The Guardian (Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Crossover)

Chapter 14 Defeat M's Paradox

She could feel his stares and sighing heavily. "I'm sorry for hiding it from you, Hiiro. I don't even know how to bring it up." Ophelia defended herself for her actions. It's not easy to explain everything to Hiiro regarding Emu's condition without proof.

"I know you did with good intentions for the intern's sake." Hiiro could understand her hesitation to reveal the dark secret from Emu and himself. "Are you intending to tell him about you?" He asked about revealing her past from Emu.

Ophelia lowered her gaze and sighed heavily. "I don't even know, Hiiro. We have a lot of problems dealing here and I don't want him to pile up my problems." She answered truthfully clutching her necklace to ease the anxiety. "I haven't even asked Zilar why Universe Knight chose me to help you guys. I was meant to die on that day, Hiiro but somehow— I escaped from it."

Hiiro simply took her hand away from the necklace and gripped it gently. "We'll get through this."

Ophelia nodded her head and leaned over his shoulder. Hiiro wraps his hands around her shoulder to pull her closer. "I didn't know Kiriya— knew Emu's condition and now you guys found out about it."

"Have you tried to cure him when you found out his condition?" The genius surgeon asked her. He remembered she'd done it with the previous patient before by an old man.

"Many times and only ended up easing his pain." Ophelia whispered closing her eyes. "My healing and purifying aren't working because the virus evolves more. I wished Alita was here to guide me."

Hiiro silently comforted his ex-girlfriend and enjoyed the moment of silence. He couldn't provide the answer she sought because Hiiro never met or knew Alita.

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Hiiro went back to the hospital after Emu called him to have a chat. The genius surgeon decided to talk privately on the rooftop without interrupting them.

"What did you call me out for?" Hiiro asked Emu curiously and had a feeling it had something to do with yesterday's incident. He attacked him without a reason.

"I want to know why you attacked me, Hiiro-san." Emu pointed out bluntly. "I've never seen Fee-chan get workup before and adamant enough to protect me from you and Taiga-san." Hiiro remained silent and looked away. "Does it have anything to do with my patient, Nico-chan?"

"What?" He looked at him surprised and wondered how Ophelia kept up Emu's stupidity and naivety.

"She hates me for some reason and refused to acknowledge Fee-chan." Emu approached him slowly. "Are you doing this because you realized what's causing her stress?" He asked and wanted to know if it was the truth or not.

"Do I look like I care about that patient!?" He snapped coldly and approached him. "I'm doing this because you..." Hiiro froze and remembered Taiga's words if he told Emu the truth about his Game Syndrome. "I'm doing this because of your deep involvement with the patients..." He walked far from Emu's distance. "...irritates me." The genius surgeon readied his driver and Gashat.

"Hiiro-san!" Emu yelled at his name worriedly.

Hiiro ignored him and activated his Gashat. "Taddle Quest!"

"Henshin!"

"Gashatto! I'm a Kamen Rider." He successfully transformed.

"Show yourself, Bugster!" Hiiro approached Emu slowly.

Emu walked backward nervously and observed the game area. "Wait! There's no Bugster anywhere!" He tripped over his feet and fell.

Hiiro clenches his fists and is about to punch Emu, but someone shoots him and takes the hit. Emu looked up to see Revol and his soldiers showed up.