Fictions Mentioned:
Episode 28
OP Song:
【Lyrics AMV】 Summer Time Rendering OP2 『Natsuyume Noisy - Asaka』
Insert Song: Start
Kamen Rider Ex-Aid - Opening FULL〘EXCITE〙By Daichi Miura
Universe: PC Universe-2004
Timeline: HUGtto! Pretty Cure - Episode 23 - The Biggest Pinch! President Kurai Appears!
It was sometime in another past...
Time had stopped for all of the HUGtto! Precure.
They could not move an inch of their limbs. Everyone and everything around them, including themselves, were in a state of suspended animation. It wasn't just that. Their powers were completely stripped from them, their Mirai Crystals and all of their asu power were taken from them by a sudden surprise in the form of George Kurai. Hope is now being shattered and the negative spectrum is now being released everywhere, stopping time everywhere.
"Nothing more will ever be born. So begins an era of eternal happiness," George Kurai declared as his eyes closed.
But...
George Kurai would notice something. A crying Hugtan, She had not been affected by the wave and her cries were heard. He was surprised and concerned.
"Time has stopped though you still move?" George said, raising his right hand which was manifesting a black circular aura whose center point was found the index finger. "Come here, little one."
He tries to slowly bring her over to his side, caring for the baby he knew intimately to be his daughter. His daughter was now crying for the names of every single among the girl among the Precure, including one Hana Nono.
"Homae! Shaya! Emiwu! Rowo!"
And then...
"MAMA!"
And then...
The path would now diverge once more as the presence of a young man that no one would foresee coming was seen dashing straight forwards Hugtan. He raises his right hand and teleports straight to the baby that was about to be killed by a notable axe that was literally heading right towards her.
The young man manages to save her while narrowly missing the dangerous weapon that would have sliced Hugtan. In the next moment, he lands on the ground just right next to a frozen Hana Nono. Subtly, he mentally commands time itself to reassert once again. Everything was moving once again, the plants, the animals, the people, and everything else.
George Kurai was shocked at the sudden interloper. But he was more shocked because someone had deliberately tried to kill Hugtan, his very own daughter. It wasn't just him as the now moving Hana Nono was just as shocked as he was, followed by her fellow teammates and Hariham Harry, and even Doctor Traum and the Mou-Oshimaida.
The young man was gently carrying Hugtan just as his eyes narrowed in another direction to the right.
George Kurai would turn to find an armored figure with a butterfly-like motif. His armor was of the color red with a dark blue helmet. And this individual was slowly walking towards this young interloper that he recognize to his own surprise as his younger self.
But how was this possible?
The younger George Kurai simply stared very coldly at the armored figure just as he held Hugtan tightly in a gentle, accommodating manner, slowly walking towards a crouched Hana Nono.
"...P...Papa," Hugtan muttered softly as if in disbelief.
By the time he gets to Hana, he lowered himself in a crouched position and simply gave Hugtan to Hana, with his eyes turning gentle when it was looking at Hana. He never spoke a word and instead let actions handle the talking. Hana would reach out to Hugtan and carry her while never letting her eyes off from this younger George.
Hana Nono was confused and surprised. The young man looked like George but younger. Not just that, his eyes looked sadder and kinder.
The armored figure begins to summon an axe from his right hand and did the impression of a man that would have his head cut off and he was doing it quite slowly for all to see which was making the Precure a bit intimidated and slightly terrified. The younger George had only one response to that as he stared with very cold eyes.
"Henshin!"
ZI-O! ZIKU-DRIVER!
RIDER TIME! KAMEN RIDER! ZI-O!
He uttered one single word in the coldest tone possible. And in the next second, the Ziku-Driver would spontaneously materialize from around his waist, with the attached Zi-O Ridewatch already placed in the right slot of the belt. Three holographic watch bands suddenly encircled him, forming his entire armor. From his civilian form, a jet-black suit with a silver band in the center with silver ornaments on the sides of his shoulder and chest armor with pink highlights, and pink highlights on the hips and forelegs had now taken its place.
He had now transformed into Kamen Rider Zi-O. At the same time, everyone was shocked, both on the side of the heroes and of the villains. It also made the Mou-Oshimaida step back out of fear as it felt the subtle power that was rising from the surface between the two armored figures.
"...Ka...Kamen Rider," both George and Hana muttered in shock.
"...Papa," Hugtan muttered at the same time.
And so, the battle begins between Kamen Rider Zi-O and Kamen Rider Impasse.
Universe: PC Universe-2004
Timeline: Present Time
A few minutes earlier...
"Sir, we've found the probable signatures where the temporal changes might occur," one Clone Trooper Operator said, typing a few holographic keyboards.
All of the Precure, one way or another, and everyone else have all gathered in the hangar bay. All of the Precure from Futari wa Precure to Healin' Good Precure are all present and accounted for as they watch the large monitors for any sign of temporal activity. Currently, two windows were showing two different time frames.
"Zoom in for the signatures. Find the traces at their source," George ordered, his expression grave and eyes narrowed, arms crossed. Hana Nono, Hagumi Kurai, Nodoka Hanadera, Yukari Kotozume, and Kaoruko Hanasaki were beside him, sporting concerned expressions.
"Yes sir," the Clone Operator said, obeying his command.
