Shiki, how did you... kill me?"
Unlike his previous expression, Elquet was now extremely serious.
"You don't know any magic... No, even if you do, you can't hurt me... You didn't transform into a kiva, and even if you did, you couldn't hurt me... You didn't use any conceptual weapons... So, what did you do, Shiki..."
Those scarlet eyes made Shiki's hair stand on end. It seemed that he had to tell her everything now.
"Hmm... I can see those lines with my eyes... If I cut along those lines, anything can be cut easily."
"Wire...?"
"Shiki... have you ever had a serious accident, the kind that nearly killed you?"
"Um... seven years ago, I think I had a serious accident and a huge scar was left on my chest. The doctors thought I would die soon, but I miraculously survived."
"Hmm! That makes sense. I've only heard of it before, but this is the first time I've seen it.
Shiki, those eyes of yours should be the 'Mystic Eyes of Death Perception' that can see the 'death' of all things! "
"The demonic eye that leads to death...?"
"Yes! For all things in this world, once they are born, their 'death' is destined. Everything in this universe will have its day of end, and no one can escape this law! And after your brain understands this 'death', your eyes can see this 'death' and make it happen earlier."
"..."
As expected, my eyes and even the existence of Tohno Shiki are abnormal...
"This kind of thing... is still hard to accept... It's too magical..."
"I'm not kidding! That's the truth! Your eyes are just like that!
In other words, cutting off the head represents the end of life and the arrival of physical death. But Shiki, you directly ended its "existence", completely "erased" and "killed" it, do you understand? "
"I... sort of understand..."
I finally understand what my teacher meant when she said that seven years ago.
"Hmm... Kiva, who possesses the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception... Normally, he should be invincible in this world..."
"But I'm still wondering... Even if using the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, how can a normal person swing so many swords so cleanly and efficiently in just a few seconds...?
really! Shiki is actually a hidden murderer! "
"I told you I wasn't like that! At that time, I didn't know how to put it, but I was no longer aware of it, or I felt like I was acting on instinct…"
"Anyway… as long as I have these eyes, I can kill even a creature like you, right?"
"Hmm... you can try~"
Elquet smiled, turned around and pulled open the curtains that had been isolating the room.
The huge floor-to-ceiling windows create a brightly lit city scene at night.
With the bright moonlight,
It came into my sight without any obstruction,
"Hmm...? Can't you see it?"
"Is it because of those glasses? Take them off and let's see~"
…The girl in front of him was looking at him expectantly, as if she had prepared some surprise for him.
"I see..."
Take off your special glasses,
The pupils began to converge, emitting a faint blue light.
The "thread" instantly crawled all over the room.
Apart from...
That girl...
Elquet stood quietly at the window with his hands behind his back.
Smiling at me,
The white figure is bathed in the moonlight.
Shining with a faint light,
In this fragile, ugly and dark world full of "lines",
She alone is so white,
Flawless...
"ah..."
Shiki stared blankly at the girl in front of him.
seem,
The run and escape seven years ago,
At this moment, I finally found the result and the destination...
"I am immortal at night~ Well… But there may be some vague 'lines'… Because I was killed during the day before, so now I am not completely 'immortal' at night…"
Elquet scratched his head in embarrassment.
"Thank you... Elquite..."
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
"Nothing... nothing... I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart..."
"Hmm... I don't know why you said that... but, you're welcome?"
"..."
"——"
"...Arquette, I have one last question.
You...how many people's blood have you sucked so far? "
This question came up unconsciously, but I understand.
This question is of great significance.
Although I didn't want to hear an answer like "Do you remember how much bread you have eaten?", I was still mentally prepared.
"...Shiki, guess what~"
"Ten?"
"No! Guess again~"
"Thousands!"
"wrong!"
"Then there is only one answer!
There must be tens of thousands or even countless of them! "
"That's totally wrong! Really! Is this how I look to Shiki?!"
Seeing that the golden cat was about to explode,
Shiki decided to give it one last try.
"…Zero…Zero?"
"...Yes. In these eight hundred years, I have never sucked anyone's blood, nor have I killed any ordinary people."
"? Is this true? Vampires have never sucked blood?! This is like when I heard that 'there are female mosquitoes that never suck blood', it's impossible no matter how I think about it, right?!"
The girl blinked and looked up at the distant starry sky.
"…Yeah, it's true… Maybe, I'm just a half-baked vampire! Actually… I'm really afraid of sucking blood… —Shiki! What are you laughing at!?"
"Nothing…Nothing!"
"Really? Are half-baked vampires so funny?!"
"No…No…"
Shiki looked quietly at the somewhat resentful Elquite in front of him.
