Kamen Rider is playing the villain in Pretty Cure

Looking at the short stick in her hand, the girl pursed her thin lips slightly in disbelief, and let out a sigh, not knowing what kind of emotion it contained.

"The bride...is me?"

Holding the short stick and covering her slightly open lips with one hand, Aoki Reika, with a confused mind, slowly looked up at the man under the incredulous gaze of her friends around her.

All she could see was the man chuckling and wike at her, and there seemed to be an inexplicable light radiating from him.

bang——

Invisible mist burst out from the head of this always elegant and cool girl.

I'm going to marry this man?

The girls suddenly became confused.

"Lihua is getting married!"

Someone's wail, seemingly out of pity for someone else, resounded loudly, nearly blowing the roof off the cabin.

Fortunately, their voices were only spoken in the movie city. If some people in other worlds knew about it... Oh, I've said too much. For you, this is still a story that hasn't happened yet.

After a period of chaos, the girl finally calmed down and was scheduled to sit together as a wedding guest. After Ash used his trickery to communicate with the crew, the other party agreed to lend Ash a shrine setting for a Japanese wedding in the evening.

The others were now touring the set where Ash was working with nothing to do.

"That's amazing... Ash can act in movies and stuff."

"Maybe I can see Ash on TV later?"

The girls nodded. This time, he even persuaded the director to help. It was natural for them to want to rely on such a versatile person after being intimate with him. However, Ash had said before that they needed to keep their distance. He was even inexplicably cold in front of Ayumi, which also made the girls feel at a loss.

"Actually, I'm kind of glad I didn't win this time..."

Akane's sudden words startled Yayoi and Nao who were sitting next to her. After all, when Akane found out that she didn't win, there was visibly disappointment on her face. What did these words mean?

"Because, things like marriage still need to be considered seriously. It should be more solemn and romantic." Qian, pinching her chin, shifted her gaze from the oil lamp on the wooden ceiling to Lihua who was across the wall in the other room.

"It's so pitiful that Lihua has to marry someone she doesn't like for no apparent reason. She feels just like those poor princesses on TV who have to marry a tyrant lord just to form an alliance. It's a pity that there's no knight who can save her this time."

"Well, now that you put it that way, Xiao Qian, I do feel very pitiful... Wow!" The sudden weight and heat on her shoulders scared Miyuki so much that she cried out in surprise.

"Are you sympathizing with her?" Turning his gaze slightly to the side, he could see Ash's grinning face close at hand. "I'm both a knight and a bully lord. If she has any complaints, why don't you think of taking her place?"

At some point, they had gotten used to Ash's inability to maintain proper distance when interacting with him.

"No, no, no, Ash, you're definitely not okay, right?" Akane had already become comfortable dealing with Ash's teasing behind her back. "With your weird and awkward personality, and your deep disbelief in marriage, surely no girl would want to marry you?"

"Hahaha~ That's why your sweet talk failed earlier~"

"Ha, no! Besides, if we failed, it definitely wasn't my fault. It was because they didn't teach me well enough!"

I don't believe it, but the idea that my charm can attract others is another! Ash loudly refuted Qian's deliberate speculation. "Who do you think I am? A woman who wants to marry a handsome man like me can be ranked from the Kingdom of Light to the top of the warrior!"

"Really? I don't believe it."

"Of course it's true!" In response to Zhi's agreement, Ash continued to brag without blushing or beating his heart.

Anyway, if I really want to verify it in the Ultra Universe, I can ask my friends to dress up as women or just transform into a female human body to act. It's not like I haven't done this before.

"Ugh...."

Lihua was putting her short socks back on while listening to the noisy sound from the other side. She continued to put on her white sleeves and kimono skirt, buttoned the corners of her clothes, and finally put the black breast protector over her armpits and sighed.

It has been decided that I will play the bride, tonight.

At the same time, after a distance, Lihua jumped out of the situation and realized that his relationship with everyone had become so good...

Lihua's female archery uniform, the bow and arrow in her hand, and the target in the opposite yard were also borrowed from the crew. They were given to her by Ash to help her pass the time.

As the ace of the school's archery club, Reika Aoki certainly knew how to use the bow in her hand, but she was in a bad mood and inexplicably couldn't aim at the bull's eye in front of her.

In fact, without realizing it, the person who has been making trouble has become me.

Could it be that I have unknowingly gone astray?

