Chapter 35: ACT.4 "Rest"

Where could this be?

I was in a strange state of consciousness where I couldn't grasp the sensation of up, down, left, or right.

There seemed to be no gravity either; I couldn't feel the weight of my body and just let myself be carried by the floating sensation.

How long had I been here?

My memories were extremely vague, and I couldn't think. Moreover, with no visual information, I had absolutely no idea what was happening to me.

Yet, I wasn't overcome with anxiety about knowing nothing. Because, strangely, while I lay still like this, my body felt warm and pleasant.

I have no energy, and I can't move my body.

But I feel like I could stay here forever.

Yes, perhaps eternally—

Suddenly, the figure of a girl in purple flashed in my mind.

My grey brain matter recreated the memory of meeting her, Sion.

The memory of the confrontation with the vampire, and me collapsing after receiving a fatal wound, resurfaced.

I remember now.

I shouldn't have been idling away in a place like this.

I need to wake up and hear what happened next.

My body is heavy.

I feel the weight even just trying to open my eyelids.

But still, I must open them.

The vampire, Sion.

And the intervention of a mysterious third party.

I need to know everything about it.

"Kuh, ha—"

My eyelids gradually opened.

Light stimulated my eardrums, and I felt a dazzling brightness.

My breath was still ragged, and my respiration was faint, but my submerged consciousness awakened, and I began to perceive visual information.

"Where is this..."

A futon was covering my body.

Turning only my neck to look around, it seemed to be my room.

Ciel-senpai and Satsuki must have carried me here.

However, there was no one else in the room besides me.

It seems that from here on, I need to take action myself.

I took shallow breaths for a while, and eventually succeeded in sitting up my upper body.

"Guh...!?"

Pain shot through my chest.

I shifted my gaze to my chest, which was tightly bound with bandages.

Furthermore, some kind of writing was on the bandage, suggesting it wasn't just an ordinary bandage.

As far as I know, there are only two people who could do this.

One is Satsuki, who started practicing sorcery after receiving knowledge from Roa.

And the other, who also learned sorcery from Roa and is still my senior even in her temporary form, is—

"Well, I suppose it's time to say good evening, but, good morning, Tohno-kun."

"Senpai...?"

A voice from the side.

I turned my head and saw that senior, Ciel-senpai, standing there.

"Honestly, I know boys tend to push themselves, but there's a limit to what you can do."

"Uh, well..."

Senpai sighed.

I couldn't argue, as I was all too familiar with the 'pushing myself' that Senpai was referring to. I fully understood that I had no right to make excuses like 'I was careless.'

"I'd be overjoyed if you learned your lesson from this, but well, since it's Tohno-kun, I'm not expecting much. Here, your glasses."

"My ears are burning, Senpai. Ah, thank you... Senpai?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"Um, it looks like something is connecting you and me. What is this?"

Ciel-senpai offered me my glasses.

I reached out to take them, but I clearly saw a thread-like connection between Senpai and me.

"To be able to perceive a magical pass as visual information... Your eyes are as ridiculous as ever, Tohno-kun. Yes, that's right. I've established a magical pass between you and me."

A magical pass.

It meant that Ciel-senpai, just like Akiha, had shared her life force with me.

"Thank you, Senpai. And I'm sorry, Senpai, for making you go this far because of me."

I couldn't face her.

This life I had now was a gift from Akiha, Sensei, and now Ciel-senpai.

Despite gaining no benefit, Senpai had helped me like this.

"Don't just thank me, Tohno-kun, you should thank Hisui-san too. She cooperated in keeping your life connected as well."

"Hisui, too..."

Hisui also helped me?

She always took care of my surroundings, but now I really, truly can't face her...

"I understand, Senpai. I'll go tell Hisui thank you later."

"Words of thanks are fine, but adding a concrete action to them would be even better."

"Concrete action?"

Just after I said I would thank Hisui later, Ciel-senpai suggested that I should not only use words but also take action.

Concrete action... No, I can't think of anything. It's a riddle I can't solve.

"It seems you don't understand, judging by your expression. Honestly, you're still as dense as ever in this area, Tohno-kun."

"My apologies."

Senpai made a 'well, well' gesture by shaking her wrist and neck, and all I could do was scratch my head in response.

"Listen, Tohno-kun. To put it simply, go out with Hisui as a token of your gratitude. In fact, date her. Go out and have fun together as a boy and a girl."

"I see, a date. Right, a date... Wait! A DATE! Hisui and I!?"

W-Why!? That makes no sense at all!

"Girls are happy when a boy they are fond of asks them out on a date, aren't they?"

