Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume9 Chapter1 (section)

===Part 6===

A typical yet traditional method of cursing someone.

Because it was too typical, and too out of fashion as well, Haruaki could not help but doubt his eyes. But there was no mistake.

"Die! Be cursed! Die! Die&mdash;!"

Over there were two humans, both girls. One girl was yelling horrific dialogue with a deep, hoarse voice while holding long nails and a hammer in her hand. Her other hand was holding an object against a tree trunk while nails were being hammered into it&mdash;naturally, a straw effigy.

The girl, who had been hammering nails all along, exhaled and straightened her back. Then she said to the other girl:

"Might as well curse the second person as well. Isuzu, stick your head forward."

"Awww, please allow me to say in fear and trepidation... Umm, it really hurts when you're pulling it out~..."

"If you refuse, I'll make you suffer even more pain. Or would you rather pull out your fingernail for me to use?"

"...I choose the head~"

The other person&mdash;a girl called Isuzu&mdash;leaned forward lightly while maintaining her smiling demeanor. The girl with the hammer reached towards her head and violently pulled off a strand of her long hair. "Oww." Still smiling, Isuzu held her head as though in great pain but without even throwing her a glance, the other girl stuffed the hair into a new straw effigy she had taken out from her shoulder bag. The straw effigy that was being nailed earlier was now akin to a bed of nails without any room for more. After securing the new straw effigy on the side, the girl took out a sheet of paper from her shoulder bag, looked at it for a few seconds and&mdash;

"The target's name... How do I read this? Yotsubaki...? Yotsubaki Takeharu! Die! Be cursed! Go rot! Die, die, die die die!"

The girl began to hammer nails repeatedly again. The other girl continued to smile while watching this scene unfold.

Haruaki shuddered. What was this about? What was going on?

"Die, die! Drown in a sea of your own yellow vomit! You'd best be raped by smelly homosexuals! Be cursed, be cursed, be cursed no matter what! Come, come, come... Hmm?"

"Oh dear."

At this moment, the girl who was cursing the straw effigy viciously while hammering nails, as well as the girl watching beside her, finally noticed Haruaki's group. The girl stopped hammering while the other girl continued to smile quietly as they both turned to look at the new arrivals. Rather than showing signs of fleeing or surprise, they simply stared.

Haruaki was doubting his eyes not only because of the act in progress but also due to his disbelief to see people like them engaging in such an act. A witching hour imprecation was a spell for cursing others. This type of cursing spell was absolutely irreconcilable with the girls' existences. Rather, it was diametrically opposed to their position. But why&mdash;

Why were these girls, dressed as shrine maidens, performing such an act?

"Hmph... So you guys must be the 'interlopers' huh?"

The girl with the hammer sneered and nodded in understanding for some reason.

Despite wearing a shrine maiden's outfit, she did not quite resemble a shrine maiden. Although there was a pair of thin-rimmed glasses on her domineering face, the girl did not give off any airs of a bookworm. Her shoulder-length hair was dyed an ostentatious color. With just a t-shirt on her upper body, the only part of her attire resembling a shrine maiden's was the red hakama. Perhaps due to the exertion of hammering the nails, her sleeves were rolled up to her shoulders in spite of the cold winter night, exposing a pair of arms with their pale complexion. A shoulder bag was hanging by a long strap that was buried in her cleavage, emphasizing the bulging of her well-proportioned bosom. Haruaki found himself a little unable to look straight at the girl.

Furthermore, apart from her upper torso, her lower body was equally inappropriate to stare at. The slits on the sides of her red hakama were even more wide open than those of a usual hakama. But because the girl was wearing a t-shirt instead of a white robe with a long hem as her top&mdash;Naturally, the high slits of her red hakama were offering tantalizing glimpses of her snow-white thighs all the way up to her hip area.
[[image:C3 09-071.jpg|thumb]]

"Hah, the great pervert is staring at my thighs. How disgusting. Do you have a shrine maiden fetish? By the way, I'm not wearing panties. Does that make you even more aroused? Hmm, what a pervert. It's best that you get cursed. Best that you die. I'll need to jot this down: 'Today I encountered a pervert for the first time in a long while'..."

