CubexCursedxCurious:Volume14 Chapter2

Chapter 2 - The Foolish Entity Known as the Weak; Its Sin / "The blade - It's ferocious"

Part 1

That group of people gave off an exceedingly simple impression.

Namely, a bunch of extreme misfits.

Exactly as the word implied in its truest sense, these people's presence was very unsuited to this place, generally speaking.

Standing there was a group of young men, ranging in age from teens to the twenties. Vulgar men that one could find anywhere, truly anywhere. With hair either dyed blond or brown, they each had hairstyles of their own preference. There were dreadlocks as well as shaved heads. Some of them had ear, nose or tongue piercings, some were wearing a jangling set of bling and some were wearing sunglasses—In any case, the only thing common to them all was the oppressive presence exuded by their appearances. Judging from the way they interacted with one another, they seem to be mutually acquainted. The group looked like a street gang or a delinquent mob.

However, they had made their sudden appearance at this venue, one that was dominated by the supernatural. Perhaps the sense of dissonance from their ordinary appearances could not be judged by common sense. After all, the members of the Family had disguised themselves as ordinary people to visit Kuroe's beauty parlor in the past. It was impossible to tell purely from appearances alone. In other words, the superficial level of appearances could simply imply that these were people involved in the world of cursed tools but had dressed up as ordinary folk to lead ordinary lives.

Was this group one of those types? Then which organization did they belong to? A known organization? Or one that was unknown? The only answer ruled out as impossible was that they were ordinary people who intruded by coincidence.

This was a because they were each carrying weapons such as steel pipes or metal bats.

They seemed to have entered normally through the main door. The group was standing in a row at the garden's entrance, sweeping their excited gazes over everyone present. Haruaki's group had no choice but to look warily at the new arrivals as well as Nirushaaki's trio. Naturally, this resulted in a triangular situation between three factions.

Nirushaaki's trio also gazed in puzzlement and wariness at these people. Their eyes seemed to be saying—These people could not possibly be totally uninvolved. Surely, they must have come for some kind of intent and purpose. Which organization were they from?

At this moment, one of the men turned slightly towards one of his companions and asked:

"—What now?"

"What do you mean, what now? Now that we're here, let's do it."

"Yeah. And just as we heard, they seem to be doing bad things. Even bullying that foreign chick there."

"So we're the heroes of justice now? Hahaha!"

"Heroes of justice, that's way too cool, man. Then just like we agreed, try to go one at a time?"

"Okay, then I'm up first! I'm gonna punish that sexy lady who's bullying others, heehee!"

"That's cuz you've got a thing for big boobs."

"Shut da fuck up! Guys, why dontcha decide now who's gonna punish who next!?"

As soon as one of the bat-wielding men finished speaking, he yelled vigorously: "Okay~ Here I go—!" while charging forward. His target was Nirshaaki's group, in particular, Konoha was who standing the most forward.

Haruaki noticed that Konoha's eyes had been glaring sharply all this while, but for the first time, she widened her eyes in puzzlement. Still stepping on Fear's body, she tilted her head slightly and said:

"Oh my... What is going on hither?"

The man approached her. As Haruaki watched, the silhouette of the man's back blocked Konoha from sight as he raised his baseball bat high. Then Konoha's voice was heard next.

"This fellow—Verily, an amateur."

At the same time, blood was splattered.

In the next instant, Konoha returned to Haruaki's view. This happened because the man had collapsed on the spot in an effeminate sitting posture, looking totally incompetent. Naturally, the splattering blood came from the man's body, a long, deep gash running diagonally from his shoulder straight to his hip.

"H-Huh...?"

"Indeed, 'tis a reaction from the distant past. Due to the excessive sharpness of my blade, many fodder peasants in militias, unused to war, failed to notice they had been cut. Only when they looked down in puzzlement upon their own bodies did they realize their lives were about to be extinguished, those visages were particularly exhilarating—"

"Ah, ah... Eeeeek—!"

"Verily indeed, 'tis the visage."

Screaming. Screaming. Screaming. Bathed in blood, the man rolled on the ground. Tossed away, his bat fell to the ground. Already sliced to pieces by the sword, the bat broke into a million pieces upon hitting the ground.

"Cow... Tits...!"

"Ohoh!"

