By the time I woke up, classes were almost over.
I was determined to leave as soon as possible, but the nurse prevented me anyway.
It's only half a day of school... so I'm not overly concerned.
But...
─Tohno-kun, the advisor teacher asked you to stay at the school.
Very strange. But I guess I have to abide by the words Noel-sensei tells me.
It seems that the girls were here quite a long time and because of that, I can see some crumbs of food around the bed where I rest.
I get out of bed carefully.
With a single blink, I realize I'm not wearing my glasses. He hadn't noticed it in all this time.
It's weird, are the [Mystic Eyes of Death Perception] affected by my health?
No, I don't know...
It's probably not like that and I'm just imagining nonsense without much sense. So in silence, I take the glasses that are next to the pillow and put them in their respective places.
With some effort, I manage to stand up. And thanking the nurse for taking care of her, I go to my classroom dragging my feet.
There is no one here anymore, which seems normal to me, after all it is Saturday.
Hmm...
I feel like there is something I am forgetting.
Well, I suppose I can attend to that matter at another time. Anyway, I have a lot of free time.
...
...
...
...
...
...
Long.
Bored.
It was a terrible amount of hours.
I realized that it was dark by then.
The teacher told me that it was okay if I was late. But I think it's an exaggeration to have given me a stack of papers just for me... that's cruel.
Returning to my classroom... an inexplicable feeling filled my head along with the smell of iron.
Maybe I am imagining it.
Well...
─You arrived! I can finally see you again, Tohno-kun.
The voice of someone calling my name made me slow my walk to my seat.
I looked towards a corner of the classroom and there, through the moonlight, I could make out the figure of the one who was supposed to have escaped from home.
My classmate, Satsuki Yumizuka was there.
The strange feeling in my chest started to grow...
─Yumizuka-san? What are you doing here?
Instinctively, I reach into my jacket pocket... recognizing the solid object present there.
Within this darkness, I can see more of Yumizuka-san and then I recognize where the smell of iron is coming from.
On the news they had said that lately there have been some vampire-style crimes, of course I can doubt Arcueid, she at no time sought to attack my neck and that is enough for me to believe in her.
I take a deep breath and brace myself.
─I came to see you, Tohno-kun! You know... I've been in love with you for a long, long time! But... I don't know, what you were doing. I trusted you, do you have any idea how long I waited for you?
I am silent.
As I put my hand in my pocket. The [Magic Energy] begins to flow through my entire bloodstream, slowly stimulating my senses to make me as alert as possible.
─I thought you were going to save me... I waited for you again, while that bastard was consuming my blood.
...
The reason he smelled like iron was one he wanted to ignore. Near the area where Yumizuka-san is currently standing, there are a couple of corpses spread out on the floor and the blood from these bodies created a red pool.
I grab my backpack and prepare to run at any moment.
This situation is not favorable for me.
However... I can still take advantage.
I find myself fully obliged to...
─Shiki! Wretch, you told me you were only going to be busy until noon! What the hell have you been up to now?!
With a thunderous sound coming from the sliding room door, someone who was calling me made their entrance.
My expression freezes seeing that it is Arcueid who walked in, looking notoriously annoyed with me.
Then I stop the hand with which she was about to remove my glasses and I see Arcueid.
Hey, this is not the time.
─Tohno-kun, who is... her? And why does she call you by your name so familiarly? I don't even have permission to do it, so... Why?!
Yumizuka-san demands an answer, but I don't think I'm in the position to answer her.
But in my place, it was Arcueid who took the lead.
─Hm? Shiki, I see you got a little ahead of me. Going straight for a [Nightkin], huh. It seems like I had questioned your insight, haha.
A what?
[Nightkin]? What's that?
Arcueid, seeing my confusion at that term, explains.
─Which means, she's a [Dead Apostle] of [Rank IV], also known as [Nightkin], she's a different type of vampire than me. A [Nightkin] gets anemic when their comes into contact with sunlight, I thought to tell you that today, but you never came, stupid Shiki.
...
I don't mind if he calls me stupid, since he's right this time...
I was about to face something without knowing exactly what it was. However, I think I can stop worrying about it.
─Shiki, rear guard.
Arcueid commands me as if he were a battle strategist, and I follow the order without replying.
I take the knife out of my pocket and remove the glasses I had been wearing until now.
So... seeing Arcueid's back...
What...?
I realize then. That there is not a single line that passes through Arcueid's body, there are not even points.
It's the first time I saw something like that.
So... this is the concept of a [True Ancestor].
If she doesn't completely drop her guard, there is no way she can see [Lines] or [Points] on her body.
Instead, I can see various lines around Yumizuka-san's body. Some red and some blue because of the lighting. But I can define well the areas where she would need to cut in case of emergencies.
Yumizuka-san immediately goes on the offensive and...
─I'm going to kill you, you fucking bitch!
With a menacing scream, she lunges at Arcueid, seeking to assassinate her. But the blonde doesn't even flinch at this.
Arcueid, effortlessly, overcoming minimal movements, dodges the first and second attacks, blocks a third and counterattacks with a takedown before a fourth blow is released.
─Shiki! ─. Arcueid calls my name, the moment he throws Yumizuka-san to the ground.
Using all of her strength, Arcueid restrains her as best she can, making sure that she doesn't run away from her.
Before the brightness of the moon, I move next to Arcueid.
Where trying to stop me, Yumizuka-san extends a right hand like a claw that seeks to kill me.
Arcueid continues to hold her.
While the silver blade shines with the movement, I slide under her arm and without hesitation, I stab my knife into Yumizuka-san's chest, in the place where one of hers. she] of her is found.
I was a bit surprised by how easily the knife went in. It reminds me a bit of what I did yesterday, but this time is different... yesterday I had no idea that Arcueid was not as human as I thought, I thought he had done something terrible against someone who did not lift a single finger to oppose me.
But this is different. Very different.
After all, Yumizuka-san murdered a group of innocent students. There are times when I can spare the lives of others, but this for obvious reasons is not one of them.
For that very reason.
I don't feel anything when I see Yumizuka-san's life slip through her fingers.
But I have a notion that she is happy with this.
After all.
As I'm stabbing her and her blood seeps into my right hand, she smiles happily.
How could she feel guilty while this is happening?
Of course not.
Because I know... that being a [Vampire] is not something to be proud of or eloquent about. It is torture.
Touko-san instructed me for things like this.
There are occasions.
In which you must end the suffering of people.