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
He had apparently fallen asleep. Inside the dark bedroom, Harauki sat up blankly on the tatami floor. Moonlight was streaming into the room, causing Konoha's glasses on the desk to shine brightly. It was very quiet at home—After a bath, while he was thinking "I'd better prepare dinner," he had fallen asleep out of exhaustion. What were the others doing?
Perhaps too exhausted by training, his mental circuits still had not connected successfully with his body. Only his brain managed to start operating barely.
(This could very well be the first time in my life I've exercised my body the most...)
But speaking of exercising the body, Haruaki recalled Kirika several days earlier. He recalled how she had allowed part of her body to be chopped off for Lilyhowell's sake. He felt like he could see her resolve towards something. It felt as though she was saying that such resolve was necessary in order to go forward.
Did he have that kind of resolve? Haruaki asked himself introspectively.
(Of course.)
Of course, he had long noticed the ambiguity in his surroundings.
Lilyhowell had not explained the specifics of what was going to happen when he wounded Nirushaaki using the poisoned sword borrowed from her.
He could predict it. He was no fool.
The opponent might die if he used that poisoned sword. She could lose her life.
But even so...
He had a goal, a wish that he wanted to accomplish no matter what.
(If Konoha must be taken back like this...)
Lying on the tatami floor, he lightly lifted an arm which finally managed to move, raising it towards the moonlight.
He did not know if it was due to fatigue or some other reason—His arm was trembling.
"...Haha."
Hence, Haruaki realized concretely.
Extremely horrifying. So scary that he wanted to run away. A black shadow was crawling along his spine. His fingertips felt as though they were touching the asphalt that would trap him forever if he dipped his hand inside. Regarding this irreversibility, it felt like being entangled by a certain bottomless entity.
Ah, so this is what's meant by being cursed—?
Just as Haruaki clenched his trembling hand, a sound came from the front door. Forcing his body that was finally able to move to stand up, he walked over to the entrance.
Kuroe had returned with a bloody and filthy Fear.
"After you fell asleep, Haru, Kiririn called me and basically said that before she went home, she noticed Ficchi acting weird, so she's asking me what Ficchi's doing at the moment. Then I had a bad feeling because Ficchi still hadn't returned. I ran over to that place—And it was just as I feared."
By Kuroe's side, Fear simply kept her head hung. Simply from that, Haruaki seemed to realize what had happened to Fear and what kinds of feelings accompanied her actions.
He felt apologetic. At the same time, he found her very foolish.
Hence, Haruaki reached out lightly and stroked Fear's silver-haired head.
"Don't worry. I—won't die."
"..."
"That's why I'm also training in addition to the battle plan. I'm sure Konoha will recover soon. Maybe just by bringing her back to this home, her memories might recover all at once."
Haruaki deliberately spoke in cheerful tone of voice. Still not looking up, Fear said:
"...Hey."
"Hmm?"
"You're willing to go so far just to rescue Cow Tits, but what does that have to do with me? What do you think...?"
The answer was simple.
"Well, there's basically something this home can't do without. There's this combo. It just doesn't feel right until a certain duo shows up together. That said, my explanation is very vague. What about you, Kuroe?"
"Agreed~ Ficchi, if the two of you aren't present together, it feels like this family is nuso missing something important. No, is it nunyu instead...? Or soho...?"
"Hey, there's no need to worry about that nonsensical onomatopoeia, right?"
While the two of them were talking, the silver-haired head under Haruaki's palm shook slightly.
"Is this... really okay...?"
"There's nothing bad, right?"
He truly believed from the bottom of his heart. That duo simply existed here. It had started a long time ago. By this point, it would be possible to change—Absolutely.
"You're really great big idiots..."
Standing at the concrete entryway, Fear moved forward without taking off her shoes. Leaning her upper body slightly foward, she bumped her forehead against Haruaki's stomach.
Because he knew what she was seeking—
For quite a long while, substituting for words, Haruaki kept caressing her head gently.
Part 5
Meanwhile at the same time, Kirika was running.
After calling Kuroe and finding out that Fear still had not returned home, she had rushed frantically out of home—But before she reached Nirushaaki's location, Kuroe contacted her and said: "I've picked up Ficchi safely and on my way home now~" Nevertheless, feeling she would continue to worry if she just turned back to go home now, Kirika changed her destination to the Yachi home, deciding it would be best to check out the situation at least.
