Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume15 Chapter3 (section)

===Part 9===

Evening, at a beach.

Haruaki appeared at the same location as the day before yesterday's, accompanied by Fear, Kuroe and Honatsu. After waiting for a while, the members of the first awaited group strode their way to arrive. This was Konoha with a face of displeasure along with Kotetsu.

"Haruaki-kun! I clearly emphasized over and over again, asking you not to leave the house!"

"Sorry, Konoha. But... it's because I can't stay as your younger brother forever."

Due to calling her and one-sidedly telling her to come here, Haruaki expected her to be in a rage. Since he did not want to waste time slowly explaining, he gazed straight into her eyes and spoke his true feelings candidly.

"So, I decided on my own to defy your orders as an equal."

"...!"

Konoha wanted to say something reflexively, but in order to calm herself, she slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath&mdash;

"As equals... huh...?"

"Yes."

She opened her eyes. Beneath those glasses, her eyes quietly inquired of him.

"From now on, all the time?"

Haruaki nodded and thought to himself: She needs proof, right? He needed to prove he was serious.

"Back when we entered high school together, we promised. Although the promise was sloppily broken later, I've decided to abide by that promise seriously from now on. I swear&mdash;''I won't call you 'Kono-nee' ever again''."

"..."

Konoha sighed long and hard. Then&mdash;

As though in exasperation, she smiled helplessly.

"Sigh~ ...Is this actually good news? Or bad news? It seems to be exactly what I wanted yet it seems like there's no rush to change things immediately... Hmm, very well. I'll relent this time."

"Thank you, Konoha."

"But you do have a clear plan, I hope? That said, I have no right to say anything given our fruitless efforts."

"Truth be told, it is as she says. Summoning us here with a just a call saying 'I came up with a plan' yet leaving us in the dark. Why did we return to this place?"

Kotetsu glared at Haruaki viciously while he spoke. Fear closed her eyes in exhaustion and answered:

"He'll probably explain on the way, but I don't know whether or not you'll accept it."

"Hmm~ On the other hand, we've already give up resisting."

"...Why am I getting a sense of foreboding about this...?"

At this moment, the sounds of an engine could be heard. The second awaited group had appeared on the sea in a private speed boat.

"Thanks for waiting, everyone."

"Ahhh... Suffering this rocking is so demotivating~"

"My apologies, it took a while of preparation because this boat has not been started for a long time. Come aboard!"

Riding the cabin cruiser was the superintendent in his gas mask, Zenon who was in charge of operating the boat, as well as Ganon who was grabbing onto the boat's edge, collapsed in a heap. Rather than the cabin cruiser's rocking, the true cause was more likely the can of beer in her hand.

Everyone walked into the sea and got on the cabin cruiser, wetting their feet in the process. Soon they departed.

The cabin cruiser's deck was quite spacious and the breeze felt very comfortable. Haruaki faced the cabin cruiser's destination while glancing at Honatsu beside him and asked a question that had been bothering him.

"By the way, why were you keeping a low profile last time?"

"Low profile?"

"Basically, back when Pendragon's group visited the villa, weren't you particularly quiet?"

"Oh dear~ It was purely due to fear. Because I helped out quite a lot when Gab-chan left the Draconians, so I was worried whether they'd bear a grudge against me."

"Hey... Is that issue really okay?"

"When I called them, they agreed readily without giving an impression like: 'You bastard&mdash;! I won't forgive you, I'm gonna kill you!' So I think I was probably overthinking things. What a happy miscalculation."

"What miscalculation... Aren't you capable of predicting developments?"

"Of course there are times when it's impossible to predict. Because it's more like a fuzzy sixth sense."

"...Hurray~"

"What's the matter? Konoha, why did you suddenly yell hurray with an empty smile?"

Surprised by Konoha's strange behavior next to him, Haruaki inquired. Konoha narrowed her eyes and said:

"Two reasons. One of them being the pleasure of seeing you and Honatsu-san talking normally after how you've been keeping your distance, Haruaki-kun, hence, hurray~"

"N-Not at all... It was normal before, right? So what's the other reason?"

Konoha exhaled greatly and grabbed the edge of the boat powerlessly like Ganon just now.

