Chapter 154

The Forty-Eighth Pretty Cure, you drive me crazy.

Unbeknownst to her, after hearing Ash’s words, Arisu felt a strange sense that “As expected, this is Mr. Ash.”

It must be because Mr. Ash was already strange himself, right?

“Sometimes I really don’t know whether you are a grown-up or we are the grown-ups.”

Forcing others to follow your own thoughts and throwing tantrums indiscriminately are immature traits only exhibited by children, yes?

“You wouldn’t say otherwise even if I were to say such things.”

Ash, being told such, did not get angry but gently touched the spot on his chest armor where it was sliced. He casually flicked away some of the fragmented armor and resumed combat stance, waving to Arisu.

“Why aren’t you attacking? Then, I will start!”

Ash loved fighting heroes, let alone now when the opponent clearly awakened new power; even more so!

As for the current state of near impossibility in defeating the opponent due to their lack of willpower? Ha, who cared? The actual outcome could only be determined after fighting!

Lowering his body, Ash looked like a wild beast on the hunt; he exerted himself, muscles tensing, driving his armor with increased force. His legs accelerated towards Arisu, picking up the Draconic Sword and Draconic Shield he had previously discarded. One-handedly wielding sword and shield, he initiated a new attack.

“Might we continue, Mr. Ash?”

However, Ash wanted to fight, whereas Yotsuba Arisu did not wish to continue.

Should this have sufficed as training?

Certainly, even Arisu herself doubted that she could convince Ash with such reasoning.

Effortlessly blocking Ash’s attack with the Lumion Fan, Arisu watched the unstoppable Kamen Rider charge at her, her eyebrows furrowing.

After that blow that broke Ash’s legs, Arisu believed that the battle had ended, given how he seemed unable to stand, let alone fight. She prepared to call the Yotsuba medical team to rush him into surgery immediately.

Unexpectedly, Ash treated injuries as if they were not his own body, forcefully snapping bones back into place without a sound.

Even though Arisu’s body was restored by the new strength awakened by Pretty Cure, she still felt pain everywhere, exhausted to the point of wanting to sleep at any moment.

If she felt this way, what more could be said about Ash, who has been fighting all along?

Don’t you feel tired?

Why don’t you cherish your body better!

“Even if you enjoy fighting, please do so in moderation!”

Reforming her Lumion Fan into a clover-shaped barrier, the barrier that once stood tall shrunk to palm size under Arisu’s hands. Fingers spread against the edge, the barrier became a handheld saw blade under her fingertips, rotating at high speed!

Lifting the spinning barrier, Arisu aimed at Ash rolling upright as Swordman, and slashed down; caught off guard, Ash had no choice but to raise his shield. But now, the barrier in Arisu’s hand turned into a handheld saw blade, the sharp edges of the clover becoming sharper than any chainsaw. Ash’s shield, caught between the spinning blades, split from center.

“What… a chainsaw!”

Arisu’s tactics surprised Ash. The method mirrored some saw-man but how did she learn it? Could it be true that Pretty Cure and giant of light were somehow connected?

With the Draconic Shield split, Arisu pushed away half the broken shield, and Ash pushed off with his hands, kicking upwards with his injured leg, like an eagle being kicked by a rabbit. Seeing this, Arisu made her barrier scatter, catching Ash’s leg, then sent it back.

Clutching his leg, Ash got up again, and Arisu remembered his injury. The kind girl felt pity for him.

“Don’t apologize to the enemy!”

“You’ve gone far enough!”

This time, Arisu interrupted Ash.

“Why do you deny us so?”

The genuine voice of Arisu did not stop; she continued to express her emotions to Ash.

“From the start, you’ve spoken selfish truths, forcing war upon everyone.”

“Does fighting make you this happy? What reason do you have for fighting us?”

Arisu wished to protect her friends—if Ash didn’t change his ways, conflict would still arise.

“Fighting’s purpose? This is no longer important.” Ash pounded the mask, emitting clear sounds, his agitated actions revealing his frustration.

“No one knows, but it’s not for love or peace.”

Ash pointed back at Arisu, explaining his thoughts,

“I’ve always said, I act according to my interests!”

Heroes are the dazzling crystals among countless pebbles.

CureRosetta, don’t you know? The newly awakened you, fighting for your own ideals, shine like a clear crystal, constantly glittering. You sparkle before me, the elation of battling you is what I seek!

“Still, Pretty Cure, if you ask about the reason, I fight for you in this moment.”

Unlike the last Great Adventure, this time the girl called forth miracles solely by her own strength and turned the tide.

Ash had initially underestimated the girl, but at the instant of her miracle’s illumination, he found himself entranced, swept up in a surprising joy.

Despite his usual cool rationality, Ash inevitably fell to emotionalism.

Half-rotating his Draconic Blade, Ash reversed its grip and swung at the girl. With the barrier gone, she couldn’t defend as before!

Torn within, Arisu’s confusion increased. Presently, she must face Ash’s relentless advance!

Golden-spirited fist met the Draconic Blade’s edge; the impact sent everything flying!

“If you’ve questioned me, now it’s my turn. Why do you fight, Pretty Cure?”

“To protect those I love, and those who are important to me.”

Arisu’s answer remained firm. Such a straightforward reason exactly matched Ash’s anticipated response.

“How cliché, but sometimes classics are preferable.”

Ash despised those so-called anti-tropes, works depicting fallen heroes.

To him, these were merely tagging villains with heroic labels and labeling decent individuals as villains for plot convenience—a sheer facade.

Ironically, just changing labels transformed them into stories of evil saviors overthrowing heroes.

Always steadfast, never giving up no matter the circumstance, understanding their actions correctly, filled with the warmth of genuine kindness, even if betrayed thousands of times.

That’s the hero he hoped to see!

“I want to protect what’s important to me—lives and hearts alike!”

Arisu’s passionate speech snapped Ash to attention; he couldn’t help but respond.

But the girl’s next words were unexpected, redirecting her矛