Chapter 16

Extra Case File 16 Broken Legs

Feeling despondent inside, Nonoka reluctantly retracted her hand, watching as Ash disappeared. When she turned her head back, Saya gently reached out to press her head down, followed by the other two; together they formed a small circle like children chatting.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Nonoka was puzzled. She looked left and right at everyone’s faces, trying to decipher their expressions, as if there was some secret they were hiding.

Why do I feel so uneasy?

“Ahana, tell me, what do you think of Dr. Ash?” Saya leaned close and whispered by Nonoka’s ear, making her feel ticklish.

“He’s a good person, why?” Without hesitation, Nonoka replied candidly. The pure innocence on her face made the others exchange bewildered looks, as if they were having an encrypted conversation; their strange expressions made Nonoka’s head spin with confusion.

“Nonoka-senpai still hasn’t changed; nothing seems interesting,” Himizuki couldn’t help but shake her head. “The last time was during college, when he came with roses and scattered them in front of Nonoka-senpai’s house. When she returned the flowers after finding out they belonged to someone, that person was quite embarrassed, remember?”

“Yes, and it feels like Dr. Ash is different towards Nonoka. Do you think he might be… using her?”

“I don’t think so; that would be unnecessary, wouldn’t it?” Saya touched her chin, also puzzled. “Though it sounds harsh, if he truly is a doctor, why would he be interested in Nonoka?”

Unbeknownst to Nonoka, she felt as if a knife had plunged into her chest at this moment.

“Could it be because he finds Nonoka cute or something?”

“But he mentioned he’s younger than Little Blossom.”

“That… probably means—”

Seemingly satisfied with their discussion, the three nodded at each other. Yu faced Nonoka again.

“Ahana, do you have anything else feeling unusual? Strange feelings you can’t put into words?”

“Strange feelings?” Nonoka pondered what this meant. To her, guessing such riddles felt like too much of a burden.

But since everyone said so, she’d give it a try.

Feeling—feeling…. A little happy, yet a bit disheartened…. Sounds, no, not really sounds, more like real motions.

Nonoka closed her eyes, hoping this would enhance her perception. Feeling… Feeling… What exactly are Yu and the others asking me to sense?

Her mind gradually calmed down. Saya and the others watched Nonoka’s serene expression change, exchanging knowing glances. They seemed to be saying “I knew it,” and their smiles naturally bloomed.

Nonoka continued feeling, indeed detecting some bizarre sensations, dark ones she’d encountered before.

Wait, feeling, feeling… This sensation is—

“Damn, it’s the Ending Monster!” Without warning, Nonoka stood up. The others jumped at her sudden move. Before they could ask what was happening, a violent commotion began—glass breaking, furniture crashing, and the ferocious roar of the monster filled their ears.

“The Ending Monster!”

The wind pressure shattered the glass, heading straight for the cafe. Quick to react, Saya pounced onto Yu, using her body to shield her from the flying shards and the intense wind, grabbing Nonoka and pulling her behind her. Rumi covered herself and others with an expensive leather coat, while Yu and Nonoka huddled tightly against the impact until things calmed down.

“What happened?” Yu gasped, looking outside. Her breath had oppressed her internal organs, making her cheeks flush and belly ache.

“It’s the Ending Monster, and it’s near us. Himizuki, carry Yu. Ahana, stop being stunned. We need to move quickly and leave before it catches up!”

Suya efficiently coordinated the group as they dashed away.

Over the years, many brave souls tried to fight the monsters, but human power and weapons proved useless against these beings powered by rage. Only one girl could combat the monsters. Now, perhaps adding this guy would help.

Himizuki draped the coat over Yu and carried her piggyback, followed by Suya, with Nonoka trailing behind. They hurriedly snaked through the streets, avoiding the ravaging Ending Monster.

“What do we do… What do we do?”

In her pocket, the Future Crystal and Heart of Light seared with heat, urging Nonoka to fulfill her mission as a Pretty Cure and defeat the monster. But her friends were her priority; they wouldn’t let Nonoka leave alone.

With determination, she decided to take Yu and the others to safety first. Then she’d race out to transform and confront the monster, hoping it wouldn’t waste too much time.

Misfortune struck as they hid from the monster along its blind spots. The alarm from debris in nearby shops triggered, drawing the monster’s attention toward them.

“Run! Keep running, don’t stop!” Suya shouted, hastening their pace into a sprint.

