Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume16 Chapter3

They stood there blankly in the garden.

Taking another look, it was truly a pitiful sight. The trees in the garden had lost more than half their branches and leaves. Although suffering meteor impacts, the ground was pockmarked with numerous craters. All over the place, there were dark red stains making Konoha and Kotetsu's faces grimace. There was also a faint and unpleasant stench. The veranda used for relaxation was all damaged as though bitten viciously by wild beasts. Trails of destruction not only extended into the adjacent corridor but all to way into the living room inside. Not just the tiles, even the roof's beams were heavily damaged. The entire house was probably going to flood if it rained.

It was already nighttime. The fuzzy scenery under the moonlight was already this bad. Once the sun came up, the full disaster would probably be seen even clearer, a sight that would instill despair and sighing in the viewer.

"Ooh... Ah..."

Hearing a moan, Haruaki instantly turned his head to look in its direction.

"Fear!"

"Fear-kun, are you okay?"

On the cart pulled by Kirika, the cube looked like it was shaking slightly.

"A-Ah, I... Right, I...!"

Then she seemed to gasp.

She saw it too, right? Seeing it again, from the front, right?

Extending before their eyes was this home that could not be more familiar—Its unprecedented state of ruin.

Broken and intermittent exhalation, inhalation.

Then—After a while...

It was a very faint whisper, almost inaudible.

"This is also... my fault... right...?"

"Hey Fear...? What are you talking about—"

Just as he wanted to ask her, Fear asked him instead:

"...Sigh, Haruaki. Coming back here... Is it to rest...?"

"Yeah, that's right. After escaping the school, we hid nearby for a while first before finally deciding to return home to rest properly and strategize."

"Then... I'm sleeping. I want to return to my room..."

He really wanted to talk more with Fear. About things so far, about the future. About the Lord of the Knights Dominion—What that man had said.

However, Fear's voice sounded too feeble, making one wonder whether her body might shatter into pieces just from forcing her to talk.

"Oh... Then get some good rest. Also, don't let what that guy said get to you too much."

Something so matter-of-fact, he could only manage to convey one ten-thousandth of his worrying through words.

Fear answered "yeah" ambiguously.

"Then I'll take her inside directly."

Kirika pulled the cart into the main house. Just as Haruaki watched them from behind in a daze—

"Oh, I forgot to mention, the broken glass is dangerous, so be careful when walking around the house~ Because I started cleanup with the accessory dwelling first, the main house hasn't been tidied much at all."

"...Pops."

"Right, did you guys check the mailbox? Is there 300 million yen inside?"

"What are you talking about?"

Honatsu was wearing an apron for cleaning, holding a broom, working on putting the garden in order. Although this was a futile endeavor.

Before Fear woke up, they had already chatted a bit with Honatsu and found out what had happened so far as well as what had taken place here after Haruaki and company escaped. Having rested for a while after their task of stalling Pendragon, the superintendent and the Houjyou sisters had run off somewhere again. Perhaps to check out the school's situation.

In any case, confronted with his father's carefree appearance and tone of voice, Haruaki felt his entire person suddenly relax.

Bending over on the spot, Haruaki sat down cross-legged directly on the soil. Seeing that, Honatsu also said: "Rest, rest!" and sat down beside him with his calves tucked against his thighs.

Side by side, they looked at the house again.

Some parts had changed in appearance, others remained the same.

Still, it was still home. Their home.

Whether the enemy would attack again—This uncertainty definitely existed. However, they still had no choice but to return here. Resting at a hotel or some other place, that somehow did not feel right.

Their shelter where they belonged—Sure enough, it was this place.

If this place were to be gone, it would be very sad. No, not just sad.

It would definitely be despair. As though all the important organs had been plucked out of the body, turning him into a shambling zombie unable to do anything.

That kind of outcome—That kind of outcome, he must absolutely—

Haruaki quietly applied force through his left hand, clenching his fist together with soil from the garden.

"Pops, I... will work my hardest. Although I don't know what I can do, I absolutely... cannot accept something like this...!"

"Yeah. A solution... must be found..."

Honatsu answered, staring at his own home intently in the same way.

That unprecedented expression of seriousness on his face was announcing that he was feeling the same as Haruaki.

Sitting on the boundary wall, Kotetsu watched the father and son pair.

Standing on the wall next to him, Konoha's sharp gaze was sweeping all around. Once attacked, a castle's defenses would weaken. Watching out for enemy attacks was their job.

During this time, Kirika walked out of the main house. Seeing the father and son sitting side by side, she took a seat somewhere off in the distance.

At this moment, Konoha said to Kotetsu beside her:

"Kotetsu, I will leave this place to you and go over to the other side of the house."

Her gaze was like a shining polished blade. He must respond to the trust implicit in her request. He was also very happy for the chance to respond to her trust.

"Yes."

But upon hearing his brief answer, she turned her gaze at him, as though trying to confirm something.

"I understand. Whether coming in from outside or coming out from inside, I shall not let even a mouse pass."

Konoha nodded lightly and exhaled at the same time. Mixed within the breath was slight exasperation.

"To be frank, I don't care at all... Just like how she ran away that time to jump into the sea or whatever. But I know very well that it would force Haruaki-kun to shoulder a heavy and unnecessary burden again... Yes, nothing can be predicted now. I don't want to let her cause even more trouble, that is all..."

She murmured softly. Kotetsu could not help but blurt out:

"—Even if she did not escape, but like that..."

"Like that?"

Despite being so far away, outside earshot of the father and son sitting in the garden looking at the house as though admiring flowers, he still could not help but lower his voice and spoke his mind.

"...Perhaps her limit is fast approaching."

As a bystander, that was what he was forced to conclude. Losing too many things. Suffering too much damage. Rendered senseless by too many shocks.

Then—trying to exile herself because she could not withstand the pain.

"What are you planning to do?"

"I am planning nothing."

The temperature in her voice seemed to drop several degrees.

Then as though to match her cold tone...

Her next words were spoken as her past self whom Kotetsu loved and revered so much.

"I have not the slightest interest in taking care of a crying infant. 'Tis as futile as applying a drop of oil on rusted gears, by mine opinion. 'Tis as though a feeble mechanical trap, I could not even be bothered to care. In other words—"

In order to circle around to the other side of the house, she walked slowly on the wall.

Then she glanced at the main house.

It was the area around the room where the steel cube was sleeping. At the same time, she said:

"''If she were to break here, it would mean everything ends too''."

Kotetsu could see the side of her face as well as her eyes from the gaps of her glasses.

There was no emotion expressed at all.