The Forbidden Continue!?

is the thirty-first episode of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid.
==Synopsis==
No one can hide the fact that they are upset about Kuroto's revival. How was he able to return? What is Kuroto's true intention by making this Continue a reality? Meanwhile, Emu cannot forgive what Kuroto did to all those patient's lives. He realizes that in order to eliminate Kamen Rider Chronicle, his cooperation is required, but Emu is getting tired of his attitude...
==Plot==
Kuroto is moving into Poppy's arcade machine, taking over and redecorating the left half of the room black; he's also claiming his new name is "New Kuroto Dan", impressing nobody. He credits his return on his preparation for a possible Game Over. Poppy says she brought him back to help free Emu from Parado's control and wants him to apologize for everything he did wrong, but he feels he never did anything requiring apology. All of the people who died playing Kamen Rider Chronicle: their 'data' isn't gone. CR gets an emergency call before he can elaborate, with Emu, Taiga, and Nico responding, leaving Poppy and Kuroto; Hiiro leaves, claiming having an operation to perform, but secretly leaves with the Gashat Gear Dual β.
Charlie has stolen a female Ride-Player's bicycle and is terrorizing her on it. Emu arrives and becomes Ex-Aid Maximum Gamer Level 99, knocking down Charlie before Parado arrives to deal out Emu's bad ending for losing their last fight. Asuna arrives and releases Kuroto from the Bugvisor II to help Ex-Aid, but he instead attacks Parado for his previous betrayal; the two take Genm Action Gamer Level 0 and Para-DX Perfect Knock Out Gamer Level 99 as Ex-Aid goes after Charlie. He uses a Stretch Energy Item to catch up with and knock Charlie off of his flying bicycle, but Nico arrives and defeats Charlie with a "Nico Critical…(pause to confuse the enemy)…Punch!", curing the Ride-Player and getting the Shakariki Sports Gashatrophy. Para-DX is easily beating Genm, but while pulling him up by his collar, Genm grabs his arm; because of Level 0's void ability, contact with a Bugster can reduce its level, dropping Para-DX from Level 99 to Level 75 in seconds before he gets knocked away. Genm clarifies that his Gamer Driver compatibility returned by being reborn as a Bugster with human genes. Genm rushes, but Para-DX uses Knock Out Critical Smash and depletes Genm's Rider Gauge, making him Game Over again. However, everyone is shocked as Kuroto emerges from a purple pipe labeled "Continue", explaining that Proto Mighty Action X Origin was an alpha version Gashat, and comes with the ability to Continue from a Game Over, meaning Para-DX only cost him the first of 99 lives. Bored by this development, Para-DX leaves.
Emu and Asuna console the patient, who explains that her young son played Kamen Rider Chronicle but lost and disappeared, so she started playing to try and win to revive him; she doesn't care what happens to her in the process. Kuroto comments on her bravery, and Asuna suddenly remembers her host. Hiiro is called back to CR with the group as Poppy explains that her host was Sakurako Dan, Kuroto's mother; she'd been at the Seito University Hospital until 6 years prior, but no death was listed, Poppy speculating that Kuroto infected his mother with the Bugster virus instead of letting her die normally, creating Kamen Rider Chronicle so her data could be preserved. Kuroto, however, insists he made Kamen Rider Chronicle to preserve his own talents. Emu is angry that Kuroto treats lives like a game, while Hiiro asks if lost people can really be brought back, squeezing something in his pocket and leaving when he isn't answered. Taiga and Nico confront him on the roof, realizing he hopes to revive Saki by clearing the game, and has already collected the Bakusou Bike Gashatrophy. Kuroto has found a report of Parado, and Emu stops Poppy from stopping him from leaving; he says Kuroto doesn't understand the value of live by its fragility, but Kuroto says he's saving life as data to preserve it like doctors never could. Emu can't work with someone like this. Taiga says that they can use Kuroto to defeat the Bugsters, with Nico pointing out that they now have 7 Gashatrophies, almost enough to challenge the boss Bugsters. Kuroto teleports out to face Parado, Poppy following.
