Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume10 Chapter4 (section)

===Part 12===

"Heave-ho... Heave-ho... Wait, I still need to wrap more. Even if it means going bald, I need to wrap more."

"Kuroe, you don't need to push yourself that far. This uses life force, right? You don't look too well in the face."

"You look even worse, Haru."

Kuroe had plucked many strands of her hair and wrapped them around the wound on his arm after applying healing power to them. Haruaki felt the warmth from his dressing while surveying the surroundings. First, he saw Amanda with her blank expression. The direct hazard intending to kill her was already gone. For that, he felt happy from the bottom of his heart, although indirect hazards still lingered.

The silver-haired girl was standing next to Amanda. Watching her, Haruaki said:

"Fear... Thank you."

"Yeah. That was so close. Seriously... So close..."

Fear showed a dazed face while answering. No matter what other emotions she was feeling, surely one of them must be relief. Relief for not having to kill someone. That alone was salvation. She was not going to turn back into her former self.

"Konoha, thank you too... Are you okay? You don't look very good... Oh, sorry."

With her back facing him, Konoha was crouching down where her clothes had fallen. However, she did not reach out to pick up her clothes. Instead, she simply had her head bowed and looked like she was adjusting her breathing. In other words, she was still completely nude and Haruaki could see her backside. Was the Immorality Blocker going to come flying again? Hence, Haruaki frantically turned his gaze away.

"No&mdash;You're... right. After all, having seen so much blood, I'm feeling quite unwell. Please wait... Give me a little time. Until I return to my usual self&mdash;Please give me... a little more time... than usual..."

Konoha continued to keep her head bowed while murmuring softly. Then slowly, she picked up her clothes. She seemed a bit strange, but perhaps that could not be helped. Elsie really was very formidable.

Right now, Elsie was lying collapsed on the ground, having lost all strength. Although she was still conscious, she simply stared out into space without reacting at all.

Back then, instead of a knife hand strike, Konoha had used the bottom of her palm to push Elsie's upper torso backwards. On the other hand, Fear had instantly adjusted the length of the pendulous execution scythe. As a result, the killing pendulum had simply sliced open the surface of «Clockwork Life» that was hanging before Elsie's chest, then sliding past.

Probably deciding that they should not lower their guard even after the powerful cursed tool was gone, Kirika used the «Tragic Black River» to tie Elsie up securely. Then pressing down on the squirming wound of the left shoulder while it healed, Kirika turned her gaze viciously&mdash;

And glared at the final enemy.

"Himura...!"

"Hahaha, how strange. This is really too strange. Zero marks. To think I calculated so precisely beforehand."

Shoulders trembling, Himura held his mask under his arm and watched the ending as a spectator.

"You people actually defeated Hinai Elsie? That's truly beyond my calculations. An unknown, both pleasing and displeasing... Haha!"

Unbelievable. Haruaki had no idea what exactly happened, but the only thing he could understand was&mdash;He... They had been deceived. Despite Himura's sincere-looking behavior, he was actually scheming something in secret&mdash;

Haruaki originally thought that Kirika did not need to be that wary of Himura. He had always thought that perhaps Himura was not as bad a person as she believed.

But now he understood. He was completely wrong. It was the opposite.

Kirika's wariness of Himura was only natural.

Perhaps, they should have been even more wary instead&mdash;!

"What did you do? Answer me now. Why is Hinai Elsie following your orders!?"

"She called you lord just now, right? What relation do you have with the Knights Dominion?"

Kirika continued to glare at him while Fear cautiously held the Rubik's cube.

Faced with the two girls' interrogation, Himura shrugged nonchalantly.

"I am the Knights Dominion's Lord? ''Impossible, wouldn't you say''?."

"Then why&mdash;!?"

"This is the result of using this Wathe. Namely, «Article 15»."

Himura lightly waved the object in his hand that looked like a photo frame. However, it was instantly broken into top and bottom halves. Because Fear had thrown the torture wheel directly to break it without warning.

Fear pulled back the wheel using the chain of cubes and spoke quietly with a stern gaze:

"I don't know what kind of ability that cursed tool possesses, but if a man like you can wave it around and show off smugly... It's definitely nothing good. I'll break it first and ask questions later."

