Kamen Rider is playing the villain in Pretty Cure

"Ah ah ah ah ah--!!!"

Only the girl's sobbing could be heard above the sad moon.

Chapter 141 Nothing Happened Today

Hanasaki Rei's grandmother, Hanasaki Fumiko, used to be a Cure Flower (Flower Angel). She has now retired from her role as a Pretty Cure for many years, but she had an unusual nightmare today.

The giant scarlet spider carries a strong malice, its vicious fangs aimed at everything on Earth, and wherever it passes, it leaves behind the smell of dust left after a complete burn.

The spider's web of conspiracy was like a destruction that fell from the sky, causing all natural life on the earth and the flowers of human hearts to fall into despair after withering.

Even though the four Pretty Cures stepped forward, they were still defeated by the huge evil. The black shadows mocked the girls' powerlessness as they could only watch everything disappear after being defeated. Her most beloved granddaughter watched helplessly as the pale blue planet was completely covered by gray. The helpless girl hugged the elf who had lost its power in the endless darkness and burst into tears.

"Lei...is it, a nightmare...?"

Although she is proficient in health preservation and remains as strong as when she was in her prime, Xunzi, whose actual age has already entered the elderly category, still gently holds her groggy forehead after waking up, and the feeling of fear and sadness is always a lingering shadow.

"If only it were just a nightmare."

But as a former Pretty Cure, she knew very well that from the moment they used the power of the Heart Tree to transform, their lives were linked to this planet to some extent, and it also gave them the ability to glimpse the future to some extent.

Because of this, she couldn't simply attribute all this to a dream.

She had a feeling, but couldn't find the key to the problem.

By the way, what is Lei doing now? What about her friends? Are they all doing well now?

"Lei is no longer a child...so should I trust young people today?"

But that feeling of worry and sadness always lingers in my heart.

It was another day off, but the four Pretty Cures did not gather in Nasta Café as usual. This time they chose Grandma Fumiko's botanical garden.

"Ah~~ Mr. Koop's chest feels so good~!"

The three girls except Yuri lay together in the fluffy fur of Kaoru's partner, the elf Kop. As a former partner of Pretty Cure, Kop, who had lived for a long time, had a broader and taller body than the petite and cute Sifrel and the others, so that two or three more people could lie down without any problem.

"Hmm~ It's really more comfortable here~" Erika buried her face in Kopp's chest and turned around, feeling the fluff brushing against her cheeks. The expression on her face was about to melt, but at this moment, she pouted her rosy lips in dissatisfaction.

"I wanted to have a great time with everyone today, but the store manager disappeared without a word after that day! We were clearly having a great time."

A discontented expression filled Erika's face, her resentment practically tangible. "He just left a note on the door saying, 'I'm temporarily closing the shop to explore new possibilities,' without even giving us any explanation. Now we can't even find him. This egocentric bastard, ahh ...

"After all, the store manager is a person who is more free than Fuuto." It seems that Goki is explaining for Ash who has disappeared, but from her vague expression, it can be seen that she actually agrees with Erika's statement.

"Don't put all the blame on the manager. Look, even though it's only one episode, he even transformed into Kamen Rider last time and fought alongside us!" Lei sincerely explained to Ash about the past. "The manager might really have something important to do right now. Who knows, he might show up in an unexpected place later to say hello and ask if we've been good Pretty Cure lately... like that?"

————Ash at this moment————

"So for your happiness, your strength is also necessary. Just trust me - ah~ yes, right there, a little lower! Fu~ It feels so good~"

Following Ash's instructions, the Dark Pretty Girl slid her hands down from Ash's muscular body.

"Oh, I believe you because you really did it. So what are you going to do next?"

"Next..." Ash's face, which had been filled with enjoyment, turned gloomy. "It's time to talk to the others—Awoo! A ...

As the Dark Pretty Girl's hands moved up and down and the crisp sound of bones cracking, Ash suddenly let out a scream like a Tom cat whose tail was stepped on!

"It hurts, it hurts—I'm not dead yet, but I'm going to die from the pain here..."

Looking at Ash rolling around on the bed in front of her, the Dark Pretty Girl tilted her head expressionlessly.

It was you who said you had a backache and asked me to massage and rehabilitate your back... I was clearly using less force. Are human bones really that fragile?

"Just bear with it for a while... Hmm, does it hurt here?"

"Click-"

"Oh————My back!"

————Back to the Botanical Garden——————

"Although it's outrageous, it seems like it would really be like this if it were him." Wu Mu, with his right hand on his chin, thought about the picture in Lei's mouth and nodded instinctively.

"But I'm a little worried..." Lei, who was holding Siflei, said this with a worried look on her face. "If everyone is away, who will take care of Zijera?"