"After hearing the conversation between you, I think I know where we're headed. Seeing my sense of foreboding come true, I can only raise my arms and surrender, hence, hurray~"

Keeping the same posture, Konoha only looked up and stared at the cabin cruiser's destination ahead, waiting for them. Haruaki also lifted his gaze to look. But frankly speaking, even without looking intentionally, that thing had been in view all along.

In other words, the giant fleet still moored on the sea&mdash;Dragon Island, the Draconians' stronghold.

Countless ships were facing them, waiting confidently for this cabin cruiser to gradually approach.



That ship was wide and massive.

The deck was almost a flat plain. Very spacious. Spacious to a frightening degree. With no obstacles in view, the floor underfoot was laid with wooden boards that squeaked pleasantly. But upon closer examination, one could see that it was a mixture of brand-new wood and heavily scarred planks. There were also marks resembling water stains&mdash;even dark red ones.

A brown deck as well as a pure blue space formed from the sea and the sky.

Standing out conspicuously in the very center was a white, round table with chairs surrounding it. The table was quite large, hence the number of chairs were many. On one of the chairs&mdash;

"Welcome to the Dueling Ship Leviathan. Please pick any seat you like. Don't worry, there's no mechanism like the type where the deck would suddenly open up to make people fall down along with their chair. Haha~"

"What's that? But that kind of mechanism sounds fun, let's make one next time. Every time you sexually harass someone, I'll pull a cord to make you fall with a whoosh~!"

"Simply imagining it is punishment bringing such joy/heartbreak that my uterus hurts."

Pendragon had his legs crossed with feet on the table, Riko was sitting on his thigh while Granaury was standing behind Pendragon with her eyes closed as usual.

"Hmm~ What naming sense that resonates deeply with my heart. In this day and age, its totally unostentatious plainness ends up being awesome. By the way, what's a dueling ship?"

Kuroe cocked her tiny head and asked.

"Just as everyone can see, this is a ship serving as a battle arena. Consider a facility that comes with the Dragon Island. Spacious and flat, facilitating movement, it allows participants to fully show their power. That said, there might be stains everywhere, yeah, but don't mind them."

"Hmph, so these stains are blood after all...? What a terrifying place."

"I picked this out of consideration for you guys, you know? I could have took you guys to the super cramped meeting room at the back of the ship, but then you'd worry about traps, right? Or worry about getting imprisoned, then what'll I do? But there's no better visibility than here and no one can do anything, so relax!"

"Allow me to say out of courtesy: thank you for your unnecessary consideration."

"Anyway, sit down first, everyone. Getting all tense and wary now is already too late."

Hearing the superintendent say that, Haruaki sat down on one of the chairs in trepidation. Fear sat herself down hard on the seat next to him whereas Konoha nervously sat on his other side. Kotetsu and Kuroe also found seats casually while Zenon and Ganon stood behind the superintendent without sitting down.

"Oh right, you're Yachi Honatsu, aren't you? I totally didn't notice until now."

"Oh dear, I'm sorry, it's because you didn't ask~"

"Ha! I told you not to worry. I should have mentioned on the phone that I don't bear any grudges about you helping Gabriel to escape. But had you been dealing with Old Man Long, I wouldn't make any promises."

"Then that's truly fortunate~ Please continue to show mercy~"

Honatsu smiled cheerfully and sat down on a chair, tossing her fluffy hair lightly and crossing her long and slender legs&mdash;"Mmm~" Pendragon leaned forward slightly.

"By the way... Perhaps I'm mistaken, but I heard you were a man..."

"Yes, because many things happened, I'm totally a girl now."

What girl!? Haruaki groaned in his heart while listening to more unbelievable dialogue.

"I see... You're a woman now eh? Sounds about right. Isn't that great? Since you have a son, then that gives you the MILF attribute, no matter what kind of past you have, it poses no inconvenience to me&mdash;"

"Granaury, I want a big hole&mdash;! We absolutely need a mechanism for opening up a hole under this guy's feet&mdash;!"

With the other side noisy as ever, Haruaki's group were in no mood for joking at all. With tense minds, they could only wait for time to pass.

