pride, her eyes shifting back towards me from her gun. "To keep it short, created long ago, this weapon was originally a type of special tool, which I've restored for usage against vampires. What does it look like to you, Tohno-kun?"
'What does it look like to you'? I can't deny it has aesthetic to an extent, but with the unwelcoming air still present in the room, this looks like an absolute nightmare.
"L-Looks like a big gun…? It looks cool…" I responded, short and simple. I didn't want to add any other adjectives to the weapon for fear of my own well-being. If I say what I truly think, I might just end up facing the front of the barrel against my head.
"Doesn't it?" Senpai chuckles to herself. "It works by shooting a massive stake out of this end here," She points at the frontal end of the barrel, "which I use to punish lia—excuse me, vampires. It was originally powered by hydraulics, but since there was a risk it could break down in extreme environments, I rebuilt it so that It could be powered by the external pressure created by magical energy instead. I've already taken down three heavyweights with this thing. It is my most prized possession."
"..."
That slip of the tongue of her's just managed to shorten my lifespan more than I have already. I noticed that when I complimented the weapon, Senpai seemed to visibly brighten a bit. In a split-second decision, I decided to double down and try to compliment her weapon more. There might be a sliver of hope that I could get out of this hole safely that I am in.
"I-Impressive… y-you said it was yours, so does that mean you made this huge thing by yourself?"
"Of course." As expected, she boasts happily as she continues in further detail. "It was originally a part of a special-purpose apparatus, but the whole assembly was more like an altar than anything else. It was far too large to be carried around. As such, I dismantled it into a number of pieces, one of which is this pile bunker. While we Executors don't normally name the weapons we are given or use, I personally like to call this one the 'Death by Condemnation'."
Senpai puts her other hand on the weapon, slowly creasing it with slight affection.
"You understand what I mean by Death by Condemnation? To a sinner—a liar, for instance—it's a single blow that serves as judge, jury, and executioner. There's no way that yo—I mean, a Dead Apostle could get back up again after taking a hit from these bullets."
CIel-Senpai puffs her chest out proudly, I'm glad that she's really enjoying herself talking about something she likes. However, I don't want to be rude, but I just want that thing put away from me because every once in a while, she would point that thing to me briefly like I'm a vampire or something.
"Oh did I tell you that it also has a number of other forms too? But, since they don't really apply to you in the same way right now, I'm afraid I can't show them to you. Terribly sorry about this, but please do understand." I don't think I'd want to know the other forms…
"That's cool, glad to hear it. Just for reference, aside from this pile bunker, what other 'extravagant' methods do you have of killing people?" Keep you cool, Shiki. Keep playing along, and you'll be fine.
"Hmm, let me see. I think just burning, bludgeoning, slicing, poisoning, or mentally tormenting them?" She tilts her head, her eyes wandering off, pondering on other thoughts that come to her mind. "Now that I think about it, all these seem like fitting punishments for a sinner who cooperated with a vampire."
"What of it?" Ciel-Senpai slowly lowers the gun to the ground, looking back at me innocently.
My eyes widened as I started to sweat profusely more. I'm busted. She knows, she definitely knows. Without realizing it, I started to unbutton my uniform's jacket and began fluttering my shirt by pulling it, to generate some wind to blow off the sweat from me. "Phew… boy sure it is hot in here. Hahaha… "
"Oh? Is it hot in here, Tohno-kun?" Senpai offered one of the cups to me, filling the smell of bitterness in the drink. "Drink this, It may quench your thirst. Apologies, but I didn't bring any other flavours with me. I only had some particular bitter tea flavour for now."
I offered my thanks to her as I grabbed the tea cup from her hand, taking in a sip. As she said before, It's bitter as hell, but It will do. I can hear Ciel-Senpai giggle at me as I place the cup on the floor.
"My Tohno-kun, you're sweating quite a lot. The room temperature is fine by me, but I'll have to look into it and see what's causing it. Honestly, you're acting like your pants are on fire!"
