"Ciel?" A collective response shared by Asuga and Shigure. She was operating right under our noses this entire time?
Shigure was quickly sidelined by the incomplete profile he drew from Arcueid's murder scene.
It was Shiki? I know I haven't spoken to him, but he doesn't seem like the impulsive type, let alone the type who is a trained killer. Shigure and Asuga spectated as the sparks of clashing metal intermittently lit their faces. Adding to that, isn't he chronically ill? How can he move like that?
Ciel looked down at the trio from the staircase, her face subtly twitching at the sight of Shigure. Seeing as it had only been a year since their last encounter his face was still freshly preserved in her mind's eye. At that moment however, she didn't have the luxury of concerning herself with him. The more pressing matter was the Vampire mercilessly attacking Shiki.
Upon being cornered, Shiki had drawn a switchblade with a spring mechanism. Its design was dull, simply consisting of an equally dull wooden handle. It seemed that when death was in his midst, he took on another persona, judging by his gleeful yet crazed expression.
What is that switchblade made of?
Meanwhile, Arcueid found her opening. One hand shot towards Shiki's neck, the other pinned his switchblade to the wall. Crunch. The wall was crushed by the impact of Shiki being shoved into the wall.
"Oi," Her gun rattled, illuminating the air with the warm glow of a cross-shaped muzzle flash. Clink. Spent shell casings leaked from the side of it. "I said step away from him." She descended the staircase at the same time, handling what one could only assume was devastating recoil single-handedly in the literal sense.
"Das Vogelkäfig" A Bounded-Field went up, one just large enough for herself.
Seriously, Asuga?
As if she heard his thoughts. "It was just reflex, Shigure."
Avoiding the bullets was a trivial matter for Shigure. After all, his eyes could predict most movements of a certain speed. As such, he tracked the path of the rifle's sluggishly moving barrel and sidestepped the bullets hurtling towards him. The Church? That muzzle flash is one way to let us know you're pious.
"Shunshin no Jutsu" He murmured the incantation of the clan's reinforcement spell. Though typically used for movement, its effects could be leveraged for combat. Such was to be expected from the clan's specialty, Alchemy, the transmutation of matter as their Mystic Eyes could perceive on the subatomic level. But at a cost, decreased usage.
Reinforcement was an elementary task.
A blue sprawling network of circuitry inscribed itself onto his body. As usual, he faded into an imperceptible mist, leaping from foothold to foothold.
Ciel immediately traced his paths with her rifle. Looks like he does remember, Kurahara. Her arm gradually became more akin to a sentry gun than a human one as it hastened, verging on becoming a blur. But still, I'm curious as to what he can do. Oh, Kurahara. I'm becoming just like you.
At the same time, Shigure had leapt to the ceiling above Ciel. Her eyes shot up, meeting his. It'll only work for a few seconds on her. His tomoe whirlpooled while his crest glowed.
He thinks get away with illusions this sloppy? Well, I'll play along with it. Ciel didn't even bother to resist it, allowing herself to be put under. The illusion was a recreation of where they found themselves, the only difference being that Shigure lied face down after having been shot dead.
He swiftly uttered the following incantations.
"Wakeru (Divide)." A horizontal line drawn with the index finger.
"Gyōshuku (Condense)." A clenched fist.
A cool cloud rapidly enveloped Ciel, dragging her from the illusion. I'll be borrowing this one from you, Sasuke.
"Reiki (Excitation)." Spread fingers.
"Denka (Charge)." Click, a click of his fingers. The shroud lit up with chaotic arcs of electricity. The incantations were the fundamental techniques of the Uchiha brand of Alchemy. A skilled practicioner could reduce the incantations to a single phrase or bypass them entirely.
He leapt from the staircase and back over to Asuga and Arcueid who were below.
Click, click, click... Each click reigniting the thundercloud's frenzy. He waved his arms about in the manner of a conductor as he snapped his fingers, instructing his fatal orchestra. It's a weaker version, but still potent.
Asuga was slightly discomforted by his brutal display. Well, it is a slightly less crude application of Magecraft.
Ciel's writhing body which still clutched her rifle could be seen in the dense thundercloud which further dispersed with each strike. Her shrill screams were drowned out by the Crack of each arc.