Then several minutes later&mdash;

"Hi hi, thank you for your patience. It took even longer than expected because we don't have a lab on the sea, after all. Perhaps taking this opportunity, should we construct an aquatic lab or not?"

Fear and the others' shoulders shook as they looked at the new arrival&mdash;in other words, ''the last person expected to join the meeting, Yamimagari Pakuaki''. His tone of voice was flippant as usual while he walked over without any eagerness, the hem of his black lab coat swaying, and took a seat in an empty chair. Naturally, a dark-skinned girl followed behind him. With her characteristically blank expression, she nodded lightly to greet them.

After sitting down, Pakuaki looked towards one side with a smile.

"Hi, nice to meet you, Maximilian Pendragon. I am Yamimagari Pakuaki, just an insignificant researcher. Pleased to make your acquaintance from now on."

"...Yeah, I'll memorize your face."

Pendragon replied after glancing at Pakuaki. "Feels like such a pretentious fellow!" Sitting on Pendragon's thigh, Riko glared at Pakuaki intently. Pakuaki shrugged.

"What a cold reception. I was thinking I'd get a bigger reaction on the first encounter."

"Although I'm slightly interested, at least I've never heard rumors that you're strong, so I'm not that enthusiastic. Instead, rather than you&mdash;"

Pendragon moved his fingers that were clasped together on his belly. Instantly&mdash;

"Woah!"

A glinting knife stopped in front of Pakuaki. However, the knife was not attacking him but the opposite. From behind Pakuaki, Un Izoey had extended her dark-skinned leg over his shoulder to thrust out the knife held between her toes. She had drawn her knife from under her skirt in order to shield him.

Pakuaki only exclaimed once before settling back in his usually carefree attitude. With his face reflecting off the metal blade of the knife between Un Izoey's toes, he said:

"Hmm, this feels like a wholly innovative way of shaving. The beautiful lines of your leg is totally dominating my view, what a true feast for the eyes."

"Really? My reaction: I already know that I can demand compensation from you when you make this kind of comment, I report this kind of report. Branch Chief Shinohogi told me."

Un Izoey spoke while keeping her gaze firmly on Pendragon. Her narrowed eyes were very sharp. She had probably sensed something from his tiny movement just now. For example, it was as though she had sensed killing intent that only an elite warrior could detect.

At this moment, Pendragon grinned for the first time and scratched his head deliberately. Un Izoey's tension instantly eased as she slowly withdrew her leg back behind Pakuaki's shoulder.

"Just as rumored, you keep a great dog."

"This is a high-class dog with a strong thirst for knowledge, so I can't possibly let you have her."

Next, Pakuaki turned his gaze to Haruaki's group. More accurately, he was looking at Honatsu.

"Hi, Yachi Honatsu-san, hello again, it's been a while. I think we've met two or three times before&mdash;Ehhhh!? When did you become a woman!? What on earth happened!?"

"Pakuaki, don't bother with the crappy acting~ It's very infuriating. After all, you know everything about me already, right?"

"Haha, how harsh."

Haruaki looked at his father in exasperation and muttered:

"You know each other?"

"Not really friends, but basically at some excavation sites in the past, I competed with his research teams several times to steal cursed tools and the like. How nice it'd be if they could stop those inhumane human experiments and do more research to benefit mankind~"

Seeing the topic of conversation go on a tangent, Pendragon clapped his hands.

"Well then, all the expected parties have arrived. And what a bunch that isn't supposed to gather in one place too. Can we start?"

"Yes, continued chatting isn't the answer."

The superintendent nodded as well, thus the tension at the scene instantly heightened.

"We are only gathered here today by the summons of the famous jack-of-all-trades&mdash;rumored to appear anywhere there are Wathes, no matter where, meddling in all business, no matter what&mdash;namely, Yachi Honatsu. But in fact, we have not received any notice regarding what this meeting will discuss, isn't that right?"

"Truly an unknown."

"So, what is your goal? You can be candid now, right? I hope this isn't anything inane, host of this gathering&mdash;Yachi Haruaki."

The two organization leaders, Pendragon and Pakuaki, both looked at Haruaki at the same time.

The pressure was truly extraordinary. However, Haruaki did not falter for he had resolved himself already.

"First of all, Pendragon&mdash;I have a question for you."

