Chapter 10: Aida Mana's Determination, a Declaration of Friendship That Will Surely Succeed!
In her dream, a demon-like figure dressed in pitch black approached Hishikawa Rikka step by step. The eyes beneath the grid-shaped visor blurred into a terrifying color, and the corners of the mouth twisted into an evil smirk.
With frighteningly crooked steps, the "demon" continued to approach Rikka. Rikka wanted to scream, but her voice wouldn't come out. She wanted to escape, but her legs, bent inward and trembling, kept her paralyzed on the ground.
"Hehehe, I love devouring innocent children the most~"
The demon easily caught hold of Rikka, looking at her fear-stricken face. The expression on its face became even more distorted, and its wide, iron-like mouth opened, ready to devour Rikka.
Rikka woke up abruptly, kicking away the covers on the hospital bed. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes as she unconsciously called out someone's name.
"Mana, save me—eh, huh?"
The smell of disinfectant in the air brought her back to partial consciousness. She patted and felt herself all over in a panic to make sure she hadn't been eaten, finally sighing in relief.
She only remembered fighting alongside Ash, who transformed into Kamen Rider. After being subdued with a single move, she lost consciousness due to a sudden pain in her abdomen.
NO! , where is Mana? Raquel? Alice? And what about Makoto?
Thinking about her comrades, Rikka immediately became restless, scrambling to get up and find them.
"What's wrong, Rikka? Can't sleep a little longer, quel!?"
"Raquel!"
The voice of her partner fairy, Raquel, brought Rikka's almost evaporating sanity back. A sense of regained loss made her gratefully hug Raquel, who resembled a small teddy bear plush toy.
"I'm so glad you're okay... By the way, where is everyone?"
"Rikka, are you awake?"
Another voice suddenly echoed in the room, and Rikka quickly put Raquel down next to her, pretending it was an ordinary stuffed toy.
"Mom?" The person entering the room was none other than Rikka's mother, Hishikawa Ryoko, who also realized that she herself was wearing a patient gown lying on the hospital bed.
"I was really surprised when I heard that you and your friends came to the hospital together. Fortunately, there are no other issues, just heatstroke due to excessive exercise."
Heatstroke? Rikka was completely puzzled. She was inexplicably beaten up, wasn't she?
"By the way, Mom, how did I get here?"
"Forgot already? You all went to play outdoor sumo together and ended up with heatstroke. It was Mana and Ash-san who happened to pass by and brought you here."
Huh? Wait, Mom, who was that person you mentioned?
"Ash-san is such a kind person. Not only did he willingly drive you all here, but he also covered all the expenses. Rikka, you should thank him properly later."
Hearing her mother's serious statement, Rikka's mouth twitched subtly.
He's the one who got me into this mess, and I'm supposed to thank him? Yeah, right!
On the other side, Ash, who was being cursed by Rikka, was intercepted by a serious-looking blond man.
"Why did you lay a hand on the Precure girls!"
As someone who provided the transformation items to the Precure and had been secretly watching over them, Okada Joe rushed to the hospital almost immediately upon hearing the news of the Precure's "defeat." He only felt relieved after learning that everyone had simply collapsed from exhaustion and had minor scratches.
He had thought that they encountered an exceptionally powerful Jikochū or that a selfish boss or even the enemy's leader himself had personally attacked them, but what he found hard to believe was that the person responsible for all this was the black-haired man in a vest standing before him?
To say the least, the reasons behind his actions were even more unbelievable!
"From the way you speak, you must be one of the supporters of the Precure, right?"
Seeing the change in the man's expression, Ash was certain that his guess was correct.
"You're clearly a human, not a member of the Selfish Organization. Why did you attack the Precure?”.
"Well, maybe I've already joined the Selfish Organization, who knows?" Ash intentionally said such words, studying Joe's expression.
"Do you even realize what you're saying? Those self-centered beings in the Selfish Organization can never trust you!" Joe retorted.
"And King Jikochū was sealed away by... Princess Ange of Trump Kingdom. If the seal is broken because of your interference, the world could be destroyed by King Jikochū!" Joe explained with concern.
"If King Jikochū wants to destroy the world, it's his own business. What do I care?" Ash nonchalantly replied while secretly noting down this information.
So, King Jikochū has been sealed away. He must be the boss on the enemy side, the one who possesses the most "Dark Heartbeat."
Seeing Ash's pensive expression, Joe couldn't determine what he was thinking.
"You really..." Joe was about to continue his sentence when Ash interrupted him.
Before Joe could finish his sentence, Ash pushed him aside. Joe tried to pull Ash's hand away but was surprised by the strength of his grip, which felt like a vice on his shoulder.
How strong is this guy, really?
"You want a reason? Well, let me give you one," Ash said, and for a brief moment, Joe saw infinite emptiness through Ash's eyes.
"Because I can, so I will," Ash declared.
"What a self-centered attitude!" Joe exclaimed.
"Now, step aside," Ash commanded, pushing Joe away once more. Facing Joe's incredulous gaze, Ash walked towards the hospital entrance.
