NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 579
The Ninety-First Promise Completed
“How unfair…”
The gentle breeze extinguished the flames on the photo, but the cut and burned marks that remained signified an irrevocable fact.
The smile in precious memories turned into meaningless charcoal; the hem of the green-haired girl’s skirt fluttered slightly to the ground behind her as she trembled, reaching out to pick up the photo. However, with just a light touch, the formless black ashes disintegrated into tiny fragments, carried away by the wind along with the memories.
“Naoko…”
The other girls, dragging their aching bodies, came to the half-squatting girl’s side, wanting to comfort her. But the self-reproach brought about by the memories made them hesitate, unable to reach out their hands.
“I’m sorry…”
“It’s alright, everyone. No more apologies,” cradling the soft hair beside her ear, Naoko forced a light smile despite red-rimmed eyes. “After all, we’re friends.”
“Moreover, you weren’t genuine in treating me this way from the beginning. It wasn’t your fault!”
Naoko had never blamed them from the heart… Okay, maybe there was a little bit still, but more so because she was genuinely happy about their return.
“However!”
Sugar, holding a piece of a bracelet fragment, looked very distressed and glared angrily at Ash. “These are Naoko’s and everyone’s memories—the treasures filled with our friendship, Kuru!”
That man had destroyed them! Sure enough, he wasn’t a friend!
“Sure, it’s really a pity… but it’s fine.” Naoko also comforted Sugar, patting the small girl’s head gently. “Since the token of friendship has been lost, we’ll save the true friendship in our hearts.”
The most genuine feelings don’t need any material to bear witness to them—this was something Naoko understood from everyone’s realization.
Just…
Her gaze involuntarily fell upon the nearby Knight. He didn’t seem to be about to take further action; he simply returned her look with his masked face concealing all emotions.
His good-heartedness that attracted Miyuki, his ability to unwind Yayoi, his friendly exchanges with Akane, his ability to naturally join in happy stories, deriving joy from making unreasonable fun of us, and yet ruthlessly doing such extreme things.
Naoko found herself increasingly perplexed about…. No, even if she claimed to want to help them, perhaps from the start, they didn’t see through who Ash truly was?
A friend? An enemy? That admired dashing hero?
I don’t understand after all…. But there is something I must do in front of him.
“Do you want my proof? You were disappointed because you wanted to see how the Pretty Cures actually are?”
Ash nodded silently.
“So…”
Looking at the huge clown monster blown away by the transformation effect and falling back down heavily, Naoko bowed her head deeply, pressing both hands to the ground. One leg stretched back, and the other, like a taut bowstring, fully prepared for a powerful leap—similar to an athlete getting ready for a race.
“I’ll prove it to you!”
CureMarch started running at full speed.
Everyone, including Ash, couldn’t follow her movement as a gust of wind blew past them, then immediately saw the teen racing towards the clown monster.
“This is Naoko’s speed!”
Her heart raced, her blood boiled, and she felt her energy surge as she entered a state of intense focus. Even the clown monster’s swipe at her seemed to slow down by several frames.
“Too slow, too slow!”
Now, I can finally do what I’ve always wanted!
After a dull thud, the air shattered overhead as the clown monster was launched again, while CureMarch stood in place, her boots smoking as though in rapid motion.
Naoko felt joyous.
Naoko felt sorrowful.
CureMarch was immensely furious.
These emotions needed an outlet, and right before them stood a strengthened super-strong clown monster.
Especially it was the primary perpetrator, so….
Was there any reason to let it go?
Facing the strong force of the clown monster, it was helpless against the gale-force winds that whipped it from the ground. It screamed and endured being tossed up, falling, and being kicked repeatedly.
The agile movements of the wind-blown teens coordinated powerfully and lightly, zipping across the green field like swift flying swallows, closely hugging the ground.
In front of the fully-charged Naoko, the giant clown monster was no different than a soccer ball in her regular spare time.
So graceful! So powerful! Even I didn’t know I could do such things—I feel like a soaring swallow!
She began to understand Ash’s inexplicable actions.
This is the true power of Pretty Cure! Is this the true image of us you wanted to see?
“Everyone, let’s attack!”
With a smooth twist of her neck, she threw her waist-length green ponytail over her shoulder and executed a distinctive kick posture, sending the tormenting clown monster flying once again. Joining hands, the girls revealed their linked gold circlets symbolizing their friendship above their heads.
“PrecureRainbowHealing!”
The combined technique purified the tragic energies and the clown monster together. The two fallen healing ornaments were cheerfully gathered by Sugar into a storage case.
“Now one more! With sixteen healing ornaments, we can revive the queen of the fairy kingdom, Kuru!”
“That’s right! Wonderful, Sugar!”
Putting aside the lovable tiny sprite rubbing its face affectionately, Naoko walked out from the celebrating companions to stand before Ash.
Everyone fell silent, knowing that even if this method awakened them, Ash’s actions were perhaps… too much.
The sacred sword was sheathed once more by Ash, who lowered his head to look at the girls.
“The promise, I’ve fulfilled.” The girl spoke firmly and clearly.
“In terms of performance,” Ash’s voice hinted at some approval, “not bad, quite decent.”
“…That’s all?”
In the end, it was Naoko who broke the silence.
“You’re not going to say anything?”
It’s really unfair, talking so big, but not even an apology….
“There’s nothing to say,” Ash shook his head, and his gaze swept over the pathetic remains before turning away again.
He also felt a bit uneasy but didn’t think he had done anything wrong.