"Oh? Please ask."

Just as with his conversation with Konoha earlier, Haruaki had already resolved himself and decided what needed to be said. Hence, an there was no need for pointless preamble. Simply pouring sincerity into his eyes, Haruaki voiced his idea directly on the spot.
[[image:C3 15-233.jpg|thumb]]

"You guys are very obsessed with 'strength,' right? But I want to ask you... Does strength increase the deeper the curse? Or will lifting a curse lead to greater strength?"

Haruaki could feel Fear, Konoha, Kuroe and Kotetsu's gazes.

"Pendragon, what do you think? After looking at those of us present, what are your thoughts?"

He&mdash;the Commander of the Draconians&mdash;parted his lips in a grin.

Then he answered briefly:

"''It depends''."

Really? Haruaki silently exhaled. Just as he predicted. Just as he hoped.

"So, in other words, you admit the possibility that "lifting one's curse can lead to greater strength.'"

Haruaki knew from a while ago. Sending Hiwatari Yume over with the idea that "it might be possible to get stronger by observing Fear's strength up close," Pendragon was different from the other Draconians who took action based on a simple and foolishly straightforward principle of fighting, fighting and more fighting to become strong. Only after reaching the pinnacle of this path did he realize that there existed things that could not be obtained through such means. Hence, to become stronger, he had the flexibility and willingness to explore other directions&mdash;

Still staring straight into Pendragon's eyes, Haruaki then said:

"That means... There should exist common ground for us to join forces, right?"

Konoha was sighing silently, shaking her head repeatedly with a look of resignation. Kotetsu was looking at him with a shocked expression. Having heard the basic explanation, Fear was scowling with arms crossed whereas Kuroe remained blank-faced as usual. The superintendent and Honatsu simply stared at him.

"Join forces?"

"Oh, oh~? Your proposal is truly fascinating."

Pendragon narrowed one eye while Pakuaki was all smiles.

"The same goes for you, Yamimagari Pakuaki. That's why I called you here."

"I thought so too. And what is your goal?"

Haruaki suddenly narrowed his eyes. Everything was for one purpose. To rescue Kirika safely. Putting that into words according to sequence&mdash;

"...Think of it as wanting to share information with you. You instigated Class Rep to go find that girl in order to fulfill some kind of objective, which means you won't stop just like that. Also... Ultimately, I don't think you'll abandon Class Rep to her fate."

Although Haruaki did not know if it was due to her being Pakuaki's precious little sister or because she was an important research subject, he could only take a gamble.

Pakuaki simply raised an eyebrow with interest. Then Haruaki faced Pendragon.

"I believe that the Draconians probably cannot ignore the strength of someone they've fought before. I think at least one of you guys went to attack her, right? It means that guy would know her location, right? Although Sleif has probably left the scene, it's enough to serve as a lead."

"Hmm..."

"Anyway, it's very simple. I want all of you to cooperate with us in order to rescue Class Rep."

Pendragon stroked his chin and asked with an intrigued expression.

It was short and practical, a question that could not be more natural.

"Our reward?"

"None."

Hearing Haruaki's instant reply, Pendragon's eyebrow twitched. Haruaki had thought of this already. This was the only answer that must be confronted in order to move forward. However, naturally, it did not really mean absolutely nothing at all.

"However, our home... The Yachi house will always remain as the Yachi house. This won't ever change. And this fact might perhaps serve as a reward."

"What do you mean, Yachi Haruaki?"

Haruaki exhaled, straightening his back on the chair. In front of him was the commander of a militant organization, possessing far greater strength than he, a man with the terrifying power to effortlessly take his life away.

However&mdash;Hence, so what?

As though to oppose him, Haruaki relaxed his cheeks and smiled.

"In other words, you guys can come over to play."

"What?"

Pendragon made a dumbfounded look. Konoha was totally hiding her face in her hands, her body shaking. Fear feigned calmness on the surface but was breathing quickly, her fingertips rapidly drumming audibly on her elbows.

"I said, you guys can come over to play. As long as you don't do anything weird, the Yachi house won't refuse you guys. As long as your side don't do anything evil or things that bother or harm others."

"..."

