Villainous Kamen Rider in Pretty Cure

The Eighty-Sixth Naoko Just Couldn’t Learn to Give Up

Haha… It really is outrageous.

To say something so outrageous, Akane, I truly want to punch you—but I can’t do that!

Because, the ones at fault have never been them!

Naoko’s hand slowly loosened once again.

“What you all said is indeed correct.” The forced cheer on her face could no longer be maintained as the vulnerability of being a girl was exposed at this moment.

“Even if I had never been here from the beginning, you would certainly have found someone more suitable for Pretty Cure than me.”

Just like Ash said—if there was nothing from the start… but I believe, that it shouldn’t be like this!

“However, don’t you find this strange?!”

She approached Rihua like the wind, forcing herself to maintain eye contact with her despite her twisted will.

“I have known you as a friend since we were young! And, Miyuki and I are recognized competitors in our own right!”

“Once, it was facing the Clown Monster who wanted to harm our families and you, that allowed me to transform into CureMarch!”

“In the past, we used to share everything, not just as Pretty Cures, but also as good friends who shared a secret base!”

Now, this is merely due to the Clown Monster’s reversal ability; it’s just some twisted rules!

“This cold distance between us now—”

“Don’t you find this strange?!”

Ash wasn’t the only one secretly watching this unfold; equipped with the Clown Monster and aided by the props Witch Lina uses to hide her movements, the Joker hid around the green field.

“How comical a performance this is,” the Joker remarked, his smile nearly reaching his ears, as he rubbed his overly sharp chin.

He chose Naoko as his target for a reason. If the target were Miyuki, she could still transform and defeat the Clown Monster. If it were Ash… the Joker isn’t fool enough to think otherwise.

Thus, currently, the only one who hasn’t had her transformation seal removed is Naoko. She is his best choice. In fact, no one else would be better! Unable to transform means she can do nothing. While valuing friendship, she can only endure mockery from former comrades. As a former Pretty Cure, if her once-bright heart could fall into darkness with such intense emotional fluctuation, the “tragic energy” generated would surely benefit Mr. Pierrot greatly!

Only, she still hasn’t shown signs of despair, which left him somewhat surprised….

“Hmm…” Seeing Rihua unable to meet Naoko’s eyes due to her growing doubt, the Joker felt a sinister thrill rise within him. “Could it still need one step?”

People from the Tragedy Kingdom are particularly difficult for someone like the Joker, who has ties to the “Tragic Emperor Pierrot.” To him, friendship is incomprehensible and unnecessary. This is why the other three officers can jest around, yet reject and fear him somewhat.

Just now, even if this little girl tried her hardest, what was the point? In the end, she still lost to the reversal, didn’t she? Friendship and bonds are nothing but fragile things.

If one must draw an analogy in reality, then to the Joker, friendship is like a glass bottle—seemingly robust but shattered with a single drop to the ground.

“It seems a troublemaker must push it off the table!”

I push…

A chilling breeze swept through, raising everyone’s hair except Naoko’s, who felt as if struck by a massive force. Instinctively shielding her face, she stumbled backward, tripping over her own feet, scraping her knee bloody.

Her backpack crashed against her, spilling collected items everywhere.

“Ahh!”

Seeing Naoko collapse and grimace in pain, Rihua instinctively reached out to help but retracted her hand due to internal hesitations, her voice naturally cold.

“This is your own fault.”

Ash peeked out from behind the corner, only observing.

This was their agreement. Until she successfully proves herself, he wouldn’t intervene. This was how he respected others actually.

Until she breaks down and gives up, then he would save her….

But now, like the Joker, he was caught in a loop of surprise at how strong this child is.

“Tut-Tut! Even Tut-Tut has seen enough of this, Kuru!” Sugar, having endured no more from Miyuki’s embrace, jumped out first among the fallen, sobbing, before racing to the girl’s side.

“Right now, Miyuki, Rihua, and Akane are all bad people, Kuru!” Sugar, gently brushing away tears falling into the grass, couldn’t accept this as her view of Pretty Cures.

“No!” Clutching her painful knees, Naoko’s voice echoed deep and hoarse, startling everyone.

“There’s no such thing!”

Not only Sugar, stunned, Naoko burst forth with determination unexplained, even tearful, as she ran to retrieve items from the spilled bag.

“Miyuki, you should remember this!” Holding a beautiful bracelet bought during a trip to Kyoto, she explained, “Back during that trip when it seemed destined to fail, we comforted each other and eventually saw geisha perform! This was our souvenir!”

“My!” Miyuki instinctively fumbled in her pocket, feeling the same bracelet within.

“And Miyuki and Yayoi, weren’t we lost in Osaka? Everyone was worried, but they amused themselves… even through tricks by the Clown Monster, the takoyaki we all shared afterward was much tastier than when alone.”

Yayoi who had been hiding behind Akane finally showed herself, her finger to her lips in confusion yet agreed.

Why do you remember so vividly?

“Everyone look at this!”

Naoko displayed yesterday’s casually discarded photo as if it were precious treasure, with visible smiles from everyone, frozen in the past.

“Maybe you may detest it now, but these truly are our cherished memories!”

“Wouldn’t honest laughter come from such happiness, together?!”