When he heard the truth in his heart,
As if the dust had settled,
The chest that was suffocating under the pressure of the huge rock,
Finally got relief.
That's great…
The pure and flawless person...
Beautiful image,
Even if it's fantasy,
It hasn't collapsed yet…
........................
From then on, the two chatted like this until about an hour before dawn.
The atmosphere fell silent.
Arquette lay on the bed, playing with her golden hair,
And Toono Shiki suddenly realized that one day had passed.
A new day has begun.
hiss,
This is a big trouble.
I couldn't explain to Qiu Ye that I didn't go to school.
This time he didn't come back all night.
I wonder if Qiu Ye will be worried sick.
I won't be unable to leave the house again, right? !
Toono Shiki took a deep breath and tried to find something to do to divert his attention.
"Does Elquit eat human food?"
"Food, do you want to cook something?"
"Well, I can still cook some simple food."
Shiki, who hadn't eaten for almost a whole day, suddenly felt hungry.
Then I walked into the kitchen and found Kivat hiding in the refrigerator, eating some fruit and shivering with cold.
Tono Shiki immediately lit the fire and prepared to cook two bowls of noodle soup.
And keep the kivat warm at the same time.
only,
This gas stove has a low flame.
How do you heat up the temperature to the point where you're sweating profusely?It's raining inside...
Or am I just… sweating profusely?
My brain aches.
The eyeballs seemed to be drilling into the brain.
The body is warning itself.
The thermometer in the kitchen is still over ten degrees, which shouldn't be the case.
"Arquette? Don't you feel hot?"
"Me? I'm fine. It's only about 40 degrees Celsius now. Even if I'm weak, 3,000 degrees Celsius is still acceptable to me~"
…
This guy doesn't seem to be of much help, but he is a lot of great help.
But based on my own experience,
Something strange is definitely coming.
!
The flashing surveillance camera showed that a raging fire had already engulfed the hotel lobby.
Standing in the flames,
It was a huge figure and several wild beasts.
Soon, the already unstable monitoring fluctuated several times.
Completely trapped in the snow screen.
"Hey! Elquite! Is this the person we're looking for?!"
Toono Shiki anxiously went to the window and looked down at the bottom of the building.
No one went out.
No one came in...
Oh no, there are still many guests resting in this high-rise building!
We need to act quickly!
"I don't know him."
Elquet looked at the snowy screen with contempt,
Just a few words made Toono Shiki very anxious.
Don't know?
What's the meaning? Is there more than one culprit in this city? !
Or is it that he simply doesn't even know his own prey? !
But there is no time now!
Elquet's previous weak appearance was no longer a problem for her.
"Arquette! Stay here! I'll take care of them!"
"Oh...oh...ok."
"Kivat!"
"Hey, hey, here I come!"
A man and a bat rushed out of the room under Elquet's worried eyes...
........................
In the deserted corridor,
Although the temperature was extremely hot,
But all the fire alarms and fire extinguishing devices did not respond at all.
Some of the light bulbs in the row under the high temperature have begun to flicker one after another.
The scarlet carpet sometimes shone,
Sometimes falling into darkness.
Screams, cries for help, cries,
It rises and falls like the sound of waves, as if it were the sounds and scenes from hell.
"..."
Shiki stared at the stairs and elevator ahead with his dark grey eyes.
Sweat dripped down his cheeks and chin.
My feet couldn't stop shaking.
"Hey! Shiki, transform quickly!
What are you thinking about! "
"Hmm…oh…!"
Then he stretched out his right hand.
"I bite!…?!"
"What are you hiding from!?"
At the moment when the kivat was about to pierce the back of Shiki's hand with its fangs,
As if it were a conditioned reflex.
The right hand was taken away in an instant.
"The more times you transform... the faster you will go down the inhuman path..."
"..."
"Hey! Shiki!"
"It's so noisy!"
Shiki took off his glasses, opened his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, and took out the "Nanayo" knife from his bosom.
"This time——there's no need to transform!"
Then he rushed downstairs.
"Really? How come you fail at the critical moment again?!"
Kivat followed, cursing.
........................
"Is there anyone still alive?! Can someone say something?!"
Shiki was panting and running on different floors.
The hot air is like a sharp blade.
It kept piercing the already tired lungs.
But apart from the panting and footsteps echoing in the empty corridor,
Except for the "lines" that belong to the walls and floors,
All the noisy sounds from before had long disappeared without a trace.
It seems that the cruel truth has finally been laid before Shiki.
But the boy is still searching...
Even if there is only one person...
finally,
The elevator indicator needle is about to jump to my floor.
