Chapter 504

**Chapter 15: Villain vs. Villain**

The world, what is it that it needs, me… or them?

Now, even if I can catch a glimpse of the future, everything remains unknown until actual facts unfold.

To somewhat isolate myself from the effects of frequent foresight, Ash equipped a perfect-fitting piece of gear on his right hand. The glimmering hand armor shone with a polished iron sheen, and as Ash moved, its sharp fingertips tapped repeatedly on the wooden table in front of him, eventually boring a small hole into the surface.

In the deep, dark artificial cave, Ash crossed his arms beneath his chin, his eyes obscured by an eerie reflection, concealing his expression.

At this moment, Ash was contemplating a philosophical question, pondering… thinking… thinking…

With a sudden movement, Ash kicked over the table in frustration. As the desk collapsed with a loud crash, various papers stacked on top scattered across the floor.

If someone were to observe closely, they would find that the seemingly doodle-like scribbles on the pure white paper were all malicious prophecies of bad ends.

“[Kamen Rider Expletive]! Why do I have to be here all alone in this melancholy atmosphere? I don’t like this mood at all!”

“Fighting alongside those who agree with me is indeed my usual routine, but this time I’m completely—totally—unhappy! This worrying and scheming, it’s not like me at all!”

As mentioned several times in previous chapters, Ash is a certified genius. However, intelligence does not equal wisdom or emotional intelligence, and Ash despises using his brain.

What’s the point of prophecy… Forget about the damn future and just recklessly create chaos, stirring everything into a mess of bad ends and dead ends!

As Ash’s inexplicable anger erupted, the dark blade, Dark Sword Moon, beside him started emitting an increasingly dark aura.

Tch, it’s all that dark sword’s fault for showing me a future I can’t pretend to ignore. It’s all those Pretty Cure’s influence that makes me unable to look away from this kind of thing! It’s all—wait, isn’t it ultimately my own fault?

“Sigh.”

With a long sigh, Ash leaned back in his chair, feeling defeated as if he had just survived a devastating battle.

Blaming others for things that I created is truly pathetic.

Mature up a bit, Ash. You’re not a child anymore.

“Tch, my mood really stinks!”

What was supposed to be a vent for his annoyance ended up persuading himself more, making him even less happy.

“Forget it, what’s there to say now?”

“Compared to the future, what’s more important is the present. Those two—Pink and Blue, with their strong fighting spirit—when I go over this time, if I’m not crushed by the pressure, they should be able to bolster their will and power in the face of adversity.”

Though even so, I still don’t believe the strong me would lose.

Ash helplessly shook his head, bending down to pick up the white paper on the ground but ended up piercing it with the overly sharp fingers of his hand armor.

“Tch… According to the theory the poet revealed, the Holy Sword and the Fantasy Taming Book contain power far beyond their appearance. If I can extract it the right way, I too could have the power to change the ending.”

“For example, the Evil Dragon, representing dark power, could create a new strength through the collision of good and evil… Too bad I’ve never actually seen this scene in that world.”

After spending some time analyzing the healing ornament he had obtained, he was surprised by the energy contained within the small ornament, fitting perfectly with his calculations.

“So, the next step should be…”

In the middle of his self-reflection, Ash suddenly fell silent, his actions growing tranquil, causing the entire cave to descend into a form of quietness, interrupted only by the clear dripping sound from above and the buzzing noise of his nearby computer’s hard drive operating at full capacity.

“Clang~”

The metallic sound of his hand armor colliding with the hilt of the Dark Sword broke the silence.

“Come out, or do you want me to invite you out?”

With a sword embodying the meaning of destruction in hand, Ash raised it, pointing towards a seemingly empty space behind him, an invisible pressure beginning to envelop that direction.

“Oh dear, how rude~”

As soon as Ash finished speaking, the Joker, clad in circus attire, appeared from where there had been nothing a second before. With Ash’s already displeased expression deepening, visible disdain and disgust surfaced on his face.

“Let me introduce myself first. I am Joker, an officer of the Tragic Kingdom!” The newcomer spread his arms wide as if this were his own territory, performing an exaggerated dance around Ash, much like a lion jumping through fire hoops in a circus.

“You must have met Mr. Wangjian, who is also one of our officers from the Tragic Kingdom?” Eventually, Joker stopped at a distance from Ash, stepping on the leg of the overturned table, continuing to tease him with his sweet voice. “You seem to get along quite well with our Mr. Wolfrun~?”

Ash silently watched the ridiculous performance, neither praising nor objecting.

Just when Joker was about to say something else, Ash suddenly raised his other hand and covered his face, bursting into laughter.

“This is really—hahaha—actual karma!”

I just went to someone else’s secret base to act all tough, now it’s someone else’s turn to come to mine and act tough.

“What is it? I’m very interested~” Joker squinted his eyes, eagerly awaiting Ash’s response.

“Speaking of which, I also know a Joker.”

Suddenly, Ash, who had no intention of answering him, shifted his tone as if recounting something trivial to him.

“Oh~ how fortunate to share a name with Mr. Wangjian’s friend, hoho~” Joker chuckled twice, his eyes narrowing even further, his curiosity piqued by Ash’s words.

“So, Mr. Wangjian, who do you think is more of a joker, you or my friend?”

“Well, the joker is undoubtedly you, running around in a clown outfit in someone else’s dark underground cave, can anyone be more of a joker than you?” Although Ash’s tone was clearly mocking, Joker perceived it as a compliment.

“However, he’s not just a clown, he is a genuine ace!”

“Clearly, he said that a tough guy must drink strong black coffee to stay awake, but when I made him a cup, he spit it out after the first sip.” As he recounted, the memory flashed in Ash’s mind; since Joker appeared, the corner of his mouth, previously in disdain, now dared to reveal a slight smile. “He’s really a half-baked tough guy… but even a half-baked tough guy is still a tough guy, and.”

“I’m friends with him.”

The dark blade suddenly surged forth, crossing the distance as if a calamity were about to devour Joker’s slender body.

“Not with you!”