Episode Twelve: Let's Go Camping! Explosive Clash in the Forest!

The next sealing stone sat in a clearing deep in the forest bordering Kyoukai's northern edges… the same forest where the school camping trip would be held. There, the third-year junior high students and first-year high school students would take care of the forest by cleaning it up, while experiencing its beauty.

Hiroko, who was carrying a picnic basket over one arm, had to admit the forest was gorgeous, between the tall, verdant trees, and the way the rays of the morning sun gently filtered through the treetops, dappling the surroundings with splashes of light.

Navigating this fairly steep and winding hiking trail would… definitely take some getting used to, though. Sure, this hike was less of a struggle for Hiroko than it would have been a few months ago, but still. Oof.

"Man, this just rules all!" Izumi, meanwhile, was having the time of her life, to the point she'd almost outrun the others a few times. "Saving the world and hiking with you guys? Nothing better!"

Yasu, who was leaning a bit on Hiroko's free arm, did not seem to share Izumi's enthusiasm. "I suppose." Then, to Haruki, who was trailing behind Izumi slightly, "Are you doing alright?"

Haruki blinked in surprise. "Huh? Oh yeah, I'm used to this stuff." He had asked to come with this morning - as one of Pretty Cure's official supporters, he wanted a better picture of what they did, and nobody took issue with it. "I'm more worried about you, Sis."

"I… I'll endure." Yasu leaned just a bit harder on Hiroko as she spoke. "It's good practice for tomorrow. Cleaning up the forest is a lot of work." She nodded to Hiroko and Yasu. "But I'll have support this year."

"Ah right… this is a pretty large place, and trash pickup can be a lot of work." Hiroko sighed. "I know it's not up to us, but it'd be nice if we could be on the same team. Everyone here works so well together already."

"You do! Your combo is amazing!" Haruki agreed. "I wish I could go too, though. It's been a while since my friends and I went camping in these woods." He was quiet for a moment before adding "Um... Hiroko... this will be your first time camping, right? I can give you some advice later, if you want?"

Hiroko smiled warmly. "I'd really appreciate that, Haruki." She hummed thoughtfully. "If… when we're together next year, maybe I could pay it forward, as your upperclassman."

Haruki slowly went tomato red as he gradually came to a full stop. He would have been left behind completely had Jun not noticed, ran back for him, and led him by the hand the rest of the way.

The northern sealing stone sported an ornate carving of a black snake entwined with a black sea turtle on its side. Naturally, Izumi would have the honor of restoring it.

"Alright, time for round two!" she cheered as Jun handed Kichu over to her. "You ready, little guy?"

Kichu looked up at Izumi, pumping a tiny fist. "Chu chuu!"

Haruki watched with equal parts fascination and confusion as Izumi approached the sealing stone with Kichu in tow, following suit as the others stepped back a few paces. Once again, the mouse spirit was held up to the sealing stone, and once again, he pressed his small paws to the carving of the snake and turtle, which began to glow with soft dark violet light.

Haruki's jaw dropped as both mouse and carving began to glow more and more brightly, the air began to buzz and hum with power, and globules of water rose up from the ground, dancing and swirling around the mouse, the stone, and the girl, as the dark violet light continued to build in intensity-

-until it once again dissipated, leaving a tired Kichu, a triumphant Izumi, who passed the exhausted mouse over to Jun, and a very confused Haruki.

"Uh, guys?" The boy was looking around the forest clearing - or what had been the forest clearing just a moment ago - in confusion. "Is this supposed to happen too?"

The elaborate temple from before was back, superimposed around the clearing. It seemed much more solid this time and was markedly less translucent even if the… picture quality, for want of a better term, still jumped and warped now and again.

There were fewer Hallowed Wellspring citizens out and about at this early hour, and once again, none of them seemed to notice Pretty Cure or their allies… none except Sol, who was seated at a nearby bench, a well-worn tome in his hand hand and at least ten more stacked haphazardly at his feet. He scrambled hurriedly to his feet once he noticed the group.

"Aha! There you are!" Sol was grinning ear to ear as he hurried towards Jun. "There's my gorgeous girl! And our brave heroes! And-" He blinked in confusion as he noticed Haruki, who was standing right beside his daughter. "Oh? And who's-"

Sol's image had suddenly frozen up, not unlike the picture on a malfunctioning television, leaving his expression frozen in a rather… awkward-looking position.

"Ugh, not again." Izumi groused. "Um, hold on."

And with that said, the blond approached the sealing stone… and gave it a few good, hard knocks. Weirdly enough, it worked. The projection of the Wellspring stuttered for a second or two before unfreezing.

Sol blinked in surprise. "Oh, there you all are!' He laughed, placing a hand behind his head. "You froze up for a minute there! Imagine! Me losing valuable quality time with my amazing little girl, all because the signal was faulty! The tragedy of it all!" Then, to Haruki "You two are… close, aren't you? Is she amazing? In the top percentage of all daughters, r-"

Jun had gone hot pink. "Papa! There's no need to-!" She caught herself. "I mean! This is Harunyan - he's Pretty Cure's official supporter! Harunyan… this is Sol, my dad." She gave Sol a sort of 'please don't say anything' look, before "Um, anyway, Papa, I dunno how much time we have but-"

Sol grew more solemn at that "Right. We don't. Have a lot of time, I mean. So!" He bowed to the group. "Pretty Cure - I thank you for your efforts against the Shade Kingdom. Know that I am with you every step of the way." His eyes settled on the Ouryuu shard in Jun's choker. "As was… Muse, how did you-?"

Jun drew a shaky breath. "That's… I don't quite understand it myself, Papa, but-"

And Jun explained, as best as she could, in the limited time she knew she had, as Sol listened attentively. His image was beginning to flicker and warp more and more, as his expression grew steadily more somber. Hiroko could see tears prickling in the corners of his eyes.

"That… definitely sounds like your mother." Sol smiled sadly. "Clio was a stubborn woman, Muse. Nothing got in her way, once she set her mind to something. Not even death, it seems."

"And I will finish what she started. I will restore the Ouryuu crystal." As Jun spoke, her friends gathered closer to her. "And my friends will help me - Hironyan said she's got leads on the rest of it!"

"Well, a lead." Hiroko said. "It's really more of a hunch, but… I'll do what I can to help. I have to try!"

Jun grinned approvingly. "That's my Hironyan! Isn't she great, Papa! Aren't they all great?"

Sol grinned right back. "They are! I'm glad my first-class daughter has found first-class allies! And you know, once we get everything set up, the five of you can-"

And then Sol and the illusory temple abruptly blinked out of existence.

Jun slouched. "Out of time again…"

Pretty Cure and their allies were now left with nothing but the sound of the wind rustling through the trees, birdsong drifting through the air, the soft buzzing of insects' wings… and the loud rumble of Kichu's stomach.

" Chuuuu…. " the little mouse groaned as he dramatically cast his eyes up at the sky.

Izumi's stomach answered with a loud rumble. "Yeah, me too." Then, to Hiroko "Are we good for breakfast?"

"Of course!" Hiroko was already laying out the picnic blanket she had brought along, followed by an elaborate spread of breakfast food - everything from hard boiled eggs to homemade bread with jam to fresh fruit. "I hope it's alright - I tried to pack something everyone would like."

Haruki grinned as he claimed a spot on the blanket near Yasu. "Alright? This looks amazing !" He went for a slice of the bread before adding "Hey, do you guys wanna go exploring after we fuel up? I could get in those camping tips I mentioned too."

"Haru, we'll be just fine." Izumi said around a mouthful of breakfast. The blond had a scone in one hand, a piece of buttered bread in the other, and was going at both like a starved wolf. "Women are naturally resilient."

