Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume14 Chapter6 (section)

===Part 20===

Kirika cooperated with Kuroe, desperately tending to Haruaki and applying treatment. As a result of their efforts, his consciousness seemed to improve somewhat in clarity. On the other hand, Kirika also believed that he would probably suffer less if he simply passed out instead.

In any case, she was greatly relieved. For a moment, she was worried if he might really suffer a mishap. Careful to avoid others noticing, Kirika secretly wiped away the liquid flowing from the corners of her eyes.

Kirika currently had him lying on her thighs, but was too preoccupied to spare any thoughts on taking advantage of the situation. The «Tragic Black River» was difficult to tear, so she could only rip her skirt and use the strips of fabric for stopping blood. As a result, almost all of her thighs were exposed. Although it was embarrassing, there was nothing she could do.

At this time, Haruaki's head began to move. He wanted to sit up.

"Oh~ Could you... take me over there...?"

"You must stay totally still... Although I'd like to say that, you're not going to listen, right? Absolutely ridiculous..."

Time was running out. Because she understood that, Kirika also decided to move.

Positioning her neck under Haruaki's arm, she supported him to stand up. Frozen in her pose of tying hair around Haruaki's last wound, Kuroe remained motionless as though her batteries were depleted. Only now did she regain her senses and straighten her back.

"Oh my. Uh~ You want to move?"

"Yeah... H-Hey Kuroe-kun, you've gained a few strands of white hair, you know?"

It was not Kirika's imagination. Among Kuroe's always flourishing and beautiful hair, one bundle of hair had turned snow white.

"Hoeh? Oh~ Although the technique is very simple, it's because I used life force directly. After all, I used as much life force as I could to an unprecedented degree. Yeah, I guess it's unavoidable."

"Kuroe... Thank you."

"Haru, you don't need to thank me. I'm only doing what I can. For recharging my energy, I really must work seriously starting tomorrow~"

Kuroe tried her best to speak in a cheerful voice, meanwhile standing up unsteadily.

Keeping the unconscious Kotetsu restrained in the torture instruments, Fear and Konoha also gathered towards the same location.

With two large holes opened in her abdomen and an entire right arm amputated, lying on the floor was&mdash;Lilyhowell.

"A poisoned sword huh... If there were something that convenient&mdash;no matter how strong the curse, even if it would rot my body with a single swing, how could I possibly not use it..."

Staring up at the sky, Lilyhowell murmured quietly with a contented expression.

"What exactly was that sword...?"

"That sword's real name is «Olius II», which forms a pair with the white sword «Alius» that you used for training. «Olius II»'s curse compels it ''to kill the wielder of Alius without fail''. Under conditions when both swords are unsheathed as now, the phenomenon of «Olius II» flying towards the wielder of «Alius» would happen..."

"That's why... That sword instantly flew over when you drew out the white sword."

Saying that, Fear glanced at Nirushaaki's unmoving body. Nirushaaki was pierced by the sword ''from behind.'' But it was no ordinary blow, a product of «Wounded Knee Massacre»'s curse. Hence, she could no longer move. Compared to Lilyhowell who was pierced by two swords&mdash;she had lost a certain thing even earlier.<!--her life, basically-->

"Indeed... Just like what happened in the ''Saga of Asmund the Champion-Killer'' I mentioned. Luckily, none of you investigated it. Fufu..."

Lilyhowell continued to speak in broken fragments. Two magic swords had appeared in that saga. Alius and Olius were two metalsmiths who were ordered to present a sword each to the king. Resenting the king, Olius had presented an inferior sword and was ordered to forge another. He forged a second sword but placed a curse upon it. A curse that would kill the king's kin wielding the sword of Alius&mdash;

"You deceived us... from the very start."

"My goal was to make use of the curse hidden in this sword. Yachi Haruaki, it was only due to your desperate efforts that the lie of the poisoned sword gained credibility. Once that was achieved, Nirushaaki would lower her guard upon your death, even if only for an instant, also forgetting the existence of the sword used in the failed operation. When that moment arrives, I would have the chance to draw this «Alius» to summon «Olius II» towards her back..."

"Just for that, you used Yachi as bait, intending to sacrifice him as a pawn? Absolutely ridiculous."

Hearing that, Kirika could not help but comment. What an absolutely ridiculous strategy.

"Ho, but once the lie had gained credibility, using my own arm apparently... also barely succeeded as a substitute..."

Her voice grew quieter and quieter. Seeing Kuroe pluck a few strands of hair, Lilyhowell moved her trembling left hand sideways as though saying "not necessary."

As though joking, she smiled and said:

"Have you forgotten? I am... a knight of the Knights Dominion. What I hate most... are Wathes."

"In that case, why did you save me? You didn't need... to pick up this sword, right? You could have followed the initial plan and waited for my death&mdash;"

"Hmm... Yes. If I did nothing, you might have picked up the sword and stood up again. Then perhaps you would have lost your life. Just as I... predicted initially..."

"Then why didn't you do that?"

"Why? Because&mdash;"



She had realized what Laurica's wish was.

Definitely, it was to become her knight. Strong, righteous, pure white, then existing together forever&mdash;as knights.

This would be only natural.

Hence, to compensate for her cowardice and defeat at Nirushaaki's hands... Wanting to avenge the slain Laurica... Then turning back to her former self as knight. If she were to achieve these objectives, Laurica would probably smile at her. She believed this was part of Laurica's wish.

However, to achieve her objectives, she could only think of one method.

Namely, this kind of foolish method, abandoning everything apart from the objectives.

In other words, indeed, she&mdash;

Because she was a knight, she could only make herself no longer a knight.

This contradiction was the first mistake.

Not just killing Nirushaaki but also including this matter, the fact that she was always a knight, that must have been Lauria's wish. That was the objective that she ought to be dedicating her full efforts towards achieving.

"Since I realized at the very end what I could do while I was still a knight&mdash;Of course... I had no choice but to do it."

"...?"

They were not going to understand. However, she believed that was fine.

This was her own simple regret. Plunging headlong into the thrills of vengeance, losing sight of Laurica's wish.

"Laurica probably idolized me because I am a 'righteous knight.' When she was still young, I rescued her from unjust suffering. That was me. Nevertheless, at the very end... if I were to watch a child die without intervening&mdash;Now that would truly be unworthy of being called a knight..."

"I'm... no longer a child already..."

"Ho, children are the only ones who can say those words."

Till the very end, was she the knight that Laurica believed in?

By becoming a righteous knight, was she able to compensate her failure to protect Laurica?

Probably, surely&mdash;

"Yachi... Haruaki, you said... an excessively strong wish counts as a curse?"

"Eh? Did I...? I don't quite remember... I think so."

Amidst consciousness that was gradually growing hazy, within a field of view that was gradually closing up&mdash;

Lilyhowell Kilmister chuckled wryly at the sight of him scratching his head in puzzlement.

At the same time, she thought:

Although her standpoint was different from theirs...

At least there was no need to care that much at the end.

Since she had walked here, wanting to become a righteous knight...

Then like a righteous knight...

It was probably fine to throw them words that resembled a blessing for the future&mdash;


"In that case&mdash;My curse is hereby lifted now. Yes, lifting a curse... Truly what a comfortable and pleasant feeling..."