Chapter 414

“Kamen Raider! Pull yourself together!”

Wuki and Erika, already in their transformed states, supported the dazed Tsukikage Lily from both sides. They gritted their teeth and brought her towards the place about to explode.

What they were most concerned about was Hanazaki Lei. All they could do now was pray that she remained safe until they arrived.

“What on earth happened…”

Though they wished to gather information about the enemy from the severely wounded Lily, she seemed soulless, like a puppet being controlled mindlessly. The pure power of the Pretty Cures restored Lily’s deformed arm but couldn’t mend her broken spirit.

“Disgusting, what’s this rain? Did someone want to wash away something?”

After grumbling at the weather and bringing Lily to the chaotic battlefield, they saw their friend, Lei, being playfully teased by the Crimson Knight who lifted her chin.

“Is that Timons— and Lei!”

Unlike the shocked Wuki, enraged Erika screamed as she kicked her leg toward the Knight. As Ash calmly pushed Lei aside and turned, he raised his hand ready to handle a new emerging threat.

“I am the Shadow Spider, weaving traps and snares.”

“If you wish to dance in this web, you’re more than welcome.”

The over-the-top lines from a game felt quite embarrassing when uttered aloud.

Though ostensibly preparing for a new adversary, the actual situation showed differently. At that moment, Ash had one hand behind his back and feet firmly planted on the ground, using only his other hand to deflect Erika’s swift and forceful attacks.

While it seemed Ash was using his agility and strength to deflect the girl’s martial prowess, unseen by anyone else, silk threads shot from Ash’s fingertips to ensnare Erika’s wrists. She was unwittingly manipulated, causing her own strikes to miss.

“A remarkable level of precision, with strength to match. Even webs wouldn’t stand a chance.”

This was closer to playful guidance rather than direct confrontation.

“You bastard—Blossom already has a crush!” Enraged, Erika powered up and kicked with thunderous force, her white, rain-soaked leg slicing through the air with a bone-chilling sound aimed at the knight’s temple.

“Crush?” Left hand batted the kick away as Erika and the knight collided with a deafening roar. “If that’s true, I wasn’t aware. But honestly, it doesn’t matter now.”

“What…!” Hearing Ash’s words, Erika paused. “Why do you suddenly sound like the shop owner? Are you mocking Lily and Lei with this? What sick games are you playing?!”

She renewed her attack with increased speed and power, eyes turning red. “What have you done to our shop owner? Tell me!”

“Hmm, is that so?” Taking the blade from behind, Ash dealt with Wuki, who came rushing after setting Lily down. With precise movements, he countered her attacks with a series of sharp strikes.

Observing carefully, he noted her attacks were intensifying with each strike, driven by rising emotions.

Without realizing, their power had grown to an astounding degree, if not for the current battle, it would have been worth celebration, but…

Their strength was still far from where it needed to be!

The combined attacks of two girls were swift and powerful. However, facing a rider who skillfully dodged every move barely moving a foot, cold sweat dripped from both their foreheads.

It was akin to attempting to pierce a shadow-dwelling spider with a toothpick, especially one whose blue eyes gleamed ominously, waiting to counter-attack.

Raising his hand to wipe by brushing past Erika’s arm, an agile angle swung him around her arm, pulling her back.

“Lets go, release Erika!”

Faster Wuki used family martial arts to push Ash away, but his right hand gripped relentlessly, negating her moves before she could react. Seeing his upraised arm, its blade shimmered blood-red under today’s moonlight.

“—!”

Blade fell sharply; Wuki was too stunned to defend, but oddly felt no pain.

But to her shock, the short-topped battle attire clinging tightly to her body revealed a neat, straight gash from the center just after a flash, splitting further apart, revealing orange underwear beneath with a faint “crack”.

“Ah!”

Wuki’s scream of humiliation covered her chest as Ash’s gaze settled on the blade dripping with rainwater, staining its crimson surface.

“Even Pretty Cures’ armor, supposedly unbreakable, was sliced through. This is breaking rules, something unheard of.”

Taking advantage of Wuki’s momentary vulnerability, Ash firmly seized her neck, holding her in place with another arm.

“Let go! You perverted spider freak!”

“Why—why does your voice sound like the shop owner! Timons!”

Feeling Erika’s struggles and even her teeth biting at his wrist, Ash smiled. A thought shifted, and the crimson helmet cracked open along the seams, reassembling near his neck.

“It’s obvious, isn’t it?”

“—!”

Even with the man’s backing, the familiar scent and the glimpse of his face, dripping from the rain but still nonchalant, erased any doubts.

“I am your shop owner, Ash.”

“It’s always been this way.”