"As long as your side doesn't do any of that, I think we can assist you in training certain people to become strong. Rather than going at one another's lives, as long as proper rules are sent, we could hold something like sparring events for those who come to our house to play. Someone like Satsuko might even come over every day."

Then Haruaki immediately looked at Pakuaki who was still listening to him with eyes filled with interest.

"The same goes for the Lab Chief's Nation&mdash;whether you, Un Izoey or Amanda. If you visit the Yachi house, we'll at least serve you a cup of tea and if you wanted to know certain things, as long as nothing weird is done, we could chat with you guys and answer questions of your choice. Oh right, if some kind of athletic sparring happened to be going on, Un Izoey could help out if she's free."

While speaking, Haruaki looked at the dark-skinned girl behind Pakuaki. Looking at the back of her own boss' head with troubled eyes, she said:


"Yes. Hmm... if free. Body will become slow if not active for too long."

"You won't go as far as to limit this girl's personal movements, right?"

"Hoho, no. Naturally, if researchers wanted to go to a friend's house to play on a private basis, I can neither reprimand nor restrict them, even though I am the boss."

Pakuaki giggled.

Haruaki organized his thoughts for a moment first. Towards Pendragon and Pakuaki, the two of them, what he ought to say. When seeking their assistance, what kind of stance his own side ought to clarify.

"In other words&mdash;I believe that the Yachi house might be a place for contemplating connections between cursed tools and humans. I want to make this stance even clearer. And what I call connections could refer to the quest for strength or the resolution of the unknown. So, there should be common ground for joining forces, right?"

"Conversely, there also exist differences that prevent us from joining forces, right?"

Pakuaki rested his chin on his hands whose fingers were interlocked, speaking with a malicious smile.

"Indeed, the issue of ominous curses exists between us. Not only do I want to prevent curses from causing trouble to others, but I also believe firmly that curses are better off lifted."

"Yes, we absolutely won't back down from this bottom line."

Fear finally spoke, her arms crossed and eyes closed, delivering heavy words.

Haruaki nodded at Fear then said:


"However&mdash;Just as Konoha applied self-suggestion to herself to faint at the sight of blood, just as Kotetsu relies on drinking tomato juice to curb his impulses, just as a doll, whose body's blades will kill its lover, can make do with simply hugging once the blades are destroyed... All kinds of shortcuts can be found even though everyone is different in situation and severity. The Lab Chief's Nation has probably investigated this area too, right?"

"Hmm, I can't say we haven't~"

"In other words, just let differences remain as differences, but we can at least establish an alliance based on the things we agree on, right? My house welcomes you guys any time. But if you guys do anything to harm or inconvenience others, we will do everything in our power to stop you."


"Existing in this manner, your side will stay at that house... Is that what you mean? Haha, taking on a clear stance, becoming a well-defined group of people, your side wishes to stand on equal footing against organizations such as we of the Lab Chief's Nation or the Draconians. In that case&mdash;"


Saying that, Pakuaki's shoulders shook with mirth and he really looked like he was laughing happily. After letting everyone hear his laughter, he said:

"In a certain sense, perhaps this counts as establishing a new organization, 'Yachi House'? An organization contemplating the connections between cursed tools and humans. At the same time, also an organization that wants to lift curses. Unconcerned with the stances of other organizations, but under the overriding condition that ordinary people must not be harmed, is that correct? I see, I see."

"Ah..."

Is... that really the case? There was no major change from what they had been doing and what they had been thinking all along, simply articulated into words. Haruaki had simply made a clear declaration in front of Pakuaki and Pendragon, that was all. However, if this act carried significance and redefined their group&mdash;

Perhaps, it really was the case without a doubt.

"Very sufficient in combat potential, with Fear-in-Cube, Muramasa and Kotetsu... Furthermore, capable of gathering a number of Wathes if the summons are made. And in charge of information gathering, there is the one who is like a certain well-known mouse&mdash;"<!--apparently a reference to Jerry Mouse from Tom and Jerry-->

"You mean the infamous wanted man who is fleeing all over the place? But that's quite a discourteous nickname~ Hmph, don't let this moniker take hold!"

Pakuaki glanced at Honatsu who was pouting in protest before looking at the superintendent.