The roar of the huge black box is finally coming to an end.
in!
There must be survivors inside trying to escape!
Shiki ran towards the elevator door.
until,
The iron box covered with dense "threads" was completely opened.
but,
What is opened is not hope,
Rather,
Blood and death.
Several black dogs were devouring the food in the box.
Saliva mixed with other liquids dripping down,
The broken and charred body still stood.
Blood slowly overflowed from the black box.
Human bones, limbs, hair,
Composed of chaotic, disorderly puddles of flesh,
It represents the story of several humans and those black dogs.
It seems as if the last sob and despair have been sealed in this elevator.
Until the door opened.
Only then can I hear it myself,
They are the last traces of their existence.
"…I'm late…"
What a familiar scene.
What a horrific, desperate scene.
The boy's face could not be seen clearly in the dim light.
He gripped the knife handle tightly with his right hand.
When those lifeless eyes with only the whites of their eyes looked at Shiki,
He held the knife in reverse.
He kicked out with his left leg.
The leading black dog kicked up high with all four limbs.
Using a superior position to deal with Shiki's attack,
He easily threw Shiki to the ground.
Opened his bloody mouth,
The sharp teeth have touched the neck.
Just a little deeper and you can easily pierce the veins and arteries.
The silver blade flashed.
The right hand instinctively raised up quickly.
Drive the knife to move quickly,
The moment I cut open the black dog's head,
It was "killed".
The black dog fell to the ground with its limbs convulsing.
"There are... two more..."
The remaining two black dogs that were lingering around and watching eagerly seemed to have discovered the horror of their prey.
We plan to attack from two directions at once.
The black dog in front of the right quickly pounced on Shiki who was still lying on the ground.
Facing a direct impact, Shiki could only throw the knife up quickly and change it into a straight grip.
Then, the moment it got close to his body, he thrust his right hand upward with all his strength.
Through the black dog's long mouth,
It cannot open its mouth to show its fangs.
At this time, another black dog took the opportunity to pounce from the left front.
The cloudy eyeballs seemed to be laughing jokingly, thinking that they had won the game.
!
With a knife in his right hand, he held the black dog.
The moment the other one jumped up, his left hand grabbed its throat tightly like a pair of pliers.
But it is clear that
A creature long dead does not care if its neck is broken,
Still struggling desperately, trying to tear the throat of the man in front of him with the claws of his front limbs.
One person and two dogs formed a delicate balance.
"Hey! Why are you so embarrassed? Shiki."
Kivat swooped down from a height,
The sharp claws struck, stirring up a few bunches of blood.
The black dog controlled by the left hand felt pain.
A moment of stiffness brings the winning moment.
After kicking away the black dog controlled by his left hand, he pulled out the knife stuck in the head of the black dog in his right hand with both hands.
After cutting the "line" on its neck and killing it completely,
Throw the knife away.
The sharp knife light crossed the "line" on the other black dog's head and nailed it to the wall.
At this point, the encounter was over, and the three bodies lay limp on the ground, motionless.
Toono Shiki slowly stood up, took down the knife nailed to the wall, and shook off the blood on it.
"Thanks, kivat."
"Yeah! Pay attention, another elevator is coming!"
He held the knife in reverse and placed it across his chest, then bent down to lower his center of gravity.
Staring intently at the double doors that were about to open...
...
"! Great…! Great! It's alive! Please…please save me! Please!"
The woman in the elevator saw Shiki and ran over in surprise.
"Survivors?! I'm here to save you! Please… —Be careful!"
"Ah…?! No! No!!!"
It was too late, and Shiki, who was halfway through his charge, slowly stopped.
The woman was picked up.
The sharp teeth pierced the white neck,
The only sounds in the quiet corridor were burning sounds and "gulp, gulp" swallowing sounds.
With eyes full of fear,
The limbs are convulsing,
Then he collapsed.
Like a broken doll, he threw it aside casually.
Strange dress. Elegant suits and brutal coats.
The silver-haired man looked at Shiki expressionlessly with his scarlet eyes, as if nothing had just happened.
Around him, blue flames burned,
Like the fire of the netherworld,
The Yan River brought hell to the world.
But there were no signs of burning on any of the objects.
It was as if the flames were just burning in the air.
"You bastard...what did you do?!"
Shiki growled, charging at the man.
"Wait! We don't even know his abilities!"
The man quietly looked at Shiki who was rushing towards him.
Gently raised his right hand.
Red and yellow,
The bright flame can be felt.
The true flame,
Devouring itself fiercely,
It is impossible to cut it with your own knife.
"This is bad…"In the gray pupils,
The flame representing death continued to grow bigger and bigger.