Konoha suddenly straightened up and retreated. This was due to Fear, who had been pinned under her, had transformed the Rubik's cube into a hatchet of execution. With an upwards swing, she freed herself from being Konoha's captive.

"Yes, I was taken aback because this fellow is too amateurish, resulting in a small opening. If this was deliberate part of ye plans, I could commend ye for executing a cunning plan. Even though 'tis quite roundabout."

"How... No way...!"

Still not yet recovered from the injuries from the fight with Konoha so far, Fear was panting heavily, standing unsteadily, her entire body covered with bleeding cuts. Holding the hatchet in a stance to restrain Konoha, she slowly backed away, finally reuniting with Haruaki and the rest of their group.

Nevertheless, Haruaki, Kirika and Kuroe did not have the luxury of chatting with Fear, because simply trying to comprehend the situation was consuming their full effort.

"H-Hey, look what happened to Take...!"

"This is totally bonkers, bonkers, man! But I can't believe that bitch dared to get violent, what the fuck did she do!? Hey, what're you guys waiting for, hurry your asses!"

One of the men roared and howled, forcing himself to get pumped, then charging forward with a metal pipe. He was probably trying to save his buddy. Presumably provoked by his words, two or three other men followed after him.

"—Truth be told, these are all trash standing in our way. Well then, this humble Kotetsu shall assist in cleaning up."

"Very well, there is no reason to decline."

"Well then—" Kotetsu took a leap on the spot, landing in front of the men within the blink of an eye. With a casual swipe of the tiger claw, the men's metal pipe and other weapons instantly fell apart in pieces at the same time.

"Eeeek—W-What's with this chick!?"

"What the fuck? She's unarmed, what the fuck!? I can't believe it got sliced!"

Haruaki listened to them in shock. Why were they making these kinds of remarks now? Konoha also called them amateurs just now. Were they uninvolved people? Did Haruaki and the others misunderstand? Or these guys made a mistake somewhere? If they really were delinquents, merely a group of people uninvolved with the world of cursed tools, Haruaki could not understand at all why they were here. Totally incomprehensible.

Konoha turned her head lazily and inquired behind her:

"Master, allow me to ask, just in case. May I kill these people?"

"It is truly unbelievable how amateurish they are. It might be necessary to question them afterwards. In any case, make sure they retain the ability to speak, at least."

"Yes, after all, one couldeth kill them any time. Understood."

"Furthermore, the two of you ought to have curses, yes? This is an excellent opportunity—Enjoy the meal."

"'Tis wonderful to have such an understanding master."

"This humble Kotetsu concurs."

Konoha and Kotetsu grinned with savagery as they faced forward.

Then immediately, they sprang into action at the same time. First, Kotetsu amputated two men's arms at the same time with a swipe of the tiger claw. Flying past, Konoha stabbed a knifehand strike into a third man's thigh. The three men screamed unpleasantly as they collapsed on the ground.

The men seemed to be understanding by now. They seemed to have realized that these two were not opponents they could handle on their own. Instantly, the group panicked.

"W-Wait, I was never told, I never heard that it'd be like this!"

"This is no fucking joke! Argh, come take this!"

Some of them turned around and ran while others gripped their weapons tightly with trembling hands. Some even collapsed on the spot. These people were all food for the swords.

"Guh... Ah... I don't really get what's going on, but we must save them...!"

"Fear, don't force yourself! You're hurt!"

Despite gripping her torture instrument tightly, Fear was stumbling around dangerously. Haruaki and the others caught her body and steadied her.

"It might only be a comforting effect, but I'll wrap up the deeper wounds first with my hair. Stay still, Ficchi."

However, Haruaki's group could only watch from the sidelines as the scene unfolded gradually before their eyes.

A banquet of splattering blood. Kotetsu and Konoha were attacking the men.

Against a backdrop of red, they leapt and danced.

Fragments of flesh and screams flew all over the place. The men swung their weapons desperately, but with a single turn of the body, Kotetsu knocked all their weapons to the ground, skirt fluttering as though in mockery. Only then did the men realize their fingers had already been chopped off. Using one hand to catch a knife the enemy was stabbing with in desperation, Konoha crushed the blade in her bare hand. Then saying "Thou canst have it back," she grabbed the man's hand forcefully in a handshake, pressing all of the blade fragments into the palm of his hand.

