Chapter 517

Chapter Twenty-Eight: I Don’t Want to Be the Riddler, Dark Sword!

“Alright, I’ll tell you.” The man lying on his back heard Miyuki’s question. It felt as if after carrying the blame for decades for the boss, he finally received a chance at redemption, his whole body feeling lighter, even down to his facial expression relaxing involuntarily.

Think of me, Ash, braving my way through everything, regardless of obstacles or who dared to threaten. Anything that bothered me, I just charged into it headfirst, regardless of what it was. If not for my concern for the old feelings towards the Pretty Cure and my “kind” desire not to see you suffer, I would’ve treated all bad endings as jokes. How could I have ended up here, torturing you, tormenting yourself, and everyone else by acting like some sort of riddle? Sigh… I am just too kind-hearted!

The Riddler should roll back to Gotham City; I don’t want to be one! Too embarrassing, too uncool!

“Listen well, what I saw, the reason behind all this!” Gripping the Dark Sword, though the conclusion from the sword remained unchanged, he had completely lost interest in whether speaking out would further escalate things. He chose to indulge himself and told them everything straight.

“That is the future!”

“The future?”

This overly distant and vague word left the girls looking at each other, momentarily thinking Ash was once again spouting ambiguous riddles. Only after repeated confirmation did they realize he was truly referring to the future — events that will occur later.

But being able to see the future… that’s just too fantastical!

After all, to these girls still in their ivory towers, living worry-free, their main concerns include whether tomorrow’s lunch will be tasty and how to prepare for next week’s exams so as not to upset their teachers and parents.

The word “future” is still too remote for them.

“You mean, you can see the future?” Fortunately, convention dictates that every team includes a strategist, typically blue in color and courteous like Lady Li Hua, who thinks faster than her companions. Worrying about the problem, she knelt beside Ash, placing her hands on her knees. “Is it predestined that the world’s end has already been determined?”

“But why would such a thing exist!” After understanding Li Hua’s words, he pondered further and became increasingly agitated, clenching his fists tightly until they made a cracking sound.

If this were true… she was furious, very furious.

Every detail between me and my siblings, whether joyful or sorrowful, being preordained! My dream of becoming a football player… such a thing is just too much!

“Is the future set? — How would I know?” Everyone was struggling due to his words when Ash’s statement made them completely despair.

“Hold on, that argument is way too irresponsible!”

“This book of our fate wasn’t written by me; complaining to me won’t help. If you’re dissatisfied, protest to your author.”

“I only know that no matter what we do in the future, the Pretty Cure will fail and face the most tragic bad end,” he said casually, now that his mood had eased. “So, I must defeat you all and strip away your identity as Pretty Cure!”

Ash’s words detonated this idea in the girls’ minds like a heavy bomb.

Who wants to live a predetermined life? Let alone knowing our hard work will only end in tragedy?

Who would accept such a thing? Then, wouldn’t everything lose its meaning right now?!

“It won’t do you any good to glare at me?” Seeing his sharpness dim, Ash shrugged off Nanako’s furious stare. “It’s exactly as I see it; otherwise, why would I transform into King?”

With those words, everyone felt their head spinning.

Could it be, because of this reason?

Although his words couldn’t be believed immediately, the girls’ views and feelings toward him began changing in different degrees.

“However…you,” To his surprise, the first to speak was the timid Yayoi, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Her tear-filled eyes looked towards Ash with a plea for help. “Why does King do these things? If changing the tragic ending is possible…why?”

Aren’t you the antagonist’s side?

“I can’t stand it!” Ash’s plain statement brought another silence.

Thinking of the Joker, Ash sneered with disgust. His words were full of disdain for the child.

Even if he’s stronger than me, Ash despises him.

“Regarding bad endings, I admit, sometimes the plot feels satisfying, even with its twisted, bizarre style…but I don’t like it! I can’t stand it! Even if there’s a plan to revive the Tragic Kingdom, I’m changing it!”

I just want the world to revolve around me!

“So, I need power to change the world. That’s why I’ve come today to challenge you, to summon greater power using light and darkness.”

Glancing at the defeated, broken Transformation Book in the distance, he sighed sadly.

Wasted opportunity. This thick, blank Transformation Book, bought with Dark Echo, is now lost!

He could only hope to recover some of the power in the future to minimize the loss.

“I intend to rule the world using darkness, not letting the Tragic Kingdom’s people do so.”

“You—” Faced with the reversal of reality, Yayoi, who had her mouth open in shock, felt herself drowning in confusion. She had seen many villains with justifiable causes in cartoons and comics but found none resembling Ash. “Why can’t you use gentler, normal methods to change things?”

“So you are truly naive!” His sidelong glance seemed mocking her naivety, making the retreating girl feel genuine shame.

“The world doesn’t work that way.”