Asuga who stood in the safety of her Bounded-Field, watched Shigure whilst the impact of the last incoming bullets created slight ripples on its surface. My observation wasn't wrong then. He has the same Thaumaturgical Attribute. She approached the field's boundary, placing a palm onto it whilst mana crackled around her hand.
"Gandr" A soundless whisper.
An innocuous hazy black orb lazily phased through the field, stopping just outside of it before,
A recoil of wind, a gale struck Asuga. Woosh. It dispersed the cloud.
A hole carved into Ciel's flank, an opening revealing her now incomplete set of ribs. Not even a trace of blood, it hungrily consumed that too.
The sight left a bitter taste in Asuga's mouth and affixed a jaded look to her face.
She kept that one under wraps, didn't she? No matter, we should be out of the woods. He watched Ciel stumble from side to side.
Ciel dropped to the ground, slumped over and face down. "W-Wh"
She couldn't speak on account of a missing lung.
What a bother these Uchiha are, and that girl. I didn't expect a death blow from either of them. A few moments elapsed, smoke drifted from her charred body. Eventually, her body began to twitch, being tugged into an upright position like a marionette. She staggered back onto her feet, her rifle scraping the ground as she did.
She shrugged that off? I shouldn't even be surprised anymore, this is tame compared to Arcueid's display. His mind flashed back to the sight of her dismembered corpse.
"That body of yours is nothing close to human." Arcueid's fangs glistened. "The Church must be desperate for Executors, eh, Quinze?" All the while, she grasped Shiki's neck and pinned him against the wall.
Thwip.
Arcueid casually received a bullet between her fingers and observed it.
"I didn't think you'd protect your head, I'd assumed there isn't anything in there." Flesh was no longer absent from her flank, it had, by some means, 'regenerated'. Half of her bare stomach was visible. "Unhand, Shiki. Arcueid."
"Oh? You want me to unhand this one, this wicked wretch who killed me in cold blood? Well, tried to." Clap. She 'playfully' slapped Shiki across the face. "I don't think I can do that, Ciel." She grinned. "Are you having human urges?"
Shiki avoided her gaze, staring firmly at his feet.
A battle with her would destroy this entire school and endanger the students. "Hmph." A dry laugh. "What happened to your pride, Arcueid? I thought you didn't kill humans."
"There are exceptions." She scratched one of her fangs with a sharpened nail. "Like the thing I'm holding in my hand right now and the thing speaking to me." Arcueid's formerly scarlet eyes sparkled with the hue and splendour of a setting sun just above the horizon's precipice.
The atmosphere became tense as the air thickened. Arcueid's presence became almost mystical, commanding all things to pay reverence to her. It seemed as if even the air rerouted to avoid infringing on her authority.
"Don't bother trying to use those things on me, Vampire." Her gaze drifted over to Shigure and Asuga. "You're assisting this Vampire?"
Probably not best to admit it, but that doesn't change anything. "You shot at us, we defended ourselves."
Asuga's expression gave nothing away. Are we even on the right side here? He's obligated, but I'm not. "And I'm just tagging along with him." The Church would have me killed regardless of my dissent.
"You were here by coincidence? Two Magi and a Vampire." She tapped her head with a finger. "You must think me a fool."
"It doesn't make any difference. You'd try to kill us anyways." He tucked a hand into his pocket, irreverently gesturing with the other. "It'd be more beneficial to side with, Arcueid. She's reliable after all." Go on, Arcueid, take the bait.
"I knew you'd come around, Shigure." Her voice didn't conceal how pleased she was to hear praise from him. "You're always so stiff, but I know you really care about me." Her hands were behind her back, meaning... She had released Shiki, their bargaining chip who wasn't exactly so useful as one.
Crash. Shiki's body hit the ground. Clatter. His switchblade was freed from his grip, sliding towards Asuga's feet and catching her attention.
Shiki clutched at his throat as he quivered. This woman, she really almost killed me just now. He looked up at the gathering of individuals. There was Arcueid, who, in the midst of this situation was more concerned with Shigure's lack of affection, Shigure, who was stone-faced as usual, and Asuga, who had a tense look on her face as indicated by the crease between her brows. Then there was Ciel on the staircase.
Shigure, Asuga, Ciel-Senpai? I must be losing my grip on reality. He looked to the smoking bullet holes marking the ground.