The girl returned her hammer to her bag and took out a cellphone instead, then she began to operate the buttons with one hand. Haruaki thought she was just mocking him, but was she actually recording the event for real?

"Please allow me to say in fear and trepidation, Chihaya-sama, wouldn't things be fine if you wore a normal outfit in the first place?"

"Then it makes things pointless. However, there may also exist perverts who are more aroused by the basic shrine maiden outfit. Then I'll leave those perverts to you. Puff out your chest and receive a visual rape in my place, Isuzu."

"Please allow me to remark in fear and trepidation, that's such an awful thing to say~"

Despite calling it awful, the girl named Isuzu continued to maintain her serene smile. She was a girl who gave off an impression like a senior, older sister, and she was wearing a standard shrine maiden outfit indeed. Her long, black hair curved mildly inwards at the tips and inexplicably gave off an air of purity that was very much consistent with a shrine maiden's essence. Compared to the deep, hoarse voice of the girl named Chihaya, Isuzu's manner of speaking was as clear and pleasant as the sound of silver bells.

"It's nothing unusual for the shameless brat to be violating girls with his eyes. I'll just have to teach him a lesson later. So, what are you two doing?"

Fear asked stiffly. As though looking down at them, Chihaya laughed while continuing to operate her cellphone.

"You still don't know after seeing it? Oh, so you don't get it because you're a foreigner? This is called a witching hour imprecation. I'm currently cursing someone."

"You said... curse...!"

Fear bit her lower lip hard. This was only natural, Haruaki thought. To these girls, who came into self-awareness as a result of curses&mdash;These words carried special significance.

"My advice is you'd better stop what you're doing."

"I agree with Ueno-san. Curses are ominous things that only serve to cause misfortune to befall others."

"Especially since you're using straw effigies... From my standpoint, I have no choice but to stop you~"

"Thank you for your advice but I won't stop. I already expected you people to say something like this, being interlopers after all, but I am not obliged to listen at all."

"Y-You idiot! You have absolutely no idea what will happen, Shameless Shrine Maiden! Hey Cow Tits, hurry up and give her a lecture! With boobs that has yet to match yours in ugliness, together with glasses like you... If this continues, you won't have any personal characteristics to distinguish yourself anymore! But actually, I don't really care!"

"Why are boobs and glasses my only personal characteristics!? Whatever, let's disregard this child's words for now, but cursing others really isn't a good thing. Although I've no idea what extenuating circumstances might cause you to do this, could you please stop in any case?"

"I refuse. This is my freedom. By the way, I don't actually have any extenuating circumstances... I'm just doing this because of work."

"Work...?"

Konoha frowned. Chihaya nodded lightly.

"That's right, I'm a curse expert. I only accept requests from customers who harbor resentment in their heart, then I simply perform curses on their behalf. Even if I curse people to die, I don't know them at all apart from their names... So there's no guilty conscience at all. Besides, it earns money so there are no downsides to me at all."

"That sounds even more despicable...!"

Haruaki groaned. Although he did not believe that witching hour imprecations had any actual effect, they were definitely nothing good either. Even though she was performing them on behalf of others, human malice did exist in the process. When negative thoughts and feelings such as human malice are continually released intensely over a long duration&mdash;A "curse" could very well be planted for real: upon the straw effigies nailed to the trees as well as the nails and hammer in her hand.

Fear and the girls seemed to be thinking the same thing as their expressions became even more grim.

"A curse expert? All I can say is that it's truly an absolutely ridiculous line of work..."

"Indeed. Are you actually unaware that this has already strayed from humane behavior? And to wear a shrine maiden outfit intentionally as well... Although I have no idea what your relationship is, the lady over there, if you have her best interests in mind, you really should try to stop her."

"Please allow me to say in fear and trepidation, that's because this is something that Chihaya-sama already decided~"

The shrine maiden named Isuzu shook her head while answering calmly.