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"But really, using sumo as an excuse? She's not even a sumo wrestler. It's ridiculous," Ash thought, recalling the excuse Aida Mana had made up to receive the doctor's attention. It amused him.
Oh well, whatever she says, it doesn't concern me anyway...
"Ash~san!" A cheerful voice of a certain girl sounded from behind, causing him to click his tongue and turn around.
The girl with a band-aid on her face approached him as if nothing had happened, waving her hand.
"You're... alright now?" Ash couldn't help but wonder if she was some kind of alien orphan sent from a planet on the verge of destruction.
"I'm Aida Mana, the student council president of Oogai 1st Middle School. It's nothing to worry about for someone like me!" Mana proudly declared.
"I don't think being the student council president has anything to do with it," Ash replied, taking a step back, ready to see how Mana's expression would change as she prepared to say something serious.
Would it be anger? Fear? Confusion? Complaints, perhaps?
To his surprise, as Ash took a step back, Mana also took a step back, deeply bowing to him.
"I'm truly grateful to you for bringing Makoto and the others to the hospital!" Mana expressed her gratitude.
All the replies that Ash had prepared became useless in an instant. He looked at the back of Mana's head as she bowed and fell into silence.
"I really can't understand you," he muttered.
I'm the one who beat them up, and I only showed some kindness at the end, and now she's thanking me.
"Because actions have consequences, and what Ash did in the end is a fact. So, it's only right for me to express gratitude on behalf of myself and my friends," Mana explained.
The scene where Ash chose to protect her by shooting his own Contracted Beast was still vivid in her mind.
She won't forget the kindness others have shown her. That's just the kind of girl she is.
"However, Ash-san, you did go too far!" Mana raised her head again and looked directly into Ash's face, speaking with confidence.
"I request that you apologize to Sharuru and Rikka for your unreasonable actions!"
"..."
Hearing Mana's resolute words without a trace of confusion, Ash suddenly felt irritated and inexplicably disgusted.
What is this? Speaking so righteously, as if it makes perfect sense. Do I have to listen to your preaching of what's right?
I'm not like you, relying on being right to survive all this time!
"It's true that it's my fault for what happened to all of you, but I won't apologize," Ash replied.
Apologizing would mean admitting defeat, wouldn't it?
And I won't lose!
However, Ash wasn't entirely certain if the repulsion he felt in his heart right now was truly directed towards the girl in front of him.
"Mou~"
Hearing Ash's response, Mana pouted with dissatisfaction, puffing up her cheeks. The round and chubby look made her quite adorable.
"Stare—!"
Her eyes, like pink diamonds, stared directly at Ash's face until his naked gaze averted.
"I'll be going now."
"Wait, Ash-san!"
Aida called out to Ash once again.
"What is it? Have you found a way to refute my words?"
"I can't say for sure. At least for now, I can't find any valid counterarguments. Moreover... I believe that some of what you said, Ash-san, is not entirely wrong." The girl stared directly into Ash's eyes with her own. "However, even so, I cannot fully endorse your self-centered philosophy! I feel that there must be something flawed in your words, Ash-san!"
Ash remained silent, fully aware that understanding and agreeing were two different matters.
"If you still believe in your words, then consider my previous statement null and void." Ash waved his hand dismissively, knowing that mere reasoning could not convince others, given the world's abundance of contradictions and wars.
"I want to be a Precure, defeat the Jikochū, and help others' hearts. That will never change!"
"And then, I want to become a true friend with Ash-san and share this love with him."
What kind of person was Ash in Aida Mana's perception?
Self-centered, with a dark sense of humor, seemingly a villain, yet not entirely wicked. It was a contradictory personality that perplexed her.
Aida silently resolved in her heart to find a way to truly understand him and become genuine friends. Then she could change and correct Ash's distorted thoughts!
Aida Mana wanted to offer her love to help others, and surprisingly, Ash was included in that list.
After listening to Aida's words, Ash walked away without looking back.
"Leave dreams for the realm of dreams."
"It's not just a dream. How can you know if something is achievable without attempting it? Well, not just attempting!"
Aida shook her head vigorously, directing her declaration toward Ash amidst the astonished gaze of the nearby patient.
"I will certainly save Ash-san and make him understand the beauty of love!"
And then, joining our side, together we will overthrow the selfish organization and save Trump Kingdom!
Although the potential journey ahead may be extremely challenging, the determined girl's shining and radiant psyche is a testament to her beliefs.
Aida Mana was filled with determination.
"Kaito, that little girl said the same thing as you." (from Zenkaiser)
A familiar sense of déjà vu made him start recalling other people from his past. Even though he could recall their names, he couldn't remember their faces. The faces of those who were supposed to be his friends appeared blurry, like the distorted reflection of a stone thrown into water.
It always seemed like every time he died, his memories would become hazy... Oh well.
[System]
Subconsciously not paying attention, he began to switch out of the system and check the "harvest" from the previous battle. However, as he looked at the collection status on the panel, Ash's expression subtly changed.
"You Precure girls have so few 'Dark Echoes' on you."
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