Chapter 248

The Hundred and Forty-Seventh Truth of Blackening…

Ash leaned against the ruins, supporting his forehead in a state of daze.

He had originally intended to find that guy who toyed with him, to kill him in the most cruel way possible, and then wipe out everybody here, burning this city to ashes.

But as he thought this through, the enraged, bottomless self controlling him contemplated killing Ai along with them.

When Ash’s mind automatically replaced the faces of these girls with those of the mutilated dolls he’d torn apart moments ago, he suddenly “awoke.”

The extreme anger gave way to a chilling clarity like cold water, allowing him to truly start thinking. The vast malice towards the “happiness” in his memories also quickly receded.

It should have been simple—just needing to wake up—but in the end, he lost control once more.

“Again, I messed things up…”

“System, are you there?”

[I’m here.]

A virtual screen more familiar than even his parents’ faces appeared.

“I… I feel like I’ve become less true to myself. If it came down to it, I just needed to be defeated by the world’s hero, as ever. But… but!”

Recalling his actions, Ash felt pain between his eyebrows and in his stomach.

Living life on his own terms wasn’t wrong; it was what Ash wanted. But it should have come from his essence, not from an unchecked selfish self.

Ash clutched his chest, fingers reaching into the air, yet only gripping his collar.

He recalled the past forgotten and the things he had subconsciously ignored about this world.

“There’s something within me.”

He didn’t think he could be affected, believing his countless experiences across many worlds made him invincible to a mere Selfish King. Yet, he was wrong.

No matter if he was influenced or not, his arrogance hurt him. His selfishness harmed all the Pretty Cures alongside him.

[I didn’t kill it. I determined that if it died within you, your last act would produce such destructive negativity it could ruin everything.]

[I thought it couldn’t cause any trouble in the Dark Echo. But it escaped into the gauntlet to avoid harm.]

[Then when you transformed, it awakened a core coin inside you to manipulate the Dark Echo again. That way, even if it can’t control you directly, it can constantly agitate your inner darkness…]

“Why?”

Ash collapsed, utterly spent as if drained of all power.

[I told you, but you didn’t listen.]

Characters twisted across the virtual panel as if the System sighed deeply.

“Ash!”

Raising his head, Ash looked down dejectedly.

“Cure Heart, are you here to kill me?”

“Ash…”

Once a madman slaying without restraint, Ash was now quiet. His earlier rampage seemed to have exhausted him, except he had never looked so defeated.

“No, I’m here to save you.”

Ai pressed forward.

“There’s a Selfish Ancestor within you! The one who turned Regina’s father, the King of Poker, into the Selfish King!”

“I know.”

Ash was uninterested in matters concerning himself, neither nodding nor shaking his head.

“Ash, you claimed you pursued being a hero purely through your will. But all that has been twisted!”

“…”

“You sealed off our game, the game of Six, Arisu, Makoto, you know… It’s not yours!”

Ai didn’t hold back, tearing the facade in two.

“This isn’t—!”

Ash blinked, averting his gaze from her shining eyes as he stepped backward.

Could it be—I? Me!

“That’s right, Ash, you’re just a pawn manipulated by others!”

“Shut up!”

“I won’t if that’ll bring you back!”

The dazzling girl in the sunlight intimidated him, the hidden man not daring to look at her.

“Crack—!”

As Ash retreated, a sharp pain lashed his finger, bleeding profusely where a sharp object grazed him. He stared at the golden blade in his hand, then raised it to his throat without hesitation.

“Smack!”

Cure Heart approached like lightning, slapping away the gauntlet that Ash held in one swift movement.

“Snick—”

The sword embedded itself into the stone with a whir, cutting the staring Ash and Ai into two halves—one in shadow, one in moonlight.

“What are you doing?!!”

Ai, filled with rage, screamed.

“My body contains the Selfish Ancestor. If I die, everything ends. Isn’t that for the best?”

Ash spoke to no one, feeling himself lifted out from the shadows into the light.

“Smack–!”

A sharp slap resounded against Ash’s cheek, turning his gaze to meet Ai’s tearful eyes as she bit his lip, teeth clenched tight.

After a while, a stinging pain spread.

“You, selfish, immature brat!”

“Fool!”

“You awful thing!”

“Idiot who doesn’t understand!”

These were her first harsh words.

“Do you think this is really alright? To end our story here? We still have so much left to do, we’ve barely done anything!”

Ash widened his eyes. He hadn’t expected such words from Ai.

“Drip…”

Warm wetness spread down his face, despite Ai’s attempt to keep a strong and fragile expression. Her tears fell onto his face.

“Do you think Six, Arisu and Makoto are angry with us because of what you did earlier? Think! Yes, we are pretty furious! But do you really think seeing you dead before us, would make Ai happy? Or Six, or Arisu, or Makoto? Or would Akuri or Regina be pleased?”

“Is that how you want your precious heroes to react to you?!”

“!!!”

“!”