Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume1 Chapter4 (section)

===Part 9===

"You... Suddenly... What are you doing...?"

At the very last moment, Fear grabbed Konoha's hand and pushed back with all her might. The fingertips which had stabbed millimeters into her finally left her body.

"Didn't you hear me? I said, please go and die."

The eyes beneath the glasses flashed mercilessly with sharp metallic luster.

Seeing her left hand moving, Fear leaped to Konoha's side and kicked at her. Konoha reflexively jumped backwards, her merciless left hand giving off the sound of slicing wind. This was no joking matter.

"...Tell me the reason!"

"Reason? Reason eh... Hohoho, then I will not hold back my inner thoughts!"

Only at this time did Konoha's lips smile faintly for the first time. A twisted smile of mockery. As Konoha pushed up her glasses with one hand, Fear felt a chill down her spine and goosebumps all over. Next to Konoha's fingertips, the glasses flashed. Beneath those lenses, her eyes were so intense that they seemed to be creaking as they distorted from the pressure—Like cat's eyes giving off eerie light—

"For me to destroy a rotten old box of mechanisms... What further reason would I need other than the fact that the sight offends my eyes?"

"...!  You—"

Fear moaned in terror. Then slowly Konoha's demonic aura—changed back to normal killing intent.

"Hmm, yes... Basically that."

"You wolf in sheep's skin!"

"Don't use such an unpleasant description. It's simply the fact that past selves do not disappear. Very well, are you done with talking? After all, you're going to die here."

"I don't really get what's going on... Huh, but in the end, you still turn out to be my enemy."

"You can decide that for yourself."

"Hoho... Hohoho. I never liked you from the second I laid eyes on you. Are you an enemy? An enemy, right? You are an enemy!"

"... Have you made your decision? Then what are you going to do next?"

Asking me what I'm going to do next? Isn't it obvious? Enemies must be defeated. Fear took out the Rubik's Cube.

A sense of liberation. From the depths of her mind, she felt a refreshing sense of liberation. Given an "enemy," she must fight "in self-defense" and she had to attack "with initiative." By doing that, surely she would get to hear wonderful "screams," hence "kill" "kill" "kill" "scream" "kill" "kill" "scream" "kill "scream" "kill."

"Emulation start."

Since there was no choice, then let's do it! This was fine, right? Her heart felt pain as if a sharp wedge had been driven in there, what was that? Ahhh... No good, her body had already sprang into action before her thoughts.

"Mechanism No.19 gouging type, spiral form: «Human-Perforator»—Curse Calling!"

The cube transformed into a drill and returned to Fear's hands with a wave of the chain. Holding it at waist level in a stance, she advanced forward.  Alarmed, Konoha took a leap, the hem of her skirt fluttering elegantly. But how could she be allowed to escape!

"So fast...!"

Fear could hear Konoha murmuring with a frown, her poker face cracking. That's right, so very fast.

Pursuing Konoha, Fear made a thrust with the drill once more. However, Konoha acted as if she had no intention of fighting all along and turned to evade once more. For the demon sword Muramasa to be fleeing continuously, it made her earlier aggressiveness seem like a facade. How unsightly.

Fear predicted Konoha's future position and launched the drill from her hand.

Her enemy stopped at the sight of the deadly weapon flying before her. In that very instant, Fear took another step forward and retrieved her weapon at the same time by tugging the chain of cubes. Then she prepared to use the drill to pierce that—
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"Guh!"

"Oh? —Isn't that quite a pleasant posture you have there, haha!"

Her hands imbued with the sharpness of blades, Konoha captured the front tip of the drill between her palms.

"This is the traditional street performance of disarming weapons with bare hands...! Still, this is the first time I'm disarming a drill...!"

"A street performance? Cool!"

"...Very well, let me ask you. What are you thinking right now?"

The tip of the revolving drill pressed its way towards her heart. Konoha could not be unaware of that, yet still she stared directly into Fear's eyes as she spoke.

"What am I thinking? Needless to say, of course it is the type of scream you will be making. There is no need to offer mercy to enemies. Drilling through those massive udders of yours will prove to be such an exhilarating experience! Haha, how I look forward to it!"

"...Eh, so the result is this? Although I knew it from the start... Just an interrogation tool that only knows how to slaughter, abuse and devour others. That is what you are."

Konoha sighed with her shoulders slumped. What on earth was going on? Idiot—in the instant Fear decided to push her weapon further—Konoha's murderous intent vanished completely.