Senpai giggles again. Hoo boy… with time passing, she gets slowly angrier by the second. It's time that I start apologizing as hard as I can! Remember what you said before this, Tohno Shiki. Don't let your resolve falter.
I clear my throat before speaking, "So… Senpai? I have something to confess."
Instantly, Senpai became attentive to my words. Her once cheerful expression was now replaced with a serious one. "Yes? What is it, Tohno-kun?"
"About last night…"
"Oho? This is about last night? By all means, continue. I'll be sure to listen along quietly, so feel free to speak your mind, I'm quite intrigued, to say the least." She shifts slightly to me more. "If it helps, imagine yourself at a confessional booth."
I took a gulp before I continued. "I'm sorry… I broke your promise to you. Last night, I went out and searched for vampires with Arcueid. You see, I made a promise with her a few days ago before I met up with you, when you were fighting Vlov."
"I see." She crosses her arms together in a disapproving manner. "Did you have any success?"
"None whatsoever. Arcueid said that the dead are on high alert now, and we'll probably be stuck in a stalemate for a while."
Ciel-Senpai couldn't help but sigh at my reply. "As expected. I have come to the same conclusion. They aren't going to risk showing themselves as long as the True Ancestor or I am present. That aside, what are your impressions? Did you gain anything by cooperating with that vampire?"
"Huh? My impressions?" That was an unexpected question from her. I was expecting Senpai to start grilling me for breaking my promise.
"Did you realize that it was actually scary? Or perhaps you want to get yourself involved with her again? Those kinds of impressions." Senpai's faces start to freeze up. It's now an impenetrable stone face, with the exception of a slightly furrowed burrow. "You said it yourself, didn't you? You're scared of fighting even when you have a weapon. So, have you learned your lesson?"
"I haven't. I said I wanted to help you, and that feeling hasn't changed. But I really am sorry. I regret breaking my promise to you, Senpai. I should've been honest upfront and said that I was searching for vampires with Arcueid."
I bow my head deeply. I look back up at Senpai to see her face slightly embarrassed.
"W-Well.. I'm glad you have confided in me and come clean." Her face quickly goes back to normal. "But, that's not what I wanted you to reflect on today. What I want is for you to take better care of yourself, Tohno-kun. After all, you're only human even with your special eyes. You aren't Executors like us who could take a beating, like me."
"If anything were to happen to you, I wouldn't forgive myself for it." Senpai frowns on the notion of that thought.
I have been really stupid. I got carried away by the fact that we defeated Vlov. With the largest threat gone, I'd stopped being considerate other than Senpai and Arcueid and had underestimated how dangerous vampires could be. On that day fighting Vlov, if I were to make one mistake, it would've died back there. Worst of all, Senpai isn't angry because I broke my promise. She was mad for putting me in needless danger.
"Ciel-Senpai, I—"
My mind is a complete mess, filled with honest regret and gratitude. I can't think straight with all of this. All I can manage to do right now is to stare directly at Senpai's face. Ciel-Senpai sighs once more, now with a more apparent worried expression.
"There's a lot I want to say, but I can't scold you when you keep looking at me like that. Thinking back on it, It was a mistake on my part when I forbid you to search for vampires alone. I can't say that you didn't go alone doing so, But your choice of partner is a problem in and of itself."
"Well… the alone part is something of an excuse I came up with on the spot if we're being honest here."
"It's fine, it gave me time to reflect as well." Senpai shifts and adjusts her glasses. "I've become fully aware of how unruly you can be, Tohno-kun."Though she's criticizing me, Senpai's voice also sounds playful.
What a relief…
This conversation isn't far from over, but it seems she at least forgiven me a bit for breaking my promise yesterday. But that brings up another question now that the tension has died.
"Hey, Senpai? If you knew I was with Arcueid you must have seen us while, so where were you watching us from? I'm only guessing, but you must've hidden yourself pretty well while you patrolled the city, right?"