"U-Um, I didn't mean t-" Shiki stammered uncontrollably.
Arcueid's ears perked up. This one dares to mock me?
Shigure kicked Shiki square in the stomach, putting a period into the middle of his sentence. Don't make things worse for yourself. Shiki's body folded around his leg then flew toward the staircase by Ciel's feet.
Asuga exited her bounded-field. I see he cares in his own way, the kid was about to talk himself into a grave. Talk about adding insult to injury. Asuga stepped forward, kneeling to retrieve Shiki's dropped switchblade. A souvenir, I guess. If it could hurt her, it must be a conceptual weapon, I'll study it later.
She mumbled under her breath. "Nanatsu-Yoru" The text inscribed on the switchblade's handle.
Asuga tucked it into her blazer whilst Arcueid was distracted by Shigure.
"Shigure, what are you doing?" A mere glance from her had enough potency to invoke her authority. "You aren't thinking of going against me, are you?" A casual memento mori.
He gulped. I really act as though she couldn't kill me at any time.
"No, I'm thinking of you of course." Only slightly. "I'd rather not see you get hurt, or have the school destroyed." I don't want to transfer. And now I need protection from Ciel. He struggled to evaluate Shiki's threat to himself. I can't believe it, but him too.
'Thinking of himself.' Is what he meant to say. Arcueid shook her head out of incredulity.
Horseshit. Asuga coughed. "And the students, right?"
"Oh, yeah. Them too."
Ho? He wants to turn this into some game? So be it, as long as Shiki is unharmed. Ciel fired a shot into the air, silencing them. "I wasn't expecting cooperation from a hare-brained Vampire such as yourself."
Ciel collected Shiki in the way one would pick up an item of luggage, carrying his limp body by her hip with one arm. She backed away with her rifle trained on the trio. "We'll be seeing each other often, let those times be the last time you breathe." Ciel vanished.
"Arcueid, how about studying full time?" I need my trump card with me at all times now. "I was wrong before, the uniform suits you." He turned away as he spoke.
"You're shameless, Shigure." A finger on her shimmering glossed lips. "Do you think I'm that easy? I'm a princess you know." One could not refute that her feline features were alluringly striking.
"You just want a bodyguard, don't you?"
"You said it, not me. But I wouldn't be opposed to the idea, Arcueid." A princess?
The murmur of chatter approached, as did footsteps. It appeared that registration after assembly at the fire-point had been done. No, it was merely a pair of firemen roaming the building who stumbled upon the scene. Shigure attempted to cast an illusion. However, his Mystic Eyes flickered as their rotation grinded to a halt.
Overuse? He grasped his face. His head throbbed in time with his heartbeat. Drip. Tears of blood staining the ground and the smell of iron crowding his nose.
Didn't I use them for a year? Right, I wasn't casting illusions or using Alchemy, and the contacts reduced the amount of light reaching them, making them less active.
"Looks like you're tapped out, Shigure." Arcueid grabbed his shoulder then pulled him away. "Begone." Her voice rang. The firemen mindlessly swivelled on their heels and moved in the opposite direction.
It took a few moments for the sound of her voice to dissipate.
"Asuga, get rid of the bullet holes."
Say please next time, dickhead. "Reparatur" Her hand hovered above the ground, it looked like she had rewound time. The holes bored in the ground were gradually sewn shut.
"I'm sure you could've killed him instantly, why didn't you?" Either Arcueid is weak, or Shiki is 'strong'.
"Regeneration isn't free, Shigure. Nothing is. You should understand that, you're an alchemist after all." A rather cryptic response from the otherwise candid Arcueid.
She's weakened.
Students began to pour back into the school, returning to their classes.
"I don't think anyone has asked the big question. Which is, why are the Church in this school?" Asuga stood with folded arms. That vampire behind the killings is clearly a single thread in this ball of yarn. "Was she here for Shiki?"
"I can only assume so." But I won't chalk it up to bad luck.
"Ah, second period." Shigure casually sauntered off. Arcueid followed. "Why're you following me?"
"Well, you need someone to protect you."
"You're the one who needs protection right now."
Asuga watched the two walk off. I must be seeing things, I almost thought I saw him enjoying someone else's company.
