Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume3 Chapter4 (section)

===Part 8===

"Ufufu. Indeed&mdash;This is a replica of what's reflected in the mirror."

"Apart from the inversion of parity in the reflection's appearance, everything else is the same. The replica can talk and think. Although there is a time limit&mdash;it disappears after ten minutes&mdash;but that is not an issue seeing as even equipment can be replicated. You see, even this Cannibal Cooker is copied. The only thing that cannot be replicated is this SBR itself."

Two Bivorios&mdash;''one with a monocle on her right eye'' and ''one with a monocle on her left eye''&mdash; were talking in tandem.

"Wha&mdash;!"

Haruaki was rendered speechless as he recalled past events.

The position of the monocle&mdash;that sense of dissonance he had felt in the abandoned house. The first time they lost sight of her, she had already switched? The paper bills she gave to those men were most likely replicated as well. The ten-minute time limit and the way she vanished. Appearing outside the accessory dwelling's window and then running away, it was her with the left monocle. Entering the house undetected and sealing Kuroe's movements, it was her with the right monocle.

A few unnatural mysteries lingering in the depths of his mind&mdash;There was a gradual sense of satisfaction with their resolution. However, these answers to the riddle came far too late.
[[image:C3 03-249.jpg|thumb]]

Letting a watch slide down one arm to her elbow, Bivorio raised Cannibal Cooker with the other arm and said:

"I suppose one could call this... A doppelganger perhaps? We all have our own individual wills, but since the clone is myself, she is self-aware of her existence as a replica, and will take action on her own accord&mdash;Yes!"

Nonchalantly, she began to use the blade to saw her own arm. At the position which was formerly concealed by the watch, Haruaki could see numerous scars that likely stemmed from the same behavior.

"W-What... are you doing..."

"Ara? Ara ara, please don't let this bother you. Just as the name of the «Suicidal Beautification Reflector» suggests, the curse compels one to do this on occasion. A girl cursing her inability to become beautiful, looking in the mirror as she slit her wrists, that is the source of this curse. However, I am already used to it. Besides, fulfilling the desires of the curse is indeed the Family's duty. This is akin to nursing a baby."

"Correct on all counts. The other me, let me help you stop the bleeding!"

"Ara ara, thank you very much, the other me."

The left-monocled Bivorio took out bandages and swiftly wrapped up the arm of the right-monocled Bivorio. Seeing the blood seeping out of the bandage, Konoha held her breath and suppressed the impulse to vomit.

"What a disgusting person. But even if you double yourself to two, we still have four on our side. We still hold numerical superiority&mdash;"

"Is that so? It's quite embarrassing, but please do not jump to conclusions too early. Because&mdash;"

Interrupting Fear, the right-monocled Bivorio lifted up the SBR and laughed:

"No one ever said the copies were limited to one!"

«Hello to Another One».

In response to Bivorio's whispers&mdash;

A third Bivorio appeared.

"Good day, another me. Although it will only be for ten minutes, I shall be in your care."  "Likewise, the same goes both ways."

Taking a deep bow towards each other, the soft whispers continued. Four, five, six, one after another&mdash;

"You've got to be... kidding, right?"

"This is too abnormal, absolutely ridiculous...!"

Currently standing before the eyes of Haruaki and his group, were now innumerable&mdash;

Over twenty Bivorios, with the same smile hanging on each of their face. One of them was wearing a right monocle while holding the mirror, while the other Bivorios all had monocles on their left eye. Without exception, each and every one of them was armed with her own Cannibal Cooker.

"So that's basically it. Very well, let's start the group battle! Bring it on with everything you've got!"

"Tsk... Fakes are fakes and replicas are replicas! Other than the one holding the mirror, the rest are surely illusions! In any case, we just need to break that mirror and they'll all disappear!"

Before Haruaki could stop her, Fear lifted up the «Human-Perforator»&mdash;the drill, and charged at the crowd of Bivorios. She made a thrust towards the real Bivorio who was holding the SBR, but&mdash;

"Despite being a fake, it is also very real&mdash;Yes!"