Ciel-Senpai flashes with surprise before quickly acting like nothing happened. "Who's to say? I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. It couldn't have been me, I was out of town that night. It must've been your imagination. Maybe… Noel-Sensei must've seen you or something."
Well, she isn't wrong. There's a chance Sensei may have told her about seeing us, but I kind of doubt it. However, I'll just let it slide for now.
Now… There's only a silent atmosphere between us. I'd say if it was a comforting one, it appears that Senpai seems to be in her thoughts and I don't disturb her. I pass my time briefly looking around the room and drinking a sip of my tea. Surprisingly the bitter tea isn't that bad. I might have developed a liking for them. The silence was quickly broken with the sound of Senpai clearing her throat.
"Well Tohno-kun, I'll let the fact that you broke your promise slide because I was partly to blame, but do you understand the consequences of your actions?"
"Huh?" A little dumbfounded, I pressed more for her to elaborate. "What do you mean by that?"
Ciel-Senpai furrowed her brows once again. "I'm talking about Arcueid. You misunderstood her nature. You think she's some kind of ally to humanity simply because she doesn't drink any blood, correct?"
"Wha…."
Her question renders me speechless. Not because of how sudden it was, but because it was the same question I've been doing my best to avoid thinking about all this time. "I don't really agree with that take of Arcueid. She's a natural enemy against the vampires since she is going after them. It is for that reason we teamed up because we shared a common goal."
Senpai's face hasn't changed one bit. Only giving more disapproving eyes at me for thinking of a naive thing. "I knew it, you really don't know what the situation you've gotten yourself into. I'd like to avoid explaining everything to you since you're an outsider, but I'll make an exception here. If you still intend on involving yourself with vampires, then I'll tell you about how she and Roa."
Once again, the atmosphere changes. Senpai is staring straight at me with a serious look on her face. I guess she's given up trying to stop me from getting more involved. I ain't complaining, I wanted to tell her more about Arcueid and the other vampires. If she is planning on doing that, then I have no objections. "Among the many bloodsuckers in the world, we members of the Holy Church refer to those who feed on the blood of the Paragons of Homo sapiens known as 'vampires'."
"The vampires can be divided into two groups: True Ancestors and Dead Apostles. I'm sure Arcueid has told you what a True Ancestor is, so I'll skip on explaining them. Then, there's Roa, the one who made a nest within this city and is a Dead Apostle. Even with the other higher-ranked Dead Apostles that possess special abilities different from each other, Roa is considered a special case amongst everyone."
"A special case, huh?" I added. "How strong are we talking about? Is he strong enough to be a top-tier Ancestor?"
"That's a good question." Ciel-Senpai nodded. "If we were to rank him based on the number of disasters he causes, he'd easily rival the Rank IX Dead Apostles, the Twenty-Seven Ancestors. The Church considers him to be the 28th Ancestor, even. Though, the other Ancestors do not recognize him as one of their own kind."
If that's the case... Do you mean to tell me this Roa guy has been lurking here for decades? But if that is true, then… "Roa must be pretty strong if he's as strong as Vlov. But, weren't we all dead by now? What's stopping him from making a move right now?"
"Roa himself isn't actually all that powerful." Senpai shakes her head. "He's just really more troublesome to deal with than a vampire. He's a person who can 'reincarnate' into another person once he dies."
"Reincarnate? Why would he want to do that? Aren't vampires immortal anyway?"
Senpai couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, it's not exactly the same. There's a difference between 'reincarnation' and 'immortality'. It's true that vampires are able to recover from fatal wounds provided they have enough blood in store. However, in the event they don't have enough blood, they will perish. Even after they've perished, it's possible for vampires to recover if their Dead Apostles repair their body and infuse it with potent blood. But, there are no vampires that can resurrect from total annihilation on their own. That being said, Roa is a vampire who managed to overcome even that hurdle. Do you know why?"