"Fufu... Haha! Look, oh my, what a vigorous group of leaping youngsters! Blood flowing out in such vigor, gushing, gushing, gushing! Haha, useless they may be, yet seeing their bleeding so vigorous, one cannot help but wonder if their semen down under gusheth out with the same vigor? Making girls cry every night, do they not?"

"Muramasa-sama, please refrain from excessive vulgarity."

"Why not? 'Tis fresh blood, a long-awaited sight. Yet if one had to criticize, the color of these fellows' blood seemeth to be lacking. Goodness knoweth what they eat for their everyday diet."

"Truth be told, this humble Kotetsu concurs. Surely they must be stuffing themselves with the convenient nourishment known as fast food."

Answering, Kotetsu lightly raised a blood-splattered hand.

"Most likely this is the reason why the taste is inferior to blood from the past. But perhaps I am just viewing past memories through rose-tinted glasses."

Then Kotetsu licked the fresh blood stuck to her fingers.

Extending her bright red tongue, she used her mucous membranes to wipe away the red color on her finger. Not satisfied with that, she inserted her finger directly into her mouth, thrusting it in and out slightly, producing faint slurps while licking, savoring in her mouth before swallowing down the depths of her throat. Exhaling deeply as though she had just drank a large of volume in one breath, Kotetsu spoke with slightly reddened cheeks:

"Nevertheless—It can't be said to be not delicious."

"Fufu, how wonderful... By the way, that fellow by your feet as well as that one yonder, they have stopped breathing, have they not?"

"Oh, their hearts have stopped, indeed. To think I thought I was holding back already..."

"Simply a little intestinal exposure, nothing more. How incompetent, to think one would die in such a manner. Insufficient fighting spirit, presumably—But a mere two deaths should not incur our master's disapproval. 'Tis meet if we think of this as two donors who shan't complain no matter how much blood is drunk, yes?"

"Truth be told, the blood of corpses rapidly deteriorates in taste. Let's find another."

A scene of insanity. A dialogue of insanity.

This is wrong—thinking that to himself, Haruaki suppressed the turbulent urge to vomit, rising from the depths of his stomach. While his vision was turning blurry for some reason, he was thinking that to himself.

Isn't it wrong? Konoha, isn't it wrong? Why are you unfazed by the sight of fresh blood? Why do you look so happy? Why are you smiling and trembling with excitement?

You—You're supposed to be... very afraid of blood... instead.

You're supposed to feel like vomiting as soon as you see blood, your whole body shaking to almost collapse... Instead?

Konoha. Konoha. That's the Konoha I know. Absolutely. That's Konoha.

Ah, but if the scene I'm witnessing before my eyes right now is reality...

If this sense of nausea, revulsion and despair is real...

Then that person over there, truly, completely, is no longer the Konoha I know—

"Muramasa-sama, how is the situation?"

"Fufufu, 'tis providing me with merriment. The master watching the show should feel this too... Because my curse is exceedingly simple, namely, a desire to see blood."

"My curse is also very simple."

"We are both simple weapons and tools, hence, 'tis only natural. No matter what, this long-awaited banquet of blood is not bad at all. Be that as it may, if one were to be slightly more greedy, the fresh blood of formidable foes one hath defeated would be even more beautiful a sight, even more exhilarating."

"I agree that the blood of strong enemies is more delicious."

"Blood flowing across the ground, blood flying through the air, blood dripping across the skin, frothing blood, blood splattering together with internal organs... Myriad different styles. This sight of thee, drinking blood, feeleth different from usual, quite interesting. Thou drinkest blood, I watch. In light of that, perhaps the two of us might be quite compatible."

"C-Compatible, you say...? Th-That would be my honor..."

Kotetsu blushed awkwardly, his shoulders shaking mildly. At the same time, she swept a shade of red, even more vivid than that of her face, towards the back of an escaping man.

Haruaki felt like vomiting even more. Wrong, this is so wrong.

Although it was a one-sided massacre, Konoha and Kotetsu were perhaps getting a bit lax due to boredom. A man had been sitting collapsed on the ground from the beginning, trembling in a corner all this time. At this moment, seizing the opportunity while they were conversing, while Kotetsu had gone off to eradicate another man who was trying to escape at the same time, this man fled. With an unsteady gait, stepping over pools of blood, he ran straight ahead. By the time Kotetsu looked back, he was already out of the garden, reaching a location that would free him of this mansion as soon as he went through the front door—

At this moment, he halted.