And after a few types from the operators, the screens were making out distinct images appear. There were three individuals who were heavily identified. Daruizen, Another Cure Yell, and Papple - confirmed to be turned by force into Another Ex-Aid. In fact, they'd bear witness to the scene where she was forcibly turned into Another Ex-Aid, much to the shock of many of the Precure due to the obviously unnecessarily painful process of conversion.
"Another Cure Yell," Hana Nono muttered in shock. The rest of the HUGtto! Precure were sporting expressions of shock.
"Daruizen!" everyone among the Healin' Good Precure spoke with a tone of shock as they bear witness to one of their most dreaded enemies.
"Impossible," Asumi Fuurin muttered in shock. She was holding Latte who was scared and shaking.
"What the heck, nya! Why is Daruizen still alive?!" Nyatoran asked in shock.
Nodoka Hanadera's worries were growing to the point of sheer anxiety. The screen was showing her an individual that had for all intents and purposes practically ruined her life for so many years. Daruizen was responsible for her ill-health condition in the first place and made her and her entire family suffer through a terrible ordeal. As a result, Nodoka couldn't do the same things that other people of her age would usually do and experience.
Why...? Why was he back?
The last time that she saw Daruizen, she clearly saw him being absorbed by King Byogen, effectively killing him.
So how...?
"Oh right...we haven't told you girls yet, haven't we," Tatsuya Kaname made a grim expression on his face. "Yeah, the bastard is alive, blame GameOver for that."
"GameOver?" Nodoka Hanadera asked, concerned.
"One could say that he's the main villain behind a lot of things that have happened lately, Nodoka-chan, and he's been a problem for us Kamen Riders and for everyone else for quite a while," Tatsuya explained.
"Hmm?" Kiriya Irizawa noticed something else popping up from the screen. His eyes widened. "Is that?
Universe: PC Universe-2004
Timeline: HUGtto! Pretty Cure - Episode 10 - Unbelievable! A Waitress Is Very Busy!
Somewhere from afar...
There were two young men that were now standing just a few meters away, watching for the Precure and Hariham Harry from afar. They would also take note of Another Ex-Aid that was now about to enter their crosshairs.
A young man with brown hair and eyes, wearing glasses. He wears a red jacket with a school emblem on the left side of the uniform. The end of the sleeves has two small buttons and there are two pockets on each side of the waist of the uniform. The inside of the uniform appears to have a long-sleeved shirt. The uniform also includes long grey pants. There is also a very small white "tie" that hangs outside.
Keima Katsuragi—Kamen Rider Ex-Aid.
A young man of average height with short black hair that is parted in the middle, dark brown eyes, and a slim trained body. He wears a white blazer with a black collar along with long trousers.
Ichika Orimura—Kamen Rider Build.
They were both raising their respective gears in order to transform. Eyes narrowed and ready for action.
"Henshin!" they both said.
MIGHTY ACTION X!
Keima pressed a button from his Gashat and a game screen appears that has the words "MIGHTY ACTION X". A Gamer Driver would suddenly materialize from his waist. He begins to hold the Gashat straight to the left before raising it back along with his left hand as they both stayed to the lower right. And then, he placed the Gashat to his left hand and twist it downward, inserting it into the first slot of his belt, and then opened the mid-section cover of the handle.
GASHATTO!
GACCHAN! LEVEL UP!
MIGHTY JUMP! MIGHTY KICK! MIGHTY MIGHTY ACTION X!
A Gashat-like gate would begin to materialize from the front and engulf his entire body. He was now donning a pink bodysuit with eight black lines that ran along the sides, four on both sides and stopped just above the knees. Silver shin guards and knee protectors covered his legs while black and green shoes covered his feet. Plantations of silver arms sat on his arms and hands like a green wristband wrapped around his wrists. The rubber pink shoulder armor sat on his shoulders while his chest armor was quite unique. The right side had a circle of four round buttons, red, yellow, green, and blue, just like those found on game controllers since what appeared to be a health bar appeared from the buttons and was mostly displayed on the left side of the armor. On his waist, he has an apparently voluminous green buckle around the waist with a slit on the left side. Finally, the helmet was dark silver with a silver mouthguard while white glasses surrounded orange cartoon eyes. Finally, the rubber-pink metal plantations extended to mimic the swept hair on the left while a metal face that looked like his helmet sat on his back, only without his eyes.
The words "LEVEL UP" were seen to appear from the front.
RABBIT! TANK! BEST MATCH!
Ichika was shaking the Fullbottles with both of his hands. When he stopped shaking them, he twisted both of the caps on them and placed the red one, which had the picture of a rabbit, into the right slot of the belt while the blue one, which had the picture of a tank, was placed into the left slot of the belt.
Music from the driver started to play, repeating the tune until he started twisting the crank, at a fast pace. Two transparent tubes came from the driver, making the shape of two pieces of a suit of armor. These became filled with red and blue liquid that gave the suit more detail. In front of him was the front half of the suit, the color was red. It constructed a left leg with a white spring on the lower area and a right arm with less armor. Behind me, the other half of the suit was mostly blue and constructed a left arm and right leg. The foot of the leg had a tank tread on it, and the arm was more armored than the right arm.
ARE YOU READY!
