"Mana—Mana!"
Outside the door, Sharuru knocked on the girl's bedroom door with a tray in tow.
"It's almost afternoon already. Why haven't you even eaten lunch, sharu?!"
"Mm, I'll eat."
The door opened and took the tray inside. Sharuru was startled. The food was all from noon and had already gone cold. At least heat it up before eating!
But Ai did not react. She merely shoved the food into her mouth. The meals she had once enjoyed so passionately now tasted like wax. Rather than eating, she was simply chewing the food into pieces and swallowing it.
Her smile had been replaced by silence. Listening to the emotionless chewing from inside the room, Sharuru felt both sad and furious. She hated Ash for turning Ai into this.
If only I could become a Pretty Cure and beat that bastard up... But as a fairy, I can only give power to girls with beautiful hearts. Fairies themselves rarely have any power. Besides, has there ever even been a precedent of a fairy transforming into a Pretty Cure?
Wiping the grease from the corner of her mouth, Ai's expressionless face suddenly formed a vacant smile.
"Sharuru, tell me..."
"If I went to Ash-sensei and surrendered now, would he forgive me?"
"M-Mana?!" Sharuru could hardly believe it. She could not believe those words had come from Ai's mouth. "What are you saying?!"
"None of you have done anything wrong to him, Mana. It shouldn't be you—it should be that person sincerely apologizing to all of you, sharu!" Even gentle Sharuru could no longer control her emotions.
"And surrendering to him? Mana, you're a Pretty Cure. Are you serious?!"
"Mm... I'm serious."
Ai nodded.
*I can surrender to him. I can offer myself to him in exchange. As long as everyone gets their