"Finally, there is the financial backing. The former second-ranked Draconian whose charismatic leadership and social connections cannot underestimated."

"Apart from finances, I can't really agree with the rest. With neither charismatic leadership nor social connections, I'm just a mysterious businessman who wears a gas mask."

"Hahaha! Yes, anyway..."

Pakuaki rubbed his hands together as though worshiping then stared into space with deep thought. However, it only took several seconds of contemplation for him to reach a certain conclusion.

"Hmm, this is really too interesting! I really cannot ignore the fascinating developments of this unknown. Besides, this is currently an emergency. I've decided."

"D-Decided what?"

"Don't make me spell it out, okay? Kirika is my lovely little sister and I want to save her too. I shall accept your proposal. On this matter, the Lab Chief's Nation will offer their full cooperation to your Yachi House."

"...If only I could take your words at face value."

Probably feeling exhausted by the developments in the conversation, Konoha groaned extremely feebly.

"I'd be really distraught too if Kirika didn't return. I hope you all can believe me on this point. Until Kirika is rescued, I swear I won't lie or get any funny ideas."

Saying that, Pakuaki spread his hands and moved them upwards as though surrendering. To be honest, trying to trust Pakuaki completely would definitely leave unease in his heart, but Haruaki felt that Pakuaki was worth trusting on this one matter alone.

"So... What about you, Maximilian Pendragon, Commander of the Draconians?"

Fear glanced sideways at Pendragon and asked. With a fearless smile, he replied:

"Sparring at the Yachi house... huh? Indeed, Squishy-ko and her partner might be overjoyed, but to be honest, it's totally irrelevant to me. I have nothing to gain from it."

"...!"

Haruaki gasped. No way? No good? Pendragon was not willing to assist them? Fear and the others were also slowly getting more nervous. However&mdash;

At this moment, Pendragon suddenly turned his gaze, sweeping across the members of the group seated at the round table.

"...She's not here? That glasses-wearing chick with husky voice."

"Huh? Oh, you mean Chihaya? She doesn't live at our house, so she only comes by to play occasionally."

Haruaki was unsure of Pendragon's intent but he offered this answer for now. Pendragon swept his gaze again for another round.

"Hmm, then it means I might see her again any time. There's also that bunch of smiling girls who look identical, the beauty with a model's figure, the girl with the curly hair... as well as Muramasa, Kotetsu and Fear-in-Cube..."

"Let me make a prediction, how about me?"

Kuroe swiftly raised her hand and asked. Pendragon grinned while rubbing Riko's head as he answered:

"Haha~ Of course, with pretty hair and smooth skin, you are in my strike zone too! The evidence is this girl here! Tiny bodies are fine too. Tiny they may be, but there are all kinds of ways to play with them. Listen carefully, first of all&mdash;"

"Hey hey! What are you talking about!? I only kept quiet until now because the subject seemed very serious, but I was careless and underestimated the enemy!"

Her entire tiny face flushed red, Riko hammered her fists madly but Pendragon remained unfazed and looked at Haruaki whose eyes were narrowed.

"&mdash;I can't believe you gathered so many awesome girls, how rare. For me, this is quite a critical reason. Okay, I'll help you."

"I'm already feeling quite disturbed by how he made his decision to help out... Is it really okay?"

Fear groaned.

"Regrettably, he has always been like this."

"Yeah~ Copping a feel while passing by is totally commonplace for him."

"Truth be told, that is indeed the case. He has touched my buttocks who knows how many times."

Zenon, Ganon and even Kotetsu also nodded in agreement. How unsettling in this regard, but at least his personality could be considered upfront and honest.

Haruaki gulped and said:

"Then in other words&mdash;"

"The three-way alliance is hereby established? Looking forward to working with you, Mr. Pendragon."

"Anyway, until this incident is resolved, I'll need to tell my subordinates they're forbidden from making a move on the little lady there. Seeing as she's an opponent whom Kokoro Pentangeli ultimately failed to defeat, many of the members are very interested in her. However, it's really been a long time since I last met a dark-skinned woman. In other ways, I'm quite stoked too."

Listening to Pakuaki and Pendragon's conversation, Haruaki breathed a sigh of relief.