“Ending Monster!”

The immense monster trampled buildings, moving swiftly towards the four.

Trailing behind, Himizuki was the slowest due to carrying Yu. Their dual body was the most visible target. Exhaustion took a toll on their speed.

“Himizuki—can’t keep up, leave me now!”

“You can’t talk! We’ll survive; the Pretty Cure will come! We’ll get through this!”

Years of friendship told Suya the desperate thoughts Yu held. But she would never abandon her friend; they must flee together.

Leaving friends to die wasn’t an option she’d ever consider.

Their emotions were intense, but they couldn’t ignore the reality—the monster closing in, their slow pace undeniable.

“Damn!” Yu clenched her teeth, frustration boiling within.

If she hadn’t nearly died from a car accident recently… If she could still walk…

Her legs—heal them! Why can’t I move? Why just shake…

She forced her paralyzed lower body, hoping to ignite the will. But no response stirred in her heart.

She recalled her past self—once an admirable figure on the ice, then losing her courage after a failure. Until now…

Tears streamed uncontrollably.

How could I be so useless!

Standing atop a tower, overseeing destruction, Timefire silently rolled up his sleeve, revealing the hidden V-Commander.

“Why even bother if I weren’t planning on causing trouble from the start? Blame it all on you.”

Protesting under his breath, Timefire positioned the commander near his lips and uttered the world-altering command.

“TIMEFIRE!”

Extra Case File 17 V-REX

With the Ending Monster shadowing ever closer, Nonoka realized she had to transform. Otherwise, everyone would be in danger.

Dropping her reservations, she pushed aside her fears. If transforming could save her friends, any price was worth it.

Turning, she intended to retrieve her Heart of Light, only to see the monster’s foot descending toward Yu and Himizuki. Transformation was impossible.

It was all hopeless. Miracles won’t save anyone now.

Then a sobbing cry pierced through Nonoka’s heart— “Miracles! Please, miracles…”

In response to her plea, flickering starlight ignited, kindling hope. In a fraction of a second, a powerful force expelled the monster, blinding everyone momentarily. When vision cleared, they beheld—

“Clack, clack, clack…”

The scene before Lady Akane and her shaken group revealed a silhouette in red flames approaching. Despite the disparity in size, it dominated its opponent.

Faint footsteps dispelled fear. Crimson flames illuminated shadows.

Steel and red steel beasts roared, ready to strike.

“You’ve forgotten about Timefire?”

As if a reminder, Ash gently brushed the smooth helmet with his fingers.

Red flames enveloped him, emerging victorious in his crimson combat suit.

“V-REX! Knock that ending monster away.”

Activating his wrist command device with a command, the mechanical dinosaur emerged from a massive form again, as if returning to the ages of dinosaurs.

Clang!

A deafening metallic clash echoed. Suya and Nonoka instinctively covered their ears.

The monster staggered from the attack, losing balance entirely. Buildings crumbled around it.

“People learned survival skills well enough, even without harming the monster.”

“Ending Monster!” With a roar, the monster countered V-REX.

“End!”

Charging forward, heavy footfalls caused the ground to tremble. Shattered surfaces left trails of dust. V-REX lowered its head, its giant claws creating similar grooves in the road, raising a cloud of dust with each step.

Both monsters engaged in direct confrontation. V-REX’s advanced missile systems opened fire, sending rockets directly at the monster—one by one, they exploded against it. Its overwhelming force flipped the End Monster over. V-REX lunged, clamping onto its leg with fierce bites.

Advanced AI computing powers calculated the optimal strategy—missiles were far superior to brute strength. Even the weakest ai could pinpoint hits in close range attacks.

Seven steps apart – precise yet swift. Seven steps closer – accurate and fast.

Seeing the monster collapse, the next move was clear.

With alloy fangs and robust limbs, V-REX wreaked havoc on its weaker foe. As the cries intensified, with V-REX’s relentless force, the last wretched “Ending Monster!” marked a painful end. V-REX tore off the monster’s right leg, throwing it far away.

Struggling, the ending monster clawed and crawled, now crippled by defeat. Though born to instill fear, today it faced a terror greater by orders of magnitude.

But the realization came soon—a chase began, more pain followed.

“Roar!!”

The mighty roar heralded V-REX’s triumph.

“Guh…”

Gasping and covering her mouth, Suya couldn’t believe such monstrous battles existed.