Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume14 Chapter6 (section)

===Part 4===

"So this sort of thing... is your hidden trump card?"

In Haruaki's view, Nirushaaki simply shook her head lightly. Despite having the weapons in both hands suppressed and her four limbs tied down, she could not be prevented from making this sort of minor movement.

In this manner, she rotated the masks on her head. More precisely, she rotated the ring that connected the three masks, switching over to a mask that had remained on the side of her head until now&mdash;

Rather than the mask emulating an angry visage, this one simulated a sad expression.

"«Rew of the Present»... This mask..."

Haruaki found it strange to hear Nirushaaki's voice coming from much further ahead than expected.

Not the place where he was about to stab with the poisoned sword.

Nor the place where Fear and the whole group had immobilized her&mdash;Instead, her voice came from several meters further ahead.

"Its curse grants the ability to instantaneously teleport to ''a location one has visited in the past''."

Her shirt, mask and both swords were still equipped on her body.

Yet Nirushaaki was standing ''over there''.

Only the hair and belt that had been restraining her just now remained in their original location.

(No way...?)

Haruaki was shocked. Instantly, countless thoughts swirled around in his mind. How did this happen? This was not mentioned at all. This curse was way too powerful. To think it could grant instantaneous teleportation. Freed from restraints. They were had. Completely taken by surprise. What to do? What to do? What do do what to do what to&mdash;

During this time, Haruaki's body continued to rush forward, driven by the momentum of his sprinting, unable to stop for now. His body charged. His feet, kicking against the ground. Having lost its target, his body was hesitating, slightly falling forwards. He had two choices. One was to halt his steps and endure the reaction force, the second was&mdash;

(...Konoha.)

She was right before his eyes. He was approaching her for real.

Indeed. A little more. Almost there.

All I need to do is touch Nirushaaki's body with this sword&mdash;Then Konoha can be rescued!

(Konoha!)

This thought compelled Haruaki's legs to advance, stopping was not an option. Mustering so much vigor that almost made him fall over, he forced his steps to advance.

"Uohhhhh!"

"Haruaki? Wait, don't do it!" "Yachi!" "Haru, hurry and stop!"

He passed between Fear and Lilyhowell. As though restraining an invisible person, entangling space, the «Tragic Black River» and Kuroe's hair frantically moved at this moment, but Haruaki also managed to squeeze through the gap.

Just a little more. Just a little bit more!

Nirushaaki's figure became closer and closer. However, she remained completely still. Yes, I can touch&mdash;Just as this thought crossed Haruaki's mind...

"Since you are charging forth with a sword in hand, no matter how weak, you will be regarded as a warrior intending to fight."

"'Tis agreed."

Of course, she was staying completely still simply because standing there did not require any action yet.

Simply because the timing of action in her thoughts was far too different from the timing in his thoughts as an amateur.

"Wait... Stop right now, Cow Tits&mdash;!"

Fear's scream. A flash of light.

Both reached him at the same time.



A kind of feeling flowed through his body. Like getting eaten away or cut open. The feeling throbbed and jumped as though it were a living creature, causing stimulation as though all his muscles were exposed to light, suddenly making his brain go tense&mdash;Only after a moment's delay did Haruaki remember the name of this feeling.

Pain.

"U...Ah!"

It felt as though the frozen time was thrown into a violent vortex, then starting to spin rapidly. Muscles were convulsing, blood was flowing out. An unpleasant sensation under his sleeve. Before his eyes was the masked woman, musing "hmm" quietly. The Japanese sword in her hand, the Japanese sword which was supposed to have pierced his heart, was currently on the exterior side of his shoulder, pushed from its trajectory by the black sword in his hand. This was the cause of the laceration in his shoulder.

"Oh my. Such an amateur of a brat should not have been able to deflect my blade...?"

Indeed. Haruaki also expected her blade to stab into his heart, but for some reason, he raised his sword subconsciously and barely managed to alter the trajectory of Konoha's advance. Naturally, this was absolutely not because the opponent had shown mercy. This simply stemmed from the fact that he had controlled Konoha many times previously, entrusting his body to her to engage in battle, thus allowing him to guess the blade's trajectory through intuition. In actual fact, it could be called a miracle that he was able to deflect her with a sword. Even if he were asked to repeat the feat, it was uncertain whether he could do so or not.

"No matter. Ultimately just pointless struggling at death's door&mdash;Oh!"

"Nirushaaki-sama!"

"TAKE THIS!"

Wielding the hatchet in her right and the drill in her left, Fear charged straight. Nirushaaki swiftly withdrew Konoha and blocked the attacks together with Kotetsu. The «Tragic Black River» and Kuroe's hair proceeded to extend over, but&mdash;

"I am still able to return to the past. «Rew of the Present»&mdash;«This spirit knows the ''present'' sitting over the past»."

Nirushaaki teleported instantaneously again, retreating. Then making use of the resulting distance, she effortlessly sliced through the hair and the belt.

While feeling his shoulder hurt more and more, Haruaki quietly turned his head.

Lilyhowell was standing in the same spot without moving. Then&mdash;

"...How unexpected..."

She whispered in a daze. How right she is, Haruaki thought. No one expected the mask to have that kind of ability. No one expected her to struggle free of the restraints so easily.

However, we still can't give up, right? We must think of another way, right?

Nevertheless, as if his thoughts could not be transmitted over...

For some reason, Lilyhowell remained unmoving&mdash;



What was unexpected to her was not Nirushaaki using the mask's powers to struggle free of the restraints.

Of course, it was the fact that Haruaki did not die.

Lilyhowell secretly bit her lip.

(What to do...?)

She had known the mask's ability from the very start but had simply withheld the information. Hence, she knew. Under normal combat conditions, touching Nirushaaki with a blade was absolutely impossible. In that case&mdash;

There was only one conclusion.

In order to wait until Nirushaaki lowered her guard...

In order to seize the chance for a surprise attack that could only happen once...

She could only continue to wait for the very instant when Yachi Haruaki was killed by Nirushaaki.