Chapter 44 Desire without Desire
"A, are you still worried?"
The boy's hand, which was still cold after a hot bath, was held by the girl, and the warmth spread through the distance without any barriers.
"Well... I'm definitely worried."
Looking directly into Ayumi's eyes, this time he did not lie but admitted generously.
Because there seems to be one more person to worry about.
"Is it what happened today? Is that Rider the same as you? Hmm... Indeed, that person is really scary..."
Ayumi felt a shiver run down his spine when he thought about the battle in which he was no match at all.
It's obviously exactly the same as A. Why is there such a difference? Or is it my imagination?
"But it's okay, it's a big deal..." Observing A's expression, Ayumi finally said it seriously. "The worst case scenario is that we can't defeat us, so we can just run away! You can just run away somewhere else!"
Huh? A was stunned for a moment after hearing this, as if he didn't expect Ayumi to say such a thing.
escape? Where to escape? If the opponent is him, there is no place to escape.
"A. You want to stop those monsters. I think it is really powerful, but just like protecting other people, A. your life is equally important!"
"If it doesn't work out anyway, there are genuine Pretty Cures who can deal with him! Isn't that right?"
I don't want A to lose something more important than himself because of this...
Sensing the extremely troubled expression on the young man's face at this moment, Ayumi, who didn't want to see him like this again, raised his hand slightly.
Something soft and slender was pressed lightly against the boy's temple, and along with the slightly human touch, it felt warm when it touched his face. There was also a faint grassy scent of mimosa that quietly penetrated his nose.
The brown-haired girl hugged A's head tightly from both sides with utmost gentleness, and gently buried it into her chest.
"It's very late, go to bed now."
Don't be so gloomy anyway... Anyway, if it is A's wish, although it is not enough for Pretty Cure, as a friend, I will try my best to help you realize it!
"There are probably a lot of things that will worry you, but whether you want to think of a solution, you have to regain your energy before you think about it."
Now, if you are very tired, please go and have a rest.
"No matter what worries you have, they are gone when you fall asleep."
A remembers that at the end, he seemed to be like this, being "coaxed" to sleep.
"Good night."
Different places.
Same people.
In the past, it was precisely because all the people I met were heroes.
Therefore, no matter whether they were enemies or current partners, those people will definitely use their own methods to heal Ash who is in trouble.
Now I am treated with such tenderness.
"That's it."
A in the dream looked at the back of Ash, who was also in the dream, with a look of understanding in his eyes.
I understand.
"The biggest difference between me and that person is here."
He lowered his head and looked at his cold and pale palm, trying to hold something else.
"He gained the power from Ash and almost all the abilities of Assassin Matter, but his desire for more made him constantly attack Pretty Cure."
"And the result of doing this is that it is impossible for Precure to agree with him."
"Similarly, even Ash will sometimes fall into desperate confusion, but he will always be saved by Pretty Cure who has left a bond in the past."
"So he embraces and loves Mana, Lei, and Miyuki."
"A's words are different from this Ash."
The open palms were slowly squeezed here.
"The only person A has who can save her is Sakagami Ayumi."
A only has Ayumi, and Ayumi has only A.
I wanted to, grab her hand.
If you think about it carefully, it is clear that you have very complicated feelings for Pretty Cure, but now you want to hurt them. This is too sad.
So, I want to eliminate this mistake.
"I finally understand."
It is true that I was the "growing up" part that was voluntarily abandoned when we were separated, but it is this emotion of yearning for heroes and learning and correcting that is the essence of Ash's pursuit of heroes shining in different worlds from the beginning.
For the sake of desire, the other me gave up the desireless me to become stronger... It is really stupid. If you are a real strong person, you should face it instead of escaping and fighting!
Ayumi You said, just run away?
"I will not hide or run away. I will look squarely at that desire that may be ugly."
Even though I might still fail completely, I won't be afraid anymore.
"To protect your world, I will fight!"
If there is no desire, it may also be a powerful symbol of desire Mugen.
"Now I have something (desire) that I want to implement!"
So.
"Ash, please give me power!"
As if hearing "his" voice, Ash smiled and turned to look at the serious boy.
"I want to become stronger!"
"What did you say?"
Ash was happy, looking at the boy in front of him with a smirk on his face and said.
"You are me, so how can you ask for things from yourself?"
Three shining coins flew out of Ash's hand, leaping Mugen far away and then Mugen close to A's hand that he finally grasped.
"If you want it, get it yourself."
"Get up quickly..."
