Chapter 20: Finale

“Magnificent! This body is magnificent!”

Yumizuka was laughing. No, that’s wrong.

A vampire merely intoxicated with his own self was standing there.

I couldn’t comprehend the turn of events and just stared blankly.

“Impossible! Roa selects the individual for reincarnation beforehand and then transmigrates! Furthermore, there has never been a case of reincarnation occurring in such a short period of time—Roa! What did you do to her?!”

Senpai (Ciel) interrogates Roa, her voice filled with hostility.

“Ah, you mean that, Executor. It was simple. The moment I sucked this little girl’s blood, she was already turning into a vampire, skipping the stages of a Dhampir or a Ghoul. Even I was surprised, and since it was such an intriguing case, I applied the art of reincarnation as a safeguard, just in case.”

"You filth who clings to life…!"

Yumizuka—no, the vampire Roa—let out a chortle of amusement as he flung the words back at the enraged Senpai.

“filth? That’s a strange thing to say. Coming from you, who killed your parents, killed your friend, and destroyed your hometown. Besides, you enjoyed it back then, didn't you—Elesia?”

“Don’t you dare say that name, you bastard! AAAAAAAHHH!!”

Instantly, Senpai kicked off the ground and leaped toward Yumizuka. Her intent was clearly not to help Yumizuka but to strike her down in a fit of pure rage.

Shamefully, it was only when Senpai leaped that I finally moved, attempting to stop her, but naturally, I couldn't make it in time. Senpai closed the distance in an instant and swung her arm, aiming to destroy Yumizuka's head.

However, Yumizuka moved even faster, delivering a counter-attack instead. Struck in the jaw, Senpai paused for a moment. Not missing the opportunity, Yumizuka balled her fist again and struck Senpai.

The repulsive sound of crushing bone echoed as she was hit with the vampire's monstrous strength. Senpai bounced several times on the ground, rolled for a while, and finally became motionless.

Yumizuka then approached Senpai, grabbed her by the neck, and lifted her with one hand. Senpai was still conscious, letting out a faint groan.

“Elesia, your talent was wonderful, but this body is even more splendid. I still contemplate how much better it would have been if you, like this little girl, had become a vampire. But now, you are an Executor of the Holy Church. If such valuable talent is not to be utilized, you might as well die here.”

He shaped his other hand like a rapier and aimed it at Senpai’s chest. For him to explicitly announce murder to Senpai, who possesses immortality... this is bad. Although the appearance is Yumizuka, the entity inside is now Roa, meaning he intends to kill Senpai using the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.

Damn it, run! Run, Tohno Shiki!

“Goodbye, Elesia.”

—I won’t make it in time!?

“Just in case, I’d hate to wake up with the thought of Ciel being dead, so why don't you stop? Hmm—Roa?”

In that instant, along with Arcueid’s voice, Yumizuka was blown away.

This time, Yumizuka was the one sent flying, but unlike Senpai, she was not fatally wounded, allowing her to regain her balance in mid-air and land. She couldn't completely absorb the impact, sliding across the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

“...I still don't understand.”

Yumizuka, or rather Roa, muttered quietly.

“Princess, you could have killed this little girl entirely, just as you did before. Furthermore, you told me not to kill that Executor. What in the world has happened to you?”

Roa questioned Arcueid with a serious face. The arrogant attitude was gone, replaced by a sense of dependency, and I could see that his emotions were somehow wavering.

“That’s right, just as you said, I was broken once. The Arcueid you knew was killed by Shiki once, and she won’t ever come back.”

And then, a pause.

“At first, I resented it. This was my last chance to kill you, and yet I was killed by someone I didn’t know. But now it’s different. Through Shiki and Sacchin, I learned for the first time—that the world is this vast and this enjoyable.”

Arcueid then looked straight into Roa's eyes and stated clearly.

