Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume9 Chapter4 (section)

===Part 4===

After clearing up Konoha's misunderstanding with great difficulty, Haruaki made a trip back to the Hayakawa residence together with Chihaya first. After bringing back necessary equipment to the kitchen garden, the entire team was already mobilized, having started their task of protecting the field. Everyone was already drenched but no one&mdash;well, except for Shiraho who was hiding beneath a large tree and glaring with extreme resentment&mdash;No one minded.

"The slope's structure is like this... Supposing the water flows over here, it will most likely come from that side. So a few more gutters need to be dug in this direction..."

"I see now, I get it. Mechanism No.19 gouging type, spiral form: «Human-Perforator»!"

After Konoha gestured to give directions, Fear wielded her massive drill and started digging the surface in the field's surroundings. Considering how drills were normally used, this was actually not far from its original purpose, but since Haruaki had only seen Fear use it as a weapon, the sight seemed quite unfamiliar.

Konoha disappeared into the forest after giving instructions. Then shortly after, the sound of trees falling could be heard. Presumably, she was chopping trees down further away in consideration of the drainage effects of losing trees in the field's surroundings.

"Okay~ Everybody do your best~! Come on, one-two, one-two!"

Waving her arms, Sovereignty was leading a group of strange fellows out from the forest where Konoha was cutting trees down. These were crude wooden dolls created by carving tree trunks into humanoid form (probably Konoha's creations), carrying logs in their arms as they advanced. The scene was quite surreal.

Meanwhile, Kuroe was turning her hair into steel wires then severing them to wrap around vegetables as support. Helping out in this task were also Kirika and the fifteen bells of Isuzu.

"Looking at it again, this scene is really super weird... Good heavens."

"You guys are the only weirdos here. We're very normal."

"I-I don't agree with that... Say, apart from Isuzu, all the others have showed up, although I still can't tell them apart."

"Because apart from Isuzu, the rest's only limitation is not being able to speak or cast spells. At the very least, they can be used as simple labor."

Naturally, Isuzu's comrades had all picked up the soiled shrine maiden outfits from the ground and worn them. Haruaki breathed a sigh of relief for that while putting down the vinyl tarp and other equipment brought from the Hayakawa family's storeroom. Hence, Kuroe, Kirika and Isuzu's group came near.

"Uwah, the rain is so heavy now... Although it's only temporary support, the vegetables' reinforcement task is complete~"

"A vinyl tarp? We do need that. Also, the wind is blowing stronger and stronger... Looks like the typhoon-class tropical depression isn't an exaggeration at all. Anyway, we just have to try our best to do what we need to do."

"What should Isuzu do next~?"

"..." "..." "..." As though saying "me too, me too," the other kagura bells were nodding silently as they gathered around.

"Hey, don't press your identical faces close to me, it's very creepy! There are still many things to do. Anyway, I've brought all the shovels, so half of you should go help the silver-haired girl to dig gutters! Next is&mdash;"

While everyone was busy with their respective tasks, Konoha returned from the forest. Presumably, she had finished cutting down all the trees they needed. Then she sliced up the logs brought back by Sovereignty's wooden dolls to create many wooden boards.

"Set these wooden boards upright in the surroundings to act as fences. But too many will block drainage so don't surround the kitchen garden completely. Well, as for hammering down the boards... I guess we don't have any tools. Then just rely on that child's convenient carpentry tool."

"Who are you calling a carpentry tool? I'll curse you! Damn it, but there's no other way... Mechanism No.22 bludgeoning type, spike-ball form: «Morgenstern», Curse Calling! Shameless Shrine Maiden Number Whatever over there, come here and hold the board for me!"

Hence, Fear started lining up wooden boards around the field and hammering them into the ground using the massive steel club.

"Okay, then it's our turn to dig gutters in Fear-chan's place, right? Okay, you guys work faster~! There's not much time left, move it!"

Sovereignty's wooden dolls lined up in a row and thrust their hands into the ground in unison to dig the soil. Having reached this point already, however, Haruaki still could not help but think: How convenient in times like these. Nevertheless, it still felt very surreal.

Haruaki and the remaining people started to cover the vegetables with the vinyl tarp. Simply spreading out the folded tarp was enough to feel the strong gusts of wind. The tarp kept fluttering nonstop, making flapping noises.

Just as each person caught one of the four corners of the vinyl tarp, trying to cover up the vegetable garden, the wind suddenly blew harder all at once, rivaling the gales unleashed by Isuzu and her comrades earlier. Next, as though carried by the wind, the rain also increased suddenly in volume. Haruaki even found it difficult to see Kirika on the other side of the tarp.

"Woah! Th-This is terrible!"

"L-Looks like the actual storm is coming... This is... absolutely ridiculous...!"

