Kamen Rider is the Villain in Pretty Cure

"Go find—go find Ash!"

The blonde girl, realizing she'd said the wrong thing, quickly corrected herself and shouted at Hana.

Both of them could see a lot they wanted to say in each other's eyes, but with time running out, the blonde girl only managed to shout this last message to Hana.

"Ash, he's right here."

"Not here, go find the other Ash!"

"Go find him!"

"He's the key to everything!"

[Extra]Case File 99 Futile Rage

"Go find him!"

From the vortex behind the blonde girl, Hana saw countless images that were hard to believe. There were images of herself, of Ash, and even of Homare, Saya, Emiru, and another purple-haired girl she didn't recognize.

Countless familiar and unfamiliar images flowed and pulled rapidly within the vortex until, finally, it began to spin and generated a suction force directed solely at the blonde girl, pulling her inevitably backward.

When time, which only flowed backward, was forcibly broken and attempted to move forward, a retaliatory stress acted upon the "culprit" girl. Unable to resist this force at all, her entire lower body instantly vanished into the vortex, leaving only her head and one arm struggling outside, still desperately trying to convey the final message to Hana!

"He's the key to everything!"

"Wait!"

Hana reached out, desperately trying to grab the only hand she could, wanting to pull her out. But the irresistible force also held the girl firmly from behind, making escape impossible, as if she were about to disappear completely.

"Ugh..."

Even as the light of Tomorrow Energy surged from Hana's hand, the girl's wrist still slipped inch by inch from Hana's grasp.

Even so, Hana had no intention of giving up.

"But... I haven't even asked your name yet?"

I refuse to accept that we have to separate right after meeting! I don't even know your name, and why are you telling me all this... and why, why?

I want to know...

Why do I feel such a strong urge to get closer to you, whom I've just met?

Why... why can't I let go of your hand?

"Not yet—"

As her fingers one by one loosened under the immense force, a strong hand suddenly reached in and grasped the girl's small palm.

"!"

Seeing the figure that appeared before her, the girl's previously sad eyes suddenly flashed with light.

"Ash!"

"What the hell!" The man, with dirt and pot shards still clinging to his head, had his feet wedged against the edge of the swaying guardrail. His trembling, bulging arm was actually pulling the girl out of the vortex, little by little.

She had appeared out of nowhere, possibly an enemy! But why, why—why did I feel no hostility whatsoever, and even instinctively wanted to help her?

The inexplicable feeling that arose in his heart, a feeling so baffling he couldn't tell if it was happiness or sadness, plunged Ash into the same confusion he'd felt when he first learned Hana's true identity.

"Why?!"

Why could he feel a connection with her, something that seemed to align with his own thoughts?

"Why..."

Even though this subtle feeling should be annoying, why did he feel as happy as if he'd found something wonderful!?

"These troublesome destinies—"

As Ash's expression contorted with effort, countless mixed guesses and thoughts drifted through his mind, finally culminating in a roar towards the sky.

"What the hell is going on!!!"

"Let go, it seems what has happened cannot be defied..." Feeling her own consciousness growing fainter as the force separating them intensified, the girl advised them with a mix of happiness and sadness.

It was as if they had met after a long time, only to be separated again immediately.

"What are you talking about!"

Ash, his anger ignited in an instant, roared at her, "This isn't about whether it's possible or not, it's about whether you do it or not!"

"Until the very last moment... no! Even until the last moment, I won't give up!"

So, don't you give up either!

"Really..." The girl, instead of being annoyed by his shouting, looked at them with a nostalgic gaze that neither of them could understand. "I wish things hadn't turned out that way in the past... I really miss you all..."

What are you thinking!

Ash and Hana were horrified to find themselves losing their grip on her hand. Before their eyes, the girl's body began to shrink little by little.

"I'm sorry, I wanted to help you... but in the end, I was still too slow."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry... but please, believe in the future until the very last moment, and don't give up hope!"

"▇▇, ▇▇…"

The golden-haired girl's voice contained a strange, anachronistic static. When it reached Hana and Ash, it had already transformed into incomprehensible words. But just by looking at her tear-streaked, smiling face, both of them understood that it must represent something incredibly important to her.

"I love you."

Ash and Hana's hands met in the air, grasping at nothing.

The girl, who had been the size of a middle schooler, visibly shrank before their eyes. Finally, protected by a light, she transformed into a wailing infant and was engulfed by the vortex behind her, disappearing completely.

"Waa…" Looking at the teardrops that fell into her hands, a strange, overwhelming sadness welled up from the depths of her heart, causing Hana to cry out softly and cover her face.

