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Chapter 20

Shiki attacks Nrvnsqr, but is momentarily stunned by all of the points of 'death' on his back. A familiar dives out of Nrvnsqr's back and attacks Shiki, but he quickly dispatches it. The familiar turns into a black goo which traps Shiki on the ground.

Nrvnsqr focuses on Arcueid, who tears apart several familiars with ease and follows up by slicing half of Nrvnsqr's body off. They taunt each other for a bit. Shiki notices the discarded half of his body start to move and tries to warn Arcueid, but it's too late. The severed half of Nrvnsqr's body envelops Arcueid and pins her to the ground, slowly devouring her.

Nrvnsqr brags about the 666 beasts living inside of his chaotic body, among several other things. Shiki gets really pissed off and slices apart the black goo holding him, then pauses like an idiot. A random girl wanders into the park and gets eaten, causing Shiki to enter a blind rage and attack Nrvnsqr. After destroying several beasts, Shiki demands that Nrvnsqr release Arcueid. Nrvnsqr gets upset at Shiki's arrogance and lets close to a hundred beasts forth to try and devour him. Shiki is covered with darkness and beasts assail him from all over.

"Gah------!"
I get struck in the back from behind.
Did one of the black dogs just ram me with its head?
Anyhow, my spine creaks----and I can't… breathe.

"Ah------"
Both of my thighs are punctured by canine teeth.
"Ha----ahhh……!"
I pierce their foreheads audibly with my knife.
The two dogs dissolve like mud, leaving only burning pain behind in my legs.

----The beasts are not uncontrolled.

Even though they could pick me apart in a single instant if they wanted to, they circle themselves around me and come to "feed" one at a time.

There,
is no opening at all.

"Ah…………… h."
My body collapses.
Not even being able to breathe properly, not even being able to stand from the pain in my legs,
I fall flat on my back.

Chapter 21

The beasts all around Shiki begin to devour him as slowly and painfully as possible. After agonizing about it for awhile, Shiki enters another blind rage and his vision goes red. He mechanically slices apart the beasts assaulting him, then turns his attention towards a very nervous Nrvnsqr.

Nrvnsqr releases beasts in increasing strength, starting with the same beasts that Arcueid was killing. Shiki dismantles all of them instantly and effortlessly. Growing desperate, Nrvnsqr restores his body, releasing Arcueid. He tries desperately to harm Shiki even a little bit, but continually fails. Arcueid taunts him and tells him that Shiki killed her. In a final fit of desperation, Nrvnsqr attacks Shiki with his full strength and is at last annihilated.

My right hand finally lets go of my knife.

"---Cold."
I'm cold.
The pain is numbed; it feels almost comfortable.
My body is ripped with canine bite marks and beak marks.

---Well, there's no mistake that I'll probably die like this.

Now where the fuck did that come from?

"-----"
The figure stands on a streetlight and stares down at me.
Despite just being almost killed, I vacantly think those high-laced boots look really cool.

"Whew, my inevitable doom has been delayed by a few precious minutes. Damn those are some wicked awesome boots."

The figure doesn't say anything.
The emotionless eyes resemble the sharp moonlight.
Resembles…
The figure----really resembles Senpai.

"………………"
My mind swims.
Caaaaaaawww. The crow's death cry.
And, I close my eyes quietly.

Music: play track 9

…… I keep bleeding.
In my groggy state,
I can hear Arcueid and someone else arguing.

"I cannot leave it to you. I will heal him."
A horribly hostile voice.
"Don't do anything you shouldn't. This is mine, so it doesn't concern you."
Arcueid sounds the same too.



…… She sounds the same, but I wish she wouldn't selfishly make me her object.

"Then please be quiet. With those wounds, he cannot last long."
"---I really hate you. You should just disappear before I kill you."
"I really hate you as well. You don't need to tell me anything; I plan on leaving once his wounds are healed.
You yourself should disappear before I kill you. I can't stand seeing you around."

Rowwrrr.... hsssssssssst

…… A conversation full of tension and hostility.
My mind goes totally blank----

"----Har… d."
Yeah, it's hard.