He was striking a confident pose of crossing his arms in front of his chest and then lowering to his sides. Both halves of the armor clamped onto my body with steam hissing from the transformation. Forming around him was a black bodysuit, and the torso armor was a mixture of red and blue. The left leg sported red armor and a spring that wrapped around the shin. On the waist, it has a scientific-looking buckle with two blue tanks with the image of a tank and red with the image of a rabbit, a handle on the right, and a white circle. The right leg had the tread pattern on the foot. A tank cannon and a rear rabbit decoration rose on the left side of the collarbone and the helmet lenses were round and large, but contained impressions of a rabbit on the left side, and a tank on the right, the ear and the rod that rose to give the image of the antennae.
HAGANE NO MOONSAULT! RABBITTANK! YEAH!
"I will clear this game and see the ending!" Ex-Aid said, raising his right hand in a check mark position.
"For the sake of love and peace, the laws of victory have been set!" Build said, raising his right hand and sliding it against the tank barrel of his helmet.
"...!"
Hariham Harry (who was carrying an unconscious Hugtan who had recently exhausted her powers), Hana Nono, Saaya Yakushiji, and Homare Kagayaki were seeing Another Ex-Aid heading towards them with claws raised towards them for the kill.
"Wh-What?!" Hana uttered in shock.
And so suddenly, Ex-Aid suddenly appears and punches her with a mean right hook, with the "HIT" word being displayed. Another Ex-Aid would crash a few meters to the ground, looking disorientated.
Hariham Harry and the HUGtto! Precure were shocked as they were seeing a very familiar figure that they never thought that they would see.
"K-K-Kamen Rider!" Hana muttered in shock.
Ex-Aid turns towards them. "Quickly, run as far away as you can and take care of the baby, I'll handle this monster so don't worry!"
"Eh?" Hana said. "But..."
Another Ex-Aid was already getting back up and roaring in a screeching sound. At the same time, Ex-Aid was now summoning his Gashacon Breaker from his right hand and was now making an official battle stance, raising his weapon to his front.
GASHACON BREAKER!
JA KIN!
At that moment, the entire environment seemed to be pixelating like a virtual reality game. Multiple Nebula Bugsters, individuals that have white turkey-shaped heads with a blue body color scheme with a straight violet paint from the center, were now raising their trident weapons at Ex-Aid and surrounding him from all sides. And then, they would begin to charge at Ex-Aid who begins to take them down one at a time with his Gashacon Breaker.
"What?!" Daruizen said as he and Another Cure Yell made a shocked expression.
To their surprise, they saw Kamen Rider Ex-Aid suddenly entering the fray and was now engaging Another Ex-Aid and the Nebula Bugsters that Another Ex-Aid had summoned. But another surprise would soon await them as multiple explosions suddenly engulfed their general direction and blasted them several meters, crashing to the ground. By the time they looked up, they saw a flying Kamen Rider Build with his own personal IS unit attached to his back.
"If you want to harm the HUGtto! Precure and try to interfere in the battle of my fellow Rider, you're gonna have to get past me first!" Build declared.
"Build!" Another Cure Yell exclaimed, narrowing her eyes while she was lying on the ground.
Universe: PC Universe-2004
Timeline: Present Time
Every one of the Precure (except for Kaoruko Hanasaki who was smiling) was surprised at the sudden appearance of the two young men who had transformed into Kamen Riders.
"What the?! Ex-Aid?! Build?!" Saki Hyuuga said.
"It would appear that a certain someone had called for the both of them and sent them straight to the problem," Doctor Traum made a smile of relief.
And just as the battle was happening from one part of the past, there was another individual that was being shown from another screen. Zooming in, he was a young man that appeared to be about thirteen or fourteen if anyone bothered to check. And he was quite disturbingly familiar with the HUGtto! Precure Team who were slowly widening their eyes in realization.
"...Eh," Hana was shocked. Unless her eyes deceived her, she was seeing someone who she and her friends were quite familiar with. "...Hinase..."
But...
Hana noticed something odd. What was he doing there? And...based on the little that she can see from the screen, he appeared to be smiling. She simply glanced back at George, feeling something oddly terrible for some reason. She looks to find...
"...!"
It wasn't just Hana. There was Hagumi Kurai, Kaoruko Hanasaki, Doctor Traum, Tatsuya Kaname, and many others immediately notice the silent demeanor of one George Kurai whose eyes were now glowing subtly with a pale yellowish color. And it felt...cold. For all of the Precure from Futari wa Precure to KiraKira Precure A La Mode, they felt as if they were back in that hospital room, only this was somehow worse off. For the Star Twinkle Precure and the Healin' Good Precure, they were more or less feeling the same exact feeling. It was making all of them feel deeply uncomfortable.
George's knuckles were clenched into cold-hearted fists. If one were to try to touch them, one would probably feel the cold emanating from his skin.
"...George," Hana muttered, slowly raising her right hand.
"...Papa," Hagumi muttered, slowly raising her right hand.
"...George," Nodoka muttered, widening her eyes.
"...George," Tatsuya muttered, concerned.
"...George," Kaoruko muttered, widening her eyes.
It was very quick, like the blink of an eye. He suddenly disappeared via a clock portal that was conjured, engulfing him and sending him straight to that specific time period where Hinase (?) was. Hana's eyes were growing to the point of anxiety, looking back at the screen where she sees Hinase Amano transformed into a Kamen Rider that was very unfamiliar to her and to the rest who were watching from the screen.
