Chapter 150

Phase Two Begins

“If that’s how Mr. Ash thinks, then I will accept everything!”

Facing Ash’s bullying words, Arisu took a deep breath to calm down the nervousness and disarray of emotions caused by the second round.

“However, even if it’s training, relying solely on violence won’t do.”

Arisu brought her bent fingers together in front of her chest, forming a plum blossom shape, and drew it slowly from the heart-shaped accessory back to her front.

“Only love can move the world. Please cultivate that love with me, CureRosetta!”

“If you say that, then in my world, love is just endless violence!”

He clenched his fists; his leg force left devastation in its wake as he instantly crossed the distance between them, throwing himself against Arisu.

The empty rooftop echoed a loud “thud,” and the ceiling broke open, revealing a large hole. Amidst the debris, Longya and CureRosetta leapt into the air.

The two clashed rapidly in mid-air, exchanging several hits without gaining an advantage. They landed back on the ground.

“It turned out like this.” Looking up at the hole, Arisu grimaced. “It seems we’ll have to ask the construction team to rebuild the dojo.”

“Do you still have time to think about such things?!”

Before she could respond, Ash dragged Arisu into another intense fight.

Blocking Ash’s straight punches, which came one after another like a pile hammer, Arisu seized onto his wrist. With her other hand, she tried to grab his collar, aiming to apply the principles of Aikido to throw him down.

However, Ash reacted swiftly, his body moving faster than hers. He relinquished control over his wrist and used his legs to spin both him and Arisu in the air, slamming them hard onto the ground, destroying the dojo floor beneath their impact.

Exploiting the moment Arisu groaned in pain, her grip loosening, Ash avoided her and kicked her waist, sending her rolling and crashing into the wall.

“Rosetta! Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Lance-kun…” The girl clutched her lower back, the pain almost making her black out, but she managed through sheer will. She comforted her spirit even as she struggled to rise.

“I remember you said you’ve reached a mastery level. That’s quite impressive, but your combat experience seems to be lacking.”

Raising his right hand, Ash recalled the way she wrapped around his arm previously. If only she had reacted faster, changing tactics to strike him or withdrawing altogether, the tables would have turned against him.

This disparity could only be attributed to differing experiences.

“Your movements are perfectly fluid, leaving me with nothing to say, though from the looks of it, you’ve never wielded this technique in a fight before?”

“I have grown beyond who I was as a child.”

Back then, Arisu had once taken action against bullies who mocked Love when she was younger. Witnessing those bullies fall, she understood the weight of her actions—it was a feeling she did not enjoy inflicting upon others.

“I didn’t learn martial arts to bully others; I learned them to protect!”

A sharp ache in her lower back made Arisu wince, yet she lifted herself up and faced Ash.

“This isn’t acceptable. If martial arts aren’t for defeating or killing, then they might as well be dancing!”

“Since you say it like that, allow me to tell you: the skills I’ve acquired were indeed for the purpose of bullying others.”

Sebastian, under his mask, pressed down on his knuckles, the joints popping audibly.

“For some righteous or malevolent reason, they were designed to allow others to suffer!”

Before Arisu could respond, Ash rushed towards her again!

“In order to protect myself now, I must defeat you!”

Arisu also raised her hands, ready to face Ash’s charge head-on.

They exchanged blows, knees bent, elbows raised, fists thrown, or occasionally employing spin kicks to create cyclones, these simple actions playing out in different ways. Their battle continued without end.

Time passed, and wounds began to mark Arisu’s battle attire. Meanwhile, CureRosetta, bolstered by the power of her clothes and transformation, became faster and stronger. However, she still couldn’t overpower Longya, who seemed to be deliberately matching her intensity.

No matter how strong she became in battle, he could always draw on something greater!

“No, no, this fighting manner is too naive!” Ash suddenly interjected, his voice heavy with frustration. “An attack lacking hatred and intent to kill cannot truly defeat an enemy!”

“That’s incorrect, Mr. Ash. Precure’s power is not about taking lives; it is about gentleness and happiness!”

“Then why don’t you try being gentle with me?”

Despite her defiant words, Arisu felt overwhelmed in actual combat.

How powerful, Mr. Ash, truly powerful!

Even with the superhuman vision of the Pretty Cures, Arisu could clearly see Ash’s responses. With every moment of remembrance, Ash’s movements flashed past her eyes like a fast-forward film.

He handled space exquisitely, each time closing the gap just enough to make her reaction difficult. Yet, he would extend his distance quickly, ensuring any hit met with diminished force, preventing her from fully capitalizing on them.

Whenever she attempted to press an attack or retreat, her guard would be exploited, meeting with immediate retaliation.

Yet simple maneuvers yielded devastating results.

Through combat, Ash uncovered the strengths of the Pretty Cures. Similarly, the girl had tried to understand Longya’s powers.

Firstly, collecting data on OOO’s abilities and then confirming with实战反馈, which revealed that while the parameters of the Kamen Rider seemed inferior to the Pretty Cures overall, in reality, the opposite was true. At this moment, Longya was overwhelming CureRosetta, displaying extra reserve.

Not merely through superior technique, but through unparalleled combat experience, transforming simple maneuvers into instinctual reflexes.

Arisu found it hard to imagine the effort and obstacles Longya must have overcome to gain power equal to or surpassing that of the Pretty Cures.

“Not bad. If you put more effort in, perhaps I might switch sides because of you.”

Parrying a side kick, Ash struck first, knocking away Arisu’s fist with a hook, leaving her defenseless. Ash still had the composure to speak with her.

“If Mr. Ash were to be intrigued by me, I’d hope it was for more masculine reasons.”

This was preferable to being entangled with the Pretty Cures due to some obscure reasoning.

“Sorry, but I’m still a virgin!”

“Stop! Don’t say things like that!”

Ash’s spontaneous self-revelation flushed Arisu’s cheeks red. She flipped backward to avoid his successive kicks, launching herself into the air to create distance.

Looking up at her skirt, Ash pulled out a card, flicked it into Dark Dragon Summon Machine, and closed it.

[AcceleVent] (Accelerated Descent)

Ash’s jumping ability powered by Showa enhanced him. Spread-winged, he soared toward Arisu, positioning himself face-to-face. While his left hand remained behind his back, his right hand slashed out innumerable shadows with Accelerated power under the name “Dark Phalanx,” unleashing a flurry of punches similar to a gatling gun aimed at Arisu.

At this range and mid-air, Arisu had slim chances to dodge.

“With all my heart, Rosetta Wall!” (Rose Barrier)

But there was no need to evade; after all, she was a shield user amongst the Heartbeat Pretty Cures.

A pale green four-leaf clover shield appeared on Arisu’s hands. Punches rained down; their impact echoed sharply, and cracks spread visibly across the barrier until, at the last possible moment, Arisu pushed it fully outward, exploding between them, separating them.

“Well done, you managed to withstand this.”

After all, last time it had been instantaneously fatal to Arisu under the same technique; surviving this deserved praise.

“We Pretty Cures haven’t stood still either!”

“Now, as a reward for your diligent fight.”

Gazing at Arisu, whose breathing grew labored and whose battle attire bore increasing marks, Ash reached behind him for the Gear Lock Blaster.

“Phase Two begins.”

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