Seeing the door being pulled open from the bookshelf in front of him, Zhi, who was fidgeting and pinching the folds of his skirt, came to his senses instantly. He didn't care about being reserved or not, and stood up almost in a hurry.
"How is it, what do you think?"
"One piece of good news, one piece of bad news."
Even though he was just chatting with a group of little girls for a while, Ash, who still looked exhausted and paralyzed, casually pulled on the rather uncomfortable skull tie around his neck. This kind of thing is commonly used by white-collar workers, and he, a guy who is used to freedom, is naturally not used to wearing it.
"The bad news is that no one really wants to see you at all, and has no intention of coming back here. You have indeed been turned into an isolated outsider."
After telling the truth without mercy, he opened his mouth wide and hesitated, and finally sat back on the chair in despair.
"The good news is -" He deliberately prolonged his voice and saw that the other party's emotions were also aroused with his words, before Ash continued. "There is nothing wrong with them. They are still ready to defeat that clown. Their willingness to fight as heroes of justice has not changed."
"So, you really should wait until everything is over."
"But - this is the case!" He couldn't tell that he felt uncomfortable and hurriedly came closer to the table. "Everyone wants to fight the clown monster, but Smile Pretty Cure is missing one person now!"
"Do you take yourself too seriously?" He didn't understand the girl's deeper urgency, and thought she was just worried about losing her qualifications, so Ash looked at her with strange eyes. "There's no such thing. Anyway, you haven't been able to transform yet, and it won't be of any use if you go there. Besides, the previous battles were also victorious. Before the enemy cadres or strengthened monsters appear, I don't think you are missing one more or one less."
"Anyway, they will still work together when the time comes. Then we can just figure out a solution based on the situation."
This is Ash's answer. As a girl with a sports-like ability, Zhi is not good at practical principles related to social experience. She can't find anything to refute Ash. Ash has actually convinced her.
However, if I have been convinced, why don't I want to give up no matter how painful it is?
If that's the case... would that be fine?
Looking at Smile Pact lying peacefully in the palm of her hand like a toy, the countless sorrows and evil thoughts rising in her heart were suppressed, and a determined look appeared in the eyes of the girl who had been hit many times.
"This won't work! Sure enough, I still have to find everyone again——"
"I tell you, it's almost time to give up."
I said, one, two, and three are normal developments, but this is already the fourth time, right? I have already posted the answer to the level on your face, what do you want?
I was so sad when I begged me to at least not leave.
Now that we are facing reality, we are not despairing, but are we inspired to fight? But it's too late!
Look at how you look now. Can you still take one step with your trembling hands and legs from excessive exertion? The sound of the teeth chattering is also very unpleasant, and the red eyes are probably going to cry pitifully in the next second. But I don't sympathize with you. Why do you insist on insisting on this matter? I'm really curious.
Rather, we have already reached this point. How strong are you?
"I'm the one who really wants to give up!"
Do you think that I never look back because I like it? Wouldn't it make me sad to see my former friends saying nasty things to me again and again?
"Faced with such excessive things, I feel so uncomfortable that I want to escape and retreat!" The girl's voice gradually deformed and distorted as her heart poured out, but this almost vague words that she endured were also the expression of the deepest true meaning in her heart at this moment.
Precisely because as the eldest sister of five children in the family, she always has to shoulder more responsibilities, she has a clearer understanding of the pressure brought about by a sense of responsibility.
"But even if I really am not worthy of everyone, it doesn't matter if I can no longer be Pretty Cure!"
No matter how good Pretty Cure is, no matter how nice the relationship between everyone is, the green-haired girl is still just a little girl after all. She has unrealistic dreams. She was too scared to use her strength when facing the terrifying Wang Jian, and she even wanted to escape when facing a powerful enemy.
But just because she is a little girl, she has some stubbornness as a child. As the school's eldest daughter, she can show her ugly appearance out of jealousy Ash, and she can also reveal her ugly appearance in front of the enemy.
"Only this friendship with everyone, I will never give up no matter what!"
But only in front of her family and friends whom she values most, she must be strong and reliable!
"You said that you would never give up on friendship, right?"
After venting her anger, she finally felt much more relaxed and wiped her eyes, which had become blurry because she could no longer hold back. At this moment, following the movements of Ash, the sound of the squeaking wooden chair twisting sounded in front of her.
"Seriously?"
Ash stopped being frivolous and turned his eyes as sharp as swords to face her.
"But, after all, you can't be friends with them for life." Ash's words made him stunned after speaking from the bottom of his heart. "In a few decades, your family will leave you too."
Because I think about the pain of separation that will definitely occur in the end every time, I am planning to give up the way I used to do it, and this time I will try to maintain this estranged distance until the end.
After all, as long as there is no beginning, there will be no pain destined to follow... Rather than leaving them with the long-term pain of loss like those who became friends with me before, I don't know when we will see each other again.
Is it better for you to just maintain this good distance as rivals?
Now, aren't you suffering from the same pain as me?
But you said you don't want to give up no matter what... Of course I know you don't mean it, but isn't it just like mocking me.
"In the end, everyone will be alone. This is an inevitable outcome."
"What you said... maybe indeed right."
She really hasn't thought about separation, but as Ash said, this is inevitable.
"I'm not you, and I don't know what kind of story you encountered to say such a thing."
"However, why you feel sad when you are separated, isn't it because of the feelings generated in the past and the things you experienced are good enough?"
This time, even though Nao Midorikawa looked different, he continued to look at Ash without looking away.
"So, let me ask you, do you regret meeting those beautiful memories?"
"If it were you, if you knew, would you give up early?!"
"..."
This answer...
For Ash, it is also negative.
Chapter 84: Proving friendship and not betrayal
"Even if it is separation, it must not be meaningless and only painful!"
