Chapter 153

Forty-Seventh Chapter: Yotsuba Arisu’s Counterattack

“What do you want to do? Stop it quickly, Lance!”

The sprite Lance that jumped out of Arisu’s pocket held Longya’s arm, hoping that this would stop Ash from continuing, but not only was he unable to prevent Longya’s strength, but something the size of a plush toy couldn’t match even a child’s arm strength.

Carelessly throwing Lance off, Ash just put his foot on him without exerting force. This sprite struggled yet couldn’t escape.

“Even though you’re a Pretty Cure partner, you’re really useless.”

Hey, c’mon—Mr. Waist Belt calls for a small car to help his police allies. Can’t you sprites provide any assistance besides transformation? How useless! Or maybe it’s because Dai-ge doesn’t plan to sell your toys; that would be too tragic.

“Stop it!”

Arisu, originally silent, suddenly burst out with overwhelming power, forcing both Ash and the Beast King Gorilla nearby to continuously retreat. Her reinvigorated legs kicked Ash in the chest, pushing him back.

“Arisu!”

“It’s okay, Lance-san.”

Reinserting her partner’s sprite back into the bag, the awakened determination in the girl began resonating with her body. A visible golden spiritual light started spilling out of her. Strength filled her body, and vitality was once again infused into her spirit.

“Mr. Ash, I’ve never felt there was anything wrong with receiving the power of defense. On the contrary, I’m very grateful for this power—it allows me to protect everyone better!”

“Then try and protect me by knocking me down!”

Facing Ash’s arrogant demeanor, Arisu summoned the Rose Barrier once more, pulling apart the barrier to split the four-leaf shield into two light fans.

“I’ll do as you wish!”

With a solemn expression, Cure Rosetta gripped half of each shield as if she were a graceful dancer swaying with the music, exerting all her might to cut diagonally across Longya’s chest plate, sparking brilliantly!

This was the first effective strike against Ash during this battle, dealt by Yotsuba Arisu.

“Not bad.”

Covering his smoking armor and stepping away, Ash looked at the young girl rising again, an involuntary healthy smile forming beneath his mask.

Seems I underestimated her. She lives up to the legendary warrior title. The Pretty Cures are amazing warriors, amazing heroes!

True heroes find hope in any desperate situation by holding onto their beliefs and turning defeat into victory!

“Heat wave!”

“Dai-ge, don’t interfere; she’s mine right now!”

Ash rolled over to pick up his eagle beast sword that was thrown on the ground earlier. Filled with exhilaration and Arisu awakened by the power of love, they fought fiercely.

The saw-toothed blade of the eagle beast sword constantly cut at Arisu’s light fans, but Arisu was no longer the same person she used to be now. To prove Ash right, she danced gracefully with her light fans.

The battlefield turned into a dance floor. Yotsuba Arisu, dancing gracefully to the unseen beat, twirled lightly, her beautiful movements reminiscent of swallows in their nest. With delicate motions, her fans seemed like giant butterflies fluttering their wings, showering light sparks everywhere.

The fans flew and flipped in a dance, her elegant moves perfectly guarding her from all sides. Even Ash’s strikes with the eagle beast sword were repelled, tasting the frustration akin to biting down on a turtle shell.

Her flower-like beauty continued in exquisite dance, lifting her arm to strike Ash’s wrist with one fan, while the other fan cut rhythmically onto Longya’s body, sparking each time armor protection was penetrated.

“This is incredible! It gets my heart racing!”

Now, the fighting girl dancing gracefully seemed incredibly beautiful to Ash.

Attacked, Ash didn’t feel troubled but became more excited. Pressing the animal combat emblem on his gauntlet, the long sword fragmented into segments connected by a center wire, switching to chain sword mode. Its range suddenly expanded, sweeping around her like a whip when Ash brandished it overhead.

Still unruffled, Arisu performed flawlessly. The petals on her sleeves danced in the wind. Graceful hands crossed left to right intercepting the chain sword, wrapping the weapon around her own light fans.

It came down to a power contest. About to use full strength, Ash positioned his feet ahead, muscles tightening beneath his armor ready to push forward.

“Chesto!”

Accompanied by a powerful shout, Longya was directly pulled towards the girl.

Mid-air, Ash watched the nonchalantly still Beast King Gorilla on the ground, his crimson eyes under the grating mask seemingly asking, “Why are you just watching?”

Oh, right—you told me not to move, never mind.

With a twist of the light fan, Arisu sent out a shockwave, splitting the chain sword, its blades flying apart.

The girl on the ground looked up at the man flying upside down towards her. Both screamed, and Ash delivered a flying kick aimed for Arisu’s forehead.

With Arisu’s scream came a burst of golden light from her whole body, her twin-tails fluttering without wind. Golden electric sparks flickered at the fist ready to strike.

The leg and the fist collided, action frozen in that moment!

When the held button finally released, Arisu first grabbed her trembling arm, collapsing. But Ash wasn’t much better off. Tumbling several times before crashing to the ground, dust flying about, the leg bent unnaturally, breathing heavily against the cold ground.

“Well done, Pretty Cure.”

Though injured to incapacitation, he still had enough energy to sit up and lean on his good leg, speaking to Arisu with a casual, lounging demeanor.

Indeed a legendary warrior, bursting with such power by simply believing in oneself—something I can’t do.

“Mr. Ash, are you enjoying this kind of combat?”

“Of course. These clashes make me happy; don’t tell me you don’t… Huh?”

The emotions revealed earlier showed Ash unexpected realization: unlike his expectations, Arisu didn’t harbor much aversion.

“If Mr. Ash relies only on violence, then this is how I respond.”

Sitting up beside her, Arisu’s sunshiny smile remained vibrant.

Ash suddenly felt defeated.

You Pretty Cures’ kindness is simply unbearable.

I’m just not accustomed to this. What should my expression be now?

“Cure Rosetta, I think I’m starting to like you.”

Hearing Ash’s words, Arisu shivered and her smile froze. Gradually, her cheeks heated up.

“Hold on, hold on, Mr. Ash, this is wrong!” she clutched the red颊, shaking her head, her ponytails bouncing along.

Isn’t he proposing to me?

Although she dismissed the confessions from peers at school as teenage naivety, hearing them from Ash felt entirely different.

Isn’t this the scene from Ghost Head Sensei’s “First Love Hero”?

Thinking deeper, Ash indeed is handsome, with that roguish charm despite lacking adult maturity—no, what am I thinking!

Despite sharp words, Arisu kept her cool, or responded politely, but at Ash’s sincere tone, the Arisu household’s young lady panicked, her cheeks reddening like a small apple.

“I’m still a student, Mr. Ash, you’re a working adult. It’s too much of a difference. We shouldn’t do this! You’re committing a crime, Mr. Ash!”

Masked beneath, Ash didn’t acknowledge Arisu’s confused stammering and continued.

“Thus, to respond to your mysterious allure.”

“I’ll have to give everything I’ve got and knock you out as a response!”

Grasping his misaligned knee, he twisted it, bones grinding audibly, standing up as if nothing happened.