"Wha...!"

A clone stepped in the way and rather than using Cannibal Cooker, she used her own body to block Fear's drill. It looked almost as if she offered herself to be pierced.

"Ah... Ah..."

"You see, it's very real, isn't it?"

"You see, hot blood is gushing out vigorously, isn't it?"

"You see, the flesh is moving like a toy, can you see it?"

"You see, the innards are squirming as if singing a song, can you hear it?"

After one of the Bivorios was pierced, the surrounding Bivorios remarked in amusement.

Fear made a scared expression as she stared in terror at the drill embedded in the human body with blood gushing out. Her hand trembled visibly.

"No.... I-I... had no intention... I wanted to... show mercy..."

On the other hand, the pierced Bivorio continued to smile, caressing the drill lightly. Coughing out blood, she said:

"Please savor this a bit more. It's been quite a while since you last experienced this feeling, yes?"

Bivorio pushed the drill even deeper into her body.

"Ah... Stop... it..."

"Don't be shy. Come, be my guest, kill me. Please kill me more happily. Very well, come, come, deeper, more violently, even deeper&mdash;Ah...!"

The drill penetrated Bivorio's body completely. Forced to skewer her.

The trembling of Fear's body became even more intense. Dying with a smile, Bivorio fell to the ground. Freed from the dead body's abdomen, the drill also dropped to the ground as Fear collapsed, sitting down where she was standing.

"Please bear with the ugly sight. Due to the perfection of the copy, this cannot be helped. I beg your pardon for the lingering corpse. It will disappear once the ten minutes are up."

"Guh... A-Ah... Corpse... Corpse? No, this is... a fake, I-I&mdash;Stop recalling it! No, no, this isn't one, no! I-I haven't... killed... anyone... I should have already forgotten... Forgotten the feeling... Forgotten the feeling of murder&mdash;!"

"There's no need for you to suppress it. That is what you are originally. Since you are aware of the replica, it is just a half-baked feeling; but should you have the wish, I can prepare real, live humans as your partner so that you may relish in torture and take joy in slaughter! What kind of humans do you like? Children? Women? Villains? Nobles? People you know?"

Fear hugged her shoulders and could not stop trembling. Just like the time on the rainy roof in the past, she was being devoured by her past self.

"Fear! Calm down, got that? Calm down! Stop listening to her!"

"I don't wanna... I don't wanna, I-I... don't wanna turn back into my past self... I have already decided, I have already made my decision...!"

Clutching her head, Fear shook her head like a child. Suppressing her impulses was taking all her strength. Meanwhile, Konoha was also&mdash;

"Ooh... Urghhhh. I-I can't believe, because of this...!"

Covering her mouth, Konoha's face was pale and her body was unsteady. This was bad. Seeing that staggering amount of blood, it was a miracle she had not fainted.

"Tsk&mdash;"

Kirika made her move at this time. Perhaps she decided the situation would only deteriorate if nothing was done. She extended the «Tragic Black River» towards the mirror held by the real Bivorio. But with a flash of the Cannibal Cooker's cleaver, another Bivorio chopped off the belt's front end. Unconcerned, Kirika continued to extend the belt but yet another Bivorio grabbed it while some other Bivorio pulled the belt with brute force. Stumbling, Kirika was pulled into the crowd of Bivorios.

"Guah&mdash;!"

As if reenacting an old scene, Cannibal Cooker's cleaver sliced at her body. Kirika's abdomen was dissected vertically, spilling blood everywhere. The cut open uniform slipped down, revealing what was underneath. Bivorio examined incredulously with her head tilted. The other Bivorios circled behind Kirika, grabbing her arms and lifting them up high as if cheering.

"Ara ara&mdash;You're wearing quite a strange thing, yes? Even stranger, your wound is gradually healing up, how incredible."

Suspended in midair, the «Tragic Black River» extended from Kirika's arm again but was severed by the cleaver once more.

