Kamen Rider is a Villain in Pretty Cure Chapter 4

"Bang bang bang!!!"

With three shots from his raised hand, three plumes of smoke appeared on the ground around the girl.

"You have ten seconds to get back." His voice grew deep, filled with anger, as if something darker would erupt from the ground in the next second.

"I'll start the countdown now."

"10"

"No way! If you, if you have the guts, then just kill me!"

Perhaps it was genuine admiration and support for Yell, or perhaps the boldness of youth, but despite her legs trembling and cold sweat pouring down when she heard the gunshots, she stood her ground. She even trembled forward step by step towards the location of Time Fire and Cure Yell.

"Stop," the man's voice deepened further.

"This is an order!"

"I won't!!!"

How could she, how could she be looked down upon by such an unreasonable person in front of Yell-nee-chan!

Drawing courage from her own actions, her steps no longer trembled. The cautious advance turned into a reckless sprint.

Finally, she stood between Time Fire and Nono Hana, spreading her arms towards Ash.

"If you want to hurt Yell, you'll have to get past me first!!!"

The response to her resolve was the cold muzzle of a gun pressed against her forehead.

"So~ it's okay if I kill you then?"

"Whatever—whatever you want!!!!"

Though her legs trembled with fear, the girl didn't retreat. She closed her eyes and shouted with the resolve of someone facing death.

"..."

Everyone was silent. Those hiding in the buildings watched the girl confronting Time Fire with ashamed faces, their eyes fixed on her.

Time Fire looked down at her. No one knew his expression beneath the mask, while Nono Hana slowly lifted her head, disbelief in her eyes.

"You..."

"Yell-nee-chan, before, before you always protected us. Now, now I'll protect you!!"

All time seemed to stop at this moment.

Snap, snap, snap —

The girl, awaiting death, did not meet her end.

Clapping echoed in the silent city.

It was Time Fire's applause.

"95 points."

Your courage is worth that score.

"You, you're doing this..." Now it was the girl's turn to be confused.

"As you can see, I'm applauding you."

He turned and walked towards the spot where the Doomsday Monster had died, picking up the "remains" from the ground.

"It seems I need to revise my evaluation of you all. Not everyone is a bastard who only knows how to run; at least you're not."

"Be grateful, Yell, you just saved your life."

Tossing the compressed Doomsday Monster into a specially made oval containment unit, Ash raised the controller on his wrist towards the silver lips on his mask.

"V-REX, it's time to go."

"Roar!!!!"

A roar that echoed through the sky. The people's already slightly relaxed nerves tensed once more.

Involuntarily, everyone looked towards the source of the sound.

Heavy footsteps reverberated, and the very earth seemed to tremble. A colossal steel body blocked the sun, casting a massive shadow over everyone.

The girl, who had been full of courage moments ago when facing Time Fire, now her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground, her lips slightly parted but unable to utter a sound.

Red stripes added a touch of color to the steel castle. The steel dinosaur, carrying a massive cannon, rampaged through the city streets.

This was not something that should exist in this era. Such a steel behemoth could absolutely not appear in this age; it was something that completely surpassed everyone's imagination.

The existence known as V-REX was a "gift" Ash brought with him after obtaining Time Fire.

Ash charged up and leaped onto the dragon's head, which was dozens of meters high.

"Today's story was quite satisfactory, but—"

"Think carefully about it when you get back, Yell. You certainly have a great 'fan club,' but I wonder how long you can protect them in your current state?"

"And then."

Ash, squatting on the dinosaur's forehead, couldn't help but shake his head.

"If you want to fight me, wait until your injuries have healed,"

Taking a step forward, V-REX ran into a light portal that had appeared in the distance, much to everyone's shock.

It entered the portal as if by magic, and then its figure could no longer be seen.

Everyone was still immersed in the shock brought by the giant beast. After a long time, the girl who had collapsed on the ground finally regained her senses.

"Yell..."

She remembered Yell, who was still lying on the ground, and instinctively turned her head.

Behind her, there was nothing left.

[Side Story] Case File 6: The Unprofessional Doctor and the Unprofessional Patient

The newly appeared mysterious warrior who called himself Time Fire had caused a sensation throughout Nursery City's internet.

It's unknown which brave soul uploaded the combat video of Time Fire. The three-minute video successfully unseated the new song by the famous pianist Aisaki Emiru, which had been topping the charts for two months, from the number one spot in popularity the very next day.

In addition, the second, third, fourth, and fifth places were occupied by videos titled "Time Fire Attacks Yell and the Surrounding Onlookers," "Time Fire Confronts a Middle School Girl," "Time Fire Humiliates Yell and the Crowd," and "Summons V-REX then Disappears into a Light Portal."

One person dominating the top five was an unprecedented achievement, which brought about not only Nursery City but also intense discussion and various opinions across the entire internet.

In the first four videos, most people were angry about Time Fire's contempt for Yell and the public, as well as his attacks on others. They also praised and commended the girl who stepped forward. Occasionally, someone would share their own experience, expressing shame for not having the courage to step forward when they were present at the scene.

These comments constituted the vast majority. The very few remarks that found Time Fire cool and manly were either met with accusations of having no morals and being annihilated by Yell's online support group, or they were quickly drowned out by other mainstream opinions.

As for the fifth video, the comment section generally expressed fear of the giant robotic dinosaur and worry about whether Yell could defeat it.

Of course, neither of the two involved parties had the inclination to surf the internet.

They both had other, more important things to do.