Shiki must REALLY like catfights.

I feel something hard against my back, and it causes me to wake with a start.

"………………"
Arcueid looks at me wordlessly.
…… Or maybe it's more like a glare.
"Ar…… cueid……?"

"……………………"
Arcueid doesn't respond.
I don't know why, but she seems really angry.

"…… There."
For now, I stand up.
"Oh----my wound's healed."
I was so bloody and cut up, but there isn't a single scar anywhere.
There isn't any pain either, as if my fight with Nrvnqsr was all a dream.

---But, that was no dream.
Then, this---must be…

"Arcueid. Don't tell me you used another part of Nrvnqsr's body again……?"

"NOW how am I supposed to accessorize?!"

"No, unfortunately not. It would've been a quick fix and you would've gotten stronger with it too. But since you 'killed' Nrvnqsr completely, we can no longer use his body."

The laws of reality seem to change depending on who makes Shiki the horniest.

"Really? I guess you healed me in another way then.
…… Wow, I really am back to normal. I don't feel pain or dizziness. Just how in the world did you do it, Arcueid?"
"I don't know. I wasn't the one who healed you."

She exclaims and looks away, displeased.

"------Ah."

There was.
There was another person.
Someone who helped me.
…… That woman in black garments who resembled Senpai far too much.

"Arcueid… where is that person from before!?"

"………………"
Still looking displeased, she looks away and ignores me.
"Hey, Arcueid! I'm asking you what happened to that person from before!"
"I don't know. I didn't see anyone."
She turns away and pretends not to know anything.

"Just what does that Christian hussy have that I don't, huh?!"

"----That's just a coincidence. Just forget about that person. If you talk about it again in front of me, I'll really get mad."

Ending quickly, she looks away.
"…… Why are you so angry?"
I should be the one getting angry.
I just want to know who that person from before was, that's all.

"…… Fine, I got it. I won't ask anymore. Besides, our partnership ends here anyway."

"Fine, be that way. I'm taking my ball(s) and going home."

"Eh---?"
"Isn't it obvious? We defeated the vampire who did as he pleased in this town, so my responsibility's gone now.
I have to get back home soon, or Akiha will yell at me. I think it's about time to cut it off, Arcueid."

"Hm----you're right. Now that you mention it, it's already this late, too."
Arcueid nods.

"Alright."
I also nod in understanding.

…… I nodded out of understanding, but…
there's still something lingering.
As if I regret parting with her.

It's just teenage hormones, they'll go away in a few years.

"-----"
That's ridiculous.
She's a vampire, and I'm a normal human.
If I associated with her anymore…… something will happen that I can't take back.

I try to say, "This is the last time, idiot," but I stop myself.
"…… Well, there are a lot of problems, but she is quite an interesting person."
I speak as if trying to convince myself.
But, it's the truth.
So, even if it is just once in a while…
I feel like--if by some chance we got to meet again--it wouldn't be a bad thing.

That's where you're wrong, but it's hardly the first time and it won't be the last, either!

Music: stop

---Or at least, I intended to.



"……………………"
But, I just can't sleep.
My mind and body are tired, but I can't stop thinking about that figure and I can't sleep.
"…… It couldn't…… have been Senpai, but……"
But, she resembles Senpai so much.



I couldn't get a good look at her face, so I can't say for sure.
So---I think it's just my mistake.
"…… Tomorrow…… I'll ask her…… at school."
Yeah---that's right.
I can see her at school any time, so I'll ask her then. Then, she can just say, "That wasn't me," and it'll all be alright.

"Say, I've been meaning to ask you... do you dress up in priestly robes at night and hop around on street lights, throwing knives at people? No? Yeah, I figured that wasn't you."

"----Alright, that's what I'll do."
It's decided.
Now, then---if I just read a boring book, I'll probably fall asleep.

If those words are to be a grand reality, it would be one of the things which would define eternity.
But in reality, nothing in existence has reached that level.