"Some of us are." Yasu poured a bit of tea from the thermos Hiroko had packed and took a sip. "It's lovely." She offered Hiroko a small smile and a nod. "Thank you, Hiroko."

Hiroko felt a rush of heat rise to her face at the sight of Yasu's smile. "It's no problem at all!"

The way she felt every time Yasu looked at her like that… Hiroko knew that meant something, just like that other feeling she couldn't quite pin down. That strange sense of… well, missing out on something she felt at times. Hiroko Tsubasa was an unfinished puzzle, and she couldn't ignore those missing pieces forever.

And she didn't intend to, she told herself as she buttered a scone. That was something the old Hiroko did, and she was in the process of leaving her behind. She just had other things that demanded her attention right now. That was all it was. That was really all it was.

The Tree of Wrath was a mysterious thing indeed. It was the lynchpin of Kagemera's reign, the very reason he had enjoyed a 25 year reign despite his rapidly declining condition and his puerile, self-obsessed nature, and the thing keeping the vermin scuttling around the Shade Kingdom… mostly in check. The Tree of Wrath essentially was the Shade Kingdom, and Kagemera was nothing without it.

And yet the Shade King knew distressingly little about it. He had come into possession of the Tree's seed shortly before his conquest of the Shade Kingdom, brought it with him during his army's march from the north, and had used it to clinch his victory. Once the Tree had ripped its way up from the very foundations of the Shade Palace and spread roots through the kingdom, Kagemera had handily triumphed.

And that was it. That was all he knew or cared to know about his best and most valuable asset.

Hinyu had attempted to get more details out of Kagemera once or twice - out of academic curiosity as a youth and out of sheer… pragmatism as the king's majordomo. It never worked. The Tree did what it was supposed to, it worked because it worked, and any further probing left Hinyu open to another tantrum. And when you were already the easiest possible target for Kagemera's tantrums… best not to bother.

But that was fine, Hinyu told himself as he looked after the portion of the Tree growing through the palace rooftop early that morning, balancing on a high ladder as he pruned its upper branches. It did not need this attention… but it seemed to enjoy it, and it was the only thing that deserved affection from him.

"Life isn't fair, is it?" Hinyu drawled as he gently snipped away another overgrown branch. "You do so much for him - for all of us - and he doesn't care one whit about you. Your own king!"

Oh, but Kagemera was happy to hog the credit, when he wasn't giving that traitorous coward Seimono another pass or lavishing praise on Tamakushi - never mind that her last mission was as much of a failure as his attempt at smoking out the latest vermin nest had been, heavy damage to the barrier or none.

"We're the same, you and I." Snip. "He would be nothing without us. And yet?" Snip, snip. "What are we to him?" Snipsnipsnip. "A tool and a scapegoat! But it will be worth it. I swear. It will be worth it."

The Tree's branches gently rustled, and what sounded like a chorus of low, miserable-sounding moans filtered through the air. Hinyu smiled. That was as close to a statement of agreement as the tree got. Because it could hear him. It could think. If it was not a living creature at the start… surely all the souls Kagemera had offered to it over the years had made it into one.

Hinyu finished his work in silence, before nimbly leaping off the ladder and gracefully touching down onto the terrace below. The day was still young, and the Shade Palace was just now coming to life. That left him with time to do what he did best - plan out his future moves.

He leaned up against the Tree of Wrath, heaving a sigh. Tamakushi had hit on a crucial fact about that thing, that mouse, whatever it was, but of course, she had come to the wrong conclusion. And of course Kagemera had failed to recognize her error. Naturally, of course - after all, fools esteemed fools.

"When the enemy has a weapon of that caliber on their side, you take it. You don't destroy it." Hinyu clicked his tongue disapprovingly at the thought. "That leaves how to take it."

Simply grabbing the thing would be dangerous. Pretty Cure was building in power by the day, and the mouse itself… Hinyu's hand instinctively went to the small scar on his neck, which ached dully even now. But that was fine. A good monarch explored all avenues. For example, he still had the Asjun twins…

...and the minute the idea crossed Hinyu's mind, he felt his stomach twist. Kae's stupidity was a double-edged sword - it kept her eating out of his hand, but it also meant that she fumbled every assignment he handed her. It wasn't worth it, as entertaining as her desperation to please him was.

Shahei, on the other hand… Hinyu had seen very little of her. Until recently, he had little idea of what she was even like, past what he had gleaned from very brief exchanges or Kae's remarks about her twin. But…

...they had spoken over tea the other evening. The other two idiots had gone off somewhere, and there was no sight of the third one, the cleaning guy (had Kae done away with her? He could almost respect that). Kae, who Hinyu had been looking to vent his frustrations on, was out cold. Shahei, however…

"Do you not have any friends your age, Hinyu-sama?" Shahei asked sweetly as she poured Hinyu a cup of freshly-brewed tea. "You shouldn't have to depend on children like us."

The corner of Hinyu's lip subtly twitched. "Shahei. Do mind who you're speaking to."

Shahei answered him with a vapid smile. "Of course, Hinyu-sama. You'll have the respect you're owed."

Kagemera would have struck Shahei down where she stood. Hinyu had certainly considered it. But well, the sisters'... condition would have led to him wasting two resources at once. And…

…well, there was something about Shahei that intrigued him. The hint of malice in that glassy gaze, the twist of bitter apathy in her voice… such a curious girl. Perhaps they had a thing or two in common. Perhaps she would be worth investigating further.

Another time, maybe. He didn't have the patience to risk dealing with Kae and her band of idiots at present. That left…

"Mm. It would have to fall to me, wouldn't it?" Hinyu sighed. "Those girls just weren't strong enough to wield the gift you gave me. And they simply aren't on my level." He snorted quietly. "Who is, really?"

Hinyu had not lost to Pretty Cure through strength, speed, or skill. Hinyu had lost because he had not accounted for that thing , let alone one of the veteran Cures remaining active. And now? What advantage did Pretty Cure have left that Hinyuu was not well aware of? None at all.

"Then… I'll go. You're owed a proper debt of gratitude, wouldn't you say?"

The Tree of Wrath did not respond for a moment… and then the air began to hum with low, agonized groans as its branches began to shake. Something dropped into Hinyu's waiting hand. A red-black fruit, which pulsed steadily, not like a beating heart.

Hinyu beheld his prize approvingly. "I shall use it well." And with that said, he turned to face the Tree, holding out the fruit as if offering a toast. "To a better tomorrow, my friend."

The Tree's branches rustled once more, and another chorus of agonized groans followed. That would suffice.

Hinyu took a hearty bite of the fruit. It tasted terrible, as always, and the red-black juices it leaked were especially acrid and bitter this time around. He still finished the entire thing with a smile.

This too, would be worth it.

Hiroko's nerves about the camping trip were… mostly sanded off by the time the big morning arrived.

Letting Haruki show her around the forest had helped quite a bit, even if… well. He always acted so strangely around her, and it had only ramped up towards the end, when they had cut things off so Yasu could rest. Was she doing something to make him nervous? She'd have to speak with him about that.

But for now, she would look forward to the future, she told herself as she and Jun loaded onto the bus to the campgrounds, clad in crimson school sweats, much like the other junior high third years. She'd do her part for Kyoukai, both as a Cure and as a civilian, and she'd absolutely ace her first camping trip.

And then Kou had promptly brought back some of those nerves once the bus had set off towards its destination.

"Man, am I hyped for tonight!" The green-haired boy, who sat next to Emi in the row across from Hiroko and Jun, was practically vibrating out of his seat with excitement. Emi… did not share his enthusiasm. "Emichi, we have our work as ghost-hunters cut out for us!"

"What do you mean by that, Ishii-san?" Hiroko was trying not to betray any hint of nerves. She was fresh off of meeting a real ghost, a benevolent ghost. This was fine! "Are these woods haunted?"