"Shiki! Get out of the way!"
It's too late.
With such a large-scale fire, the outcome would be the same no matter where you hide.
Now... the boat capsized in the gutter...
Why didn't I transform then?
If I had transformed at that time...
That woman... everyone in the hotel... can be saved...
Toono Shiki smiled and closed his eyes.
Welcoming the caress of death.
"..."
There was no burning pain.
Open your eyes.
Only then did he realize that it was Elquet standing in front of him.
Her right hand tried to deflect the flames like a claw.
But it didn't pop open completely.
Then he frowned and bent over in pain.
With blood staining her abdomen, she stared at the man in front of her.
Why... would you come out when you are injured like this...
But isn't she an Ultimate Creature at night?
Can this kind of fire hurt her? !
The man seemed to lose interest in Tono Shiki after seeing Elquet appear. He began to stare at Elquet and then slowly walked towards her.
Good opportunity! This can't go on any longer…
This will cause trouble for both of them...
Taking a deep breath, Shiki made up his mind and quietly called Kivat back to his side, but a hand blocked Shiki's action. Elquite reminded Shiki with his peripheral vision and shook his head slightly.
Sudden,
Elquite's red pupils turned into vertical pupils as golden as his hair color.
"You rude man! If you are not an animal, then tell me your name!
Or maybe your family members haven't even taught you the basic etiquette! "
The man was shocked, stopped, and made a painful and muddy sound.
"…I know the etiquette.
But I haven't been able to tell you a name yet…"
"You've lost your original name... But at least you have a nickname. After all, you're a member of the ancestor."
"..."
"...Vollov Alkhansigri..."
"I've never heard of this name... Then you are not the legitimate successor... Did your followers perish on their own?"
"No... I was the one who killed the Lord..."
"I see... so you're jumping the level like this... but what's your purpose in doing this? To flatter yourself?"
"I, this time I came here just to take what I want...
The princess of the True Ancestor. Give me your heart! "
?
What?
So this man is at Zu's level? The True Ancestor's princess... is Elquet? !
Is this silly and naive woman really a princess? !
But the only thing Shiki understood was that this man wanted to kill Elquet.
I can no longer suppress the anger in my heart.
"Kivat!"
"Are you finally willing to transform?"
As the kivat bites down, the power in the body is activated.
After the belt emerged, he hung up the kivat and pressed it down, then strode towards Volov.
"henshin!"
As he ran, the black and dark blue figures covered his entire body.
Completed the transformation of kiva,
The rage beneath those deep blue eyes could no longer be concealed.
No longer paying attention to the extremely high temperature of the surrounding blue flames,
I just want to smash my fist into the man's face, vent my anger, and then cut his "line" with a knife.
"... Kiva...
Have you become her knight again?」
Volov raised his right hand and released countless flames again.
!
Faced with the incoming attack, Shiki had no choice but to stop and turn his body sideways to block the heat with his arms.
"Is that all you know how to do?"
He slapped the flames away, and not wanting to continue pestering him, he inserted the whistle into the kivat's mouth.
As the melodious flute sounded...
Volov walked slowly towards the elevator...? !
"You bastard! What's the point of running away at this time?! Do you think you can't win?!"
"..."
Tono Shiki wanted to catch up and continue to release "Dark Moon Break",
But Elquet behind him groaned in pain and then slid down slowly against the wall...
"Damn it!"
Shiki punched the wall hard, and huge spider-web-like cracks instantly covered the entire wall. Then he canceled his transformation and turned to rush towards Elquet.
"...I underestimated him a little bit..."
"...It seems that Shiki is really amazing~ The wound he inflicted is not that simple..."
"Are you an idiot?! Don't try to be so stubborn now!"
"…I'm sorry…Shiki…I need to rest for a while…Can you please take me to my house…"
Then Elquet closed her eyes and fell down. Toono Shiki quickly hugged her with both hands. For some reason, her soft body felt a little heavy at the moment.
The invincible Elquet fell.
"Hey, hey! Are you okay? Elquet! If anything happens to you, I'll be really worried too!"
Why?
Several twisted "lines" appeared on the body that should have been pure white?
"...call..."
As the sound of the girl's steady breathing in his arms reached his ears,
Shiki, whose nerves were tense, finally felt relieved.
"It's okay... I just fell asleep..."
Then take a deep breath,
He carried Arquette on his back,
But the all-too-clear feeling behind it proves how magnificent Elquet is.
The girl rested her head on his shoulder and fell asleep peacefully.
"Oh, oh... my favorite part! Shiki! I'll keep a close eye on you~"
"......"
