Chapter 132: Is This the End?
Originally worried about Akuri, Ai-chan, and Regina, the Pretty Cures, who were ready to transform and look for their friends, came across an unexpected person.
“Princess!?”
Seeing the beautiful woman standing outside the door—the smile they had missed so much and thought they would never see again—Makoto was first shocked, then burst into uncontrollable joy. The happiness of being reunited with her princess made her jump into the princess’s arms directly.
“Great! Great!”
“Eh—Princess Makoto P is really back!”
“An!”
Not only Makoto, but also the other Pretty Cures gathered around one by one with surprised and blessing faces, eager to catch a glimpse of the Princess. Jo, on the other side, ran over in surprise and extreme joy as well.
“Princess! If you are here, what about the one in the ice?”
“Let me explain.”
Princess Angie showed a reassuring smile. She recounted everything from learning about her past through the Golden Crown, to the series of events that happened between her and Ash.
Everyone went from initial shock to not being able to open their jaws in disbelief as she spoke.
“That’s right; the Angie in the ice was just a decoy to confuse the enemy and buy time.”
“It’s hard to believe that Akuri and Regina are actually the same person!” Ai was greatly shaken because Akuri was usually serious, whereas Regina had a mischievous demeanor, making them seem like two different people.
However, thinking about it this way, some questions could be answered. For example, why Regina suddenly wanted the royal gem passed down through the family, and why Akuri had memories of fighting the Selfish Beast. The most undeniable evidence was the triple transformation of Angie standing before them.
“To separate herself voluntarily for the sake of the world, Princess Angie truly bore such a fate.” Arisu sighed at the unpredictable destiny. She couldn’t believe that her friend had such a secret hidden inside her.
“Yes, but at least everyone didn’t end up killing each other.”
Ai felt a rush of emotions too. She hadn’t expected Akuri to divert their suspicions. If Ash hadn’t intervened, she would have lost a valuable friend for sure.
As someone who experienced the great collapse of the Poker Kingdom firsthand, Makoto couldn’t control her emotions anymore. It wasn’t until Ai gently held her that she calmed down.
“Don’t cry, Makoto P, placing cherished family and world on a balance, anyone would hesitate.”
“That’s true, the King touched the taboo to save the Princess, and the Princess couldn’t fully defeat the selfish king, it’s a question without an answer.”
Rikka, feeling her friend’s sorrow, came to stroke Makoto’s shaking back.
“But now, since the Princess has been resurrected, what about Akuri, Regina, and Ai-chan?”
Trying to suppress her emotions, Makoto asked the question everyone was concerned about.
“It should be another while before the fusion dissolves. Miracles aren’t eternal after all.”
Princess Angie spoke calmly, and when everyone was happy, her next words brought them crashing back down.
“But I am not the real Angie Princess, Akuri and Regina have grown into entirely new lives. Even if they get the chance to reunite now, they won’t be the Angie Princess we once knew.”
In other words, the Angie Princess whom Makoto served and admired, and whom Jo loved, would forever disappear.
“I’m sorry, Makoto, for everything, including our current work as Pretty Cures, I’ve put you through.”
“There’s no need to apologize, I’m glad I got to see the princess again!”
Grabbing the handkerchief offered by Dabi, Makoto hurriedly wiped away her tears.
“I’m sorry, Jo, I can’t fulfill my side.”
“Ah…An, I’m proud of you.”
Jo sighed heavily, all the love and sadness toward his loved one dissipating in a single sigh.
Princess Angie bid farewell peacefully, and in the midst of a radiant light, she reappeared as Akuri and Regina. Holding onto Ai-chan in her arms, she yawned drowsily and fell asleep, seemingly extremely exhausted.
“But, I think there is no need for you to feel too sad, Jo-san.” Akuri gently lifted Ai-chan and placed her in Jo’s arms.
“After all, Ai-chan was originally Princess An’s body, so she will eventually grow up to be Princess An herself.”
“Hahaha, that’s a bit.” Jo chuckled awkwardly. After all, his original wife turned into a child this small—who could tell what was going on?
“In other words, the one responsible for causing the tragedy was the Selfish Ancestor who took advantage of the Poker King.”
“The Selfish Ancestor, unsurprisingly, tried to take over Ash’s body on the beach just like he did with the Poker King, to use him as his rebirth vessel!”
Everything matched up with the information from Rikka. But when they mentioned Ash, everyone stopped unexpectedly.
After all, Ash had already been defeated by Dragon Tooth (in the Pretty Cure version) transformed by Angie.
If the Selfish Ancestor was still hiding within him, that meant the mastermind had been taken down too. The Pretty Cures had won; it was all over!
“But, is it okay like this?” Even Makoto, who didn’t have good chemistry with him, couldn’t help but ask, though nobody could answer.
Of course, given Ash’s actions compared to his current outcome, one could say he had reaped what he sowed, if not deserved it.
Only the girls, facing the results of battle, didn’t feel the slightest joy of victory over their enemy.
So, this was really the end?
“No, it won’t be.”
“Māna?”
Ai lifted her head, a confident smile as usual on her face.
“He is not the kind to give up just because he was defeated once. I believe in him, he won’t fall like this!”
Moreover, it was a promise—to show you how strong the Heartful Pretty Cure really is!
“I don’t know what to do, Māna keeps saying such difficult things,” said one.
But even though the words were reluctant, all their faces displayed agreement.
“Me too, Ai-chan. Let’s do this together this time.”
“Plunk!”
Somewhere near a river within the city of Daibei, a pair of wet hands grasped the edge of the riverbank, scaring off a bunch of Air Force anglers.
“It’s a river spirit, run!”
“Who’s a river spirit…”
Struggling to the shore, drenched from head to toe, Ash wiped the hair from his forehead, breathing deeply in the fresh air. He pressed his right hand against his heart, feeling its strong pulse.
What’s happening? I was hit with a finishing move, why am I not dead?
“Not just that.”
Ash leaned against the nearby wall to stand up. Inside, he felt an unusual calm amidst the turmoil and chaos in his mind.
His body doesn’t seem to hurt so much anymore.
Hit by a finishing move, apart from the ache, he wasn’t severely damaged. Instead, he felt better.
Strength still not coming easily, but the sensation that accompanies dark echoes filling his body lessened.
What’s going on? This has never happened before.
“Pretty Cure…”
Supporting himself on the wall, Ash, dripping wet, limped forward.
“Next time… I will!”