Kou bobbed his head up and down. "Yup! Haunted haunted. Have you heard of the movie Ill-Starred Girl ? They were gonna shoot a scene in that forest… but things kept going wrong. Equipment malfunctioning… wardrobe going missing…"

"Oh, right. That." said Shinobu, who sat behind Kou and Emi. "Didn't the lead actress vanish for a bit?"

Emi nodded nervously. "Yeah… one of the hitodama that appears at night led her off… they say she couldn't remember where she'd been when she turned back up." Her voice grew smaller as she spoke. "I hope we don't end up seeing any tonight."

"Hey, don't fuss, Emichi!" Kou said. "I won't let you… or any of the other ladies here be spirited off!" He nodded to Hiroko. "It won't be like before, I promise. This time, I'll keep you safe too, Tsubasa-san."

Hiroko blinked several times. And then… "I think I'll be alright, Ishii-san."

"Yeah!" Jun chirped. "Ghosts… aren't all bad anyway." Her hand unconsciously went to the Ouryuu crystal fragment on her choker, a gesture that earned her a gentle pat on the shoulder and a smile of reassurance from Hiroko. "Maybe those hitodama are just misunderstood."

"And we can totally kick their ass if they're not." Izumi said as she turned from her seat in front of Hiroko and Jun to face Kou. "We've got this covered, Ishii, trust us."

Misty, who sat next to Izumi, inclined her head in confusion. "Izzy, are you saying you'd punch a ghost? Can you… I mean, I guess if you believed you could, then maybe…"

" Maybe." agreed Emi, a bit too desperately. And then, to Kou "No offense, but you… don't exactly have the best ghost-hunting record.."

Shinobu arched an eyebrow. "Why only the ladies anyway? You're casting a narrow net, Kou."

Kou slouched and sighed mock-dramatically. "Damn, tough crowd." He perked back up a moment later. "Well… guys, gals and pals, if anyone changes their mind… you'll know where to find me." And then, more to himself than to anyone else. "Man, can you punch ghosts? Wonder if Sis knows…"

Fortunately, discussion quickly shifted to everyone's plans for the afternoon. Hiroko was… mostly able to push her concerns about the alleged haunting of Kyoukai's forest aside and instead speak of the curry she was planning on making for tonight's dinner… plans it seemed many of her classmates approved of.

(It still felt weird, being praised so openly for her cooking, let alone allowing herself to lean in to that praise, instead of writing it off. But… it was just like Chiaki had said. Hiroko had earned her way into Mirai, and she needed to act like it. That was how the new Hiroko handled herself. It would get easier.)

And soon enough, the junior high third years' bus arrived at the campgrounds. Hiroko took a deep breath and nodded to both Izumi and Jun as the three stepped off the bus. All would be well. She had to try.

The campgrounds for the school trip were located in yet another clearing in the forest, this one in its center. A cabin for the teachers, complete with an adjoining kitchen building, sat towards the north of said clearing, near several rows of rustic-looking picnic tables and benches, with an impressive-looking firepit close by. An empty field dotted with unpitched tents stood off to the west.

The area was dotted with Mirai students in school sweats - crimson for the junior high third years and royal blue for the high school first years. Some were clustered in loose groups, chatting among themselves, while others were checking the large sign erected in the center of the clearing, which listed the teams of five that everyone was to divide up into for cleaning duties.

Mieko Shiroka and Marina Ishii stood near the sign chatting among themselves. Or rather… Marina was chatting animatedly about the leeches that inhabited the nearby freshwater lake (and the ones she kept as pets) while Mieko desperately tried to feign interest. Hiroko… sympathized. She had nothing but respect for Marina as an adult and a fellow Cure, but she would never quite get her love for blood-sucking worms.

But enough about that, Hiroko told herself. She looked around, trying to get her bearings as Jun studied the lineup of team assignments and Izumi got in some post-bus ride stretches next to her. Once she figured out what team she was assigned to-

"Oh! There you are!"

Hiroko looked up to find none other than Shun Siegel hurrying towards her and Izumi… who immediately froze mid-stretch the second she heard the teal-haired girl's voice.

"Sieg-kun!"

Izumi launched herself towards Shun, who came to a smooth stop mid-dash and expertly caught the smaller girl in her arms before twirling her around. Both girls were grinning from ear to ear as they parted from their embrace.

Several of Shun's fangirls had stopped to stare at the two girls' display of affection, Hiroko noted, and not all of them looked particularly happy about it. Shun did give them a small nod of acknowledgement and a we'll talk later sort of look before turning her attention back to Izumi, but she didn't seem half as bothered by their obvious display of jealousy as she had once been.

"Hironyan! Izunyan!" Jun was beelining towards the group. "We're all-" She came to an unsteady stop as she noticed Shun. "Oh! Siegel-san! Did you know we're all on the same team?"

"Ah yeah, I was… informed in advance." Shun smiled apologetically. "Sorry for not coming clean earlier. I kind of wanted it to be a surprise. We both did." A pause, then "You don't have to be formal with me either. Especially after…" She gestured vaguely "You know. I'd like us to be friends, if that's okay."

Jun looked beyond delighted. "Of course it is, Shunyan! Welcome aboard!"

Kichu popped his head up from the front pocket of Jun's hooded sweatshirt. "Chu chuuu !"

Shun let out a surprised squeak at the sight of Kichu. As Jun proudly introduced her little brother to the older girl, who shyly asked if she could pet him, Hiroko felt someone tap her on the shoulder - Yasu Fukuda. The cerise-haired girl looked a bit tired but very content.

"Sorry. I wanted to be here first, but…" Yasu shot a glance towards Shun, who was currently fussing over Kichu, as Jun and Izumi looked on approvingly. "I had no hope of keeping up with her."

Hiroko just smiled. "It's okay. I'm always willing to wait for you. And I'm glad we'll be working together after all."

Yasu smiled knowingly and adjusted her glasses a bit. "So am I."

Once everyone was divided into groups, they were called to assemble before Mieko and Marina. Hiroko listened attentively as Mieko spoke about the obligations they had to Kyoukai as students of Mirai Academy. As she spoke, Marina handed each team a bundle of trash pickers and several trash bags.

"As we have explained before, you will be cleaning up the trash left behind in this forest." said Mieko. "Afterward, you will be free to spend time however you please, until dinner." She caught herself there before throwing in a stern "Within reason, of course."

Marina shot a knowing glance towards her fellow teacher as she rejoined her. "Several of our hardworking students have volunteered to contribute to this evening's meal. Please look forward to it."

As Marina spoke, her eyes settled on Hiroko… and Hiroko felt several pairs of eyes on her, which was, of course, fine. Accept the attention, stand firm, try to ignore the heat rushing to your face-

-except it wasn't just her face that was getting hot, Hiroko realized. The temperature in the surrounding area had suddenly spiked several degrees. And then a strange, ill-feeling wind blew through the clearing, chilling her and it seemed, most everyone else to the bone.

Kichu popped his head out from the pocket of Jun's sweatshirt, squeaking in alarm, forcing the blue-haired girl to quiet him, as a murmur of concern traveled through the crowd. Several students were looking around in confusion. Even Marina was on high alert. And then-

"Oh my god!" Kou, true to form, was not at all rattled. "Guys, did you feel that? That was absolutely paranormal activity! I told you this place was haunted!"

Misty looked distinctly horrified. "Seriously? Izzy, you can punch ghosts, right?"

"You can't. They're intangible." Marina said matter-of-factly. "But I wouldn't worry about it, Oliver-san. The hitodama only come out at night."

Mieko shot Marina an unamused glance. "They don't come out at all, because this forest is not haunted." She sounded just a bit too insistent, and her attempt at a reassuring smile looked a bit too forced, sending a wave of giggling through the crowd. " Anyway! Moving on! Please listen closely for your assignments!"