When Lei thinks of the little flowers swaying their branches and leaves "as if" waving at her every time she waters them, she feels genuinely happy. If the flowers wither due to lack of moisture, Lei will probably be very sad.

"Lei really loves flowers. Ash even said that Zijella pollen is poisonous, so it has to be kept in a jar."

"But the flowers themselves are not at fault, they are just perfect... Hmm?"

While arguing with Wu Mu who was admiring the sunflowers, Lei sensed something discordant. She looked in that direction and saw Yueying Lily sitting on a chair far away, spinning the teacup in her hand with her head down.

Everyone was having fun in the botanical garden, but Sister Lily, who had regained her smile with the help of the store manager, became depressed again for some reason.

"Lily?" Lei's voice caused Lily's hand, which was sliding along the wall of the cup, to pause. "What happened...was it about the manager?"

"No..." Lily shook her head softly, the light in her eyes obscured by her glaring glasses. "Nothing, the manager... the manager must be doing exactly what you said."

"Is that right?"

Although there was nothing wrong with what Lily said, the sharp-minded Lei noticed that Sister Lily seemed to be hiding something... something sad?

"Well, nothing happened...ah."

As if by reflex, I pulled my fingers out of the warm tea. My fingers, which had been distorted by my mood, had slipped into the tea, leaving a layer of slightly red marks on them.

Lily's heart at this moment was also full of ripples like the surface of the tea.

Chapter 142: The goal is to strengthen the props

"Huh... You're right, I'm too weak now..."

Ash turned around and disappeared that day without saying anything, so Lily, who actually understood, also said nothing.

Although the resentment of being deceived made her want to confess to everyone and let Lei and the others see the true ugly face of Ash, the tenderness in Lily's heart stopped her from doing so when she thought of the "feelings" these girls had for him.

If Ash intends to leave just like that, then at least the identity of "store manager" should still be a respectable existence in the hearts of Rei and the others. Otherwise... it would be too cruel to destroy the pure and beautiful dreams in the hearts of these girls.

"Hehe~" Lily raised her head, her expression returning to her usual gentle smile. "Nothing, just thought it would be nice to get together occasionally at a place like the botanical garden."

"It's not that there's nothing, it's that whatever there is, it's nothing!" Erika, having also sensed something, chose to offer Lily a carefree solution. "Lei and Itsuki are both working hard, and I'm also working as a knight. And Lily, who can take on a hundred men alone, has successfully transformed and joined us. No matter what despicable tactics those Desert Apostles use, as long as we work together, there's no enemy we can't defeat!"

"Erika hasn't done much in the recent battles, yet you're here saying such grand things. How arrogant!"

"What do you know, Covre? This is called the margin of strength. It's confidence!"

Looking at Erika playing with her elf, and the other people's expressions without any sense of crisis, Lily slowly picked up the teacup in her hand and mechanically brought the tea to her lips.

Although all she saw were beautiful smiling faces, for some reason, Lily felt extremely anxious in her heart.

"Is that really... true?"

Something terrible is clearly happening...

“From the beginning, I was looking forward to only one thing, and that was—”

'Your strength.'

Ash's words echoed in Lily's mind, making her unable to calm down for a long time.

"You said you've always been pursuing our own strength...but..."

When Lily was halfway through her soliloquy, some inspiration flashed through her mind and she stood up suddenly.

"Sister... Lily?"

Yes, if Ash really approached us with some evil intentions, as Pretty Cure girls who often come into close contact with him, it is impossible for us, the power of light, to not sense his evil thoughts.

It's like he's suddenly changed his personality this time. Could it be that... Ash is actually being controlled by the Desert Apostles for some reason?!

That's why he said strange things like "our goal is us" during the battle.

The moment this idea appeared in Lily's mind, it was like a transmission line was connected. From her perspective, it made more and more sense.

"That's true. If she wants to help Ash, Pretty Cure must have even greater power..."

"Sister Lily, what's wrong?" Everyone approached Yueying Lily who suddenly stood up with worried eyes, and then were startled by her passionate gaze.

"Everyone, don't you think we need more powerful forces now?"

"Eh?" Lei couldn't move her brain, feeling confused by Lily's sudden change of subject. "Yeah...that's true. If we fight the Desert Apostles, the stronger we are, the better. But why are you suddenly saying this?"

"This..." Lily pondered, stunned, then, with a gradually softening expression, gave them an answer. "If you have to say anything, just think of this as working hard for your idol, Manager Ash."

Could it be that what Sister Lily meant was that... Manager Ash's departure was actually related to this incident?

"Even though I don't quite understand, if this is what the manager wants..." She raised her fists to her chest, even the normally timid Lei mustered up her courage. "I'll do my best!"

"Since Lei said so, I certainly can't be left behind. What about you, Erika?"

"Isn't that natural? Not only with everyone else, but we'll give Ash a good scare when he comes back!"

