Chapter 16: The Vampire

"How do you do? My name is Akiha Tohno, and my brother is always indebted to you."

I couldn't hide my agitation at the appearance of such an unexpected person.

That's because, in the original Tsukihime, she never came outside like this to actively get involved. Moreover, the Akiha Tohno route, which featured her as the main focus, ultimately began and concluded within the Tohno household.

...Well, as for Satsuki Yumizuka, in some routes, she ends her life as a popular mob character, or she only appears briefly at the very beginning. In the critical parts, she gets turned into a vampire, attacks Shiki, and ends up being counter-slain.

And yet, I don't know why she's here. At the very least, it doesn't seem like she came to establish a friendship.

"I assume I can call you Akiha-san? What business do you have at this hour?"

However, the fact that she appeared like this means she must be willing to talk, so I tried to start a conversation for now.

"Yes, Yumizuka-san. The reason I came here today is—to kill you."

Immediately, countless faint, red thread-like objects attacked me.

—Wait, is this flat-chested little sister immediately declaring my assassination!?

"Agh!?"

I kicked off the ground and jumped sideways.

In that instant, the red threads tightly wrapped around the spot where I had just been, making a sizzling sound as heat was stolen away, and a chilled air flowed through.

It was a close call. It was good that I knew this from the [Original Work], but if I had stood my ground and tried to meet the attack, all the heat would have been stolen from my body by now, and I would have been lucky to only suffer severe burns all over.

Akiha Tohno, as a mixed-blood, possesses a "Plunder" type ability. Simply put, it's the power to steal heat from a visually targeted object. The target can be either inorganic or organic matter, and she possesses a terrifying destructive power capable of vaporizing the target in the worst case. When activated to its maximum extent, the Plunder Cursed Domain, "Caging Hair"(檻髪, Origami)can automatically detect a target and annihilate it.

In her main route, she used this ability to crush Shiki's legs while he was hiding in the classroom before killing him, or conversely, even after having her own legs and arms crushed, she got decapitated by Shiki after he entered Nanaya Mode, resulting in a truly Type-Moon development.

The reason I was able to escape such an extremely dangerous thing was that I had become a Dead Apostle, and my spiritual ranking had increased. This allowed me to perceive the spiritual world, which I couldn't see as a human, and thus I saw that ability as red threads.

"What in the world is the meaning of this!?"

I shouted at the absurdity of being suddenly attacked upon our first meeting, but she maintained a calm expression.

"There is no 'what' and 'why.' It is decided. It is to prevent my Nii-san, my onii-san, from being dragged any further into the world of the night, which is the same as mine."

Unfortunately, my opponent wasn't listening. However, what she was saying was a heartfelt wish born of kinship.

"Naturally, this includes the person named Arcueid. Finally, finally, the karma from the past was severed, and I could live with my Nii-san. Even if it is my brother's wish to help you, I cannot allow him to be dragged into this any further."

Despite being younger than me, she exuded an air of intimidation, slowly closing the distance with the crunching sound of her boots.

"It is only natural for you to feel this is unreasonable after being told such a thing suddenly. I know I deserve to be hated, as I am going to kill you. Yes, you may hate me all you want."

And after a brief pause, Akiha Tohno said,

"Furthermore, you are a demon, just like me, so—"

In that instant, Akiha Tohno's figure disappeared.

No, that's not right; she didn't disappear, she just moved. In fact, she was already right in front of my eyes.

Seriously, how is this person so fast, even as a mixed-blood!?

"—Guh!?"

Caught off guard, I received a powerful blow to the chest. My bones groaned, and the impact, which I couldn't fully absorb, sent me flying backward.

"Now—try to run!"

"Ugh—!!"

I rolled on the ground, and before I could get up, the next attack came. Her crimson-dyed hair spread out across the park, surrounding me.

"Damn it!"

And before I could evade, I was about to be completely engulfed.

Arcueid was sleeping quietly, breathing softly.

Perhaps it was due to her inherent beauty—to call her 'creation' is strange—but she was far more beautiful than any human, looking like a princess who had eaten the cursed apple and fallen asleep.

"Arcueid..."

What words should I say when she wakes up? I can see that phrases like "Don't worry" or "It's alright" won't work. If she wakes up and finds out I followed her, she'll surely run away again.

"Damn it, this idiot vampire. You're the selfish one."

