Period with Tears

is the thirty-eighth episode of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid. It features Hiiro Kagami's defection from Masamune Dan, thus returning to CR.
==Synopsis==
Graphite mercilessly attacked the body of Taiga which forced him out of his transformation! The injured Taiga has been rushed to the hospital immediately, but there is a high possibility that his heart has been damaged. Moreover, it seems that it would take an expert-level of surgical expertise in order to save his life. After returning to Masamune, Hiiro's father and Asuna make an urgent phone call. The director asks Hiiro to perform Taiga's surgical operation. Just what decision will Hiiro come to in the end?
==Plot==
Taiga is rushed into Seito University Hospital, the doctors quickly concluding that the severity of his heart trauma means Hiiro's surgeon skills are needed. Meanwhile, Masamune berates Hiiro for not defeating Parado again. Director Kagami calls Hiiro saying he's needed, but Masamune takes the phone and hangs up. Director Kagami relays the need for Hiiro to Nico and Asuna, Nico doubting he'll show; just then, Hiiro walks in, refusing to chat before beginning the operation.
In the Bugster hideout, Parado and Graphite plan to target Brave next, but Cronus Chronicle Gamer confronts them to end Parado himself; they transform to Guren Graphite and Para-DX Perfect Knock Out Gamer Level 99. Hiiro enters the operating room, Emu thanking him for showing. At CR, Kuroto and Kiriya discuss Taiga's data not being saved if he dies like this, before teleporting out together to guard Parado and Emu's ability to transform. Graphite shoots another cell of the Gamedeus virus into Cronus's Driver to block Pause, but Cronus takes out a case filled with Energy Items, which he says are now also under his watch. He takes a Muscular Item and easily knocks Graphite and Para-DX around before using Iron-Body as they attack again and kicking them out of their transformations. Just then, Genm Zombie Action Gamer Level X-0 and Lazer Turbo Proto Sports Bike Gamer Level 0 teleport in and grab Cronus, letting Parado and Graphite teleport out. Cronus throws them off and easily fights them back, Genm using up another life to be left with 93. Cronus then says that all Riders with no commercial value will be discontinued, and that Bang Bang Simulations has lost its value, having told Hiiro to fail Taiga's surgery or Saki's data will be erased. Kuroto transforms into Genm Level X-0 again, fighting Cronus and letting Kiriya escape with the news.
Kiriya arrives at the hospital and reports, Asuna and Director Kagami refusing to believe it, but Nico races to the operating room, shouting through the door. Emu exits to investigate, Nico saying Hiiro will fail on purpose. Hiiro says to shut her up so he can continue. Emu tells Nico to calm down and believe that Hiiro will save Taiga; Emu then leaves to deal with Cronus. While operating, Hiiro remembers things that Taiga had said to him, about him not knowing failure, and telling him to move forward into the future; he drops his forceps. Genm loses another life, now down to 70, Cronus untransforming from boredom; Emu arrives, letting Kuroto leave. Emu asks for Saki's data, but Masamune says he'll delete it if Emu transforms; Emu does nothing, and Masamune punches him. Taiga's bleeding isn't stopping, but Hiiro says the operation will be over soon. Masamune beats up Emu as he mocks Hiiro's upcoming failure.
Hiiro walks out of the operating room, not telling the others how it ended. Masamune prepares to transform and kill Emu when Hiiro walks up; Emu asks him what happened but he stays silent. Then he replies very simply: there is nothing he cannot cut. The sun rises on Taiga recovering in a hospital bed; Hiiro is a doctor to the end. As Masamune summons Saki on the Bugvisor II, still repeating her request for Hiiro to become the world's best doctor, Hiiro says that if he can be forgiven, he will fight alongside Emu; a tear drops from his face. Masamune summons Saki out from the Bugvisor II into an unstable form, and she breaks apart, scattering as data into the sky. The Riders transform into Cronus Chronicle Gamer, Brave Legacy Gamer Level 100, and Ex-Aid Muteki Gamer and fight. Brave knocks the Bugvisor II away from Cronus and the two kick him back. They use Hyper Critical Sparking and Taddle Critical Strike, Cronus using a Iron-Body Energy Item but still being knocked out of his transformation; he grabs the Bugvisor II and shoots to cover his escape. Emu heads back to CR, leaving by Hiiro's request; Hiiro stands as it starts to rain, falling to the ground crying over Saki.
Later that day, Taiga wakes up and is told what happened, Hiiro apologizing for what he'd done earlier, but Taiga thanks him for saving his life. Everyone smiles, happy about the reconciliation. Kiriya then wastes no time in calling Hiiro out for trying to shyly walk away from patient interaction.