Jogging along streets at night, she finally arrived in front of the Yachi home's entrance—
"...?"
She brushed past a woman. Only after walking past each other did Kirika halt, struck with a sense of dissonance.
It was perfectly commonplace to walk past other people along streets at night. However, that woman had walked out from behind the utility pole in front of the Yachi home. As though she had been observing the interior situation until now, the woman had pulled her gaze away from the Yachi home to face forward. Then when passing by Kirika—as soon as she saw Kirika—the woman even smiled faintly.
Kirika looked back in surprise but the woman's figure had already vanished into the night.
"Who was that just now...?"
There was nothing unusual about the woman's face but Kirika felt she had seen it somewhere before. There was even an inexplicable sense of affectionate familiarity. However, this should be her first time seeing that woman. Kirika had no recollection of her appearance itself. Furthermore, regardless of appearance, the sense of presence the woman gave off was in itself a problem. A vibe of confidence, a vibe of someone extraordinary, as though she was roaming world and surviving on her own without depending on anyone—An aura of "strength."
Staring intently at the street at night where the woman had disappeared, Kirika narrowed her eyes. She could think of one possibility.
Then passing through the Yachi home's front gate, she walked towards the ajar entrance. Looking inside, she saw Fear and Kuroe just about to take off their shoes and enter the corridor. Haruaki was receiving them right there.
"Oh it's you, Class Rep."
"Oh~ Kiririn. Thank you for your call~"
"...Kirika."
Seeing Fear turn her gaze away in embarrassment, Kirika sighed. Fear was no longer showing the same expression Kirika had witnessed earlier before parting ways, that of the girl helplessly devoured by her own inner thoughts. This was probably due to that hand of his on Fear's head. At least it looked like Fear was not going to risk her life on her own again.
"How troubling... Absolutely ridiculous. But let's save the complaining for later. Fear-kun, go take a bath first to give your body a rest first. During this time, there are also things we need to do."
"Eh? Things we need to do?"
Seeing Haruaki make a puzzled look, Kirika explained what happened just now. The presence of the woman who seemed to be observing this home. The aura of an extraordinary person. On top of that—
"Nirushaaki said roughly a week, right? Tomorrow will be the sixth day. It's possible."
"Y-You're saying...!"
Presumably understanding what Kirika was implying, Haruaki's face suddenly went tense. Kirika nodded slowly before saying:
"Yes. Although it's slightly early—the time may have arrived already."
First they contacted Un Izoey to ask her to investigate if Nirushaaki's faction had shown any movements. Although Kirika was reluctant to approach them for favors, which felt like getting indebted to them, this was a time of emergency. Although it was unpleasant not knowing what the other side was thinking, at least Un Izoey would still act according to their demands. Finally, they were informed that Nirushaaki's side had not made any moves.
After asking Un Izoey and Mummy Maker to continue their surveillance, they then called Lilyhowell. After updating her on the situation—
'Let me clarify first. That woman is not the Draconian's Commander.'
"What are you talking about?"
Did they worry for nothing? This thought flashed across Kirika's mind. However—
'The current Commander is supposed to be male. But since that woman was intentionally observing the Yachi home's situation, there is an extremely high chance that she is related to this incident. One, the duel between the Commander and «Number Two» is a major event pertaining to the Draconians' future. Two, since the match's intent is to decide the stronger of the two, they will probably have the duel take place in a way arousing the least complaints as possible. That is all—In light of that, I conclude that it would not be surprising if one of the «High Singles» visited to serve as something like a "referee."'
"So that's the woman I saw?"
'Because a «High Single» of the Draconians would probably feel interested in your group. Perhaps she simply took the opportunity to check out the Yachi home's situation.'
"...Then what should we do next?"
'Just as a safety precaution, perhaps your home needs monitoring. But as I have mentioned just now, their duel is one that demands a fair match. I do not expect a late night fight where there will be many uncertain factors. It will most likely take place during the daytime tomorrow. In other words, we must take action one step ahead—'
The cellphone was set on speakerphone. Listening to this conversation close by, Haruaki and the rest were showing serious eyes.
My eyes probably look similar, Kirika thought.
At the same time, they were listening to Lilyhowell's final statement that served to sum up the current situation:
'Our battle plan will be put into action early tomorrow morning. Rest and recover your energy properly before then.'
Part 6
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Part 7
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Part 8
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