The day faded away. Shiki was reported as being absent, whereas Ciel's absence didn't seem to pose any issue.
After school, Shigure found himself in a steamy bathroom.
He looked in the mirror and saw himself, his curls were slick with liquid and clinging to his face which had fatigue written on it.
It was that sensation again. An unabating sensation of emptiness, a parasitic creature leeching away what little pleasure he had in this life.
Why am I miserable in my own company? Surely, it's an identifiable fault within myself. He grimaced at the idea of seeking out others.
Why would I look for the answer in others? Others inspire change, but do not bring it about.
His travels with Arcueid became no more than a device to sate his need for stimulation. No matter how much he denied it, he craved it.
Asuga, I'm glad you put up with me. And Arcueid, that crazy woman, I suppose I am better for having met her. Or worse.
Water trickled across his cheek, cumulating on the sheer surface of his chin.
I regained my memories, yet I've not been myself. Would I even know?
He pressed his palm to the mirror, stamping it with his handprint as if affirming his identity. An affirmation to none but himself.
I didn't even care about the clan being destroyed. An empty laugh. It was just another event to me.
He put together a smile. Not one of content, nor amusement. He was attempting to craft an expression of happiness.
Just a bit higher on the left…
Maybe I should squint…
His mind wandered back in time. His first kill, under the clan's tutelage.
I even remember the smell. They smelled sweet, pleasant, innocent. A flower. Those things do nothing but die ignoble deaths.
Snip. The stem is cut, because it is a whim.
I wonder what they were looking forward to.
The next sunrise probably.
He ran a hand through his hair. I am a Uchiha. Through and through. His already strained Mystic Eyes involuntarily activated, brushing bloody streak across his face. The frustration on his face came to him more naturally than a smile.
Even now I can't muster any reproach for my actions. Do I even care?
As Shigure stewed, Asuga busied herself with the task of studying the Nanatsu-Yoru in the Einzbern's Magical Workshop. The Magical Workshop was a basement deep underground which had been modified for the purpose of Magecraft study. It was a small, circular room with stone flooring.
Asuga was sat at a wooden desk near the furthest wall opposite the door.
Fuck off. She had inspected the blade, searching for any notable qualities, finding none. You're telling me this is just a regular switchblade?
"Sella, dispose of this." She hung the switchblade over her shoulder, waiting for it to be taken. It would've been useful if that woman ever steps out of line. But it's not like we'd be able to do much.
She leant on her palm. Now there's the issue of that Vampire on the loose. As Magi perceived their ways as superior to that of mundane humans, most modern technology was absent from the mansion. Her eyes raked over the newspaper on the desk. 'Vampire Killings' Of course.
A red-eyed woman in maid's clothing eventually shuffled forward. "Yes, Master Asuga." Sella, a homunculus manufactured by the Einzberns. Beside her stood Leysritt, another of the Einzbern's works. A pair of porcelain dolls at her service to dote on her every whim.
Asuga's ear twitched. "Touji, I can sense your presence. Just come out" She didn't look up from the newspaper and crossed her legs.
Her instincts are better than usual. Touji exited the shadows with open arms. She isn't particularly devoted to her training, what has she been up to? "Leysritt, Sella, you're no longer needed here." A tone against which argument was nigh impossible. They moved to leave the room. "Stop, Sella." He raised a hand.
"That switchblade, hand it to me." He reached out expectantly.
"Master Asuga instructed me to dispose of it."
"Hand it to me, or I will take it from you." Sella complied lest she become a victim of Touji's brand of punishment.
"It seems that one is broken." He glanced at Sella. "No matter, we can make another one." Touji had uttered that sentence so matter-of-factly that Asuga's body reflexively stiffened. And while her back was turned, Touji eyed a blonde lock of hair caught in the switchblade's handle. Sloppy, Asuga. Too sloppy. He plucked it.
Goading Asuga appeared to be his preferred pastime.
He closed in on her. Asuga, sensing his proximity, tried to turn the newspaper's page. Too late. He brought the switchblade down on the newspaper before she could flick the page. Thunk. A knife shallowly embedded in the wooden desk. "Ah, this is why you're my 'little' sister, always so predictable."
Asuga pinched the blade. "Metallurgie: Rekonfiguration" The blade's metal was reshaped into a cartoonish looking heart. "Love you too, Touji."