Ahhh… I see where this is going. "I get it. For Roa, regardless if he dies, he can come back alive no matter what. Making him 'unkillable' for that matter. The definition of eternal."
"Precisely, you catch on quick, Tohno-kun." Senpai smiles in amusement. "But, there are some conditions and restrictions for him to reincarnate. Firstly, Roa uses the time he has alive to preselect his next vessel. Once he's made his decision, he transplants all of that info towards a fetus belonging to his chosen bloodline. This information lies dormant until the fetus reaches adulthood or is intelligent enough in its own right. Once the host develops sufficient intelligence to inherit his 'self', they become Roa."
"But Senpai… you said 'transplant' right? Does he do some kind of medical procedure on the fetus?"
"Not quite," Senpai said. "You're not wrong in that he does a procedure on the fetus, but it isn't anything medical as far as the process goes. The way he transfers this info is akin to coding a program with a computer to send to a remote location after completion. The moment Roa's body dies, he shifts into typing and coding already on the newly chosen host. If he doesn't, then it goes to a random fetus that satisfies his conditions."
This is a lot of information to digest, but I think I'm understanding what it all means. It does link to some extent to the things Arcueid has told me before.
"Roa became a dead apostle approximately 800 years ago. Since then, he has reincarnated a total of sixteen times. Each and every time he has, Arcueid Brunestud has killed him. Roa is more than an ordinary vampire to her, even I will admit I feel the same towards him as well. Any other True Ancestors normally don't concern themselves much with the Dead Apostles. In fact, Arcueid was the only one among them who killed other vampires. And while she has at this point killed quite a number of them, she appears to have an obsession with Roa in particular."
Wait… Arcueid killed him sixteen times? Wouldn't that mean…?
"Senpai, something doesn't add up to me."
"Huh? What doesn't add up?" Ciel-Senpai looks at me curiously.
"You said Arcueid has killed him multiple times right? If she knows he can't die, why would she keep on killing him?" I'd hate to admit but if this was all true, Arcueid may be pursuing Roa for other circumstances aside from simply killing him because it's her job to do so.
"Yes. She does it because it's all she can do." Senpai gives a soured expression on her face. Their lips would tighten. "Roa awakens as a vampire begins to act, dies quickly after her, and reincarnates into a new body, the cycle repeats and continues itself. It's been like this for a long time now."
I look towards the floor, cursing to myself. "Damn… he really is troublesome." It's never never-ending war with this guy, isn't it? The fact this has been going on for decades and centuries makes me feel bad for Arcueid. Even if he's not but a small fry in the vampire world, millions of people are constantly in danger with this guy lurking around the world. One 'weak' vampire can easily mess up us ordinary people.
"Alright, I think that's enough for Roa for now," Ciel-Senpai says, putting an end to our topic of conversation. "It obviously goes without saying he's my enemy and a threat to the people of this city. But as threats go he's not the only one."
'Not the only one'? What's Senpai implying here?
"Arcueid Brunestud. She's far more of a disaster than Roa and the one who's really to blame for all this. It's because of that monster that this city was infested with vampires in the first place."
Did… did she call Arcueid… a monster? I know that Senpai means well, but Arcueid isn't like that. She hasn't drunk blood, not once in her lifetime. Why would Senpai put the blame on her for the vampires residing in this city?Come on, Senpai… Arcueid helped me and fought to protect the city, remember? You can't just blame her for all of this."
"Like I said, you've misunderstood her." Ciel-Senpai crosses her arms again, only this time in a defensive manner. "She doesn't spare so much as a thought for this city, to say nothing of human lives. Her reasons for chasing after Roa are entirely personal."
W-What…!? What Is she saying right now!? That is far from the truth!
"That's not true! When the barrier you and Noel-Sensei created broke open when you fought Vlov, Arcueid was there to shield the city from being overtaken by the heavy blizzard! How could you say that she doesn't care about the city?"
