into Todai, many times, showing how much she cared.

"Oh, I remember you complaining that the medicine was bitter. I'm really sorry about that."

"R-really, Dr. Ash, don't bring that up!"

Unexpectedly having that brought up, Kotori, looking quite troubled, quickly covered her cheeks. Her gaze flickered to her sister, who was staring blankly like a stone, and she immediately remembered something. She pulled Hana, apologized, and hid behind a nearby door.

"Wait, Kotori, what are you doing?"

Without answering her sister's question immediately, Kotori secretly glanced at Ash, who was chatting happily with her parents on the other side. After scanning Ash, who was now smiling, she began to "interrogate" her older sister in an incredibly "serious" tone.

"Sis, be honest, what kind of love potion did you give him to make him so attentive to you?!"

[Extra]Case File 46: Interviewing Ash

"So, so crushed!"

Completely taken aback by her sister's serious question, especially with the immense "malicious" suspicion, Hana felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Her stiff movements and exaggerated expression showed she was utterly devastated... she looked utterly devastated!

Wait, I'm your sister, right? I'm your real sister, aren't I?! Kotori, how could you suspect me like this!

"Kotori isn't as good as she used to be. I'm so sad, sob sob... Bring back the cute little sister who used to be so obedient and wanted to be like her big sister!"

"That was ages ago! Come on, sis, stop pretending to be sad." Knowing her sister's true nature, Kotori didn't hesitate to expose Hana's act. She then pointed towards the living room, drawing Hana's attention there as well.

Smiling apologetically at Ash, Sumire, the mother, began to explain the absence of her two daughters.

"I'm sorry, but Kotori was also very eager to meet Dr. Ash and even took time off work to come back." Sumire looked over and saw two pairs of small eyes peeking from where the two had disappeared. "She just loves and worries about her sister too much, so she wanted to know who it was that helped Hana. That's why she got a little too excited when she saw Mr. Ash and didn't know how to express herself."

"I believe she must also be very satisfied with you, Mr. Ash."

"It's alright, I understand." Ash waved his hand, indicating it was fine. What she said was probably the same as his excitement when he saw the shining heart being absorbed by a rag, right? In that case, he understood, of course, he understood!

"Then, we have a request. As Hana's family, could we get to know a little more about Mr. Ash in detail?"

Upon hearing their mother's pertinent question, Hana and Kotori immediately perked up, listening attentively.

"Ah, it's fine, ask whatever you like. I'll tell you whatever I can, and I won't say a single word about what I can't."

Although it was a bit strange for the patient's family to inquire about his personal details as if they were conducting an interview... what did it matter? Feeling the rare warm atmosphere and having finished his iced black tea, Ash was in a very good mood and agreed to any questions.

"Then, first, could you tell us your age?"

"I'm 12 years old, desu~"

"Hahaha, Mr. Ash is so childlike." Ash, maintaining his calm smile, gave them an incredibly surprising answer, making everyone, including the two who thought they were hiding well, burst into suppressed laughter.

"You're 12? (holding back laughter)... But if you're that young, are you perhaps still a student?"

"A student... not anymore. But I'm a genius scientist, a super pilot, one who pursues the stage of 'Mop Shi', a genius surgeon, and the Kami of the New World!"

"Ah, the last one might not be true. The Kami of the New World is someone else." Ash, feeling a sudden surge of passion, quickly calmed down, gently adjusted his invisible glasses, and maintained his charming smile. "In short, I'm a genius."

"Mr. Ash, being so capable, haven't you considered working at a large hospital?"

"The bigger they are, the more rules there are. I just don't like being constrained by rules and regulations. A freer style suits me better." Leaning back on the sofa, shifting into a more comfortable position suitable for an interview, Ash naturally answered the question.

Besides, if it weren't for this clinic, I wouldn't have met Nono Hana, right? And I wouldn't have had so much time to plan fun ways to find Precure.

"Moreover, money is just a number to me. Large hospitals or small hospitals, it doesn't matter to me."

Hmm, no need to worry about financial issues, that's a plus! Kotori nodded repeatedly, thinking this.

"A genius... then we really must." Moritaro, who had been silent and just listening, chimed in. Thanks to his daughters' prior warning, the middle-aged couple naturally overlooked Ash's various unusual statements. "But Mr. Ash, you're a doctor, yet your muscles look very impressive. You have a strong physique, do you work out?"

"I have been recently." Ash nodded. After all, it's difficult to maintain one's condition when there are no fights to be had. "Actually, there's a secret base cave beneath my clinic. When I have free time, I exercise and practice martial arts there. Before, I could bench press 600 pounds (without using cyborg strength), and I'm currently challenging 680 pounds. I feel like I'm almost there."

"Can I just take that to mean you work out?" The couple exchanged glances and then smiled and shook their heads. They couldn't help it; they simply couldn't understand. Young people nowadays were too caught up in trends that they couldn't even understand the vocabulary. Had they, the older generation, fallen behind?