And then...
She would also see this Hinase summoning an axe and hurling straight towards...
Hugtan...
"...!" Hana grew terrified, her maternal instincts kicking in. The same can be said for Hagumi who was shocked at seeing her younger self about to be killed by a flying axe. What made the both of them relieved was that George suddenly swooped in and saved Hugtan, teleporting straight towards her location and immediately landing on the ground. Time was now moving once again and everyone from the past was in shock as they see George saving Hugtan.
Universe: PC Universe-2004
Timeline: HUGtto! Pretty Cure - Episode 23 - The Biggest Pinch! President Kurai Appears!
Now...
Both Kamen Rider Zi-O and Kamen Rider Impasse were eyeing each other and never lose each other from their line of sight, waiting for one to make the first move. The sense of waiting made everyone shift to discomfort. Adding in a sense of quietude made the atmosphere feel a bit thicker and bleak.
Impasse made the first move...by raising his right hand and making a crunched sound, using his low-level telekinesis.
"KYAH!" the Mou-Oshimaida was being crushed from the inside out very very quickly, all of its bone structures, molecular structures, and everything else. Impasse made it vomit a purplish liquid for a few moments which made Future Doctor Traum shocked beyond belief at the impossibility. What made it all too disturbing was the sheer sadism that was now being shown by Impasse.
"...!" all of the HUGtto! Precure, including Hariham Harry, were shocked and disturbed as they see the Mou-Oshimaida tasting a slow and quick death. And they would see the particles of the toge power flow towards Impasse, engulfing him with a sinister aura.
Zi-O was emitting his own aura that was covering his entire body which was a mixture of bright and dark lights.
And then, the fight begins. Impasse disappears one moment and then...
ZIKAN GIRADE!
CUL-DE-SAC GIRADE!
KEN!
Both Zi-O and Impasse were summoning their respective swords and clashing furiously with white sparks flying, the sound of their blades making a grinding sound that produces a steeled echo. And then, another sword strike. And another. And another. And another. Zi-O was raising his sword to the left and Impasse was doing the same thing as they both managed to counter each other quite perfectly.
And then, Impasse disappears as Zi-O raises his sword and performs a swipe attack intended to hit the torso. Impasse appears just right behind him and raises his sword, only for Zi-O to counter as he twisted his body to the left and dodges. Then, Zi-O raises his left hand and fires a discharged energy blast that fired in a straight line which was parried and absorbed by Impasse's energy shield that he managed to conjure up throughout his right arm.
And then, their attacks become much quicker, being paced precisely from several angles as the clash of swords was heard to follow one after another.
"...What...What is this?" Future Doctor Traum made a bewildered and concerned expression as he and the rest were bearing witness to this spectacle that was happening right in front of them.
One sword thrust from Impasse which was blocked by Zi-O before clashing his sword to make Impasse fall back a few meters before the latter fired an energy blast which was parried by Zi-O's sword which was calculated precisely to reflect the blast in a different trajectory in order for the blast to not harm the HUGtto! Precure who were already joining up together, helping Hana up while the latter was still carrying Hugtan.
Both swords were parried downward as they both twist and turn to separate directions before another parried strike once again happens. Zi-O and Impasse were evenly matched in terms of sword fighting as no matter what direction they landed, they both can block the other's attacks with ease. And thus, in order to break the stalemate, they begin to utilize their other abilities. Impasse was teleporting from one direction to the next, using his sword to hit Zi-O in the head, neckline, torso, and other vulnerable body parts. But they were all for naught as Zi-O blocks all of them with ease.
Universe: PC Universe-2004
Timeline: Present Time
Every single Precure who was at the hangar bay was watching the fight with a mixture of feelings that range from awe and concern. Hana Nono and Hagumi Kurai were never taking their eyes off of George Kurai for one single moment.
Hana, Hagumi, and the rest of the HUGtto! Precure were shocked at what they were seeing. Most of them knew Hinase Amano as an ordinary student from L'Avenir Academy and part of the junior band. But...judging by the mere gestures that this Hinase Amano was doing, it felt completely different. It made them glued to the screen as they didn't think that their classmate who appeared to be a kind and ordinary person was capable of these gestures that denote death and execution.
"Tck," Tatsuya Kaname clicked his mouth in displeasure as he raised his Ridewatch and twisted the dial. No way in hell is his best friend fighting this bastard alone, he thought.
GEIZ! ZIKU-DRIVER!
He begins to insert his Ridewatch on the right side of the slot. The standby sound of a ticking clock was heard. He slammed the crown button which tilt the belt and put both of his hands on the upper and lower sides of the belt.
"Henshin!" he exclaimed.
He then turns the belt over 360°. Three holographic watch bands suddenly encircled him, forming his entire armor.
RIDER TIME! KAMEN RIDER! GEIZ!
The armor was red, with black details and a hint of yellow, and two black armbands that would hold potential watches. It has a red triangle shoulder armor with grey and yellow details along a round chest plate, black gloves with yellow fingers, black knees, grey anklets, and a black digital watch design from the head to below the waist and onto the back. His helmet was a black-white face, his sharp-edge ribbon visor was yellow that spells 'Rider' in Hiragana, on the forehead has a digital clock symbol and a katakana symbol for 'Kamen' between them.
