Kama only gave a small smile upon hearing the question and the vigilance directed at her.
"My purpose?" she repeated softly, as if the word itself amused her.
She twirled a strand of hair around her finger and let out a small laugh.
"Nothing that important." Her tone was light, almost casual. "I just felt like doing something wicked because I happened to be in the mood for it."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"So… there's no need to think too deeply about it."
The atmosphere instantly turned cold.
Rider stared at Kama without blinking.
"You are dangerous."
The words came out short and firm.
Rider immediately lowered her stance, her back bent in a combat posture while both hands gripping her spiked chains crossed in front of her body.
A faint metallic clatter of chains echoed through the night air.
The next moment, Rider shot forward, the ground beneath her feet cracking slightly from the sudden burst of speed.
In an instant, she was right in front of Kama, her chain spikes thrusting straight toward the woman's head without the slightest hesitation.
However, Kama's pierced body slowly dissolved like mist swept away by the wind.
Rider's eyes narrowed instantly.
An illusion?
Even Sakura widened her eyes in shock as Kama's figure vanished so suddenly.
But before anyone could react, several other Kamas suddenly appeared behind Rider.
They manifested almost without warning, as if they had already been there from the very beginning.
"Eh?"
Rider's body was instantly restrained.
Two Kamas grabbed both of her arms from behind, while another wrapped soft silk around her neck like a slowly coiling snake.
Their movements were not rough.
On the contrary, they were too gentle.
And because of that, everything felt even more disturbing.
At the same time, another Kama was already standing directly in front of Sakura.
Too close.
Her right hand slowly rose, then gently touched Sakura's left cheek—almost like an affectionate caress.
A faint smile appeared on Kama's face.
Her expression looked almost identical to Sakura's own. Gentle, calm and fragile. But the most fundamental difference lay in her eyes.
Kama's gaze did not see a human being. She looked at Sakura like someone observing a chosen sacrificial offering.
Sakura's breath caught. Her body froze under an inexplicable chill.
"Ah… what…?"
Her eyes widened slightly as she realized just how close the figure was. On the other side, Rider immediately tried to turn her head.
"Sakura—"
But a soft voice rang right beside her ear.
"Don't move."
One of the Kamas restraining her smiled faintly.
"If you move…"
The silk around Rider's neck tightened slightly.
"…you already know what I'll do to your Sakura."
The Kama standing in front of Sakura Matou let out a small laugh, almost affectionate.
Her fingers gently caressed Sakura's cheek, sliding down along her jawline until stopping at her chin. With a soft motion, she lifted Sakura's face slightly so she would look directly at her.
"At last…" she whispered with smile widened faintly. "We can finally look at each other directly, my beloved vessel~"
Sakura's body stiffened slightly, and her eyes widened upon hearing that word.
"Vessel…?" her voice was faint. "What do you mean…?"
Kama only smiled lightly at the question.
"It's nothing." her tone remained light, almost like casual teasing. "Don't think too hard about it. Just consider it me rambling~"
Her right hand slowly lifted, then with a gentle motion, her palm pressed against Sakura's chest—right over where her heart was.
Sakura instinctively held her breath as Kama's fingers applied slight pressure there.
Not strong.
Not painful.
Yet for some reason, the sensation made her feel cold inside.
Kama stared at her silently for a few seconds before speaking again.
"I already killed two insects earlier," she said softly. "But that old rotten insect is quite cunning."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Because part of him still exists inside your body, right?" A faint smile returned. "Isn't that right, Sakura-chan?"
Sakura fell silent.
She immediately understood what this mysterious figure meant.
Crest Worms.
Those disgusting creatures implanted into her body since childhood, merged with her nerves and magical circuits, slowly devouring and tormenting her bit by bit all this time.
Unconsciously, Sakura's fingers trembled slightly.
"If you know…" she said quietly, lowering her head a little. "Can you remove it?"
"I can."
Kama's answer came far too quickly.
Too easily.
But a faint smile then returned to her face.
"But the question is…" she said softly.
Her fingers on Sakura's chest pressed slightly deeper.
"Does Sakura-chan deserve to be cleansed?"
Sakura's eyes widened slightly.
"Eh…?"