The entire hotel was empty after the baptism of fire.
The huge hotel is very quiet at this moment.
Various objects fell to the ground in disorder.
The temperature, which was like an oven before, gradually returned to normal levels.
But the breath of death still lingers in the empty corridor
Announcing everything that had happened here.
Checked out in the empty lobby.
When I walked out of the hotel, I noticed that the horizon in the distance was turning pale.
The dark sky began to turn blue.
The light of hope dispels the darkness and death...
Is it morning already?
No wonder he ran away...
Because Elquet had fallen asleep, Tono Shiki put her on the back seat and started the motorcycle.
Fortunately, the blue horse was quite smart and could control the accelerator with his right hand.
His left hand embraced the sleeping Elquet behind him.
In case it rolls down halfway.
............…
Not far away beside the grass,
Rook exposed half of his body.
Watching them quietly,
Until they leave...
Back at Elquet's apartment,
I didn't observe carefully last time.
Well, as expected, the bloodstains from before are no longer visible.
The room is not big.
There is no complicated and luxurious home decoration.
It looks like a neat, ordinary girl's room.
But all the necessary living facilities are still available.
Toono Shiki gently placed the sleeping girl in his arms on the bed and covered her with a blanket.
Well...she still shows no signs of waking up.
The morning sun shines in through the window.
It's so bright that I can't open my eyes.
Draw the curtains.
The dim room should help her recover faster...
Finally, after completing all current tasks.
A feeling of hunger and fatigue that I hadn't felt for a long time came over me.
Everything before my eyes slowly disappeared into darkness...
........................
"I... am I asleep..."
Shiki woke up lying on the bed and found that Elquet was gone.
I was covered with a quilt.
There was a rustling sound from the kitchen next door.
I raised my wrist and it showed that it was already past ten o'clock.
"The safety of the 200 people staying in the hotel has not yet been confirmed. At present, the firefighting work is still in progress, but no victims have been found in the hotel. In addition, according to the police investigation, the walls in the hotel are partially broken, so the preliminary conclusion is that it is not a normal fire, but an accident caused by structural defects of the hotel or a gas explosion. "
Two hundred... two hundred people... just passed away like this...
The vampire named Volov...
He won't survive today...
And the real reason may only be known by myself, Elquet, and Kivat.
"Ah! Shiki, are you awake~?"
Elquet, in her apron, came from the kitchen carrying a bowl of—food? Walked out.
When I walked to the dining table, I found that the so-called "food" was a bowl of paste that I couldn't tell what it was.
The kivat had already been devoured at the table.
"Ah... yes... good morning, Elquite."
"Well, good morning, Shiki. It's a rare experience to greet someone in the morning."
Elquet sat at the table in high spirits.
The brilliant smile that appeared swept away all the unhappiness in my heart since early morning.
"Hey! Shiki, now that you met Arquette, you don't want to say hello to me anymore?!"
The kivat beside him raised one of his wings and pointed at Shiki in dissatisfaction.
"Ah... yes! Good morning, kivat."
"Yeah! Good morning, Shiki.
Come and try the breakfast I made~"
"..."
After taking a few sips, Shiki calmly put down the spoon.
"Um...Arquette, are you okay with your injury?"
"Yeah! I feel much better now~"
"Oh! I'm glad you're okay."
"..."
"——"
"Um, Elquite...thank you...for saving me earlier!"
"Ah... it's okay. And after all, it was because of me that Shiki was put in danger~ so I should be the one to apologize."
"No… I promised to protect you… but in the end, I let you protect me… I should be the one to apologize!"
"No! If it wasn't me who Shiki killed, then Shiki wouldn't be involved! So I should be the one to apologize!"
Kivat chose to ignore the meaningless conversation between the two and continued to eat.
"..."
"——"
Why is there silence again?
Let's talk about something else.
"That... Elquite?!"
Suddenly, Elquet fell on the dining table with an embarrassed look on his face.
"Is it still not working after all..."
A few drops of blood began to appear on the white clothes again.
Is the wound opening?
"Hey! Elquet! Are you okay?"
"Ah... no... it's okay, I'll be fine soon..."
Shiki finally couldn't stand her forced smile anymore.
After pouring all the paste in the bowl into his mouth, he picked up Elquet and put him on the bed, then wanted to lift up his clothes to check.
"Hey! Shiki! I told you it's okay... and is it really okay to lift up a girl's clothes like this?!"
"Idiot! Why are you still fussing about gender issues at this time! And you're a vampire!"
After saying this, he lifted up the bottom of Elquet's clothes and apron.
But the scene before him shocked Shiki:
The abdomen was covered with circles of tape.
