Chapter 37: ACT.6: "Sion"

The recent busy schedule has caused the updates for the SS (short story/side story) to be delayed.

Around the time Yumizuka Satsuki began engaging with the TATARI (Calamity), Tohno Shiki, who had been thoroughly squeezed by Arcueid and Akiha, fell asleep again. Usually, he would force himself to go out and search for the TATARI, but following Ciel-senpai's request to rest, he had fallen into sleep.

Arcueid and Akiha had gone out to search for the TATARI, respectively. Therefore, Shiki was the only one in the room now; only his small, quiet breathing sound could be heard.

In the midst of this, the door quietly opened. A figure silently crept into the room. The figure slowly approached Shiki, who was sleeping in bed. Eventually, the figure reached the bedside and simply gazed at the sleeping prince.

Despite someone standing right next to him, Shiki continued to breathe softly in his sleep. While this alone was a simple fact, the figure who had been watching him for a while suddenly felt a sense of incongruity. The figure's brain, far superior to a human's, began to spin, pondering the feeling of discomfort.

The answer came quickly: he was too quiet. Aside from the possibility of a mental cleansing through self-hypnosis via sorcery, his natural sleep seemed devoid of life.

Shiki’s sleep was just like—

“Your sleep is just like a corpse, isn’t it?” Sion Eltnam Atlasia muttered her impression.

She gently stroked Shiki's cheek and connected the Etherlite to check his physical condition. The answer immediately flashed in her mind: his injuries were recovering, but his body temperature was lower than average, and his heart rate was slow.

“Thank goodness.”

Sion unintentionally let out such a word upon seeing the result, and in an instant, she froze at the content of the words that came from her mouth.

This was because the experience of Sion Eltnam Atlasia showing concern for someone else hadn't happened since her late friend, Riesbyfe.

During her time at the Atlas Institute, she was completely indifferent to others. Recently, she had been on the run from the Church and the Atlas Institute, leaving no room for such thoughts. Furthermore, the idea of having an interest in anyone other than focusing solely on pursuing the TATARI was completely foreign to her.

But what now? She had just shown concern for another person. And this person was someone she had tried to kill on their first meeting, and moreover, he was of the opposite sex. What had driven Sion Eltnam Atlasia to take such an action?

Was it the rarity of Tohno Shiki’s unique ability? Certainly, he was appealing as research material, but it didn't fit the answer. The reason for not seizing the opportunity to take only his eyes was nowhere to be found.

Was it because he was a collaborator in defeating the TATARI? That might be the case, but why Tohno Shiki? If she needed a collaborator, she had multiple options: a True Ancestor, an Executor, or a Dead Apostle.

Moreover, their relationship was one where they were trying to kill each other right up until the TATARI arrived. The only connection they had was his single-handed interception of the TATARI, which hadn't yet led to a collaborating relationship.

“... Kuh.”

Sion engaged in high-speed thinking, delving deeper into the issue. Yet, no answer was obtained, and the mystery only deepened.

“I am…”

What has become of me? Such a question and anxiety gnawed at Sion's inner thoughts.

She stared intently at Shiki’s face, but naturally, no answer was forthcoming. But suddenly, Sion had a thought—perhaps he might know the answer.

Thinking so, she reached out her hand to wake Shiki—

“I’m sorry, but would you mind not waking Shiki up?”

Just as she reached out, a third-party voice intervened. Sion recognized the owner of the voice and turned to face the direction the speaker must be in.

“The Princess of the True Ancestors…”

“Good evening, Alchemist. It looks like you’re feeling better now.”

The owner of the voice was a blonde woman sitting on the window, which had opened at some point. It was Arcueid Brunestud, the Princess of the True Ancestors.

“...Princess, I deeply appreciate your kindness last night.”

“Well, I was the one who asked my sister to let you stay in the mansion, but it was ultimately her decision, so be sure to thank her tomorrow.”

“Understood.”

After confirming it was Arcueid, Sion immediately straightened her posture and expressed her gratitude. Then, she reaffirmed her name and stated her request.

“Once again, my name is Sion, Sion Eltnam Atlasia. I came to this city to defeat the TATARI, and I have a request for you, Princess.”

