Kamen Rider is the Villain in Pretty Cure Chapter 44

Hana, her cheeks also flushed red, deliberately blew a puff of air onto Ash's nose. Her eyes, brighter and more spirited than ever, radiated a captivating charm.

"This is all Ash's fault. After all, Homare, with her tall stature, or Saya, with her beauty, or even Emiru-chan, with her cuteness, are all more charming than I am. It's Ash's fault for choosing me out of so many wonderful girls. That's why Hana is afraid of him being snatched away and feels so insecure, so..."

"I need to let men who look around carelessly and women who joke around know exactly who Ash's girlfriend is~"

With her slender fingers gently curved and pressed against the man's chest, Nono Hana adjusted herself for a comfortable seating position as her hips swayed backward. She settled down, smiling as she stuck out her small, lilac tongue to lick her rosy lips before taking a bite.

"Also, yesterday, you were on top of me, using that monstrous body of yours. You were really quite wild, weren't you?"

Ash opened his mouth. Faced with such naked jealousy, he was rendered speechless at that moment.

"So then..."

"I need to let Ash know what a capable woman Hana is!"

[Extra] Case File 88: Happiness I Want to Share With You

"You did it, didn't you?"

"You actually did it?"

"Absolutely, you must have done everything you should and shouldn't have!"

Nono Hana, who was lounging lazily with her right hand stroking her still-warm stomach, heard her friends' hushed whispers. The shy yet healthy blush on her face deepened.

Damn you, Ash... To think you still had the energy for that. Are all men monsters? Honestly, I'm Cure Yell! I wouldn't even hesitate to wrestle a three-story-tall Doomsday Monster, but I lost again? This is so embarrassing!

"But I never imagined that the one among us who would betray our friendship first would be the most inconspicuous one, Hana." Homare sighed and glanced at Hana, who had buried her face in her hands. Her tone was laced with a sour jealousy. "So this is what someone with a boyfriend looks like? Fascinating..."

"I heard everything you said."

"Hahaha! Run for it!"

Seeing her friends "fleeing" from her with mischievous smiles, Hana, who felt happy inside and out, maintained her blissful, silly grin. She didn't want to change back just yet.

The future was no longer an endless, unchangeable despair. Though she still lived a life burdened by responsibility and destiny, she was no longer filled with only pain. Instead, she had found a hope strong enough to sustain her.

After all, she had fought relentlessly since her youth, becoming an independent woman. She had experienced hardship, pain, and the bitter realities of life countless times. Such a person deserved to embrace happiness in the time to come, didn't she?

She sincerely hoped so.

"Ash..."

"Yo." Speaking of Ash, the man, having put down his phone, had appeared behind her. "What's wrong? Not just you, it seems everyone else has become happier too?"

"Yeah, after all, on that day, everyone's Tomorrow Energy was awakened!" Hana was describing the miracle Ash had triggered when he reclaimed love, awakening the entire world. "I think it gave everyone hope for the future!"

"It's not just that, Hana."

He brought his fingers together, lifted her pink bangs, and then gently tapped her smooth forehead.

"You didn't just save the world as Cure Yell. Your identity as Nono Hana also supported your friends. In other words, you saved them too."

"Hehe, really?"

Hana scratched her cheek, a little embarrassed. She didn't feel like her interactions with her friends were anything special and couldn't quite grasp Ash's meaning at the moment.

"Homare can go back to work after standing up, but she said she wants to try practicing ice skating from scratch again. She said she wants to at least take that first step towards something she loves, just like me."

"Emiru said she had a lot of fun that day, so she wants to try forming a band like last time and surprise her family!"

"As for Saya, she said she wants to temporarily retire from the entertainment industry to find out what she truly wants... It'll be a tough journey, but I believe she'll find it. After all, she's Saya!"

Nono Hana chattered on about her friends' current goals. Honestly, Ash didn't think these goals were their best choices right now. But what did it matter? These were all their own choices, and there was no such thing as a perfect choice.

"It might not be the right path, but everyone has found their own change and happiness... Just like me, is that what you mean, Ash?"

"Heh, understand it that way if you like, Hana."