And soon, everyone had been directed to the stretch of forest they would be covering, and that strange burst of activity had been forgotten in favor of well… trash pickup.

Well, mostly forgotten, Hiroko told herself, as she and her group took off in the direction of their assigned patch of forest, laughing and talking among each other the whole way. Trouble always had a way of finding Pretty Cure. But that was fine. She was prepared to face whatever the Shade Kingdom threw at them.

Nobody in Hiroko's group noticed the wistful look that briefly crept into Marina's eyes as she watched the five of them depart. And none of them noticed the way the color briefly drained from a patch of sky above the forest before all returned to normal.

Once Hiroko's group arrived at their designated patch of forest, they realized that they had their work cut out for them. It seemed like many of the people who passed through here saw nothing wrong with just tossing their garbage on the ground and leaving, and that… had kind of added up after a while.

"Oh…" Jun frowned as she took in the chip bags, crushed cans, soda rings, and other bits of trash laying here and there. "People treat this place like a big trash can, huh?"

Kichu popped his head up from her sweatshirt pocket. " Chuu… "

"Well, this is a pretty popular spot for hikers." As Shun spoke, she grabbed a trash picker and tossed it to Izumi, who expertly caught it. She did the same for Jun at the blue-haired girl's enthusiastic urging before thinking better of it for Yasu and handing her and Hiroko their trash pickers. "A lot can pile up in a year."

Hiroko nodded thoughtfully. "I can imagine." She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. "But… if we combine our talents, we can get everything cleaned up. We have to try."

"Well said, fearless leader!" Izumi cheered, pumping her trash picker into the air. "We'll totally rule all at this! And-" She looked around, making sure no one else was nearby before adding, a bit more quietly "This is a great chance to catch you up on… well, everything, Sieg-kun."

"Sounds good to me." Shun said. "There's some stuff I've been wanting to share too."

And so Pretty Cure and their allies got to work. Yasu carefully and methodically eliminated the trash in the area, finding bits that managed to completely escape Hiroko's notice. That must have been the power of an artist's discerning eye, Hiroko decided. It was just another thing that made Yasu amazing, really.

Meanwhile, Izumi and Jun's cleanup effort rapidly transformed into them competing to see who could get more trash bagged first. Shun held out for all of five minutes before she threw her hat into the ring… and began easily outpacing both girls without breaking a sweat.

As they worked, Pretty Cure gave their latest ally a crash course in everything that had happened since Jun had first arrived in Kyoukai and what they had to accomplish next. Shun grew more visibly concerned as they spoke, especially when the matter of Cure Suzaku and the Ouryuu crystal came up.

"It'll be okay, Shunyan!" Jun assured the teal-haired girl. By now, the five were over halfway done with their work - a perfect time to take a breather. "We'll definitely find the rest of the Ouryuu crystal - and get through to Himura-san." She gently touched the crystal shard on her choker. "We already had one miracle, so…"

"It'd probably take a miracle to get through to Himura-san." Shun said. "She's been avoiding Kimi, and if I talk to her about anything outside of the usual auto mechanic business, she shuts down."

Jun's smile faded a bit. "I don't think she likes the new Pretty Cure. Or me." She tried to perk back up. "But! We've improved since then! And now we have the invincible Speed King of Kyoukai on our side! There's no way we'll lose now!"

Shun went slightly pink and looked aside. "Th-thanks. I'm not much compared to you four, but I'll do my best." Her gaze drifted to Izumi. "I want to make up for the trouble I caused back then anyway."

Izumi flew to Shun's side. "Hey, Sieg-kun, don't blame yourself!" she said. "Kae's the one who decided you were some… tool she could just run off with!"

Shun clearly didn't buy into Izumi's words, but she didn't protest them either. "Those girls, that Tobi guy… Aki-san… they all have a lot to answer for, next time I see them. But I don't hate them." She grimaced uncomfortably. "Honestly, I'm worried about them."

Yasu raised an eyebrow. "Those girls?"

Hiroko looked a bit troubled. "Worried?"

Shun nodded. "Twins. Shahei was always hiding in their room, but I'd hear them talking sometimes. I'm not fond of either of them, but they're kids, and knowing how that Hinyu bastard treats them…"

And Shun explained what she had seen the day she had accidentally walked in on Kae's exchange with Hinyu. The moment Shun described the man in question, a pall of silence fell over the group as the color drained from Jun's face, and she began to tremble.

"Oh. Oh no…" The blue-haired girl was cuddling Kichu close. It didn't seem to help very much. "I remember him. He caught Harunyan and me alone, and… used me as a battery for his Nikuina." She bit her lip. "If Kichu hadn't jumped in… if Cure Suzaku hadn't shown up…"

"It would've been over." Yasu bluntly finished. "Hinyu seems to be a step above our other enemies. If the Trio is working for a man like that…"

"...then they're all in danger." Hiroko said. "Kae couldn't control the last Nikuina she sent after us… and Jun said the seed it was made from looked exactly like the one Hinyu used." She frowned, remembering how that had played out. "He really didn't care if she lived or died. And I don't know if she realized that."

"Yeah." Izumi looked no less disturbed. "Kae might be an annoying, smug, girlfriend-kidnapping brat, but… nobody deserves to be treated like that." She clenched a fist. "And we'll make that extra clear to that red-haired asshole next time we see him. I'll kick his ass, I'll kick the forest ghosts' ass-"

The moment Izumi brought up the ghosts, the temperature suddenly spiked again for a brief moment, as another ill wind blew through the clearing. The five teens were immediately on high alert, as Kichu began squeaking his head off.

And then a piercing scream sounded in the distance.

Shun was off like a shot, with Izumi following close behind her. Jun quickly followed suit, while Yasu grabbed Hiroko's hand before the two hurried off together.

And as they hurried onward, the Wrath Seed implanted deeper into the forest continued to grow, pulsing like a beating heart as it spread a network of roots through the loamy soil.

Pretty Cure and their allies arrived to find… no traces of ghosts, Shade Kingdom spirits, or anything else that could pose a threat to any living being.

What they did find was Emi Nishimura, on the edge of tears, frozen near the remains of a smoldering cigarette butt, as if the thing was going to spring to life and eat her. Most of her fellow cleanup crew members were staring at her in bafflement, save for one student who was trying to calm her down.

"It's okay, Nishimura-san." they were saying as they patted her on the back. "We know it's not yours."

"Well, it's someone's!" Emi sputtered through tears. "Someone here is smoking , and we keep finding them , and this one was still hot when we found it, and it was about to light the grass on fire!" The more she spoke, the more worked up she became, until she had her unfortunate classmate's shoulders in a vice grip. "What if we didn't find it, and the forest burned down, and everyone died, and then we had to join those spooky forest ghosts for all eternity because someone here is using cigarettes!"

"Nishimura-san, I promise it's okay." Hiroko said. "Whoever did this is massively irresponsible, but I don't think it could have gotten that b-"

Before Hiroko could finish her sentence, Emi flung herself into her arms and started wailing. Hiroko tried to comfort her as best as she could, as Marina stumbled into the clearing. The green-haired woman had to take a moment to catch her breath before she spoke.

"What in the world is going on here?"

Shun idly prodded at the remains of the cigarette with the toe of her sneaker. "Seems like we've got a litterbug nearby. A chain-smoking one."

Izumi scowled. "Yeah, some jackass using this place as their ashtray while we're supposed to be cleaning it up." She tightened a fist. "I swear, once I get a hold of them…"

Marina shot Izumi a don't threaten violence in front of a teacher sort of look before her gaze traveled back to the cigarette. An odd expression crossed her face as her eyes flitted from said cigarette remains to a nearby forest trail.

"Everyone, please focus on cleanup. I'll take care of our litterbug."