Intending to chase after him, Kotetsu also stopped, frowning.

This was because a figure had blocked the way in front of the fleeing man. A hooded figure wrapped entirely in a filthy mass of fabric. The figure's face was hidden under the hood.

Just as Haruaki expected the man to seek help from the figure—

"W-W-What the fuck is going on here!?"

He lost his temper with a trembling, cowardly and shrill voice.

The hooded figure answered with a woman's voice.

Using a low and calm tone of voice, almost akin to murmuring, she said:

"I have already paid."

"Yeah right, like hell a million yen per person is enough for this crazy mess! No fucking way!"

"Not my concern. You were the ones who accepted it."

"You said they were all young women and we could do whatever we want to them...!"

"Exactly as I said, you may violent them or otherwise as you please. Provided you get the job done first."

"Fucking shit! You never told me they'd be monsters like this! What the fuck, what are pulling, bitch—Damn it! Stop screwing around, save me, take my place...!"

The man pounced on the hooded figure as though he had finally passed his limit. This action was probably motivated by anger as well as his desire to be saved. Nevertheless—

As though proclaiming that this was connected to the same space as where Konoha and Kotetsu were occupying...

As though proclaiming to him that he had not escaped a single step from the scene of carnage at all...

The sword's piercing tip exited from the man's back.

"...Huh?"

The man stared at his own chest in puzzlement, looking at the sword that had stabbed deeply into his chest. Then trembling, he looked up, towards the hooded figure—

"No matter what... You people have experienced terror fully. My objective is fulfilled."

"Huh... Afff...?"

Still showing a face as though he had no idea what was going on, the man's body slid down. Reaching out as though calling for help, as though making a final plea, he grabbed the fabric wrapped around the figure.

Naturally, as the man fell, the piece of fabric came loose and slid off as well.

The hood came off, exposing the figure's face—

Haruaki and the others had also seen it before.

"..."

Expressionless, as though unconcerned at all that her face was exposed...

As though unconcerned that she had just murdered an uninvolved and helpless human being...

She—

The knight from the Frontline Gathering Knights' Dominion, Lilyhowell Kilmister, stood there without saying a word.

Part 2

Lilyhowell Kilmister had made her appearance together with Neto the Avenger at Taishyuu High, intending to defeat Nirushaaki. However, it turned out to be a trap of misinformation laid by Nirshaaki, resulting in Lilyhowell escaping with an auxiliary in defeat. That was the extent of the information that Haruaki's faction knew first hand.

However, they had also obtained further information indirectly later on. Yesterday, Un Izoey had also mentioned the Knights' Dominion slightly. The tool used for erasing Konoha's memory had originally belonged to the Dominion. Nirushaaki had lured them to Taishyuu High because she wanted to steal that tool. After Lilyhowell and the auxiliary fled the school, Nirushaaki had robbed them directly.

Haruaki recalled facing off against her during the previous incident.

The head of lustrous blonde hair, tied behind her head in a ponytail. A gallant and dignified expression on her face at all times. Silver-white armor that seemed to symbolize nobility and purity. The greatsword designed only for the purpose of breaking Wathes. Lilyhowell was indeed an enemy, but she was also a woman whose image was that of a "knight among knights," as though forbidding all deviations from the right path, as though scornful of cowardice and underhandedness.

However, she was no longer the same, whether in appearance or the atmosphere around her.

With her hair untied, her whole person exuded an air of disorder. Even the blonde hair looked slightly dull. Was it soiled from dust and dirt?

Indeed, her entire person was filthy. The piece of fabric originally wrapped around her was probably a cape, but due to excessive filth, it looked like a rag.

The silver-white armor on her body had also lost its shine, currently exhibiting a dull luster like that of scrap metal—More precisely, the remaining half. The armor equipped on her was missing its top half while the breechcloth was also riddled with many large tears. On her upper body, she was wearing a fitted, long-sleeved garment similar to what one would wear as underwear beneath armor. Furthermore, there were a number of belts wrapped around her upper torso, horizontally and diagonally, squeezing the distinct curves of the bulging bosom beneath her underwear, drawing further attention to it.

