Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume5 Chapter5 (section)

===Part 5===

"So... What are we going to do, Class Rep?"

"You mean how should this man be dealt with, right?"

In response to Kirika's "What would you do?", Haruaki scratched his head and answered:

"Uh&mdash;Well, since he won't be bothering Fear anymore&mdash;"

"Obviously, this also means that he will give up on taking Ueno-san back."

Konoha spoke up, still in sword form. Fear nodded in agreement.

"&mdash;Hey, are you even listening?"

"Of course. From the way it looks, you don't plan on doing anything cruel to me, right? Oh my~ Thank goodness. Although it's quite strange for me to say this myself, I am quite a super VIP after all. If another organization caught me like this, it would not be strange if they decapitated me on the spot without another word."

Fear glared viciously at Pakuaki who was still being bound by the belt and continued:

"I will make another deal with you. That video you took should be enough to satisfy you, right? So don't you appear before me again because I don't want to take part in your research. If you dare refuse me, I'll instantly trample that video to oblivion."

"Oh... I see."

"Listen carefully to me! What I mean is this: Take that video back with you, but don't you dare approach me again! This is the greatest compromise I'm willing to make!"

"Hey Fear, is that really okay?"

Haruaki asked. Very reluctantly, Fear nodded.

"Of course I'm really mad about having ''that'' recorded. But to me, it's just a meaningless video. But to this guy, it counts as important research materials. Since that was also his goal for today, it should be fine to use it to make a deal. So, I compromised."

"Yes, very well. It's agreed."

So simple!

Haruaki's reaction was shared by everyone present. Skeptically, Fear looked up at Pakuaki's face and said:

"...Are you scheming in some way?"

"Not at all. I just think that it would be quite a shame to waste the obtained results. If you ask me not to approach you again, that's fine. After all, I need to spend time to analyze today's data for the time being."

"Not just for the time being, I'm asking you to stay the heck away forever!"

Pakuaki exhaled deeply. Closing his eyes and pondering for a moment, he opened one eye and said:

"...Understood. If a time comes when it cannot be avoided, I'll book an appointment with you beforehand."

"What's wrong with you, why aren't you listening? I already told you to stay away forever&mdash;!"

"I'm just talking hypothetically, after all, all sorts of situations could arise. For example&mdash;You might propose on your own to 'find out more about yourself.' You probably don't know everything about yourself, right?"

Fear went "Hmm" and frowned.

"...What do you know about me?"

"I'm saying this precisely because I don't know. Anyway, I'll need to sum things up to reach a conclusion first. I'll take the data from today and for now, you can&mdash;Oh wait, no."

He smiled then said:

"Without a prior appointment, I won't approach you again. Anyway, that's it."

"Hmm~ So that's how it ends... Really...? Oh right, there's still Kirika's matter! Kirika already said she quit the Lab Chief's Nation, but you said you're taking her back..."

"That's a separate matter from today's purpose. After all, I have given her important Wathes so that can't be ignored."

"You still...!"

Just as Haruaki prepared to rush forward, an arm suddenly reached out in front of him and stopped him. Fresh blood still remained on the arm but was slowly flowing back into the wounds&mdash;Kirika's arm.

"Yachi, Fear-kun and Konoha-kun, let me negotiate this matter with him. May I have a brief and private word with him, please?"



Once everyone else had backed off into the distance, Kirika confronted Pakuaki who was still bound by the belt.

"Okay, what do you want to talk to me about?"

"Let me confirm this first: did you really intend to take me back no matter what? Actually, that's probably just an excuse&mdash;A deliberate disguise for hiding your goal of observing Fear's powers up close. If you really wanted to take me back, there's no need to arrange such a strange treasure hunt. All you needed to do was blow up the school or something and simply threaten me. At least, that's what the Bivorio Family would have done."

"It really breaks my heart that you'd lump me with those people. I'm a good person. I can't possibly do that kind of thing."

What audacious words. Kirika tightened the «Tragic Black River»'s restraints slightly as she spoke:

"No, you're a villain. Just like how the Family's actions are motivated by their love and desire for Wathes, your actions are always motivated by your desire for knowledge. Don't get others involved just to satisfy your desires!"

