CubexCursedxCurious:Volume14 Chapter5

Chapter 5 - The Future Known as Tomorrow; Its Anticipation / "The blade - It's too sharp."

Part 1

While sipping black tea, Ontenzaki Satsuko spaced out and recalled what had happened several days earlier. She sighed.

"What's the matter?"

"Satsuko is currently reminiscing and reflecting. Satsuko is really so weak that Satsuko must work even harder..."

Although someone answered, the person who posed the question could not be seen. More precisely, everything in sight was part of the person who posed the question. Because Satsuko was currently drinking tea inside her body, the cursed house.

Several days earlier, Satsuko and Fourteen were summoned by the reason "because you two are nearby" and forced to serve as training partners. Perhaps to the other side, this was merely entertainment to prevent their bodies from going sluggish from inactivity, but for Satsuko and Fourteen who were on an inferior level, it was valuable combat experience. Satsuko had pulled out her true skills as much as possible, but still—

"It can't be helped. Preparations were not enough because we were called over at short notice. I was almost running out of ammunition towards the latter half while things would be definitely different for you, Satsuko, if even more powerful weapons could be prepared."

"But it's not like that kind of super strong top-level Wathe can be obtained that easily! Satsuko doesn't want to blame tools for an excuse~ In the end, it boils down to the issue of ability, ability! But if you ask whether Satsuko's level of combat skills are enough to match them... Satsuko will be very depressed... Ah, match? N-No, this isn't a lame pun, Fourt!"

"I didn't say anything. Perhaps I'm biased in favoring my partner to say this, but in terms of technique, I don't think the difference is large enough for you to have such an inferiority complex. If there really is a difference, it consists of experience as well as the 'level' of weaponry after all. Let me repeat myself. In the end, you can only explain everything with the difference in weapons. Because the opponents are precisely the kind of legendary Wathe you're talking about. This is the undeniable truth."

"Fair... enough. Especially «Muramasa»—"

Satsuko thought back. Muramasa's face was the same as during past encounters but her eyes were completely different. A beast's savagery, a warrior's dignity, a demon's insanity, a sword's beauty... Vigorous and strong eyes that seemed to harbor all these qualities.

After the sparring, Satsuko had chatted with her for a while but she seemed to have forgotten Satsuko completely. In other words, total memory loss. Existing now was the her that was connected directly to the past.

Thinking to herself, Satsuko wondered if that past was precisely the source of Muramasa's strength. The strength of a Wathe that had experienced warring eras and actual battles. The strength from knowing combat deeply and knowing deeply what battlefields were exactly.

Satsuko suddenly felt curious and asked Fourteen:

"That Muramasa-san and Fear-san, who's stronger?"

"In my view, that Muramasa is the pinnacle of weapons. She epitomizes the concept of the pure and sharp weapon. Even if Fear-in-Cube is the most cursed tool among cursed tools, her very essence is still that of the tool of torture and execution. Hence—"

Most simply, as though this was perfectly logical, Fourteen gave her opinion:

"In a battle between those two, without absolutely any doubt—Fear-in-Cube will be destroyed."

Part 2

Hence, the only way Fear could survive was by not fighting anymore.

In hindsight, this was made possible by others. In order to rescue her from the logical result, they took logical countermeasures.

"Mode: «Mongolian Death Worm Yoshikado»!"

"Oh, what now? Some kind of ground worm?"

The moon overhead was shrouded in shadows. A certain creepy black entity was spewing large amounts of soil in Fear' surroundings, squirming while emerging upright from underground.

Perhaps even Konoha could not help but feel astonished. Stopping the movement of her knifehand, she looked around. The force of restraint from her feet stepping on Fear's arms lessened slightly. Instantly, Fear felt something wrap around her body followed by a sense of suspension. Then being pulled backwards. The conversation taking place at her original location became more and more distant.

"Orders, may I ask?"

"I do not believe there is any need to chase after them. Leave them be."

"Running here one instant, fleeing the next, how busy of them. Oh my, time for another drink..."

Even though the conversation moved out of earshot, Fear still found herself continuing to be dragged backwards. Dragged backwards nonstop. Even after getting swallowed into the darkness of the night where nothing could be seen, the dragging still did not cease.

Then when Fear regained her senses, she found Kuroe's face before her eyes.

"Ficchi!"

In a rare moment, truly an extremely rare moment, Kuroe's eyes were filled with anger. The instant she saw that, for some reason, Fear felt the depths of her throat tighten all at once and could only answer in a demoralized, trembling voice.

"Hey... Kuroe, what... should I do...?"

Probably because the voice sounded so pathetic that even Fear herself was surprised...

The anger in Kuroe's eyes suddenly subsided.

"To be frank, just this time—Even I have no idea."

After murmuring softly, Kuroe used her short arms to hug Fear's head tightly.

Part 3

(placeholder)

Part 4

(placeholder)

Part 5

(placeholder)

Part 6

(placeholder)

Part 7

(placeholder)

Part 8

(placeholder)

Back to Chapter 4

Return to Main Page

Forward to Chapter 6