Kamen Rider as a Pretty Cure Villain

"Cough—!"

The man on the other side let out a pained howl, instinctively drawing Hana's attention even though she could no longer think.

"Damn it, can a terrible story like this even count as an ending...?"

The V-Commander on his arm burst with smoke and sparks, and his combat armor automatically disengaged. The man slumped on the ground, braced a hand on his knee and struggled to sit up, looking toward where Pretty Cure had fallen.

At the same time, Nono Hana's gaze shifted directly onto Ash.

At that moment, they saw each other without anything left to hide them—their faces covered in dust and blood, utterly bedraggled and gasping for breath.

At that moment, there were no more accidental misunderstandings or obstructions.

It was not a disguise, nor was it falsehood.

In their hearts, the answer represented by that incomparably familiar face had already revealed itself.

"..."

"..."

"Hana?"

Ash's pitch-black eyes reflected the bloodstained girl. His mouth hung wide open in disbelief, unable to close for a long while.

"Ash?"

The sight of the man with a sword in his chest, covered in dust, made Hana's shell-like white teeth chatter uncontrollably.

The one she loved.

The one she believed in.

The one who would never hurt her.

Thinking of him was like the rich fragrance of coffee, like the reassurance of moonlight.

But what was this...?

"Why?"

Case File 63: A Man's Unbearable Exhaustion

If one day, you discovered that the hero you had always "followed" was actually the most inconspicuous little airhead around you, what would you think?

You would instantly feel that your ideals had shattered and the sky had fallen, right?

No, there were cases where the difference between someone before and after transforming was so enormous that people could not recognize them, and then there was that whole thing about not recognizing someone through a mask. This was not me bragging, but it was not as though I had never experienced it before.

But my utterly inconspicuous, useless patient, "Nono Hana"? And the incredibly resilient, incredibly powerful superhero, "Cure Yell," who had carried the entire world alone for eight years? If someone had told Ash before today that they were the same person, Ash would have decided it was time to perform cranial surgery and check their brain.

It was not some minor issue like their voices, faces, or builds not matching. It was that the impression they gave off was far too distinctly different, wasn't it!?

Even though he had already prepared himself mentally for the likelihood that a hero's true identity would not match his ideals, to be honest, when the light around Yell faded and only Nono Hana was left standing there—

Even Ash, who had built himself up as a big-hearted thrill-seeker who did not care about things that had nothing to do with him—

Truly felt his heart stop for several seconds. That had nothing to do with the sword stuck in his chest.

The bigger question now was, what emotion was lodged in his chest?

Shock, anger, irritation, sorrow, bitterness, pain, realization... His opening and closing mouth made no sound other than spurting blood with each movement. Yet the emotion flooding out in greatest abundance right now was probably the shame he could not accept.

At the same time, he recalled not only his surprise that what Nono Hana had said before was not a joke but the truth. For some reason, aside from that feeling of "affection," Ash also felt a hint of admiration for this soft-looking girl.

It was not merely respect for a warrior who had fought alone for eight years, but appreciation for Nono Hana herself. When he thought of her completely abnormal condition, strange reactions, and that report from the clinic, that appreciation and respect deepened further.

She had really... done well.

This was not praise. It was Ash's highest possible evaluation, sincerely acknowledging that she had managed to persist like this while also deceiving him.

Warmth slowly returned to his icy limbs. The wound severe enough to tear an ordinary person apart no longer hurt as much. At least he did not have to worry about dying inexplicably on the spot and leaving Hana burdened with blood debt for the rest of her life.

That was also thanks to Dark Echo. In truth, until he collected enough of this darkness to reach its limit and it began corroding his soul and memories, increased Dark Echo had indeed only made him stronger.

Hmph. First it offered a taste of sweetness, then it came to collect the price it had already marked down. That really was the style of darkness.

He did not know who he was mocking in his heart—perhaps himself. Using this self-deceptive method of diverting his attention, Ash supported his body with a sword still stuck through his chest and walked step by step toward the ruins where she was.

