Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume12 Epilogue (section)

===Part 5===

Oh my&mdash;What a great surprise. This kind of thing does happen, doesn't it? Back in middle school, Haruaki-kun was so cute the first time he received a love letter and was troubled by it&mdash;I think he rejected the girl, citing busy housework, didn't he? Well done, that's the way to go, yeah&mdash;! Putting that aside, purse, purse. Speaking of which, I came back to get my purse. Did I just ask Fear-san to buy twenty packs of rice crackers? Just eat as much as you want, whatever. Where's my purse? In this tree hole? There's no squirrel here&mdash;?

"Huff... H-Huff... Huff...?"

I don't know why I'm panting out of breath and covered in sweat. Did I run all the way here? Where am I right now&mdash;Oh, it's the forest behind the Yachi home. I'm currently leaning my forehead tightly against one of the tree trunks. Why am I here? It feels like, in my mind, I don't understand, there are vague memories of running madly at full speed. My consciousness is extremely hazy. What happened? It seems like something happened that I'm unable to accept immediately while retaining my senses of composure, or is it something that needs a bit of time in order to react calmly? Yes. That's right. Something happened, indeed. But let me wait first. My heart is currently pounding intensely, madly, so let me calm down first. Calm down. Let's forget it for now. Take a deep breath, inhale&mdash;exhale&mdash;

At this moment, the rustling sound of footsteps on leaves was heard.

Konoha looked back.

"Oh my, hello."

It was Sagisaki-sensei who had arrived, so Konoha greeted her.

&mdash;Of course, the normal Konoha would have found it most unnatural for her to appear here, in the forest behind the Yachi home. But right now, she was definitely not normal and absolutely different from usual.

Hence, Konoha allowed her to approach her. Konoha allowed the petite, newly-appointed teacher, dressed in a suit with black garter stockings, yet currently displaying none of her usual cowardice, timidness or frailty, only exuding the aura of a transcendental warrior&mdash;Sagisaki-sensei&mdash;to make her way step by step towards her.

"I originally intended to wait until bedtime to make my move. But since fortune has presented an even better opening, there is no reason to let it slip by."

It was unlike her usual wishy-washy dialogue that was always weak-willed but trying to act as befitted a teacher. Rather, it was the complete opposite. Whispering softly, she delivered words exuding certainty and a sense of the past.

Next, she took out a strange mask from her jacket's inside pocket and put it on her face.

This was a glamorous mask that covered only the top half of the face, looking as though one would wear it to perform in an opera. Red beads of glass were installed on the eye portions. Short cords extended from the temples of the mask, connected to ''two'' slim devices swaying to and fro.

By now, Konoha finally noticed in alarm that things were not quite right. But it was too late.

Her rate of realization was slow enough to be fatal.

A new presence appeared from behind as astounding brute force was used to hold her arms behind her back, immobilizing her.

"You are... Kotetsu!"

"Preparations are complete, Nirushaaki-sama."

"Precisely. Preparations are complete, now that there are two Indulgence Disks for lightening the curse combined with my training as the user. Has none of your side noticed? During the school excursion, I have been training myself to control this Wathe. Hence that is why I was constantly unwell, resting in my hotel room. This was training that killed two birds with one stone&mdash;satisfying Kotetsu's curse that necessitated the drinking of blood while handling the aftermath by using this Wathe to manipulate the memories of the fainted victims. But the foolish humans including your faction apparently regarded these occurrences as nothing more than anemia or heatstroke."

The masked woman reached out and gripped Konoha's head. Konoha struggled violently but Kotetsu sealed her movements with full strength. Impossible to struggle free.

"Nirushaaki...!? You're from last time! You two... what do you intend... to do with me...!?"

"Telling you is fine. This is «Bartolomey Oblivion», a Wathe taken from an auxiliary from the Knights Dominion earlier. The damage caused to the user's mind by the curse is directly proportional to the effects from activation. Hence, they were mistaken. This is not a tool that could erase at most thirty minutes of memories. The limit of thirty minutes is simply because the insignificant user, an ordinary human, cannot withstand the effects for a longer duration! This limit can be surpassed provided that one is not satisfied with being ordinary, by resorting to extraordinary means. Take myself for example, one who lives simply by seeking strength sufficient to become a dragon, simply by believing in strength, loving strength, relying on strength!"

She struggled but could not escape. Too careless. Konoha gnashed her teeth in anguish.

"A dragon's strength is not limited to just the body. Naturally, the strength of the mind also counts! With my relentless training, I have fully obtained the strength that requires unyielding willpower to withstand it! And now, I have installed two Indulgence Disks! Hence, it is now possible! My goal&mdash;Ah, in actual fact, those knights are also mistaken on this Wathe's properties. This is not a Wathe for ''erasing memories'', strictly speaking&mdash;"

The woman's lips twisted upwards in a very ominous manner.

"&mdash;This is a Wathe for ''turning the mind back to the past''!"

Instantly, a horrifying feeling flashed across Konoha's mind. Instinctively, she was about to comprehend a certain matter. No way? How could it be possible? No way!

"W-Wait...!"

"I can wait no longer! I have waited so long for this moment that I have grown impatient! Become mine, Muramasa, the strongest weapon! Not a fake imitation like those torture instruments but the king of weapons created truly for ''battle''! Activate now, «Bartolomey Oblivion»! Return her mind to ''two hundred years ago''!"

While yelling out, the woman applied greater force to her hands clamping on Konoha's head.

Something was pouring inside, something was gradually lost. Her brain felt as though it were being forcibly stirred. All her feelings rumbled as they swirled into a vortex, swallowed into the center of her body. So scorching so cold so cold so dark so painful so fast so comfortable so hard so scary so contemptuous so happy so sad so soft so ticklish so intense, myself, myself, myself myself!

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?"

"Guh, a-aoooooooaaaaaaaa!"

"Nirushaaki-sama?"

"Continue...! Kotetsu! Ga-ahhhhhhh... I shan't... lose... One that ought to become a dragon, I... shan't... lose to this level of... curse! Urghhh, gah, ha! Geh, huff... Don't... underestimate me... Ahhh... Ahhhhh... O curse, O curse, is this all you have!? Bow down... before... me&mdash;!"

Like a chain reaction, screams could be heard. Bellows from enduring pain. The stench of blood. The malodor of gastric juices. Spinning spinning spinning spinning spinning spinning.

Are my eyes open? Or are they closed? Konoha gradually could not tell anything at all.

Absolutely everything, everything, everything.

She even forgot&mdash;who she was.

(Haru... aki... -kun...)

Unconsciousness.