"So that's how it is."
Then... who exactly am I?
The only thing Nono Hana could do now
was bite her lip hard to keep herself from crying too loudly.
And smile.
Case File 55: No One Was Looking at Me
Drip, drip.
As the tragic tears slid through the air, there was Nono Hana's incomparably desolate smile on one side, and Ash's stunned, hesitant expression on the other. Those tears, pitied by no one, fell drop by drop onto the torn hem of the girl's fluttering dress, shattering upon impact.
In the unknown parking lot, two hearts that had once aligned were now covered in cracks, inevitably beginning to drift apart. One looked up at the false light in the sky, while the other looked down at the heavy ashes sinking into the earth.
At the same time, inside the highly anticipated movie press conference, another change was quietly heading down an unknown path.
"Yakushiji-sensei is here!"
At someone's startled cry, the reporters who had been interviewing the film's female lead, Saya, immediately turned their cameras and microphones toward the more newsworthy target.
After all, that was Yakushiji Reiro, a national-level artist! Not to mention that she had been semi-retired lately. Opportunities to interview her were few and far between!
But no one noticed that Saya, suddenly left almost entirely alone, still maintained her previous posture. With stiff movements, the hand resting on her right leg slowly clenched the skirt over it, gripping it tightly as it trembled.
Again... like this?
Mom, did it have to be like this every single time?
In a world invisible to the naked eye, black Rampage Energy gradually gathered within her body, forming writhing shapes. Those mold-like forms twisted into increasingly jealous and irritable expressions, disturbingly human-like. The chattering Rampage Energy surged from Saya's body, nearly dyeing the entire room black.
This was Rampage Energy, the power opposed to the Tomorrow Energy used by Pretty Cure, which symbolized the future and dreams. It was also why Nono Hana, fighting alone as Cure Yell for eight years, had never defeated the enemy, even when she had nearly collapsed on the road.
After all, how could one person possibly dispel the darkness that could emerge from human hearts at any time? Other than a god, no one could do such a thing, right?
"Yakushiji-sensei, can you answer my question?"
"Yakushiji-sensei, what are your thoughts on your latest work—"
"Yakushiji-sensei, regarding your daughter, Miss Saya—"
The reporters surrounded the sunglasses-wearing superstar actress until there was barely any space left. If not for her bodyguards desperately holding back the crowd, she would probably have been knocked over by the overly aggressive mob already.
Her gaze swept over the noisy crowd before her, and Yakushiji Reiro's eyes showed obvious impatience. She had not come here to steal the spotlight. After all, she had already achieved everything there was to achieve in the film and television industry. What need did she have for more?
She more or less understood why her daughter had entered a cold war with her recently. So, as an apology from an elder, she had asked some old friends to help Saya secure the female lead role in this popular movie. Surely that would make her daughter, who desperately wanted to become a more dazzling star, feel a little better?
"Saya!"
Pushing aside the people in her way, Reiro made her way to her daughter, who was still seated where she had been. But Saya seemed utterly oblivious to her arrival, her lowered face covered by an invisible darkness.
"Saya?" Reiro asked uncertainly. "What's wrong? I heard about your excellent performance this time. Mom is so..."
"That's enough already, Miss Reiro."
"Y-You... what did you call me?"
Yakushiji Reiro's face froze when her daughter suddenly addressed her with such unfamiliar words.
Saya raised her head again. She appeared to be smiling, yet neither the bystanders nor Homare and the others below, who could not help covering their mouths, could find even the slightest trace of happiness in that expression.
All they could see was an unbearably ugly, desolate sorrow.
"I said... isn't it enough already? You say you're proud of me, but I only got the female lead role this time because of your help, didn't I?"
"But, Saya... didn't you want to become a star as amazing as your mother?"
