Chapter 74

Extra Case File 74 Igniting the Mars of Darkness

Oh world, if you took her future from this woman.

Then I’ll take her life back from your world!

(BGM: The Theme of Crimson Comrades TIMEFIRE)

Flame—

The burning flame emerged from Ash’s wrist, rapidly engulfing his entire body in an instant.

It burned away his uniform, his skin, and his face, revealing the red and silver burning mask beneath. Through the flames, the “Time Ranger”—[TIMEFIRE] is now showing his true combat form.

To be honest, dealing with Hana with this face would have calmed my heart and spared me discomfort.

“Tap, tap, tap—”

Rushing swiftly through the dark world, on streets filled with volatile energy, Ash raced towards Wild Flower’s last known location, as remembered.

The environment around him caused Ash to furrow his brow under the mask. Honestly, he didn’t expect to see any signs of human existence here.

Those who were swallowed by darkness, presumed missing by the outside world, were all frozen in place, still performing their last actions before they were engulfed. The frenzied energy of despair, once it reaches a certain threshold, halts time, leaving everything motionless.

They weren’t dead, just immobilized, unable to act or think. Even when transformed into the ultimate, horrifying, final monster, Wild Flower never took anyone’s life; she simply spread her instinctual energy.

After all, she is a gentle girl who desires the best for everyone and wants to cheer for all of them.

If not for the Tomorrow Energy that energized her when she first rescued me, I too would have been frozen in time the moment I stepped inside.

“At this point, are you still thinking about protecting me?” Playing with the warm, golden energy flowing in his palm, the man’s eyes under the mask revealed a tender trace. “What a foolish woman…”

And therefore, as a man, he could not afford to lose!

“We’re doomed—”

“We’re doomed—”

With his DV Guardian already drawn from his waist, Ash raised the blaster mode weapon and charged recklessly through time, which had halted.

More tangible darkness flowed forth, calling out “We’re doomed!” as it surged toward the crimson fire encircling them.

These were countless final monsters, and Ash recognized the one leading them, its mouth grotesquely wide open.

From the carefully curated Cure Yell support website, Ash had seen this monster. It was the first final monster born eight years ago, the first enemy Hana defeated alone.

As for the rest, there were many more, second, third, fourth… some of them looking familiar after eight long years.

“You’ve summoned all your past nightmares… Hana, are you that afraid?”

Multiple orange beams of light gathered at the gun barrels and obliterated the final monsters before him. Hearing the shouting behind him, Ash flipped backward, avoiding the smashing fist, and took control of the monster by grabbing its hair. It moved among the enemies like a driven vehicle.

“It’s okay, I’m coming to rescue you, so wait for me!”

Ash sweated profusely.

Ash fought with all his might.

Honestly, he wasn’t sure he could win against the current Wild Flower.

This might be his final resting place.

But a man fighting to his death for a woman… isn’t that quite something?

If I never come back, then so be it.

Punching, kicking, crashing through a building, his fists and feet battered the final monster, experiencing all of Hana’s struggle over eight years.

‘Why do I fight so hard?’

In the midst of the DV Guardian’s enraged roar, the shining light shattered both the final monster’s body and the building behind it, but was then shrouded by more darkness.

‘Why did I pull the trigger?’

The compressed cryogenic light from the Guardian Sword cut the monster in two, smaller than a doll, mixing with more debris.

‘Before non-human entities, I screamed my rage.’

Unnoticed, more darkness entered Ash’s body, blending with the growing Tomorrow Energy, making him fiercer in battle.

‘This is Ash.’

The red warrior stood on the corpses of the dark, staring up at the towering tentacle monster, desperately reaching out.

‘This is TIMEFIRE.’

“Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!”

Amidst countless giant monsters, and within a tide almost sweeping him away, Ash cried out to the sky.

“Kaboom————”

The scorching energy stream barely missed him, instantly clearing the area around him. The final monsters scattered at the sight.

What’s going on? The beam nearly struck me. Was that…?

“V-REX?” Lowering his hand from his eyes, Ash looked confused at the steel beast before him.

How is this possible? I left it outside for fear of it stalling in this volatile energy.

“Roar——”

With another roar, V-Rex’s massive tail fell like a sword covering the area Ash was in — Ash barely managed to escape the earthquake-like blast from behind.

“What’s wrong, V-REX? Don’t you recognize me?!”

The roaring mechanical dragon seemingly ignored Ash’s call.

Wait, upon closer inspection, something’s off. Most of its structure is made of volatile energy. This V-REX isn’t mine! Is this… also one of Hana’s nightmares?

“Hana… are you really so afraid?”

Facing the metal-tusked dragon baring its teeth, surrounded by ruins, Ash muttered,

“Roar——”

The same roaring sound came from the high-rise building beside the tyrannosaurus final monster, the metallic tyrannosaurus time machine shattering the concrete in front of it and throwing the tyrannosaurus attempting to swallow Ash back.

“You can control it.”

The voice from the command unit alerted Ash. Facing the large silver-red T-Rex, which seemed to be watching him, the one he had created with super-AI core had no voice line circuit but could still understand him.

“Tou——!”

Raising his arms and facing the lowered mechanical T-Rex, Ash leaped up.

With no cockpit, standing on V-REX’s head like that, Ash and the ultra-AI underneath prepared for the approaching wailing rising figure, like a color-changing tyrannosaurus end monster.

Super robot and its super operator, what Ash had to do was in front of him now.

Pressing a button on the arm controller, Ash growled an order.

“V-REX Attack!”

“Roaaaaar!!!!”

The overlapping roars of the warrior and the T-Rex echoed together.