Chapter 327

Fifty-Eight: Become a Hero!

“Wait, wait, Mr. Eddie please don’t do this!”

“Let me go, I’ve done unforgivable foolishness!”

Ley and the others, who had never experienced being knelt before by someone older than them, felt extremely uncomfortable, but no matter how they asked him to stand up, he just wouldn’t listen.

“I didn’t realize it at all, you all are actually the Pretty Cure, you all are the real heroes of this world!”

Without any hesitation, Eddie voluntarily knelt on the ground, feeling endless shame.

He was originally here to defeat evil, but ended up being darkened, only adding trouble for the local heroes, and even needed their lecturing to finally come to his senses.

How useless, how shameful and weak! With such me, how can I still call myself a warrior of SCSO!

“All these troubles are due to my recklessness—I have no face to see the commander anymore!”

Then closing his eyes and gritting his teeth, under the girls’ astonished gazes, Eddie raised the Dragon Slayer Sword, and aimed it at his own stomach as if he was about to stab himself.

“At this point, death is the only way to atone for my sins!”

Before he could stab, Ley and Erika, along with the fairies, frantically grabbed his arm to stop him.

“Wait, what are you doing—what crazy thing are you up to now!”

“Stop me from doing this! This is what locals usually do anyway!”

“You’re completely out of your mind, snap back to reality!”

“Mr. Eddie, everyone makes mistakes, what’s important is to correct them!” Lei shouted loudly, her heart voice echoing to Eddie, who was in a fit of irrational behavior. “So, giving up your life to escape responsibility for your own mistakes is really pathetic!”

*DONG*

The sword slipped out of his hand and fell to the ground. Lei’s lecture made Eddie feel even more ashamed, unable to keep holding back his tears. Ash, wearing a butler outfit, suddenly appeared behind Eddie, tapping the tray in his hand on Eddie’s head with a sharp sound.

“What are you saying about seppuku right in front of these young ladies and my employees?” Ash said mockingly, striking him again before putting the tray away. “If you want to die, do it in a place where there’s nobody else, don’t let the blood spill all over my shop.”

“I…”

Feeling the disdainful contempt in Ash’s gaze, Eddie lowered his head and scanned everyone present, ending with the seemingly ever-calm Tsukikage Lily, apparently coming to a decision. He took the Dragon Slayer Sword and Keycase and walked over.

“That time when I was still the Desert Beast, I overheard your conversation…” He turned his head aside, not able to look directly at anyone at that moment. “Ms. Tsukikage Lily, you were once a hero protecting this world, but you lost your abilities.”

“That’s true, but now I have reliable successors, no need for me to—”

Holding the Dragon Slayer Sword and Keycase with both hands, something Lily did not expect made her freeze.

“In that case, please accept this. Please take this and become a hero once again to protect this world!”

“Eh!?”

When Eddie spoke those words, the two girls and fairies couldn’t help but express their surprise. Even Ash didn’t expect this, and looked forward to what would happen next.

“I don’ have the performance and qualifications to be a hero. Facing the enemies of this world, even if I were to use them, it would just tarnish its glory.”

“Rather than disgrace, why not—why not give it to a genuine hero like you!”

With all his strength, Eddie, whose eyes were glistening with tears, bowed deeply, confessing his past failures with these words.

Should this suffice…

If I can’t do it, then give the chance to someone else, to someone who can… That way, I’ll have helped the world in some way.

Seeing the cold light gleaming in the sword in Eddie’s hand, Lily could feel the magic power contained within, knowing she could gain new opportunities by taking it.

To give up cherished possessions based on such reasons, Eddie’s actions as a traveler clearly went against the conventional norms.

In the end, Lily closed her eyes as everyone watched, pushing the sword back towards Eddie.

“This is not my possession.”

“Why… Could it be because of me…”

“No.” Ash stepped forward to finish what Lily was going to say. “Your sword belongs to the person you admire, simply handing it over to someone else is mocking what you admire.”

“No, that’s not it!” Seeing Eddie’s blushing state, Ash knew he had struck a nerve with the commander.

“If you think you’re still insufficient and want others’ recognition,” Lily pushed the shining Dragon Slayer Sword back, encouraging him by firmly hitting the Magic Bullet Dragon. “then keep striving, to become a hero worthy of this sword.”

“I… I… I…”

Cradling the Dragon Slayer Sword, Eddie knelt down, tears of regret dripping onto the wooden floor, but even with tears in his eyes, the shadow he cast was no longer as pitiful.

“Truly, truly thank you all! I will definitely keep going!”

Even if I cannot become a hero, I must do something that others can.”

“So then, drink this cup of coffee to lift your spirits.”

“Manager.” Seeing Eddie grab the coffee in haste, Lily was speechless about how he constantly praised his “products.” “You know your coffee is—”

“Tastes great!”

A man’s cheer interrupted Lily’s sentence. Wiping his tears hastily, eager to please, Eddie drank the remaining half of the coffee in one gulp amidst the shocked stares of the girls.

“Tastes incredible, I’ve never tasted anything so good!”

What is this, this stimulating flavor, this sensation akin to Mars colliding with Earth on my tongue, amazing! In all my years, I’ve never tasted anything like this!

“Hah, there are still people with discerning tastes in this world!” Seeing Eddie continuously shed emotional tears, Ash’s liking for him skyrocketed tenfold or even ninefold.

“Boss—can I get another cup!”

“Coming right up!”

Seeing Eddie moved to tears and Ash elated, the girls found themselves unsure how to react.

“Someone really likes that coffee…”

“With the manager’s coffee gaining appreciation, and the seed of hearts all recovered, isn’t this all for the better?”

Upon hearing Erika’s relaxed conclusion, Lei stopped worrying and started to enjoy the post-victory leisure time.

After all, when the collected seeds were placed in the specialized Heart Pot, everyone saw the sacred beam of light shoot skyward from within.

In that case, the Heart Tree has regained vitality, and we Pretty Cure have taken further steps in our mission!”

Above the café, countless meters high, hovered an island in the clouds. This island housed a towering tree, and countless radiant beams of light gathered along the branches to converge around the trunk, releasing dazzling radiance.

The light persisted for several minutes before gradually subsiding. Amidst this gathering, small rustling noises could be heard coming from inside holes within the tree.

“Umm…?”

From one of these holes emerged a small figure. Adorning its head were a soft yellow hairpin, similar to the fairy Cifrey. Its innocent white carrot-like appearance with large, sparkling eyes curiously explored this new world.