Kamen Rider is playing the villain in Pretty Cure

Chapter 115: How Quick, Efficient, and Economical Hikawa Iona! (4K Chapter)

She didn't know if it was the effect of Yuuko's extra-sweet honey candy "exclusively for Ash", but now that her tongue was numb and she had to swallow it whole, Snow White felt a burning pain in her stomach again.

No...it doesn't seem to be hurting for that reason.

So embarrassing...

She didn't notice anything because of the seriousness with which Iona, who was walking in front of her, was thinking. But for Snow White, who was a distance behind and remained silent, this atmosphere of not being able to say a word even though they were going out together was so awkward that she could have dug out a three-bedroom apartment on the ground with her toes.

"Princess, what are you doing?" Ribbon whispered in frustration. "This is clearly a golden opportunity to ease relations. If Princess keeps shrinking like this, how can we fight side by side in the future?"

"I know, and because I know..."

I have to think of a way...I have to find a topic!

"Um, Iona—Cure Fortune is planning to join us, right?"

As soon as Bai Xueji said this, she wanted to slap herself. She had clearly acted like she didn't want to talk about this for the time being, so why did I ask this right away? Bai Xueji, you're not just trying to find a topic, you're just looking for trouble!

"Please... join us too. Hui and the others will be very happy!" Having said this, Snow White could only bite the bullet and continue to invite her.

"Hmm..." But unlike what she expected, Iona pondered the question for a while before finally answering. "As expected, I'm still not good enough."

"Why?!"

"You have great partners... If I just join in, it will only disrupt your original teamwork, right? You think so too, right?"

I don’t know, I’ve never thought about this question.

"No...no more." She immediately changed the subject when she saw Ribbon in her arms giving her a crazy look. "Um, what kind of person is Iona's sister, the Gentle Angel?"

Ahhhh—Snow White, listen to what you're saying! You've stepped on all these bombs! You're always picking on other people's pain, aren't you?!

But it was too late to regret now. As Iona stood still and recalled the past, a sadness equal to her own emerged in her eyes. "My sister was the strongest of the Pretty Cure back then. Not only was she incredibly powerful, she was able to repel the invasion of the Phantom Empire every time. She was also incredibly strong-willed, a constant inspiration to me!"

"That's not all!" she continued, proud of her family. "Not only is she a Pretty Cure, but she's also a woman with exceptional looks and inner qualities! She had countless admirers at school!"

Even Ash, who chose my sister right out of all the Pretty Cures back then! Doesn't this just prove that even Ash, who is such an outstanding woman like my sister,...ah, to be honest, this doesn't seem like something to be proud of.

"But even so, my sister is trying to protect me..." Seeing Snow White frantically trying to find words of comfort, thinking she was being too talkative, the no longer grieving girl shook her head and stopped her. "No, I won't be alone with my worries anymore. Now I understand that the true culprit and the enemy I must defeat has always been the Phantom Empire!"

"Is Iona still worried about her sister?"

"Of course I'm worried, but I believe it!"

After all, according to the agreement, the one guarding the Pretty Cure's grave is no longer the phantom but Ash.

I believe that Ash may not be a good person, but he is not that bad either.

"Ah, we're here!" Snow White, already physically closer than ever, pointed across to the largest department store in Hikari Hills. "Let's go there! I heard the merchandise here is fresh and diverse, and even the latest DX toys are getting great pre-orders!"

"No, we won't buy unnecessary things." Snow White was thinking "It's fantasy time now!" and was still fantasizing about the fact that she was happily shopping in the mall. Suddenly, Iona pulled the stubborn Snow White away, and now she was like a rigid mother leading her daughter who was clamoring for toys. She walked past the department store and supermarket that sold DX toys that Snow White had been thinking about, and walked into a 100-yen store next door that was having a discount.

“This is where we are going.”

"Our mission today is to buy ingredients for the cake!" Having inexplicably fallen into a serious shopping attitude, Shirayuki felt completely overwhelmed by this inexplicably serious and knowledgeable Iona. "Flour, sugar, fruit, and all sorts of other common ingredients—you can find even cheaper prices in the flash sale section here! You say cheap isn't good? That's just because you don't know how to choose!"

"It's a special sale right now for items that are nearing their expiration date!" For some reason, when discussing these deals, the earnest Iona's eyes lit up with excitement. "So-called near-expiration is actually just past the best-before date. There's nothing wrong with the food itself!"

