Chapter 113

The Eighth’s Illogical Reasoning

“Aaahhh—-”

The battle between Kamen Rider and Pretty Cure started with a violent explosion.

Almost instantly after the transformation was complete, Dragon Claw spat out successive fireballs, splashing and shooting out, blasting the Pretty Cures away from the warehouse.

Rubbing her landing spot as she screamed in pain from the harsh fall back to the ground, Rikka’s eyes shone through the mask from Dragon Tooth, visible from a distance as two flames of ghostly red light piercing through the smoke, dragging their scarlet trail as they approached step by step.

“Diamond, Rosetta, we’re only left to counterattack now!” Makoto, who had been the first to stand up, gritted her teeth despite the pain, turning into a streak of purple light and charging straight for Ash.

“Then let me cure-diamond and cool his brain down!”

Three of them rushed forward, while Ai remained where she was sitting, not willing to strike at her friend, Ash, whose hand she had held and declared as a friend.

Even after牵手, they had agreed to be friends!

The other girls felt similar sentiments but wouldn’t stand idle as well, letting themselves be struck passively.

Although Pretty Cure were certainly symbols of goodness, even goodness has its limits and boundaries!

“Close combat?”

Ash casually flung off his Dragon Claw, clenching his fist to meet the powerful physical attacks of the three Pretty Cures.

Though usually categorized as magical girl types, Pretty Cures primarily relied on their incredibly enhanced physical strength instead of magic, delivering formidable physical blows before resorting to purifying enemies with their holy energy beams.

Therefore, every Pretty Cure wasn’t averse to close quarters combat; rather, this was their moment to shine.

“This is…”

Blocking six flowers’ punch towards his face, he sent another one flying several meters, relying on the wind sounds behind him to understand his surroundings without looking back. Ducking, he turned his circular interface on his shoulder as a weapon, colliding hard with Makoto, sending both crashing to the ground, creating a person-shaped crater.

Strong—but still not my opponent.

“Painful!” The fallen idol let out a distorted groan from her throat as she crashed into the ground.

“Curses, it feels like I’ve been seen through—”

After a brief exchange, the girls realized that their strength was not inferior to the enemy’s but that this battle style, radically different from that of the Selfish Beast, was overwhelming them as well.

The enemy seemed to have eyes all over, handling any attack with ease.

“It’s really difficult, the experience gap is too wide.”

Ash revealed the reason; after all, he had faced life-and-death battles countless times. According to visual records he’d found through a search engine, these few girls had become Pretty Cure no more than a month ago.

If he couldn’t gain the upper hand given this disparity, he might as well return the card box to Shirogane and sleep soundly.

Makoto, lying on the ground, was heavily coughing, breathing in fresh air as she stared wide-eyed at Ash’s hand before her, but unable to react.

Seeing Makoto about to suffer, she instinctively closed her eyes, but the expected attack never came. Opening her eyes again, she saw a figure of yellow blocking her view.

“Rosetta Wall!”

With her hands, Arisu released a light green four-leaf clover barrier, blocking Ash further. Then, pushing with both palms, she forcibly pushed back Ash and used her shield as a weapon.

“This stance…it’s familiar,” Ash exclaimed in surprise. “Karate? Looks practical—like more than a show.”

“My aikido and swordsmanship are expert levels too.” Arisu took a deep breath, her stance perfect and posture serious. “Mr. Ash, if you don’t stop, we’ll have to make you!”

Realizing their current attacks wouldn’t truly defeat him, Arisu decided to hold him off to give others more room to retaliate.

“Makoto, snap out of it!” Rikka glared at Ai, still stunned.

“Why are you just watching?”

Ai’s reminder made her reactivate, slapping her face vigorously to stay awake.

“Sorry, you’re right, Rikka. We need to stop Mr. Ash now!”

Following Arisu, the counterattack began.

“Is that so? Let me try stopping you then!”

Seeing the onslaught of girls, Ash also became serious, arranging himself in an odd pose, fingers like claws, his hand high and another close to his waist, imitating a wild beast possibly from the depths of the forest.

Ash’s earnestness added tenfold pressure to the Pretty Cures!

“Twinkle Diamond!”

Rikka pointed at Ash and released countless soft blue diamonds, each hit freezing the target; however, it happened only because Ash allowed it. Before being hit, he used Arisu as stepping stones, pushing off on her arms to launch his attack behind.

His hand, curled like a claw, abruptly extended, pushing sideways, sending Ai flying as she leaped upward to attack mid-air.

Withdrawing step by step from Arisu’s relentless attacks, Ash used a rolling stride, striking Ma with shoulders, hip, and knees, driving into Makoto, barely halting her finishing off her attack before being thrown away fiercely.

Biting through the pains, the fierce impacts didn’t cease but made the girls’ expressions increasingly solemn.

Ordinarily, such attacks would knock a Selfish Beast down, awaiting purification; yet, Ash fought the girls evenly—and even in superiority?

