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

Thinking about the young master...

She discovered that he loved to run around all over the place, unafraid of curses, unafraid of her. It felt very refreshing.

At the same time, his eyes were sincere and forthright.

She could sense that his maturation was commendable. Since his father was quite undisciplined and arbitrary in doing whatever he wanted, she really did not feel that his education was commendable.

"What should we do about your name~?"

"As I have said, just use Muramasa."

"By itself, that won't be very convenient."

"Otherwise, how else should I be called? I, Muramasa, am Muramasa."

Unexpectedly, there were times when he was very insistent. He refused to give up despite her multiple rejections, always gazing straight at her while asking that inconsequential question.

Leaning forward over the table in the living room, he cocked his head adorably.

"I keep reminding you because it's inconvenient. Besides, you should also—How should I put this? Isn't it time you acknowledged me as master, right? Have you decided to lift your curse for real?"

She could not help but laugh. This child was still concerned about that kind of thing? Clearly she had not made any request of that sort from the start. She decided to gloss over the issue casually in a joking tone of voice.

"Ha. Not yet not yet. Because thou and I cannot be considered a true master-servant relationship."

"A true master-servant relationship?"

Pondering for some time, while recalling the valiant generals and soldiers who roamed the battlefields with her in the past, she said at the same time:

"Indeed. In a true master-servant relationship, there is no distinction between master and servant... Verily. The sword is the general, the general is the sword. Spurring the horse, galloping across the battlefield together, annihilating enemies nonstop. Even our lives are one."

"?"

"In other words, 'tis entrusting each other's lives to the other. The type of trust allowing one to trust the other to guard their back, a mutual relationship where both put their lives on the line to protect each other's lives. In conclusion—'tis a relationship where bodies and minds are merged into one. Uniting two into one in all respects. Becoming the same existence with each other."

Of course, she knew this sort of thing was impossible. She was a cursed tool. This child could not have forgotten that. He could not possibly trust her wholeheartedly. Likewise, she could not trust him completely... Asking her to rely on a child like him, that was probably never going to happen.

He tilted his little head in the opposite direction to earlier, but immediately smiled radiantly and said:

"I don't quite get it, but... Okay! Basically I have to help you if there's danger! Of course, that's very normal!"

"Speak not of normal, that sort of thing cannot happen in the first place."

Hearing his overconfident words, she wanted to laugh instead. Scoffing sardonically, she deliberately continued in mockery:

"Ha, very well~ If thou helpest me, whether using thy life or anything else, I shall help thee in return. However much thou helpest me, I shall repay accordingly. This is the contract. Because a true master-servant relationship hath yet to exist between us, something on this level would be an achievement already."

He pouted slightly.

"But I really want to make it a true master-servant relationship... If it's possible to become that kind of existence, then our wishes will become one, and you'll work hard to lift your curse, right? How should I go about it?"

"Who knoweth. 'Tis not something that is done just because 'tis decided. Rather, it has already come into being by the time thou noticest."

"Eh~"

Listening to his dissatisfied protest—she thought at the same time: but...

If the other party believed that helping her was perfectly normal and also thought that trusting her was perfectly natural, then there was no issue but what lay in herself. It was simply her reluctance to get close to him, nothing more complicated than that. If she had to ponder why she was reluctant to get close to him, why she was unable to trust him wholeheartedly—

Putting down the teacup, she silently cast her gaze over the garden.

The quiet garden was dyed red by the setting sun.

It looked almost like the color of blood.

Perhaps it's that time, she thought.

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