Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume14 Chapter6 (section)

===Part 7===

However, her answer was very brief.

"No idea."

Then she sliced with a cut slightly sharper than previously. As a result, a cut appeared on the boy's thigh, slightly deeper than the previous wound. As though losing all strength in an instant, he finally collapsed on his knees.

Ahead of Kotetsu behind her, the sorrowful screams of Fear-in-Cube and the other girls could be heard. Although these voices reached his ears, the meanings probably failed to be transmitted into his brain&mdash;Nirushaaki thought. Yachi Haruaki's eyes were looking dazed and out of focus. Clutching the black sword of unknown powers, his hand was also shaking. The sword's tip touched the ground and did not rise again.

Nirushaaki extended Muramasa in her hand right in front of him in his kneeling state.

"I believe this is enough. End this, shall we?"

"Master, thou art the one who started this. I have no objections."

"Well then..."

Even if it had happened by chance, he probably could not block this sword again like just now. He no longer had the strength, to the point that even lifting the sword was impossible.

This is the end&mdash;certain in this belief, Nirushaaki was just about to thrust Muramasa into his heart when...

But just an instant before that could happen&mdash;

"Gah... U-Urghhhhhhh!"

He was the first to move. He did not move his trembling arm. He did  not move the hand that was holding the sword. Neither did he move his legs. Neither could he stand up. However, he could at least lean his body forward&mdash;

"What!?"

Even Nirushaaki could not but exclaim in surprise.

''To think he would voluntarily press his shoulder against the tip of Muramasa's blade, causing Muramasa to pierce his flesh''.

"Brat, what art thou doing...!?"

"Urgh... Ah..."

He did not respond to Muramasa's questioning. Bending his waist slightly, he leaned his body even more forward. Stabbed into his shoulder, the blade almost pierced all the way through. What was he doing? Was he mad? No wait&mdash;?

Nirushaaki instantly stepped on his hand that was holding the sword. Although she did not think that his trembling hand was capable of raising the sword, plus the fact he was wielding the sword in his right, the same side as the pierced shoulder, it was better to be safe than sorry.

&mdash;Now there was no problem. No matter what this boy's intentions, all that remained was...

At this moment, Nirushaaki suddenly noticed.

''A certain object was currently slicing open his right arm and emerging from within''.



This was his final hidden trump card.

"«Returning Kukri of Childbirth»...!"

This was the cursed knife that Kururi used to carry, cursed to burrow into the owner's flesh, slowly making its way towards the heart.

Thank you, Kururi&mdash;Haruaki whispered in his heart. I was reminded only thanks to your text message. This thing has been kept in the storeroom all this time, waiting for its curse to slowly dispel. I guess this is what people call 'in for a penny, in for a pound.' After all, since I've prepared myself to be cursed, I might as well try using everything that's available&mdash;

To be honest, using it almost made him frown, of course. This was originally Kururi's possession&mdash;Finally thrown by Bivorio, the knife had damaged Aiko's body. But Haruaki knew. Aiko was still alive. Waiting for the day to revive. Hence, this was not the murder weapon that had killed Aiko. Hence, at the last moment, he permitted himself to use it... Of course, he had also explained the situation to Aiko when taking away the knife from the storeroom, bowing respectfully before leaving. Although there was no response, he believed she was surely listening.

While he willingly endured the feeling of the curse and the pain of a foreign object bursting out of his flesh, these thoughts ran through his mind.

"I won't be cursed, but I can still make use of the curse's power. People who think I can't use them and get careless... surprisingly, they do exist for real...!"

In terms of actual time, it probably took merely a few seconds, but Haruaki spent what felt like an eternity for his body before the «Returning Kukri of Childbirth» appeared from his right arm. Then grabbing the knife with his left hand, he stabbed towards Nirushaaki's arm.

Any part of the body not covered by «Wounded Knee Massacre» could be pierced with the blade. Even if all he managed to do was injure her arm, it would not be totally meaningless. If he could immobilize one of her arms, many options would open up. The situation would also shift greatly to their advantage.

Extremely near. Nirushaaki's mask was the one simulating a smiling face... Probably guarding against Fear and the others behind her, she had been using the future prediction mode all this time. Was he going to make it if she immediately tried to switch to the evasive mode for returning to the past? Hard to say. But by this point already, all he could do was bite the bullet and go ahead. Go. I have to make it in time!

Then he stabbed the knife with its characteristically inward curving blade towards Nirushaaki's arm&mdash;

"Perhaps 'tis unnecessary meddling... But I am still putting a stop to this."

But Haruaki did not succeed.

Taking on human form, Konoha was standing next to him, gripping the «Returning Kukri of Childbirth»'s blade in her hand. Probably because her sword tip was originally stabbed into his shoulder, her other hand remained pierced in his flesh still in a knifehand posture.

"Ah..."

"Hmm. No matter what, it is all futile."

Standing behind Konoha, Nirushaaki also raised her hand, intending to snatch the «Returning Kukri of Childbirth» away with her bare hand. Regardless whether she was going to succeed for real or not, she was undoubtedly calm and composed in attitude.

The shoulder where Konoha's knife hand was embedded was hurting greatly. She could probably slice deeper into the center of his body any time she wanted. She could probably kill him effortlessly.

Despite knowing that clearly, Haruaki still laughed.

"Haha..."

"Wherefore art thou laughing? Clearly, thy final trump card, the one thou took such pains to prepare, hast gone to waste. Thou wishest to die? Or perhaps, laughing is the only thing thou canst do now?"

"It didn't... go to waste."

Following the motion of stabbing with the «Returning Kukri of Childbirth», Haruaki just managed to straighten his body that had been bent slightly at the waist. Compared to being toyed with one-sidedly just now, slight progress had been made.

"Because of this knife... I am now able to... see you in real life like this, not in your sword form&mdash;I have successfully made a step of progress. Compared to just now... much closer..."

There was a reason why it was necessary to pour all his effort into taking this step.

Also, talking to her in this form was also very important.

"What art thou talking about?"

Konoha frowned, stabbing her hand deeper. Haruaki felt so painful that it seemed like the depths of his body were being stirred, causing tears to flow. That said, tears had already flowed earlier. In other words, he was currently laughing and crying at the same time. How unsightly.

"Stop it, stop it stop it stop it! Cow Tits, unforgivable, I won't forgive you!"

"Get... out of the way&mdash;now&mdash;!"

"Haru! Run away, Haru!"

He could everyone's voices. Some kind of thunderous crash. Click click clack clack bang. What happened. Fear was making beast-like groans. He hoped Fear would not turn into her scary self again. Kirika's breathing was far too quick, almost like sobbing. This could very well be his first time hearing Kuroe speak in such an urgent voice.

However, engaged with the girls in battle, Kotetsu also expressed his relentless determination.

"Guh... Urgh... Ohhhhh&mdash;! I am also resolved to guard position as commanded! Truth be told, until I breathe my last dying breath, I shall not allow you to pass!"

Another deafening crash. The sound of clashing between Kotetsu and Fear's group.

Behind Konoha, Nirushaaki went "hmm" and turned her head slightly to look at them, as though watching a show. Haruaki felt very fortunate that Nirushaaki did not go over to interfere. She had also moved away her foot that had been stepping on his hand. However, with the poisoned sword barely hanging on the tip of his little finger, he was in no condition to swing it at tall. Neither was he able to lift it up.

With a laughing and crying expression, Haruaki simply gazed at Konoha&mdash;