Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume4 Chapter3 (section)

===Part 6===

A cursed pot. A vessel for ''gu'' poison. The Indigo Venom Technique.

The girl had described herself in these ways. In order to witness her power, the group had made their way to the warehouse by the sea. "Luckily, I still remember this location." The Matriarch murmured, but Kururi did not quite understand.

"Preparations are apparently in order." Saying that, the Patriarch left for somewhere. In less than two hours, he brought back things that did not quite match him.

Dogs. A Norwich Terrier, an American Cocker Spaniel and a Schipperke.

"I only found these despite my haste. Not a bad catch, I suppose?"

"Uh... What will they be used for?"

The following was heard from the girl who used the situation to introduce the explanation:

So-called ''gu'' poison involved sealing several animals or bugs into a vessel and having them cannibalize one another&mdash;Then the sole survivor, which became something like a familiar, could be used as a catalyst for curses. An ancient spell technique. Like hammering nails into straw effigies, it was a method for cursing people.

Whether such methods could actually curse people, there was no consensus. But back in times before the maturation of science and medicine, there was no way for a person to refute claims even if one were to tell them that the cause of their illness or suffering was "the curse I placed on you." If the caster believed it, the cursed victim believed it, and all the surrounding people believed it, then a curse became truth. Consequently, a true "curse" would arise from everyone involved in the curse that was impossible to prove&mdash;those who suffered, those who died, those who were left behind&mdash;thereby causing the vessel to become truly cursed. By devouring creatures, making it their home, ''gu'' poison could indeed be prepared from the vessel for harming people.

"Human imagination truly astounds me. For a real curse to be born from a nonexistent curse. In any case, she said that she can still employ that original method to produce ''gu'' poison if she were to revert to her original form as a pot. However, due to the curse, she can apparently create the venom even in human form as well, and in greater amounts with more materiality in her powers, to create existences that are literally familiars."

"How is it done?"

The Patriarch's answer was simple and easily understood.

&mdash;Having her kill living creatures under particular circumstances.

"All the creatures killed by her are apparently transformed into ''gu'' poison under her control. Currently, she seems to be able to maintain several of them, but for our purposes, the more the better. As a demonstration, we are asking her to go through the process of creating more venom."

Hence, Kururi understood how the dogs in his arms were going to be used.

&mdash;A sharp pain.

Something was hurting, in the very depths of Kururi's heart, the pit of hell in her subconscious that she could not find even if she wanted to.

Unable to confirm that feeling, Kururi's awareness was brought back to reality by the Patriarch's next words.

"Very well, let us begin. Would you like to watch as well?"

"...Yes."

A sharp pain&mdash;Something else was stinging again, but Kururi deliberately drove the thought away.

Whatever, anything was fine. As long as she could be together with him, behind him. Whether meters or centimeters, as long as she could stay somewhere close to him.

Entering the sealed warehouse together with him, she entered the warehouse that was akin to a sealed vessel.

Then.

Then&mdash;


''Puchz''.


"! ...H-Huff..."

By the time Kururi regained her senses, she was outside the warehouse. The stench of blood lingered in the depths of her nostrils. Her body felt as stiff as frozen ice. She felt compelled to vomit. Why? A sharp pain. Stinging pain. Nikaidou Yutaka. Who was that? Although she had an older sister, she had no brothers. And the older sister had jumped off a cliff, together with their father and mother. Was it her uncle's name? Maybe. As much as she did not want to remember, somehow the name barged itself into her mind.

"Even though you have murdered before, you cannot bear the death of animals?"

"Ah... No, this..."

"It does happen, you know? Perhaps precisely because they are fragile creatures, they evoke pity in others."

Seeing the Patriarch standing behind her, smiling wryly, Kururi felt ashamed and embarrassed. Forcing her vomit and saliva back into her stomach, she straightened her back.

"I'm fine. Sorry about that."

"Very well. In any case, the entire process truly compels me to praise the Lord."

"In other words, the girl's ability is accepted?"

"In terms of combat potential, truly top class. Now my calculations can proceed."

"So, next is handling Fear-in-Cube...?"

He shook his head:

"Didn't I tell you already? Relying on strength is not a simple matter. What I mean by 'calculations' is what happens afterwards. The conclusion is&mdash;Alice has made her decision to start a war with the Lab Chief's Nation."

War. A term that was furthest removed from Japan.

"Hence, we must first establish a solid foundation. Scattered across the world, the various Family members will be ordered to act&mdash;And our plan for tomorrow... This is it."

He took out a piece of paper from his suit pocket. Kururi casually received it. Printed on this worthless-looking paper, there was some text and a map.

"Sports festival...?"

"We picked it up just now. Alice was very interested and it apparently coincides with 'conditions' demanded by Aiko. In preparation for the coming moment, we decided to stock up in venom here, all at once. Haha, Alice's sudden whims always astound me."

What on earth&mdash;could that mean&mdash;?

Just as Kururi stared blankly at the contents of the flyer, he placed his hand on her shoulder. A warm hand. This simple act was enough to make her whole body gradually feel hot and she became unable to think.

"Kururi, in the near future, the Family's situation will probably undergo dramatic upheaval. I will not change and neither will Alice&mdash;But very likely, there will be changes in the members of the Family. Amidst all this, I hope you will become the one who shoulders the responsibility for the next generation of Family members. I have great expectations for you."

"Yes... Yes!"

Such elating words. With just this sentence, nothing else mattered&mdash;Kururi thought to herself again. However&mdash;


She saw the figure of Tateoka Aiko in the warehouse at this moment.


Aiko's face was extremely blank. She stood there, her entire body listless.

And her hands were smeared with fresh blood.

"...I did it. Did it. No choice but to do it. Because otherwise, they won't help me. Hence, hence, hence, hence, hence, hence, hence, hence..."

She kept trembling and feebly spoke in monotone like a broken musical instrument. She must really be broken. Broken by her own wish.

"Ohoh. In any case, you should take a break until tomorrow."

Hearing his words, Aiko slowly looked up from her incessant and blank murmuring.

"Tomorrow... I have to... do it too?"

"I'll be greatly troubled otherwise. It's nothing much, everything will end in an instant."

"Once... Everything... ends, will you really... really..."

Displaying an extremely gentle smile, he approached Aiko. His hand left Kururi's shoulder.

"Yes, once everything ends, I will fulfill your wish. Undoubtedly, I will fulfill your wish."

"..."

Then he&mdash;

Caressed her head with tender affection, as though she were his own child.

He was stroking the head of the girl whose trembling blood-smeared hands had just extinguished several lives.

&mdash;A sharp pain.

The vomiting impulse had returned. It even felt several times stronger. So disgusting so disgusting so disgusting&mdash;

Kururi broke into a run. Her singleminded wish was not to let him witness her embarrassing moment.

With no idea what path she had taken, she ran into a back alley where there were few people. Finally, she reached her limit and could run no longer.

Vomit. While experiencing a stinging pain somewhere, she vomited. Blood. Yutaka. An unrecognized name.

Just at this moment, she felt someone's presence. Startled, she looked up to see&mdash;

Before her eyes was a glasses-wearing embodiment of murderous intent, silently approaching.