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Um..." Ash thought about it when asked. He thought of the female friends he had met in his previous world, remembering two alien women, a pink warrior with wings and a green warrior who could turn invisible. But those were things from his previous world, so he shook his head. "I used to, but not anymore."

"Then may I ask how you broke up? Ah—this is really too intrusive, Mr. Ash, you don't have to answer—"

"What's there to not talk about?" Before Moritaro, who felt he had overstepped, could change his words, Ash naturally began to talk. "Mainly, I had too many boyfriends and couldn't manage them all, so we naturally broke up."

"?" x4

Four question marks popped up over the Nono family's heads simultaneously. This time, it wasn't just the adults; even the younger ones couldn't understand what he was talking about.

What's going on? I was a little happy when Mr. Ash said he didn't have a girlfriend... Should I be nervous or sad now? But it doesn't feel quite right...

A series of conversations followed. After the slightly disjointed Q&A earlier, the subsequent answers gradually returned to normal. Their conversation became more engaging, and the couple, who openly admired Ash, were beaming with smiles.

"See? That's how it is," Kotori pouted, still in her school uniform, arms crossed as she looked at her older sister, who was now even shorter than before. "Big sis is always so foolish. I was actually worried you'd met a good person and thought you might have been deceived... but now I see."

"He's handsome, he's articulate, he has a good temper, he has a stable job as a doctor who isn't short on money, and most importantly, he's interested in you, big sis!" Kotori's voice grew more excited as she grabbed Hana's arms. "I originally just wanted to help you figure things out, but now there's no need for that."

"Big sis, if you're going to be this clueless and passive, just hand him over to me!"

[Extra]Case File 47 Sister-Selling Expert

Ever since her sister inexplicably pulled her aside, Hana hadn't understood a word of what she was saying. However, that last, blatant declaration of "claiming" her shocked her for an entire year.

The softness of her chest swayed slightly with her movements. Hana forcefully pulled her hand away and placed her own palm on the shoulder of the person in front of her, her eyes trembling with disbelief.

"Wait, wait, Kotori, what are you talking about?!"

Wait, Kotori is just joking, why am I getting so worked up? Dr. Ash is just a kind doctor who's helping me...

"THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING!" Unaware of the myriad of thoughts flashing through her sister's mind, Kotori stared into her older sister's eyes and said word by word, as if trying to pierce her heart with her pointed remarks. "Big sis, you are just too slow!"

"With Mr. Ash's excellent qualities, even I can't help myself a little. Look at him, then look at yourself! You're plain-looking, you have gloomy bangs covering half your face, you don't have a proper job, and your sickly body was even cured by him!"

As her sister relentlessly criticized her, Hana, who was in immense pain, immediately knelt on the ground with teary eyes, clutching her heart and repeatedly muttering the catchphrase "So devastating."

"That's so mean... Are you really my biological sister?"

Even though, even though my other identity is the globally acclaimed Precure—Cure Yell! Is there anyone who can compare to me in this regard? Of course, I can't say any of this...

"It's precisely because we're biological sisters that I'm worried about you, my troublesome older sister!" Nono Kotori looked helplessly at her older sister, who had curled into a ball on the ground with blurred eyes, and sighed with frustration. "Think about your friends. Compared to the beautiful blonde with long legs, the stylish and elegant blue-haired superstar, and Emiru, the future piano master, what advantages do you have, big sis?"

"They're all trying their best, and you haven't made any move at all! Someone as outstanding as him will definitely be snatched away by a woman even more outstanding than you!"

"So why would Homare and the others want to snatch Ash... And what do you think you're talking about, me trying my best..." As her sister spoke, Hana finally understood what she was trying to say and blurted out the truth. "I... I! I'm not dating him yet."

"..."

As soon as she said that, Kotori's eyes went dead. She stared at her older sister with completely vacant eyes until Hana started to feel uneasy. The girl fumbled in her pocket and handed a small pink cube to her sister.

"What is this...?" Hana, who hadn't reacted immediately, rubbed the plastic film in her hands. Feeling its thin texture, she finally remembered something. "Ko-Kotori, you don't mean... you want me to..."

She was an adult, after all. She understood that couples in love might not want an unexpected new life to cause trouble.

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean." Kotori glanced back at Ash, who seemed to be getting along increasingly well with her parents, and stated righteously. "You're clearly interested in him too, right, big sis? Since nothing has even started, you need to grab him into your hands even faster!"

"Didn't you always pride yourself on being a perfect, mature woman? If that's the case, then hurry up and use your mature womanly charm to captivate him!"

"E-even so..." Hana trembled as she held up the 001 condom, shielding her incredibly flushed face. Her sister's directness was about to fry her brain's processor. "I... I don't dislike Ash anymore, but this kind of thing, this is still too soon! And you're just selling your own sister like this?!"