==Cast==
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*Narration, Gashacon Bugvisor II/Buggle Driver II Voice, : 
===Guest Cast===
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*Surgeon: 
*Nurse: 
===Suit Actors===
*Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Muteki Gamer: 
*Kamen Rider Brave Level 100: 
*Kamen Rider Lazer Turbo Level 0: 
*Kamen Rider Genm Level X-0, Graphite Bugster: 
*Kamen Rider Para-DX Level 99: 
*Kamen Rider Cronus: 
*Graphite Bugster: 
==Rider Gashat==
*Gashat Used:
**Ex-Aid
***Maximum Mighty X, Hyper Muteki
**Brave
***Taddle Legacy
**Lazer Turbo
***Bakusou Bike, Proto Shakariki Sports
**Genm
***Gamer Driver
****Proto Mighty Action X Origin, Dangerous Zombie
**Para-DX
***Gamer Driver
****Gashat Gear Dual
**Cronus
***Kamen Rider Chronicle
*Level Used:
**Ex-Aid
***Muteki Gamer
**Brave
***Legacy Gamer Level 100
**Lazer Turbo
***Proto Sports Bike Gamer Level 0
**Genm
***Zombie Action Gamer Level X-0
**Para-DX
***Perfect Knock Out Gamer Level 99
**Cronus
***Chronicle Gamer
==Energy Items==
*Energy Items Used:
**Cronus
***Muscular, Iron-Body (2x)
**Unused
***Speeding-Up, Instigate, High-Jump, Recover, Shrink, Giant, Invisible, Confusion, Liquefaction, Dark, Sleep, Reflect, Fortune, Flatten, Balloon-Body, Gag, Fascination, Partner, Prediction, Halt, The End, Random
==Errors==
*Taiga's scan is dated May 30th, 2017, but the monthly schedule in CR was shown in the previous episode to be on July, however. The lunar phase of that date in real life is also incongruent with the full moon prominently seen in the night sky throughout the episode, though it matches the lunar phase of the July 9 airdate.
==Notes==
*As part of Super Hero Time, this episode aired alongside episode 21, .
*Viewership: 4.3%
*Closing Screen:
**Text Color: Pink
*Count at episode end
**Gashats in Ex-Aid's possession: Mighty Action X, Gekitotsu Robots, Shakariki Sports, Bakusou Bike, Giri Giri Chambara, Mighty Brothers XX, Maximum Mighty X, Hyper Muteki
**Gashats in Brave's possession: Taddle Quest, DoReMiFa Beat, Drago Knight Hunter Z, Gashat Gear Dual β, Taddle Legacy
**Gashats in Snipe's possession: Bang Bang Shooting, Jet Combat, Gashat Gear Dual β
**Gashats in Lazer Turbo's possession: Bakusou Bike, Proto Mighty Action X, Proto Taddle Quest, Proto Bang Bang Shooting, Proto Bakusou Bike, Proto Gekitotsu Robots, Proto DoReMiFa Beat, Proto Giri Giri Chambara, Proto Jet Combat, Proto Shakariki Sports, Proto Drago Knight Hunter Z
**Gashats in Genm's possession: Proto Mighty Action X Origin, Dangerous Zombie
**Gashats in Para-DX's possession: Gashat Gear Dual
**Gashats in Poppy's possession: Toki Meki Crisis
**Gashats in Ride-Player Nico's possession: Kamen Rider Chronicle
**Gashats in Cronus' possession: Kamen Rider Chronicle (Master ver.)
**Gashats in unknown possession: Ju Ju Burger
**Kuroto Dan's Life Points remaining: 70
**Gashatrophies in Ride-Player Nico's possession: Bang Bang Shooting, Mighty Action X, Taddle Quest, Bakusou Bike, Gekitotsu Robots, Jet Combat, Shakariki Sports, Giri Giri Chambara, DoReMiFa Beat
*Video Game References in this episode:
**Cronus keeping a lot of Energy Items in a case for him to use is a reference to the inventory usage in role-playing games that allows players to carry health-restoring and status-healing items, etc.
*It also features the final appearance of Saki Momose.
*This is the first time Cronus uses Energy Items.
*This is the first time since its debut that Lazer Turbo doesn't assume Bike Gamer Level 0.
*Cronus's Energy Item Case is a remodeled O Medal Holder. Furthermore, he throws Energy Items to himself much like Ankh threw Core Medals to Eiji Hino.
*Asuna does not transform into Poppy Pipopapo throughout this entire episode.
*Taiga's scan is curiously dated May 30th, 2017, over a month behind this episode's airdate. Assuming that Masamune’s release from prison occurs on that episode’s airdate of May 21st and the events following there up to this episode (not including the Kamen Rider Ex-Aid "Tricks": Kamen Rider Lazer Hyper Battle DVD) occur over consecutive days as indicated by Emu changing his shirt and observable day changes, May 30th would indeed be an accurate date.
*While filming the scene where Hiiro cries alone after Ex-Aid and Brave's battle with Cronus, it began to rain on set. However, instead of stopping work halfway through, director Satoshi Morota decided to carry on filming, making use of the rain in the scene to his advantage.http://www.toei.co.jp/tv/ex-aid/story/1210082_2606.html
==DVD/Blu-ray releases==
*Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Volume 10 features episodes 37-39: Resolution of The White Knight!, Period with Tears and Goodbye Me!
*Blu-ray Collection 4 comes with 9 episodes. 
Ex-Aid Vol 10.jpg|Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Volume 10, DVD
91F8ZR9rxIL SL1467 .jpg|Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Collection 4, Blu-ray
==External Links==
*TV Asahi's official episode guide for 涙のperiod
*Toei TV's official episode guide for 涙のperiod
==References==