"What in the world…"

Ash, feeling an equally profound sense of loss, clenched his loosely held fist. The excessive force even made his arm tremble slightly.

"What is going on?!"

Who was that girl… and why did I have these vague, unfamiliar feelings that aren't like me at all?

I feel so awful— I can't even say what I want to say.

Right now, I just want to find some annoying people and beat them up!

"[……]"

"Hey!" Seeing the system panel appear, Ash grabbed it like a lifeline and shook it, desperately seeking answers. "You know, right? The fact that you're showing up now means you must have sensed something too!"

"If that's the case, then tell me!"

"[...]"

"Don't just go silent and act like you have no intelligence at a time like this!"

"[.]"

The system panel, like a bubble, vanished from Ash's hand without a trace, leaving him grasping at empty air once more.

The man named Ash: "I" have always done what I was supposed to do.

But now, more than what I should do, I want to do what I want to do.

But why now?

"Damn it— What is going on?!"

Ash, who had never felt so terrible, found himself beside the sobbing girl, only able to let out a roar of impotent rage.

[Extra Chapter]Case File 100 The Traitor, Was It Me?

"What is this…"

The others standing outside saw the gloomy sky and the flickering demonic shadows behind them. Their worried expressions had already overshadowed the joy they felt just moments before.

"Could it be a Doomsday Monster? But didn't Ash and Hana defeat it?"

"It's at a time like this!"

Today should have been the happiest day for Hana and Ash, but instead—

Why, why won't they leave them alone?!

"Ash, Hana! It's bad–"

Homare and the others, who had gone out to check after sensing something was wrong outside, didn't notice what had just happened. When she returned urgently with bad news, she was startled by the man's furious, beast-like crimson eyes.

"What's wrong–" However, Ash knew he couldn't blame anyone else for the situation. He quickly composed himself and asked seriously.

"Something terrible has happened outside again!"

Homare, who had been through a lot with the two of them, also adjusted her mindset and repeated the bad news with them.

"How bad?"

"Ordinary people can't do anything… It's only something Precure and Time Fire can handle!"

Just as Ash had suspected, the appearance was even sooner than he had anticipated. This was truly… the worst.

"Tch— Didn't they say today was supposed to be a happy occasion?!"

Pulling his jacket from the back of a chair and slinging it over his shoulder, the two of them, whose V-Commander on their wrists and Light Heart in their chests began to glow, strode out towards the gloomy sky.

"Why does it always have to be bad news!"

"Time Fire!!!"

"Mirai Crystal! Flicker Heart!"

Towards the unmistakably familiar scene that brought back bad memories for everyone in Nursery City, the two of them charged. As they ran, fully transformed, trails of beautiful pink and fiery red light trailed behind them in the wind.

"That's–"

Seeing the two figures streaking across the sky, the panicked citizens instantly cheered as if they had found their backbone.

"It's them! They're here~!"

"That's great, I knew it!"

"It's the heroes, the heroes are here to save us!!!"

The propulsion system at his feet expelled air, lifting the crimson warrior. Mid-air, Ash drew his gun and repeatedly pulled the trigger, aiming at the gray-black shadows occupying the street. Several fiery red beams accurately pierced the shadows, scattering them back into fundamental particles and expelling them.

"You know, Cure Yell?"

Ash, calling her by her battle name instead of her given name, waved his gun around him while holding the trigger, firing continuous beams that formed light swords and cut down all the enemies.

"It's precisely because they always think that way – that you can only fight alone!"

Pink flat shoes tied with a ribbon stepped onto Ash's shoulder, sending Cure Yell into the air above his head. Her battle suit, resembling a cheerleading uniform, flapped in the air. The holy sword that Hana, spinning as she landed, brought down in a slash severed the several shadows behind Ash.

"Of course I know that."

The holy sword nimbly traced an incredibly brilliant trajectory through the air, its lingering blade light and shadow cutting the remaining shadows into fragments.

"However, I have no intention of changing now... Perhaps in another world, I have comrades fighting alongside me besides Ash?"

"Other worlds? Hmph, well said."

With a roar, the two simultaneously punched the ground, the resulting shockwave scattering the attacking shadows.

At this moment, they felt that if there was no existence other than each other as opponents, nothing could stump them.

The two, working in perfect sync, quickly minced these suspicious entities. However, the scattered shadows seemed endless, constantly being pulverized only to reform elsewhere as shadows of negative energy, attacking the two relentlessly.

"Aren't these things... Doomsday Monsters?"

"No, they might not even qualify as Doomsday Monsters."