"Hmph, this girl isn't going to oppose me. She's my flunkie. My slave. Should she dare complain, I'll beat her up in the next instant... Say, how much longer are you going to continue this 'none of my business' attitude while keeping your distance from me? These guys are almost about to make a move so hurry up and get ready, you idiot!"

"Owww, it hurts, Chihaya-sama..."

"Hurting you is the point!"

Chihaya pinched Isuzu's cheek and pulled hard to make her move, shifting Isuzu's position to in front of her, using her as a shield against Haruaki's group.

Konoha frowned at this action but a few seconds later, signs of suspicion surfaced on her face. However, Fear did not notice and simply exploding with impatience.

"Hey, stop it right there! This is going too far!"

"I already said she's my flunkie, so it's got nothing to do with you people, right? If you have no other business, please take your leave. Our work is done already. If you guys are here for the New Year's first shrine visit, stop wasting your time in this kind of place. There's nothing interesting about this musty old shrine, but at least they serve spiced sake and amazake."

"We've already done the New Year's first visit and drank the amazake! What we need to do now is stop your stupid cursing behavior! Give the straw effigies and nails to me! In any case, I must make you stop doing this!"

Fear strode her way aggressively towards the delinquent shrine maidens. Chihaya cracked a grin and gave Isuzu's back a shove in Fear's direction. Fear continued to advance without taking out her Rubik's cube. This was only natural. Since Fear was no ordinary person, even a prim and proper shrine maiden in her way would pose no hindrance. Haruaki expected Fear to subdue Chihaya effortlessly and take the cursing tools away from her hands&mdash;

Just as he thought that&mdash;

Smiling, Isuzu tilted her head in puzzlement towards Fear.

"...Please allow me to say in fear and trepidation, I am truly sorry~ Because these are Chihaya-sama's orders~"

Maintaining her serene smile, she raised one arm, clad in the sleeve of her white robe. Instantly, Konoha's face was filled with alarm.

"! I knew it... Be careful, Fear-san! That person is the same as us&mdash;!"

"Muu?"

Just as Fear frowned in puzzlement, Isuzu exclaimed in a singing voice:

"&mdash;Akin to strong winds from high mountains, capable of blowing away thick layers of clouds; akin to the winds of morning and evening, capable of blowing away the mist!"<!--the original JP is quoted from The Great Purification Norito Prayer-->

Ring! Instantly, there was an almost imperceptible sound of bells ringing, at the same time&mdash;

"N-Nuwawawa!?"

Fear was instantly surrounded by a tempest. The violent wind's aftereffects caused Haruaki's scarf to flutter intensely as well. Reflexively, he closed his eyes. When he reopened them again, he saw&mdash;

"Oh dear... Color Isuzu truly surprised~ Isuzu expected to blow you flying, but who could have thought that you're heavier than you look~"

"W-Who are you calling heavy? I'll curse you! That aside, what did you... do just now!"

Fear had turned the Rubik's cube into a drill and stabbed it into the ground. She was probably not blown away thanks to grabbing onto the hastily transformed drill. However, even without the drill to secure herself, given Fear's weight, she probably would have been fine after spinning a few circles.

After listening to Fear, Konoha narrowed her eyes, entered a combat stance and answered:

"Although I don't know what she did, I can understand why she has the ability to do so. It started bothering me from a while ago, but after seeing her attack just now, the answer is obvious&mdash;This person is one of our kind."

"A cursed tool... with human form?"

Haruaki asked quietly and Konoha nodded. Fear withdrew her drill from the ground and continued to glare at Isuzu warily. Meanwhile, Isuzu remained relaxed and inclined her head again in puzzlement.

"Oh dear... Fellow comrades? This is Isuzu's first time to meet fellow comrades!"

"Hmph, based on the current situation, you're not a comrade, okay? Just one of our kind. What's your true form? What actually happened just now?"