The man, who had no intention of explaining further, couldn't help but smile. He gently reached out his hand, and as his fingers brushed through her soft pink hair, he felt a familiar warmth and closeness. Enjoying the soft touch, no longer as easily agitated as before, Hana narrowed her eyes like a kitten, feeling Ash's care and tenderness. Together, they filled the scene with a quiet and peaceful atmosphere.

"Um... Ash. I, I can really be this at ease and happy with you forever, right?"

Even now, Hana felt that everything she had received was so unreal. Even though she had embraced the person in front of her several times, her insecurity made her want to seek confirmation from Ash again and again, tirelessly.

However, this time, Hana did not receive her usual response. After a moment of silence, she looked up and met his gaze, his eyes hiding a deep concern.

"I want to protect the peace between you and the world. For that, I'll burn myself out completely... even if it means shattering into pieces!"

"Don't say that."

The man cupped the woman's face and kissed her forehead.

"I will always love and protect you."

Everything you love, I will protect until the very last moment.

"Ash?"

Feeling the embrace around her shoulders that hadn't let go, even Hana let out a sound of confusion.

Ash, are you... troubled by something?

"Don't speak, at least for now..."

At least at times like this, let me spend more time with you, feeling...

"Yo, here they come!"

When Ash, who had pushed open the door and walked into the late-night bar, was seen, an old man sitting at the other end of the bar, fiddling with beads, quickly waved to greet him.

Hearing the voice, Ash couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. This old geezer, dressed in a tuxedo and top hat, looking so ostentatious, was none other than "Dr. Traum," the man he had spoken with during the final battle, who had sent him information, and who claimed to be the ex-husband of that crazy teacher.

"Hmph."

Thinking of the words the other party had used to warn him that he had to choose one, Ash, sitting down beside him, let out a disdainful snort.

"It seems the future isn't as hopeless as you say. I've saved both the world and Hana, and I haven't lost anything more."

"Yes, the future can truly be changed..." Traum, not accepting the provocation, shook his head and poured himself a glass of whiskey. "However, fate has already set the price for everything from the very beginning. It just depends on whether you have the resolve to go through with it."

"Sorry, I happen to be good at haggling." Ash's loosely held hand slowly clenched inwards. "When necessary, I'll just snatch it away... After all, I'm the bad guy."

I'm prepared to die now, but that doesn't mean I have to actually die! After all...

She would definitely be sad.

"Then, I wish you every success."

Traum raised his glass and toasted as if seeing off a warrior, then downed it in one gulp.

[Extra] Case File 89 The Darkness Behind Happiness

After a gulp of wine, Traum seemed to open up and say many things.

"I really envy you. You were going all the way to the end, but you were still able to turn things around before the finale for someone else." Thinking of something, the doctor couldn't help but shake his head. "As for that person, he just watched from the sidelines... Perhaps he lacked a heart like yours."

"It's a shame... If I could change things, I'd want to change the past."

Perhaps there was some unspeakable reason, but even through the raised wine glass, Ash could see Traum's eyes dim considerably.

"Enough with the nonsense. This old... sir, tell me, why did you call me at such a crucial moment?" Thinking that the other party had helped him to some extent, and not sensing any malice from him, Ash didn't use any impolite terms. "If you're here on behalf of that useless pastry, then you should be attacking me now to have a chance to win at this distance."

"No, this time I'm representing myself. I want to have a chat with the victor who reclaimed the future, after all, you've accomplished what neither George nor I could."

Pretending not to hear the hostility in Ash's words, Traum laughed heartily and beckoned the bartender.

"I think you're amazing, kid! What do you want to drink, beer or something strong like vodka? My treat~"

"No."

Shifting his legs into a crossed position, Ash, with a serious expression, earnestly made a request that stunned even the confident bartender.

"Give me a glass of milk."

"Kid, this is a bar..." Traum wiped the sweat that had appeared on his forehead at some point and began to understand what Klein meant by this person's shamelessness.

"That's why I want milk."

Ash's leg, which was dangling below the bar, tapped rhythmically with an interesting amplitude.

Don't you think this is interesting?

"Thanks for the treat."

Ash raised the glass of milk in front of him and drank it all. Hmm... it's pure milk, I like it.