“This is martial arts?!”

“Greeting the beast fist, please bear with me.”

Joining the “Beast Fist Temple,” Ash learned the essence of beast fist from its master, Rica, even without acquiring the special energy “beast energy” specific to that world.

“So, I can also call myself a Beast Fist Warrior.”

Fighting one against four was surely disadvantageous, yet the advantage turned Ash’s way. He even engaged in conversation with Arisu who, despite his incomprehensible words to anyone else, had more pressing matters in her mind.

“I pretty much understand now.”

Jumping several times away from the chaotic center, as girls gasped and regained their breaths, Ash, behind them, inserted a card into the Dragon Summoner machine.

Through multiple encounters, Ash knew the power of Pretty Cure well enough. Post-transformation, bodies like Kiba and Eiji, who specialized in physical enhancement, envied the mightiness; invulnerable armor ensured minimal damage until energy depleted entirely—techniques capable of vanquishing high-ranking beasts.

Yet, such power didn’t fully manifest; while battling, Ash sensed these girls naturally suppressed their strength, enabling easy maneuvering, a reflection of their subconscious restraint. Perhaps this was because they were still perceived as mere kids.

Does having immense power post-transformation negate their identities as young girls?

He pondered, deciding to demonstrate the consequences of holding back.

Thus, Ash extended three fingers towards the girls.

“Three moves to end this.”

“Too audacious!” The humiliation overwhelmed Makoto, shaking, rushing ahead and summoning her partner against Ash from behind.

“Flash, Holy Swo—”

[Advent]

Ash yanked up the gauntlet on the Dragon Summoner as Makoto stumbled, losing grip of her Transformation Phone, dropping to the ground violently shaking.

An astonishing scene unfolded before everyone.

A dragon emerged from beneath Makoto, clad in dark armor, emerging from the ground, snatching her away in its jaws. Unprepared, Makoto screamed, struggling as she was dragged far away.

“MaKoto—” Dabi cried out, other girls watching as the dragon slammed Makoto, like a hammer, into crumbling structures around, breaking more supports with each impact.

Makoto’s initial panic transformed into sorrow as the dark dragon halted. Tangled and unconscious, Makoto dropped her transformation, clothes tangled in sharp fangs.

Ash silently warned the black dragon to refrain from swallowing Makoto, raising a finger.

“One.”

“MaKoto P! Stop this immediately!”

“Ash-san, weren’t we both humans? Shouldn’t the people from the Selfish Organization be the ones taking away love?”

“This fight seems strange between us!”

[AcceleVent]

Love had no time to speak. Suddenly, Arisu and Rikka vanished. She only sensed scorching winds, engine roars, and fleeting cries hidden under the din.

When she regained consciousness, a massive explosion erupted behind her.

This card from Dragon Tooth’s deck, collected through this world’s dark echoes, gained 2500AP in value. It instantly accelerated Ash’s movements, allowing him to evade attacks effortlessly; one arm striking two girls, sending them hundreds of meters away, smashing through walls with tremendous force. Unyielding hits shattered their defenses, leaving them disoriented.

Desperately gasping for breath, they collapsed at the Knight’s feet.

Even their resilient bodies couldn’t withstand such force, mental limits breaking as they de-transformed under pain beyond endurance. This was the safest method Ash determined for victory.

“Tears in your legends.”

Facing Love, dazed with disbelief:

“Do you desire to fight?”

“We—we don’t want to fight you at all!”

Heartbroken, Love confronted Ash:

“Then why don’t you destroy me?”

Only silence responded, mocking her plea.

“For me, survival demands battles. Without battle, transformations become pointless.”

“How wrong!” Love clenched her gaze shut, tears streaming due to the negation.

“How absurd! I just want to stand beside Mr. Ash and safeguard our smiles in this beautiful world!”

“Cureheart, were you serious?”

Caught off-guard, Love struggled to comprehend Ash’s point.

“Born, schooled, taught, and working without choice, eventually finding oneself trapped in life’s cycle with unfulfilled emotions and forced to live by others’ wills, dying when destiny calls.”

“Isn’t this existence empty and meaningless?”

“Yet, obtaining such incredible power as Pretty Cure or Kamen Rider…”

Pointing at them, Ash continued:

“Isn’t desiring a fulfilling existence, human?”

Travel across worlds collecting dark echoes entails death and rebirth many times. Memories vanished since age twelve, only vague fragments remain of his adventures as a hero or monster alongside warriors across realms.

The missing memories stirred profound emptiness.

“Therefore, every moment counts!”

“Not so sure!”

“The rule forcing justice fights upon gaining power, who dictates this? Who wouldn’t yearn to fulfill personal desires? Don’t fool yourself.”

“That’s not why I became Pretty Cure!”

Interrupted by Love’s enraged outburst, Ash recoiled.

“Unheard, unheard!”

“What kind of logic, huh?”

Red-pink energy glowing, Love’s fist aimed directly at Dragon Tooth’s face.