Villainous Kamen Rider in Pretty Cure

Outside Case File 41 Rejected

“NO!”

This time, the one who was sent flying backward was different; timefire, with his chest armor continuously exploding and scattering, flew out like sparks accompanied by lightning, barely brushing past Yu, who instinctively raised her hand to shield herself, before he was sent far away in the distance.

Flower did as she wished, truly giving Ayush a hard blow.

The man lying on the ground suddenly raised his hand, indicating that he was still alive.

He gently touched the charred marks on his chest. The center of his battle suit now bore a deep, dark slash filled with scorch marks, and smoke along with electric sparks kept pouring out from the fluid armor and energy cables layers where the Melody Holy Sword had cut through. If the sword had gone any deeper, he would have been gutted by this Precure.

But that didn’t happen. Instead, he merely received a deep gash that bled profusely. Clearly, she held back at the last moment.

Lying amidst the ruins, looking up at the pale sky, what was Ayush, who played the hero yesterday and the villain today, thinking?

“Oh, she’s so beautiful, isn’t she—?”

“Alright, lady—” The man on the ground waved his arm towards Ayush, completely dismissing the wounds that could cripple an ordinary person for weeks. He got up in a single move. “Let’s begin the third round—um, what are you doing?”

The holy sword that cut into him was now planted beside his side, while she herself was half-kneeling in front of Yu, reassuring her with gentle but not very agile words.

“Alright, miss, everything will be fine.” The pink-haired warrior patted the person who mustered the courage to stand up. Only she knew how much courage it took to do something that is easy for others. “Your friend is safe. I will find her; I promise you.”

Just like Batman to Gotham City, Kamen Rider W to Wind City, Ultra Guard Team to M78, the words of this Earth’s human savior Precure naturally inspired trust.

“Do-do they really mean it? Flower is a good person. I believe she’s fine. Will she be alright?”

“She’ll be fine, I promise you!”

“Hey—” Seeing no response, Ayush turned up the volume on his helmet microphone. “Do you hear me? Come fight me again!”

“It’s fine.” Flower didn’t even glance back at the agitated man. She continued to reassure Yu and directed her. “This place isn’t safe. Go and stay with everyone else over there. Your friend will return soon.”

“Can you walk?”

“Of course, I just managed it. And I can manage it now!”

Watching her friend disappear into the distance, Flower finally turned her head. When the target changed from Yu to Timefire, the warmth of her smile noticeably dimmed.

It takes quite something to provoke such a rare, somewhat frightening expression from Precure, who always treats people kindly.

“Ha—finally.” Seeing Precure pull out the holy sword from beside her, Ayush waved dismissively. “Did you finally decide to face me with true fighting spirit? Wait, what are you doing?”

In front of Ayush, Flower set the melody holy sword horizontally in front of herself, then spread her open left palm toward the tip of the sword, closing both hands inward. Her weapon disappeared into her hands.

“I won’t fight you.”

Without hesitation, she glanced into the distance as she spoke.

“Hold on, what do you mean by that—”

Seeing her firm gaze, Ayush understood that she meant what she said, and sensed something.

“Do you know why I threw down the gauntlet like a knightly duel, or why I invited you as a fool in samurai way? Just like a wild-west cowboy letting his opponent carry a gun loaded with bullets before setting a match at noon?”

As Ayush spoke, his strong emotions got the better of him. He began “lecturing.”

“Because if it’s simply about winning a fight, any underhanded trick is permissible, but that wouldn’t be ‘beautiful’ for you, nor is it what I want. I cannot allow any impurities into our duel!”

“You are a hero of this world, tirelessly protecting it for eight years. I see the beautiful crystal-like purity of your heart and it’s captivating.”

My battles are for my own pleasure and preference. Your duel has brought me joy!

“But you, a legendary warrior, are up against—nothing but mindless monsters endlessly consuming life, trying to exhaust you to death!”

“They can’t even talk, damn it! So I won’t recognize them as worthy opponents because they’re unworthy!”

Facing Flower’s increasingly serious expression, Ayush forcefully pounded his chest, hitting the flame emblem scar.

“I’ve recognized it and so have you, having fought for eight years. They are negative emotions born within humans, almost impossible to eliminate.”

“Your futile attempts will end with your fall, and no good shall come from it, so stop wasting your efforts on such worthless things!”

“Without a worthy enemy, your beauty cannot be expressed, Cure Yell.”

Timefire approached her, extending his hand in front of a sea of anxious spectators.

“You don’t need to speak. You know you need me, an equal opponent. I also need you because this world is a never-ending dance party, and you are the reason I continue.”

She did not speak. The extremely beautiful female warrior looked the offered hand, then looked at the surrounded crowd, then back at her.

“No.”

She said this.

“This isn’t up to you. What you do is meaningless to me.”

I’m certainly aware, but so what?

Gazing at the sky, she gathered strength under her feet and soared skyward.

“Hold on, where are you going?!”

“I have no interest in your games. I’ll do something more meaningful.”

Like, helping my friend find myself when I sleep.

Looking up at the safety shorts under the skirt, up at the disappearing sky above her, after a long silence, Ayush sighed, then chuckled lightly.

“Of course you’d say that because you are—”

“Precure (Pretty Cure).”