"I am starting to get interested. Is this a Wathe too? Ah yes, how wonderfully transcendent, truly transcendent. May I examine it to confirm?"

"Ooh... A-Ahhh... Ahhhhhhhhhhh! Nnngg... Guh... Yahhhh!"

One of the Bivorios reached her hand into the depths of Kirika's body, making wet and slimy noises as she stirred the insides through the sliced open flesh. Kirika stared wide-eyed in pain, saliva dripping from her mouth. Another Bivorio stabbed her cleaver into Kirika's thigh, twisting the blade in amusement. Screams, screams, screams, giggles, screams.

"Class Rep&mdash;! God damn it! Konoha, Konoha! Can you turn back into a sword?"

"Cough... Urgghh... I could turn back into a sword, but judging from the current situation... I probably... won't be of much help... You'll only... fall into danger, Haruaki-kun. It's no good... Hurry and escape... Haruaki-kun, hurry and escape&mdash;"

"How could I possibly escape!? Please, Konoha, I beg you!"

Her eyes tearful from vomiting, Konoha gazed at Haruaki for several moments. Then as if she finally accepted things, Konoha's clothes fell to the ground, no longer supported by her body. Haruaki picked up the sword in its black scabbard and rushed to rescue the abused Kirika first. Usually, Haruaki relied on Konoha's help to control his body's movements, but currently she could not offer much assistance. But at least some was better than none&mdash;

Occupied with these thoughts, Haruaki charged ahead selflessly.

Naturally, he was sent flying with but a swing of the hammer. Like what had happened to Fear several minutes earlier, he rolled along the ground, feeling the icy coldness of the road's paved surface. Had he not been wielding Konoha in his hand, he probably would have been turned into minced meat for real. However, the hand where flesh had been scraped off was violently shaken by the impact of crashing into the ground. Pain began to spread up his spine as though his nerve fibers were being drawn out and used to play cat's cradle.

"Excuse me, I am very sorry but you are the only one here who holds absolutely no interest to me. Could you please not interfere?"

"Stop... joking around. Haha, although the current situation can only be described as like a joke...!"

Mobilizing all of his convulsing muscles, Haruaki stood up while dripping with greasy sweat.

The sword remained silent. Had she fainted already? Fear was still clutching her head, trying to suppress her impulses. One of the Bivorios was whispering softly by her ear like the devil. Kuroe was still immobilized. Screaming vaguely, Kirika was being treated like a toy by several Bivorios.

The only one facing off against the remaining dozens of Bivorios was Haruaki alone. An ordinary mortal without any power.

Oh this really feels like a joke&mdash;Despair.

"If you intend to interfere, then it cannot be helped. Please be made into food!"

One of the Bivorios approached Haruaki. Experiencing a heavy weight he had never felt before, Haruaki raised his sword.

"H-Haruaki... Ooh, h-hooooh..."

Becoming aware of his situation, Fear unsteadily tried to stand up, but it was too late. No matter what she did, she would not make it in time.

In that case, Haruaki had to find a solution himself. What would work? What should he do?

Any countermeasures? Think, hurry and think&mdash;Was there any... way&mdash;

None.

Reaching this conclusion, his cortex involuntarily commanded his body to tremble, issuing orders for him to toss Konoha aside and beg for mercy. But Haruaki bit his lower lip hard and chastised his cowardly cortex. Instead, he gripped the sword even harder with his trembling hands. It would be unacceptable. No matter what happened, he did not wish to surrender, but apart from that, he could not think of any solution.

"Ara ara, you look like you're about to cry? It's okay, just close your eyes and it'll be over all at once."

Laughing lightly, Bivorio took a step forward. Just at this moment&mdash;

The current situation was completely desperate indeed. Haruaki could feel nothing but helplessness.

Restrained under the direst and most destitute of conditions, almost being toyed to death, Kirika&mdash;

Looking up blankly, she whispered as if salvation were imminent:

"Ahhh&mdash;You two finally arrived."


At this moment, the latest arrival's voice could be heard:

"What an utterly inane farce. Just hurry up and conclude it already."