The Forty-First Unrecognized Soul of a Pretty Cure
Hanazaki Kuriko can see it.
In the eyes of this person watching the newborn Pretty Cure, there is not only a palpable kindness but also an emptiness in seeking something, which makes her unable to ignore it.
“Why do older people always add ‘little’ in front of someone’s name?” sighed Ash, but he still sat down obediently as instructed.
Of course, he had also noticed that the other party wanted to say something to him alone.
“The snacks here have indeed run out.” Instead of immediately starting some kind of interrogation as Ash expected, Hanazaki Kuriko casually chatted with him about mundane matters. “If you’re lucky, Xiao Ash, you might get to eat fresh, warm dango. Let me tell you, our dango is famous far and wide!”
“Hmm, uh, ah.” Lacking topics, Ash could only respond blankly; he had no interest in such trivial chats, but he couldn’t act disrespectfully toward Rei’s grandmother, so he sat there in a daze.
“Since it’s just the two of us, indulge my curiosity, Grandma.” The old man looked at the three people walking away and stroked the spirit with a childlike glee despite his age. “Who is your favorite among the three? The lively young daughter Kokiami? The ice queen Lilian? Or Grandma’s granddaughter who has yet to fully bloom?”
“Emmm—” After some thought, Ash slowly gave an answer. “They’re all good, isn’t it?”
“Hahahaha—!”
Laughter burst from Hanazaki Kuriko as she wiped her joyful tears. “Young people who are too greedy will find themselves struggling too much.”
Hanazaki Kuriko shook her head. She had never met someone so straightforward before; even though such honesty led to some unfortunate consequences this time.
“I understand,” Ash shrugged. In other worlds, he had experienced similar situations, where making too many enemies beyond his handling capacity eventually got him killed. This wasn’t a new experience either. “But I can’t help it.”
Still, it was part of his pursuits; what was wrong with that?
“Telling me that, I’ll tell you something in return, grandma,” seeing Ash’s lackluster reaction, Hanazaki Kuriko pretended to be mysterious.
“In grandma’s past, I used to be a Pretty Cure too.”
“Eh!?”
Ash’s eyes went wide with disbelief, looking at the elderly woman he could hardly recognize as herself anymore.
Alright, this was something he hadn’t expected. He started to become interested now.
There was silence in the trio walking together on the street. Rei couldn’t help but look over at Lily, who remained composed, then caught Eyrica’s gaze.
Perhaps it was just her imagination, but since Lily last exposed their identities by bursting out in emotion, she had distanced herself more from them. It seemed like she was deliberately avoiding interaction, except when necessary for work, as if they were now separated by an unfortunate thin veil.
“Rei~” came a close, almost whispered voice.
“You’ve become rivals with Sister Lily because of me, haven’t you~”
“What are ‘rivals‘—” Rei’s face flushed as she nearly shouted, quickly covering her mouth and confirming that no one heard her before whispering back with Eyrica.
“Rivals? We aren’t even at that stage yet!”
“But don’t you have feelings for the store manager?” Eyrica’s expression turned slightly scornful. “Yet, Lily is closest to him, doesn’t it make sense that you would become rivals?”
“That’s not how it is at all!” Rei nearly cried out again. “I just want to build a good relationship with the manager to thank him for his help, nothing else—Lily didn’t do anything inappropriate either. You misunderstood completely.”
“Well, if that’s the case, then since Lily isn’t worried about the store manager right now, it’s the perfect time for Rei…”
“Really!?”
Rei understood what Eyrica meant instantly. Now was the perfect opportunity to seek advice on being a Pretty Cure from the senior.
“Lily, could you give us some advice?”
“Advice?”
Lily turned her head toward the two Pretty Cure who had been whispering behind her back.
“Yeah, advice! Like, tips for a Pretty Cure or the weaknesses of a Desert Apostle—please help!”
“Please help!”
Both girls bowed deeply. After some tense moments, it felt like 10 seconds or perhaps a minute had passed before Lily responded.
“I have nothing to suggest.”
“Eh?”
“You may not have realized it yourself, but through continuous battles, you’ve already grown stronger,” the source of this strength was obvious. Despite not understanding why the adversary had helped her the last time, Lily gritted her teeth in frustration.
“However, the battles against Desert Apostles will continue to increase,” Lily turned her back, not looking at the still breathless girls. “I lost to the Desert Apostle, and seeking advice from a beaten and disgraced victor offers no future prospects.”
Lily wasn’t as calm inside as she appeared. Beyond her unique spirit partner, she had always fought alone to protect the world, enduring every painful moment by herself.
But now, things were different. With companionship among Pretty Cure and pillars of support, her juniors were distinctly different from her.
That day, after understanding these differences, a mixed feeling took root within Lily, making her reluctant to meet the faces of those seniors head-on.
“But—”
Lily, who had strived in battle, was no loser!
“I am no longer a Pretty Cure.”
Lily forcefully halted the discussion, continuing her journey to fetch some refreshments.
“After so many battles, I’m weary and no longer wish to involve myself in any related affairs.”
Facing the retreating figure of Lily, Eyrica pouted unhappily.
“Our past motivations were to follow and idolize the Moonlight Angel, yet for her to say such a thing?”
“Do we mean nothing to Lily?”
Meanwhile, neither Pretty Cure nor Ash sensed what was transpiring.
On the edge of the horizon, an unusual, twisting radiance flashed.