You were already doing wonderfully. You were already famous. Why did you still have to—
"No—That's not it!" Tears of grievance instantly burst from the corners of her eyes, but this was not an act from some drama. It was all the heartfelt truth of Saya, whose expression had become painfully twisted. "What I truly wanted was to become an actress who could perform with you on the same stage!"
When I was little, I admired you, so I kept moving forward with you as my goal. I wanted to become someone like you...
Click, click—
More and more camera flashes lit up her face. No one except the reporters who had gotten their story felt happy.
"But... no one, not even you, ever thought that way, did they?"
Everyone thought it was only natural that I had achieved what I have now, because I'm the daughter of a world-class actress like you!
Everyone praises me, because praising me is the same as praising you, isn't it?
Then has anyone ever seen the girl who worked hard from childhood, trying to chase after the back of the person she admired?
"Mom, haven't you realized...?" At some point, Saya, whose whole body was wrapped in a dark aura, began floating above the ground. Even her eyes had been consumed by dark crimson.
I can't become you. Now, I can't even be myself anymore!
"If the future is destined to be painful—"
People screamed in panic, shouting, "Doomsday Monster!" and "Pretty Cure, save us!" They fled in all directions, plunging the entire movie presentation hall into chaos. Only a few fearless reporters continued keeping their cameras trained on the scene.
"Saya?!"
Her sunglasses fell from her face. Yakushiji Reiro stared at her daughter as darkness wrapped around her layer by layer, transforming her into a gigantic Doomsday Monster. Her overwhelmed face gradually filled with shock and collapse.
"I'd rather not have a future to long for at all—!!"
Standing back-to-back with Nono Hana in the parking lot, where panicked figures were beginning to appear, Ash finally called her name as his irritation grew.
"Hana, I—"
Rumble—
A massive Raging Enders, far larger than any before it, burst out from the enormous building ahead. It howled with sorrow, wantonly destroying the buildings that had confined it. The Tragedy Energy erupting from its entire body seemed ready to stain everything black.
"Tch, what timing. Fucking perfect timing!"
"Hana, come with me—Hana?!"
After blurting out a blunt curse, Ash hurriedly turned to grab the person behind him, only to clutch at empty air.
Now it was Ash's turn to look around in confusion, but Hana was nowhere to be seen.
Case File 56: After Love Disappears, What Remains?
His Nono Hana was gone.
Gone.
"Hana—!"
Weaving against the flow of people, Ash shouted Hana's name.
"Hana! Where are you? Answer me!"
He ignored all the noise of the surrounding crowd. Ash only wanted to hear that voice—weak, yet full of energy and a little foolish—but no matter how hard he concentrated, he could not find any trace of her amid the surrounding clamor.
"Hana, if you don't come out now, I'm really going to get angry!"
Seriously. Even my heart will get angry. You won't want to see what I'm like when I'm angry!
Yet even as the fleeing crowd around him gradually thinned out, and chunks of debris fell from the building above, about to crush Ash before he shattered them with an ascending punch—
There was still no response from her.
Ash withdrew his bleeding right fist. His hand would not stop trembling, but not because of the pain.
"Damn it!!!"
Ash slammed a fist into the concrete wall on his right. Under the force of his outburst, spiderweb cracks spread out from the center, eventually covering the entire wall before it collapsed in a thunderous cloud of dust.
Damn it! Was it because of the weird things that guy said earlier? This whole thing, all of it, was that cryptic useless bastard's fault! Next time I see you in Nursery City, I'll rip the cover off your book and punch you in the face! I'll beat you so badly even your wife won't recognize you, then I'll help Batman throw you into Arkham!
Without the slightest psychological burden, he dumped all the blame on the man he had beaten up not long ago. Staring at the gigantic Doomsday Monster wreaking havoc before him, Ash pinched the bridge of his aching nose and suddenly realized something.
No, Hana was ultimately just an ordinary person. She was neither a hero nor capable of becoming one. Why did I care about her so much? I only tease her all the time, feel happy whenever I see her smile, and often spend time with her...