The window was opened by someone unknown, allowing the sun to blindly shine in. A, who was half asleep and half awake against the sun, squinted his eyes and could vaguely see two blurry figures, one tall and one short, standing by his window.
"Hey, Ash——Get up~"
"It turns out that the face when sleeping is quite cute..."
"If you don't get up quickly, the sun is shining on your butt!"
"Well..." Listening to the girl's playful call, A, who seemed to be suffering from hypoglycemia, exhaled an unexplained sound from his throat, and felt something slightly smelly stepping on his face. For a moment, what he instinctively thought of was...
"Miyuki... Don't step on my face a second time... It stinks--Pfft!"
Following the familiar girl's scream, a sudden blow to the chin woke A from his dream.
"Stinky - no way! Why do my feet stink! They are obviously washed every day!"
"Hmm!" A cold voice that was different from the other's sharp voice sounded from the side with a flurry of emotion. "Who is Miyuki... you are talking about?"
"She stepped on your face?"
"Ahem! What's this?"
Holding his chin that almost fell off, he lifted up the quilt and rubbed his messy white hair. He finally saw clearly who the two familiar figures in front of him were.
They are indeed acquaintances.
"Regina?"
"Hi!"
"Dark Precure?"
"Yeah."
Chapter 45 Unexpected reinforcements from darkness!
Honestly.
A really didn't expect this at all, so he was completely stunned.
The Rousseau-like blond girl with a Rousseau-like dress draped behind her back was holding her little feet, looking at him with some embarrassment. The light black Princess dress dotted with bright red allowed him to vaguely see it from a wonderful angle as the wind blew in through the open window.
The person who came was none other than Master Princess, the daughter of the once selfish kingdom King, whom he and Mana tricked into his camp to clear his name - Regina.
"Ash! I haven't even seen Mana yet, so I followed you immediately and found you!"
With his hands on his hips, Master Princess's nose almost turned up to the sky, as if "I'm amazing! Praise me!" The bright red bow on the top of his head jumped up and down according to his master's mood.
"Ah, oh."
"Oh what is it! Ash Hurry up and say something."
As for the girl standing on the other side, wearing a completely black dress, with something hidden behind her back and holding her hands on her chest, the girl with one eye hanging on her chest was the original ace of Desert Apostles, the child who was once PUAed by Ash and longed for family love - Dark Precure (DrakPrecure).
and——
"Yo!" Mochi Dumpling, who had a small purple head hidden under the bat wings behind Dark Precure, greeted him. "It's been a long time since we first met, brother."
"Hmph."
The tall girl with a condescending green evil eye was looking at A and Regina at the same time with great displeasure.
"This guy knew about Ash and wanted to follow him... Obviously I am enough alone."
"What? You obviously needed my sensing ability, so you shamelessly followed me, you cold-blooded girl!"
Faced with Dark Precure's provocation, Master Princess, whose pupils turned purple for a while, fought back without hesitation.
"What are you talking about... Do you want to be eliminated by me first before other obstacles? Unethical Princess."
"Who is unethical? If you want to find trouble, I, Princess, am not afraid of you!"
"Okay, then here -"
"ST——OP!!!"
Seeing that the two people in front of them had guns and canes out, and they looked like they were about to start filming on the spot with dark will in their eyes, A immediately jumped up from the bed and stood in the middle, even his voice was broken for a while.
I said it was difficult for me to face an acquaintance of Pretty Cure, but this time it turned out to be Dark Precure... What the hell is this!
Damn it, you are playing with me!
"So... this is what you are doing?"
"Of course I'm here to find you!" Regina said matter-of-factly. "Originally, I heard the blue woman say that Mana seemed to be sick with a cold. I originally thought of going to see her, but I sensed your feeling Ash halfway, so I came over!"
"I came to see you." Dark Precure, with one eye half-closed, said matter-of-factly. "It was Hanasaki who called me and told me that Ash appeared again, so I flew over... Fortunately it was not too late."
"I will never let you be alone this time..."
"Dark..."
"Really - why didn't you tell me!" Before A could finish expressing his feelings, Regina couldn't help but let his expression turn pitiful and hugged him with such force that it hurt his ribs. "You clearly promised to be my Rider, but in the end, you actually dared to abandon this Princess alone. You are so unqualified to be Rider!"
"And Mana, she has always been sad for you... But no matter what, it's great, great, great that Ash can be resurrected, wow wow wow——"
Just as Regina, whose eyes were red, was crying with an increasingly hazy voice, letting tears fly out one by one, she screamed out before she could cry loudly, and was twisted backwards by another person holding the collar.