"Tohno-kun, I'm sure even she had told you how Dead Apostles are made. They're either transformed, honed by wizardry and are able to transcend from being human, or simply put, get their blood sucked by a True Ancestor. Now tell me, if it was magic, why would Arcueid be so obsessed with him if he didn't get bitten?" Ciel-Senpai stared at me without even a flinch when I jumped out of my cushion.
It's very clear from her own cold eyes what she has said to me. "Are you suggesting that Arcueid sucked Roa's blood?"
"You're mistaken. I'm not suggesting, I'm stating a fact."
The things I was hearing, I couldn't believe it. I was baffled she could even say such a thing about Arcueid. She's wrong… all wrong about her!
"Eight hundred years ago, she made a single mistake. Despite being True Ancestor royalty, she fell for the sweet words of Roa, a human, and drank his blood. Remember, True Ancestors are different creatures from us. At the end of the day, the Dead Apostles are nothing more than extensions of humanity. They are rather concerned in expanding the lifespan than their powers, but even with that, they eventually develop their own power where it becomes 'supernatural' abilities."
Just… What is she talking about? So what? This is some kind of justification to say Arcueid is some kind mindless monster!?
"So, what!? This doesn't have anything to do with Arcueid!"
"Let me finish." Wrinkles began forming between Ciel's eyebrows. "True Ancestors aren't just vampires but 'superior'. They existed as quintessential elements. They are Avatars of all natural phenomena that occur on the surface of Earth. You could even consider them the Alter-Egos of the Planet. Their powers go beyond human comprehension—"
Alter-Egos…? So they're somehow natural or connected to the planet?
"—Because of this, we humans live codependent from nature and live independently from them. Even as we receive the planet's blessings, we plunder it for resources and have secured ourselves a future world where we'll only survive even if the planet itself gives out. Humans are the only creatures to have arrived at this original sin. It is by doing so that we have established ourselves as the 'supreme' species on earth. But from this planet's point of view, this is evil. The world itself is a single life; a single concept. As such, it has a will and will intend to protect itself from humans."
After Senpai finishes, the annoying throbbing comes back to my head. This time, however, it lingers more than it usually does, but I didn't care. I felt too worked up to be worried about my illness. Just what the hell is she saying?
There's no way nature itself can possess a will on its own—
But oh, it does.
What the? Is someone talking here?
It has one. That much is certain. It is simply a class of life so different from your own, and so unfathomably vast, to the point where you can not perceive it.
The—what the hell is that…? My eyes open to a top-down view of someplace on earth. The sea has now replaced the colour red, almost looking like blood. Amongst a decolorized forest. The sand looks almost white beyond the shore, but I don't even know what I'm looking at. This is the best way I could describe the scenery in front of me.
That's right. Behold reality.
Behold nature's emotions in all its raw form.
Behold these colours your feeble mind can scarcely endure.
God, I feel sick. I want to throw up just from looking at this.
Does this planet harbour enmity toward the life forms that live on the surface?
Impossible, right? Or maybe not? Perhaps we are simply incapable of sensing it.
But what about Nature? The world has a will, doesn't it?
It's because of it, that it continues to keep us alive and protect us from harm. The problem isn't that we can sense it. It's the nature has endorsed—
"—The planet, and all the natural phenomena that constitute it, has brought forth independent beings to embody its touch..."
C-Ciel-Senpai...? Oh right, she was talking about this whole… uh.. what was she talking about again? At the very least, whatever that voice was talking about it seemed to disappear from Senpai's voice.
"These beings are generally referred to as fairies or elementals. The True Ancestors are one such species. They were born for the purpose of chastising humanity, and as a result, think only evil of humans. Just as we consider vampires who prey on humans 'evil', the True Ancestors are considered humans who prey on nature's 'evil'."
I've lost focus on the topic we are discussing right now… maybe we should take a break so I can recollect myself?
"Hey Senpai…? How about we take a break and…"
THROB
The annoying headache is back—!