"It must be for a better meeting in the future!"
If you don't even take the first step just because you will lose it, then you won't be able to accomplish anything, isn't that true?
"It's okay to say that there should be no beginning and no meeting. If you say that, it must be because you have experienced very beautiful memories in your past!"
Isn't this the proof that you have existed?
When he saw Ash, he still just looked at himself and added the last, heavier sentence!
"If you only fight by excluding others, your battle will never end, because then everyone will be your enemy!"
Nao Midorikawa is a girl who has become Pretty Cure for less than a month. She has a decisive lack of experience except football. She is young and energetic but also doesn't understand anything.
As for Ash, he has traveled to countless worlds, gained friends and lost them again and again. Even if his memory disappears, it will still leave another scar on his scarred soul. His actual mental age and physical age are both a mystery, and he is suspected of being a time traveler in the dual quantum states of a small wall lamp and an old wall lamp.
There was no commendable topic between them, and it was impossible for Ash to convince her just because her voice was nice and her momentum was strong enough, so...
"What you said seems to make sense, but it is meaningless." Ash maintained his expressionless face and changed his posture to cross his legs. He did not seem to be moved. "Only beautiful words can't penetrate my heart, if you really want to prove that you are right and I am wrong."
"Then go and prove yourself."
But equally, it is precisely because Nao Midorikawa is young enough that she can do it and say such words.
"I will do it!" The girl who had almost collapsed now no longer had confusion in her eyes. "Let Miyuki and the others fight with this mentality, while I hide first... Even if this is the best choice, I won't do it!"
"We, Pretty Cure are not professional soldiers who stay together just to fight, we are friends who laugh together!"
"It's not that we work together to do Pretty Cure and finally become friends! It's because we are friends that we have to work together to do Pretty Cure. In order to avoid the tragic ending and to smile in the world, this is the mood we must not lack!"
He put the Smile Pact that made a squeaking sound in his hands into his purse, put the photos in it as well, rummaged around for a while, and then he was ready to leave with a pocket full of things.
"I will prove it, whether it is my qualifications as Pretty Cure, the bond between us is not as weak as this, or your statement is wrong, I will prove it!"
Angrily, Zhi put his hand on the bookshelf leaving here, and was about to step into the light door in front of him, but he raised the other foot after stepping in, but never stepped through.
She realized that even Ash-sensei, who originally begged him not to leave, was now pushed to the side that hated me.
My hands must be trembling, haha, I... am still not strong enough.
"I'm sorry for saying some arrogant things to you."
"The battle with the Tragedy Kingdom is not your responsibility after all, right?" In an unexpected scene, at this moment, Ash smiled behind him. "Then, you'd better not take action, just leave it to us Pretty Cure."
Goodbye.
Now in Incredible Library, this time Ash is really the only one who is quiet.
"She's obviously just a woman, but she just says some cool things."
However.
"I don't hate it."
I'm quite looking forward to you coming up and giving me a punch. This will make what you say more righteous, right?
However, will everyone become my enemy... Obviously I did plan this way before, and I never doubted myself. When did this change begin?
And, is there proof that I existed?
"Hmph, I don't need this kind of thing."
[However, the fact that you actually become friends with people from your past is a fact that you cannot change. ]
"You... I've said it countless times, aren't you too humane for the system? And it's clear that Dark Echo has been collected all at once, but you are stingy when you give me rewards..."
Randomly looking through the fairy tale books on the bookshelf, Ash did not end the topic by crumpling the panel into a ball this time. At this time, he was in a complicated mood and unexpectedly started a rare conversation with it.
"You, you can't be effeminate or anything. Instead of chatting with me all the time and complaining at critical moments, you might as well do some traditional system conspiracy. It would be more interesting."
[I'm already doing it. ]
"Ah, really, thank you for telling me." Ash waved his hand carelessly, driving the floating panel in front of him away. "I will look forward to the so-called conspiracy and betrayal."
[Ash, regarding your change in mood, I want to get some confirmation from you. ]
The system always made Ash familiar with the straightforwardness without beating around the bush, so he stopped what he was doing and looked at the italic and bold text being typed on it.
[Do you still want to continue the fierce and bloody battle with the heroes now? ]
"You ask me if I still want to..."
Really, what's the problem?
Shaking his head, Ash twisted his arms casually and made a crisp joint sound, and then.
"Click——"
When he opened his suddenly clenched hands, Jaaku Dragon's dark flames burned in his hands.
"I want it, I want it very much!"
The burning black fire turned the figure behind into an extremely evil and twisted look.
It used to be like that - no questions asked, no reasons! Full of blood and fire, the momentum and power that erupts when fighting purely for the sake of war is also the time when the heroes fight for justice, and the high and dazzling faith shines!
So full of idealism, such a dazzling double flash of body and spirit, how could it not be a mystery to me?!
It's really... I haven't fought in such a simple and easy way for a long time!
"How could I not think about it? Rather, I don't think about it for a moment!"
When I faced Miyuki at that time, I did hold back. Now that I think about it, I almost immediately wanted to jump and knock them all over, then step on them viciously, laughing and admiring their incredible expressions!
This is the only part of me that is close to my nature and has not changed no matter what.
[If this is the case, why have you become the little goldfish that the clown calls a mother-in-law? ]
"Why?"
Ash, who was originally roaring towards the sky and almost starting to pose madly, slowly restrained himself, and finally spit out the names of the two women.
"Love... Lei."
"Probably there are also those people who never gave up no matter what and wanted to help me along the way."
Whether they fought with me or pushed themselves to the limit, their efforts were just to allow me to change myself.
In this case, I look like a mother-in-law now.
"It feels like if I simply continued to do whatever I wanted the way I had in the past."
"I betrayed their efforts."
I don't want to do such a thing.
[Ash. ]