The blood was seeping out from the gaps in the tape.
"..."
"Hehehe~ I thought I would be able to get better quickly like this..."
"Lie down on the bed! Don't move until I come back!
Kivat! You keep an eye on her! "
"OK!"
Then, like the wind,
Toono Shiki rushed out of the room.
"Shiki, what's wrong with you? You're so excited all of a sudden..."
"You are just so careless about the wound~
For humans, treating wounds is a very important behavior. If it is not treated in time, it may lead to infection or other problems.
So Shiki is worried about you~"
"Ah… So that's how it is…"
Elquet scratched his head, then pulled the quilt over his face, and waited with a smile...
........................
In less than ten minutes,
The wind is blowing back again.
Toono Shiki returned to the apartment room, panting, carrying a newly purchased red medical kit.
Then he put on gloves, took out bandages, disinfectant alcohol and a series of other medicines from the medical bag, and began to treat Elquet's wound.
When the bandage was torn off, a shocking and fatal wound several centimeters deep was revealed, and blood was oozing out as if it was about to burst the dam.
"..."
"——?"
"…How could you hold it in?"
"Shiki, be gentle~ It's itchy there! Hahaha~"
"Hey! Are you a child? Don't move!"
After quickly disinfecting, applying gauze and bandaging it, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well, thank you, Shiki~——Shiki?"
After finishing his work, Tono Shiki's eyes were lost in thought. His grey eyes stared blankly at the bright red blood on his palms...
Then he licked it clean.
? !
Realizing what he had done, Shiki pounded his chest and started coughing violently.
"Shiki?!"
At this moment, Elquet suddenly had a strange feeling that the roles had been reversed and Tiangang was in the opposite position.
"No…it's okay!"
Why...
Why did I see Arquette's blood at that time...
There is a strange feeling...
"Let's talk about Volov...
Elquet, do you know anything? "
"Well… I know where he's hiding, but if we rush in now, facing a nest of Dead Apostles, we're still in danger. Really, I could kill a guy like this who just became an 'Ancestor' in one go!
So we wait another three days!
Just wait three more days until I recover enough and then we can attack! "
"Three days?! Are we going to let a monster like that roam the city for three days?!
Sorry, I can't do it!
How many people will be killed unknowingly in these three days! But we know this huge hidden danger but we don't take any action!
The hotel before... If I had been more resolute... and faster... maybe so many people wouldn't have died in vain..."
Elquet listened to Shiki quietly, then changed his previous attitude and became extremely cold.
"Shiki, you know that for a vampire like him, he has no idea how many humans he has killed in his life, just like you realize how many ants you have crushed when you ride a motorcycle?"
"…He is actually like this…"
"Besides, it's only natural that weak creatures cannot protect themselves and die! Just like that… yeah! The law of the jungle where only the fittest survive!
For example, if a ferocious animal that had humans on its menu was killed one day by a hungry stranger, whose fault do you think it was?
Is it a beast that can't protect itself?
Or the humans who killed them? "
"They...are both right..."
Yes, it is the species that cannot sustain their own life that is wrong...
"If it was a human killing, then it would be natural to feel remorse and guilt! Now Shiki is clearly outside of it, and as a bystander, you have such feelings about the killing between vampires and other humans.
Shiki, isn't this just arrogance and hypocrisy? "
arrogant...
hypocritical...
Me...
"Ha... maybe...
But, for now... I am also a human being..."
"ha?"
"Because we are human, we cannot ignore the fact that our own kind are being killed.
It is because I am a human being that I feel regret and sadness for the sudden passing of those beautiful and vibrant lives.
I don't want to see those people who still have hope and expectation for tomorrow and try hard to live die in obscurity.
After living for so many years and meeting so many people,
This kind of repetitive, boring and ordinary life is also precious.
I want,
Protect people's smiles, protect people's dreams and promises, and don't want to see people cry.
This was given to me by a girl a long time ago.
This is also Toono Shiki's responsibility and wish as the name of Kamen Rider Kiva that you gave me.
If we only measure it by numbers and use beasts to compare human life,
That's such a pity and regret.
Isn't it? "
"ah..."
Elquite opened his mouth, and Akame stared at Shiki in surprise.
I don't know if he understands what I mean.
"...It's right under the commercial plaza at the North Exit Station...
It really is! Shiki, if you really go now! I won't come to help you! Do you understand? ! "
The girl crossed her arms and turned her head away with a nonchalant look on her face.
In fact, he secretly opened one eye and looked at Shiki's reaction.
! Is it really that place? !
If I could have gone in earlier...
"Thank you so much, Elquet! I will definitely repay you later!"