"Huh? If my troublesome older sister can be sold to someone as reliable as Mr. Ash, then that's a huge profit! You should just be happy you're being sold for a good price!"

"Although that does make sense, but... so devastating!"

Her hand hovered in front of the doorbell. Saya Yakushiji, who had intended to visit her friend's house today, heard Hana's characteristic scream from inside. Her forced smile faltered, and she wondered if she should ring the bell.

"Oh dear~ Is it not a good time to visit today?"

Maybe it's better not to disturb Hana today?

"I didn't expect another friend of Hana's to visit today. Please excuse my lack of proper greeting."

"Not at all, it was my oversight for not informing you beforehand. How could I blame your parents?" While greeting the Nono family, with whom she was somewhat familiar, Saya gracefully waved to Ash, who was sitting on the sofa, his posture becoming increasingly casual. "And Mr. Ash, we meet again."

"Oh." Ash ended the conversation with a rather impolite "Oh." He didn't have a good impression of this uninvited intruder.

After all, Hana's friends each had their own weaknesses. Even if their outer beauty was great, their incompatible souls made Ash unable to like them.

That yellow one had improved surprisingly, but what about this blue one and that red one?

"Saya, long time no see. What brings you here today?"

"I mainly came to see you." Saya, who was very gentle with her friend, reached out and familiarly ruffled Hana's pink curly hair. "And about Homare, both Emiru and I are grateful to you."

"Hehe, it's nothing major~"

As Hana humbly accepted the praise, Saya took out several invitations from her handbag and placed them in front of everyone.

"Also, in a few days, it's the opening ceremony for my new starring movie. I hope everyone can come and support me."

———————Author's Note Divider—————————

Some people might wonder why Kotori was so eager to sell her sister.

Let's not use a God's-eye view and actually look at the comparison from Nono Kotori's perspective.

In Kotori's eyes, her sister: has an ordinary appearance (compared to the Precure world), gloomy bangs that cover her eyes, no stable job, is kind but foolishly silly, is a tsundere who always hides things, is incapable of doing anything, eats more than she needs, and is a sickly person.

In Kotori's eyes, Ash: is handsome, is a doctor who isn't short on money, speaks eloquently despite his often eccentric lines, and most importantly, not only cured her sister's illness but is also genuinely interested in her.

Kotori wishes she could strip her older sister and throw her onto Ash's bed to make it a done deal.jpg

[Extra]Case File 48 The True Nature of Violent Energy

"Oh, Little Blue, you came all this way just for this?"

"Li-Little Blue?"

Ignoring Saya, who was reeling from his peculiar remark, Ash repeatedly looked over the exquisite invitation in his hand, appearing completely uninterested.

After all, movies didn't appeal to a commoner like Ash, and he had no real interest in appreciating them. Take, for instance, those critically acclaimed art-house films that were showered with awards by the old-fashioned academic circles... To Ash, were they as good as a tokusatsu fight scene?

Just as Ash was casually deciding to blow off the invitation, the movie title mentioned on the invitation suddenly captured his full attention.

"New Metal Hero...?"

"Yes, this film is the latest cinematic masterpiece following director Hideaki Anno's Shin Kamen Rider. Mr. Ash, as you know, with the appearance of that Mr. Time Fire, masked heroes are a hot topic right now."

Ash had kept up with the development of the tokusatsu industry he loved in this world. The general direction was similar to his own world, except the Super Sentai, the source of the "Time Fire" power he used, had never appeared in this world. In its place, the Metal Hero series had continued and been filmed up to the present.

So this movie, I haven't even seen it yet!

Damn, I'm interested now. I really have no choice but to watch it.

"I know. Since she's Hana's friend, I, Ash, will definitely help out!"

Ash flipped over with an elderly flourish and solemnly accepted, his expectations soaring. His mind was entirely filled with what kind of film he would see at the premiere.

"I'm glad if you like it, Mr. Ash. I've saved the best seats for you and Hana—hhaa."

As she spoke, Saya's eyelids suddenly felt like they were losing their support and began to close. Her body swayed, about to fall to one side. Fortunately, Hana, who was quick to react, caught her, preventing her from collapsing onto the sofa.

Hana, slightly startled, looked to Ash, who was a doctor, for an explanation. Ash, of course, immediately saw her abnormality but didn't say anything.

"It looks like it's physical imbalance caused by overwork. Hana, you had similar symptoms before."

"It's fine, I'll be okay if I just sit for a bit." Saya propped herself up again, leaning on Hana's shoulder, but her words of comfort did nothing to reassure Hana.

"Saya...?"

Her parents and younger sister quietly used the excuse of going to buy refreshments to leave the space to the three familiar acquaintances. This also gave Hana the opportunity to speak with Saya alone. As a Pretty Cure, sensitive to Tomorrow Energy, which symbolizes the vitality and future of the human heart, she sensed that her friend's heart was not as perfect as her outward appearance. She quietly placed her hand on her friend's palm again.