Kamen Rider is the Villain in Pretty Cure

"So—this is your true face, hidden beneath your gentle kindness?"

"Are you disappointed?"

Facing Yell's voice, colder than ever before, Ash bent his knees and half-knelt on the ground, dodging the sword energy that sliced through where his neck had been.

"If this is true... then I truly want to die, you've haunted my dreams, Precure!"

He flung away the Guardian Sword, plunging it into the Doomsday Monster at his feet with a scream. Then, after forcefully swinging the sword towards her, its blade had already been coated in an inextinguishable, pitch-black flame. The swirling flames blocked her escape and obscured her vision with their fiery glow.

"It doesn't matter how ugly or unsightly it is, because that's still you! It's added value that makes you even more beautiful!"

Ash brought his sword to his waist with a backhand motion, as if sheathing it. Turning away from Yell, Ash's muscles and strength began to charge, all for that one attack.

"You hide your truth, and I hide mine... the feelings I've only just discovered!"

He placed his other hand on the phantom scabbard at his waist. For some reason, Hana's usual pure, innocent smile flashed through his mind. But that smile instantly morphed into a soul-shattering, tragic one. A strange pain surged in his heart, causing Ash to roar as his full power erupted!

"As expected, you and I are bound by the red thread of fate!"

Galaxy One-Sword Style's direct disciple—Battō-jutsu—!

"That's right, it's this kind of fated battle, devoid of righteousness or wrong!"

The Melody Holy Sword's light blew away the swirling black flames, but what made her feel uneasy was that she had completely missed the distance, only grazing past Ash.

Then came a crisp, clear sound.

From below, a sharp sword burning with black flames slashed upwards with full force. In that instant, all she saw was the glint of the blade. Yell's expression finally changed. The pitch-black flame's light instantly severed her entire left arm from her shoulder!

"Guh—Aaaahhh!!!" Blood sprayed like a fountain, simultaneously dyeing Hana's screaming face and Time Fire's profile, adding a more alluring color to this tragic duel.

"I finally understand!"

The injured Hana, like a cornered beast, swung her sword back to cut the figure before her in half. But Ash had already flown upwards a step ahead, and the Guardian Sword, slashing from above, once again unleashed unimaginable flames against the Melody Holy Sword.

"Why did I fall for you, who fights alone? Why did I fall for that useless woman who couldn't even dress herself properly!"

Raise sword, slash down, raise sword, slash down! It was a simple, unadorned downward slash, like a New Year's greeting. Under Ash's unparalleled oppressive force, the afterimages of his strikes, like mountains or formations, were about to hammer Hana, who was defending with a single sword, into the screaming Doomsday Monster beneath her.

"It's precisely this sense of reality that has captured my heart with your overwhelming beauty!"

"This feeling is love!"

[Extra] Case File 61: Love is Endless Violence

The "Guardian Sword," fueled by volatile energy and burning with pitch-black flames, had cleanly severed her left arm from her shoulder down. The gushing blood fountain was proof of this. If not for a few blood threads still tenuously connecting her arm, her entire limb would have detached and fallen to the ground, spraying blood.

Tomorrow Energy was running wildly, brutally forcing her muscles back into place, rejoining bone and nerve without regard for proper alignment. The pain, comparable to butchery, was enough to make even battle-hardened veterans let out pig-like screams. But at this moment, Hana, facing Time Fire with one hand, merely widened her eyes and stared blankly at the man before her.

"Love?!"

Repeating the strange line suddenly spoken by the other party, Hana's tone became instantly distorted.

The Melody Holy Sword finally slipped from Hana's grip, her hand bleeding. Nono Hana was indeed losing it, but Ash, even more unhinged than her, swung his sword towards her.

"You say... love!"

Anger, pain, sorrow, and a happiness so faint it couldn't even emit light, immediately swallowed by immense, despairing darkness. As a beast-like roar escaped her throat, her clenched fist tightened at her side, and the power that erupted instantly sounded like a bullet igniting gunpowder.

The only one who had no right to speak of love... was you, you pervert who constantly trailed after Cure Yell!

Why... why did my first time have to be a confession from such a scumbag!!!

Cure Yell's rising dragon punch, swung from bottom to top, surpassed Ash's descending Guardian Sword! With all her might, her fist slammed into Time Fire's jaw. Visible cracks spread from his chin to his lips, and glittering helmet fragments scattered.

"Love in this world never loves those who chase after it!"

At this moment, Cure Yell, covered in wounds and looking utterly disheveled, had even her two tied-back ponytails come loose. The pink hair blocking her face as she lowered her head also obscured her features, revealing only two scarlet eyes.