'—Ha! How utterly laughable of a statement she has said. Why then would they be handicapped by design, unable to exist without feeding off these wicked humans?'
Damnit! It… It hurts! What's going on!?
I feel… like my vision is…
...
...hno-kun...?
…toh...!
"...T-Tohno-kun?! Are you alright?" As I regained my senses, I realized I was holding my head against my hands, in a fetal position. I look up to see Senpai looking down at me with a worried face on her. Ah, that voice… she must've called out to me.
"S-Sen…pai? " I slowly rose up, sitting up straight and facing toward my senior.
"Are you alright, Tohno-kun? You look pale, are you okay?"
To tell you the truth, I don't know what happened a few seconds ago. It felt like a daydream when Senpai began to explain the history behind the True Ancestors. Despite in being such a weak state to hear things coherently properly, I still want Senpai to finish where she left off.
"I'm fine… It's just my anemia acting up again. It happens. Can you continue where you left off?"
Ciel-Senpai looked at me with shock. I don't blame her. I think anyone would find someone stupid when they collapsed onto the floor and started walking it off like a minor inconvenience. "Really? But the condition you're in right now, I think it's best for you to rest."
"Please, Senpai…" I feel bad for my anemia acting up again in the middle of a important conversation. I know it isn't Senpai's fault or mine that it has been bad lately, but this explanation may further my understanding on Arcueid's objective and history.
Though Ciel-Senpai was worried, she agreed to tell me what she was going to say to me before my illness attacked. "If you are willing to still listen, I will keep talking. But, I'll try and summarize it." Senpai shuffles a bit from her cushion.
"Since True Ancestors are a supernatural element from the earth, to them, humanity is their enemy. And since their powers are a part of nature, they're more or less linked to the earth. There's no telling what kind of power they have without any limits."
I guess it adds up to what Senpai was saying. By that logic, Arcueid is also an enemy of humans. Still, I personally don't think she'll go as far as killing humans. Not that I've seen anyway.
We have encounters with True Ancestors back in the Church that have been recorded. Supposedly they derive their powers from the planet itself. Therefore, Conceptual Weapons are capable of taking them down, which would be those destroying an entire planet. Of course, such a weapon like that does not exist. Meaning, that death is impossible for them. Even with any external factors that may help."
Senpai expresses her frustration soon after at the notion of not being able to stop them.
It has an inscription along with it. As it reads, 'If you strike a True Ancestor, strike not when they are in their prime. Buy them instead, the True Ancestor with one already in the grave.' Even with this information, we're told not to ambush them by the Church. It doesn't make any sense."
Hmmm... thinking about that night at the hotel with Arcueid. If she and I met at night, instead of during the day, my eyes would render useless since I won't be able to see her death lines. Because of that, It would be impossible for her to die.
"You understand now, Tohno-kun? Arcueid Is chasing after Roa for the sake of reclaiming the powers back that she bestowed upon him. Never mistake that for her trying to help us humans. I'm not sure why she's in a weakened state at the moment, but once she recovers her powers, she'll toss you out like trash. Do you think you'll be able to walk away safely when that happens?"
Ciel-Senpai looks at me seriously. She's truly concerned about my life and absolutely despises Arcueid. I guess the feeling is mutual for both parties on each other's end. But even then… I can't… I can't see Arcueid as that bloodsucking vampire as Senpai views her. Even though I'm a psychopath, Arcueid still accepted me for who I am with a smile. I can't simply ignore that.
"You're right. She'd let me go, no doubt about it. I mean—it's not like she hasn't done anything weird to me. So it's—"
"Remember, Arcueid is a vampire. While she doesn't need to suck blood in order to live, her vampiric urges are the problem at hand. They still suck blood because they want to, In doing so they turn humans into monsters. I cannot abide you walking side-by-side with that thing.
