Chapter 525

Chapter Thirty-Six: Is Dad a Kamen Rider?

In the midst of battle, whether crying or shouting, Ash, as an enemy, wouldn’t care.

However, casually making girls cry in daily life… it’s a little hard to accept.

“Really, even though I say I’m not a good person, I guess I’m not a bad person now.”

No matter what, I would consider myself redeemed, right?

“R-R-really, you’re not angry?” Yayoi timidly asked, still unconvinced. Seeing her expression, Ash shook his head.

Would Ash get mad?

No, he definitely wouldn’t be angry because of that hit from the Rocket Switch used by Fourze; although embarrassing, it did happen. Why would he be angry about that?

“But drawing Kamen Riders, do you like heroes?”

“Y-Yes, why?”

Ash laughed.

“I do too, so if even I find your drawings good, they must be quite impressive.” Ash clapped his hands and returned the picture book to Yayoi, who caught it hurriedly. “Why don’t you become a manga artist instead of a Pretty Cure?”

After all, many of your predecessors only wanted to do their own things and showed disdain for being a hero. They would envy you.

“This has nothing to do with you—”

Hugging the picture book tightly, Yayoi pouted, barely managing to calm herself down. Yet, she felt a little pleased by his praise.

Wait, no, Yayoi, don’t let his kindness mislead you! He’s the bully, the hateful evil Kamen Rider!

“But, I never imagined you would like heroes…”

This was rare for Ash, since revealing himself led others to think of him as too childish. He mostly avoided talking about loving “shining” and being a hero. Finding a kindred spirit in the Pretty Cure world surprised him.

“What’s wrong?” Yayoi thought Ash would mock her interests as well, tightening her grip on the picture book. “I just like comics and TV shows about heroes. Is that okay?!”

“No, having such thoughts welcomes you more!”

During my childhood, I had no one to discuss hobbies with. To suddenly have a kindred spirit, and even a girl, is truly unusual! Friends are common, but friends with similar interests are rare!

Excitement sparkled in Ash’s eyes, breaking his recent vow to avoid over-interaction with Pretty Cures.

“See, I love heroes, you love heroes. You want to be Like Pretty Cure, I want to fight Pretty Cure! What great chemistry we have, almost like fraternal siblings… No, siblings, more like close friends, right?”

“Is that so…. Wait!”

Almost getting dragged along by Ash, Yayoi blinked and shook her head vigorously. “That’s not me. I like heroes because…”

Her resolve weakened mid-sentence.

Liking heroes, while admirable, isn’t the whole story.

“I want to become a brave person like a hero.”

“Is that so?” Ash nodded slightly.

“So that’s why you were so upset when I sealed the transformation device,”

Yet, I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong.

“But.” Ash faced her and coldly shook his head again. “Fighting only with ideals can’t make you the hero you dream of. Courage alone…”

Yayoi bit her lower lip.

Ash’s words struck her like a thunderbolt, igniting something within her.

“That’s not true! Don’t always act like you know everything!”

Always assuming superiority and dismissing others’ opinions, what do you know?!

Ash’s dismissive attitude this time triggered her most sensitive emotions, transforming her sorrow into anger.

For the first time, Yayoi spoke to Ash at such volume.

“I didn’t like heroes right away! In fact—actually…”

“When I was very small, the person who liked special effects heroes, that was Dad,”

With reddened eyes and tears brimming, Yayoi held back crying, determined to clear everything up. To Ash, she opened up about secrets she’d kept silent.

“He would watch the shows he liked together with me. Back then, I wasn’t interested in heroic figures or beating monsters. Monsters were scary, fighting looked dangerous…”

Back then, I didn’t like heroes. I loved my dad, cool and gentle.

Until my father abruptly left my life when I was five.

“At that time, I kept asking mom where Dad was. Why didn’t he come home and hug me like before? Had he stopped liking me?”

Ash listened quietly, moved by Yayoi’s emotional voice.

Then, Mom held up a Kamen Rider toy, like those on TV, and explained, “Your dad is actually a Kamen Rider, the hero who protects kids. That’s why he fought villains on TV each week to entertain other children who adored him. That’s why he was busy, unable to spend time with you.”

Back then, I believed her.

“And so, every week, I watched TV, cheering for Kamen Rider, for my dad.”

After losing my father, living solely with my mother, lacking companionship made me crave superheroes or, more specifically, my father.

Believing my father was a superhero, Yayoi gradually developed a true love for justice-seeking heroes.

“I always believed that if my dad couldn’t protect other children due to lack of time, I could help by cheering him on. I was certain he would return victorious.”

How much I wished the hero could save me, just as they saved others on TV. How much I dreamed the Kamen Rider, once unmasked, would gently touch my head like always.

Until the Kamen Rider show ended, and I grew up knowing there was no such thing as a real Kamen Rider. My father was just a common man, not a hero.

That was just another lie to ease my pain.

“Kamen Riders and heroes do exist,” Ash instinctively responded. “I’m a Kamen Rider, heroes are Pretty Cures.”