At that moment, he conjured up a portal of his own in order to help his best friend...
Universe: PC Universe-2004
Timeline: HUGtto! Pretty Cure - Episode 23 - The Biggest Pinch! President Kurai Appears!
ZIKAN ZAX!
Geiz raises his axe towards Impasse's back, only for the latter to block it with his sword. Sparks flew. Then Impasse, smirking from the inside, pushed his sword to Geiz's axe and sends him a few meters away. Geiz was dashing against the ground in order to stop himself from moving further.
YOU! ME!
Multiple energy blasts were fired against Impasse through the use of the Zikan Zax. Only...Impasse raises his right hand and stops the energy's tracks while using his left hand to parry the sword attacks from the upper and lower level.
Zi-O and Impasse were still parrying each other's attacks, sword or energy. Zi-O dodges a swipe from Impasse by jumping and twisting his body before aiming an energy blast at Impasse, the latter parrying it with ease which managed to burn a part of the grass. And then another set of attacks from their respective swords plus Impasse making several copies of himself which were trying their best to go for the kill.
Only...
"...!"
Zi-O unleashes a light psychic shockwave burst that managed to disperse all of the copies of Impasse, immediately recognizing that Impasse has taken the opportunity to flee before suddenly appearing behind Zi-O from the top, raising his axe and aiming it at his back before Zi-O parries it again, with both blades clashing as the winds picked up and breeze through the grass and the leaves of the trees that were nearby.
Another teleport, blocking the axe. And then another. And then another. And then another.
They were fast, so fast that they might appear like a blur but were still seen by the spectators who were watching. Geiz was assisting Zi-O in his own way, teleporting straight towards Impasse. Impasse was blocking both Zi-O and Geiz's weapons with his Cul-De-Sac Girades from both of his hands. And Impasse was smirking from the inside.
There were no conversations that comes with the typical fights between superheroes and supervillains. No...this was more like a fight to the death, with no one barely holding back. This scene would be a testament to the shattering traumatic experiences between Zi-O and Impasse. Both of them have a very long and complicated history. Even though this Impasse was not the real Impasse as this variant was merely a timeline remnant plucked out of his own time zone, nonetheless, this Impasse has all the experiences of the real Impasse.
And...
He was now performing twisting maneuvers that were clashing with the blades of Zi-O and Geiz who were switching from sword mode to gun mode and fired energy blasts which were parried by Impasse through the use of his swords. And he raises both hands, psychically pushing both Zi-O and Geiz away. Zi-O manages to hold his ground by raising his right hand and making himself stand firm like a heavy rock. Geiz wasn't so fortunate as he was thrown away through several meters before crashing into a nearby tree and managed to become disorientated.
That only left Zi-O and Impasse once again clashed their blades.
Future George Kurai had already made himself scarce the moment this fight had started, taking advantage of the opportunity to disappear while the Precure and everyone else was distracted by the presence of the new arrivals.
However...
That didn't mean that he wasn't still watching the fight between his younger self and the armored figure that he had no context for. Many thoughts were now pouring out within his mind, searching for any probable explanations as to how is this possible and where or when on earth did his younger self had the power to transform into a Kamen Rider of all things, a fictional character that shouldn't even exist. And yet...here he is...
Could it be that someone was messing around with time? If that were true, then his plans may be in jeopardy due to outside third parties. However, before long...
"...!"
He was knocked unconscious by an unknown force.
And that someone was a Future George Kurai further into the future, a version that had already experienced so much with the HUGtto! Precure and had already cast out his villainous ways after being convinced by Hana after their very last fight and the version who had given to the young George a certain pocket watch. He was sporting a grim expression, holding an unidentified futuristic gun. His eyes were looking at the unconscious body of his past self.
"I'm sorry about that, but I cannot allow you to interfere in our younger self's battle. Our fate and everyone's fate may all depend upon him," he said while looking back at the fight that was now happening right in front of him and of everyone else.
The other Future George Kurai had done his part to keep his past self at bay and would eventually erase his memories of this incident to prevent any more paradoxes. Now, the young George on his end would handle one of his most dangerous enemies to date.
The grass was now getting scorched by the flames that came forth from the bursts of energy that were summoned by the battle between Zi-O and Impasse.
A few swift strikes later, Impasse would begin to teleport once again, several meters away from Zi-O, and begins to use his left hand to raise an Another Precure Ridewatch that was showing the image of Cure Grace.
"...!" Zi-O widened his eyes as he saw Impasse twist the dial and press the button.
HEALIN' GOOD!
And then, something was happening to the surrounding area. And Zi-O begins to hear something...terrible...
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
It was also being clearly heard by Geiz, Doctor Traum, and the HUGtto Precure who were widening their eyes at the screaming voices. Very tiny screaming voices were clearly being heard. And they all noticed that there were blackish particles that were coming from all over the natural environment.
Something sinister was now taking place as the leaves and flowers and everything else was now losing their natural colors, turning pale grey as if they were a piece of ash.
In an instant, multiple types of Bugster Combatmen were being formed out of the negative energy that was being sucked in from the Element Spirits. Their turkey-like heads were black. Their bodies were grey with a straight green line from the center. Their voices appeared to be giving off a sense of static as if it were a radio that was losing the signal. They raised their tridents as they begin to charge at Zi-O.