And all of those belts were—

Sword straps.

Noticing the many silhouettes protruding from behind her, it took a moment before Haruaki realized those were sword straps.

Many scabbards and hilts could be seen behind Lilyhowell's back. Carried crisscrossed on her back, the number was unbelievable—four swords each on her right and her left, plus one more placed upright. Her entire body's silhouette seemed like a joke, even to the point of resembling a Buddha statue to some extent.

But among the many scabbards on her back, only one of them was empty.

The sword kept in it was currently in her hand.

Still dripping with fresh blood at the moment, it was a golden longsword. The grandeur of its design was no less than its own luster with ring-like decorations on the grip while a serpentine pattern was engraved along the blade itself.

Fear glared at the weapon, took a deep breath and yelled:

"I remember you're called Lilyhowell, right...? Why? Why did you kill that guy!?"

"..."

"Answer me! Why did you kill him!? There's clearly no need to do that!"

Lilyhowell took a step towards the garden while looking at Fear.

Her expression seemed to convey "no other way" as well as annoyance, seeming to say that she was answering only because Fear was forcing her to answer. Robotically as though someone had pressed a switch, she spoke listlessly as though without her own will:

"He was simply in the way after his purpose was served."

"...!"

Hearing such a cruel answer, Fear gritted her teeth hard and frowned.

Haruaki also felt intensely conflicted after hearing her words.

Something's wrong. Right, compared to back then, the most different thing about her is—

Her expression.

Her eyes—gloomy, dark, dismal, bitter. Her gaze simply harbored silent darkness, as though looking towards somewhere not present or perhaps nowhere at all. Her expression was virtually constant, with her former awe-inspiring dignity replaced by an air of somewhat intangible nihility.

Her eyes were not like this in the past. None of this air of intangible nihility. Back then, Haruaki did not believe she was someone who could kill an ordinary person without blinking an eye.

What had happened to her? What had changed her?

Lilyhowell advanced without hurrying. She stepped into the garden where there were many unconscious humans on the verge of death, all covered in blood. Approaching them step by step—

"Purpose... you say?"

"What exactly is their purpose? Absolutely ridiculous..."

"Yeah, I really don't get what's going on."

Haruaki's group commented while retreating slightly. This was for restraining Fear, who was leaning against Haruaki's shoulder but about to rush forward any moment, as well as because they noticed that Lilyhowell's steps were not directly straight at them.

"I know this is evil. But I must do it. That is all."

Lilyhowell slowly walked past Haruaki's group while lightly raising the golden longsword in her hand up high. Her gloomy gaze was fixed ahead. Speaking in a tone of indifference, she murmured lifelessly:

"This Wathe, the «Calamitous Sword of Sigarsholm», is a cursed sword that absorbs terror from the surroundings to serve as energy. I gathered these men only for this purpose..."

"What did you say!? So—you meant to incite these ignorant guys and make them flee all over the place!?"

"Indeed. They have worked for me in accordance to the sums I have paid them."

Haruaki was shocked.

Allowing them to attack Nirushaaki's group in total ignorance. Forcing them into a gap between life and death. Some even lost limbs or their lives. However, her goal was simply producing terror in their hearts, all this was for that purpose? Only for the sake of allowing her sword to absorb energy?

Too inhumane. This abhorrent behavior treated humans as nothing more than objects.

A righteous knight would absolutely not do something so demonic.

"You... weren't like this before, right? Why did you become like this?"

"...Why?"

Lilyhowell halted.

Probably not for answering Haruaki's question but simply because the timing coincided. Just at that moment, she happened to arrive at her destination. In other words, she had finally arrived before the group of people who had been watching the latest developments with interest.

"If you ask me why, the answer was long decided ago."

Murmuring quietly as though to herself, Lilyhowell slowly looked up. Gripping the sword tightly in her fist, she inhaled forcefully as though taking a deep breath.

"One, to avenge her. Two, to atone for my sins..."

Only in this instant was defiinte power infused into her eyes that were filled with hollow darkness. A stern power, gloomy and terrifying, pierced the being in front of her gaze.

"That is all—All this is to kill you! Nirushaaki!"

Upon hearing Lilyhowell—

"The live prey I released... has finally caught up? Returning grown up and matured."

Nirushaaki smiled, overjoyed.

Part 3

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Part 4

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