"Ugh..." Ash let out a deeply meaningful sigh. "It's all because... saying the doctor-patient relationship was fun, when really, she was always the one stupidly taking the initiative to come find me."
Had she become such a common part of this world to him, a light and shadow he saw every day, that he had naturally grown accustomed to her company?
So I focused only on what was in front of me and instead ignored the person beside me. Only now did I realize something was missing?
"Good grief." Ash adjusted the brim of a hat that did not exist.
In truth, how could he not understand Nono Hana's earlier confession? But he had indeed placed all his attention on the more dazzling Cure Yell, while overlooking the little Hana who had always been by his side, drifting as though she might break at any moment.
"Maybe I really do like you?" He placed the hidden command transformer onto his left wrist, and the extended band snapped into place.
I like Cure Yell, and I kind of like Nono Hana too. Because I didn't want to betray either of those impossibly beautiful Pretty Cures, I rejected you... what the hell was that? How dishonest. What was this hazy feeling that even I couldn't understand?
Still, there was one thing he could be certain of.
Ash looked up at the gigantic monster. For the second time, aside from the nameless rage he had felt when facing that man not long ago, a genuine black will surged from his gleaming dark eyes.
"If you hurt her..."
Then what happens next will be a personal grudge.
Ash drew in a deep breath and raised the command device to his mouth.
Rip—!
Decisively tearing open her long red pleated gown and turning it into a short skirt better suited for movement, Hana instinctively ran toward where the Doomsday Monster had appeared.
Saya, Homare, Emiru, and so many other people were still there. I have to hurry—
"Hana—!"
Hearing Ash call her, Hana, who was likewise moving against the crowd, suddenly turned toward the sound. But she could not see the man anywhere, and tears immediately poured down her face.
Ha... no matter what, he really was worried about me. Ash-sensei always had a sharp tongue and a soft heart. I liked that about him too, but now... I'm sorry.
After that fleeting happiness faded, suffering and sorrow as heavy as mountains came crashing down on her, nearly suffocating her.
My first love failed... Haha, that was only natural. No matter how much I admired him, it couldn't change the fact that my life had always known more failures than successes, except when it came to Cure Yell~
I love Ash.
But he doesn't love me.
I had misunderstood all along. The person he loved was the ever-shining Cure Yell.
Hahaha, I actually lost to myself. If I told people that, they would definitely laugh, wouldn't they? Maybe I could become a comedian! After all, Nono Hana can't do anything at all.
Hana nearly stumbled as she ran, only to be knocked about by the crowd in front of her and stagger back to her feet. Her aching chest made her want to cry out loud, so she forced herself to smile. She had no idea how ugly that smile made her otherwise fairly pretty face look.
Of course, she could transform right there and let Ash know that she was Cure Yell. Then they could all live happily ever after! What was wrong with that? Was she tormenting herself here because she was stupid?
No. This meant nothing to what Hana wanted. After all, even Ash had said it himself: he loved Cure Yell, not Nono Hana.
Even if he learned the truth and willingly accepted me, when he held me in his arms, would the one he loved be the invincible hero Pretty Cure, or Nono Hana, who had always longed for warmth while no one knew?
Hana did not know the answer, nor did she want to know it. She was afraid of the answer.
Swish.
Stopping before a concrete wall covered in cracks, Nono Hana halted on the foot whose high heel had snapped. On her desolate smile appeared the only confident smile she had left.
"I... have to do my best. After all, I'm the hero who saves everyone, Cure Yell."
The pink Mirai Crystal and the Light Heart transformation phone came together. Amid the pleasant standby sound, Hana tightly embraced the Tomorrow Energy that was colder than ever.
It didn't matter anymore.
What Nono Hana longed for no longer mattered.
I just need to be a hero who protects everyone. It was my own fault for having unnecessary hopes.
Since everyone always loved Cure Yell, then I have to make sure Cure Yell shines properly.
Before you continue