"Indeed, there's that. My actions are indeed motivated by the desire to know, but you can't equate that with 'not caring about anything else.' You are my second goal too."

"Or rather, it's because of the two Wathes in my possession&mdash;the «Tragic Black River» and «Gimestorante's Love»&mdash;Right? Logically speaking, it's because you haven't researched them enough, right? How absolutely ridiculous! In the end, doesn't it ultimately boil down to desire for knowledge again!?"

Pakuaki did not answer. He simply smiled and stared straight into her face.

Kirika inhaled and exhaled. She repeated this action many times.

She did not want to resort to this method. If possible, she did not want to use it.

However, it could not be helped. There were no other solutions in sight, so she had to do this.

"...Kirika, don't give up. I won't give up either and I'll keep trying to take you back&mdash;"

"Yeah, I know. And once again it confirms... The fact that your actions are motivated by the desire to know. You really are a worst specimen of a man. However&mdash;However, precisely because of that, there is a solution."

Still looking down, Kirika murmured in a voice that was barely audible to Pakuaki.

"A solution, what could that be? I can't imagine one."

"...Let me tell you now. What 'you want to know'&mdash;I can give a new research theme. It's something that can only take place while I remain in this school. Although it's very simple, you'll definitely be very interested. Since even I myself am interested in it, I'm sure you'll find it even more interesting."

"Oh~ Although I don't really believe something like that could exist, but I'll listen as a matter of principle... What is it?"

Kirika looked up and clenched her fist involuntarily.

What sort of gaze was she showing right now? A gaze that attempted to shoot this man to death? A gaze of suppressed emotions? Or perhaps... A gaze of fear and unease?

No matter which one, it did not matter. She only needed to do one thing.

Namely, maintain eye contact.

Surely&mdash;that conveyed two meanings.


"<i>I've fallen in love</i>."


"...Aha... Hahaha... Hahahahahaha! Huha! Ahhh... Hahaha!"

Pakuaki suddenly burst out laughing and looked at Kirika up close. At the same time, Fear and the others, who were having a simple conversation with the people from the Family, also stared wide-eyed over here. Drats. Kirika frantically waved her hand to indicate "It's okay."

"Huff~... R-Really? Is that so!? I see! Kirika, that really is... truly exceptional&mdash;Huff... Ahahaha!"

"N-Not allowed to laugh! Also, keep your voice down!"

"Geh! Okay~ Got it, got it. I'd be in great trouble if my already deficient oxygen supply were to be cut off completely. However, guha! You're right, that really would be a most intriguing research theme. How would your love develop? Wearing the leather bondage suit which would kill her if removed, carrying the killer's belt that compels one to commit strangling murders&mdash;How would such a girl's love progress? How do you yourself think it'll turn out?"

"...How on earth would I know how it would turn out?"

Kirika answered honestly. Indeed, how could she possibly know?

"Haha, an excellent answer. Oh my~ Seriously, looks like this is an unknown that is so interesting that it cannot be predicted at all! To me, in terms of desire to know, this would be equivalent in level to a research theme of 'What can a tool of torture and execution, which has been cursed for a very very very long time already, do in the world of humans?'"

Indeed, to this man, the end result did not matter. Whether her love ended in oblivion as logic would dictate&mdash;or perhaps through some accidental miracle&mdash;it might actually bloom and bear fruit. Or any other result would be fine as well. All he wished to see was the process of that unknown turning into something known.

Hence, Kirika decided to make use of Pakuaki's desire. If it would allow herself to remain in this school, she had no choice but to make a sacrifice.

"...So, that is something you can only observe if I remain here. If you take me back, then that unknown will disappear, remaining unknown forever."

"How troubling, that's a threat directed towards me."

"Of course, I am threatening you."

She stared at Pakuaki with eyes of firm resolve. In response, Pakuaki shrugged helplessly.

"As expected of my little sister, you know me like the back of your hand&mdash;Very well, I will submit to your threat. For now, I won't force you to go back."

Kirika breathed a sigh of relief but she deliberately prevented that emotion from appearing on her face. However&mdash;

"But..."

"...But what?"

Pakuaki's speech caused her to return to a confrontational stance.