Para-DX Level 99 is at a dam fighting a pair of Ride-Players as Kuroto arrives and becomes Genm Level 0; Para-DX easily fights Genm, Poppy insisting the Riders need to work together, taking Poppy Toki Meki Crisis Gamer Level X when Genm refuses, and using Critical Crews-Aid to knock Genm out of his transformation. She untransforms as Emu arrives, kneeling down to thank Kuroto for bringing her to life and giving her an identity, considering him to be her father, again asking Emu to forgive him. As punishment for siding with the humans, Para-DX uses Gun Mode Zombie Perfect Critical Finish (briefly affected by Dangerous Zombie's power) against her; she tries to protect Kuroto, but the sound of her heartbeat inspires Kuroto to push her aside and quickly transform again to take the hit, dying. Reviving again, he vows to protect the life he created, Emu calling his extra lives chances to atone, and though he can never forgive Kuroto for his actions, and Kuroto won't be asking him to, Emu does agree to work with him to stop the Bugsters and Kamen Rider Chronicle. They transform to Ex-Aid Level 99 (ejecting from the Maximum Gamer), who will win without continues, and Genm Level 0, who will use continues to win if need be. Armed with the Gashacon Parabragun (Para-DX), Key Slasher (Ex-Aid), and Breaker (Genm), the fight quickly becomes an Energy Item fest, Ex-Aid knocking an Invisibility to Genm to sneak in and grab Para-DX to lower him to Level 76 before getting thrown off, flying right into a Stretch to reach back and grab him again, lowering him to Level 50. They duel and disarm Para-DX, all three grabbing a Speeding-Up and jumping on generated chocolate blocks to fight at blinding speeds. Para-DX is knocked down as Ex-Aid and Genm use Maximum Mighty Critical Finish to rapidly slash and defeat him, Para-DX teleporting out and dropping the Dangerous Zombie Gashat, which Genm retrieves.
Back at CR, Poppy asks everyone to put aside Kuroto's misdeeds until Kamen Rider Chronicle is beaten, and as a token of good will, Kuroto has presents for everyone. For Emu, the DoReMiFa Beat Gashatrophy for freeing Poppy from her brainwashing; for Taiga, a second Gashat Gear Dual β, meaning both he and Hiiro can take Level 50 at once; for Hiiro, an answer to his question—the data from people who vanished due to the Bugster virus is stored in the Proto Gashat of the virus that infected them, meaning that once the game has been won, they can indeed be saved; and for Nico, a large lollipop, which she starts eating even as she's still threatening him. With the team agreeing to work together, and the 9 low and mid tier Gashatrophies gathered (Giri Giri Chambara's having been collected in the meantime), it's time to challenge the high tier.
==Cast==
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===Guest Cast===
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===Suit Actors===
*Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Level 2, Level 99: 
*Kamen Rider Genm Level 0: 
*Kamen Rider Para-DX Level 99: 
*Kamen Rider Poppy: 
*Charlie Bugster: 
*Ride-Player Nico: 
==Rider Gashat==
*Gashat Used:
**Ex-Aid
***Maximum Mighty X
**Genm
***Gamer Driver
****Proto Mighty Action X Origin
**Para-DX
***Gamer Driver
****Gashat Gear Dual
***Dangerous Zombie (in Gashacon Parabragun)
**Poppy
***Toki Meki Crisis
**Ride-Player Nico
***Kamen Rider Chronicle
*Level Used:
**Ex-Aid
***Maximum Gamer Level 99, Action Gamer Level 2
**Genm
***Action Gamer Level 0
**Para-DX
***Perfect Knock Out Gamer Level 99
**Poppy
***Toki Meki Crisis Gamer Level X
==Energy Items==
*Energy Items Used:
**Ex-Aid
***Stretch, Speeding-Up
**Genm
***Invisible, Stretch, Speeding-Up
**Para-DX
***Speeding-Up
**Unused
***Iron-Body, Instigate, High-Jump, Muscular, Recover, Giant, Confusion, Liquefaction, Dark
==Errors==
*When Kuroto first transforms into Genm in front of Para-DX, he raises the Proto Mighty Action X Origin Gashat with his right hand, before slightly bringing it down. In the next shot, the Gashat is suddenly in his left hand as he inserts it into his Gamer Driver.
