Chapter 19: Roa

"Did we really defeat him...?"

Arcueid murmured in disbelief.

Naturally. Even I can hardly believe that I was able to defeat him so easily.

But the man once called Roa turning to ash and me standing here proved our victory beyond a shadow of a doubt.

"...Shiki, it's over," Yumizuka said, coming up beside me with a look of deep emotion.

Yes, just as Yumizuka said, everything ended this night.

The person who triggered me gaining these eyes and who led to me meeting Arcueid passed away just tonight.

Roa threw my life, Arcueid's, Yumizuka's, Akiha's, and SHIKI's life into chaos. Roa was undoubtedly an evil person. It’s true that if Roa hadn't existed, I would have led an uneventful life.

But—conversely, when I think about how if Roa hadn’t existed, I wouldn't have met Sensei or Arcueid, life is a strange thing.

Well then...

"Well, now the question is how to get Yumizuka back to her daily life..."

"Uh, yeah." Yumizuka stammered, looking away from me, her attention shifting from the great enemy, Roa, to the immediate problem at hand.

While I killed the vampire who was the root cause with my own hands, Yumizuka is still a vampire. The issue of her turning to ash and perishing instantly if she touches sunlight remains unresolved—it will be extremely difficult for her to lead a normal, human life.

"Hmm, so Shiki only cares about Sacchin."

I tentatively turned my face toward the source of the jealous-sounding voice.

Arcueid was sporting a truly beautiful smile, but while her face was smiling, her eyes were not smiling at all. With features that are too perfect, and perhaps because she is so beautiful, the pressure is honestly overwhelming and scary—.

"Alright, that’s enough of this passionate display."

Then, I heard the voice of Ciel-senpai, lacking emotion like a machine. I had a vague feeling someone was watching us, but as expected, Senpai came.

"Senpai..."

"Yes, hello, Tohno-kun. I'm glad you're safe; I was worried for nothing."

Senpai was all smiles, just as she was when we met at school, but she held throwing knives in both hands, and the killing intent radiating from her sharply dominated the surroundings.

"What do you think you're doing, Ciel?"

"What do I think I'm doing? That's what I should be asking you, Arcueid Brunestud. You saw it, didn't you—that this girl is a vampire with incredible potential."

"!!... That is..."

Arcueid hesitated, and Yumizuka flinched and trembled.

"Do you perhaps want to stay with her? I'd appreciate it if you stopped joking. After all, your mission is supposed to be the extermination of the Dead Apostles. Why are you taking the side of that vampire?"

And then, Ciel-senpai spoke rapidly to the speechless Arcueid, with an utterly cold gaze and tone. Arcueid looked down, listening silently to Ciel’s words, but after a moment, she spoke.

"...I don't know," Arcueid muttered softly.

"I don't know!! I really don't!! I don't know the reason, because I've never felt this way before. But—"

Then Arcueid looked Ciel-senpai straight in the eye and asserted, "I not only want to be with Shiki, but I also want Satsuki to be by our side!! Yes, I love both of them!! I love everyone! So, Ciel!! If you lay a hand on Satsuki, prepare to be my enemy!"

"...!?"

Senpai’s eyes widened in surprise for a moment at Arcueid's shout.

However, she immediately fixed her expression and glared back at Arcueid with an even more severe face. She gripped her sword and stepped forward; it seemed like a battle could erupt between us at any second.

The one who broke this tense atmosphere was Yumizuka. Yumizuka stepped forward before I could stop her and faced Senpai.

"Senpai... I’m sorry I killed you!!!"

"..."

Yumizuka bowed her head to Ciel-senpai first. She had killed Ciel-senpai once in this very park, and until tonight, she hadn't had the chance to apologize to her.

"I know it myself. That vampires and the world where humans live are incompatible. That includes what terrifying abilities I possess."

Yumizuka spoke her words in a trembling voice, perhaps due to the tension, but her eyes were fixed on Senpai, never looking away.