"Oh dear, what's with the murderous hostility? I don't have the power to fight you people directly, you know? However, Fear-in-Cube, you really are too impetuous&mdash;You should have heard about this thing's existence already. Indeed, ''this is precisely the Wathe capable of restoring Amanda Carlot's mind''."

"What did you say...!?"

Himura waved the bottom portion of the broken frame and shrugged helplessly.

"But to be frank, my explanation only deserves fifty marks. That's because it's actually just a possibility that it could be used that way. Regarding this «Article 15»&mdash;Here comes the full marks answer. In other words, ''it is a Wathe for brainwashing and controlling people's minds''."

Haruaki's group was rendered speechless. This was such an astounding ability, more horrifying than any type of sharp blade. Did that small photo frame really possess such an ability?

"This is a tool that was once used by the army of a certain dictatorship state. It was said that soldiers would capture those suspected of treason. Then while beaten and tortured, the prisoners would be presented with a photo-less frame and told: 'Hurry and admit your guilt. The evidence of your treasonous intent is in this photograph here. Irrefutable proof.' Of course, the prisoners all refused to admit in the beginning, but in the end, unable to withstand the torture and beating, finally amidst pain, bewilderment, madness and cursing&mdash;They still admitted to their crimes despite their innocence. In other words, because of this nonexistent photo, the past and memories sought by the soldiers became irrefutable evidence. Then the soldiers declared&mdash;'In accordance to Article 15 of the Criminal Code, this man shall be executed for treason.'"

"A tool for framing innocents in order to kill those who pose a threat to the state... How truly contemptible."

Probably calmed down already, Konoha had finally put on her clothes and glared at Himura while murmuring.

"But it's extremely useful. Then this thing became cursed, turning into a tool that possessed the ability to control the target's mind just by presenting it before their eyes. But Wathes with powerful cursed abilities always come with certain restrictions. This is no exception. In order to invoke the mind-control ability on a certain person, two conditions must be met. First of all, energy must be gathered&mdash;similar to «Clockwork Life»'s time, which can be said to be completely complementary to «Article 15»'s curse."

"I don't really get it, but anyway, it can't be any good curse."

"In terms of control, that's true indeed. Yachi Haruaki and Kirika should know already, this type of Wathe not only affects the owner but also spreads its curse indiscriminately to the surrounding people. Namely, ''it forcibly pulls out people's inner thoughts. Whether delusions, past memories or simply nightmares, that depends on the situation.'' Have any of you experienced particularly realistic dreams or daydreams recently?"

"Nuu! Could... that be why...!?"

Fear frowned as though realizing something. Konoha and Kirika did the same. Kuroe was focused on healing Haruaki so he did not know if she was recalling something as well. However, even Haruaki himself remembered a few things. Delusions that were not supposed to happen. Delusions appearing realistically like daydreams.

Not only that. Haruaki recalled what everyone was chatting about before going to take their showers. Fear and Konoha had mentioned frequent nightmares lately. They had thought it was just by chance due to excessive exhaustion. However, was all this due to the effects of the Wathe in Himura's possession?"

"Looks like you all have an idea. Because I've been hiding and observing you people a number of times, the phenomenon happens even if you don't see me. How delightful it was to watch your reactions when you suddenly returned to your senses."

"You bastard...! By now, so it turns out... it turns out that I saw those things... It's all your fault!?"

"Stop glaring at me, Fear-in-Cube. Even I was forced to personally rewatch many of my own painful memories. In any case, this is the necessary 'fuel' required for activating this Wathe's brainwashing ability. Namely, to gather the surrounding people's imaginations, memories and fragments of their feelings."

"So you... also used that ability to control the mind of this enemy, Hinai Elsie."

Konoha spoke, prompting Himura to look up as though recalling something.

"Yes. That's essentially correct. But the one using «Article 15» at the time was not actually me but those guys at the Knights Dominion. In other words, it wasn't me."

"W-What do you mean by that...?"

"Yachi Haruaki, what are good student you are for believing the teacher's words. But it's necessary to doubt sometimes. You were all mistaken from the start. Muramasa said once: 'Despite being a member of the Knights Dominion, she was able to converse normally.' What a shame, no one followed up on that observation, although I covered it up at the time by claiming it was the result of the mind-healing Wathe. ''Simply stated, this girl was not one of the Dominion's knights to begin with. Originally, she was''&mdash;"