“I’ve told Ciel, but I’ll say it again. I don’t know the cause or reason why I, a True Ancestor’s weapon, became this way. This feeling is new to me. But my heart wishes for a happy ending where everyone is happy. And from now on, if you dare to lay another hand on Satsuki, you are making yourself my enemy, and you must be prepared for your eternal cycle of reincarnation to end, Roa.”

Arcueid declared this decisively. Her crimson eyes glowed gold, glaring at Roa, leaving no room for compromise. Roa, who had silently listened to Arcueid’s speech, lowered his head and sank into silence for a while. However, upon closer observation, his mouth was moving slightly, muttering something.

“...Wrong.”

A word of denial.

“Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong!!”

“What!?”

He grabbed his hair and clutched his head, spewing words of denial at a loud volume, like a broken record. His legs trembled like a fawn’s, sweat poured from his entire body, and all the negative emotions he held were spat out from his mouth. I couldn't hide my confusion at Roa's unprecedented reaction; I could only stare in astonishment.

“This is not it, this is not it! My Princess is not like this, the eternity I sought was not this!!”

The denial of reality. More accurately, Roa refused to acknowledge Arcueid's current state.

I don’t know the detailed history between Roa and Arcueid. But judging from this scene, Roa is clearly a nasty piece of work—a person who forced his own fantasy onto Arcueid, believing it to be reality.

“—Ah, I see. It’s simple, isn’t it? An inferior Princess is nothing but a disgrace. Then, vanishing with me is the least bit of mercy I can offer.”

Simultaneously with the ominous lines, a light burst forth from the center of Roa. And before Arcueid could sense something and before I could anticipate the ensuing development and leap forward, Arcueid and I were instantly bound by magic. Arcueid voiced my thoughts.

“Roa...! Are you insane!? You, who sought eternity, are attempting a double suicide!”

Yes, Roa said it. Vanish with me is the least bit of mercy. He intends to drag Arcueid down with him to death.

“In any case, I was just killed by Shiki a moment ago. I no longer fear death. Besides, it’s fine now. The Princess I relentlessly sought has already died. If so, there’s no more reason to live.”

Don’t mess with me! How can he commit suicide now after dragging so many people into this? I despise it, I despise his attitude, and more than anything, I’m furious at his willingness to sell death so cheaply, despite possessing the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. Since the day I snuck out of the hospital and was admonished by Sensei, I learned that simply living is a precious thing, yet he ignores it.

Damn it, I can’t move. I don’t intend to die here, but I can’t move!

Furthermore, multiple magic circles were drawn on the ground, and a sudden heat filled the winter park. But I wasn't warm at all; rather, the anticipation of what was coming sent an incessant chill down my spine. I struggled against the approaching certainty of death, but time passed mercilessly.

“Rest assured, I don’t intend to kill only you. I intend to blow up this entire park, so you won’t be lonely.”

A nail named despair was hammered into my heart, and cracks began to appear. Akiha’s and Ciel-senpai’s faces flashed in and out of my mind, and I couldn't think of anything anymore.

“Goodbye.”

And then, light filled my vision.

“...?”

Blinded by the glare, I couldn't see anything. For a moment, I even thought I had arrived in the afterlife, but the scent of the unchanged park air was still what I was consciously aware of, perceiving, and feeling.

"Impossible... How could that be? Could this little girl have—bypassed the [   ] and even... Impossible, there are others like her?"

When my vision returned to normal, the same sight as before was there. Roa stood there, utterly dumbfounded, muttering to himself. Something unexpected must have happened to Roa, but for me, it was convenient. Especially the fact that the magical restraints were gone—this was my chance.

“ROA!”

I ran. I closed the distance, extended my arm, and quickly thrust the knife toward the 'point' symbolizing Roa’s life, which the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception showed me.

“Tch!?”

But Roa leaned back and dodged just in time. Naturally, I stepped forward, determined to end Roa, the source of all this misery, right here.

Roa swung his arm in a sweeping motion. It was a crude movement, but the air vibrated due to the force of a vampire’s strength. Although I avoided it with minimal movement, a thin, horizontal scratch appeared on my cheek, as if cut by a razor.