At this moment, Cure Yell was as strong as a demon god, appearing like a madwoman.

"Gua—!"

With a frog-like scream, Ash was slammed into the already collapsed wall of a building behind him with a single punch. The impact, undiminished, sent him crashing through the glass behind him like a rain of shards, flying upwards.

As Ash was about to soar into the sky, he grabbed a exposed steel bar behind him and spun in place, deflecting the force and landing crouched on it.

"Crack!" He twisted his dislocated jaw back into place, Ash smacked his lips, swallowing a few bloodied teeth.

Is this what they call "blackening triples your power"? If so, it's truly terrifying.

"That's right, this is love."

"You, who only want everything to go according to your wishes, what right do you have to speak of so-called love!"

Hana's eyes were now fixed only on Time Fire. Stepping on the Doomsday Monster below, she leaped up, sword in hand, pursuing him towards his high position.

That Cure Yell was acting strange was an obvious fact even to passersby. They cried out in alarm and ran away, not even daring to glance at the area that had become a battlefield shrouded in dust and smoke, leaving only a mother kneeling there, weeping bitterly.

They didn't know what had happened, only staring blankly as their hero descended into madness. Other than praying for her, they could do nothing.

This was why the more Ash liked Cure Yell, the more he hated these ordinary bystanders.

"But it seems this love has finally surpassed its limit and turned into hatred!"

Ash, disregarding the injury from his recently dislocated jaw, grew even more vigorous as he faced the incoming assault. He actively descended from the sky, his silver-white sword blade burning with black flames until it turned crimson, the Guardian Sword once again colliding with the Melody Holy Sword.

They had repeated this action countless times.

He landed on the ground with a thud, straddling Hana's exposed stomach, his sword shooting out beams of light that illuminated Hana's gritted-teeth, ferocious present. Ash, who was drawing dark power from Hana, suppressed her once more.

"Overzealous emotions running wild, pure prayers have instead become accomplices to destruction!"

Ash, sensing something, swept his gaze towards the crying mother in the distance. If he hadn't acted earlier, Hana's friend Saya would have been killed by the hero protecting humanity.

This was something Ash absolutely could not allow! Both Hana's sorrow for her friend and Cure Yell's loss of heroic qualities were futures he could not accept!

"This is the last wish of a pitiful mother. Don't you, as a hero, want to hear it!"

Hear what? What's there to hear? Aren't I already fighting and defeating the forces of darkness?! Since I've been doing this all along, why are you still pointing fingers at me?!

Hana didn't want to hear anything right now... Hasn't she fought for others long enough?! Besides, is there anything wrong with me wanting to defeat the enemy!

"Look at you now. I want to see your beautiful self, but this attitude of rejecting everything is just like a young girl throwing a tantrum after being dumped by her boyfriend!"

"What did you say—!" Hana, roaring furiously, kicked him in the stomach with all her might, sending him flying. She then stepped on Ash's foot and, with blood splashing, swung her sword down, pinning her and Ash's retracted feet to the Doomsday Monster's belly! "What do you know, you perverted Kamen Rider bastard!"

Hana's fist, which broke the sound barrier as she was about to punch Ash's head, was firmly caught by Time Fire's palm at the wrist. The clash of immense power stalemated in mid-air.

"What I know is your twisted reality!"

"You're the one who turned me into this—It's you guys!"

Dr. Ash... the one who helped me, saved me, attracted me, made me fall in love, gave me hope, made me believe, and then rejected me in the end.

No, don't go!

She desperately reached out her hand, crying his name, but he only left her with his retreating back as he elegantly departed.

It wasn't the fact that he didn't love me that I couldn't accept, but rather... if I am the "Cure Yell" loved by everyone, then why must I live in this world as "Nono Hana"?!

"It's you guys who speak of love, who made me believe love was real, who turned me into someone I can't even be myself!"

"It's starting."

The bruised and battered man limped closer, looking at the battlefield where only dark wills were colliding, his expression a mask of numbness and indifference.

"A tragedy, more profound than any before, has begun."

##

Case File 62: The Unbearable... Truth

##

The blood flowing from Nono Hana and Ash separately mingled and merged in a vortex, flowing down to the ground with gravity.

"Hmph!"

"Hah!"

Their feet pinned to the Doomsday Monster's belly by the Melody Holy Sword, the two were forced to face each other in the most direct way possible.

Deep, muffled roars erupted from their throats. The two, their fighting spirit soaring, now held opposing beliefs and, in order to prove themselves, both desperately wanted to knock the other off.