"Please allow me to say in fear and trepidation, Isuzu is exactly what the name implies<ref>'''Isuzu'''(伍鈴): the kanji ''i''(伍) means "five" while ''suzu''(鈴) means "bell."</ref>, a 'cursed bell' you see~ What you heard just now is called the Great Purification Norito Prayer&mdash;"

"Hold it right there, Isuzu. Now is not the time for talking about this. Say another unnecessary word and I'm gonna pinch you!"

"Oh, I am truly sorry~"

Isuzu retreated with nimble steps and returned to the angrily pouting Chihaya's side. Once Isuzu returned, Chihaya gave her head a knock before gazing at Fear's group once more.

"Oh... So there exist other things similar to Isuzu huh? The glasses girl and the shorty over there too? Or is it every single one of you?"

"Yes I am, but these two aren't!"

"However, we are interested parties."

Kirika's brief response drew a shrug from Chihaya.

"Interested parties huh! Whatever, it doesn't really matter. I don't have any business with you guys either... If you won't leave, then it can't be helped. We'll leave instead."

"W-Wait! We're not finished talking yet! With that girl before your eyes as an example, why won't you understand that curses are inauspicious! Don't curse people anymore!"

Chihaya coldly sneered and ignored Fear. Just as she turned to leave, she suddenly stopped.

"..."

"Isuzu?"

Frowning, Chihaya looked at Isuzu whom she had expected to follow. However, Isuzu stood motionlessly in the same position&mdash;For some reason, she had her hands against her ears as though trying to listen to mountain echoes.

During this time, Haruaki's group heard an extremely quiet sound that seemed to be coming from far away&mdash;bell ringing.

"Oh dear. This... Oh no... Isuzu really must try harder now..."

"Hey, I don't know what you heard, but talk about it later! We must leave now because these guys look like they will do something troublesome! Hey Isuzu, are you listening?"

"...Yes~ That's right, Isuzu must try harder... So, in this regard, perhaps this situation could be considered perfect. Yes, this is the only way..."

Chihaya pulled the collar of Isuzu's white top but she remained immobile as a mountain. Smiling serenely, accompanied by a slightly hazy gaze, Isuzu slowly looked at Fear and her companions one after another.

"It looks like everyone's luck is quite good... How wonderful~ Two people with Middle Fortune, one with Great Fortune, and two with luck better than Great Fortune... Yes? I see now, well then&mdash;"

Hearing Isuzu's whispers, Haruaki was shocked. Although he had no idea why she was commenting on this... Everything she said was right on target. Those were the results of the o-mikuji fortunes they had drawn at the shrine. Did she possess the ability to sense o-mikuji results? But what use was there for such an ability? And what would be the point?

Hearing those low whispers, Fear also displayed puzzlement on her face but she seemed to immediately understand what she needed to do. Perhaps to intimidate the other side, she waved the drill in her hand dramatically.

"Although I don't get what you're talking about... Our conversation is not finished in any case! I won't let you go so easily!"

Then she approached them. Isuzu continued to murmur with her eyes glazed over.

"Wait... Fear, don't get too violent...!"

"If I let something as stupid as a curse expert continue to exist, that doesn't count as helping anybody! Don't worry, I'll be careful not to injure them&mdash;as much as possible!"

"...Tsk."

At this moment, Haruaki heard Chihaya clicking her tongue impatiently at the immobile Isuzu. Chihaya reached into her bag, took out something and swiftly tossed in forward. In the next instant&mdash;

A flash of light erupted.

"So bright!"

"Woah, what's this!?"

A total surprise attack, probably something resembling a flash grenade. The large amount of light attacked their eyes that had already grown accustomed to the darkness, instantly robbing them of their sight. Despite closing his eyes, Haruaki still felt a stinging sensation beneath his eyelids and could not see anything.

"Arghhh, damn, it turns out bringing this along was the right decision... But since it's hand-made, the effects don't last too long! Isuzu, behave yourself and listen to me now! Hey, wait up!"

Chihaya's anxious voice was heard. What was happening?

Haruaki desperately blinked, trying to recover his vision as quickly as possible. during this time, outlines of objects finally became clear. Next to enter his view was the quiet forest and the cold moonlight, same as before, as well as&mdash;

"Muguu!?"

