Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume5 Chapter5 (section)

===Part 6===

While Haruaki and his group were still confronting Pakuaki whose mobility they had restricted&mdash;

There were two people in a corner of the training hall, looking at the fallen Oratorie. Looking at the woman who had lost her cursed tool, who had lost the Family head she looked up to for support, who had lost everything.

Bivorio caressed her own chest but the feeling remained entrenched. Namely, this was the feeling that she had forgotten until several weeks ago, which now felt as though it comprised over half of her existence&mdash;Guilt.

"Now that the surroundings are quiet, let me ask you the final question."

This voice came from Kururi standing beside her. Like Bivorio, she was also staring at the collapsed Oratorie with complicated emotions in her eyes. Without shifting her gaze, she took a breath&mdash;

"In your view, the current me... the current us&mdash;What are we?"

Guilt made Bivorio tremble and recall all sorts of past memories.

"...People who were invited to form an organization. People who advocated that Wathes were transcenders and that sacrificing everything for them was love. People who erroneously spread that doctrine. People who murdered and ordered others to die without any remorse in order to spread that erroneous doctrine."

"No, I said I'm talking about now, didn't I?"

Then like the answer to Kururi's first question earlier, Bivorio did not know.

"If you don't know, then think carefully. In the past, we were wrong. You were crying because you knew we were wrong, isn't that right? I saw it during the sports festival."

"I... don't quite remember. However... You're... right, perhaps... I really did cry."

"The cause should not be limited to Abyss' destruction alone. Even if that was one of the reasons, it shouldn't be the only one. But that's just my opinion&mdash;Am I right?"

"...I think.. that should be right. Actually, I've known from a long time ago, I knew that our past selves were clearly in the wrong. Using wrong reasons to gather problematic people, then taking wrong actions."

"But we had no choice but to do that."

This was stated calmly and sonorously. Bivorio looked towards the side of Kururi's face but Kururi remained facing forward, as though it were her duty to gaze upon Oratorie who had lost everything.

"Even if the reasons were wrong, we had no choice but to do that. After all, I accepted the Family's invitation myself but I had no other choice but to accept. Everyone was the same. Precisely because we belonged nowhere, wrong people could only band together to create a home for ourselves."

"That's... right, it was&mdash;the past... Family, steeped heavily in sin."

Bivorio thought to herself that she was equally responsible. Collapsed in the distance, Oratorie Rabdulmunagh's plight stood as evidence of the Family's guilt. Hence, Bivorio turned her gaze towards Oratorie again.

"The only ones who have realized this heavy sin are you and me. It once crossed my mind, what should I do? I also wondered, having lost our home, where could we find a new place to belong to?"

Kururi's family had committed suicide together, leaving her as the sole survivor. Furthermore, she had suffered long term abuse from her uncle and ended up killing him. Then imprisoned by the law, once that ended, she had found the wrong home in the Family.

Now, that home had finally come to an end.

Where should she go henceforth?

But as one who helped create the wrongs of that home, did she have a right to ask "where should she go henceforth?"

"Let me ask the same question again. Although it's very incompetent, let me very shamefully ask again. Having discovered the wrongs you have committed like me, you, a person who was like a mother to me in the past, what are your thoughts on a girl who was like your child in the past?"

Bivorio thought "Oh I see now" and understood.

Because Kururi wanted to know. Two people who had both lost their homes and both realized the wrongs they had committed&mdash;Weren't they both searching for a home to belong to?

"Perhaps... Like... family... I suppose. If that 'child' has no objections to this notion."

After all, Bivorio still cherished them. Whenever she looked at Kururi or Oratorie, she was thankful that they were still alive&mdash;She felt that from the bottom of her heart. But undeniably, there was also a selfish sense of comfort rising, feeling thankful that there will not be any new guilt. But at the same time&mdash;She could not deny feeling happy simply for the survival of these two who had once spent time with her in the past.

At this moment, Kururi finally turned her gaze towards Bivorio. But as soon as they made eye contact, she felt embarrassed and scratched her face. Then turning her face away, she said:

"Really? In that case, it can't be helped, since I've already decided what I'm going to do next. Because I already have nothing."

