Chapter 114

Nine

We will never condone this!

“Three!”

Looking at the red-haired girl who was disintegrating in the light and slowly collapsing at his feet, Ash pressed down the last finger.

“You’re really angry now.”

Holding his right cheek where Ai had struck him with all her fury, Ash also released his transformation by opening his card box. The intermittent pain made him inhale sharply; her last blow truly hit him, leaving a faint metallic taste in his mouth.

This attack contained her distaste for his arbitrary reasoning, her anger over what happened to her friends, and doubts about his code of conduct. Despite all of these, he wasn’t defeated.

“Mana—What are you going to do to Mana?!”

Ignoring the voice of his fairy partner, Shalulu, Ash crouched down and turned the unconscious girl to face upwards. Even in her unconscious state, she still wore an expression of unwillingness.

“Do you dislike fighting me so much?”

Recalling the past, when he engaged other heroes in battle, they were often reluctant despite not fearing combat. They felt anger and doubt too, but didn’t comprehend why Ash fought them even though he meant no hostility. To them, it seemed like pointless action.

But such battles held different significance for Ash.

As mentioned earlier, Ash gained something called “Dark Echo” from battles against protagonists and antagonists. This was what his system needed. Fighting dark organization members gave him massive amounts of “Dark Echo,” though of poor quality. On the contrary, facing heroes yielded smaller quantities of “Dark Echo,” yet the quality was exceptionally high.

However, that wasn’t the whole explanation. In reality, he enjoyed the unique satisfaction enemies brought in fights.

In battle, emotions and strength transferred through interactions went beyond just physical contact, and he relished this emotional exchange, reviving something within his repeatedly dying heart. It satisfied him, easing the emptiness caused by his 12-year-old memories and body being out of sync. How could he not enjoy it?

Even without reason, he sought conflict or any thrilling activities with his targets.

Just as previously stated, he thoroughly savored every moment of life.

“Compared to those villains driven by selfish desires, I naturally prefer battling heroes with hearts like the sun.”

“Is that all?” One of the fairies exclaimed, mouth agape, now doubting whether he had escaped from a mental institution.

How could a madman be so formidable? Certainly not from an institute for abnormal individuals.

“Thank you for the hospitality, Pretty Cures.”

Noticing Ash’s gaze, the fairies linked hands resolutely, standing protectively in front of the girls.

“Don’t harm the Pretty Cures!”

“At first, I merely intended to witness the legendary warriors’ power, and today’s encounter sufficed.”

Angry gazes from the fairies were directed towards the earnest Ash. Although they wished to punish him on behalf of their partner, most fairies couldn’t engage in combat, lacking the strength to fight humans, especially when the Pretty Cures received extraordinary powers. Besides floating around to distract him, they couldn’t act effectively.

“Saying that, you are also their transformation devices.” Noticing the fairies’ gaze, Ash added sardonically. “Speaking of which, aren’t you partly responsible for their current state?”

“How could you say such things to Shalulu!” Shalulu, a fairy, was almost furious with Ash.

You initiated this, making everyone suffer, how could you shift the blame to us?!

“Aren’t you the ones who transformed them into Pretty Cures?” Ash shrugged. “They didn’t owe you anything, but eventually, due to various reasons, likely influenced by you, they transformed, correct?”

“They didn’t need to bear the fate of fighting. Without conflict, they wouldn’t be in this situation now. It’s your fault, fairies, that you forever changed their lives.”

Ash’s sarcastic tone implied,

“But—” The fairies tried to argue back, but found themselves speechless.

Incongruously, as they began to consider his words, they realized there was some truth even though logically it didn’t make sense.

“If I hadn’t defeated them, but rather the Selfish Organization or their king himself!” It seemed that the presence of the fairies sparked Ash’s commentary, making it sharp.

“If they died because of this, wouldn’t it also partly be because of you?”

“Do young lives perish for matters unrelated to themselves? Afterward, will you promptly search for another replacement after mourning your partner?”

“No—”

“Then they would truly be pitiable.”

“Not like that…!”

Though unharmed, the fairies trembled with tears of frustration and sorrow, looking ready to break down at any moment.

