Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume15 Chapter3 (section)

===Part 7===

She had always been a thing, so it was only natural.

Right now, she was also a thing. Henceforth, it would probably remain the same.

Painful. However, that pain now felt a bit distant. Feeling detached, Kirika stared at the meatbag known as herself rupture while red liquid gushed out.

The enemy kicked her then used the motion to pull out the spear at the same time. Kirika felt neither relief nor anger at this, simply thinking: pulled out, I see. After all, it was going to enter her body again after some time. Reluctance towards parting ways would be pointless.

"...How boring and killing the mood. It is only appropriate that something cursed by an ugly Wathe should beg for mercy in an ugly manner."

Kirika looked up at the expressionless helmet and spoke again after truly a long time since that the last. That said, not speaking would be fine too.

"Sorry... for not meeting your expectations..."

"Is sarcasm all you're capable of? No lowly screams? No mockable unsightliness?"

No. If the great knight before her wished for it, then it was definitely not going to happen. Since this answer was truly unnecessary to speak aloud, Kirika remained silent. Sleif clicked her tongue lightly.

"&mdash;Fully cursed existences should meeting their end in a fitting manner. Dying with unfettered despair and enlightenment is not a fate that a cursed sinner can choose."

Muttering that, Sleif oriented her helmet towards the ground as though thinking. But soon after&mdash;

"...Just a bit more. No matter, then I shall tell you."

Hearing that, Kirika could not help but ask. Amidst her vision that was dimmed by anemia, Kirika looked up desperately, staring back at Sleif's helmet.

"Tell me... what...?"

"Namely, ''why I am doing this and for what purpose your blood is being used''."

Then Sleif brought her lips to Kirika's ear.

Quietly&mdash;She released the answer&mdash;

"Ahhh, ahhh, ahhhhhhhh...!"

Starting from the instant when Kirika understood the meaning of her words...

Kirika kept trembling nonstop. Her entire body's temperature seemed to drop all at once. So cold. So dark. So frightening. Indeed, frightening&mdash;too frightening!

Staring wide-eyed, with breathing quickened, she looked at Sleif, who seemed slightly satisfied.

"Yes, this is the right gaze."

"You, you... You guys...!"

"Despair, for that is what suits the contemptible likes of your kind. Cry in ugliness, for that is what suits the contemptible likes of your kind. Beg for mercy, for that is what suits the contemptible likes of your kind&mdash;

"Oooh, ahhhhh, ahhhhhhhhhhh!"

With complete disregard for everything, Kirika struggled with her bound arms and legs, trying to smash her body towards Sleif and rip her throat apart with her teeth. However, the instant she straightened her back&mdash;

"Gah...!"

The spear stabbed into her heart once more. Earlier than expected, the cold blade returned.

"However&mdash;Anger is an exception. It only suits those whose happiness has been lost to curses."

Fresh blood gushed out of her mouth again. That did not matter. Too frightening. What Sleif planned to do was hopelessly and incomparably terrifying, even to the point that "absolutely ridiculous" could not be uttered aloud&mdash;

With pain and terror interwoven together, her consciousness was almost ripped to shreds. However, Kirika still cried out hoarsely as hard as she could.

"Uwa, ahhh! Kill me now! Kill... me now&mdash;!"

"Oh?"

"I beg you...! Rather than forced... to partake in that, I'd rather die...! I-I absolutely don't want that... to happen because of me...!"

"Even if you died, it will simply continue as before, using other people as substitutes. Asking me to increase the number of victims, as expected of a depraved woman even lower than animals."

Sleif remarked as though watching a good show:

"An ugly struggle on the verge of death, truly contemptible. Go ahead. Curse yourself and scream in despair while I use you until the last moment. Now that would be your proper end."

"...Ahhhhhhh...!"

More than ever before, Kirika loathed this body of hers that could not die even if she wanted to.

If it were possible for her to end everything by biting her own tongue in an act of suicide...

Surely that would be such an attractive solution.