Universe: PC Universe-2004
Timeline: Present Time
"...!"
Everyone heard the innocent screams. The alarm was sounding from the hangar bay as multiple screens were showing the appearance of multiple Element Spirits that represent nature such as the trees, leaves, grass, flowers, and many others that appeared to all be suffering from whatever Impasse was doing, screaming their silent voices.
Horror and outrage were present in every one of the Precure as they see the Element Spirit's plight. Even more so were the Healin' Good Precure who were watching this first hand.
"The Element Spirits! They're all suffering!" Asumi Fuurin said.
"We've got to do something, pe! We can't just stand here and do nothing, pe!" Pegitan said, standing near Chiyu Sawaizumi's shoulder.
"Wait just a moment," Doctor Traum interjected for a moment. He looks at Kiriya Irizawa. "Kiriya-kun, you are to take the Futari wa Precure and the Healin' Good Precure with you and are to assist my nephew as much as you can while the rest of the Precure are to wait here as the reserve force."
"Wait?! What about us?!" Homare Kagayaki exclaims, her face showing a sense of urgency.
"That's right, we want to help George too!" Saaya Yakushiji said with a serious expression.
"..." Doctor Traum made a very hesitant expression as he looks at the HUGtto! Precure, especially upon Hana Nono and Hagumi Kurai. "In most circumstances, I would agree, but for now, I cannot allow you to go and help my nephew."
"What?! Why not?!" Hana Nono exclaims in shock. The rest of the Precure were also showing their concerns.
"Hana-chan," Kaoruko Hanasaki was walking towards her, Hagumi Kurai, and the other HUGtto! Precure, and some of the other Precure team members who were following close behind. The Heartcatch Precure! was following close behind Kaoruko. "Doctor Traum is right, you and your team would need to stay here for the time being."
"Obaa-chan, what do you mean by that?" Tsubomi Hanasaki asked, concerned.
"The person that George is currently fighting, Amano Hinase, is not the same person that Hana-chan and her friends all probably knew. Rather, this person is from a very different world from our very own, and..."
She glances at the screen in worry, seeing her grandson who was busy dealing with the Bugster Combatmen. She also sees Impasse who was simply standing there doing nothing but letting things play out.
"This person has a very unhealthy obsession with you specifically, Hana-chan."
"Eh?" Hana made a surprised expression.
Universe: PC Universe-2004
Timeline: HUGtto! Pretty Cure - Episode 23 - The Biggest Pinch! President Kurai Appears!
Zi-O was now grabbing something from his left arm. It was a Ridewatch that has the face of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, with the year "2016" seen from the bottom. At the same time, he begins to recall something from his past as he delicately holds the Ridewatch in his hand.
Emu Hojo.
Years: 2016 - 2017.
Born as the son of Kiyonaga Hojo and his wife, due to experiencing loneliness at a very young age because his father was busy with work and his mother passed away from illness, he eventually managed to ease it by the usage of video games, growing to love it, leading to the creation of Mighty Brothers XX that he sent to Genm Corp. in a fan letter. After Kuroto Dan sent him the Mighty Action C game, the young Emu was infected with a Bugster Virus strain. While succumbing to the effects, he was involved in a car accident and was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. After recovering, Emu was given a WonderSwan handheld game console by Dr. Kyotaro Hinata as a reward. This event inspired him to become a doctor to help children.
During his teenage years, while he was still on the fence of becoming a doctor, Emu continued winning numerous gaming tournaments under the gaming alias of M. Sometime in 2010, Emu trained vigorously for a gaming tournament that he had participated in, at the cost of his health. Unknown to him, Kuroto watched his victory in the shadows, having watched Emu for over a decade.
Shortly after, Emu was abducted by the Next Genome Institute under Kuroto Dan's orders to extract the now-mature Parado from his body, which caused the surgeons operating on Emu to vanish. The leftover residue of the virus in Emu's body created a split personality that represented his love for gaming, while the portion extracted was used to execute Zero Day a year later. Emu believed the operation was a dream and decided to take his entrance exams seriously as he enrolled in Seito University as a medical student.
During his first year residency at Seito University Hospital, Emu noticed his patient, Sota Suyama, was diagnosed with an unsual disease. While the two bonded over a common interest for video games, Emu later learns that Sota is infected by the Bugster Virus as his patient is transformed into a golem-like creature. Knowing that the Gamer Driver can be used to operate on the patient, Emu took the belt and the accompanying Mighty Action X Gashat to extract the Bugster. After battling the Salty Bugster and saving Sota's life, he is brought into CR where Asuna Karino reveals herself as the navigator, Poppy Pipopapo, as she christens Emu as Kamen Rider Ex-Aid.
Somewhere at Seito University Hospital, a young ten-year-old George Kurai was being examined by Emu Hojo through the use of his stethoscope, the latter smiling at the former. The smile of course was filled with a deeper meaning as Emu was more than aware of the recent brush against death that George Kurai had undergone, somehow being sent to another Earth where he bore witness to a brutal systematic genocide at the hands of Ultron.
