Chapter 4 - Crimson ReunionOn Sat.u.r.day, Hisui was taking a walk aimlessly.
With nowhere he wanted to go and nothing he wanted to do, he was simply going out to kill time.
Back when Rush.e.l.la was around, he was constantly being ha.s.sled by her to do this and that, never obtaining a moment"s peace and quiet.
Despite being only sixteen years of age, he seemed to have already experienced how it would feel to be a father who still had to labor for his family on holidays in addition to working day and night.
Ever since Rush.e.l.la went missing, Hisui spent time every Sat.u.r.day to look for her.
Visiting places where she might be staying, with Mei or Eruru accompanying him on occasion.
After all, Rush.e.l.la had a peerlessly beautiful face and an outstanding figure. Hisui also tried to collect information on the internet about otherwordly beauties.
Then what about now?
To be honest, he did not know what else he could do. Walking in the streets, he was unable to improve his mood.
Rush.e.l.la still could not be found.
Even if he found her, what then?
Ask her to come back?
Since she had most likely left on her own will, such words were not going to work.
It was possible that she left because she regained her memories.
Perhaps she had simply gone back to how a vampire should act.
"...Maybe she"s already forgotten me, sucking other people"s blood like a normal vampire, living in a castle somewhere."
Hisui could not help but let these words leak from his mouth. The way he kept pining for her was truly disgusting.
The sun had long set and the surroundings were all dark.
He had already eaten dinner. If he stayed outside any longer, he would most likely get dragged off to remedial counseling.
Staring into the starry sky, Hisui sighed and turned back home.
No lights were on at home and it looked like Miraluka still had not returned.
Ever since that altercation with Eruru, she had not returned home at all.
Hisui tactfully asked Eruru but she did not know either.
Eruru had expressed that "I shall let you know if she did anything that requires punishment." This joke was totally not funny and Hisui did not know whether he ought to believe her or not.
Furthermore, Hisui had texted her in a casual chatting tone of voice.
In the past, Eruru would always reply in her plain style devoid of emoticons or textual expressions.
However, she did not respond this time.
Hisui was at a loss right now, so he tried to text Mei and Kirika too. But the result was the same: these two girls normally replied for sure, but ignored him today.
"Am I being ostracized by them? What are those three girls doing?"
Finding his few friendships had grown distant as well, Hisui sighed and made his way to the bathroom.
Filling the tub with hot water felt too much of a pain, so he decided to just take a shower.
I"ll take a hot shower to clear up my mind.
Sitting on a stool in the bathroom, he started with washing his hair.
Just as he was about to turn the tap, a familiar voice greeted him.
"Hey there, welcome home."
--What?
Hisui turned around, only to see the bathtub filled with hot water and a pale nude body soaking inside.
Or rather, it was Miraluka enjoying a bath.
"Ehhhhhhhhhhhhh!?"
"Stop screeching, it"s noisy."
Frowning with displeasure, Miraluka scooped a handful of hot water and splashed Hisui"s face.
Eating a handful of hot water in the face, Hisui"s mental circuits finally went back on track.
"Eh... W-Why are you here!?"
"What"s wrong with taking a bath in my own home?"
"I"m asking why are you home!?"
"You didn"t notice my shoes at the entrance? I did take off my shoes when entering the house, you know."
"Uh, but no lights were on at home and the bathroom was all dark too..."
Hisui only realized after saying these words.
The woman before his eyes was--
"Do know that I am a vampire. Although that"s not to say that night vision is superior, lighting is nothing more than an indulgence rather than a necessity. I wanted to think over things, so I switched off the bathroom lights. My thoughts are keener in the dark, you already knew this a long time ago, don"t you?"
"...Yeah."
Finally undertanding the situation, Hisui calmed down as well.
He had already grabbed a wash basin to cover up his lower body securely.
"Umm, how should I put this? It"s not good to disturb a lady in her bath, I"ll be taking my leave now..."
"Why are you speaking as if you were a matchmaker excusing himself from the table? Don"t be shy, it"s a good opportunity for me to give you a good back scrubbing every now and then."
Saying that, Miraluka stood up.
Her naked body was completely open to view.
Before Hisui had a chance to avert his gaze, Miraluka"s body had already arrived before his eyes.
Her snow-white skin, pristine and clear, was pure white and dazzling without any reddening despite having soaked in hot water for so long.
Her beautiful skin did not have the slightest freckle or mole and was like flawless white jade. Only the palm of her hand still had the unhealed wound from Eruru"s silver bullet.
The wound seemed to have recovered mostly since that night, but the skin surface was still a little heartwrenching to behold.
Nevertheless, this bit of injury could not hide the perfect beauty of her naked body, breathtaking as it was.
Because apart from her hand, the rest of her body was too beautiful, so beautiful that it made one overlook the minor flaws.
As she stepped out of the tub, her ma.s.sive bosom also shook up and down.
The watery fruits maintained their perfect shape no matter what angle one admired them from. Exiting the bath, they looked even more tender and fresh than usual.
Dew was dripping down from those slightly protruding and adorable flower buds, flowing past her lower abdomen, disappearing in the bush--finally flowing to her feet.
Even the natural phenomenon of water droplets dripping from the action of gravity turned into seductive beauty before his eyes.
The femininity she embodied was something possessed by none of the girls Hisui had gotten to know so far.