Ash's left hand tightly gripped Hana's wrist, while his right fist, driven straight forward, was grasped by Hana's palm, making a crunching sound.

Their foreheads pressed together, a muffled peak of their struggle. If letting go now meant admitting defeat, then neither of them was willing to yield.

"If you believe the fault lies not with you, but with love—!"

Their hands were locked in mid-air. After a dull, resounding crash, Cure Yell and Time Fire's heads, inches apart, were thrown back and slammed together again!

"Then tell me, why does darkness flow through you, and what does your heart crave right now?!"

You're asking me that?! Hearing Time Fire's words, more uncontrollable anger ignited in Hana's eyes.

Tears finally streamed from her reddened eyes.

She kicked his waist with a roundhouse kick, then pulled out the Melody Holy Sword and swung it at the figure flying backward, scattering energy bullets that completely enveloped Time Fire.

"People like you possess power and freedom, able to do anything as you please. What do you understand!"

You are Time Fire, you have freedom, the freedom to fight for justice or for evil! But Precure can only live for everyone. As Yell, I can only be everyone's hope, cheering for everyone's happiness. This is the only thing I, who can't do it as Nono Hana, can do as Yell!

"So this time, I will thoroughly defeat you, who stands on the side of darkness!"

Ignoring the tearing wounds all over her body, Nono Hana thrust her sword forward, aiming its tip at the figure in the smoke. An unmistakable killing intent surged forth as she roared and charged at him with all her might.

Time Fire, our entanglement ends here. I will defeat you, today, right here!

"Is this the duty of a legendary warrior, or is it your will?!"

The smoke was cut in half. Time Fire, roaring his question, raised his Guardian Sword, dispelling the flames and instead filling the blade with cold, blue light.

"This is the voice of the world!"

Amidst the roaring journey, drifting light particles and trailing bloodlines formed the path behind her. Nono Hana, whose brain was being increasingly consumed by volatile energy, saw the Tomorrow Energy, symbolizing the future and hope, fade further and further...

"Well said, Precure! Since you're aiming for my life—then this headstrong heart of yours—"

As a response to Nono Hana, Ash swung his ice-blue sword in an arc. The straight blade was also pointed directly at Nono Hana before him.

"I will cut down, along with your distortion!"

If your mind is still not clear, then I will personally send you on your way!

Her entire body was covered in horrific wounds, her tattered battle suit hanging like mere strips of cloth. An unfelt wind blew her disheveled hair, which framed her forehead like a madwoman's.

Equally battered, his red helmet was covered in cracks, his silver chin guard shattered, revealing the man's lips. His damaged red battle suit exposed the sparking core electronic components beneath, and even his burning goggles had exploded, revealing the man's frenzied eyes.

The distance between them closed in less than an instant. 50 meters, 30 meters, 10 meters! 5! 0—

"Puchi—!"

The blood-stained sword tip and two dazzling blood mists bloomed from the backs of the man and woman simultaneously.

Now, they finally lacked the strength to continue fighting.

The man, whose left chest had been pierced, released his grip, collapsed powerlessly to his knees, and then slid silently down the Doomsday Monster's plump belly to the ground. The woman, whose chest had been pierced, staggered back two steps, looking confusedly at the sky covered in dark clouds as if it were weeping. Finally, she shook her head and plunged downwards.

"Cough, ha!" Hana, who had nearly had her lungs pierced, painfully coughed up a mouth full of blood. With the Guardian Sword stuck in her chest, she didn't even have the strength to stand. Grabbing the blade with both hands, she endured the pain, pulled it out, and threw it aside. Only then did Hana gasp for breath, her throat wheezing like a broken bellows.

No, that last strike grazed his heart. He's not dead yet. I need to...

What do I need to do?

Hana blinked, slowly raised her hand, and looked at her blood-soaked palm. The unbelievable sight made her pink eyes begin to tremble.

What am I doing? Why do I want to kill him so badly? Why do I want to kill anyone?

The light that had enveloped Hana dissipated, returning her to her fragile self. Nono Hana coughed painfully again from the loss of her power. Just then, a voice, incredibly murky as if buried in mud but inexplicably familiar, sounded in her ear.

"Hana... Little Hana?"

"Saya...?" Hana called out the name instinctively, her mouth agape. She watched as the darkness of the Doomsday Monster gradually faded, revealing her friend Yakushiji Saaya lying in pain on the ground.

Eh? Inside the Doomsday Monster was... Saya?

I almost, just now, stubbornly tried to kill my own friend?

At that moment, a string snapped in Hana's mind.