"It's not quite time for goji berries yet... I know you have many questions, but don't ask them yet. Let me ask first."

"Where is that guy, Klein, right now?"

Expecting Ash to have a good impression of the man who claimed to be Hana's ex-husband was indeed wishful thinking.

Come to think of it, at the time, I only beat him up and dislocated his arm because I was soft-hearted for Hana's sake.

Now that I think about it, he kept saying he couldn't save Hana, and then I slapped his face in person. What if he suddenly starts acting crazy like someone else, saying "Pain, so much pain!" and drags me and Hana down with him even though he's not doing well?

"Hmm, why are you asking this?"

"Of course, to mock him and show that I love Hana more than he does." Ash, without batting an eye, gestured for the bartender to refill his milk. "Yeah, if it were a traditional move, I should send him a videotape to make him feel despair... Forget it, I don't have cuckold tendencies, nor am I interested in letting others see my woman's body."

"You... must have offended quite a few people."

Traum considered himself a scientist with few moral boundaries, not a saint, but hearing the undisguised disdain and malice in Ash's words towards Klein still sent a shiver down his spine.

What kind of lover did Nono Hana find this time? He even attacked the heart while killing...

"I am his teacher. The reason he could travel to other timelines was not only by using Rampage Energy but also by using the time machine I developed." Noticing the gaze shifting towards him, Traum, without changing his expression, refilled his own glass. "So I can tell you that he has already returned to that destroyed future."

"Perhaps he was stimulated by what you did. He said that you're not the only one who can do this, and that he will be the one to decide in the next world."

"Tch, cowards only run away." Ash, having no interest in the loser's boasting left behind by Klein, felt relieved upon hearing that he had left, but also strangely disappointed. "I was looking forward to making him look bad next time."

"Kid, if you don't learn to restrain yourself, you'll eventually crash and burn."

Putting down his wine glass, Traum felt his head already swimming. The old man, lamenting that his body was not as good as it used to be, refocused his attention on Ash, not forgetting his true objective.

"I, Traum, consider myself an inventor. My personal expertise is mainly in the fields of spacetime structure and self-learning artificial intelligence, so Mr. Ash, let's get straight to the point."

"Your dinosaur-type robot possesses more than just automatic movement; it has reached strong artificial intelligence... No, perhaps even beyond that."

"I want the source code for that AI."

As the other party observed him, Ash was also observing him in return. He could clearly see the desire and... reluctance? in the other party's heart.

"I don't recall owing you such a big favor."

"I can exchange it for information."

Ash spread his hands, gesturing for the other to continue.

"Tomorrow Energy is the natural energy generated when humans have hope and aspirations for the future, while Rampage Energy is the exact opposite. So, the two are actually complementary; neither can truly eliminate the other completely, unless the inflated energy reaches a world-destroying level."

Dr. Traum sighed at this point. His world, along with Klein's, was a future where the world was destroyed by the unchecked expansion of Rampage Energy after Nono Hana, a Pretty Cure, had died.

"As someone who was once recognized by Tomorrow Energy, you should understand the rules of how this world operates, right?"

Ash nodded, but this didn't explain why the longer he stayed in this world, the stronger his bad feeling became.

"You once manifested your Future Crystal. That's proof that you were acknowledged by this world, essentially replacing Nono Hana as the world's chosen one."

"If it had only ended there, everything would have been perfectly fine for you, until you shattered the crystal to save her and distributed its power."

"Is there a problem?"

"A huge problem! Do you remember what I said? Light and darkness are complementary!" As if to validate Ash's premonition, Dr. Traum exaggeratedly waved his arms in front of him.

"By completely rejecting the light, darkness, in other words, this world's Rampage Energy, will naturally come looking for you! They want you to become their vessel, manifesting as your deepest nightmares... Hmm, have you encountered a lot of dark things, by any chance?"

Crack.

The glass of milk in Ash's stiffened hand shattered into a thousand pieces. Blood from the cut mixed with the milk and flowed onto the floor.

With a "See, I told you so" expression, Dr. Traum watched as Ash took a deep breath and accepted the handkerchief from the bartender, nonchalantly wiping his bleeding palm.