You don't want to involve me?

So what? What does that matter?

I've been with Arcueid all this time, fully aware of all those things.

Certainly, I was confused at first.

Why did I enter this kind of world?

Why was I able to enter this world of the night without any sense of incompatibility?

But now, those things don't matter.

Perhaps, compared to people in general, I am a type of abnormal human.

After all, I don't have a reason like being overcome by a sense of duty; I simply want to be with her.

But I have no regrets.

On that day I despaired, possessing these "eyes," I decided to live my life in my own way, just as the Teacher said.

So, I will talk to Arcueid without running away.

If she tries to run from me, I will chase her wherever she goes.

"Hey, Arc—"

Just as I was about to say that, a chill ran down my spine.

This was followed by the sound of an explosion that roared through the park.

"W-What is that?"

A strong wind blew through the park. Despite it being autumn, the oddly cold air stung my skin.

"Could it be Roa!?"

In that moment, the face of Yumizuka, who wasn't supposed to be here, flashed through my mind, and I instinctively drew my knife and started running.

Thump, the sound of my landing.

I should praise myself for overcoming this absolute crisis given by a [Character from the Original Work] and managing to put my feet on the ground.

But,

"Ah—Hah! Hah!"

The air is hot; every inhalation causes a burning pain in my throat. It's not muscle fatigue; it's because her "hair" had briefly wrapped around my throat and caused a burn, even though I managed to shake it off.

Frankly, Akiha Tohno's strength is beyond my expectation. I somehow managed to dodge her attacks like an acrobat, but she excels at long-range attacks, and her close-range strikes are also powerful, though perhaps not as much as Ciel-senpai's.

And this place has already become her home turf. If I try to run, I'll be immediately tracked down. If I'm going to fight, I must be prepared to kill her.

—Thump.

The word kill sent a dark impulse surging up. An impulse, literally, to kill her right now.

I have a headache, my head hurts. My brain is clamoring for blood to satisfy my thirst.

It's the worst possible time for the vampiric impulse to emerge. I can only think about sucking blood, and I feel like I'm losing the ability to think and maintain my self-control.

"...Well, I'm surprised you managed to escape from there. Where did you run off to?"

The figure faintly illuminated in the darkness, peeking out from the park grass, murmured that. The distance is about 20 meters, perhaps?

To be honest, I'm surprised myself. The moment I was surrounded by that heat, I instinctively leaped backward. My throat was constricted, but the fact that I gained this much distance with a single jump is thanks to my vampire body.

Now that I think about it, my mobility is superior, so I can surely...

—I can kill her.

"N-No! I don't want to kill her—"

A voice, which was mine but not mine, was heard. In addition, the headache intensified, and the pain in my head, my brain, was driving me insane.

"As expected of a Western demon, a Vampire. To surpass my dynamic vision."

She was murmuring something, while a shimmering mirage-like distortion hovered around her.

But I'm in no state to pay attention to that. An unprecedentedly intense vampiric impulse is relentlessly ravaging my body and mind. My teeth were chattering, and I was gasping for air.

"But this time, I won't let my guard down."

In this wide-open park, she has the advantage, as she can attack just by glaring at me. If I try to hide and secretly escape outside the park, the moment I make even a single sound, the probability is high that the surrounding grass will lose all heat and be vaporized. Therefore, I was desperately trying to hold my breath and look for an opportunity to escape, but—

"First—let's see. I'll crush those amazing running legs of yours...!!"

Akiha Tohno's eyes clearly and directly caught mine. Despite the minimal lighting from the moon and the city, with no decent illumination otherwise, she was looking right at me. That's cheating—I was holding my breath and hiding, does she have infrared vision or something!?

And so, I stood up and ran, no matter what.

But even faster than me, the mirage she wore shimmered and moved.

"—Kuh!?"

A searing sound and pain ran through my ankle. My body almost seized up, but I forcibly transmitted the will to run to my leg and kicked the ground. Thanks to that, I ran at a speed that was more like flying than merely running. Furthermore, red hair tried to wrap around my feet, but I shook it off.

"This—"

I heard Akiha Tohno's hateful murmur.

But I, too, am truly struggling.

"...It hurts!?"

The pain in my brain intensified even further. I couldn't concentrate on escaping.

And just like that, it came to an abrupt end.

"I've caught you."

"What!?"