“Hmm, assistant director of the underground institute at that age? That’s amazing. And a person from Atlas, which completely cuts off contact with the outside world, has a request for me? Fine, I’ll listen.”

Arcueid, who usually had little interest in anyone other than Tohno Shiki and those around him, allowed the alchemist to speak about the content of her unusual request.

“My research goal is the complete cure for vampirism. That is, to revert a vampire back to a human, Princess.”

“...Continue.”

Arcueid prompted her.

“The blood of a True Ancestor, a star spirit, is what created the vampires. Therefore, by analyzing that blood, it should be possible to revert a vampire back to a human. I know this is rude, but would you please provide your blood, Princess?”

Sion’s voice grew gradually more passionate as she pleaded. Finally, she bowed her head again.

Arcueid, who had been silently observing her, did not immediately answer Sion’s request and remained silent for a while. A silent period of several tens of seconds passed, and then she slowly opened her mouth.

“...There are countless Magicians who want to become Dead Apostles, but the opposite, huh? If you had said you wanted to become my kin, I would have killed you right here. But, reverting from a Dead Apostle back to a human... that is impossible.”

“What!?”

That was a denial. Sion was speechless at the content.

“Wh-Why! If we analyze the fundamental True Ancestor blood, the treatment for vampirism…”

“What’s impossible is impossible.”

Arcueid shook her head, repeating the denial to a frantically questioning Sion.

“You should know that a human becoming a vampire isn't just a physical change; the soul itself is altered. If one were to revert to a human, it would truly require Magic—specifically, Magic to turn back time.”

“Silence!!”

The enumeration of facts she had considered but deliberately turned a blind eye to caused Sion’s emotions to explode. It was rare for her to show her emotions at all, but the elimination of her last hope for a vampirism cure broke her emotional restraint.

“In the first place, wasn’t this pestilence spread by you True Ancestors?! To say you can’t cure it is far too selfish!”

“You seem to be losing yourself in anger, but hasn't the world in which gods, monsters, and people like you Mages live always been like that, since ancient times?”

“Th-That is…”

Sion, whose head had cooled down from Arcueid’s reasoning, flinched. The paradigm of "unreasonable demons attacking humans" has continued since the age of myths. And aside from the kind of people called heroes, the majority of humans are completely powerless against these demons. Even today, with the development of science and the fading of mystery, this paradigm remains unchanged.

“Besides, and this is just what the Church says, even demons seem to be creations of God. You should be glad, Alchemist. There’s no need for you to grieve even if half your body is demonic. After all, your existence is guaranteed by God, so what’s wrong with it?”

“――――!!!”

Arcueid’s words, which accepted the existence of vampires, sent a shockwave through Sion. Her narrow, scarlet eyes and her cynical attitude toward people embodied the arrogance of a non-human demon.

“――――I had hoped for a fruitful conversation based on Shiki's information, but it seems I was mistaken.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, but I have absolutely no intention of getting along with someone who doesn’t even understand herself.”

“…Doesn’t understand myself? What do you mean by that?”

A person who doesn't even understand herself. Sion felt doubt about such an assessment and asked Arcueid.

“You don’t understand that there’s a contradiction between your very existence and your wish not to become a vampire.”

“What nonsense…”

Sion instantly denied Arcueid’s words. Not becoming a vampire—that was the oath she had sworn since losing her friend on that muggy summer day.

There was absolutely no room for contradiction there. Sion tried to continue speaking, but the words wouldn't come out.

Just a little bit. She felt just a little bit of incongruity. She couldn't instantly deny Arcueid's words.

“Just as I thought, the answer won’t come out, huh? Well then, Alchemist. I'm busy too, you know.”

“Ah…”

Arcueid, having lost interest in Sion, who was lost in confusion, leaped out the window and quickly left the scene. All that remained in the room was Shiki, continuing his sleep, and Sion, who couldn't voice her answer.

“…………”

Sion silently looked at the open window. After staring for a while at the spot where Arcueid had been, she spoke her thoughts aloud.

“You are right. I don’t understand my own existence.”

Looking down, Sion could only affirm her words.