"Sovereignty, how are you doing with the gutters!?"

"W-We're trying our best~! There's already a lot of water flowing into them, so I guess we should dig deeper, right!?"

"Then we're relying on you. But don't push yourself too much!"

"Take that! Th-This should do...? Oh man, all the fences we put up have started slanting so soon!? Damn it, Shameless Shrine Maidens, let's do it again! Follow me!"

From the other side of the rain water curtain, yelling from Konoha and Fear could be heard. Currently, due to the rumbling wind and rain, it was impossible to talk without shouting over the noise.

However, there was no time to be worrying about others right now. Crouching on the ground, pulling the tarp against the astounding force of the wind, Haruaki's group finally managed to cover up the vegetable garden.

"Woah... Simply holding this down is very difficult...! What's with this wind!?"

"That's right, Yachi. You go find some rocks to weigh it down! I'll hold down your end using the «Black River» for now!"

"G-Got it. Say, this really no different from a typhoon. If I hold an umbrella, I'll probably fly!"

Haruaki remarked as he was about to set off in search of rocks&mdash;

"Wah~"

"Woah! K-Kuroe~!"

Sensing there was something blocking the rain above, Haruaki suddenly looked up to find Kuroe actually flying in midair. Opposite to one end of the tarp which was being held down by the kagura bells, the other side had flown up due to the wind pressure. With Kuroe holding onto a corner of the tarp, she was flying like Superman with the tarp fluttering in the wind. Her light body weight was totally not enough for weighing down the tarp.

"Ohoh... I've finally gained the ability of flight... Invincible!"

"Hey Kuroe, is this my imagination or do you actually look happy!? That's too dangerous, hurry and find a way to get back down!"

"Muu, I'm discovered. But now is not the time for playing... I'll come down~"

Kuroe tied her hair into a bundle and managed to wrap it around a tree trunk on the side. The tree was already slanted due to the wind. With Kuroe's added force, it bent down even further. Slowly shortening the hair like a winch, Kuroe finally managed to land on the ground. Haruaki breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hmm~ Looks like I can only help out while using this tree as my base. Haru, you be careful too~"

"Yeah! Say, we just need to find heavy rocks to take our place, that should barely manage... Uwah!"

Who knew if it was a remnant from Konoha's logging or snapped by the strong wind, a large tree branch flew through the air towards Haruaki. Ducking down on the ground, he barely managed to evade it.

"Th-There's no time to go find rocks... While I'm slowly looking for rocks, the tarp could very well get blown away!"

Once the tarp was gone in the wind, retrieving it would be virtually impossible. Currently, even standing was difficult. Using all four limbs, Haruaki scrambled back to his original position beside the tarp.

"Class Rep, I'm sorry, it looks like there's no other choice! Anyway, before the wind subsides, all we can do is hold it down with our weight!"

"R-Really? I understand! You be careful too!"

Passing through the curtain of rain water, the «Tragic Black River» extended along the ground and wrapped several times around his waist. She was probably hoping to provide him with a bit more support. Haruaki felt very grateful.

"Hey Cow Tits, are you helping out to weigh things down!? Now is the time to make use of your body's characteristic to put up an active performance!"

"What do you mean by that!? I'm the one who should be jealous of your constitution that won't be blown away by the wind easily, or rather, I should say weight!"

"What did you say!? I'll curse you!"

Fear and Konoha were apparently applying their strength to hold down the tarp as well. "Hyah~!" Suddenly, there was a scream. Haruaki looked over there to see Sovereignty and her team of wooden dolls also holding down the tarp.

"S-So cold~! But I will do my best, everybody do your best too~! Ah... Eh?"

"Arghhh, I've had enough! Yes, the wind and rain is so strong, it's cold as hell! It's the same for me, so whatever!"

"Shiraho..."

At some point in time, Shiraho had appeared beside Sovereignty, her beautiful face soiled by dirt and rain water. While wrapping her arms around her lover's shoulders, she held down the tarp with her hands and feet like Sovereignty.

"...In these conditions, hiding under a tree to get away from the rain is completely meaningless. Cold and wet, this is truly the worst. Compared to that unreliable tree, I might as well lean against a certain warm and serious person whom I love, which would be a thousand times better."

"Ehehe... Thank you, Shiraho!"

"I-It's not like I've done anything that requires your thanks! Don't you get the wrong idea, Sovereignty!"

Everyone was giving their all, desperately protecting this vegetable garden from the storm. Due to the great volume of rain water, the garden's ground was turning into a swathe of mud. Was this okay? But had Fear and the others not dug gutters for drainage, this would probably have turned into a sea already. The sound of water rushing into the makeshift gutters could also be heard amidst the rain. The fences, erected through Fear and the shrine maidens' cooperation, also shook under the strong wind, making creaking sounds. Those fences were probably straining to help them block water that had not flowed into the gutters, as well as foreign objects like dirt and debris washed by the water.