"Is it really okay? Despite knowing how heavy my sins are, who knows how I can atone for past wrongs?"

"Well.. In terms of 'who knows,' I'm no better than you. After all, I don't even know how I'm going to make a living, isn't that quite pathetic? Without anyone to teach me how to make a living, I'll surely die out on the streets... As for atonement, I'm fine with anything, except atoning by dying out on the streets, I can't accept that."

These words were delivered in her characteristically indifferent tone of voice. It counted as a sort of indirect encouragement.

Wanting severe punishment, wanting fatal punishment, those thoughts still remained. But at the very least, they must live on, the two of them who had fortunately survived.

If that was what she wanted, Bivorio was willing to provide a home to her who had become aware of the same committed sins&mdash;it did not matter even if it were a result produced by a process of elimination out of limited choices&mdash;furthermore, maintaining her identity as a mother, maintaining an identity like a mother.

"Well then, before things get complicated, we should get moving. On the other hand, what should we do with this woman?"

Kururi pointed to the woman in the swimsuit. Once she regained consciousness, who knew what could happen? But they could not just leave her unattended. Bivorio, who deserved to die, felt that she was alive only because of these two girls' existences.

"&mdash;May I request your assistance? I'm fine myself so I can still walk."

"Really? I understand."

As Kururi knelt down beside the woman, Bivorio wondered about Oratorie.

"Oratorie... Why was she trying to hunt down and kill that boy?"

"I don't know. I remember her saying that killing him would allow her to find out your location... I don't really get it. But there's no point in dwelling on it. After all, the incident is over."

Just as Kururi lifted Oratorie onto her back&mdash;

"Where are you going?"

Fear-in-Cube was looking back this way while the girl in the bondage suit was speaking privately with Yamimagari Pakuaki.

Kururi narrowed her eyes slightly and said:

"I don't know, but anyway, I think it's a place where cursed tools of torture and execution cannot be found. If you want to take your revenge on us, we who have committed all sorts of atrocities... I'm sorry to say this while you're exhausted, but you'll have to play with me next time."

"If you're going somewhere I won't see you again, I don't mind at all. But what you say is true. I'm very exhausted right now and too tired to play with a girl like you. However, hearing your answer has made me recover my strength. Let me ask you&mdash;Will we meet again?"

The meaning of her question was very easy to understand.

"You think there will be a happy expression that a certain person wants to see? How confident you are. I have no interest in that..."

Kururi looked over her shoulder slightly towards Bivorio, perhaps for confirmation?

Bivorio nodded and said:

"Supposing it is allowed, I believe... It would be best... if that chance does not come up."

Fear-in-Cube ended up sighing deeply and waving her hand.

As though extremely astounded.

It also seemed like she was saying "How inane."

"Well said, that would be best. Of course. Hence, that 'supposing' is meaningless, because that chance will definitely not come up. In other words, I won't have to see you people ever again. Frankly, that's wonderful separation... Just hurry and go wherever you want to go!"

Then the motions of her hand changed as though she were shooing Bivorio's group to leave. At this moment, Yamimagari Pakuaki suddenly began to laugh like a maniac, attracting the silver-haired girl's attention. Then she never looked at Bivorio's group again&mdash;

Such disregard, such scorn, it was like a curse.

In the future beyond, Bivorio would never forget. Neither could she escape&mdash;Moreover, it was accompanied by intense pain. Only those particular words were capable of expressing what she wanted to say.

Cursed, Bivorio lightly saluted towards the back of the silver-haired girl, then turned around and left with Kururi.

Exiting the training hall, she asked:

"Where are we going next?"

"Who knows. In my view, we should first go over to the river ahead."

Bivorio did not understand why. Just as she looked at Kururi in puzzlement, Kururi tugged at the mascot costume's collar and frowned:

"&mdash;I want to find a place to rest and cool down. This costume is too damned hot."
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Bivorio smiled. She could not remember when exactly she had last giggled like this, far in the past.

Without any objections to Kururi's suggestion, she followed.

After a while, she realized that the cross' fragment had disappeared from her hand.

But she did not feel any desire to go back and search for it.