Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume8 Chapter5 (section)

===Part 1===

"I-Impossible..."

Haruaki groaned. Staring in wide-eyed shock, he could only groan.

Just now, Zenon&mdash;What had she said?

"Of course it's true. She carries a Wound on her body. You guys should know that it's proof of membership in the Draconians. Actually, there has always been many of us around you. It's just that you never noticed."

"How, impossible...!"

Kokoro waved her hand impatiently.

"It's actually true, so stop making a fuss. As for how many people were sent to this remote little island, that I'm not too sure. Despite some non-uniformity in quality, I see potential in these two... After engaging them in combat, I can tell that their skills are decent. More importantly, they even expressed their wish to observe a «High Single» in battle up close. Such spirit is commendable. Hence, ever since a few days ago when they came running to me, they've also been helping me with various troublesome chores as payment for their training. Although they failed that night, it was actually they who proposed leaving the job of retrieving the lost item to them. That's why I had them go to your house but didn't expect them to fail."

Haruaki pondered what her words meant&mdash;And immediately figured it out. The masked assailant who had sneaked into Un Izoey's room, she was actually Zenon or Ganon?

Fear's face became distorted to unprecedented levels as she gripped the drill tightly and yelled:

"Y-You two... Hurry up and say this is false...! Otherwise, why were you captured by this girl...!"

"Of course, we were the ones who proposed to Her Excellency Number Four to take part in this charade."

However, Zenon simply replied calmly&mdash;using the calm expression they had witnessed countless times in the superintendent's office.

"Besides, don't you find it quite unnatural for us to be helping you in your part-time job? Even if Yachi-sama did not make the suggestion, we would have offered ourselves to help, thereby giving us the chance to search your belongings under the pretext of changing, so as to recover this cube. However, you apparently kept it on your person, so the plan failed as well."

"So tiring... However, failing despite sneaking into your house  in the middle of the night was our fault. Hence, left without a choice, we could only come up with the next plan, namely, to become hostages on purpose, thereby retrieving the cube through a hostage exchange. Ahhh, even explaining it is so tiring..."

"Kaha. In actual fact, there was no need to do that. Originally, I was thinking I'd get it done simply by attacking you guys directly. But because you're too weak, I decided to execute the fake hostage plan. In the beginning, these two suggested an exchange on the spot... But the way I saw it, compared to getting the cube back, I prefer seeing you guys mad with rage and bringing out your true power. Seriously, to think I made preparations already. Why couldn't you wait for a night? However, this does mean that you're currently full of fighting spirit, so it's fine anyway."

"We were... deceived...? All this time...!"

Hearing Fear's stunned whispers, Zenon and Ganon remained silent without changing their expressions.

At the same time, Kokoro's scarf was trembling in her delight.

"Kaha, forget about it, just let it go. Although I feel that a Draconians' style should be living every day in life or death situations, I don't reject this method of becoming strong by secretly training yourself every day. This also requires blending into the crowd in society, right? Anyway&mdash;you guys please don't forget, they are just the audience. Your opponent is me. At last, things have become fun now. Furthermore, I've retrieved the replenishing vessel."

"But... Didn't you mention that the ''materials'' were being kept somewhere else? I don't think you need to go out of your way to use it, right? Also, I believe that was precisely the reason why you chose to fight in this location."

Ignoring the questions and exclamations from Haruaki's group, Zenon asked Kokoro after hearing what she said. Zenon and Ganon was really not on their side, but on the enemy's&mdash;Haruaki felt compelled to confront this fact.

"No, the materials are right here. More accurately, they've been handled already. Continuing to feed them would be too much of a a hassle, so before making contact with the hunter, I had already made preparations. After all, they will keep for at least two or three days."

"...Is... that so?"

Zenon answered lightly and narrowed her eyes. Haruaki could not tell what she was thinking about.

"You two... What are you talking about...?"

"Kaha. Really? You guys have no idea what this is? You've been carrying it on you without knowing?"

"Of course we know. You mentioned it before! It's a cube for granting mankind's greatest wish&mdash;the cube for bringing the dead back to life!"

"Yes, that's true indeed, but that explanation is not enough. This cube is a replenishing vessel&mdash;A crucial component of this sword. It's totally useless on its own. Back when I first fought the hunter, I was too careless and she knocked it out."

"What...?"

Kokoro brought the cube near the guard of the sword in her hand. She plugged it in, clamped it with metal parts then connected it to the tubes dangling on the sword's side&mdash;Another mechanical accessory had been added to the weird sword that was already covered in decorations of mad science and death.

"Do you want to know how this thing is used? Kaha, very well, since I've already gone through the trouble of creation, plus the expiry date is fast approaching, this'll serve as a tool to liven up the mood. I'm really looking forward to you guys becoming stronger due to your roused emotions&mdash;Come, let's have a lively opening ceremony!"

Kokoro straightened her posture. In the next instant&mdash;

She swung the bizarre sword and split open the mountain of scrap metal next to her.

As the debris scattered, what lay beneath was composed of various mechanical parts, large and small&mdash;A cage. Presumably, it was created using the sword's power beforehand, just like the wreckage sword made from the vending machine.

"This sword is called the «Ritual Sword of Necromancy»... In an attempt to resurrect his wife, a mad scientist combined magic and science to create this demonic sword of life. Naturally, its power was born from being cursed&mdash;that was the method the scientist came up with to fulfill his wish. In other words&mdash;"

Blown away, the scrap metal rattled noisily as they fell on the ground.

Using this metallic clanging noise as her accompaniment, Kokoro continued simply:


"&mdash;''It possesses the taboo ability to resurrect someone using another's life''."


Inside the cage where Haruaki's group was staring at&mdash;

''Two corpses were currently moving restlessly''.