Chapter 32

Extra Case File 32 Treat the Head When It Aches, Treat the Leg When It Aches

“I just need to cut off her legs.”

“Just cut the legs off.”

“Cut them off…”

It felt like when she had been hit by a powerful punch from the Final Monster during previous battles, leaving a dent in her head. At this moment, Flower’s eyes were glazed over, her thinking ceased as her brain made a whirring sound like a jammed hard drive.

Her mind was shattered by the shocking words Ash spoke with a calm tone. Her utterly stunned expression could no longer hear his following self-congratulatory introduction.

“GS-03 [Destroyer]—ha, back then Icefield got scolded for losing this thing. It was called Orange, wasn’t it? A severe reprimand indeed, but it was actually taken by me~”

Ash boasted without any self-awareness, while slipping his hands into the blue steel gauntlets. He flicked his elbows upward, and the saw inside folded out, exposing the silvery gray teeth brimming with killing intent.

“By generating ultrahigh frequencies, the blade vibrates at supersonic speeds. Within one minute, it can produce 2 million ultra-high frequency vibrations, allowing it to cut through even the hardest materials.” As Ash flipped the switch on the handle, a wave indiscernible to human ears but causing involuntary tremors began to spread from him. He effortlessly spun the blade, as if slicing the very air around him.

Isn’t this a little too unfair?

“Although its weight makes it difficult to hit enemies of the same or higher agility, its cutting power surpasses even that of the Shining Katana! Ha, this is special effects physics—it means we don’t really have to care about physical laws!”

Not noticing the increasingly lifeless gaze of Flower, Ash retracted the saw and began walking towards Yu.

“All right, I’ll use this chainsaw to amputate Yu’s legs…hmm?”

Moving only a few steps, Ash was stopped by the figure of Pink blocking his path. Flower spread her arms and stood in front of him, an imposing aura akin to “trample my corpse to get to Yu!” Her complex mix of expressions and eyes revealed her frustration at the absurdity of the situation.

“Ash—sensei!”

Spitting out the name in solemn words, Flower’s uncharacteristic gravity left Ash no choice but to stop. “What do you mean ‘cutting off Yu’s legs with a chainsaw’? What kind of reason is this? That is her body, her legs!”

How unreasonable is this! Even though I may be a bit dull, I’m not an idiot. Amputating someone’s legs just because they can’t stand up…this is like treating headache by cutting the head and leg pain by amputating the leg! This isn’t just a case of mistaking the box for the pearl; it’s more like the kidnapper deciding to kill their hostage.

Before Ash could say another word, Flower advanced and grabbed his arm tightly.

“You’re a doctor, aren’t you? Doctors are meant to heal and save lives, right? Do you think that’s what being a doctor means—thinking that cutting off Yu’s legs would solve anything?!”

“Soda-yo,” Ash nodded innocently. “How else can I fit her with prosthetics without removing her legs?”

Huh? Wait a minute. What did you say?

Flower opened her mouth, blinked, and wondered if she had misheard.

“Look, her legs only won’t move because of psychological problems. They aren’t physically damaged. Since fixing the psychological issues is difficult, why not bypass that and attach robotic legs controlled directly by neural signals?”

This way, even if she doesn’t want to move, she still can with the correct electronic signals.

Actually, there was no real reason for Ash to care so much about Yu, since they weren’t close…but he had enjoyed the flattery earlier. Besides, he had promised with utmost confidence that there would be no problem. How could he give up here…

That would be too embarrassing, wouldn’t it? He’d rather die gloriously than live shamefully!

“No, no… this!” Flower’s anger flared again. “Prosthetics can never match a human body!”

“But they can. In fact, they will surpass natural ones.”

The technology used by Kamen Riders can make her jump several times higher than before.

“…No!” Finally, Flower shook her head determinedly. “Yu’s just been struck a big blow, maybe she will agree without thinking! —No!”

“After all, her legs are fine. Physical problems should be solved through her own strength!”

“Ugh, this is such a hassle.” Ash clicked his tongue and put away the saw, out of Flower’s sight. “You have any better ideas then?!”

“Psychological problems should be supported through friendship and bonds!”

“I’ve mentioned this already; it’s not that simple because she is inherently weak—” Just as Ash was about to say more, he suddenly had an idea after glancing at the low-spirited Yu. Turning his gaze back to Flower, he moved closer.

“Wha—what?” Flower felt intimidated and stepped back, only to have her face held immobile by the man’s hands.

“Friendship and bonds among comrades can trigger miracles that change reality—are you suggesting this?”

“M-more or less…” Even Flower couldn’t follow what Ash meant anymore.

“Then, I have an idea. If you’re serious, we can… first, confirm that you’re best friends, very good friends, yes?”

“Yes, yes!” Flower didn’t retreat; she shouted loudly without shame. “I, Saya, Yu, Himizuki, have been great friends since we met! What of it?!”

“Is that so… Then, your friendship runs so deep…”

The man smiled devilishly.

“Even to the point where you’d sacrifice your life to help each other?”