*When Para-DX inserts the Dangerous Zombie Gashat into the Gashacon Parabragun to perform Perfect Critical Finish, the 'Gashat!' sound accidentally came out first before he inserted the Gashat into the weapon.
*When Ex-Aid ejects from Maximum Gamer, the Gamer Driver still remains on the Gamer.
==Notes==
*As part of Super Hero Time, this episode aired alongside episode 14, .
*Viewership: 3.4%
*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
**Gashats in Brave's possession: Taddle Quest, DoReMiFa Beat, Drago Knight Hunter Z, Gashat Gear Dual β
**Gashats in Snipe's possession: Bang Bang Shooting, Jet Combat, Gashat Gear Dual β
**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 the Ministry of Health's possession: 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 unknown possession: Ju Ju Burger
**Kuroto Dan's Life Points remaining: 97
**Gashatrophies in Ride-Player Nico's possession: Bang Bang Shooting, Mighty Action X, Taddle Quest, Gekitotsu Robots, Jet Combat, Shakariki Sports, Giri Giri Chambara, Bakusou Bike, DoReMiFa Beat
Return of the CEO.png|Kuroto returns.
Strange continue!.png|Kuroto revived from a pipe.
Negative effect on Para-DX.png|Dangerous Zombie's negative effect works on Para-DX.
*Video Game References in this episode:
**There are numerous references to Super Mario in this episode
***Kuroto Dan respawns by emerging from a pipe is a reference to the Warp Pipes.
***Kuroto reveals that he had 99 lives to start from, which is also the maximum number of lives Mario can have in New Super Mario Bros.
***The Bracket Pyramid on the dry erase board that shows the defeated Bugsters has the thirteenth mystery Bugster at the top being a question box much like the ? blocks from Super Mario Bros.
**The double finisher between Ex-Aid and Genm could be interpreted as a reference to either the Bros Attacks from the Mario & Luigi series or the popular term 'Wombo Combo' from the Super Smash Bros competitive scene.
**Ride-Player Nico's Rider Punch was done in a style similar to the Shoryuken.
*As of this episode, Kuroto Dan has been added back into the opening sequence.
*This is the first time the Dangerous Zombie Gashat was used in a Gashacon weapon for a Critical Finish.
*This is the first time Genm wields the Gashacon Breaker.
*The episode marks the return of the Energy Item Containers, as Ex-Aid and Genm use them during their battle with Para-DX.
**As a result, it is also the first time Genm uses Energy Items.
*This episode is aired on Mother's Day, which is to coincide with Poppy's host being revealed to be Kuroto's mother.
*It is never directly mentioned when Nico acquired the Giri Giri Chambara Gashatrophy, as she didn't appear to have it when she and Taiga confronted Hiiro on the roof, though this means they must have gone after and defeated Kaiden during Ex-Aid and Genm's fight with Para-DX.
==DVD/Blu-ray releases==
*Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Volume 8 features episodes 29-32: We're Me!?, Strongest VS Strongest!, The Forbidden Continue!? and Judgment Received!.
*Blu-ray Collection 3 comes with 12 episodes.
Ex-Aid Vol 8.jpg|Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Volume 8, DVD
81OSoTyJZ4L SL1184 .jpg|Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Collection 3, Blu-ray
==External Links==
*TV Asahi's official episode guide for 禁断のContinue！？
*Toei TV's official episode guide for 禁断のContinue！？
==References==