For example, those vampires occasionally spoken of in legends are not immortal.
After all, they are defective because they require stealing from others to exist.
Furthermore, the fact that their supplemental parts have to be of the same species---in this case, generally referring to humans----means that they are not versatile at all.
They call themselves the transcendent race, but that is not evolution, it is degeneration.



That which cannot function independently in perpetuity cannot be called eternal.
It is presumptuous to call something immortal if it depends on others to halt its aging.

There already exists something close to perfection which can function independently in perpetuity.
It feeds on itself and multiplies. It has no such thing as a lifespan. Old cells become food as nutrients and new cells are produced from it.
Such as a jellyfish.
However, it is perpetual only because it has no intelligence.
If having no intelligence is fine, then it is no different from gaining eternity by death.

Immortality or eternity.
I have no attachment to stained immortality.
Persistently maintaining individuality makes eternity unattainable.

Instead of gaining immortality as a single human,
I chose the infinity in which I continue to exist eternally.

Yes, that is true. But if no other humans existed, I would not be able to confirm my own self.
So----if humans become extinct, then continuing to live would be worthless. At that point, my immortality would end.

…… I do not understand your theory. That is far from the thesis of eternity, Serpent.

No, it is eternity. When a time comes to perish, everything should perish. If observers cease to exist, then that means everything is unchanging.
The eternity I embody is temporary until that time occurs.
I cannot turn everything into nothingness. Therefore, I will continue living until it happens.
…… Although, I have found yet another amusement.

Yes. I will show you a mystic method which allows you to slightly shape what is inside of you. There is someone I wish for you to catch using this achievement from the age of the gods, Chaos.

I feel the morning sunlight.
I keep my eyes closed as I try to fall asleep again, but the gentle sunlight keeps urging me to open my eyes.

---Slowly, I start to awaken.

---Then, I should get up and go to school.

That's right, I have to go to school.
The past three days, my life was chaos and it made me forget I was a student.

*groan*

Music: play track 2

I hear the clock ticking.
Small birds chirp in the woods outside.
I stay on my warm bed, aimlessly feeling the relaxed passage of time.

-----This is, of course, another peaceful day.

"……………"
But, I feel a bit unsatisfied.
Although I'm back in this calm morning, I---feel that there is something that seems out of place.

"Uwaaaa!"
I jump up in my bed.
Now that I look, Hisui is standing quietly at the side of my bed.
"Hi-HiHi-Hisui---"
"…… Please excuse me, Shiki-sama, but since you did not notice, I spoke."
"Ah---well, I mean, I'm sorry, too."
Hisui respectfully bows to me.

---Sh-she surprised me.
My heart is still pounding rapidly.

"---Huh? But it's still before seven o'clock, Hisui."
"Yes. It is a bit earlier than your usual waking time, Shiki-sama."
"Well, yes---then why are you here, Hisui?"
"I came to wake you up. Akiha-sama wants to know what have you been doing these last two days so she wanted me to bring you no matter what."
"-----Ah."



…… I forgot.
Come to think of it, I skipped school last Saturday and was with Arcueid through all of Sunday.
What's more, I came back late last night, snuck in like a burglar, and then went to sleep.

"…… Don't tell me, Akiha's angry……?"
"I do not know. Please confirm for yourself, Shiki-sama."



---Hisui's voice sounds very cold.

"…… Hisui, you knew I came back?"
"Yes. I noticed when you returned early this morning around two o'clock. We saw you on the security camera when you were climbing the gate, Shiki-sama."

"---Um, does Akiha know this?"
"No, only Nee-san and I know this."
"That's---good."
…… Anyway, I think I avoided the worst possible situation.
However, it's still pretty bad.
Not informing her what I've been doing these last two days and returning in the middle of the night, it's pretty bad.

"Morning Aki..."

Well, time to get up.
I can't do anything staying in bed.
"I'll go after I change, so please go ahead, Hisui. …… It's alright, I won't run."
"---Well then, we will be waiting for you."

…… *sigh*
Well then, I should change quickly so Mistress Akiha may pass judgment on me.

We're not even on the Akiha path and he's already calling her Mistress

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