There was a red wall in front of my eyes.

No, this was made of Akiha Tohno's ability, the red threads.

She knew exactly which way I was going to run from the start...!

"Aaaaahhhhh!!!"

I rotated the foot I had just landed on, trying to brake with my heel, but it was too late, and I plunged straight into it. I screamed in agony at the pain of having my body temperature stolen.

It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!!!

It feels less like my heat is being stolen and more like my body is melting.

When I stopped, more red threads wrapped around my body, and I pathetically writhed on the ground.

My sense of time was lost; I don't know how long it lasted. I could only feel the sensation of my body melting. My five senses were fading, and I was gradually losing track of what was happening to me.

"Oh..."

Am I going to die here?

Will the life of Satsuki Yumizuka that I gained in this world meet its end here?

My life was half-borrowed to begin with.

Even if I survive, I must walk the long, hellish path of a vampire—if that's the case, then perhaps it would be better to just...

—No, I refuse to die in a place like this!!

"A, aaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!"

I was crawling on the ground, but I kicked the earth with my feet, hips, and arms, and took flight with my entire body. If I don't fight, I won't survive. In that case, my target is only one person: Akiha Tohno!

"You miserable survivor—!!"

When Akiha Tohno saw me attacking, she lunged her crimson-dyed hair directly at me.

Me, leaping at her, and her, standing her ground to meet the attack. It was obvious which target was easier to aim at and hit.

The red threads were about to pierce my eyes. They were closing in moment by moment during that fraction of a second.

It was a futile gesture, but I twisted my body to prevent further burning.

While rotating, I thrust my hand, claws extended, towards her, and swung my arm wide.

Blood scattered.

The sharp blade that my hand had become sliced off one of Akiha Tohno's arms.

My own eye was badly burned, emitting the unpleasant smell of charred protein.

Furthermore, because I collided with Akiha Tohno head-on, both of us tumbled across the ground.

"Ugh..."

Tumbling in the park once more, I was covered in dirt. I could only see with one eye, but fortunately, the pain wasn't too bad, perhaps because my senses were considerably numb.

"Gah! Cough, gah, cough, cough!"

Akiha Tohno was coughing, clutching her chest right beside me. Since I collided with her head-on with my full vampire strength, I might have broken a few of her ribs. Additionally, I severed one of her arms, and fresh blood was staining the ground.

However, before that, all the heat was stolen from my body, I was almost vaporized, I can't see with one eye, and my head is spinning. No matter how much I can regenerate with vampire power, pain is pain, and if I can't move, I can't move. The winner will be whoever can move first, but my consciousness is fading.

"...A... Aki, Akiha, is that...?"

"Eh—Oni, onii-san? Why are you here!?"

My fading consciousness was jolted awake by the arrival of Shiki.

The place was a terrible sight. The grass and trees were withered, and the scene of destruction and murderous intent was all that remained. And in such a place were two people I knew well, in an impossible combination.

"Akiha! What happened to your arm? What were you doing here with Yumizuka!?"

Akiha was covered in dust all over from rolling in the park soil, and her beautiful, long, jet-black hair was dishevelled. She was not in her usual neat and refined lady-like appearance. Furthermore, she was missing an arm, blood was continuously staining the ground, and she looked pale, as if she had other injuries.

"Uh, that is, well, I—!"

"Whoa—Hey, Akiha! Akiha!"

Akiha, who was sitting on the ground, unable to stand, fell over. I rushed over to Akiha and managed to catch her just before she collapsed.

"Akiha, can you explain? How did this happen?"

".................."

Akiha didn't say anything, only clutching my chest and burying her face in it as if hiding.

"As expected, Shiki is the main character, coming here at a time like this."

"Yumizuka!! Are you alright!?"

Yumizuka, too, was conscious.

But she remained lying down, as if it were painful to get up. Looking closely, one of her eyes was charred, even though it was starting to heal, and she had burns all over her body.

The two of them had injuries that were far beyond a simple fight. I was prepared for Roa, so I was honestly confused by this situation. I had to ask why the two of them ended up trying to kill each other...

"Huh?"

Just as I thought that, I suddenly noticed someone standing in front of me.

From my current perspective, I could only see a shadow, but that silhouette was definitely neither Senpai nor Arcueid.

"Yo, Shiki. It's been a while."

When I looked up, I faced the past.