"Kivat!"
"Don't rush me, it's coming~"
"As expected... you can't be a murderer..."
Elquet whispered,
"Hmm? What?"
"No… nothing!"
"Well, Elquite, you stay here and have a good rest. I'll be back soon!"
Even if it's you,
Maybe one day you will understand me...
Then, under the girl's gaze—
Like the wind, the boy disappeared at the door again.
"...Shiki, you big idiot..."The motorcycle roared, and it didn't take Toono Shiki long to return to the Harano residence.
…
As expected, it would be better to come back and take a look before going to eliminate Volov.
I haven't been back for more than a day.
Qiuye must be very worried about herself...
When I pushed open the door, I found that the huge hall was empty.
Strange... Amber and Emerald are gone too... Did they go to the square or the woods?
Forget it. If he's not here, you should finish dealing with things over there and come back first.
Just as Tono Shiki was about to turn around and open the door,
But the door had been opened.
"elder brother?"
As soon as he walked into the room, Tohno Akiha stared at Tohno Shiki in surprise, as if he had seen something incredible.
"Well, Akiha, I'm back."
"Well... welcome back..."
?
I didn't scold myself for where I had been these past few days.
Don't you blame yourself for not having any information?
Oh my God, is this still my sister?
"..."
"——"
"Feel sorry..."
"Brother, are you leaving again..."
"Well... I'm fine these two days, don't worry Qiuye. Once I'm done, I'll definitely come back tonight at the latest! I'll explain everything to you when I come back!"
"Um..."
After saying that, Tohno Shiki slowly walked past Tohno Akiha.
Pushed open the door.
"Brother...you will definitely come back...right?"
Looking back, Qiu Ye placed her hands in front of her chest. Her previous cold expression and the image of a cold and arrogant young lady had long disappeared.
Instead, there were eyes filled with tears.
She looked at me so tenderly and worriedly, as if she was about to cry.
This moment made Toono Shiki see the crybaby Akiha from eight years ago.
"Yeah... I definitely will. I never break a promise, right?
No matter how difficult it is, I will keep my promise. "
Shiki gently wiped away the tears that overflowed from the corners of Akiha's eyes.
"Hmm... Have a nice trip then... Come back soon, brother."
"Yeah! Bye! Remember to say hello to Amber and Emerald for me!"
Like a gust of wind,
Coming quickly,
And rolled away quickly.
Only the girl with long black hair was left waiting...
........................
So dark...
it hurts...
Where...is this place...?
I remember... I just heard that there was an urban legend here, and he clearly said it was false, so I wanted to come here to take a look...
As a result, those two people pushed us down in the elevator...
Why is this happening?
Obviously I did nothing wrong!
I haven't done anything that is against the law!
Why me?
The woman is running,
Roaring,
But the darkness underground still chased her closely, refusing to give her any chance to breathe.
The dark, damp air was filled with the smell of rust.
And the smell of rotten eggs.
The stone wall next to it was decorated with various deep red blood stains that had long since dried.
Every time I ran on the muddy ground, the sound of water splashing and the sticky sound of flesh and tissues intertwined and contradictory sounded...
The woman ran like crazy.
Keep searching,
Even a little bit of light,
They are all infinite hopes for that life.
See it!
Light...
Even if it is orange-red, a blazing light!
"Help! Help me!"
"Please take me away from this place!"
Light,
A shining figure,
Bringing hope instead of death...
Hands burning with orange-red flames,
Eye sockets that have long been empty,
Burnt corpses,
Attacked her...
Confusion, fear, despair,
In the eyes of women,
Fortunately, I caught the light at the last moment of my life...
…
The sound of cutting through the air,
The crisp sound of being cut apart.
So hot... so humid...
Is this what death feels like…?
"Hey! Stop daydreaming!"
"?"
The woman opened her eyes.
Although the dark cave made it difficult for her to see around her,
But in the dim light, I could see that the person in front of me was a young man holding a knife.
The blood from the fallen body sprayed onto his face.
Only then did the feeling just now arise.
"Thank…thank you?"
"Don't say anything more! You should be the last one! Follow me now!"
The boy ran wildly in the underground cave which was like a maze.
There were all kinds of strange corpses lying all over the road.
Finally, I found a large group of people who had gathered together, chattering about all the absurd things that were happening underground.
…
"This is troublesome. Even though the two evil people in the elevator are gone...but we can't go back..."
Toono Shiki thought anxiously.
At this moment, a pair of raised alopecia in the distance attracted his attention.
"That's... Elquite?!"
Elquet stood quietly in the distance,
Even in the dark underground,
The striking golden hair and alopecia were also clearly visible.