He had managed to secure these two's assistance. Although he had taken a gamble, Haruaki believed that chances of success were theoretically very high in the first place. That was precisely why he prioritized speed by asking Honatsu somewhat forcefully to arrange the meeting. But because Haruaki had acted without consultation, he decided he must apologize to Konoha and the rest later.

Anyway, with this accomplished, one could say that things have moved forward.

However&mdash;Haruaki clenched his fists. It was too early to relax. Now was what could be considered the real beginning.

The goal that must be reached and accomplished was ahead.

(Class Rep, wait for us a little longer...!)

Then once the goal was accomplished, once she was rescued safe and sound...

He was no longer afraid.

He had already decided: He was not going to run away again. He must convey his thoughts and feelings to her clearly.

And tell her the answer he had delayed all this time.



After that, Fear kept paying close attention to developments for the most part.

"Oh, hello? I want to ask you something. Along the way back to Dragon Island, one of our members ran into someone from the Knights Dominion, right? Yeah, that shameful guy, the one who met the enemy by chance, went up to attack but ended up running home with one arm severed. His name was very weird... Something like Kurusonzan? Yes yes yes, that's him, that's him."

After Pendragon made a call to someone, a small boat was launched from another ship and came over to this dueling ship. A young and heavily injured Draconian appeared on deck to report where he had attacked Sleif but ended up getting defeated utterly.

"Hmph, this area huh? Roughly what time? Hmm, I see. In that case&mdash;"

With highly experienced motions, Pakauaki labeled this information on the map that was spread over the table. The pen was spun with exceptional fluidity.

Labeled on the map was not only the obtained location where the Draconian had attacked rashly but also all the places where random slashings had occurred. In addition&mdash;

"Actually, we were also able to discover bloodstains through Kotetsu's sense of smell. We have been searching in those areas the whole time earlier&mdash;although no further clues were found in the end."

"Oh? And did those bloodstains vanish?"

"Yes, they vanished while I was watching them."

"Then that was surely Kirika's blood. In fact, we too have found several locations with bloodstains. Since bloodstains were still linger at the scenes, it meant that «Gimestorante's Love» was still in the process of healing wounds using its cursed power. In other words, we missed them by a hair's breadth. What a shame."

"...You guys were searching too?"

"I have mentioned that she is my precious little sister, right? Although she might not think so. Anyway, adding the couple places where only bloodstains were found... Yes."

Pakuaki spun the pen while looking down at the map. Haruaki and company also examined the map from their various vantage points around the table.

"Ha~ This feels like quite a common pattern."

"Seriously, it's too easy to understand."

"But... it's impossible to determine without a large amount of data in this case, so it's all thanks to you guys."

Pakuaki shrugged as though saying "you won't gain anything by praising me."

"Well then, let us confirm what is known so far. Judging according to the cases so far, the knight's crimes are always committed according to specific rules. One of them is 'always on soil.' Whether phantom slashings, Kirika's blood or where the Draconian attacked recklessly, there were no exceptions. Another point is very easy and clear to see once visualized like this&mdash;''One can deduce that she is moving around this town in the shape of a circle''."

Precisely. Fear looked down at the map. Starting from the beach where Pakuaki marked the first incident, it looked like someone was tracing a large circle. Of course, there were large gaps in between, but&mdash;

"These areas are simply the ones we couldn't confirm, right? Also&mdash;Suppose these actions were undertaken with some sort of intent, the enemy probably won't cut through the middle of the circle suddenly or move in the opposite direction."

"In other words, we can conclude that she will be moving along the circumference, right?"

The superintendent exhaled under the gas mask and said that. Pakuaki nodded. While continuing to spin his pen, he spoke with exaggeration like a magician:

"Indeed. So&mdash;Considering the time intervals and movement distances between crimes, the next crime scene can be predicted with extremely high certainty to be this area."

Then he stabbed a point on the map.

It was near the sea. If one were to continue further along the shore from that point, they would return to the beach in the beginning. Since the enemy was moving in a circle, returning to the starting point was only natural as well.

Haruaki's demeanor was solemn.

"So we're going to set up an ambush...!?"

"Having said that, her route is not following a perfectly accurate circle. The intervals in movement distance are also not that meticulous, varying quite a bit, so all I can guess is this general area."

