Chapter 235

Chapter 134 “Hero” Appears

In the moment she was illuminated by the light, Ai Aida lost consciousness and slowly regained her senses after some time.

Just like someone reluctantly waking up from a deep sleep due to an alarm clock, Ai’s mind remained hazy. Amidst the foggy daze, she remembered that she had not given up.

Am I inside this whale now? Mom, Dad, and everyone should be here too. Great! I’ll muster all my strength and save everyone!

“Shalulu, let’s go!”

Her call for her partner received no response, causing Ai’s heart to sink. Could it be that Shalulu and the others didn’t come?

“Mana, did you say something?”

A gentle and nostalgic voice echoed from across. Ai rubbed her sleep-filled eyes automatically and replied.

“Grandma, have you seen…”

Halfway through her sentence, Ai froze.

Wait, Grandma? Why am I calling her Grandma?

But wasn’t Grandma supposed to have passed away a few years ago due to health reasons?

Ai rubbed her eyes with force, and when she opened them again, she saw the gentle smile of the elderly woman she remembered.

“Grandma?!”

“What’s wrong, Mana? If you can’t get back to sleep, you can try going back to bed.”

“But—”

Ai did not know how to explain to her suddenly resurrected grandmother, but earlier she had been fighting alongside the Pretty Cures as they battled against the one who called himself “The Forgotten” King until she found herself drawn into the memories.

“Woof!”

As Ai pondered deeply, a white fluff ball tackled her, using its red tongue to lick her face repeatedly.

“Ahh, that tickles!”

This sensation seemed so familiar!

“Mallo?!”

“Woof woof~”

Hearing her owner exclaim in surprise and call out her name, Ai Aida’s dog, Mallo, happily responded with barks.

With the return of her deceased relatives and beloved pet, Ai felt a sudden rush of joy at their reunion.

“However, what’s all this…?”

“That enormous whale-like construct is led by Matthew, who calls himself ‘The Forgotten’ King. He uses strange powers to control it, though he himself is quite foolish.” Introducing herself to Ash, the new fairy, Big-eared “Belulu,” immediately began explaining the enemy’s identity.

“His minions are an army composed of items granted new life through awakening, which could be considered as Tōzoku-No-Mono if you prefer. However, underestimating them just because they used to be trash would lead to disaster.”

“What is with these Demons? Leave them to Renji and Asagi, or ask Tenkuu instead if necessary.” Ash, with one hand in his pocket fiddling with the dial, used the other hand to agitate his black hair.

“What about Ai and the others? How is it only you two? Isn’t it already over?”

“The huge whale caught Mana and Rikka’s parents. They had to follow to save both their loved ones and others who were innocent.”

“Hmm, they only took Mana, specifically leaving us out. That’s too cowardly, Shalulu!” Shalulu angrily stomped her soft feet, producing squelching sounds.

“So that’s why you came looking for me.”

Meaning, now there’s only me left capable of doing anything.

If it weren’t for this fortunate encounter with Ash, the fairies might try to break through by force despite their weak bodies. Yet, even if it meant going to Hell for their partners, this was too risky.

“Will…will you help us Lance?” Bear Lance controlled his fear cautiously asking Ash.

“…”

“You will, won’t you?”

“Huh.” Ash snorted, putting away the Another Ryuga dial. “Can’t be helped, who else would do it if not me?”

“This comes after dealing with you and the Pretty Cures.”

“And if those Pretty Cures are defeated by that ‘The Forgotten’ King, it would cause me great trouble.”

Holding the fairies in his arms, Ash stood on the edge of the tower and spread open his arms like crosses, falling forward due to gravity. His body fell headfirst towards the bustling ground.

Sensing the icy wind slicing past his face, hearing the fierce roar of the wind in his ears created a thrill more intense than any extreme sport, causing a wide grin on Ash’s face.

Only he found it exhilarating; the fairies without equally brave hearts felt terrible. Two-eyed fairies wanted to scream but were instead filled with wind, rendering them speechless. Only Belulu, clinging with her large ears to Ash’s head, managed to maintain form.

“We’re going to die…we’re going to die!”

“Huh, the best part of the show has only just begun!”

Ash crossed his fists in front of him as if an ice-skater would before rotating his waist to adjust his position midair until his angle with the tower aligned perfectly at 90°. Then, digging his heels into the ground, he pushed, making the steel frame bend beneath him. His knees bent like a grasshopper’s leg, storing energy for a leap. At the moment of separation, an eye-visible shockwave erupted in all directions, propelling Ash toward the giant whale!

“Hold on, are you planning to jump? It’s hundreds of meters, you can’t make it!”

“The legs of my Grasshopper Transformation aren’t just for show!”

Just as Ash said, he never did things without confidence. With enhanced jumping ability, he drew closer to the rusted metal skin of the whale.

Continuing to reposition himself and align his feet toward the whale, Ash learned from watching Fujisawa Shiro’s typhoon kick by spinning his body until he made contact with the surface. The feet akin to drills pierced the steel, and Ash rolled in with the fairies inside.

Inside the whale’s cockpit, a white-haired man named Matthew sat on his throne, wearing an eye patch. Watching the people immersed in their happy past and the unsuspecting happiness of the Pretty Cures in the past, his lips curled upward.

“Yes, not facing the future means one doesn’t have to know the pain that lies ahead. People can live happily in the past they remember.”

Mana, you’re the same. You just need to keep living in this world where nothing changes for the worse, without any responsibility as a Pretty Cure, no enemies to defeat, and no Ash. You can just live contently like this.

“Bad news, Your Majesty, we have intruders!”

When the captain was in high spirits, misfortune usually followed. For example, the report from the communications officer made him uneasy now.

“What?” Matthew sensed danger immediately, activating the whale’s internal surveillance feed. When he saw the intruder’s face, his expression changed drastically.

“It’s you, that guy who bullied Mana—unforgivable!”

Anger poured through Matthew’s fangs as he spoke.

“Mobilize every person around that area and bring that man down!”

The moment they entered, the fairies saw darkness converging from all sides.

“We’re surrounded, Dabi!”

“Growl, quite a warm welcome indeed.”

Facing the human-shaped dolls and furniture-like monsters rising to confront them, Ash stood fearless with his thumb upturned before flipping it downward defiantly.

“Cowards, fools who think death is a treat!”

Striking a Superhero landing stance, Ash planted his foot on the ground, dragging his heel to create a spark-ridden semicircle.

“Just come, all of you.”