'Thing'? Why does she keep referring to her inhumanly …? With that last speech, Senpai's lecture is over. I can't help but feel like the person in front of me right now isn't the same Senpai I've come to like. Maybe it's the recurring headaches I've been getting recently…
I see Ciel checking the time on the clock in the room before turning her attention back to me again. "Looks like that took longer than I was expecting, but that's all I wanted to say. Do you finally understand how dangerous she is?"
"Yeah… In theory, I guess… "
"Thank goodness." Her cheerful usual smile appears again. I've already missed seeing that smile again despite it not being so long as her shoulders become light. "In that case, please stay away from her from now on. Obviously, don't even think about cooperating with her either."
I get that Senpai generally means well to me. I can't deny the things she has said, she's been in this vampire-hunting business way longer than I have. But when I think about Arcueid, I can't see her as a monster. I just see her as a woman and nothing else. I mean, Ciel-Senpai doesn't know that Arcueid is a genuinely good person.
"...Senpai, I appreciate you looking out for me. But I can't comply with that…"
"Tohno-kun?"
I look at her with an intense gaze. "I can't break my promise with Arcueid. She's a good person, please trust me. She would never—"
"Enough of this!" Ciel's expression became a mix of disbelief and scowling. "Arcueid Is dangerous! She Isn't human! She might suck your blood on a whim at any time, she's been getting more monstrous than the Dead Apostles these past few days, can't you see that!?"
I couldn't let the insult slide when I heard that. I feel her anger is being misplaced here.
"I'm telling you wrong! Listen, Arcueid said she doesn't drink blood. She has told me she hasn't and I believe her. I don't know about the other True Ancestors, but I know she doesn't—!"
She doesn't…
Damn it… why can't I finish that sentence!?
"Doesn't?" Senpai repeats my words. "Doesn't what? Let's say she isn't dangerous, like you said, the very fact that you're engaging in battle is, don't you think?" Senpai grits her teeth in the process while continuing, "I cannot forgive her, for that reason. She knows you're not as strong as she is, yet she still continues to force you to fight."
Senpai gets up from her seat suddenly, she looks like she's about to have an outburst at any second. "Arcueid is fine with you dying. You're nothing more than a tool for her to use!"
"I'm telling you, It's not like that!" I stand up as well to take a defensive position. "I assure you that she isn't like the rest of them! Please, can you at least have some faith in me in believing my words?"
I'm well aware that Senpai is right here. Logically, it's clear that I'm the crazy guy here in this room. But what's getting me frustrated right now is it seems she isn't listening to me at all right now.
"Oh, I believe you alright… believe that you've lost your mind!"
"What? Lost my mind!? Senpai can you—"
"NO, TOHNO-KUN! I'M SICK OF YOU NOT LISTENING TO ME RIGHT NOW!"
The once calm Senpai who would always have her emotions mostly in check, cracks and shouts at me. I had never seen her get this angry before. It honestly frightens me a bit. I look at her with surprise; she's even surprised too that she got this mad. Senpai tightens up her face soon after.
"Why do you keep insisting why that girl isn't dangerous, when I told you multiple times otherwise!? What do you see in that vampire!? Do you like her that much, that you're so much in your own head to realize the danger you are in!?"
"W-Wha—!? What do you mean like her!?" She isn't trying to suggest that I love her, is she!? "Are you saying that I love her!?"
"I—I…!" Senpai bit her bottom lip as she struggled to come up with a response. Her eyes quickly widened before reverting back, only grinding her teeth against each other. "Ohhh, her protecting the city in front of you must be why you fell for her act this entire time! It was all part of her ploy to trick you! She knew that if she put on that whole stupid human act, you'd buy it hook, line, and sinker!"
"What!?" If her goal was to get me riled up like she is now, it is certainly working. It's very clear that Senpai thinks I'm a damn fool for trusting Arcueid either way and that Arcueid herself is a mindless bloodsucker vampire.
"I'm not being deceived!" I shout back, slamming my foot against the floor underneath. "Actually, ever since I mentioned Arcueid, you've done nothing but try to get me to hate her! I told you she isn't like the other vampires you've described, but you choose not to listen to me at all!"