"Also, it's ironic you'd spit out a hackneyed line like that." Derision with an undertone of nervousness. "Well, you saw it, Touji. What do you think?" She finally turned to him, his sinister image being reflected in her eyes.
"Metallurgie: Rekonfiguration" A miniature metal heart which looked as though it were taken from an anatomical model. "I fixed it." He then traced his finger along the article she was reading. Vampire Killings? Ah, the thing causing a nuisance around the city.
Now if only I could fix his. Her disdain for Touji was shallow, but she knew to be wary of him. She placed a hand to his chest. "Metallurgie: Rekonfiguration" Nothing happened. "It was worth a try."
An empty chuckle filled the air. It wasn't a pleasant sight. Touji's features were more animalistic than human. Incisors so lengthy and sharp they could be considered sabres. A lion in her midst. Although, he was more fearsome than something solely primal.
He shrugged her hand off. "Don't have too much fun without me." He turned away, rolling the lock of hair between his fingers. Now who has she been fraternising with? As he walked away, his phone rang. He picked it up. "Aw man," An irregular mode of speech.
This guy really is a Chameleon. Asuga turned back to her newspaper. "Sella, ignore him."
Touji seemed to have an incurable taste for the nightlife. As such, he'd frequent a nightclub. One known to facilitate gambling alongside money laundering. A hub for the city's hedonistic youth and criminals, namely, Yakuza. One Yakuza family of note being the Ryougi.
"I'll meet you at the Ganjuro." Click. His phone snapped shut.
Touji exited the workshop.
He arrived outside the nightclub, bypassing the lengthy queue spilling out onto the road and gave a nod to the burly doorman who reciprocated. Upon entering he took a few steps before the thump of electronic music blaring through speakers rattled his chest. A spectrum of spotlights emitted a spectrum of colours in time with the beat of the music.
The floor was densely packed with gyrating bodies.
Hrm? A figure caught his eye. A girl dressed in a kimono.
The girl synchronised her movements with the gaps of darkness between each flash, never appearing in the same place each time. Left, right, a slight shuffle either way, she continued this until she was upon him. Her features masculine. Eyes, glazed over with ink. Movements with a distinctly feminine quality.
Close up one could see the intricate floral pattern running across her kimono and appreciate the absurd size of her obi sash.
"Welcome Patron." She bowed. "Shiki Ryougi." This was not a hostess club mind you. It was simply the courtesy of the Ryougi family to greet their patrons. Her courtesy was disconnected from her disinterested expression.
That old man has me doing door service, and for what? Why can't Kaname do it? Her posture straightened. She looked through him.
"Thanks, but I'll be fine." Touji's pride wouldn't allow him to be intimidated. "On second thought, how about a drink?"
Another chancer. "Not interested."
Touji reached out, a fatal error. With the slightest movement she grabbed his wrist, ducked down, and flipped him without hesitation. Oh? I thought she had the makings of a predator. He manoeuvred, landing on his feet.
"My mistake, Shiki." I want her. No, I must have her. Contrary to his exterior, he was a man of desire. And also, one of control, an incompatible pairing not befitting of a Magus.
"It's Ryougi to you." She let go of his wrist, letting him fall to the ground before she moved off into the crowd. He lied there, surrounded by the feet of club goers.
"Hey, Touji! What're you doing on the ground?" A collection of voices, his 'friends'. To him, they were faceless beings who could satisfy his needs.
His demeanour shifted. "I must've fallen asleep waiting for the party to get started." He stood up.
One commented. "The sentence ended at 'I must've fallen.'" Raucous laughter from his party of 'friends'.
Ryougi sat at the circular bar stationed in the middle of the club, stalking her prey. It was also her duty to keep an eye on any potential disturbances, and Touji was one of them. However, she wasn't the most dutiful member of the Ryougi's.
"Oi, get out of here, Ryougi." The barman shooed her away. Whilst back there she had been stealing drinks from the bar shelf. "Tch, It's not stealing if my family own it."
"We have to sell it to paying customers!" The barman's voice was a distant voice as she had already moved away.
Ah, screw this. She moved to the exit. They'll call me if anything happens.
The was night her favoured time of day. For at night, she was in her element.