“No, that’s not true…” Hands gripped Ash’s trousers tightly.

The feeble voice was filled with determination, as new strength surged within her weakened body, reviving Ai.

“Mana—!”

With utmost gentleness, the girl embraced her partner, her dust-covered face obscured by her hair. Yet, Ash sensed energy emanating from her.

“I’ve always been grateful to Shalulu. It granted me the power of a Pretty Cure, giving me a chance to save Makoto!”

Her intentions reached Shalulu, whose tears shifted from sadness to relief.

From their first encounter, transformations, and fights, they remembered them vividly. As a 14-year-old junior high student, she naturally felt fear, but seeing Makoto caught by a Beast, she rushed out nonetheless.

Did she need a reason? To Ai, aiding others required none.

“Shalulu helped me. She allowed me to convey my love to others, a love destined for many!”

“Your arguments can never be recognized!”

Ferocious light sparkled in the girl’s eyes as she shouted, turning grievances to resolve into unwavering belief, a weapon against Ash’s fallacies.

“…”

Observing her, Ash rubbed his eyes, seeing shadowy figures—red fighters with comrades’ burdens, silver masked heroes concealing sorrows, and steadfast giants of light.

“Do you all act stupidly…?”

Seeing Ai roaring at the contractor on behalf of her partner, the漆黑无双龙 (Black Dragon) finally acted, eager to pounce. Emitting what sounded like “I’m drooling over this!” The dragon swayed its blade tail, moving its metallic, sleek, intimidating form, ready to devour Ai and her fairy whole with a vicious snarl.

“Uh—”

Unable to move, Ai clung to Shalulu for protection, eyes closing at the sight of the dragon’s fangs and claws.

Bang bang bang—

Instead of being swallowed, there was gunfire. Opening her eyes, she witnessed Ash raising his [Gear Cage Gun] and firing continuously into the dragon’s gaping mouth.

“Roar—!”

Expressionless, Ash continued, the shots causing sparks to fly off the dragon. Its polished black armor, once pristine, was now stained by the impact of bullets.

Thedragon’s eyes revealed an almost humanlike pout, as if to ask, Why don’t I get to eat then if I’m attacking you?

I understand. It’s because this human wants to eat it, thinking it’ll lose out. Anyway, there are three more; I’ll devour the others!

“Roar—”

Ash turned back, glaring fiercely at the dragon swinging Makoto around. “Why are you making noise?!” He yelled again at his unresponsive contracted beast, “You cannot eat these. Go back to your own mirror world!”

“Roar!”

The dragon’s sound carried more despair, its eyes resentful. Finally, it glanced at Ash’s gun before obeying his order and vanishing in a flash through the mirror.

“All right, then next.”

Satisfied for now, the thought of abandoning them in their current state was out of the question. Battling them was one thing; ignoring them lying unconscious was quite another.

Looking at the other three girls who lay unconscious on the ground, Ash stepped away from Ai’s watchful eyes, pulled out his phone, and threw it onto the ground, opening it into a special three-wheeled vehicle equipped with a large caliber Gatling gun.

[RideGatriker]! (Ride Gatling)

With a sound effect, the phone deformed into a motorbike-sized weapon, amplified by the built-in “mass conversion mechanism” similar to the Fantasia Ride Book.

Ai’s jaw dropped, recalling the first time she saw Ash conjure such a machine with mysterious methods.

Despite her youth, basic principles of conservation remained clear. Ash’s actions bewildered her for a moment, seeming to defy science.

“What is this…?”

“Oh, you’re asking about this? I borrowed it from Hino Ryuga and Nanto Rento once. They forgot to reclaim it, and I forgot to return it.”

Finishing, he scooped up the other girls one-by-one and tossed them into the back of the vehicle like he was kidnapping them, prompting Ai to step in front.

“Wait!”

Ai spread her arms in front of Ash, preventing him from boarding.

“Where are you taking everyone?!”

A helmet was tossed into her hands as Ash himself put on a black combat helmet.

“What are you thinking, you’re coming too.”

“So, where are we headed?”

“Where else, to the hospital.”