As Fear frowned, Konoha suddenly shifted her gaze. She was looking behind Fear.

"Ah, it's Haruaki-kun. He is completely shocked!"

Fear felt the wedge and pain in her heart expand instantly.

He saw it again! He saw it again? It's here again? It's here again! The me from that time has been seen again!

"No—No!"

The instant Fear looked back, Konoha lightly turned her wrists, sending into the ground the spinning drill she had been clamping in her hands. Its tip immobilized, the drill spun in one spot, causing Fear to roll around on the ground.

Frantically, Fear got up on her feet but Konoha simply blew into her palms.

"Ah~ So painful~ Spinning drills are truly deadly things."

"Haru... Haruaki, where is he?"

"Oh, that? I tricked you."

"Wha—"

"In other words, everything was meant to trick you. No matter what, you can't kill someone simply because the sight offends the eyes. That said, in order to make the performance more convincing, I did try recreating my former appearance."

As she smiled mischievously, Fear asked in shock:

"You—Cow tits! What were you intending to do just now?"

"So, let me ask you instead. What were you intending to do just now?"

Konoha continued to smile, but her tone of voice remained forceful.

"What have I done today—Like I said, I've watched you the entire day. I was observing you all this time, observing to see ultimately what your true self is. But I still have no answer. During the day, you really behaved completely like a pure and innocent child."

"Who... Who are you calling a child! I'll curse you!"

"Let me finish. Then there is what happened earlier. The assault of an intruder—You attacked your opponent using full strength without any mercy or hesitation. Even though you denied it, but based on my observation... You were really trying to kill the other person."

"Wha...! Nothing... like that..."

"Even if that was not your intention, that was what your subconscious made happen. This is also an issue. Then I have no idea. What is your true nature? Reflexively displaying murderous intentions when facing enemies, is that the real you? Or is it the one smiling leisurely during the day? Because I can't figure it out, I decided to confirm with my own eyes through forceful measures. Which is what surfaced just now. That was the real you."

"Ah—"

Understanding what Konoha was trying to say, Fear bowed her head in surprise.

"It was just like the fight on the roof. Because you recognize Haruaki-kun, you can still maintain a certain level of rationality, so you have improved a lot compared to last time... Nevertheless, you're still the same. You haven't escaped your past self, the screams, the battles, the power. Who knows if you might make the same mistake again, on some occasion... And attack Haruaki-kun again."

"Something... like that! I will not... Definitely... Never again..."

"I agree, that is what you think in your heart. This is the truth. However, I would also like to confirm whether you can adhere to that resolve. Resolve does not necessarily equate to reality. I basically heard the gist of what you two were conversing about in the bathroom. You have decided to stay here, that's very good. No one will interfere with that. However, you have to know—resolve does not equate to reality!"

Her words were delivered with great emphasis in one breath.

"As said previously, more enemies will probably arrive in the future. Even if they don't come today, who knows when they might arrive. When the time comes, will you be able to maintain control and protect your resolve? Based on my judgment—"

Facing Fear who was sitting sprawled on the ground, Konoha whispered. Giving up on her, Konoha quietly stated:

"You are unable to protect it. You are too dangerous."

"...!"

"If an enemy appears in the future, I would advise you not to fight. No, truly, you cannot be allowed to fight. Embraced by the illusion known as your past self, you are irrevocably cursed to be unable find a new life."

"You are telling me... Not to fight... Yes?"

Fear spoke quietly as she stared at the leaves on the ground. Lifelessly, like an abandoned child.

"Neither allowed to fight, nor to flee... Then what should I do?"

"Who knows, just do whatever. At least I will be protecting Haruaki-kun, so don't you worry."

Konoha declared mercilessly and walked away, leaving Fear in shock.

Unable to look up, the cube girl kept her head bowed, trembling continuously.



As she walked through the uninhabited forest, Konoha looked up at the moon with a tired expression.

"Was I acting too harsh...  Sigh~~"

Clearly there was no one watching but she still tapped her head lightly in a stale manner.

"I know. In the end, since Haruaki-kun is too nice—the one who ends up protecting that child will be me. However... I can't state things too plainly. She is my rival after all."

Just as she murmured to herself, she suddenly halted her steps as she sensed a certain presence. The nervousness only lasted an instant. Sighing, she pretended not to have noticed the presence.

"...What a night owl you are."