What strength.

However, after swinging his arm, his chest was wide open. To initiate his next move, he would be a beat too slow compared to me plunging my knife into his chest.

Yes, Roa is currently defenseless. I can kill Roa now and end everything!

And as I was about to stab the knife into his chest—my Mystic Eyes caught the 'point' symbolizing Roa's life and Yumizuka's life almost completely overlapping.

“Damn it!!”

If I stab now, I will kill Yumizuka as well. Realizing this, I cursed under my breath. Furthermore, I took a step back to evade the attack Roa launched immediately after.

“...”

“...”

A brief standoff. We both moved slowly, drawing a circle around each other. Roa had both hands in his coat pockets, looking as if he had an opening, but his gaze was sharp, leaving no room for carelessness or opportunity. Normally, I could cut through magic attacks and kill the opponent entirely, but the form of the opponent was Yumizuka.

Hurting Yumizuka in the process, as was evident a moment ago, was clearly unavoidable and intensely frustrating. Even so, I readied myself to leap at Roa again, contemplating whether I should make the first move, when Roa opened his mouth.

“...I was surprised by that just now. I knew this little girl was an anomaly, but I didn't expect her to be an Otherworlder who passed through the [  ]. Moreover, there seem to be similar cases in this country receiving support from a [  ] existence. And it seems you, along with the Princess, are an existence that will sway the future of the world. Ha, haha. Even I, who have lived for so long, have never encountered such a case... Perhaps the Princess is right; the world might be a vast place.”

“...?”

He was saying something incomprehensible. If he were just saying Yumizuka was an Otherworlder, it would sound like nonsense, but since this man wouldn't bother to state a falsehood, he must be relaying some important fact. However, I was certain of one thing: the latter part was definitely him being self-deprecating.

“In the past, the pure me would have investigated that mystery and its cause. But now, it doesn't matter to me—Ha, Haha!! Shiki! Can you distinguish between me and this little girl? Even if you could, it must be difficult for you, who have mastered the art of killing people, to kill only my soul without destroying the body itself!!”

“...!”

He hit the mark. I can perceive the 'Death' of objects, but to select and kill only Roa’s life in Yumizuka, who holds two lives in one body, without destroying the body—not only is the target ‘point’ small to begin with, but the two are also semi-overlapping. Without an opening, aiming and striking, aside from a surprise attack like before, is incredibly difficult.

“Ah, perhaps. Although I cannot take the fallen Princess with me, dying along with this little girl is not a bad idea either.”

“...You Bastard!!”

Roa placed his hand, with his claws extended like a well-sharpened rapier, precisely on the 'point' on his own chest. If he couldn't drag Arcueid and me along to death, he planned to take Yumizuka as a sacrifice.

I couldn't move, even if I wanted to leap towards Yumizuka. All is lost—that phrase popped into my head, but strangely, Roa stopped moving right there.

“Im-Impossible... You again, no—Little Girl!!”

Could it be Yumizuka?

“...Shi...ki..., quick...”

Yumizuka awkwardly moved her hand away from where it was placed. It was clear that Yumizuka had regained control of her body's dominance.

However, she seemed to be in distress, urging me to do what needed to be done. I hesitated to kill Yumizuka along with Roa, standing still with the knife in my hand.

But my Mystic Eyes conveyed a surprising fact: the 'points' symbolizing Roa's and Yumizuka’s lives were gradually separating, making it easier to aim. It was probably because the dominance of the body had shifted to Yumizuka's side, and I couldn't afford to miss this opportunity!

“I... be...lieve... in... you.”

Ah, leave it to me. Because these eyes can kill even a god—!!

I ran, determined to end everything this time. Yumizuka stayed still, not moving.

I lightly stabbed the 'point' symbolizing Roa's life, fulfilling Yumizuka's expectation. Though the motion was light, my hand felt the certain sensation of a soul's annihilation. This time, I had eliminated the person who had twisted our fate from this world.

It was a surprisingly anticlimactic moment when everything finally ended.