Epilogue"...Is this reasonable? I"m so tired I collapsed, but I"m still forced to stay behind and clean up the sports festival venue, is this reasonable?"
"Cut the c.r.a.p and work fast. Seriously, why do I even have to..."
Rangetsu grumbled while carrying the tent"s frame to the storeroom.
The sports festival ended on a successful note. Now all that remained was clean up work to put away the tents, chairs, sound equipment etc.
The student council members had cleared up a portion and left the remainder for Vice-President Kirika to handle.
The Supernatural Investigations Club plus Rangetsu were helping out Kirika, doing the clean up.
Undoubtedly, Touko was simply cheering for them, moving her mouth but not her hands.
Because sunset was fast approaching, as a ghost, Touko was getting rambunctious.
"So, Touko-san, I"ve got a very simple question. Where were you during the sports festival? Were you wandering in school all this time!?"
"Of course not. I spectated every event properly... Ah."
"How stupid of me to even think of relying on you."
"Because I want to enjoy the springtime of youth... During the relay race, I was running alongside you guys, didn"t you notice!?"
"Scary! If the parents took photos, they"d surely end up with ghost photos!!"
"Don"t worry, I"m very photogenic! Although it ends up a bit blurry, only a part of my body shows up in the photo..."
"Hmm, please choose one of the following: find an exorcist or join one of those paranormal shows on television. I beg you, please please keep a low profile in events like these."
Hisui shooed the wandering spirit away with displeasure, immersing himself in his work.
It was almost sundown when the clean up was done and the Supernatural Investigations Club plus Rangetsu could finally leave.
"Man~ I"m dead tired. My only salvation is that tomorrow is swapped with today to give a holiday..."
"Yes, it"s time for proper relaxing!"
"He can"t relax with you around, right? Say, Hi-kun, would you like to take this opportunity to live with me!?"
"I should advise you to give up, Sudou-san. If he were to peek when you are changing, do not say I did not warn you, okay?"
"Hold on a second, I cannot ignore this... What is going on, what happened when Kujou-kun was staying in Kariya-san"s home?"
"Jeez, it"s just changing clothes. He saw me already, you know?"
Rangetsu interjected seductively.
But the faction of four girls coldly shook their heads.
" " " "No one cares about you." " " "
"What kind of treatment is this!? What value are you placing on my naked body!?"
"To be honest, I find Kariya more of a sight."
"What did you say?"
"Nothing."
Feeling Eruru"s tone of voice sound as cold as knife"s blade, Hisui quickened his steps out of the school gates.
Just as everyone left school, about to return to their respective homes...
She came.
Darkness followed her, the canopy of the night descending at her command.
Everyone felt an unusual aura.
Small animals, birds, insects... All creatures" presences vanished.
Clad in a cape, the tall lady walked on the street. As though fearing the arrival of a monarch, as though opening a path for her, all creatures fled from her.
"It"s you...!"
Rush.e.l.la drew a dagger.
She had not told Hisui"s group about the earlier encounter yet.
But even if she had not mentioned it, everyone noticed the unusual change in the surroundings.
Mei, Eruru, Kirika, Rangetsu, they all entered combat stances.
Only one person, Hisui, stayed rooted to the ground in shock.
Hisui recognized that peerless, beautiful face, standing out clearly against the color of the night.
No photo.
No video.
Drawings could not recreate her beauty.
Mirrors could not reflect her appearance.
Only memory could record her peerless visage.
"h.e.l.lo again."
She smiled faintly.
Like a tender mother.
Like a mischievous older sister.
Like a seductive lover.
As though gliding, she approached Hisui.
Until her graceful and slender hand brushed against Hisui"s cheek, no one made any reaction.
Because her action was too natural and due to the look on Hisui"s face, almost about to burst into tears.
"Don"t touch him!"
Only Rush.e.l.la sprang into action.
Holding her dagger in a reverse grip, she stabbed towards the woman"s arm!
But the woman remained unconcerned, standing there unfazed.
The laser from Mei"s eyes was effortlessly neutralized by the wave of her hand.
Kirika"s curse was completely ineffective against her.
Eruru"s bullet was blocked harmlessly by her hand.
Rangetsu charged, but collapsed on the ground after a light shove from her.
"Miraluka...!?"
Finally, Hisui called out her name.
The name of the person he once loved, the one who had raised him.
The name of the person who had originally died.
"Why are you...!?"
"How lively your surroundings have become. Oh well, is this what is known as growth? How lonely it feels for me, yet delightful too... But contemptible."
These words were said by her as his mother, his sister and lover at the same time--Covering all "female" ident.i.ties.
Her crimson eyes were especially filled with hostility towards Rush.e.l.la.
"Imposter and failure. You have no right to suck my Hisui"s blood. Make yourself scarce now."
"...What are you talking about? You"re the imposter... Miraluka is already...!"
"Do you really believe that? My immmortality... as well as the impossibility of my leaving you, casting you to the winds. Shouldn"t you know this best?"
Hisui fell silent.
She was right.
A vampire with eternal life and youth, a True Ancestor to boot.
Could not possibly have died.
But she definitely died.
For me.
"Since you are alive, why...!?"
"I am very confused too. One day, you and I must bid farewell to each other. That is the way things are between humans and vampires. However... Due to a pest"s infestation, I cannot stand aside."
Her crimson lips approached Hisui"s neck.
Stop--Everyone called out to stop her.
Rush.e.l.la reached out.