Lihua aimed sideways with an extremely correct posture, drew her bow and loaded the arrow. The taut string made a slight sound beside her ear. She had originally wanted to use archery practice to calm herself, but the sound made her, who was sweating on her forehead due to the taut bowstring, even more irritated.

"Whoosh-!"

As expected, it missed the target just like before.

She couldn't help but sigh again. She didn't have the habit of sighing like this in the past, but the feeling of her suppressed mood gradually erupting today made her feel a little overwhelmed.

"Come to think of it, in the worlds of other Pretty Cure girls, they're all legitimate guild leaders." Just as Reika was sighing softly, Ash's voice echoed from behind, following her footsteps. "Reika, you're the only one who's a vice-president. Doesn't that seem a bit embarrassing?"

"...I'm just the vice president of Cricket. I'm really sorry."

Lihua's cold apology was mixed with uncontrollable anger, and her forehead was tense with a crossroads. She wished she could turn around and shoot an arrow at Ash right now.

Why does he open his mouth every time I want to be nice to him?

Chapter 104: Conversation between Husband and Wife (Two chapters combined into one, 4K chapters)

Ash walked around Lihua, who had put down her longbow and was sulking at him, and looked at the target in the middle of the yard.

Several arrows she had shot earlier had lodged in the edge of the wooden board, surrounding the bull's eye in the center from a distance. The bright red color on the board seemed to be mocking the lost Lihua.

There was no problem with the accuracy of drawing the bow, aiming, and pulling the bowstring, as well as the level of strength her arms maintained. However, her fingers always trembled at the moment the arrow slipped out of her hand, causing it to completely lose its accuracy. This was why Lihua, who usually always hit the bull's eye, missed the target perfectly.

If the members of their school's Kyudo Club were present and watching, they would definitely doubt whether the girl panting softly was their ace member, the Aoki Reika who never missed the target.

"All your worries are reflected in the arrow."

You're so downhearted, and your reputation for beauty is completely gone. Are you truly lost? Or do you really not want to marry me? If it's the latter, even I'd be hurt... probably.

"Why, do you hate being my bride?"

"Mr. Ash, please take care of yourself. This is just acting. I never really wanted to marry you from the beginning, right?" The girl with a slightly red face was irritated by Ash's words and shook her head repeatedly. After calming down, she continued to speak in a slightly low voice.

"But, it's definitely not because of this."

I am more upset about my own existence.

Ash nodded, realizing something, and had no intention of continuing to blame her. Then he suddenly asked back.

"Have you ever seen me swing a sword?"

"Yes, I've seen it."

Lihua nodded, and there was a hint of reluctance in her words.

Lihua does not agree with Ash's self-centered, willful and chaotic way of doing things. Even Ash himself has never considered himself a good person, but whether watching or fighting, Lihua uses her own eyes to take in every sword he swings.

"Really, very--beautiful. I can't take my eyes off you." Lihua folded her hands in front of her and bowed slightly to Ash. The ponytail behind her slid to the side of her neck.

Except for the time when he threw away the sword against Miyuki, the serrated long sword emitting darkness was wielded by Ash again and again. The dazzling sword light was reflected in Lihua's pair of blue crystals, and the light was like a hissing white snake spitting out its tongue, or like a swimming dragon.

In her eyes, the sword and the man became one, so precise and perfect. Sometimes the sword flew up as lightly as a swallow, and more often it was as sudden as lightning and falling leaves.

No matter what kind of sword it is, it will surely defeat the enemy in his hands. His perfect figure has made her yearn for it many times, and even made her want to become someone like him!

But...this was contrary to his impression.

She couldn't help but ask herself, if he really represented "error", how could he dance such a "beautiful" sword without any confusion?

Because of this contradiction, Lihua said that she never understood him.

This is a completely different color from the world she knows.

"I accept your sincere compliment, but the word 'beautiful' isn't usually used to describe men, right? I get shy too."

Having said that, Ash seemed to be in a much better mood.

Similarly, carefully considering her words, Lihua was ready to take the first step from zero to one.

"I want to walk on the right path (direction)! This is my life creed!"

Lihua took a deep breath and spoke seriously, as if she had made up her mind.

"You said you've tasted enough of this. Hurry and take it away."

"Mr. Ash." Lihua pouted slightly, her hands on her hips, resting them on the hem of her kimono skirt, and looked at Ash with a hint of resentment. "Has anyone ever told you that you're inconsiderate towards girls?"

"It's not just girls, I'm inconsiderate to everyone." Ash wasn't ashamed, but rather looked proud. "I call this gender equality, treating everyone the same~!"