"I, I understand." As a princess who literally had everything provided for her, Snow White had never considered the concept of "special offers." Unable to comprehend what she meant, the girl fearfully kept her distance from the inexplicably excited Iona. "But if you want to make a cake, you still need eggs, right?"

"Wait!" She stopped herself from picking up a carton of eggs and preparing to pay. The serious-looking girl pulled out a very old, clearly dated coupon from her wallet. "Use this coupon to buy eggs. It's way cheaper than the special price—"

The feeling of having taken advantage made the purple-haired girl smile even more brazenly. She opened her palms in front of Snow White and shook each of her fingers lightly.

"It's a 50 yen coupon!"

"what?"

Snow White was stunned when she heard this number that made the other party so excited. As a princess and the only legal heir to all the assets of the Blue Sky Kingdom, the amount of disposable property she had was far beyond the meaning of "rich woman". If she had no habit of extravagance, she probably would not be able to spend so much money in several lifetimes.

Normally, I just buy the food and clothes I need, and I've never had to deal with this kind of thing, so...

50 yen, how much is that?

"Ah~ this is it!" Snow White, who had no idea about such a small amount and couldn't figure it out, was immediately attracted by other things on the shelf next to her. It was a bag of chocolate biscuits on the snack rack, but the biscuits inside were not the point. The point was that the Pretty Cure doing her signature roll-call pose on the cover caught her attention.

"A candy cookie that comes with a Pretty Cure collection card! This one's a collaboration with America's [Bomber Girl Precure], I want it—!"

"No, buying snacks just for the cards is such a waste!"

"So, if you want something, follow me."

Just as Snow White was about to protest by making a noise, she saw Iona grab her arm and drag her to the "Game Card Store" next door.

"Welcome... Ah, it's Iona!" Seeing a familiar customer, the card shop owner greeted her and began promoting the newly arrived cards. "The recently released [Shadow-Dweller Series] is incredible, and has been rave reviews from the player community! I saved a pre-set for you, though the [Shadow-Dweller Fusion] is a bit pricey at over two thousand. You're going to have to bet on it."

The store manager, who was enthusiastically recommending the season's hot-selling items to old customers and startled "newcomers", saw the embarrassment on Iona's face, remembered something, and quickly and enthusiastically took out other cards from under the counter.

"But I remember you were playing a hero, right, Iona-chan? It just so happens that heroes have recently been significantly enhanced! The 1,000-yuan [Absolute Zero] and the 1,400-yuan [New Star Master] are a bit pricey, but I guarantee you won't lose out if you buy them!"

"Please keep it for me first. After all, I'm not here to buy YGO this time."

Iona, who was somewhat tempted by the shop owner's enthusiastic recommendation, finally showed a very "poor" smile, bypassed the card buying area that she often visited when she came alone before, and led Iona, who was blindfolded, to the other side opposite. This was the consignment area for unwanted miscellaneous cards and common cards left behind when other players kept unpacking in order to get high-rare cards.

"I understand if you like these cards. I'm not that rigid. But if you want cards, you don't have to open that food and play cookie package. It's more economical to buy them directly from the card shop!"

Iona, who was "educating" Snow White with earnest words, found some food and play cards from a pile of cards that no one wanted, and even very "generous"ly stacked up a whole stack of cards.

"If you use the discount coupon, you can buy 50 cards from this Pretty Cure collection for just 200 yen!"

I don't know why, but every time Iona talks about the results of saving money, even if it's just a few dozen yen, she feels a sense of pride, as if she's defeated a vicious beast with her own hands. You can tell she really enjoys the thrill of saving money.

"It's obviously some extra stuff you can't even use to make a cake, but I bought it especially for you. Don't tell anyone."

Seeing Iona even place the cards neatly in her hands with a very "tolerant and generous" look, she looked down at the thick stack in her hands. Snow White's eyes were glazed over for a moment, her expression pure and innocent. She was like an elementary school student who had solved the puzzle "Grandma Wang was traveling at 50 kilometers per hour." The answer echoing in her head was nothing but "Mother gave birth to her."

My head itches so much, I need to grow a brain.

But forget it, I've already bought it, so this might be a good opportunity for me to see what cards my princess angel has - huh?