Kamen Rider Ichigo had tasked Emu specifically to keep a close eye on George's way to physical and mental recovery, becoming George's own personal doctor in the process. Emu was quite saddened the more he learned about this young man after the latter had stayed in this hospital for the past few months. George wasn't like the other children of his age who were all full of smiles, talking about the simple things in life such as video games or whatever popular thing that comes to mind. Rather, the young man was very intelligent, multi-talented, and mature. One would think that there was no problem. But...
George Kurai had lost the two most important people in his life. His parents. The only person that he can call family would have to be Doctor Traum who was considered to be a friend of the family. It wasn't bad enough that he had to lose both of his parents in life. No, there was a time when George was bullied at school. He never fought back against his oppressors. Anyone would have done that. But not enough. When asked why...
"I don't want my otou-san and okaa-san to be sad."
It touched and broke his heart. Even after his parents were gone, George would never want to tarnish the very name of Kurai, the very name of his own parents. He valued and treasured it. And so, he worked very hard with his studies, even becoming top of the class. The only problems that George had are his self-hatred and his lack of desire to make any form of friends. The latter seemed to have changed the moment George met a young man by the name of Tatsuya Kaname who was chosen to be Kamen Rider Geiz.
The former, however...
His self-hatred was still a work in progress.
"George," Emu said with a smile. "Are you feeling that you're up to playing a video game with me?"
George simply nodded silently.
"Good," Emu smiled as he patted the boy on the shoulder. "Then I know just the thing."
And the game that they played was Pokémon Legends: Arceus, an action role-playing game developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company for the Nintendo Switch. Ironically enough for Emu, Pokemon was real somewhere in the Multiverse and when he introduced George to this and other Pokemon games, it eventually blossom into a love for Pokemon.
And eventually, George would get a Pokemon, but not just any Pokemon.
It was a Celebi.
"("Hojo-sensei.")"
Zi-O thought with respect, a sense of resolve burning in his heart as he begins to raise the Ridewatch carrying the power of his sensei straight for all to see. He begins to twist the dial and press the button from the center.
EX-AID!
He begins to insert the watch in the left slot of the driver, pressing the crown button from the center of the driver, and spins it to over 360°.
ARMOR TIME!
The katakana for Ex-Aid suddenly came out of his belt which scattered and made all of the Bugters fall several meters away to the ground before forming once again. The letters were forming a holographic projection showing the various parts of the armor with the words "Ex-Aid" and "2016" being present.
And then, multiple pieces were now attaching to Zi-O and the katakana went straight to his visor. His armor was now silver with pink-black line circuits on his thigh armor. Each of his shoulders had a big pink Gashat and the arms were holding gauntlet versions of the Gashacon Breaker. The chest armor is neon green on the collar and has the gaming pad and health gauge with buttons of a sword and hammer. His helmet is reminiscent of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, with pink spiky hair and white goggle visors with pink katakana that reads "Ex-Aid".
LEVEL UP! EX-AID!
As soon as he transformed into the Ex-Aid Armor, the armor itself was emitting a subtle wave that was now banishing the negative flow of energy that was making the Element Spirits suffer, healing them instantly by refreshing their energy reserves, making the screaming stop at last.
''IWAE!''
''...?!'' everyone, both friend and foe alike except for Zi-O and Geiz (who is still getting his bearings together after getting knocked away towards a tree), looks towards the side and finds a man wearing a brown coat and with a grey hood, standing tall and right nearby the gathered past versions of HUGtto! Precure who yelped in shock at the sudden appearance, raising his hands in a dignified matter as he carried his book with honor.
Woz has now entered center stage, closely guarding the past self of his queen and the past selves of her friends. With his book in hand, he gives praise to the chosen successor of his beloved overlord and benevolent demon king of all time, Sougo Tokiwa - Kamen Rider Zi-O.
''He is the heir to the power of all Riders. The King of Time, traveling beyond time and space to protect the past and future of all Precure. His name is Kamen Rider Zi-O Ex-Aid Armor,'' he said as he raises his right hand straight at Zi-O, smiling. ''This is the moment when the King honors the Legend Rider who resolves to fight with no continues," he clenches his fist proudly as he slowly lays it down.
Impasse on his part was simply shaking his head at the sight while many of the created Bugster Combatmen gathered around him. "Still having your hype man spoil you, your majesty? How disappointing."
Zi-O simply remained silent, heavily disgusted and angered at Impasse for even thinking of using the Element Spirits to create unnatural Bugsters despite the fact that he didn't even need to and was simply enjoying the screams.
At that moment, multiple digital watch gates were formed, and out came Kiriya Irizawa who had now transformed into Kamen Rider Woz. Accompanying Woz were the Futari wa Precure and the Healin' Good Precure, all transformed and ready to fight. All of the girl's eyes were narrowed either in anger or disgust at Impasse due to what he had just done. Among them was Nodoka Hanadera, standing right beside Zi-O and already transformed into Cure Grace, narrowing her eyes and clenching her fists.
"Oh...And I see that reinforcements have arrived," Impasse smirked underneath his helmet. "This will prove quite interesting."
He presses the button of the Another Cure Grace Ridewatch.
HEALIN' GOOD!
Multiple Bugster Combatmen once again made an appearance. But then followed the appearance of at least five Megabyogen, gigantic creatures that were representing corrupted Tree Element Spirits.
"Geh! That's just not fair! Five Megabyogen! Isn't this a bit much!" Cure Sparkle vehemently objected, looking annoyed.