After hearing Lily's topic, several other people came over and finally agreed with Lily's approach.

"I still remember that a power-up item called the 'Heart-shaking Phantom Mirror' was placed in the Pretty Cure's palace. Pretty Cure who passed the palace trial would gain its power."

Lily recalled the past and told the information. At that time, she was blocked by the Dark Pretty Cure and Shabak on her way to the trial, and ended up in a miserable defeat. If she could have obtained this power earlier, perhaps the ending would have been different.

"I remember what Lily said. The Heart-shattering Phantom Mirror can infinitely enhance the power of Pretty Cure and unleash all its potential!"

"That's right, Cure Flower once gained very powerful strength through it!" The two elves explained the rest of the fragment one by one, and only the newly born Poppy knew nothing about it.

"Wait, if you have such a powerful tool, why didn't you use it earlier?"

If he was that powerful, why not just strengthen Pretty Cure to the size of a planet in one go, and then all the Desert Apostles would be blown away in an instant?

"Because it's not that simple, successive Pretty Cures have placed it in the palace and set the rules for the trial." Hanasaki Fumiko approached from behind, carrying baked snacks and placing them in front of everyone. "Although the Heart-shaking Illusion Mirror can indeed increase power infinitely, as a Pretty Cures, as a human body, there are limits."

Fifty years ago, in order to fight against the invading Desert King "Duen", she used the Heart-Shocking Phantom Mirror to boost herself to an extremely powerful force beyond the limit. Although she succeeded in repelling Duen and sealing him in the depths of the universe, she also lost the ability to transform.

"Although I thought it was too early for you guys not long ago..." Seeing the determination in the four people's eyes, Xunzi also smiled with relief.

"To pass the trial, you need the resolve to fight steadfastly no matter what, and a strong heart to protect everything. It also inevitably leads to a difficult future. Do you have the resolve to overcome it?"

"Grandma, you once encouraged me. No matter what you do, if you give up, it's over!" Standing with everyone, Lei felt more courage well up in her. "Please let us take on this opportunity, no matter what. I don't want to have any regrets!"

"In that case..." Kaoru, having foreseen the dream, took a glowing seed from Poppy and finally decided to let them go and take it one step further. "Let's prepare to go to the Pretty Cure's palace."

Chapter 143: Storm is coming

"This is the Heart-Shocking Phantom Mirror..."

After entering the Palace of Pretty Cure on the inner side of the Earth, Lei and the others saw the statues of the Pretty Cure and elves of all generations standing there, and they also understood that the goal of the trials of all generations was to defeat the Pretty Cure of the previous generation.

Although many things happened during the trial, such as appearing as an opponent, Lei learned that the mysterious handsome man who had saved them several times was actually transformed by her grandmother's partner, the elf Kopp, and that the handsome man's image was actually from her grandfather...

In short, although the malicious intentions of "someone" were about to overflow, the training bonus brought to the girls was genuine. They finally passed the trial set by Hanasaki Fumiko herself and successfully obtained the legendary strengthening item "Heart-shaking Phantom Mirror".

"That's right. The power of the Heart-shattering Phantom Mirror now belongs to you, the current Pretty Cure."

Now, it was the Heart Tree itself that was making the sound through the statue in front of them.

"Please use this power to protect the lives of this world, the flowers of people's hearts, and..." After a pause, the Heart Tree's once noble voice suddenly took on a hint of sadness. "Please use your love to save that dark heart that has stubbornly wandered towards drying up and exhaustion."

"Yes?"

Now Lei and the others still don’t understand what the Heart Tree’s last words mean.

Holding the luxurious dressing mirror in front of her, Lei could feel the endless warmth and power flowing into her body just by holding it in her hands.

"In this way, we can better protect the flowers of everyone's hearts!" Of course, in addition to this simple heart, Lei also hides some small selfish thoughts.

When the store manager comes back and finds out about all the amazing things we've done, what kind of praise will he give us? Ugh! I've been mustering up the courage to tell the store manager how I feel about this, but just thinking about it makes me feel so shy!

I've decided, Lei. Next time, I must overcome my shyness and express my feelings openly! I want to change, and show it to everyone!

"The Phantom Mirror not only grants you unlimited power," Xunzi reminded her with a smile, noticing her granddaughter's secret love affair. "It can also reveal the flower in everyone's heart."

"Is that so?" He pointed the mirror at his companion, and the reflection revealed the flowers hidden within. "Mine is [Sakura], Erika's is [White Cyclamen], and its meaning is purity. And Itsuki's is [Peony], and its meaning is kingly demeanor, nobility, and shyness."

"Hey~" Hearing the comments from Rei, the flower expert, Erika nudged a blushing Itsuki with her elbow, smiling cheerfully. "The representative flower is the sunflower, but the heart flower is the peony~ It really fits, though~!"