"Hmm, this should be fine."

Looking at the sign hanging on the clinic, putting on the white coat labeled Seito Hospital, and wearing the stethoscope gifted by a friend, Ash, looking quite dignified, walked into his newly opened small shop.

While some were happy, others were worried. On the other side, another person was not as leisurely as him.

"Dad, Kotori, I'm really fine. Let me go. I'm going to be late for work." Looking at his sister and parents, who were standing sternly blocking the entrance, Nono Hana rubbed her dark circles. After confirming that she wasn't hallucinating due to sleepiness, she clasped her hands together and pleaded with the three people in front of her.

"No!!" The first to speak was Nono Kotori, who also had panda eyes. She had watched the heroic act of the middle schooler blocking Yell for the entire night. Just thinking about it made her so excited that she couldn't sleep. Especially after recognizing him as a junior from her former school, she could only picture Time Fire clapping his hands.

However, it was precisely because of this that she realized what had happened last night, which led to the scene at the Nono family's entrance today.

"Hana, tell us honestly, how is your body right now?" Nono Moritaro crossed his arms. His eldest daughter's attempt to play it down was completely useless in front of him.

"Eh, I'm fine, really?"

"Then why did Kotori hear you saying it hurt so much last night?"

"Uh, this... how should I put it?" Nono Hana's eyes darted awkwardly elsewhere, and her fingers unconsciously scratched her hair.

"I had a nightmare last night..."

She wasn't lying; she did have a nightmare last night, about demons of fire and dinosaurs.

"Sister is lying. I also heard the light turn on and the sound of going downstairs. It's not like you're a working adult and sleepwalking, are you?" Nono Kotori, with a face full of displeasure, exposed Nono Hana's extremely clumsy lie.

"Ah, this..."

"Hana, tell us, what exactly happened to you?"

"This..."

Nono Hana lowered her head and remained silent. Not only could she not reveal the truth to her family, but the pain in her waist also required her to exert considerable effort to suppress it.

It seemed like she was hit in the waist by the Doomsday Monster's punch yesterday, and also the consequence of crashing through several buildings. Her side and stomach still hurt, and she couldn't sleep last night either. After waking up from the nightmare, she kept tossing and turning. She had taken painkillers and sleeping pills, but she still couldn't sleep until dawn.

So, she was really tired...

"If you don't say anything, you're not leaving the house today. I've also prepared to take leave and spend the day with you—hey, sister!"

"Ah?!" Nono Hana woke up from her drowsy state at her sister's cry. She felt a cold, hard sensation on her right side. When she turned her head, she realized she was leaning against the wall.

"Hana, you should still go to the hospital. We are all very worried about you in this state." Nono Sumire supported Nono Hana's limp body and looked at her daughter, who was extremely pale and weak, with a worried expression.

"I..."

"If you're worried about the money, Mom will give it to you. You should go to the hospital for a check-up." A thick stack of papers was shoved into Nono Hana's hand. Looking down, she saw a thick envelope, which contained what looked like at least two hundred thousand in cash.

A wave of warmth spread through Nono Hana's heart.

"...Okay, Mom."

Without refusing, Nono Hana nodded and put the money into her pocket.

"We'll go with you."

"No need, I'll go by myself." Shaking her head, she refused her family's kind offer, put on her jacket, and hurried out of the house.

Of course, she wouldn't go to the hospital for a check-up. She understood how bad her condition was now. The free full-body examination arranged by the hospital would reveal years of concealment to everyone.

At that time...

No, she couldn't think about it anymore. Nono Hana couldn't handle any more shocks.

Shaking her head, Nono Hana gritted her teeth and walked in the opposite direction of the hospital. She wanted to find a small clinic, preferably one with incomplete equipment and no free full-body examinations. It would be best if the doctor was a bit irresponsible. This way, they wouldn't dwell on it and would readily issue a certificate, allowing her to buy painkillers with the certificate and continue to hold on for a long time. Cure Yell could then make a normal comeback.

For years, she had spent her time like this, and she didn't expect this time to be any different.

The only troublesome part was having to switch to a new clinic every two or three times. After all, if doctors at lazy, unethical clinics saw her condition worsening, they would directly call the hospital.

This was one of the rare times she wished the doctors weren't so responsible.

A new private clinic... she didn't remember any around here. Could she really find one?

Nono Hana walked around Nursery City, the pain in her waist growing worse. Cold sweat broke out on her forehead, her sickly face becoming hotter and hotter.

Every step she took required several times more effort than before, yet her legs still faltered. Sweat now covered her entire face.

If she couldn't find one soon, she would likely collapse on the ground. A kind passerby would call an ambulance, taking her to the hospital, and all her years of hiding would be for nothing.

"Clinic, clinic... there!" Identifying the shop signs one by one, the white, iconic clinic symbol invigorated Nono Hana.

It wasn't here yesterday... whatever!

It's a clinic, and one she'd never visited before!

TOMORROW RESEARCH, that was the name of this clinic.

Without thinking too much, clutching her waist, Nono Hana slowly walked inside.

It must be a newly opened clinic, but rather than a clinic, it felt more like a small hospital.

Looking at the various unfamiliar yet impressive, high-tech medical equipment inside, equipment she hadn't seen even at the hospitals in Nursery City, Nono Hana felt a sense of unease.

"I hope there won't be any unnecessary tests."

Praying this, she walked towards the number dispenser. She seemed to be the first patient today. Holding the ticket with the number 1, she slowly entered the examination room with a look of good fortune.