"Fondness? Does that mean the good feelings between Hisui and me are like the trust and confidence established between a master and a servant?"

A maid who comes to wake you up in the morning.

'Seriously, is this the world of the eroge game I played with Arihiko?!' I inwardly retorted and felt a little flustered, but right now, I have no such impure thoughts.

For my body, which is not strong in the mornings, and for the general support of daily life that is often overlooked, Hisui is an indispensable and trustworthy person to me.

"...I said there's a limit to pushing yourself, but there's also a limit to how dense you can be, you know? Besides, Hisui-san bravely gave you her first... Ah, what did you just imagine? Oh my, I don't mean anything naughty, I mean a kiss. A kiss. Even so, she gave you her first, so you should invite her on a date, alright?"

The word 'first' instantly reminded me of the night I spent with Arcueid, and my face turned red.

Seeing me in that state, Senpai smiled and dropped another bombshell.

"Well, actually, I also had my first kiss with a boy with you, Tohno-kun..."

"Eh—"

I froze at the fact that Senpai and I had kissed.

The shock was so immense that past memories with Senpai flashed before my eyes like a life review, but I couldn't recall such a memory even once.

Moreover, the bashful Senpai was not Ciel, the Executor of a murderous organization, but Ciel, the exchange student at school and my senior.

I couldn't help but be captivated by the sight of Senpai smiling happily with the moonlit night behind her.

But, well, that is...

"Ah, but this isn't your first time, is it, Tohno-kun? This time with Hisui-san, Akiha-san during the Roa incident, and Arcueid, who you're dating... Hehe, you're quite popular."

"Ugh, uh, um..."

That's right, I've already kissed multiple women.

Now, the only people related to the Tohno mansion who haven't kissed me are Satsuki and Kohaku-san.

...I might be a morally bankrupt person in many ways for having kissed four women.

"But even with your philandering nature, I like you, Tohno-kun. And if you ever get tired of Arcueid, you can date me, you know?"

"Wha—"

—What did you just say?!

Didn't you just suggest that Senpai and I should date?!

This is definitely... Oh, wait. No matter what, two-timing is wrong.

I'm well aware of how terrifying a furious Arcueid can be, and most of all, I don't want to see her sad.

So, the answer is already decided.

"I appreciate your feelings, Senpai, but I'm devoted to Arcueid only."

"Is that so? That's disappointing."

The Senpai who had been constantly smiling showed a slightly sad expression only at that moment.

"Oops, I got carried away because it's been a while since we talked like this. I'm going to meet up with Father Kotomine and start searching for the vampire, so please rest properly, Tohno-kun."

"Eh, ah. Of course, Senpai."

"Yes, that's a good answer. As a reward, I'll give you a present."

Saying that, Senpai moved closer to me.

She placed a hand on the side of my head, and Senpai's face gradually—

"Ah—"

A moist and warm sensation on my forehead.

It seems I was kissed by Senpai.

I understood that, but because it happened right after I publicly declared my devotion to Arcueid, I couldn't react to Ciel-senpai's action and, embarrassingly, I was agitated and frozen stiff.

"Well then, I'll be going with Father Kotomine to investigate the vampire, so please rest quietly for a while, Tohno-kun."

Ignoring my frozen state, Senpai moved away from my side and opened the room window.

"Good night, Tohno-kun."

And then she jumped out the window and disappeared into the night of Misaki Town.

"Senpai's kiss... was nice..."

This was the very first thing I said after Senpai disappeared from sight.

For these words to have slipped out unconsciously, I suppose my body is honest...

I instinctively put my hand on my forehead where I was kissed.

The slightly moist sensation remaining from Senpai's kiss was still there.

...Even though I've done much more with Arcueid, why am I so embarrassed?

In any case, if anyone had overheard my conversation with Senpai, things would be very bad.

Especially Arcueid, who I'm dating, and Akiha, among others—

"Hee-hee-hee, so Ciel's kiss was that good, huh? Hee-hee-hee."

"Fufufu, Nii-san, it seems we have plenty to talk about, today of all days."

The air froze.

No, it wasn't the air that was frozen, it was me.

The direction of the voice was the room door, and the owners of these voices were people I knew.

I didn't want to turn around; I didn't need to think hard to know what was happening.

However, deciding to ignore them now would only make the situation worse.

Therefore, having no escape, I slowly rotated my neck towards the door.

"Shiki~"

"Nii-san~"

There, just as I imagined, were two Oni-like figures shrouded in golden and crimson auras of anger.

It seems this is the end for me...