"...Huh?"

Incomprehensible. Inexplicable. Haruaki could not help but exclaim stupidly.

Probably using the flash grenade as cover to get close, Isuzu had approached Fear, lifted her face with both hands...

...''And stolen her lips''.
[[image:C3 09-082.jpg|thumb]]

"Mmm..."

Still with a serene expression, Isuzu was pressing her lips against Fear's mouth and exhaling lightly. Fear's face began to twitch slightly, shocked out of her senses while allowing Isuzu to do something between their lips. However&mdash;

"...! ...!! ...!!!"

Naturally, Fear could not continue to let Isuzu do as she pleased. Anger suddenly surged in her gaze as she vigorously pushed Isuzu aside. Without saying a word, Fear raised the drill in her hand, intending to attack but Isuzu leapt and distanced herself with her hakama fluttering, then&mdash;

"The Spirit, Ibukidonushi, who is the origin of the breath of life, will breathe and blow sins and impurities out to the ends of the underworld!"

Next, stronger wind began to blow, affecting an even greater area than earlier, throwing people off balance. Having just recovered her sense of balance from the earlier drunken haze, there was no way for Fear to resist this attack again. She plunged her drill into the ground to withstand the gust of wind but Haruaki and others could only roll helplessly along the ground. Only Konoha swiftly entered a defensive stance with both hands but this left her immobile as well.

"Ahh, jeez, what the heck are you doing!? Did you suddenly realize you're a lesbian? You idiot! Stop acting weird and you should've used this gust of wind from the beginning! Hurry and get going!"

"Please allow me to say in fear and trepidation, sorry for making you wait~ Let's go~"

Then the two girls disappeared among the trees. Konoha hesitated, wondering if she should chase after them, but finally decided to help Haruaki and the rest who were rolling on the ground. Pulling Haruaki up by the arm, she asked at the same time:

"Are you okay, Haruaki-kun?"

"Y-Yeah. Luckily, the ground underfoot isn't concrete. By the way, who are they actually?"

"Looks like they don't belong to any particular organization. Probably just a Wathe and the owner... Although that description doesn't quite capture everything they've done."

"A curse expert huh... I really wish they could change their mind."

Kirika and Kuroe also stood up. Then what should they do next? Should they chase after the two girls to convince them not to work as curse experts anymore? Or should they give up and return home&mdash;

Just as Haruaki pondered these matters, Fear waved her drill while approaching rapidly.

"...!"

With her face filled with anger, she pointed in the direction where the two girls had vanished. Let's chase them! &mdash;Was probably what she intended to say.

"I don't really mind... But what do we do after we actually catch them? This is different from last time when we punished the boys who stole offering money from a shrine. Also, since the girl has a cursed tool assisting her, who knows if a threat of 'you'll get cursed!' would be effective or not..."

"...! ...!"

Fear frowned while opening and closing her mouth. At this moment, Haruaki suddenly realized that something was off.

"Hey Fear... You, umm..."

"&mdash;!"

What? Haruaki could see her mouthing such a word, but no sound came out. At last, Fear also noticed her unusual condition and reached with her hand to touch her own throat, desperately trying to speak. In spite of that, no sound came out. Fear's face suddenly changed dramatically with an alarm realization, moving her lips nonstop as she approached Haruaki, furiously trying to express something.

Rendered speechless, Haruaki simultaneously understood the inexplicable behavior Isuzu had done to Fear as well as Fear's current symptoms. He believed these had to be linked.

Then combining the two events, there was only one natural conclusion. Although the underlying logic was unknown, neither did they know the other side's motives&mdash;There was probably no doubt about this.


''Isuzu had stolen Fear's voice''.
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==Translator's Notes and References==
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| Back to [[CubexCursedxCurious:Volume9_Prologue|Prologue]]
| Return to [[CubexCursedxCurious#Volume_9_.28Full_Text.29|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[CubexCursedxCurious:Volume9_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]
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