Chapter 176

**Chapter Seventy: The Enigmatic Person**

“Is it really that delicious?”

Even without taste buds, Ash didn’t think of himself as someone who enjoyed sweets. Watching Akuri happily slice the cake, with whipped cream making her face look like a little flower, he just couldn’t relate.

“Mmm, so sweet—so delicious!”

“How can you eat this many plates?”

“Superficially speaking, for girls, desserts fit into another stomach!”

What a strange thing to say. But it seemed other girls had mentioned something similar to him before; it was really odd. Do all girls love sweets? That’s quite a stereotype.

In fact, the dessert-loving Akuri had long been drooling over the dessert shop’s signature “Fashion Sweetheart Cream Cake.” However, as an elementary school student, she naturally couldn’t afford such luxurious treats. Her good upbringing also kept her from whining to her grandma like her peers, so she could only silently drool each time she passed by after school.

Now that she was finally eating the real deal, a sense of fulfillment washed over her, even though she couldn’t understand why the cake looked nothing like the advertisement.

“The strawberry on the cream melts in your mouth; you don’t even have to chew! The fragrant cream lingers in your mouth, sweet and fragrant~!”

“There’s no doubt the cream is specially crafted; it’s not greasy at all, with just the right amount of sweetness. Anyone would find it hard to resist a second bite!”

“And the lightly cheesy-flavored cake base—no need to mention! The soft cake is filled with sweet whipped cream, it’s truly exquisite—top-notch!”

Akuri unleashed a stream of thoughts about the cake’s deliciousness as if she were firing bullets from a machine gun. She thought that if a certain president were talking, they might have a lot in common with this elementary student, but Ash, who had no knowledge of this part, could only nod along with “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

“Well, you bad person… you don’t seem that bad after all.”

Halfway through the cake, recalling there was another person with her, the girl felt a bit shy as she spoke to Ash, maintaining a blissful smile of deliciousness.

A single cake had won her over; the good feelings of the Pretty Cure really were cheap.

Of course, it might also be that she was overthinking things.

“Do you… want to eat this?”

Originally thinking he had nothing to do with it anymore, Ash unexpectedly saw a piece of cake cut out and placed on a paper plate, indicating that it was a piece Akuri had cut for him.

“Isn’t this something you love to eat? You’re actually willing to share it with me? Has the cream made your brain fuzzy?”

“This was originally yours; if you don’t want it, then forget it!” Akuri, who had kindly meant to share a piece, did not expect to be met with such a response. Angered, she puffed her cheeks, trying to shove the cake into her mouth, but suddenly, a fork shot out, snatching the cake away.

“I never said I didn’t want it.” Chewing the smooth and soft texture in his mouth, he hesitated slightly before swallowing.

Indeed, although it smelled great, it still had no taste.

“Thanks for the treat… So, why are you inviting me to have cake? If you’re trying to win me over, that’s useless!”

No, if it was a bribe, it had already worked, hadn’t it?

With cream still smudged at the corners of her mouth, the girl didn’t seem very convincing.

“No, did I not tell you? This cake is a reward for you protecting this world before Mana arrived.”

Because of this, I had the chance to fight alongside them after coming to this world, so I indeed had to thank this elementary student in front of me.

Akuri stared at Ash with a somewhat doubtful expression. She wanted to find evidence of other intentions from his face, but it looked like he really had no intent of lying.

How strange… it was too bizarre. Although she had voluntarily fought to protect this world in the past without ever asking for substantial rewards, she never expected that her achievements in safeguarding it would be rewarded by a villain.

A strange, absurd feeling began to spread from her chest, and the racing heartbeat made Akuri unable to help but cover her heart. She seemed to understand why those four Pretty Cures couldn’t handle this person.

“But… if one day you seriously appeared as an enemy, the Pretty Cure will still defeat you!”

“When that time comes, you can come at me as you please.”

Whether as an enemy or as a friend, this person was indeed difficult to deal with!

“Oh, something interesting is happening.”

Ash suddenly spoke, startling the girl. Following his gaze, Akuri saw a masked man in a duckbill hat sneakily stumbling into view, holding a bag and looking anxious.

“What is…?”

“Catch the thief!”

A loud shout startled the nearby pedestrians. Behind the masked man, a heavily made-up aunt was out of breath, pointing at him, her limping steps keeping her far behind, the reason for her slowed pace being her broken high heels.

Hearing “thief” made the surrounding people show fearful expressions. The thief, being yelled at, quickened his escape. Sadly, there were no patrol officers nearby, and the aunt, due to her heels, couldn’t keep up.

Seeing the thief about to get away, Akuri pushed her chair aside and tried to block him, but faster than her was a similarly petite figure that stood in front of the thief.

“STOP——!”

“Who are you!?”

The surprised thief fell to the ground in shock. As he scrambled back to his feet, he realized it was just a girl, no older than an elementary school student, blocking his path.

“Just a little elementary student, move aside!”

Surprised to be intimidated by an elementary student, humiliation surged through the thief’s body, and he angrily shouted down at the child who was half a head shorter than him.

“Ugh…” The girl froze at his shout, her legs shaking as if she might run away, but she resolutely stood her ground and pointed at the thief.

“I am not just an elementary student! I am also a member of Precure! Yes, I am Cure Queen, filled with courage!”

“Precure?!”

Not only the seemingly intimidated thief but even Akuri, who was previously a genuine Pretty Cure, was shocked to utter that name. She didn’t remember any Pretty Cure by that name.

Looking closely at the girl’s face, he thought, “Wow, isn’t that someone I know?!”

“Ruri-chan?”

“Oh, is she someone you know?”

Ash unconsciously appeared beside Akuri, and used to this, she glanced at him before responding.

“Yes, she’s my classmate, Sasaki Ruri. Why, is she also a Pretty Cure?”

Ash narrowed his eyes, carefully observing this elementary student’s classmate. She was wearing what seemed like elbow pads from a children’s bike, a toy plastic helmet on her head, and her somewhat disheveled battle skirt looked as if it had been crudely scissor-cut by an elementary student.

“There’s no such thing as a Pretty Cure like that; what a joke, she’s just a delusional warrior.”