And before anyone could say anything to that, she was gone.

Yurika remembered the moment Clio had gone from simply being the woman who led Pretty Cure to being someone she genuinely loved and respected. It had been right here, at this forest outcropping, which provided a nice view of the rest of Kyoukai… and was far away from… most of Yurika's current problems.

She took a long drag of her cigarette, remembering the day she had run all the way here. Away from the photographer who nitpicked every shot she had posed for, away from her mother, who saw her as a pretty little doll to live her dreams through, away from her teammates, who didn't get it and probably didn't care-

-except Clio had cared, enough to figure out where Yurika had gone and track her down. She didn't come with a lecture or a reprimand, just an umbrella for the rain that was beginning to pour down and a listening ear, as Yurika unloaded everything on her. She hadn't meant to, but once she started, she couldn't stop.

("You weren't born to live your mother's dreams, Yurika-chan. What is it that you want to do?"

"I… don't know anymore. Not like 'hero' is a job you can have. Once our mission's done…"

"You'll still be a hero. You have the heart of one, Yurika-chan. I know that won't change.")

But Clio hadn't sighed or dismissed Yurika like her own mother had. Clio had understood. Clio had cared. And from that day on, the leader of Pretty Cure, who went out of her way to treat all of the girls in her care like they were her own daughters, had given Yurika just a little extra attention, just a little more support.

It was Clio who held Yurika's hand and dried her tears after her mother had blown up at her for wanting to get out of the idol business. It was Clio who gave Yurika the courage to put her foot down and find a new dream. It was Clio who cheered her on as she discovered her talent for automotive repair. It was Clio who had loved Yurika for who she was, while most adults only seemed to love her for what she could be.

("Sometimes I wish you were my mom, Clio-san." )

And it was Clio she had let down in the end. It was Clio who had to pay the ultimate price for her weakness.

Clio may not have been entirely gone. That much was clear. But she wasn't going to appear for someone like Yurika. If Yurika could apologize at all, it would be through her actions. She had the heart of a hero and a destiny of a soldier, and she would follow that belief to the end, if that was what it took. She-

"You can't use this place as your ashtray, Yurika."

-turned to find a far from amused Marina holding the remains of one of her cigarettes. She sighed heavily before turning away and taking another drag of her current cigarette.

"I'm not in the mood for lectures." Or to talk with anyone, really. "What are you doing out here, anyway?"

"One of my students found this during our cleanup." Marina was answered with a nonchalant shrug. "Yurika, we're both Mirai alumni. You know better than to-"

No response. Marina heaved an exasperated sigh and approached Yurika… only for her breath to catch once she got a good look at the other woman.

Yurika looked well, awful. There were pronounced dark circles under her eyes, her complexion was growing sallow, and the way she carried herself… it was like she was about to collapse under the weight of her own exhaustion at any moment. The sight made Marina's heart break, but even if she knew the cause-

"I'm going to finish what we started. Even if it kills me."

-she knew what calling Yurika out would do. Nothing. As much as it hurt, as angry as her fellow Cure stubbornly clinging onto her powers when she knew good and well it was time to let go made her… well, Marina knew what they said about horses and water. Instead, she settled on

"There's a spare room in the teachers' cabin, and I packed some extra food for lunch. Care to join us?"

Yurika hesitated before muttering something about that not being necessary. She tossed her latest cigarette to the ground, absently crushed it beneath her heel, moved to leave… and started swaying on her feet a few steps in. Marina had to rush over and steady her before gently guiding her away from the outcropping.

"Come on. You'll feel better after you get some rest."

Yurika didn't respond, past a soft noise of acknowledgement… but she didn't fight Marina either. That would be enough for now.

It seemed the school camping trip had been graced with a surprise guest - Yurika Himura, now known to a good chunk of the class as the chain-smoking litterbug. She was resting safe and sound in the teacher's cabin, Marina had explained to Hiroko's group, once they had returned from cleanup duty. There was a lot the two women needed to talk about, but for now, Marina was happy to let Yurika get some sleep.

(Sleep wouldn't do much for what was actually ailing Yurika. Marina knew it, and Pretty Cure knew it. But Marina clearly couldn't make herself say it either.)

It was difficult not to worry about Yurika's presence, let alone her senior Cure's deteriorating condition. But Hiroko tried to push it to the side, along with the rumors of the forest ghosts and the growing sense of wrongness in the air. She would stay vigilant, of course. But… well, this was her first camping trip.

And so, for the next while, Hiroko tried her best to enjoy herself. She learned how to skip rocks across the pond from Izumi, she got caught up in a game of capture the flag that quickly devolved into mass anarchy once Emi forgot how the rules worked, and she pitched their group's tent with Shun's help, only for a stray gust of wind to blow said tent away from them.

Thank goodness for Jun and her catlike reflexes, because a stray rock in the path had sent Shun flying once she had attempted to chase down the wayward tent, and Hiroko's attempt to save her upperclassman from a hard fall had led them to crash into each other. And that… was fine, really. Jun was now legendary among the students for her ability to take down a flying tent in mid-air, and Hiroko and Shun ended up having a good laugh about the fastest girl in school being defeated by a rock.

And finally, she and Yasu had spent the final moments before Hiroko was due to help make dinner hiking in the forest together. Yasu was there to sketch the local flora, Hiroko was there to support her in case anything happened. She… found herself wishing she could have brought along a sketchpad of her very own. Something about the way Yasu looked when she was absorbed in drawing like this was…

"Is something wrong?" Yasu asked once she caught Hiroko staring.

"No! I mean…" Hiroko fumbled for the right choice of words before settling on "You look really peaceful when you're drawing like this. It's… I think it's nice."

Yasu smiled. "I see. I feel the same way whenever I watch you cook, Hiroko."

Hiroko had to look around for any possible ghostly activity before realizing that no, her face was just that hot. Even now, after dinner had ended, and many Mirai students had taken off, determined to make the most of their remaining time before curfew, she was still carrying her fellow Cure's words around with her.

The sun was beginning to sink over the horizon, and everyone's shadows were growing long. Kou had since run off, determined to get a picture or two of the legendary hitodama, taking Emi and Shinobu with him. Marina… hadn't helped by excitedly encouraging him. Hiroko would keep that to herself.

Instead, she focused on cleaning up the plates and silverware. The curry she had worked on had been a huge hit among her fellow students. Even Yurika, who had remained on the fringes of the dining area the whole time and refused to so much as make eye contact with Pretty Cure, let alone speak to anyone not named Shinobu Himura, had seemed to enjoy it.

Maybe being a chef would be a decent goal for her, Hiroko mused as she worked. She-

"Tsubasa-san!"'

-struggled not to jump six feet into the air as she realized she was surrounded on all sides by multiple girls. Not just any girls - members of Shun's fangirl squad. Except, well, Shun wasn't the one they were starry-eyed over.

"Your curry was amazing, Tsubasa-san!" one girl gushed. "I could feel your love for everyone in it!"

Hiroko blinked. "Oh… thank you." Why were they fussing over her like this? "I tried my best at it, so I'm glad it turned out well in the end."

Another girl grinned. "Oh, Tsubasa-san, you're so humble!" She was standing a bit… close. Hiroko tried not to betray any anxiety. "Kind, beautiful, and strong… just like a princess! Has anyone ever told you that?"

"Um, this is the first time, honestly…" Hiroko managed to spit out after a moment.

"What's wrong with people at this school?" another girl huffed indignantly. "Any girl would be so lucky to have someone like you, Tsubsa-san!"

"That's right!" yet another girl agreed. "Um… Tsubasa-san, is there anyone you like? Or… it's okay if you already have a girlfriend! We'll cheer for you either way, just like Siegel-san!"

