Chapter 310

Chapter 41: Hanazaki Kuriko’s Test

“Hey young man, could you walk with me for a bit?”

“I’m not devoid of that sort of patience.”

Ash didn’t fuss or complain about the trouble this time. Once he determined that the old man in front of him was once a hero, Ash’s demeanor toward him became much more respectful, at least no longer absentminded during the conversation.

If so, then Gran’ma Hanazaki was originally one of the Pretty Cure heroes from the Showa era; somewhat interesting.

Walking through the vibrant botanical garden, Ash and Kuriko passed by the garden meticulously managed over countless hours and effort by the curator. The collection on display truly impressed Ash, who couldn’t resist taking photos with his build phone camera function.

“There’s even more added now.”

Seeing the photo album add another landscape from another world, Ash nodded happily. This way, he’d have a chance to show them off one day… ah.

He almost forgot. Unless it was under special circumstances, he was likely never going to see his old friends again.

Ash shook his head. Such things as crossing multiple worlds were already quite special. Returning to places he had left a mark in was simply unprecedented.

Even though he frequently encountered All-Star Ranger battles that brought all of them together, familiar faces under fake masks turned out to be nothing more than the most recognizable strangers.

Ash shook off his thoughts, refusing to dwell on anything that put him in a bad mood.

After all, it was only because he gave up his past that he had the courage to live in the present and look to the future.

He only needed to exist in the present…

“What is this?”

Standing before the tall, green, furry creature almost three meters high with a single horn, Ash had to tilt his head back to get a full view.

“This one is the legendary fairy, Sir科普!”

The two sprites they carried immediately went over in joy, their small size allowing them to hide playfully in the fluff of its fur.

“So cool!”

Ash took a step back involuntarily.

‘My god! Boss, this thing is alive! Just look at those claws—they’re soft, but I can tell, it could beat the pulp out of that senior devil Belldandy!’

‘Don’t need to say that, I’m not blind.’

Having exchanged a few words with Kayin, who seemed shockingly terrified inside, Ash clearly saw the static of his unresponsive eyes as they followed the movements of Cifrey and the others.

At the same time, Ash’s instincts told him that Kayin was right—the odd, oversized puppet was no less formidable than Little Dark.

“He is my former sprite partner,科普.”

When talking about his partner, Gran’ma Hanazaki’s voice seemed to echo back to those vibrant days he spoke in a tone proud of her teammate.

“Oh, it’s a sprite?”

I thought it would be like a robot from another战队 just some secret weapon for Pretty Cure.

Ash looked at the two little creatures playing hide-and-seek among the fluff on科普’s body, then took a good look at the seemingly dazed科普 from head to toe.

Wait, are these really the same species? How did such tiny beings grow to this extent?

“He might be thinking something improperdesu~”

Ignoring the subtle looks from the sprites, when Ash’s gaze fell on科普’s face, he found its seemingly vacant eyes also fixing on him.

This gaze felt oddly familiar…

“Aha.”

Ash clenched his fist and knocked it softly against the palm of his other hand, instantly understanding. The surveillance的目光 he occasionally felt at Nasta Coffee Shop had been exactly like this.

“It seems you’ve already figured it out,” said Hanazaki after seeing her suspicion confirmed. She bowed to Ash. “Sorry, your initial actions made me think this was another trap created by the Desert Apostles. So,科普 observed you for a while from elsewhere. After all, I would feel uneasy leaving my granddaughter and the Pretty Cure members in unfamiliar locations.”

“Don’t worry, I understand,” Ash quickly helped Hanazaki up. Of course, he wouldn’t blame her. When dealing with issues, he always made sure to not leave loose ends, so he wasn’t too concerned about what she might find out.

“Haha, mistaken as a trap. Believe me, this is definitely not a trap from the Desert Apostles.”

“This is my ‘trap’.”

“But I wonder, what made you trust me?”

“It’s due to Lily.”

Leaning on her partner, Hanazaki started recalling, “She lost her father and her spirit flower, her qualification for transformation as Pretty Cure. I originally expected her heart to heal slowly, given time.”

“But then you came along. You have become Lily’s new support, encouraging and supporting her, allowing her to gradually heal.”

Ash nodded, although he didn’t fully agree with Hanazaki’s statement. Though he did help her, being someone’s support to such an extreme level seemed exaggeration. He wasn’t her sibling or friend; how could he do so much?

“Do you know about the mission of the Pretty Cure?”

“To protect the world, to protect humanity?”

Being an earth-based hero, it was often about these two reasons. It wasn’t strange for a representative of both to be present. It also wasn’t surprising for them to fight before understanding each other.

“You aren’t wrong,” Hanazaki said, her hand resting against the glass beside her. Through the transparent mirror, it echoed the memory of her fighting when she was younger. “The mission of Pretty Cure is to protect the Heart Tree, a symbol of humanity’s souls and Earth’s natural power. If the Heart Tree is destroyed, the consequences for humans and Earth would be immeasurable.”

Ash nodded. He knew many representatives of Earth’s power and had been saved countless times by it. Although he still couldn’t fully wrap his head around the concept.

“A few months ago, because of Lily’s defeat, the Heart Tree was nearly destroyed.” She took out a delicate vial from科普’s chest, containing crystals Ash recognized, stolen several times from Lei and the others.

“These are Heart Seeds. The Heart Tree needs them to regain vitality.”

“Everyone has a unique Heart Flower within. But when negative emotions cause Heart Flowers to wither, Desert Apostles influence people and transform their flowers into Desert Beasts.”

“Then, Pretty Cure will defeat them and purify their hearts.” Ash continued, “From Lei, I heard about purified Heart Flowers bearing Heart Seeds. Lately, many of them were taken away.”

“Yes, that newcomer called Timons stole many seeds.” At this, Hanazaki couldn’t help but sigh. “I’ve never seen him use such power. More strange beings might emerge.”

“But,” Hanazaki’s face grew serious, “regardless of any challenge, Pretty Cure will never lose.”

“Pretty Cure draws power from bonds—love, kinship, friendship. Love can blossom a girl’s heart magnificently, leading to incredible miracles.”

“However,” Hanazaki’s tone shifted suddenly, placing the topic squarely on Ash. “Love can save a world, but it can also destroy one.”

“I want to know—you say you want to support them because you truly love them, right?”

Certainly, this man put in immense effort, treating these Pretty Cure members well, yet Ash’s eyes revealed hints of emptiness, making her recall an old enemy. She couldn’t fully relax.

Therefore, she sought an answer from Ash himself.

Without unnecessary movements, Ash slightly adjusted his state of mind, earnestly gazing into Hanazaki Kuriko’s eyes.

“Believe me—I am the one who desires to see these girls become powerful enough to easily overcome their enemies!”