Part 70

It doesn't seem like Senpai is coming.
I guess I just have to go to the tea ceremony room.

I don't want to hear about Shiki getting excited

I start to breathe hard----

I dash down towards the tea ceremony room.

...... *pant*...... *pant*...... *pant*.

My heated body doesn't cool off that easily.
I painfully gasp for air.
My body is drenched in sweat, and I feel terrible.

My panting fills the air.

There's---something weird.
I've been resting for a while, but my breathing is getting worse.
In the first place, why is my body tired after only running this little distance......?

Music: play track 4

"Tsss, ah............!"
My body falls with a crash.
"Ah, ah, ah............!"
My entire body is convulsing.
It, hurts.
My chest, my chest is, burning,,,,,,!

"Hagh, gah, ghaaaaa......!"
Pain.

Pain.

Pain.
Such pain, is frightening.

"U, ugah, kuaaaa.........!"
I can't bear it.
If it lasts another second,
then, it would be better, just to die----!

"Fine. I'll grant your wish, Shiki."

Music: stop

I don't even feel heavy.
I don't even feel... alive.

"----"
I try to say something, but my throat doesn't move.

There's nothing.
No pain,
no sensation,
not even, freedom.

"-----!"
I don't know what's going on, so I try to get up.

My body doesn't even twitch.
It's not that I'm tied down, nor is it that my entire body is numb.

If I have to give a metaphor,
it's like my body is already dead, but my mind is mistakenly still lingering in my body.

"------"
Of my five senses, only my sight is still alive.
...... the room is dark.
It's night outside already.
"---"
I can't move my face, so I move my eyes.

"---Oh? I thought you had completely disappeared, but you're awfully persistent, Shiki."

I read a phrase that was so vague I barely understood it. I wrote a comment that wasn't funny.

"----"
Who is that?
I've never seen him. I've never seen him---but I feel like, I've known him from a long, long time ago.

"What's this? How mean of you, Shiki.
You've been looking for me for so long and when I come out, you don't remember me?"
With an amused laugh, he stares at me with blood-shot eyes.

"...... No, that's wrong. Certainly I am the vampire known as the Serpent of Akasha.
But to you, I'm not the Serpent, but rather, SHIKI, right?
---Man, how cold of you. You make me look stupid for thinking about you all these eight years."

You know it's bad when Shiki makes somebody else look stupid.

"---Did you really forget Shiki?
...... Was the old man's hypnosis that good or---did you lose your memory after dying once?
Shit, either way, what a waste!
Do you understand!? These eight years, I've waited these eight years! I've waited for this instance where I could steal everything from you, the one who killed me! But what use is it now if you don't remember!?"

"-----"
What is, he saying?
I---killed him?

"That's right! If you've forgotten, then remember. The three of us were always together, right?
In the Tohno mansion. Akiha and you, and I would play in the garden together. Before I became like this eight years ago that day!"

"...... You can't remember? And we were such good friends too."
He grits his teeth.
His whole body quivers with emotion as if he was brimming with vexation.

"---Geez. Was I the only one in pain?
That's terrible, Shiki. I was always locked away by my old man, but I could always sense you.
Haha. Because I was using your 'life'. Even though we're not connected by blood, we're connected by our souls."

Dude, please... you forgot to zip up your pants. Mind taking care of that?

"What I wanted to say is this, Shiki. I'm your brother. But you and Akiha seem to have heartlessly forgotten that."
"-----"
My...... Tohno Shiki's, brother.........?

"---If you've forgotten, then there's nothing to talk about.
Your painful death is the goal of this body...... of Tohno SHIKI.
I've gone along with that this long, but it's time to lower the curtain.
Even for me---to have two bodies with one life is not very efficient."

Oh, way to go, guys

Music: play track 3

Merci!
The hint corner for the out-of-luck Tohno-kun who ended up in this terrible Dead End,
It is time for "Teach me, Ciel-sensei!"

And now, we will start the second period lesson.

I kept this picture just because it makes no sense when you don't see the mini-Arcueid or the brief flash of the deer.

Hey now, no private conversations during class!
Now that the loud and annoying person has been kicked away, please continue to enjoy the main story.

Music: stop

Since we're approaching the end, the real update is a startling monolith of the likes of which I cannot describe. I'll have it up when I can, probably in two parts if I break the character limit.