Hiroko felt something catch in her chest. "I'm…"

"...not into girls" or maybe "not into anyone" was probably the right thing to say here, because she couldn't like girls, couldn't be anything but a typical girl who would end up with a typical boy or just… alone, maybe, because she would have just known if she was anything else, because surely fifteen was plenty old enough to know yourself and who you were and who you liked, just like Izumi must have, or Shun, or Shinobu…

...but she… didn't mind this. Oh, sure, she didn't like being mobbed , but this was different from the big pile of nothing she felt whenever her classmates would ask her about which boys she liked, and…

…oh god, she had been a little envious of Izumi from the jump, hadn't she? Izumi who comfortably loved girls and boys alike, especially the former, especially Shun, while she…

"Why are you so shocked? You have a girlfriend too, don't you?"

…felt like a fifty-ton weight had slammed right into her chest, knocking the wind straight out of her.

She heard herself muttering an apology as she retreated a pace or two, distantly registered Shun hurrying over and telling the girls not to crowd her, can't you see she's overwhelmed, felt her heart pounding in her chest as the pieces of that puzzle slowly fell into place.

Shun was patting her on the shoulder. "Sorry about that. You alright, Hiroko?" She laughed softly. "We're more similar than I thought, huh?"

Were they? Hiroko couldn't find it in herself to argue. Maybe she… maybe she was…

…abruptly jolted back to reality as another ill wind, this one much stronger, blasted through the area. Moments later, there was a flash of red-black light in the distance, as a swarm of birds flew up and away from the forest, vocalizing their distress the entire way, as the sky above them went gray.

Hiroko was immediately on high alert. So were Izumi and Yasu, who hurried to her side… and so was Kichu, who was frantically squeaking up a storm, despite Jun's attempts to quiet him. Shun was no less tense, and Marina and Yurika…

…were both gone.

Before Hiroko could figure out what to make of that, something appeared in front of everyone in the vicinity - small, luminous fireballs, which danced and wove in the line of everyone's vision, like the luminous lure on an anglerfish. The hitodama Kou was obsessed with. Or something mimicking them.

Hiroko felt… something probing into her mind for a moment, before the hitodama in front of her vanished. The same thing happened to her fellow Cures, along with Jun and a visibly confused Shun. Everyone else was not so lucky. Their expressions went blank, and they began to march forward mechanically, letting the hitodama dancing in front of them lead them onward.

Pretty Cure and their allies scrambled to stop someone, anyone in the area from leaving. It didn't work. Mieko… several of her classmates… they all effortlessly shoved past Hiroko, and nobody else was having any more luck, even Izumi and Shun, who were much stronger than she was.

In the end, all the five could do was watch as everyone vanished into thin air, a few paces in. It was almost as if they'd been spirited off by…

"It's the Shade Kingdom, right?" Shun managed to spit out after a moment. The teal-haired girl seemed to be in a state of shock, and nobody else was much better. "Whatever's in the woods, maybe… like Family Day…"

Hiroko nodded, a bit too readily. "That has to be it." Shun was right - everything pointed to Shade Kingdom activity, ghosts or none, she told herself as she went for her Puricell. She… wouldn't think about the alternative. "Don't worry, alright? We'll definitely get everyone back. We have to try!"

"Pretty Cure! Spirit Unleash!"

The questions these last few moments had raised, all the questions about who she really was… those could wait for the future, Seiryuu told herself as Pretty Cure and Jun charged forth. And in order to ensure that future existed, she had to fight for it.

The forest had grown eerily quiet. There was no hint of birdsong, no buzzing of insects, and no trace of anyone else, spirit or human, save for Pretty Cure. The silence was overwhelming enough to make Seiryuu's head hurt, and the air felt unusually heavy and warm.

And then a wave of white-hot flame leapt towards the group.

The Cures and their spirit allies would have been incinerated where they stood, had a red and orange blur not slammed into them, knocking them aside. The wave of fire narrowly passed the four by a half-second after they hit the ground, dissolving a wide swathe of trees behind them into white ash.

Cure Suzaku stood in front of the group, ready to spring into action against their unseen opponent.

"Pay attention to your surroundings." she said coolly as the four scrambled to their feet. "You knew that-"

An off-white blur shot towards the red Cure, claws out and teeth bared. She narrowly managed to dodge out of the way and counter with a sharp kick to her assailant's ribcage, only for the enormous, off-white three-tailed fox to quickly gets his second wind, bolt past Suzaku, spring at Seiryuu and the others-

-and get smacked in the face with a blast of dark violet water. The fox let out a sharp yelp of pain and reeled backward as Marina Ishii stepped forth. She was visibly trembling with fury as her hand pulsed with dark violet light.

"You are not laying a single claw on my students!" she snapped.

The fox regarded her curiously… before bursting out into barking laughter. He was still laughing as he shifted back into humanoid form, before bursting into sarcastic applause.

"Bravo. Bra- vo. You actually caught me off-guard!" Hinyu sighed and shook his head. "Unfortunately, I'm not interested in playing with you."

The earth below Marina began to tremble… before the soil below her suddenly exploded like a geyser, fling the green-haired woman backward. If Cure Suzaku had not rushed over and caught her in her arms, she would have slammed hard into the wall of trees behind her.

The red Cure looked decidedly unimpressed. "I thought you were smarter than this, Marina."

Marina looked aside. "So did I."

"Marinyan!" Jun glared at Hinyu as Seiryuu, Genbu, and Byakko prepared to spring into action. Even Kichu was staring him down. "Was taking everyone away not enough, you… you hateful monster?!"

Hinyu quirked an eyebrow. "Taking everyone?" He glanced from Jun to Cure Suzaku, who had hurried Marina off to safety, to Seiryuu and the others, all of whom looked ready to beat him into the ground. "Ah, yes! I did that, didn't I?" He smirked. "And do you think defeating me will bring them back?"

Cure Genbu started forward, her eyes blazing with fury. "Are you trying to bargain with us, asshole?!"

"Why are you shocked?" Hinyu huffed in mock offense. "You have something I need, and I can give you something you need in return. It's common sense." He stared straight at Jun. "The mouse. Hand it over. No tricks. Restrain it first if you have to. Accept, and I spare your lives. Deny, and I'll k-"

A razor-sharp blue gale flew straight at Hinyu. He narrowly managed to sidestep it, but not quickly enough for it to tear up the side of his suit jacket.

Hinyu's face twisted into an animalistic snarl as he met Cure Seiryuu's gaze. The blue Cure's eyes glinted with fury as she stared him down, her hand radiating blue spirit power. Jun scrambled to safety with Kichu in tow as Genbu and Byakko also dropped into a combat stance.

"Wrong answer."

The ground beneath everyone's feet began to glow with red-black light as it rumbled and shook. The four Cures leapt out of the way as the earth underneath Hinyu's feet swelled upward, glowing and shifting into the form of an immense, amorphous humanoid made of rocks and soil, with ropy black vines criss-crossing its body. Its red-eyes glowed with malice as it opened its gaping maw and roared, sending shockwaves traveling far in every direction as it hungrily devoured sealing energy from the air.

Pretty Cure immediately leapt into action. Cure Suzaku beelined straight for Hinyu, who found himself having to abandon his perch in order to avoid getting several flaming arrows to the face. The red Cure wasted no time in pursuing him with the fury of a hunter.

That left Seiryuu and her teammates to focus on the Nikuina. But even as Seiryuu focused on rapidly dodging and weaving out of the way of its powerful blows, leaving it distracted long enough for Genbu and Byakko to nail it from behind with a double kick, she couldn't help but wonder if…

…Byakko caught the troubled expression on Seiryuu's face as the three Cures briefly regrouped. She gave the blue Cure's hand a quick squeeze before getting in a firm

"I'm sure we'd know if they were in there."

right before the Nikuina spat a hail of dirt and rocks at them, forcing Byakko to deflect what she could with her shield. Genbu sent her Black Ribbon towards the fist it tried to flatten the white Cure with in retaliation, restraining it long enough for her to get out of the way before countering with a stab of her White Fleuret. It easily healed through the resulting damage, just as Hinyu's previous Nikuina had.

