Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume17 Chapter5 (section)

===Part 9===

The superintendent's team of three was moving along the school's boundary wall.

Then halting, the superintendent turned his head back.

"&mdash;I knew you were going to show up."

"Really? Well I suppose, after all, we go way back for years."

As though in an afterthought, he casually floored a knight who was originally about to attack them.

Maximilian Pendragon was standing there in leisure. Wearing «Corpse Armor Rikongarowa» with the «Granaury Spear» on the back of his right hand... He was fully armed.

Grinning, Pendragon said:

"Any intention to move aside?"

"You already know my answer, don't you? I can't let you go over to them. To my dangerous friend who has started an obsession in stalker behavior, I really hope you won't go farther along the wrong path, which is why I can't stay silent... You can't use brute strength to coerce a little girl. Don't use force."

After the superintendent finished with a shrug, Zenon and Ganon stepped forward in front of him.

"Good grief, are you trying to waste my time again like yesterday? No matter how many years we've been separated, I've grown tired of playing around. This time, I won't spar with you like yesterday. Sorry, I'm going to be serious&mdash;?"

A crisp sound.

Pendragon raised Granaury's blade to eye level. In the next instant, a knife flying at high speed was deflected by the blade, falling on the ground behind.

The superintendent stared intently at Pendragon. While breaking out in cold sweat, his mind became aware of his hand's trembling fingertips and the creaking in his body.

"Unlike yesterday... It's ''three against one'' this time."

"Gabriel, do you intend to personally enter the fray? Isn't your body full of problems, to the point that it's difficult to pinpoint them? With your health in such a state already, acting tough won't do you any good."

"Acting tough? Hmm..."

The superintendent reached into his suit and drew a knife from its holster. What a nostalgic feeling... At the same time, this was probably going to be his swan song.

"If I don't act tough now, when else would I have the chance? Clearly the ones behind me are my students&mdash;This is my school!"

Switching modes, he threw continuously, launching many knives at the same time. The flowing motion of thrown knives were like wings, like a sword, with each knife followed closely by the next. By calculating and predicting the opponent's angle of deflection, he would alter the trajectory of successive knives as a result. Such throwing fully exhibited the pinnacle of technique. Having learned the majority of his throwing skills, Zenon also joined in to attack with her knives.

Confronted with a continuous stream of thrown knives aimed at his vitals, Pendragon could no longer stand idly in one place. While running, he used Granaury to deflect the flying knives. Although Riko's armor definitely protected the vitals, the superintendent would also predict the armor's changes in thickness through reverse logic so as to throw the next knife and the one after that. Faced with this group, Pendragon could not rely completely on his armor. That being said, armor was armor after all. For knife throwers, armor was definitely a complicating factor.

"Ha... Looks like you and your disciple haven't regressed much in skill."

"I'm very happy to hear you say that."

Intense pain coursed through the depths of his body. His muscles were screaming in pain. His fingertips were convulsing. The superintendent desperately hid these symptoms of unease while he answered, but the dragon's eyes could not possibly miss the prey's weaknesses.

"But who knows when this can persist until."

"Yeah, that's right. Although we have to stall for time bit by bit, no one knows how long it can last... So, it looks like the job I picked has increased. Ahhh, so very tired..."

Waving the tip of her sword left and right, Ganon walked up to the front lethargically. The previous Commander had passed onto her as the sole successor of what could be called swordsmanship for countering the strongest&mdash;a style named the Void Night Sword. Ultimately, she still stood as their most powerful combatant.

The superintendent took a deep breath and picked up a knife. Incredibly, he felt nostalgia towards this sensation that should have been forgotten long ago. However, he had ''her'' by his side back then. Rather, what he carried was not knives, but ''her''. The spear that always returned on its own no matter where it was thrown. The spear whose power increased the farther it was thrown, the «Treason Piercer»...

"Why?"

"...?"

The one who asked was Pendragon's right hand, Granaury.

She seldom spoke on her own initiative. Without stopping her, Pendragon glanced at his right hand.

"The way you look is truly fortunate/unfortunate... It brings back too many memories. Why is Liz not by your side?"

"&mdash;Because Long destroyed her. You know that, right?"

Most certainly, this was not the answer she wanted to hear, but he had no choice but to answer so.

"Then why..."

She originally wanted to continue but fell silent halfway. Pendragon scratched his head and used the back of his left hand to tap the blade on his right. With eyes as calm as a father gazing at his child, he said:

"Say it now if you have something you want said. You might not get another chance ever again."

Granaury could be heard sighing. She seldom expressed her emotions, but the superintendent knew that she not actually emotionless. This was only natural, because he used to spend quite a lot of time with her&mdash;They could be considered old friends.

Hence, he knew her voice carried sorrow.

"So why... ''was I not there''?"

The superintendent closed his eyes forcefully first.

Then he answered:

"&mdash;Because you're not Liz."

Likewise, this was not the correct answer, but he had no choice but to answer so.

"True. But we are both spears."

"Yes."

"Would you believe me if I said I was always jealous of Liz?"

"If you want me to believe."

"What a sly/honest man..."

Another sigh.

"The one by your side is not me. However, there once existed the possibility of me by your side. Together with Liz. Or replacing Liz. Clearly I could have been by your side, but was not by your side. This contradiction shook the contradiction that is me."

"I don't quite... understand."

Pendragon slowly raised his right hand, allowing the superintendent's reflection to show on Granaury's blade. This was surely akin to having her gaze squarely at the superintendent.

"Why were you unable to defeat Long before Liz was destroyed?"

"Because he was very strong."

"Also because, compared to surpassing Long's strength, you were always thinking about Liz's curse, weren't you?"

Liz's curse caused her to pierce her owner. It troubled her the whole time, making her cry. Indeed. Back then, long ago, compared to the strong opponent, he was already trembling at the premonition of separating from her.

Without changing her tone, Granaury continued:

"Why did you not defeat Long after Liz was destroyed?"

"Because I lost the reason to do so."

"Also because you followed the simple temptation of despair and fled, didn't you?"

By the time he woke up after Liz pierced his chest as a result of the curse exceeding its limit, everything was over. Left with only scars and emptiness in his heart without the slightest will to fight, he had deserted the Draconians. The only fragment lingering in his heart was the wish to see Liz again. That was the only purpose he lived for.

"Had you neither fled nor lost, and defeated Long, the future/past would have been different. Hence, hence, I&mdash;"

The blade on Pendragon's right hand glittered brightly.

"&mdash;''hate your state of weakness''."

The superintendent gasped.

Then in a fully philosophical tone of voice, he laughed.

"Hahaha! Indeed, my state of weakness has caused many people trouble, whether in the past or present. I'm so sorry."

"Please do not pretend to be strong... in this fashion. It is truly displeasing."

Strong? Weak? They remained fettered by these words. This made him feel a little sad.

Glancing at his two subordinates, the superintendent said:

"So, it looks like someone is holding a grudge against me. I'm sorry but the attacks might become very intense accordingly. I'm counting on you."

"...This is commonplace, in any case."

"After hearing things from you that needn't be said, it's the most tiring~"

In response to his subordinates' remarks, which conveyed questionable respect, he said:

"So... Looks like it's time for this conversation to end."

"Argh~ Enough, so long and boring! Granaury, I hold you responsible!"

"...I apologize/ignore. All that is required next is a one-sided victory akin to rape."

Confronted with the approaching figure of the "strongest"&mdash;

The superintendent laughed again.

No matter how perilous the situation, even if cold sweat and ominous premonitions remained, he still had to laugh.

This had nothing to do with being strong or weak.

It was the only proper way to act for an adult who wished to protect the children.