Yet the closer he got to that person, the less Ash, whose gaze kept drifting, dared to look in her direction.

Seriously, when the hell had Ash become this kind of coward? Things had reached this point. There was no cover or objective left anymore. Was it not too late to try running away now?!

What were you doing!? Hadn't you had plenty of fun playing that game of "you stab me, then I stab you" with her earlier? Where had your courage as a man gone? It was only Nono Hana—

Only... Hana...

The more he tried to bolster himself with such thoughts, the more his utterly complicated heart made it impossible for Ash to look at her miserable state.

Perhaps he truly did not want to see her expression right now. No matter what, he did not want to face her now.

Seriously, could a man's mind be this complicated too?

The faint sound of pained breathing beside him drew Ash's attention. Standing beside the blue-haired woman radiating deep black light, he watched as this portion of Rampage Energy transformed into Dark Echo and swirled into his body like a watery vortex. Both their expressions visibly improved.

If he wanted to distract himself, doing something was always the best approach. Besides, if there was something she could no longer do, then it was time for him to deal with this farce they had performed together.

With that thought in mind, he lifted away the boards and kicked aside the rubble. The sleeping beauty half-buried beneath the ruins appeared before Ash. Only, this sleeping beauty did not look beautiful at all. Her tattered clothes, wounds all over her body, and dust-covered face made Saya look more like the little match girl.

"She's alive."

She had turned into such a huge monster, taken a heavy blow, and even been used as the battlefield, yet she had survived... But after seeing that her friend was actually Pretty Cure, had she broken free from her Doomsday Monster form on her own under those feelings? If this was a miracle, then...

Thoughts drifted through Ash's mind, but he shook his head and stopped thinking about them. He was not in the mood to think about such things right now.

He bent down and lifted this half-familiar woman. Her body, which was not particularly heavy, was still quite a burden to Ash in his current state. Forcing his heavy, slow steps onward, he carried Saya toward the woman still kneeling in the distance.

Fortunately, the woman who was probably Saya's mother saw Ash. Her running toward him shortened his journey considerably. Ash watched her bow to him over and over, her opening and closing mouth uttering countless tragic "I'm sorrys," before she began crying over Saya in his arms.

For some reason, although he had done a good deed, seeing her grieve over her daughter filled Ash with nothing but troubled irritation.

"Take her away. And..." Ash paused to catch his breath, slightly easing the burning pain in his lungs as he used the last of his strength to keep his battered body standing.

With a sword stuck in his chest, Ash could not even speak properly. Every sentence made his lungs, already burning, feel as if they were tearing apart.

"Don't tell anyone."

Ordinarily, Ash would have used a combination of threats and persuasion to ensure she kept quiet. But now, he only left that hoarse sentence from above before turning away.

Whether physically or mentally, he had never felt like this before—not even when he had nearly drowned upon first arriving in this world.

He was too tired.

Case File 64: A Woman's Unbearable Pain

Ash did not speak. If he opened his mouth again, another mouthful of blood would spill from his throat, so he could only stare intently at the elegantly dressed middle-aged woman.

At the same time, he could feel that distinctive tremor that shook the earth approaching from afar. It should be here soon.

"I won't tell anyone, Mr. Fire. I guarantee it with my honor." Fortunately, Yakushiji Reiro was indeed a seasoned veteran of the entertainment industry. She nodded and, without hesitation, assured the weakened man before her in response to his threat.

As long as Saya... as long as my daughter could be saved, nothing else mattered. That simple, plain feeling worked conveniently for Ash.

After that, she carried her unconscious daughter away—she had called an ambulance earlier.

Having received her promise, Ash's strained body finally could not hold on any longer. He staggered two steps and collapsed backward until he struck cold metal.

V-Rex had arrived. Without being summoned, it had followed the optimal route here on its own. Though the Super AI circuit it carried could not directly express its will through words, it possessed self-thinking capabilities beyond those of ordinary machines.

The enormous mechanical dinosaur exhaled two puffs of venting air from its nostrils. It wanted to grab Ash by the clothes and toss him into the prepared recess on its back, but the man patted its snout, making it stop.