"That's right!" the black Cure agreed as she disengaged with the Nikuina, backflipping out of the way when it tried to get in a return blow. "He's blowing smoke so we'll hold back! He has to be!'

Seiryuu frowned, even as she dodged another wave of rocks and soil from the Nikuina. It was true. Something about Hinyu's reaction to Jun's accusation felt off. Those hitodama… didn't exactly fit into this plan. There had been plenty of students exploring the woods when they showed up, students that he could have snatched up as easily as he did with Jun. What would making them vanish…

…and something suddenly clicked into place for the blue Cure, who sprange at the Nikuina with redoubled vigor. She didn't think she'd welcome that possibility, but…

And as Pretty Cure engaged with the massive soil Nikuina, Hinyu and Cure Suzaku zipped every which way around the edges of the battlefield. Hinyu found himself quickly forced onto the ropes - Cure Suzaku might not have been able to hit him easily, but she moved with the speed and grace of a practiced veteran, and there was much more power behind the blows she did get in.

But there was something else there, Hinyu observed as the two continued their duel, their flames tearing away chunks of the landscape around them as each stayed just out of reach of the other. The longer their clash went on, the more furiously the red Cure fought. Or rather, the more desperately she fought.

He smirked triumphantly, even as he narrowly blocked a straight, flame-charged punch from Suzaku before getting in an equally powerful return blow. She didn't even seem to feel it - one moment, he had sent her flying backward into the patch of forest behind her, the next moment, she had come flying towards him with the fury of an eagle determined to take out its prey, forcing him on the defensive.

Such an amusing diversion! Now, what would happen if he drew it out just a bit longer?

As Cure Suzaku and Hinyu traded blows, Pretty Cure briefly regrouped once more before nodding at each other. As Cure Byakko drew its attention, holding off the attacks she could not dodge out of the way of with her shields, Cure Genbu charged up a dark violet ball of water and flung it at the Nikuina.

The moment Genbu's attack made contact with the Nikuina's chest, Seiryuu hit it with an ice-cold gale of wind, freezing it solid. As the Nikuina reeled backward, Byakko sent her shield at the frozen portion of the Nikuina's body with all the force she could muster.

It worked. A large chunk of the Nikuina's body shattered like glass. It roared in pain and collapsed into a heap. Although it was already healing through the damage, it had clearly depleted a good chunk of its energy reserves, leaving it wide open to a beatdown from Seiryuu, Byakko, and Genbu-

And then the Nikuina's gaze honed in on something past Pretty Cure. It suddenly came back to life, flinging its assailants aside as it threw the weight of its body towards Jun-

-who was forced out of her hiding place and narrowly managed to scramble out of the way. But before Pretty Cure could intervene, the blue-haired girl's foot caught in a nearby tree root. She hit the ground heavily, still holding Kichu to her chest, as the Nikuina came at her-

"NO!"

-and stopped dead in its tracks as the Ouryuu crystal shard in Jun's choker began to blaze with golden light. Several golden vines grew up from the earth, surrounding the blue-haired girl like a small army as yellow daisy petals swirled through the air. The vines then flung themselves towards the Nikuina, forcing it back towards its waiting opponents, who were ready to beat it down.

Hinyu was taken aback by the sight. It was only for a split second, but a split second was all Cure Suzaku needed to nail him head-on with a high kick.

Hinyu was knocked high into the air, and Cure Suzaku followed. Before the red-haired man could properly recover, he found himself on the losing end of a hail of mid-air rapid-fire fisticuffs. The shock was enough to wipe the smug grin off his face as he was forced to try and deflect the ensuing barrage of fire-charged blows, to little avail. Cure Suzaku was absolutely relentless, and it seemed nothing would stop her-

-and then her eyes widened in pain as she suddenly froze up.

Both parties abruptly disengaged, touching down heavily on the ground below. Cure Suzaku tried to start towards Hinyu… and let out a scream of agony. She doubled over, clutching at her chest and gasping in pain as she crumpled to her knees. As Hinyu watched with smug fascination, her transformation dissolved in a flash of red light and a swirl of red lily petals, revealing a heavily exhausted Yurika-

-who would have been fried on the spot, had Seiryuu's Azure Wings not come flying towards Hinyu at that moment. They failed to hit him but threw off his aim just enough to cause his flames to take out another swathe of trees instead.

Yurika felt herself being pulled away to the (relative) safety of the sidelines. She couldn't move at all, and every part of her body screamed with agony… agony that seemed to subside just a bit as hands glowing gently with golden light were laid on her chest.

"I'm sorry… I can't do more than this, but…"

Clio was looking down at her, worry written all over her face. No, not Clio, Yurika realized as her unfocused vision registered who was before her. Muse. Her little girl. There was just… so much of Clio in those eyes. Eyes that radiated kindness and concern, despite how coldly she had treated her back then.

Yurika could feel herself growing more and more lightheaded despite her attempts to fight it. It seemed she really had done all she could. Those three… she would have to put her faith in them to pull through. She would have to put that burden on those children after all. What choice did she have now?

"Muse… it's enough. Thanks" she muttered before unconsciousness overtook her.

And as this happened, Hinyu stared down Cure Seiryuu. The blue Cure was ready to trade blows with him once more, even as her compatriots did their best to hold off the Nikuina. Despite the power he'd tried to infuse into it despite that… setback he had run into, it was wearing down. He wasn't looking particularly lively himself after that exchange of blows with Cure Suzaku. But…

"I have no interest in playing with you."

Hinyu snapped his fingers before vanishing in a burst of flames and reappearing on the other side of the battlefield, right as the Nikuina seemed to melt back into the soil it was made of. Before Pretty Cure could process what was about to happen, it rose up in the form of an earthen tidal wave and flung itself at the three, who were knocked into the air and roughly battered with a hail of rocks, chunks of earth, and flora.

And finally, the Nikuina collapsed back into the ground as the badly battered and weakened Pretty Cure was sent crashing back down, leaving a shallow crater in their wake. Seiryuu weakly pulled herself up to find Hinyu regarding them with smug amusement. The air around him was beginning to shimmer with heat, as a white-hot flame danced and flickered in his palm.

"I'm a bit disappointed. I wanted to have more fun with your senior before I dealt with you." The flame in his palm grew a bit larger as his gaze shifted towards Jun, who was shaking like a leaf and struggling to keep Kichu close to her as she stood vigil over Yurika. "You don't want them to die, do you?" he called towards her. "I'll give you one last chance to prevent this! Hand that thing over, and this will all go aw-"

"Would you leave her alone?!"

Hinyu blinked in surprise as Seiryuu staggered to her feet. Doing so was clearly an effort for her, and she knew that if Hinyu struck now, the chances of her or her teammates getting out of the way were not good. Still, she couldn't take this lying down. There was no way.

"Why would anyone trust you ?!" Seiryuu snapped. "You treat everyone around you like dirt - even the people who work for you! The twins love you a lot, don't they? I know Kae worships the ground you walk on - and that didn't stop you from sending her to die, did it?"

Hinyu looked genuinely baffled. "And why do you care? Those two would've happily killed you where you stood if I told them to." The air around him began to shimmer more as the flame in his hand continued to grow. "Those girls know their place and the value of sacrifices. A pity you three never learned either."

Hinyu flung his open palm towards the three Cures. A massive spiral of white hot flame leapt forth from it, ready to incinerate everything in its path.

Jun's eyes widened with horror. " Everyone!"

And for a moment, time seemed to freeze for Cure Seiryuu.