As she flipped through the collection cards one by one, Snow White's face, which had originally been filled with expectation, gradually became as cold and indifferent as a dead person's.

"[Unlucky Princess Angel, R Card], [Defeated Princess Angel, R Card], [Escaped Princess Angel, R Card]..."

This series of food and toy cards focuses on restoration and collection, with the original owner's wonderful performance in reality as the selling point. The illustrations drawn by the artists on the cards restore the heroic performances of the Pretty Cure in the battle against the Phantom Empire!

Although they said so, when the drawing work came to "Cure Princess", the Pretty Cure whose performance was hard to describe, as a Precure who had never had any outstanding performances before and only embarrassing ones, the artists could only refer to the live broadcast video and draw all the embarrassing and frustrated scenes of Snow White.

The more he looked at it, the more his expression became like that of a person with a strong magnetic field. As Snow White approached, an aura that would scare even evil beasts was gradually rising from her.

"I want to sue them... I want to sue this manufacturer for violating my portrait rights..."

I know it was embarrassing before I met Kei and Ash... but haven't I changed now? I'm still changing! Why are all the other Pretty Cure characters so handsome on the video, while I'm the only one being caught in the embarrassing and humiliating scenes?

"That's too much! I'm also a light—" The girl quickly covered her mouth, then breathed a sigh of relief when she realized the only players in the store were focused on the duel. No one else was looking at her. "Why is Princess Angel's deck all R cards? I saw that Megumi has an SSR collection. It's not fair!"

"Not all of them are R," Iona said, grabbing a well-packaged card from the shelf on the other side. This immediately perked up the girl, who had been looking down. "Look, this one's UR."

"Let me see—huh?" Snow White's excitement quickly faded after she quickly took it and examined it. While the card was indeed hers and indeed a UR collector's card, the scene depicted on it was... the moment after her defeat in battle, when Ash had taken her Light Transformation Mirror and transformed her into Decade for the first time. "I'm definitely on it... but I'm behind Ash!!!"

The protagonist of this card is obviously Ash!

"Yeah," Iona added matter-of-factly. "This UR card seems to be in high demand among Kamen Rider Decade fans. It's expensive and we won't buy it, so please put it back."

"Originally... I just saw a card like this and wanted to collect it while also buying some snacks..." Heartbroken, Snow White huddled in a corner, a black line effect etched across her back. She picked up a branch from nowhere and began drawing circles on the ground. "And then you insisted it was cheaper to buy cards at the card shop, even though I wasn't specifically planning on collecting..."

"Really?" Iona, who didn't think she had done anything wrong, asked her in confusion. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"Is that the problem!?" These words were like a ignited fuse, causing the girl to jump over in excitement. The excessively close distance and angry face even made Iona take a step back.

"I have no problem with you saying you want to buy expiring ingredients from the sale section, but from the very beginning you've been fussing over something that costs 10 or 20 yuan!"

I've never heard of such a small number!

Chapter 116: Stingy Iona (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!)

"Obviously, I came out to happily go shopping with Iona!" In addition to unbearable annoyance, there was also a hint of grievance in the girl's tone.

"Why do you always do things that spoil the fun?"

"Humph~"

Although Snow White looked extremely angry now, Iona, who was looking down at her with her height advantage, still had a look of "disdain". It was not because of the resurgence of her old hatred that she was planning to break up with Snow White again, but because she was confident that she knew exactly what the other party was thinking.

While her courage in the face of despair is remarkable, and her perseverance in becoming a Pretty Cure standing shoulder to shoulder with everyone is also a true effort—but ultimately, she's just a spoiled princess born into an ivory tower with a silver spoon in her mouth. Naturally, she doesn't understand the value of food, clothing, housing, and transportation, and doesn't understand the benefits of "finessing" at all!

The girl's eyes drifted to Ribbon who was being held in the other person's arms when she thought of this. She remembered hearing that, no matter whether it was the gods, elves, or Hui and the others, except for Ash, everyone in the team actually doted on her to some extent!

Excuse me, the "strength" that I, Hikawa Iona, have gained from my growth so far! Most of it is the strength gained through down-to-earth training. On this point, I have the same opinion as Ash - if you want to gain growth, you must first put pressure on it!