"Hey, hey, hey! Are you an idiot?! Didn't I tell you to get some rest? And didn't you say you wouldn't come with me?! Why did you sneak over here anyway?!"
"Huh?! What do you mean by 'idiot'?! This is Zu's lair after all! I followed you here because I was worried about Shiki! Shouldn't you be grateful to me?!"
"Idiots are idiots! It's useless even if you come down! There are so many people who can't get up now! Can you throw them up one by one?"
"In that case... it's not impossible, but I have a more convenient way. However, it's still a bit difficult in my current state."
?
Looking at the way she was touching the back of her head and thinking seriously, did this woman really intend to throw the person out like a cannonball? !
"Hey, hey! What should we do?"
"You saved us, so you can definitely get us out, right?!"
"Please, I don't want to die here!"
The crowd gradually began to stir.
Suddenly Elquet stretched out his right hand,
A green light flashed.
A bunch of green vines appeared out of thin air.
It quickly climbed up to the elevator in the air, like a huge green ladder.
What kind of ability is this? !
"Yeah! I succeeded after all~"
Elquet smiled with satisfaction and dusted off his hands.
"But the last step is up to Shiki. Let everyone look over here."
"Oh, okay.
OK brothers, everyone look at me! Look at me, look at me! I have an announcement! "
Everyone who was shocked by the scene just now looked at Shiki who was shouting with his arms raised.
...Is this also a unique way for humans to attract attention? …
After a strange flash of light appeared in Elquet's eyes,
Everyone stopped talking.
Mechanically he climbed the ladder,
"It's better to forget all this~"
"Well, thank you, Elquite. Please bring them back to the ground safely."
"Wait! What do you mean? I came here to defeat Volov, and now you want me to protect those humans?"
"Please, Elquite! I'll owe you another obligation!"
Shiki bowed deeply to Elquite and ran towards the depths again.
"Shiki...
You big idiot! "
But Elquet finally had to compromise and protect those who were hinted by the magic eye and bring them back to the ground safely.
........................
Volov,
It's your turn next!
but,
The underground maze, which should have been silent, was once again filled with the sound of strange weapons cutting through the air and slicing flesh and bodies.
Is there anyone else? !
Not far away, a black figure in a nun's uniform was dancing.
In his hand he wielded a huge axe-like weapon.
With a confident smile,
He hacked at the corpses with abandon and swiftness.
"No… Why is Noelle-sensei here?!"
That mole, the brown hair under the nun's headscarf, and those brown eyes, it must be Teacher Noelle!
"Eh? Shiki-kun?!"
Noelle picked up her weapon in surprise.
He looked at Tohno Shiki with wide eyes in disbelief.
"The teacher should ask this question! Why is Shiki-kun here?"
"I... I just wanted to go on an adventure, but I ended up here by accident!"
"Hmm? Is that so…?"
"Teacher!
Behind! "
"Huh? Eh…?!"
That familiar silver hair and those cold and contemptuous scarlet eyes,
Volov suddenly appeared from behind Noelle.
His hands grasped her figure tightly like a pair of pliers...
His breath hit Noelle's white and delicate neck.
The two sharp fangs slowly pressed forward.
I'm about to pierce it again like paper and drink it up...
"No…no…I don't want it!!!"
Noelle couldn't struggle.
Only those brown eyes, knowing what was about to happen, were filled with fear.
Although so far apart,
But how could I let the same scene happen a second time in front of me!
I will never let innocent lives disappear under my nose again!
I won't hesitate anymore!
"Kivat!"
"Anytime you call~"
Kivat emerged from the darkness behind him,
After biting off his hand, the kivat flew onto the belt and pressed it down.
"henshin."
A bat-like visor covered his face.
Dark blue armor quickly emerged.
He took out the "Seven Nights" knife with his right hand.
Throw it out quickly.
The blessing after the transformation made the knife fly out like a large-caliber bullet.
Before I could bite it, I shredded the pale palms.
Then rush up quickly,
Slowly raise your right fist backwards to accumulate strength, then swing it forward.
A heavy straight punch hit Volov's face before he could react.
The head was twisted and deformed by the severe impact, and the body flew out along with the sound of the fist wind.
Noelle was trembling with fear as she held her weapon.
Lying on the ground on his side,
Still unable to recover, he was breathing in the turbid air in big gulps.
Then he looked at the back of the person who saved him...
His eyes widened again.
"Ki…kiva?!"
"Shiki-kun you are a kiva?!"
Hiss... This is a bit difficult...
"Deal with the enemy in front of you first.
Please don't tell anyone after this, Teacher Noelle! "