Chapter 481

Chapter Two Hundred Sixteen: The Cruel Truth

“precure…” As she waited for this heart flower to return to its owner on Earth, the last voice came from inside it was that of Scorpion Lena. “I didn’t expect you could really do it. From the start, I underestimated you.”

“Scorpion Lena…”

“If you’re going to find Doon, take that path.” A pigweed plant waved its leaves in a certain direction. “Doon has already fought with Timons; if you want to go, you must hurry.”

“!”

“After you find Doon,” the crystal sealing the flower gradually melted, and this pigweed transformed into light and flew toward Earth. “Please give him a few more punches for me and the other three!”

In some nursing home on Earth, a red-haired woman slowly opened her eyes.

Not long after, two long-sleeping men began to twitch under their tightly closed lids.

“Thank you!”

She slapped her rosy cheeks vigorously, bowed deeply toward the direction where Scorpion Lena disappeared, shook her painful arm, and bravely set forth in that direction.

Ash… You’re not someone who can be so easily killed…

Please be strong, live… We’ll come to save you.

“Grandma, Lily!”

“Ley!”

Leveraging Scorpion Lena’s final guidance, Ley successfully navigated through numerous twists and turns and enemies with a shortcut. She met up with the continuously exploring Lily and the others.

“It’s great!” The joy of reuniting was fleeting, as Ley looked around and saw no signs of the others. “Where are Fuki and Erika?”

“Still fighting, perhaps,” CureFlowe shook her head, “but they’ll catch up. Time is pressing; let’s go first!”

“Hold it!” Lily suddenly raised her hand to block their path. Intuitively, she sensed that a familiar yet approaching presence.

This presence was a Dark Pretty Cure, and she was injured!

“This way!”

The dark pretty cure leaning against a corner nearly made Ley gasp out loud. Standing before them, she looked utterly pitiful, her battle clothes tattered, her wounds gushing blood, slightly less severe than her previous battle with Lily, evidently fighting hard and suffering.

“What’s wrong?” Lily couldn’t help but widen her eyes; there shouldn’t be anyone stronger than her within the Desert Apostle unless… Is it possible?

“It’s Doon!” After checking with CureFlowe, the young girl glared fiercely at the direction behind her, her hatred for Doon genuine. “That guy is right here. Follow me!”

“Hold on, we should wait for Erika and the others…”

“She’s gone.”

Seemingly not hearing Ley, the dark pretty cure took loose yet astonishingly quick steps and vanished at the tunnel’s end. Everyone had no choice but to follow.

“Doon is inside…”

Reaching the door, the trio and the fairy hesitated with each other. Finally determined, they rushed in.

Indeed, on the throne, they saw the final boss of the Desert Apostle, Doon.

“Doon!” CureFlowe decisively gathered strength. Though she had lost her purifying abilities, current Doon looked visibly weak. Helping Ley’s group, she naturally needed to strike first!

“PrettyCure–wait?!” However, halfway through force gathering, power dispersed like an endless stream, her youthful appearance rapidly aging as her pink energy faded. Because the necklace that sealed Doon’s darkness vanished from her chest.

Suspended above everyone, the dark pretty cure used her bloody finger to draw patterns on her body shape. Bent over, her form resembled a crescent moon of blood, having knocked out Granny behind her back and stolen the necklace when unnoticed.

“Dark Pretty Cure, what’s your meaning?!” Lily instantly charged forward. It was because they hadn’t considered her an enemy that she could succeed. But why, then, did she do this? Was it betrayal?!

Even more infuriating to the Pretty Cure was that the dark pretty cure threw the necklace directly into Doon’s hands.

“Well done, dark_precure.” From another hand, she pulled out a familiar golden stamp. Placing it on her chest and crushing it in front of everyone, Doon’s complexion visibly improved as bloodred darkness flowed into his body from the stamp.

This is demonic energy–the power you’ve been using all along, Ash? It’s effective, but to delay the seal’s breaking further, I need to stall for time…

“What are you doing—”

“Shut up!” The dark pretty cure interrupted Lily’s words. “I’ve fulfilled my promise, now return Ash to me!”

Unlike others, the dark pretty cure cared nothing for Earth and thus did something foolish.

Ultimately, she only wanted Ash and her father. Nothing else mattered.

“Fine.”

With a mocking smile, Doon gestured. Like swatting a fly, he released a wave of energy, blasting the dark pretty cure backward through a wall and into a foggy direction amidst screams.

“!”

Doon’s shame astonished them once more.

“Pity indeed, those who seek love and can never obtain it, just like her?”

“Granny…” As Lei placed the unconscious granny aside, she and Lily stood together, faces gloomy. Before they could speak, another item was thrown at them with a sharp clatter.

“This thing, very familiar, isn’t it?”

The items on the ground were indeed familiar, the device Lei had shown them before, which had left a stunning impression. Covered with dust, the Wyld Stream Driver lay haphazardly. Disappeared, the right-side unit sparked with intricate circuitry.

Instantly capturing the girls’ attention, they blinked dazedly.

The transparant screen, originally used for imprint, cracked down the middle. On one side, Lily stood firmly, expression neutral; on the other, Lei trembled belatedly with realization.

“What…” Words escaped Lei’s lips in bewilderment.

What’s happening?

“Just a misstep, and the game is lost entirely,” Doon remarked indifferently about a cruel reality, but Lei heard nothing. Staring blankly at the screen, she found herself, yet saw a man shrouded by shadows.

“Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah…”

In such perilous surroundings, only Lei’s breathy exclamations filled the air.

“You’re really weak,” the Spider Knight casually criticized himself.

“I am Ash, welcome to Nasta Café,” the dashing shopkeeper tipped his hat to me.

“My favorite is always the Pretty Cure!” Apparently, the stern manager has such playful sides, providing some comfort.

“To continue progressing and getting stronger, I eagerly await your growth.” The Spider Knight turned crimson, reaching to grab him without strength.

“Well then, let’s make plans for a date, date!” An abrupt change from enemy to lover’s date surprised me greatly. Thus, I gather the courage to confess.

“I apologize for deceiving you,” too late, fool!

“If you could revive the flowers in my heart, I might reconsider,” I’ll try my best!

“But I can’t guarantee that,” what reason again?

“Goodbye.”

With hands in pockets, facing the sun’s direction amidst the girl’s concerned gaze, that man walked away.

Lei’s trembling shoulders enveloped by her arms slowly lifted, her gloomy determined expression crumbled as her mouth opened wide, tongue visibly shaking. Beads of sweat trickled down her smooth neck from her forehead.

“Guu… uh…”

“Ash-ahhh!”

“Ah—ah—!”

Her scream echoed throughout the throne room.