This was it. Cure Suzaku couldn't bail them out, nor could Jun, or Kichu, or Marina. If they didn't act, her story would end here. Figuring out who she was, figuring out her goal, figuring out… what, or perhaps who her heart wanted… it would all burn up in those flames.

She would not let that happen.

Suddenly, Cure Seiryuu was surrounded by a blazing blue aura. She instinctively flung her palms out, and a blue cyclone of concentrated spirit power shot forth from them, pushing Hinyu's fire back. He responded by simply putting more power into his flames, which steadily ate away at Seiryuu's attack.

"Even if it's scary… even if it's confusing… I want to see what tomorrow holds!" Seiryuu's arms screamed with exertion as she struggled to keep her heels dug into the ground. Still, she continued to channel everything she had into her attack. "You aren't taking that away from any of us!"

Hinyu's fire grew more intense still. The air was beginning to waver, it was becoming difficult to breathe, and try as she might, Seiryuu felt herself being pushed backward-

-and then Genbu caught one of her arms, before Byakko caught the other. Both of Seiryuu's teammates nodded to her before they both began to focus their own spirit power and blaze with auras of their own. Both Cures flung their palms out, adding a flowing beam of dark violet and a sparkling beam of white to Seiryuu's blue.

"We're not gonna roll over and die for some haughty asshole - no matter how important you think you are!" Genbu snapped. "We're seeing this through to the end!"

Byakko nodded. "We'll protect this world and our future, no matter what!"

The resulting tricolor beam of energy grew steadily larger and brighter. Large swathes of the ground beneath it were torn up and flung into the air, which crackled with energy. Petals of blue delphiniums, violet hyacinths, and white moonflowers danced about the area as Pretty Cure's combined attack pushed forward, continuing to eat away at Hinyu's flames.

Hinyu's demeanor grew steadily more agitated, and his features grew steadily more bestial as he realized that he no longer had the edge above Pretty Cure. No, he was being steadily pushed backward by the force of their combined assault, no matter how much power he put into his flames. At this rate-

"Enough of this!" he snarled. "Nikuina!"

The ground in front of Hinyu began to rumble as the Nikuina rose up to shield its master. Pretty Cure's combined attack vaporized it on the spot. All that remained of the Nikuina was a pile of soil, a withered Wrath Seed pod, and several motes of energy, none of which could do nothing to stop the enormous tricolor beam of energy from continuing to tear towards Hinyu.

For a moment, Hinyu actually looked genuinely alarmed. And then the red-haired man's face twisted into an expression of disgust before he vanished in a burst of flame, leaving Pretty Cure's combined attack to blast a wide, mile-long path through the patch of forest he had been standing in front of moments ago.

Seiryuu stared wide-eyed at the small valley that the three of them had created with their combined powers. She glanced over at Genbu and Byakko, who seemed no less stunned by what the three of them had accomplished before she felt her eyes begin to well with tears of relief. Despite everything, they had ultimately won. They would be able to see tomorrow after all.

"Thank… goodness…"

White spots began to flood Hiroko's vision as she felt her transformation dissolve and the strength leaving her body. She was vaguely aware of her teammates crumpling to the ground moments after she did, footsteps carrying towards the three of them, voices (Jun and Kichu, along with Marina and Shun) calling out to her but it all felt… so… far… away.

And then everything went white.

Hiroko gradually resurfaced from unconsciousness. She could feel a pillow beneath her head and someone gently brushing her hair out of her face as they spoke softly to her. Her brain was too thick with fog to parse what was being said, but she could feel their concern for her, words or none.

And then suddenly, she was back in the world of the living. She sat up, fighting a wave of dizziness, as she looked around. She was in the tent she was sharing with Yasu and the others. A lantern sat in the middle of the tent, gently illuminating her surroundings. It must have been pretty late. Had Marina or Shun brought her here? And where was everyone-

Hiroko's eyes widened as she remembered what had happened moments before Hinyu had shown up.

Everyone!

She burst out of the tent, only for her legs to buckle out from underneath her. Before she could hit the ground, someone reached out to steady her - Yasu.

"I'm sorry for leaving you alone. Marina-san told me to let you rest." A pause, then "Are you hungry?"

Hiroko nodded absently as Yasu guided her towards the campground's fire pit, which had a good-sized crowd of Mirai students gathered around it roasting s'mores… including people Hiroko had seen disappearing into thin air earlier. As her eyes traveled around the campgrounds, from the fire pit, to the people seated at the picnic tables, to the several tents that seemed to be occupied, it became clear that everyone really was back.

"I'll never forget it as long as I live!" Kou gushed between bites of s'mores. "Okay, so Emichi and I were investigating the area, and then the ground started to shake and flash red! And then… and then they showed up! The hitodama! And it said… well, it didn't say anything, but-"

"We felt it." Emi said. "It didn't say 'you're in danger - let us help' but I knew it meant it."

Hiroko took a tentative bite of her own s'more. Her eyes traveled from Yasu, who was tiredly leaning against her, to Izumi, who was cuddled up close to Shun as she handily polished off another s'more, to Jun, who was sneaking bits and pieces of her current s'more to Kichu when nobody was looking.

It could have been worse. That was the unspoken sentiment that traveled between the five of them. It could have been a lot worse.

"And then… and then!" Kou continued. "I don't remember! Next thing I knew, we were all kind of dumped here at once? Naturally, I took it in stride, but-"

Misty looked decidedly unimpressed. "That's a funny way to say 'started hugging Shishi and crying', Ishii-san."

As Kou began to protest his case, Hiroko realized that Shinobu was nowhere to be found. "Where's-"

"They're with Yurika-san in the teacher's cabin." Shun's expression grew somber at the mention of the latter. Hiroko did not need to ask why. Not after what had happened back there. "I get it. I've been there with Kimi. It's… not something I'd wish on anyone else."

Izumi responded by cuddling closer to Shun, who wrapped an arm around the other girl's shoulders. Hiroko felt Yasu moving a bit closer to her as well. She was just tired, of course. Yasu was more delicate than she was, and pushing herself to stay awake like this after she had endured all that…

"I can take you back to the tent when you're ready." Hiroko said quietly.

Yasu nodded sleepily. "I'd like that."

Yasu needed a friend. Yasu needed someone to support and look out for her, just as she had promised her back then. Those other feelings… Hiroko would have to sort those out on her own. She still didn't know what to make of them, even if she knew what they were now. For now, this was okay. This was definitely okay.

"It's okay." Kou assured Shun. "Shinobu-chan's pretty tough, and their sister's the same way, from what I've heard." A pause, then "Now c'mon, guys! We're under the stars in a real haunted forest! You know what we need to do, right? Tell some-"

"Ghost stories!" As Misty interjected over Kou's futile protests, she took out a flashlight (had she been carrying it around this whole time?) and shined it under her face. "Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society, I call this one… the Tale of the Vanishing Hitchhiker."

And as Misty started off on her story, the reality of… that finally sank in for Hiroko.

The forest really was haunted. And they would be spending the night in it. Surrounded by ghosts that had the power to just up and make people vanish for a bit. Oh sure, they seemed to be benevolent ghosts, and sure, objectively, this was a step down from everything she had just endured, but-

-as Misty finished her story, and Kou clamored to be the next storyteller, Yasu tapped Hiroko on the shoulder.

"Do you want to go to bed early?"

Hiroko nodded stiffly. "I think that's a good idea."

It didn't take long for either to pass out as soon as they hit their pillows at least, terrifying haunted forest or none.

And so, the stars shone down on the students of Mirai Academy, most of which did not know how close they had come to disaster, or how lucky they were to have the promise of tomorrow morning, as Hiroko and Yasu slept peacefully in their neighboring sleeping bags, their fingers gently intertwined.