"Do you hear yourself!?" Senpai's forehead furrowed in response. "If that True Ancestor keeps doing as she pleases, the city will be thrown into chaos! Are you seriously telling me that you believe that half-assed vampire over us, the people who are actually working to protect society? God, you're seriously stupid!"
"You two are literally doing the same thing!" I retaliated back. "All I'm saying is that I trust her! Besides, if you two worked together, the city would be back to normal in no time! I thought you, out of all people, would understand me, Senpai!"
"Us…? Work together? " I can see the disgust on Senpai's face at the thought of working with Arcueid. "You'd have to kill me to ever do something like that."
Is she serious? If she would even let me explain further to form a temporary alliance, then I don't know what. All I know is that this talk we're having is a complete waste of time.
"I can't believe you're the same person I looked up to, once! This has been a big waste of time for me, so I'm going to give it to you straight!" I directed my attention aggressively. "If you treat Arcueid as an enemy, that makes me YOUR enemy as well.
Ciel stood there flabbergasted. She curls up her fingers and thumbs into a tight ball, digging in between her skin with her nails. "Oh, really? What a coincidence, I can't believe someone I thought was a smart and considerate person, Is a naive jackass! If you're desperate to get fooled by her, then by all means, go right ahead! At least I would have one less idiot to worry about!"
"Gladly! I'll be minding my own business, so how about you mind your own business? You old hag! At least Arcueid doesn't nag every single little thing I do, unlike you!"
"Arghhhh! Enough of this! Get out! We're through, Tohno-kun! At least I know how you really feel! I'm glad I won't have to keep saving some frail lanking asshole anymore! I'm never going to talk to you, check up on you, or help you ever again!"
"Thank god for that, I can fucking finally do what I want! I'll see myself out!" I shouted back. I grabbed all my things before angrily dashing off out of the tea ceremony room. Still fuming, I square up my shoulders and march down back to my classroom to grab my bag and leave school. My thoughts still linger on the recent fight today we had as it plays back in my mind.
"I can't believe her! She's stubborn as hell! Why can't she understand that I'm not in danger—"
stopped in my tracks as my rational side began to kicking in.
Honestly… I get where Senpai is coming from. She's not wrong, I should at least exercise caution when approaching Arcueid. I keep forgetting that Arcueid, herself, is an actual vampire. Anything might go wrong, even If Arcueid doesn't mean to intentionally… besides, Senpai Isn't wrong that she's forcing me to fight. The day after I sliced up Arcueid, she cornered me in the alleyway. 'You do not have a say on the matter of choosing. You either help me, or die right here.' She was being genuine. At a moment I decided against helping her, I could feel Arcueid's eyes stare at me coldly. There was no emotion behind those words whatsoever, only a fact in that circumstance. It didn't help either that she reaffirms it when I initially said no at first. The cut to my cheek from her after saying that from one single finger raised, made my body's instinct pleaded me to accept the deal.
"Ugh! Even so! She's still stubborn like a mole!" Feeling my anger start to die down, I forcibly stroke its flame again as I rush down the hallways of the school. If I stopped running, I'd most likely go back to the tea ceremony room and apologize. My actions aside, Arcueid did nothing wrong. Besides, she isn't the same person I met that day anymore. She's changed. That's why, no matter what, I can't return back to the tea ceremony room.
Entering my now empty homeroom, I grab my school bag before storming off out towards the front of the school entrance. I pay no mind looking back behind, in anger if by chance Senpai was there looking at me.
"Me and Arcueid are going to patrol tonight!" I tell myself in a vacant entrance. "And we're going to do a much better than—"
'Do you like her that much, that you're so much in your own head to realize the danger you are in!?'
"———!?"
What…? Why was I thinking about what she said to me!? I mean… of course not! She's only my…!
My…
...
I couldn't help but release a sigh. "What are you to me, Arcueid?" I ponder to myself before making my way back to the mansion.