"I think that would be good enough already. After all, limiting to places with exposed soil, we should be able to narrow it down to a couple locations."

Konoha offered her comment while staring at the map, prompting Pakuaki to put his pen into motion.

"Yes... This should be the main one, while other ambushes should be set up here and here... And this place is last? Of course, you guys should wait at the most major location with focused combat potential to intercept her, right? As for one of the secondary ambush points here, Un Izoey and I will take care of it."

"Then, Zenon-kun, Ganon-kun and I will be responsible for the other one. As soon as we encounter her, we stall her while contacting the main team... This should barely pull through, right?"

"No helping it, I'll send out a few youngsters from my side, similarly to take on interception and communication roles. But it's possible they might include fellows who act rashly and get hurt."

The superintendent and Pendragon offered their various opinions. It looked like they had just enough manpower.

Staring intently at the map, Haruaki nodded forcefully.

"Then let's move out immediately. There could be variations in the time intervals between crimes. Waiting is fine, but arriving later than her would be bad, so we must hurry... Fear? You look a bit dazed, is anything wrong?"

Fear suddenly regained her senses and shook her head.

"No&mdash;The main event is up so I was just cheering for myself."

"Good idea, then let's get going!"

Haruaki was the first to leave the round table and start walking. Konoha and the others followed after him. With eyes narrowed, Fear trailed behind as the last person in the group, following Haruaki.

"Sigh~ For a moment I was worried with no idea how things would turn out, but now it seems like favorable developments are heading our way, so I won't nag... By the way, putting this incident aside, it's quite nice to see Haruaki-kun so manly, putting a plan into motion with such force and vigor. Fufufu."

"Oh, Kono-san, are you falling in love with Haru all over again~?"

"What are you talking about? But yes, it is precisely the case."

"Hmph. Truth be told, that sort of level doesn't totally count as manliness yet... A real man should be like Isami-sama, stronger and more powerful, stern and awe-inspiring..."

Konoha and the others talked while walking with Haruaki. Two powerful swords. One gentle doll. A man in a gas mask and the loyal pair of sisters behind him.

These were not the only people around Haruaki, because others also sprang into action.

"By the way, is your foot okay? You got hurt earlier, right?"

"My response: an instant answer of no problem. This level of small injury will heal in one night just by applying tribe's traditional ''nuuponhi''."

"Wow, what is that? Truly a term of the unknown, what is it like?"

"Yes. Not sure how to say in this country's language? Although unknown, the main ingredient is made by grinding that thing which you frequently find under floorboards or in rubbish dumps&mdash;"

"Stop! I have a bad feeling about this! Please discuss this somewhere out of our earshot!"

The dark-skinned girl. The tribal warrior. The person who could extend her long legs in high-speed combat. As well as the leader of the Lab Chief's Nation that sought knowledge above all else.

Next, Haruaki looked to the side.

"So, you're coming with us too?"

"Hey, how could I not stay with the main team? But I won't make a move, that's all."

"Since you won't make a move, it ends up raising the question of why are you following..."

"Because watching the battle seems very fun. Also, pa&mdash;Nothing."

"Ah! Hey, this guy definitely wanted to say that 'faint glimpses of panties might be possible'!"

Presumably stronger than anyone, the Commander of the Draconians. As well as the two cursed tools in his possession.

Ahhh&mdash;Fear was savoring an unbelievable feeling.

What an unusual sight. What an unusual view.

Before her eyes, Haruaki was surrounded by all kinds of people, human and non-human.

Whether Haruaki or herself, neither of them was alone.

For some reason, Haruaki's back looked even bigger than yesterday's.

Spreading from her chest was a sense of security that also resembled loneliness.

Carrying this unusual and warm feeling, Fear thought to herself.

(Really? Perhaps... my power... is actually already...)

He turned his head to look back with a gentle face, calling to she who was walking too slow.

Fear relaxed her cheeks and returned a smile, quickening her pace.

Catching up, she joined the circle around him like everyone else.

Even so, she did not say a word. Silence was good enough. Walking forward with a coordinated pace was good enough. Naturally, this was so.

Surely, she need not worry.

Just by staying beside him, she would definitely receive a smile from him.

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