Seeing Kirika's reaction, Pakuaki giggled and smiled intriguingly:

"As much as I don't believe you were lying casually, but as a matter of principle, I still think it's necessary for you to show me&mdash;that thing called evidence."



Stroking his newly liberated neck, Pakuaki surveyed his surroundings. The training hall was filled with objects that were originally stored in «The World Seen by Alicia Pitrelli». He first picked up a CalorieMate box and while chewing on a biscuit, he casually picked up a few documents intuitively. Casually stuffing them into his pockets, he then loaded the unconscious Un Izoey onto his shoulder with a "Heave-ho!"

"The other documents shouldn't be that important. Speaking of a souvenir for Sekaibashi Gabriel... Consider this as liquidated damages. After all, there isn't that much important information. Ahhh~ Right, speaking of liquidated damages, just for the sake of amicable relations in the future, I'll leave behind a token gift first. Say, Fear-in-Cube, the remains of «The World Seen by Alicia Pitrelli» are over there by your feet, right? You're free to take it home and study it."

Fear knelt down and carefully picked up the kaleidoscope's remains. Then she frowned.

"Hmm... This is... an Indulgence Disk...! R-Right! Since you said you knew things that I don't know, I'd like to ask about this! Tell me, what on earth is this&mdash;"

Just as she looked up again, she saw Pakuaki retrieving a mask from the floor. An iron mask with spikes all over, looking as though it was supposed to be used in some kind of ritual.

"This thing is very ugly and I don't like it, but it can't be helped... Well then, we're going to take our leave for today."

As soon as Pakuaki wore the mask as he muttered, he disappeared along with the girl on his shoulder. This reminded Fear of the scene when Un Izoey was telling her about a secret trick. So that was a tool for making someone disappear.

"He disappeared... Hmph, damn it. Whatever, let's take care of the current situation. Say, Kirika."

"Are you okay? Were you able to talk things out...?"

"Cl-Class Rep."

For the first time after she had taken off Pakuaki's collar, Kirika took a good look at Fear and the group.

Her shoulders shaking slightly, she made an exhausted smile and said:

"&mdash;It's fine now, he seems to have abandoned taking me back by forceful means."

Haruaki finally relaxed, the Japanese sword was relieved and Fear felt her heart at ease. Spontaneously, she pounced on Kirika.

"Th-Thank goodness&mdash;! Although I'm not sure how it happened, this result is the best! That's really wonderful, Kirika! That means you can continue staying in this school!"

"Yes, that's right... Fufu, don't hold me so tight, some of my wounds still hurt."

"S-Sorry, anyway, it's wonderful!"

"Because I still haven't defeated Yachi's cooking skills, I won't allow him to flee while he's ahead."

"What? It's not like I want to flee while I'm ahead... Anyway, it's just as Fear said. This is wonderful."

"That's right. How relieving... As for the Family, judging from the way things are, they probably won't be back."

Konoha's words prompted Fear to look back. Two figures&mdash;plus Oratorie, that made three of them&mdash;had already disappeared. The only thing remaining was a certain white piece of debris that was abandoned on the floor as casually as a pebble.

"Hmm, the problem of those people is already solved. Oh my, so the whole incident finally comes to an end..."

"End... End... Crap, I just remembered!"

"W-What is it, Fear-san?"

"Isn't it almost time for the cultural festival to end? We have to get back to the shop to help with closing!"

"That's right. If we're still able to move, the least we could do is help with the final clean up. I think we've caused quite a lot of trouble for our classmates... But before we return, we should clean up our appearances somewhat."

Haruaki frantically cast his gaze aside, probably because he was reminded of the fact that Kirika was dressed in nothing but a bondage suit.

"T-That's true too. We need to help clean up. But even if we're going back, I hope you'll rest for a while first, Class Rep. Fear's uniform is also all tattered. By the way, we can't leave Fear's wounds untreated, continuing to bleed. Also, we need to ask Zenon-san to clean up the training hall&mdash;Come to think of it, not everything has ended. There's still a ton of work to do."

Haruaki rapidly finished his speech as though he were trying to hide the fact that Kirika's voluptuous figure was in his view all this time.

Glancing at the side of his face, Kirika sighed with a slightly gloomy expression and said:

"...Yes, there are still many important tasks to do."