The end seemed to be nowhere in sight. Due to the cold, Haruaki could not feel his hands that were holding down the tarp. He could not even be sure if he was applying force. Nevertheless, Haruaki still laid his entire body against the tarp and continued to hold it down.

(How much longer... will this... last...!?)

Nothing could answer the groans in Haruaki's heart.

Only the wind and rain continued to strengthen mercilessly.



What a bunch of weird people&mdash;Chihaya thought to herself while devoting all her strength to holding down the tarp.

This had nothing to do with them. This was simply her own selfish wish. Selfish willfulness.

However, why were these guys trying so hard?

(None of my business...!)

Leaving reasoning behind. What was right? What was wrong? What used to be right? What used to be wrong? None of these questions mattered at all.

Also, she only knew&mdash;

Inside her heart, there was indeed&mdash;A wish.

Wanting to protect her mother's treasure, the place for her return, a wish to protect this kitchen garden.

However, that was all.

Apart from this, nothing else mattered. There was no need to contemplate now.

Chihaya poured her strength again into holding down the tarp. Icy-cold rain. Exhaustion. Hazy consciousness. Were Isuzu and the rest okay? She suddenly felt worried and looked up. In the next instant, a piece of dirt, blown by the wind, flew into her mouth like a bullet. Frowning, she straightened her body lightly and was just about to spit out the dirt&mdash;

Suddenly, a gale began to blow, more powerful than ever. Although only her upper torso was blown by the wind, her exhausted body could not withstand even this. Blown over by the wind, she rolled on the ground.

Crap. Crap. Crap.

Having lost Chihaya's weight, the vinyl tarp was lifted up as violently blowing wind rushed underneath it, trying to flip it up from inside. Chihaya could see Isuzu and the rest, their faces showing equal exhaustion from holding down the tarp, stumble as they unsteadily tried to press down the suddenly billowing tarp. However, redundant movements were fatal. Compared to when they were lying prone, more wind poured beneath the tarp, totally throwing the situation into complete disarray.

Disruption at one spot created a chain reaction and gradually began to spread. Beneath the curling vinyl tarp were the vegetables that Mom had cared for attentively before she was hospitalized, whose role was then taken over by Chihaya. Cabbage, spinach, turnip&mdash;as well as the Chinese cabbage that Mom looked forward to the most. Although every vegetable had some minimal support, all their leaves were drooping while their stems leaned slanted, screaming silently. If exposed directly to the wind and rain, they would surely not last. The entire field's ridges and furrows would probably turn into a complete mess. 

Clearly Mom was looking so forward to it, clearly harvest was fast approaching, clearly she had taken care of them till now. Clearly she had desperately devoted her full effort to take care of them, for the sake of letting Mom return here with a smile.

Were all these efforts for naught?

Mom's treasures, Mom's place to return, were they going to be destroyed?

No way. No way. Unacceptable. They must be protected well. I must protect them well&mdash;

Chihaya reached out desperately but could not catch the tarp. It was too late. At this moment, the blue sheet of vinyl plastic suddenly flipped up violently. Chihaya was struck by a sense of despair as though everything was coming to an end. Just as Chihaya was about to close her eyes because of that&mdash;

A certain person, apart from her, reached out and held down the blue fabric.

This person was dressed in white attire, symbolizing the sacred just like her shrine maiden outfit, however, his back was currently stained by dirt and rain water.

It was her father.

"Wh-What is this? Why... are... you here...?"

Even though his eyes were narrowed due to the rain, he still turned his head to face Chihaya and chuckled:

"I was thinking you'd surely be here. At the very least, I still know what you're thinking... Because you are my daughter."

Ahhh.

Harboring the same wish, she was not alone.

There was this... as well.

(...We... really are like fools...)

While thinking that, Chihaya crawled slowly beside him.

What had they been doing all this time? It was almost like&mdash;like a pair of bells, ringing at each other without making a sound, each hoping to catch the other's attention, throwing temper tantrums as though saying "why aren't you willing to understand me?"

Clearly that would not have worked in getting noticed.

Clearly... All they needed to do was speak up.

By speaking, surely the lost sounds of bell-ringing could be replaced, to become the echoing sound sufficient to transmit wishes to a certain person.

Hence&mdash;

"...Thank you."

Whispering as though murmuring to herself, Chihaya once again held down the vinyl tarp firmly beside him.


As for whether the minute bell-ringing could be transmitted successfully, surely, only the gods would know.
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==Translator's Notes and References==
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