Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume1 Chapter5 (section)

===Part 2===

"An attack... In the middle of the day!"

"Damn it, you should have said so earlier! I thought you were trying to start a fight with me again!"

"I wanted to say, I wouldn't mind if the table really collided with you."

"What did you say?!"

"You two... Now is not the time to argue... Woah!"

Another volley of bullets were fired, but Konoha blocked them using her body.

"It's fine. Aren't humans the same? When they tense up their body to the max, their muscles become hard? In our case, the sturdiness approaches our original forms."

Konoha slowly walked off the porch while Haruaki and Fear watched as they stood on the porch.

"Hmm. I brought them along just as a test, but since they didn't work, these are nothing but ordinary lumps of lead eh..."

Holding a cigarette between her lips, Peavey muttered as she threw away the gun in her hand. Then she stuffed her hand down the chest opening of her new dress—between her cleavage, taking out another gun and tossed it away too. She no longer wore that massive armor on her arm, baring her heavily scarred skin for all to see. On her back she was carrying a strange package wrapped in cloth. Her appearance was quite different compared to last time on the roof.

Appearances were not all that had changed. Rather, her greatest change was the aura around her.

Too calm, too composed.

She was not in the impatient state filled with mocking laughter when they first met. Neither did she display the state of depression like an emotionless ghost when her arm had been severed. Currently, she was swaying her body like a ghost but speaking like a noble and sneering with derision—

Why did this change come over her? Who knew. Perhaps because of that, it seemed even more eerie.

(This woman... Why... Why is she so calm...?)

Instinctively, an unfamiliar sense of fear was rushing along Haruaki's spine.

Humans feared what they could not comprehend. That's right, incomprehensibility. This was purely incomprehensible. A noblewoman who laughed maniacally while engaging in destruction was terrifying. A ghost that swayed expressionlessly was also terrifying. But currently, the intermediate existence that belonged to neither, surpassed the other two and aroused overwhelming, unmatched horror—to the point one could not even understand why it was so terrifying—thereby creating additional fear—an endless cycle of incomprehensibility and fear.

Haruaki watched Peavey as if she were a monster of indeterminate form.

"How incredible this feeling... As soon as my emotions are roused, my body sways, making it impossible to speak properly. Hence together with the armor on my arms, I was called the 'Balancing Toy.' Now I feel the same thing the instant I lay my eyes on that trash cube, however—For some reason, my mind is quite lucid. A first experience. Perhaps because I have waited so long for this, and the opportunity has finally arrived... Is it due to that sort of joy?"

Her voice did not sound like it carried much spirit. She simply chattered quietly, her words so calm it felt rather eerie.

Slightly relaxing her expression, she turned her gaze towards Fear who was standing on the porch.

"Well then... Let me quote this line: 'You wouldn't happen to believe in the existence of God?' You didn't think I wouldn't return, right? Unfortunately, even if the date for the trash cube's dismantling is postponed, it will not be cancelled."

"You... What are you talking about... For someone of your level, I'm just going to take that other arm of yours and simply—"

Fear swallowed her words as soon as she started speaking, then frowned and lowered her gaze. Haruaki noticed Konoha was glaring sharply at her.

"Oh my, are you afraid of something? But by this juncture if you were to behave like some kind of believer in non-resistance, it would simply be ludicrous to the extreme... 'Do it! Simply stated, just do it!' Just as the Marquis de Sade wrote, I am simply doing it."

Once again, Haruaki instinctively felt horror and eeriness along his spine. But he could not remain silent.

"...How do you think you'll accomplish that? You have only one arm remaining and no longer have that strange armor. For your own good you'd better give up. Go back to where you came from."

"I can't help it if that is what you think. However, the only reason I'm not wearing that—is because I can't wield ''this'' if I wear the armor. After all, its effects cannot manifest without direct contact."

Peavey spoke as she unwrapped the cloth around the package on her back.

A double-edged axe was revealed. A thick and sturdy axe blade, curved ominously with a sharp spike on its tip. A rectangular object resembling a remote control was attached to the shaft near the grip, but Haruaki could not discern its purpose. In any case, he knew that the axe was a weapon that did not lose to the armor in any way, and an equally poor match for the dress.

"This time your weapon is that axe?"

"Yes. We call it «Dance Time». Although I had no intention of using it in the beginning, hoho, it can't be helped now, having lost my aaaarm, aaarghhhh..."

"!"

Originally smiling as she chatted, Peavey suddenly turned to the side and began to vomit inexplicably.

While she vomited a number of times, Haruaki and the rest could only feel bewilderment.

"Hoo... Ah~ I apologize for my unsightliness. Though I have resolved myself, as expected, it's not that easy to dispel my revulsion for Wathes."

"You're saying that's a cursed tool? Why—"

"There exist those in the Knights Dominion who uses them. In order to destroy the most abysmal tools, there really is no choice. For heavily cursed Wathes, one has no choice but to rely on the Indulgence Disks."

"Indulgence...?"

"...Oh my, how careless of me to divulge that term. In any case, I have no choice but to twist my principles. Since I must rely on this to destroy that trash cube."

"If you hate it so much you want to puke, then just don't use it..."

Hearing Haruaki groan, Peavey shrugged nonchalantly.

"If it weren't for this situation, you are completely right. Holding this kind of object truly makes me want to vomit. I haven't touched a single one of them for ten-odd years now... Hohoho, not since my father obtained that whip from an antique shop."

"A cursed... Whip, is it?"