His sword had indeed pierced her in the end, but it had also indeed missed anything vital. With Tomorrow Energy, something as miraculous as Ultraman's light, her life would not be in danger.

But... how was she really doing?

At that thought, Ash felt as though ants were gnawing at his chest, even gnawing at the weakness and conflict that had arisen deep within his heart.

In the end, Ash still turned his head and met the gaze of Nono Hana, who was still supporting herself on her knees in a miserable state.

Disbelief, inability to accept it—the pallor of her face displayed just how much Nono Hana's heart and soul were suffering.

"Why..."

Meeting the man's eyes, filled with exhaustion and confusion, Hana's bright pink, diamond-like pupils, stripped of their light, were hidden behind closed lids. Tears streamed down without cease. Ignoring the dirt on her hands, she covered her forehead and violently shook her head as if trying to escape. Perhaps those frantic movements were an attempt to deny the entire world.

Why? Why did it have to be this!?

Why did I have to kill the friend I treasured most, the friend I least wanted to give up!?

Why did my beloved Ash-sensei, the one who gave me pain, have to be that incomprehensible Time Fire!?

Why... did I have to bear this pain!?

Why!? Why, why, why!? Why could no one give me an answer!?

If only some so-called "god" could decide all this, decide the course of fate... then why had it given me Tomorrow Energy, the power said to represent "the future"? Why did I have to become Pretty Cure? Why had I kept fighting until now?

If the result of everything was like this... if it was only meant to make me suffer even more, then wasn't that simply too cruel?!

If this was the future... then I would rather there be no more tomorrows that would bring pain...

The no longer active Tomorrow Energy within Nono Hana's body gradually became stained with a black shell.

Ash wanted to move closer, even if only to comfort her, but right now, Ash truly could not take another step forward, whether in body or spirit.

"Step."

But he still took that step.

"Whimper..."

Beneath Hana's lowered face, she let out a small animal-like whimper when she sensed Ash approaching.

Her feelings were as tumultuous as Ash's... No, as a woman, her feelings were several times more complicated than his! But one thing was certain...

Nono Hana, who had fought as Cure Yell until now, likewise did not know how to face Ash, who had fought as Time Fire until now.

This was not something that could be solved by talking things out, then embracing and laughing together happily. The heart of Hana, who had grown up, and Ash, who seemed unable to grow up, were both far too complicated.

"Step."

Ash staggered closer step by step, making Hana's trembling back shake even more violently.

"Don't come any closer!" Hana's voice trembled with tears. "Please, don't come any closer to me!"

"Step."

The man's footsteps continued drawing nearer without pausing in the slightest.

"Don't—" Staring down at the cracked concrete beneath her feet, Hana nearly covered her whole face with her hands. "Don't look at me like that!"

"—"

A dusty wind tinged with the scent of blood blew past, and Ash's footsteps finally stopped.

"Riiip—!"

It was the bone-chilling sound only a sharp blade cutting through flesh could make. Hana finally raised her head and saw Ash pull the Melody Holy Sword from his chest. A nearly dried-up fountain of blood surged forth as the blade came free with a piercing shriek, blood splattering across Hana's face, yet Ash did not make a sound.

"Clang!"

Ash drove Pretty Cure's weapon into the ground before Nono Hana.

Then, clutching the chest that seemed ready to split him upright into two halves, he passed by Hana and limped away even more unsteadily.

"Ash..."

Only then did Hana wipe the blood from her face and hurriedly turn around, but all she could see was Ash's back.

"Ash!"

She reached out, wanting to follow him, but the moment she stood up, rubble at her feet tripped her and she fell heavily again.

She could hear the ambulances nearby, but they were no longer what Hana cared about.

"Ash—!"

She screamed, nearly sobbing. Though she had no strength left, she desperately stretched out her hand, trying to grasp even the faintest lingering glow of that fire.

Yet Ash never looked back. He disappeared beyond the horizon beneath the sun.