“I know. I do know!”

So, when I saw you, the real Kamen Rider, I even thought…

But why, why is the real Kamen Rider like this here!

Even though her gaze lacked any intimidating power, Yayoi glared angrily at Ash.

“I hate you!” Holding the picture book tightly, she pushed Ash back forcefully, causing him to stagger, and tearful glittering dots landed in front of her.

I hate you!

You ruin my reality, destroying my fantasies!

Hate, hate, hate! I hate you more than the tragic kingdom hates its tormentors, this arrogant evil Kamen Rider!

“Don’t corrupt my imagination of Dad!”

Watching Yayoi run off crying, Ash tightened his fist, then let it go helplessly.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Subtle Moves in the Tragic Kingdom

A somber feeling rose within Ash and slowly fell.

“System, did I mess up again?”

My own isolation, coupled with an environment unkind to my nature, makes me admire the forever shining heroes without reason. This woman also, due to loneliness, adores heroes. But her loneliness stems from different reasons. And now I’ve trampled on her deepest beliefs while holding onto a sense of superiority.

Thinking empathetically for her position…

Guh, having sympathy towards others isn’t my strong suit!

If it were earlier, I could have said those cold-hearted remarks. What does it matter to me anyway? I would ignore the apathetic masses.

But now, I am no longer indifferent to these matters. Even if “ashes” consume light, something warmer fills my heart.

“Ash, regardless of dark or light, you always hold the power of choice.” The system screen popped up, casting text one-by-one. “Therefore, deciding the correctness of actions lies entirely within your decision-making.”

“If even you say so.” Feeling despaired, Ash sighed deeply.

“I hurt someone.”

Realizing my vows to stay out of others’ lives, now I might betray them.

“No, that’s different.”

Quickly, Ash justified himself.

“I’m merely making amends for my past actions.”

Memories, despite their incompleteness due to the echo of purifying darkness, are vivid now.

Through interactions with them, they remarked my unique traits changed them.

“There’s truth to that.” Gritting metal, he held the hilt of the Holy Sword. “The fact that we’ve changed each other means our paths intertwine.”

Declaring superiority and rejecting that would mean my former friends would look down on me now.

Unhesitatingly, Ash followed the retreating figure of the girl.

Yayoi ran aimlessly until she dropped to the ground out of exhaustion. As she fell, textbooks tumbled out from her bag.

“Oh, my backpack!”

She encountered the Clown Monster shortly after school, and before she could set down her bag, leading her to realize she forgot to zip her little bag which had a drawing of Ultraman.

Hurriedly, she checked inside, confirming all was intact, Yayoi calmed down and placed the picture book inside.

Hugging the bent picture book with affection, Yayo noticed her missing homework notebook.

“Hey, how did this happen? Did I lose it? Or perhaps left it at school—”

Thinking of her teacher’s disappointed face, panic resurfaced. Recalling the assignment details, she realized the mistake.

“Right, the teacher assigned practical homework today. That’s why there was no notebook today.”

How careless I’ve been. Getting tangled up with that man, I forgot about this!

Checking her notebook, the mission was to understand the meaning behind her name from her parents.

“The assignment for today is to rediscover the meaning behind our names during adolescence.”

It involved asking parents about the origin and significance of their name.

Quietly putting the notebook back into her bag, Yayoi lowered her head, sinking into silence. After a while, she softly exclaimed,

“This is truly unfortunate.”

The name “Yayoi” given by her father.

Despite now, I’m avoiding these kinds of discussions…

———————

“That Joker made me detour through such a complex plot, damn it. Can’t he be a little straightforward?”

Meanwhile, in the Tragic Kingdom, another official, the red-skinned “Red Demon” wearing a tiger-pattern apron and wielding a thick demon mace, stood bored amidst an interconnected assembly line and factory equipment, symbols of tokusatsu fans’ DNA.

Around him, the deep purple “Tragic Ending” seal spread. Unlike usual, it confined itself to the factory, immersing the workers inside with despair.

“Feh, nobody’s stopping me, it’s so boring!”

Adhering to the new strategy proposed by the Joker, he planned differently. First, Wolfrun unleashed the clown monster outside to distract the Pretty Cures. Meanwhile, Red Demon was to secretly activate another tragic ending at a densely populated area, absorbing negative energy.

Rough and ready, Red Demon despised these indirect approaches. Without Pierrot Emperor’s persuasion, he would have rejected the strategy, preferring direct confrontations.

‘This is what humans call the ‘Sneak Attack Strategy.’ Mr. OOO wouldn’t stop us, right, hahaha!’

Picturing the Joker laughing as he instructed, Red Demon, enraged, unleashed his frustrations by bashing a large barrel next to him.

“No matter if it’s Wolfrun or that Joker, both are scared of that damn masked—true knight! Come on, let me have a real go with him!’

Unnoticed, visible cracks started spreading across the barrel beside him.

As he destroyed the container’s surface with pressure, the gauge reading its intensity broke past the safety limit valve, displaying escalating damage.