Haruaki muttered softly. Peavey nodded:

"Given the current situation, let me give you a few clues. There was once a father who ran a farm; a whip cursed with the desire to abuse victims until they could no longer move, ultimately leading to their deaths; as well as me and my mother who were always being scolded and beaten by the strict father... Under such conditions, I'm sure with a little bit of thought, you can easily deduce why I hate Wathes so much. Even though it created this habit of mine."

"..."

"Fine, enough with the chitchat. I've replenished my nicotine too, so it's about time to start."

Spitting out the cigarette butt, Peavey stepped forward.

"Sorry, Konoha..."

"Hoo... I knew it. You couldn't possibly stand back or not interfere."

"Obviously, how could I possibly not interfere! But I'm just a powerless ordinary person. I have no right to ask you for a favor, so my only choice is to beg you willfully. So please! I'm really sorry about this—to the extent I even want to kneel down before you, kowtowing until my forehead bleeds from striking the ground..."

"No problem. After all, I already knew that is the kind of person you are, Haruaki-kun."

She sounded like she had already accepted things. With an exhausted tone of voice, she spoke as she walked near Haruaki.

"Fear, you—"

"You stand further back. Don't do anything, you understand?"

Konoha said sharply. Fear looked like she was about to object reflexively but in the end, she stood there with her head bowed.

"Understood... Okay. Dummy..."

A weak voice, sounding as if coming from a child who was about to cry. By the time she finished her sentence, Konoha's clothes had already fallen to the ground as Haruaki held a Japanese sword in his hand.

"We're starting from this side? Very well. Let's begin the duel!"

"...A duel is fine. But I hope the other person won't be showing up to interfere."

Haruaki did not expect an honest response, but Peavey went "Eh?" as she tilted her head slightly.

"Mummy Maker...? Speaking of which, she did contact you earlier after all. Don't worry, that child will not be causing any trouble here."

"I really hope I can believe in your words."

"Because she is already dead. Sentenced to death for betrayal, as well as—food for this axe!"

The start of the fight was announced by sudden footsteps.  With unbelievable force and speed, the heavy axe blade came crashing despite being wielded with one arm. Only with great desperation did Konoha manage to block this attack.

"Food? —You killed her?"

"Yes, because she was too meddlesome. Besides, making use of this axe's taboo power requires using it for murder, to grant it fresh blood. The timing was perfect."

"Aren't you comrades!?"

"Yes. But my mission is to destroy Wathes, while hers is to assist me. There is no contradiction here."

Haruaki could not help but feel goosebumps all over. No good, he could tell simply from her eyes. This woman clearly believed wholeheartedly there was no contradiction.

"Very well, let's dance, Dance Time... Now is the time to live up to your name. I have given you vigor, given you fresh blood. Let me dance until I go mad, until screams of death signal the end like the ringing of a bell!"

The battle axe descended straight down as if trying to split the Earth into halves. Blocking this hit, one had to find an opening in the enemy—

"A solid hit... Yes? ...!"

Konoha initially thought Peavey had been caught by the black scabbard, but in the next instant, she hastily aborted the attack. Withdrawing the sword, she defended at the last second the sweeping axe that aimed for Haruaki's body.

"Are you mad? Do you not care about mutual defeat? How could you?!"

"Actually I'd like to ask instead, are you mad? How could I possibly care about that? Precisely because I didn't care, that was why I chose this Wathe—this axe never stops attacking. Whether I am injured or not, this axe will continue to dance for the sake of defeating the enemy. That's right, even if it means death. Never stopping until the enemy is defeated!"

"...? You must be joking... You're crazy!"

Haruaki completely agreed. The cursed axe only knew to slash at Haruaki continually. A vertical chopping attack, a horizontal sweeping attack, a diagonal severing attack, a forward piercing attack!

"Huff... Huff..."

"Haruaki-kun, are you okay?"

Though there was no problem with the agility of his body, the actions performed under Konoha's control were unfamiliar to his body, and naturally strained his muscles, resulting in the accumulation of fatigue. Nevertheless, Haruaki had no wish of showing any signs of weakness.

"Yes, I'm fine. Konoha, I have a suggestion. Use the 'Sword-Kill Counter'... Since she won't stop even if she dies, then simply destroy the axe itself."

"...Understood. Her movements are very hard to predict, so it might take some time. Furthermore, this will reduce my focus on defense, so please be careful!"

"Okay! I believe in my reflexes!"

Haruaki could feel the sword become slightly heavier. Even though it still reacted in accordance to the trajectories of the battle axe, he felt that it was simply moving but required his input for precise adjustments. Furthermore, the power available when parrying attacks also felt slightly inadequate. Haruaki consciously tensed his muscles and gritted his teeth as he endured the weight of the battle axe. No problem. However—

(Hmm... I have to bear it!)

The part of his arm where he had injured at school was beginning to ache. This was the only anxiety factor.

Displaying cold and merciless eyes, Peavey repeatedly attacked. At the same time, she muttered:

"This is getting rather troublesome. Why push yourself to this extent? What reason do you have to protect that thing?"

"Who cares—Reasons are not needed!"

Haruaki did not know if she was starting a conversation as part of some sort of trickery. Just as he expected the axe to continue its wave of attacks, it suddenly stopped. Even though the battle axe only knew how to attack automatically in continuous succession, its repertoire also included feints. Konoha with her immense combat experience keenly discerned it, but—

(This was bad...)

Unversed in swordsmanship, Haruaki could not handle it. As the axe blade changed directions and approached, Haruaki felt a chill down his spine. Just at that very instant—

Haruaki thought he had dropped the sword out of fear and confusion. But that was not the case. The weight disappeared from his hands because the sword had been unsheathed with incredible speed.

"—Sword-Kill Counter!"