"But, I want to live!! I know I’m being selfish; I'll settle for blood transfusions. If I ever feel like I might lose control... I'll die before that happens, I'll take my own life."

"Hey, Yumizuka!!"

Her feelings must be genuine; her legs were indeed trembling like a newborn fawn. Yet, she said that, even though Ciel-senpai might try to kill her the next instant. Because from Senpai's perspective, if she is prepared to die, killing her right here and now changes nothing.

I gripped my knife again, preparing for the moment Ciel-senpai might attack Yumizuka. Senpai's expression grew even harsher, and an unpleasant tension dominated the air around us, but—

"—Haaah, honestly."

Ignoring my worry, Senpai suddenly let out a heavy sigh.

"Oh, seriously!! This makes me look like the villain! Yes, I understand. Honestly, I get it now."

She raised both hands as if surrendering.

"Really, I've hunted countless vampires and witnessed scenes of them begging for their lives many times, but this is the first time I've met someone like Yumizuka-san. I may be a failure as an Executor, but—as a 'Senpai,' I trust that you are not the kind of person who would commit slaughter."

The tense atmosphere dissipated from Senpai, and the Senpai I knew continued with a look of exasperation.

"Besides, if I laid a hand on you all right now, I wouldn't get away unscathed either."

I looked where Senpai winked, and Arcueid quickly hid her arm and turned away. Senpai gave a wry smile, saying this was the first time she had seen a True Ancestor protect a vampire.

"However, Yumizuka-san. When you can't bring yourself to kill yourself and fall into evil—at that time, I will definitely come to kill you, even if it costs me my life."

"...............Yes."

Yumizuka, who had just relaxed from the tension, was hit with killing intent. She nodded repeatedly and then slumped onto the spot.

"I'm... alive..." Yumizuka muttered to herself in disbelief.

Thinking about it, this might be a normal reaction. I’m probably the abnormal one for having adapted to this supernatural everyday life somehow.

But there is a part I can empathize with—the joy of being alive. I understand that feeling, especially after gaining these eyes and learning the meaning of death.

At that time, when I woke up in the hospital, lines ran all over everything around me, and I quickly understood what they were. It wasn't just living things; death has always existed in everything around us; death was connected to everything.

That's why I ran away and kept staring at the blue sky where death wasn't visible when I met Sensei. What would have become of me if I hadn't met Sensei? But at the very least, meeting Sensei was the best thing that ever happened in my life.

"So... is everything resolved for now?"

"Yeah," I replied to Arcueid’s words.

Truthfully, there are still plenty of problems piling up, but I'm sure we'll manage somehow. I feel like we can do anything if the three of us—me, Arcueid, and Yumizuka—no, not just us, but also Akiha and Senpai—cooperate. If one person can't do it, we should all join hands and support each other. Even if the future is nothing but worry, we just have to forge a path and aim for it.

If we do that, surely a future full of blessings where we can all smile together will come, as long as we live.

"Come on, let's go home for now, Yumizuka."

"Yeah... wait, no..."

Something was wrong. I wondered if she felt sick and reached out my hand, but she didn't take it. I looked at Yumizuka's face in question, and her expression was gradually turning pale, her pupils flickering.

"Yumizuka?"

"No... wait! Just wait a minute!!"

I put my hand on her shoulder, but she shook it off. Her teeth were chattering, and her body wouldn't stop trembling—something was fundamentally wrong.

"Don't tell me—" Ciel-senpai looked at Yumizuka with a tense face.

My bad premonition accelerated, leading me to a hypothesis.

Roa is a rare kind of vampire who reincarnates and takes over a host. Even if killed physically, he merely moves to another host. And just a moment ago, I should have struck Roa's point, killing him soul and all—but standing before me is a person who could be called a daughter sharing Roa's blood.

Don't tell me—Roa reincarnated in Yumizuka?

"Yumizuka—!?"

I rushed toward Yumizuka, but the next moment, Yumizuka swung her arm and attacked me.