Confusion mixed with shock was clearly visible on her face. She had hoped—even just a little.
But Kama's gaze gradually made her chest feel cold.
Kama smiled faintly at her reaction.
"Ara~ don't make that face."
Her fingers still rested on Sakura's chest, right above her heart.
"Sakura-chan is dirty."
Her tone remained gentle. Calm.
And precisely because of that, every word felt even more piercing.
"Dirty, broken, and disgusting."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Someone like you is not worthy of standing beside Senpai, right?"
Sakura's body trembled slightly. Her gaze slowly dropped.
Meanwhile, Kama continued speaking without giving the wound any chance to close.
"Wishing for someone to save you…" she said softly. "Wishing for a hero who would pull you out of the mud…"
She let out a small laugh.
"Isn't that just a comfortable lie people choose to believe?"
Sakura's breath caught.
Her lips moved slightly, but no sound came out.
Because a part of her knew…
Those words felt too close to what she had always believed herself.
"Sakura!"
Rider's voice shattered the cold atmosphere.
"Don't listen to that thing!"
At the same time, the silk tightening around Rider's neck constricted further.
"Ghh—!"
One of the Kamas behind her leaned closer, smiling softly near her ear.
"Didn't I tell you to stay quiet?"
Her tone was sweet. Almost teasing.
Yet the pressure around Rider's neck continued to increase.
"You're quite disobedient, aren't you, Rider~"
Her fingers gently stroked Rider's long purple hair.
"Shall I punish you?"
Rider gritted her teeth.
Even while being strangled, her gaze remained sharp, fixed on the Kama in front of Sakura.
"If… that helps me protect Sakura…" she rasped. "Do whatever you want."
The silk tightened again.
"Aah~ your loyalty is truly disgusting, Rider~"
Meanwhile, the Kama standing before Sakura suddenly fell silent.
Her shoulders trembled slightly.
Then she laughed.
Her laughter was small—but genuinely amused.
"Ahh… such an adorable expression~"
Her eyes returned to Sakura.
That crimson gaze held something difficult to describe—something between fascination, distorted affection, and a nearly gentle cruelty.
"Because of that…" she said softly. "I'll get rid of that insect."
Her fingers pressed lightly against Sakura's chest again.
"Because I want Sakura-chan to suffer more clearly."
Her smile widened slightly.
"I really am…"
She let out another small laugh.
"…such a terrible person."
Sakura lightly bit her lower lip.
Her chest felt restless.
She knew the being before her was dangerous.
Extremely dangerous.
And yet, because of that very danger, Kama's presence felt impossible to escape—like a flame one knows will burn them, yet still cannot look away from.
"I..." Sakura's voice came out soft and unsteady. "I don't understand you..."
Kama smiled faintly.
"Ara~ there's no need to understand."
Without warning, she moved closer.
The distance between them slowly disappeared until there was barely any space left at all.
Their breaths brushed against one another.
Warm.
Slow.
And strangely enough, Sakura did not pull away.
Her eyes widened slightly, as though even her own body could not understand why she wasn't resisting this closeness.
Then something soft began to move.
Like a serpent slowly slithering through the narrow gaps between stones, searching for a place to settle.
Its movement was careful.
Unhurried.
Yet it carried a strange rhythm that gradually threw Sakura's breathing into disarray.
And when the two finally met, the motion became a faint dance—curling together, slipping apart, only to draw close again in a pattern that slowly emptied Sakura's thoughts.
Warm.
Intoxicating.
As though her body was slowly sinking into a dream far too gentle to resist.
Sakura's face flushed red.
Her mind felt light, as if she were drifting high into the night sky.
Little by little, strength left her body.
Until several moments later, Kama slowly pulled away.
A thin lingering line remained between them before finally breaking apart.
Sakura staggered.
But before she could fall, Kama caught her gently. Her movements were careful, almost affectionate, as she slowly lowered Sakura onto the floor.
"Your cleansing..." Kama whispered softly. "...is complete~"
A faint, satisfied smile appeared on her lips.
The next instant, the three Kama's present there began to crumble into pale pink mana particles.
The glowing fragments drifted through the night air like scattered cherry blossom petals before gradually dissolving into nothingness.
And within moments, they were gone.
____
Author's note:
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