"Hmph, you don't understand that." Under Snow White's furious gaze, a slightly smug Iona began to earnestly expound on her life principles. "What's wrong with spending every penny wisely? Besides, thriftiness is a traditional virtue. Men all want to marry such a virtuous woman. Snow White, living in a royal atmosphere, wouldn't understand such a thought, right?"

What—? Are you saying, are you trying to say that no boy would pursue someone like me?! Oh my god, I'm a beautiful, gentle, and lovable princess, so I'd definitely be favored by a handsome guy like the prince! How dare you slander me like that? I'll never let you go!

Now, just as Snow White originally desired, the barriers between her and Iona have indeed been eliminated and the distance between them has shortened. However, the degree of this closeness... seems a bit too much?

"They talk about being frugal... but what's the point of just being frugal?!" The two men walked out of the card shop, fuming in public before the surprised gazes of passersby. Snow White, in particular, took a deep breath and shouted loudly, "So Iona is just a—stingy person!!!"

"Stingy... miser?!" The purple-haired girl, who hadn't expected this title, froze in place as if struck by lightning. She quickly defended herself, "Stingy... stingy? No, I'm not stingy. Please say I'm thrifty. What's wrong with saving money like this? Snow White, who just gets her money like the wind and doesn't know how to cherish it, won't understand!"

"If he's a good man, he definitely won't like a stingy woman!" Snow White, who had been attacked by Iona earlier, began to show her own aggression. "After all that talk, stingy is just a stingy person!"

"I've already told you it's about saving... The result of saving every day will be a huge blessing in the future!"

"If you don't use the money where it should be, isn't it meaningless?!"

"Cuckoo!!!!"

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"

Until the two ambitious people started to imitate the puffing of pufferfish's cheeks, the two people on their way home snorted and kept a distance from each other.

"what--"

The ribbon sitting on top of Snow White yawned when no one was watching. This time of little girls quarreling - it was really boring.

Is there nothing interesting to come?

"Before, I was a bit too much when I said that I was a stingy person..."

"I...I shouldn't have said that you don't know how to cherish."

Perhaps they couldn't stand the awkward and silent attitude between them, so after apologizing to each other, they began to communicate in a low voice again, from Iona's karate to the prepared cake. As they talked, the topic naturally came to someone they both knew and for whom they also had complicated feelings.

"I wonder if Ash is still in the Phantom Empire? If so, what's he doing?" Snow White muttered to herself after recounting Ash's story, as if a thought had occurred to her. A hint of disdain suddenly crossed her face. "Could it be that he really listened to the Phantom Queen?"

He clearly said it was just an act, but he didn't hold back at all... Although he gave us time to escape right under the Phantom Queen's nose when Iona's ultimate move collided with him, could he really turn the fake act into a real betrayal? Only Ash would do such a thing!

If that's the case, he might be enjoying being surrounded by those Precures right now? Having the humiliated Pretty Cure pour him wine like a maid, drinking it over and over again, sounds so enviable... No, no! If that were the case, I'd look down on you!

"Ash..." Iona, who was checking if there were any ingredients missing, put down the pineapple in her pocket and couldn't help but clench her fists. "Ash at that time was really super-strong!"

Although when I was resurrected again, my inner strength and transformation power were far greater than before in order to protect my companions...but I could feel that he was more or less merciful at that time.

"Too strong! I even feel like he didn't give it his all." Looking down at her clenched fist, the girl's words tinged with both anticipation and resignation. "I even feel a little sorry for him."

"I didn't let him show his full potential, and in that sense I feel really bad for him."

Oh no... Oh no, the truth about when we were together with Yuuko was revealed: Ash was actually acting with us in order to motivate Iona's fighting spirit.

I forgot to tell Iona and Kei! And how can I even say it in this atmosphere? Oh no! Now they're misunderstanding me... Iona isn't particularly upset about this, but Kei—Kei has a huge misunderstanding about this!!!

And if I forgot, why didn't Yuko remind me? Could it be that even you forgot, Yuko? You've always been the most reliable one in my heart!

"As a princess in active service, I can't understand the thoughts of you martial artists... Uwaaaaaa!"

The result of complaining while walking was that Snow White bumped into the abdominal muscles of the oncoming person and her strong and firm body made the girl bounce back and sit on the ground.

"What the hell... huh—?"

A strong hand reached out to Snow White, who had fallen and was rubbing her back.

"Are you okay?"