"All is fair for the sake of a noble cause," Impasse simply said.
"Noble?! You call making the Element Spirits suffer noble?!" Cure Grace made an expression of anger and disbelief.
"A necessary sacrifice if only to be rid of George Kurai from the face of existence...forever," Impasse said the last part with a very sharp edge that made most who heard of it completely disturbed and shaken.
"...Eh," the past Hana muttered softly in shock.
Universe: PC Universe-2004
Timeline: Present Time
"A necessary sacrifice if only to be rid of George Kurai from the face of existence...forever," Impasse said the last part with a very sharp edge that made most who heard of it completely disturbed and shaken.
"...!"
Hana Nono and Hagumi Kurai were widening their eyes as they felt their heart break for just a moment due to the subtle implications of the words that Impasse had spoken.
"...What...What does he mean by that?" Hagumi asked, looking at Kaoruko.
"It is exactly what he says, Hagumi-chan," Kaoruko spoke with a very grim tone. And the next one would be an eye-opener for all of the Precure in the hangar bay to hear. Amano Hinase, also known as Kamen Rider Impasse, wants my grandson dead...and he'll do anything to make that happen."
Some of the Precure who heard it widened their eyes, and that would include all of the HUGtto! Precure.
"...Dead," Hagumi was slightly shaking. The same can be said for Hana who was shaking as well. Her eyes turned towards the screen and secretly prayed within her heart, hoping that it may not be so.
"Wait, if that's the case, then all the more reason for us to get involved," Homare Kagayaki said, concerned.
"That's right, we can't just stand here and do nothing while our friend is about to fight for his life," Saaya Yakushiji said, concerned.
"All the more reason why you can't go yet since I have no doubt that Impasse would use all of the HUGtto! Precure for his goal to bring my grandson to his knees. Impasse knows of your closeness with him and he's counting on that, which is why Doctor Traum asked earlier to send for the Futari wa Precure and the Healin' Good Precure instead of the HUGtto! Precure specifically. My grandson and Impasse have battled against each other for so many years, and neither of them couldn't defeat the other, mostly because in spite of the fact that the real Kamen Rider Impasse is currently spending time in a penal colony very far from our world and cannot escape from it, he left time remnants of himself taken from different points in his own personal past in order to finish what he started."
"Wait, they've been fighting for years?" Hana asked. "You mean...they were fighting before George even met me?"
"George Kurai has many enemies, Hana-chan, and..." Kaoruko glances at all of the Precure who have gathered in the hangar bay. Then she looks at Hagumi specifically as if she was in relation to what she is about to say. "Some of his enemies would spell the doom for all Precure."
And it made all of the Precure silent.
Universe: PC Universe-2044 (a.k.a. Hagumi Kurai's Timeline)
Timeline: Unknown
What was the doom of all Precure?
What was Kaoruko Hanasaki - Cure Flower talking about?
It starts with one simple story that happened in the alternate future timeline where Hagumi Kurai had come from.
Cities lie in complete and utter ruins. The once-tall buildings that were a spectacle and a fascination for all to see were now full of rubble and debris that had buried many unfortunate people. Flames spread from one corner to another. Many dead bodies of men, women, and even children were seen lying on the ground or from several positions which denotes that most had tried their very best to run.
Some of the bodies that were lying down on the ground were...
"...Ah."
They were the bodies of what used to be known as the KiraKira Precure A La Mode, lying a few meters apart from each other, all bloodied and bruised. Himari Arisugawa - Cure Custard, Aoi Tategami - Cure Gelato, Yukari Kotozume - Cure Macaron, Akira Kenjou - Cure Chocolat, and Ciel Kirahoshi - Cure Parfait. They were no longer breathing. And the only one who was currently breathing and crying was one Ichika Usami, lying face down on the ground as she was trying to raise her right hand and reach...something walking from the distance...
This something was an individual whose terror struck the entire world. No one was safe from his wrath. No one knew where this monster had come from or how he came to be. What was important was that this monster had single-handedly made the world bend to his terror by defeating many of the Precure who tried to stand against this monster. Just like...the KiraKira Precure A La Mode.
Ichika's eyes were welling up in tears which was a culmination of frustration and grief as she can see the bodies of her fallen comrades. There was no one left alive...except for her.
And the figure that was now walking away...
It was no man...
It was a tall humanoid, about eight feet tall, having insectoid features, including his horns, beak-length mouth, five-toed feet, five-fingered hands, and segmented armor, all with black and silver color linings.
What Ichika remembered most from this monster were his eyes. They were slitted yellow pupils with no visible irises and a silver sclera. They were cold and calculative, with no hint of pleasure for whatever it is that he was doing.
"...N...Nullus."
She whispered a name.
Nullus Nihilum.
That was the villain that would eventually become George Kurai - Kamen Rider Zi-O's worst nightmare.
Insert Song: End
ED Song:
Kamen Rider 4 [Time - Mitsuru Matsuoka]
Legend Main Heisei Riders:
Emu Hojo/Kamen Rider Ex-Aid - A: Hiroki Iijima
New Characters:
Keima Katsuragi/Kamen Rider Ex-Aid - VA: Hiro Shimono
Ichika Orimura/Kamen Rider Build - VA: Koki Uchiyama
Nullus Nihilum - VA: Norio Wakamoto