But Hisui himself was unmoved.
The crimson tongue extended from her lips and licked lightly.
Then it moved towards his lips.
A light kiss, parting quickly immediately.
"You must be exhausted today. Go home and rest properly. Let us leave the talking for next time... A good long talk."
"Wait up... Hey!"
Miraluka ignored Hisui and turned towards Rush.e.l.la.
"Today I finally understand completely. Sure enough, you are the imposter. Let alone a True Ancestor, you even have no right to call yourself blood kin."
"...What are you talking about!? I...!"
"You are n.o.body. No family, no friends, no servants either. This is only natural, because you are merely just a doll, born out of thin air."
"...!?"
"Were you a True Ancestor, in this kind of night, everyone present should be bowing down to you as subjects. Are you capable of that? You cannot. Furthermore, can you restrain your desire for blood? Although even one such as I cannot escape the destiny of blood, I am at least hundreds, thousands of times superior to you. A vampire that cannot restrain themselves is worse than an insect, let alone a human."
"b.i.t.c.h...!"
"Your desires will end up killing Hisui. It"s about time you realized that."
These were the last of her words.
With a flutter of her cape, Miraluka turned and departed. No one chased after her.
Originally expected to chase after her for sure, even Hisui sat collapsed on the ground, drained of strength.
"What the f.u.c.k... What the f.u.c.k is this!?"
No one could answer.
No one knew how this came about.
The group dallied for a while before leaving.
Finally back home, Hisui was still showing shock in his face.
He did not get changed but simply lay down on the living room couch, staring blankly at the ceiling. Then Rush.e.l.la got on top of him.
"You"re so heavy."
"So noisy, shut up! Stop thinking about that woman! So outrageous, kissing directly..."
"She is a kissing demon. She already took my first and second kisses along time ago. Sigh, I really don"t get it... I"m not going to think anymore, going to bed now, move aside please."
"No."
Rush.e.l.la had already changed into her usual shirt and kept Hisui pinned down firmly.
In order not to let him escape, she pressed her voluptuous bosom against him.
"Hey, move that aside."
"No~!"
Thumping her arms and legs, she rubbed her face against Hisui"s chest.
Indeed, she really did lack a True Ancestor"s dignified airs for sure.
"...Why do you regress into a child as soon as you stick to me?"
"...I don"t know, so you"re believing that woman...?"
Rush.e.l.la"s eyes were glimmering with tears already.
Hisui smiled wryly and extended his hand, placing it on the top of Rush.e.l.la"s head.
"I already said, my mind is a super mess. Even if that really is her and she"s still alive, what I want to express first is anger to demand that she explain things clearly. Also... Although she insulted you thoroughly, you really aren"t that strong as a True Ancestor, plus you"re a bit lacking in stateliness, you know?"
Rush.e.l.la did not speak, simply hammering Hisui haphazardly.
Indeed, she was showing signs of regressing into a child.
A voluptuous body, lost memories, childlike innocence.
"My bad, okay, stop it. I have no intention of kicking you out either."
"..."
"Worst case scenario, I"ll just have to leave this place and live alone. Anyway... I"ll talk with her, talk about all sorts of things. So... What? Hey! Rush.e.l.la-san?"
Before he knew it, Rush.e.l.la was already asleep.
Her sleeping face looked relaxed and peaceful, her ma.s.sive bust weighing on Hisui"s body, heaving up and down with her breathing.
"Ending with this move huh?"
Hisui also gave up on grappling with the issues in his mind and chose to sleep.
After all, the next day was a holiday and he was going to be woken up by her fangs again... Oh well, that could not be helped either.
After all... This could no longer be separated from his daily live.
Because this kind of everyday life had become matter-of-fact.
Dawn came the next day and Rush.e.l.la woke up first as usual.
But she did not suck his blood.
She simply brought herself close to Hisui"s face.
"Such a sloppy sleeping face again."
Rush.e.l.la rubbed their faces together but Hisui did not wake up.
"I know without needing that woman to tell me."
With eyes filled with determination, she murmured faintly.
Indeed, compared to that kind of woman.
Compared to the kind of woman who simply lived with Hisui in the past.
She understood Hisui better.
Worrying about Hisui"s safety.
Yesterday, Hisui had almost lost his life again due to her.
That happened last time and the time before that as well.
It will probably happen again in the future.
Staying by his side, sucking his blood, fighting those who plotted to harm her.
Hence--
This morning today, a vampire"s kiss was not needed.
Instead, she bestowed a true kiss upon him.
Rush.e.l.la gently pressed her lips onto Hisui"s lips.
Perhaps this was the first and last time, a true kiss.
Hisui remained asleep.
Separating their lips, Rush.e.l.la smiled at his sleeping face and said:
"I had a happy time."
This was her farewell.
Tears were seeping into her smiling eyes, but no one knew.
Rush.e.l.la slowly got up and left without returning.
"...Eh, Rush.e.l.la?"
When Hisui opened his eyes, Rush.e.l.la was not present.
Although he found it strange for the sun was already up high, Hisui still made lunch out of habit.
He finally understood.
Rush.e.l.la"s presence had disappeared completely.
Checking her room, he found the coffin gone.
Hisui called Mei and Eruru... No one knew Rush.e.l.la"s whereabouts.
As the cliched saying went, people only cherish things after they"ve lost them.
On that autumn morning, Kujou Hisui"s high school life was liberated from a crimson fate.