Chapter 294

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Self-Sought

If you can’t dodge, then block. It’s as simple as that.

“Hmph!”

The Dark Pretty Cure opened her previously tightly closed eyes to reveal her golden pupils. An invisible shockwave radiated from the center of her eyes; even the Pretty Cure found it hard to withstand such power. At this moment, Tsukikage Lily was pinned down harshly on the ground.

This was the power granted to her by her creator, Doctor Shabak—the power different from that of the Pretty Cure that could defeat enemies!

“Enough of this pretense, it’s time to be serious.”

She knocked away the saw blade from her opponent’s hand, and with her magic wand, a little black energy gathered at its crimson crystal, pointing directly at the nearby Lily.

This time, the one who couldn’t escape had no choice but to face it.

“Thank you, CureMoonlight…”

Her gratitude…

“To let me finish you off twice!”

“DarkForteWave!”

A technique similar to those used by the Pretty Cure, but with opposite power. Struck at point-blank range, Lily received a fierce blow; amidst her cries of pain, her armor shattered into pieces, and she rolled on the ground in human form until her clothes were covered in dust.

“Lily!”

“Do you see? This is the end! I am the Dark Pretty Cure, created to defeat you Pretty Cure girls. We are different from you humans, useless and insignificant!”

Facing Lily, her voice was both a brag and perhaps meant for Ash.

With the sound of high heels resonating with hellish bells, the Dark Pretty Cure approached Lily and lightly stepped on her stomach, causing her to emit just the right amount of pain before pulling off her belt and tossing it to Ash.

“Stop wasting your time.”

“Yes, thank you for your concern.”

Ash caught the belt, but his face no longer held the previous smile, neither did his voice.

“Why…”

A barely audible sound from beneath her feet made her turn around to look at the lying Lily.

“You say you were created by Doctor Shabak, but because it was his order, you’re relentlessly pursuing my destruction…”

Perhaps approaching her final moments, defeated, Lily could stand a more objective perspective, and began to question with sincerity.

“Why—why just because of an order?”

“Following orders means no other thoughts…”

Isn’t that too sad?

“Do you pity me?!”

It seemed she was enraged. In a fit, Dark Pretty Cure lifted her foot and stomped down again, causing Lily to scream even louder.

“Hey!”

Ash stood up and walked quickly toward her.

“I was created to destroy you, CureMoonlight!”

“What does that have to do with me?!”

Finally facing the fallen Tsukikage Lily, Dark Pretty Cure released all she had been suppressing within.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s the Desert Apostle or humans or Pretty Cure girls, justice or evil—it has nothing to do with me!”

“Not controlled by anyone else, I act on my own will! I fight only for myself, even more so in the future!”

Despite holding her life in their hands and blood trickling from her mouth, Lily showed no sign of fear. With her undying, defiant gaze, she stared fiercely at her, the shining brightness in her eyes momentarily stunning Dark Pretty Cure.

“This is just a palace you built to confine yourself!”

Since she had nothing else to lose except her life—it isn’t…

Thinking of her mother and the whimsical figure of the cafe, the sharpness in her eyes softened.

In this instant, Dark Pretty Cure regained her senses. Realizing she was caught off-guard just by her gaze, shame, anger, jealousy all surged together from her heart.

“You really want to die… CureMoonlight!”

The Dark Pretty Cure twirled her magic wand with one hand, gripping the sharp red gem, aiming it straight at Lily’s throat beneath her feet.

“Don’t, Lily! CureMoonlight!”

Two girls and fairies screamed in desperation. Faced with death, Lily instinctively closed her eyes, fear overwhelming her.

She could stab and kill the girl in a second.

But before anything could happen, Dark Pretty Cure halted with her hand mid-air.

“It’s enough, stop.”

A hand suddenly grabbed from behind.

Behind the girls, Ash firmly caught her wrist from behind, a smile already gone from his face.

“What do you mean, Timons?”

“That’s enough, Little Dark.”

Boasting about her differences compared to humans, claiming superiority.

Yet, she hastily wanted to kill someone similar to herself, Tsukikage Lily.

Just like…

Looks like I’ve been wrong all along. The road is long and arduous.

“You win, Darkprecure. That’s enough.”

“What?”

“Listen to me, Darkprecure!” Without her affectionate nickname, Ash’s serious eyes met hers through the mask. “She’s not a Pretty Cure anymore; CureMoonlight died that day, killed by you! You know it, don’t you?”

Originally intending to teach a lesson to Ash for interrupting her, his words caused her to stop and think seriously about it.

Seeing Lily in pain, Ash rushed his words, “Now she’s just an ordinary human, what proof does defeating her give?”

“You’ve already won. You’re no shadow but truly yourself. So there’s no need to continue like this. That’s why it looks terrible!”

“Little Dark, did you realize that people can’t—”

Noticing her expression change, Ash quickly changed his phrasing, “can’t become someone else. Do you get that?!”

“I… I’ve… won! Hmph!”

Observing subtle changes in her expression, Ash finally relaxed.

Thank goodness, I can…

“Pretty CureMoonlight… no, a human. Without her, you have no purpose now.”

Her obsession was perfectly buried under the joy of victory; she no longer focused on this “prototype” herself.

“While I haven’t changed my mind… Ha, gone!”

Transmission energy activated; with indescribable emotions, Dark Pretty Cure vanished in an instant.

“S-Sure…”

‘Stay, boss!’

A voice echoed from Ash’s mind. He noticed with surprise that Kayin hadn’t stayed within Timons for some reason.

‘That was never my intention, but I accidentally ran inside her body after helping a bit. Boss, save me!’

“Such a troublesome demon.”

Shaking his head, Ash turned and placed the stamp on Tsukikage Lily.

“Now we can go back…” Hmm?

“Great! I’ll g—Hey?”

One demon and a girl stared at each other, stunned.

Kayin originally without a physical form looked down at his newfound hands and body—he existed physically.

“Yesss! I have a body!”

However, this body didn’t resemble that of the Keyff series. And… it seems familiar somehow?

“What are you doing, Dai-ge? Is this a repaint?”

Seeing Kayin so ecstatic that he spun in circles, Ash couldn’t help laughing despite himself.

He didn’t notice, but two other fairies beside them stood there, dumbstruck.

Behind him, Tsukikage Lily watched Keirun emerge from her body, eyes wide, her trembling hand reaching out for it.

“Kuron?!”