Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume8 Chapter5 (section)

===Part 4===

Bold.

Kokoro Pentangeli's fighting style was captured completely by that one word. Advancing boldly. Thrusting boldly. Slashing boldly. With Konoha's assistance, Haruaki desperately blocked these attacks. Naturally, he would also counterattack whenever there was a chance. Despite remaining in its scabbard, a sword was still a sword. Given sufficient force, lacerations beyond bruises could be inflicted. However&mdash;

Kokoro's boldness was not without reason. She was neither concerned about minor openings nor minor counterattacks. This was all because of the red curse she was wearing.

The black scabbard struck her flank, producing a sensation of bones cracking. Were the bones simply cracked? Or did they fracture? The wound inflicted at that location could not be confirmed, not because it was situated beneath clothing, but actually because of the opposite.

"Guh... How annoying. Every time you're attacked, your body becomes more exposed. This is utterly terrible in terms of moral education...!"

"Kaha, don't sweat the small stuff! I will repair it as appropriate!"

A portion of Kokoro's red uniform suddenly vanished, exposing unharmed skin&mdash;This abnormal phenomenon had occurred many times already. Of course, Haruaki would always try his best to avert his gaze.

Several clashes and then several counterattacks later, her clothing disappeared successively from various parts of her body. While Kokoro was swinging her sword boldly from some distance away, in that instant&mdash;

"''Sword-Kill''&mdash;!"

"Woah!"

Just as Haruaki entered a sword drawing stance at Konoha's instruction, Kokoro stopped swinging her sword and retreated backwards. Based on the apparent situation, it was not supposed to be the right timing for withdrawing her sword... Did she possess beast-like instincts? Or was it a deduction? The right answer seemed to be both. Kokoro grinned fearlessly.

"I was thinking it's about time for you to make your move... Then lemme switch my weapon!"

Raising the ceremonial sword, she chopped at the scrap metal by her feet, reassembling in the same manner as the vending machine last time. A wreckage sword built from mechanical components stood upright from the mountain of junk. Sheathing the «Necromancy» sword, Kokoro gripped the new sword in both hands. This massive two-hander was even more enormous than the one made from the vending machine parts, almost as tall as a human. Sharpness aside, its mass alone could cause broken bones simply in the act of blocking direct attacks from it... By the way, swinging that thing was in itself quite unbelievable.

As Kokoro swung the two-hander forcefully, Konoha managed to parry it with great difficulty. The tip of the sword, apparently a reused ship's propeller blade, struck the ground underfoot, causing an engine's remains to fly apart like splashing water. Having twisted the iron core into structural steel in the shape of spider legs, the sword then rushed up diagonally from below. Evade. Block. Evade. Block. Block. Block&mdash;

"&mdash;Counter!"

Konoha had discreetly raised her concentration. The suddenly unleashed Sword-Kill Counter destroyed the great sword of wreckage with a single hit. However, Kokoro swiftly threw the remaining hilt towards Haruaki. Using the opportunity of the sword's destruction, Konoha pulled back to create distance between Kokoro and Haruaki. As though to show off the speed of her own sword drawing in retaliation, Kokoro unsheathed the ceremonial sword at her waist and slashed the mountain of scrap metal at their feet. By the time she re-sheathed her sword again, two new wreckage swords were already born from the rubble. This time, these longswords were of a more manageable size to control.

"Next comes dual-wielding...!"

"Hmm... She must have picked this location expecting things to turn out this way. A sword that is even able to manipulate the life of machines&mdash;So long as she carries that sword in her hand, she can create replacement weapons endlessly."

"In other words, unless that source of a sword is destroyed, we'll just be stuck in this battle of attrition..."

If only someone could come to help them&mdash;Haruaki could not help but think. But he instantly rejected this idea. He could not force Fear in her current state. Kuroe was busy healing Un Izoey. Kirika was handling the corpses while protecting those two. There were no other allies, none&mdash;

"..."

In the corner of his view, Haruaki saw the pair of sisters who were still observing expressionlessly.

But Haruaki pretended not to see them, tried not to think of them as he rushed towards Kokoro again.


Humans who can't die. Resurrected humans.

That makes them just like me&mdash;Kirika thought while watching the corpses approach slowly with their mechanical arms.

"Therefore, I understand your wish... Although it really is absolutely ridiculous, I've already found my reason for staying here and I will stay here for that reason. But I won't be like you two who are serving as someone's tool, forced to exist without choice... Just like my past self."

In that case, their wish should be the same. Kirika knew that she was simply fantasizing pretentiously and understood that she might not be right, but even so, she still decided their wish for them mercilessly.

Indeed&mdash;An end to all this.

"One more time. Hey, I said don't move. I will wrap it up with my hair and bandages. Be patient."

Kirika checked out the situation behind her. Un Izoey was still lying on the ground with her bleeding wrist while her wavering gaze stared at her convulsing hand, all covered in blood. Once the wound was treated, will she be able to stand up? Can she still fight? &mdash;Who knows. Kirika only knew that she was part of the reason why Un Izoey could not stand.

(I don't regret what I did back then, but... I never expected it to end up plunging everyone into a crisis. How troubling, absolutely ridiculous...)

Kirika exhaled. In any case, now was not the time to be distracted from battle.

"The «Tragic Black River»!"

The belt of assassination extended and flew out. The method to stop the corpses could only be confirmed by testing. In any case, let's try strangling their necks&mdash;Obviously, it doesn't kill them. Crunch. The sound of bones breaking was heard from the corpses as they continued advancing. Well then, let's try stopping their footsteps. However, the corpses severed the belt using their sharp, mechanical arms.

"Tsk...!"

"Okay, basically... It's done... I'm supporting you, Kiririn! Mode: «Killing Machine Masakado»!"

Acting as ropes, Kuroe's hair tied up the corpses' bodies. However, they continued to move forward. Creak creak, they contorted their bodies forcibly, going as far as angles that no living person could duplicate, finally using their prosthetic arms to sever the hair.

"Even Kuroe-kun's hair won't work huh."

"Perhaps it's similar to the objects that Fourteen took out, strengthened in the process... But we can't give up because of that."

"Indeed. We must find a way to stop them... Let's go!"

We must deal with these corpses as quickly as possible to go support Haruaki and the others. Kirika and Kuroe worked with perfect coordination and extended their respective weapons towards the approaching corpses again.

Kirika was greatly anxious. Hurry up and stop them. I must be faster. Right now, he is fighting by himself. Even wielding the Japanese sword, who knows how long he can last&mdash;

However, Kirika did not know how to kill corpses. Despite broken necks, broken legs and being pierced by Kuroe's spears of hair, the two corpses, which Kirika found similar to herself, still did not halt. No good. We can't continue to step back. Un Izoey was still lying on the ground and Kirika did not want to get too far away from Haruaki and the others.

In the end, Kirika and Kuroe's weapons alone were lacking in destructive power. What should be done? What should be done?

While agonizing over the situation, Kirika performed another meaningless attack as though trying to stall for time. At this moment, she heard a sound. Looking over in that direction&mdash;Her heart skipped a beat.

Locked in desperate struggle against Kokoro, Haruaki was sent flying in the air, crashing into the mountain of scrap metal.