"Oh... I'll continue." Lihua shook her head, not knowing what to say, but a smile still appeared on her lips.

"I used to think you were the wrong person, the opposite of me, so I kept resisting you... But, because of your contact, everyone has unraveled their inner confusion, gained more smiles on their faces, and even gained strength..."

I can see that both Yayoi's fear of you and Akane's anger towards you have transformed into longing for you.

“So now I can’t see the right path…”

"Please- please guide me, Mr. Ash!"

Everyone does this. Maybe it's my arrogance that makes me ignore his strengths. Maybe this is the right path. Then, I have to try to believe in you too!

"Then, let me ask you—" Ash narrowed his eyes, seeing through her thoughts. He peppered her with questions, responding to her stubbornness. "What is right, and what is wrong? Is there a standard for measuring right in this world? If so, what is justice, and does fighting against justice necessarily constitute evil?"

"..." As expected, the question asked by Ash left Lihua speechless for a moment.

"You're just repeating what everyone else thinks is right. Now that your friends are approaching, you think that's right too. Am I right?"

Lihua widened her eyes and nodded. What he said was exactly what she had in mind!

"Then tell me what you think."

"I......"

After a moment of silence, Lihua raised her ponytailed head, looked into the pair of black pupils and began her self-narration.

"I've always lived a routine life. Following everyone's expectations and recommendations, I became vice president. Because I wanted to meet everyone's expectations, I tried my best to complete the work of the student union perfectly according to the procedures."

"You said it was to respond to everyone, but what about your personal intentions? Haven't you tried to do anything else?"

"I have tried to give up everything I have stood for, whether it is studying, kyudo, or the position of vice president." There was a thoughtful look in Lihua's eyes, as if it was some wonderful journey.

"Even as a precure, I once wanted to give up. I didn't know if I was the right person for the job. But... when I saw everyone being attacked by the Kingdom of Tragedy at the end, I wanted to stand up. So at that time, I felt that fighting for smiles with everyone must be the right thing to do!"

I see. So, among those I attacked, your resistance was the strongest. Is that so?

With understanding Lihua's answer, Ash nodded in satisfaction and motioned her to continue.

"But, as expected, I still haven't gotten answers to other questions. What do I want? What path should I take? Even now, I still have no idea."

After saying that, Lihua took a deep breath and spoke to Ash very seriously.

"So, can you guide me? I mean it."

"I don't think I've left you with the impression of being a nice, easygoing person, have I?" Ash said deliberately, grinning. "Besides, you said you originally hated me. I'm a person who holds grudges. Why should I help you, just because you're pretty?"

"..."

"I'm sorry." After a moment of silence, Lihua, feeling slightly down, apologized and prepared to leave. "This time, I was too self-absorbed. I won't bother you again..."

"However, today is an exception."

"Eh?"

Just as Lihua was sighing inwardly, Ash's sudden change of tone made her freeze. At the same time, the feeling of a cold finger poking her collarbone made the girl shudder. Ash's fingers touched her ponytail and swept it down her shoulders, which were gradually heating up, to her back.

"You're my lovely wife today, after all. A little tolerance makes me seem even greater. So, I'll give you this advice as your husband, and I won't charge you for it."

"B-Lovely wife or something?!"

Also, didn’t we agree to act?! What are you talking about?

Lihua's face turned red instantly, and the heat from her forehead evaporated the sweat into thin wisps of smoke. She unconsciously clenched her hands, and the heat on her face not only did not subside, but instead became more and more intense.

Ash in front of her couldn't help but burst into laughter again. There was nothing he could do about it. It was because he really liked to see the expressions of these people when they were embarrassed. They were so cute, weren't they?

"In short, you've always been someone else's child in the eyes of others, and you can't find your place. At the same time, you want to pursue the right and perfect thing, right?"

Hearing what Ash said, Lihua's eyes lit up and she nodded repeatedly.

"You cool-toned types are such a nuisance..." Seeing Lihua's confusion, the hand that had been clinging to her shoulder kept tapping its index finger. "Ah, don't get me wrong, I'm not picking on you. I'm just throwing a broadside at everyone with similar traits."

"..." The blue-haired girl was speechless for a moment. Lihua didn't know whether to blame him or praise him for being so narrow-minded.

"You Blues are like that, all of you are as meticulous as academics. You're fine as think tanks, but your intelligence can easily backfire and lead you into overthinking.

Maybe one of your seniors would say, "I'm perfect~!" Ash snapped his fingers mid-sentence, remembering something.