Chapter 239

Chapter 138 I Love Heroes, Heroes Don’t Love Me

Ash feels that this world is very boring.

This world is neither kind nor correct.

Mutual destruction never stops, human strife has no end?

Environmental damage, how much longer can Earth bear it?

Bullying the weak and fearing the strong has resurfaced, when will senseless violence cease?

Authors of novels just go “gugu gugu”, what can you do about it?

After much thought, Ash feels he might have prematurely contracted “chuunibyou” (middle school complex).

“Why? There are heroes and villains in this world, but why are there no ultimate superheroes?”

Doctors, firefighters, police officers maintaining order, and soldiers defending home and country are heroes.

Terrorists, petty thieves, bullies, and criminals who disrupt others’ peace are villains.

But there is no superhero capable of single-handedly changing the course of the world, epitomizing extreme individual heroism.

It’s not that he thinks individual heroism is more advanced than teamwork or anything, he just yearns to see such remarkable people exist.

Ash’s initial impression of heroes came from “hero tokusatsu shows” seen on TV as a child. He followed these shows from TV to the internet, catching up from the latest episodes to the earliest ones.

While his classmates chase trends and enthusiastically discuss big new works famous for their climaxes, Ash still clings to the hero stories they dismiss as childish.

He dislikes dark and twisted stories. To him, tragedy without heroes is merely a poor mimicry of tragedies already happening in this world.

Moreover, he has nothing to say to those who betray things they once loved.

“Next episode…” The 24 minutes swiftly pass, and Ash opens the next episode while previewing the next title.

Kamen Rider V3, with its gimmick of a cyborg with twin typhoons and possession of 26 secrets… Ha, interesting! Already looking forward to it, but hoping not to be left hanging.

“Are origin stories of super heroes really about caped crusaders from comics overseas?” Ash shows great interest at the search engine results. “Hey, sure enough, there are still those who admire heroes everywhere.”

Though, how long would it take to catch up with all these comics, animations, movies?

Well, it’s better to finish what one starts, so let me complete the current series of hero tokusatsu before diving into comic book super heroes.

Ash loves heroes. He adores those who ignite the goodness in everyone’s hearts with their own light, those “superheroes”.

Is it because of their invincible strength? Their virtuous qualities influencing others? Or simply their coolness?

Ash cannot now answer, he just loves them.

He loves these heroes who don’t fit into this boring world, the ones appearing only in fictional works, wishing he could join them.

Heroes will surely understand him, won’t they?

The world of heroes must be interesting, right?

With such heroes who never give up, regardless of success or failure, it surely wouldn’t be boring.

“Sigh…”

A sigh escapes Ash, the excitement in his eyes fading.

“That’s right, this is my past.”

“In that case, I should thank that Matthew, truly I owe him for giving me this opportunity.”

He almost forgot most of his past, yet finding himself here feels less surprising than expected.

Compared to how much he was changed by the heroes’ world during his constant journey in it.

“Drip —”

Sweat drips onto the steel floor.

Outside, one person and an elf stare at the screen in uncontrollable shock, stunned by Ash’s story.

What kind of person lives and thinks under conditions like this?

Their different worldviews clash, leaving them with incomprehensible questions.

They never imagined seeing what’s on the screen, the plight of the elementary student depicted and the attitude towards the circumstances chills them.

“So that’s why you’re endlessly pursuing Mana and those kids.”

Belulu lets out a deep sigh, solving her puzzle.

“No!”

As for Matthew, he cannot accept the situation. This development contradicts his belief that the past is better than the future.

“How could it be? I clearly set it to be a happy time in the past!”

What is going on? Is there any correlation between the past shown on the screen and happiness?

“Oh, so you think like that?”

On-screen, Ash stands up, his gaze piercing through the fourth wall directly into him.

“Not enough happiness? But for my world, and for me, it’s sufficient.”

A character in a movie talking to someone outside the film?!

How can that be? Past memories shouldn’t exist in the past, could this person have regained consciousness?

Matthew glances at other screens broadcasting the activities of other Pretty Cures, where the characters also gradually break free from the past, awakening thanks to an elf’s guidance. But this guy! This person named Ash, he woke up on his own?!

“Though I cannot see, I bet your jaw dropped when you heard that. Calm down, bro. Actually, I foresaw this. Hopefully, it eases you.”

Purposefully letting himself be hit by his opponent, recovering lost past impressions and ensuring he won’t be consumed by the past.

No need to elaborate on the reasons.

“Don’t think everyone had a glorious past because someone lived a good life in the past!”

Avoiding nostalgia? Simple, make their past worse than their present.

Ash pummels his chest, producing a dull thud.

“For me, now is paradise!”

Ash reckons he has had enough fun, so he tightens his tiny fist and smashes it towards the fourth wall in front.

“BANG—”

One punch makes the wall stay perfectly still.

“BANG—”

Another hits and blood trickles down Ash’s knuckles.

“BANG—”

This punch causes cracks to appear on the projection’s surface.

“This is my memory, my imagination. Therefore, I can naturally achieve anything!”

“CRACK—!”

Ash’s film reel bursts with dazzling light. Everyone instinctively shield their eyes, and Ash leaps out through the opening; crossing the space, he grows from a pajama-wearing kid into an unruly man wearing a leather jacket.

Without pause, he leaps into other screens broadcasting Pretty Cures.