Ever since meeting Rush.e.l.la, he had witness the naked female body many times in unavoidable situations. But this time, it was definitely the woman"s fault without a doubt.
Actually, there was no need for him to feel embarra.s.sed.
Since early childhood, this body that remained unchanged over the long years had appeared before his eyes who knew how many times.
Narrow waist, long legs, slightly wet black hair--Everything was the same as back then.
By the time he regained his senses, Miraluka had already circled around to Hisui"s back.
"Hey, hold on!"
"What"s the matter? Don"t move. There has never been a man in history who could make me scrub his back."
"But men who agreed to kneel down and lick your feet are as numerous as the stars in the sky."
"Want me to tell you the details?"
"No thanks, I don"t want the world in my mind to get overturned."
Hisui gave up on resistance and ceded control of his back over to Miraluka.
Miraluka used the bath sponge to squeeze out soap suds then scrubbed Hisui"s back in an experienced manner.
Well... It was quite comfortable after all.
There was also a kind of... nostalgic feeling.
Back when he was too young to wash his hair on his own, the two of them would enter the bath together like this.
Perhaps... This was not bad once in a while.
But no more than back scrubbing.
"...Eh?"
Then he felt a soft and seductive feeling on his back.
Not only did it carry Rush.e.l.la and Mei"s level of elasticity, it was even superior in terms of volume.
Precisely because of that, the tactile sensation was making him enter ecstasy.
Furthermore, the remaining soap made the twin peaks on Hisui"s back even more lubricated.
"M-Miraluka-san, what are you doing?"
"What? I am washing your body for you. I"m totally fine if you want to turn around too, okay?"
"No no... No way!"
"Then that"s all I can do. Or how about using my b.r.e.a.s.t.s? I"ve never tried it but I"ve heard that men like to do it that way."
Saying that, Miraluka lifted her b.r.e.a.s.t.s up from below, deliberately emphasizing their volume.
Pushing those protruding flower buds against Hisui"s back, she urged him to answer.
For only an instant, Hisui almost wanted to ask her to do it. But by sheer force of will, he just barely managed to keep his mouth shut.
Be calm.
I"ve encountered this kind of thing before.
Apart from Mei"s a.s.sault in the bathroom, he had experienced numerous similar crises.
He had survived many trials and tribulations.
In front of his eyes was nothing more than the type of body possessed by those girls, but the person in front of him was not those girls.
Indeed, this body belonged to his family. Thinking that would be fine.
Hence, he would not get into thoughts of desire.
He had no mother or sisters to begin with.
He just happened to have this one and only person as family.
Replaying the bodies of the beautiful maidens in his mind, Hisui frantically chanted a mantra to steady his thoughts.
"This is a family member"s body... This is a family member"s body... This is a family member"s body..."
"What on earth are you muttering about? Oh well, whatever, if you don"t like b.r.e.a.s.t.s, then I"ll wash you the normal way."
Ignoring Hisui who was in total panic, Miraluka carefully scrubbed his back.
She was performing the task seriously but her b.r.e.a.s.t.s would still touch him frequently, touching him again and again all the time.
But if he ran away, she would surely beat him half dead, so he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
"Your body is still so delicate. You need to grow up stronger."
"Shut up, I consider it a defeat if I ever become bulked up in muscle."
"What are you talking about?"
Miraluka continued the conversation but her hand slid from his flank to his thigh then between his legs--
"...Stop. I"ll do this place myself."
"Don"t be shy, it"s already a familiar sight to me ever since you were this small."
"Shut the f.u.c.k up and stop using your finger to gesture the size. No thank you, think about it, you wouldn"t want it either if our roles were reversed, would you!?"
"I wouldn"t. Oh right, it"s not quite right if it"s only me servicing you. I"ve already washed you clean today, so next time it"s your turn to..."
"I"ll say this first, absolutely no way!"
Hisui desperately used a towel to guard his sacred territory and a.s.serted.
Unlike him, she would surely sit face to face generously to allow him to scrub her without feeling such embarra.s.sment.
What kind of bathroom play was this?
"You always say no to everything. What now, you"re not satisfied with me washing you? If you don"t like the sponge, then I"ll use my hands to wash you? Or how about the b.r.e.a.s.t.s... Like this."
Saying that, Miraluka squeezed her bountiful b.r.e.a.s.t.s, groping them up and down before Hisui"s eyes.
To think she even clamped the body wash bottle in her cleavage, what a detailed performance.
"Hmm, something terrible will happen if you keep doing this, so please give me a break!"
Hisui began to wail so Miraluka had no choice but to stop invading his sacred territory.
This was an unprecedented crisis that the sacred territory had never met since its founding. Just as Hisui breathed a sigh of relief for surviving the crisis, he suddenly felt his earlobe bitten by a pair of lips.
"Then I"ll do this."
Miraluka inserted her tongue directly into his ear ca.n.a.l, toying with him as she pleased.
Hisui felt intense sensations run through his entire body as though his spine was getting electrocuted.
Without giving him any chance to rest, Miraluka swept her slender fingers across his chest and violated his nipples.
Rub rub--
"Hyauh!"
Hisui screamed in high pitch like a girl, leaning his body forward.
The unknown sense of pleasure made his entire body twich as Miraluka looked down at him with delight. Scooping hot water from the tub with a wash basin, she poured water over Hisui and her body.
Washing the suds away, their bodies were finally done with bathing.
"Don"t underestimate me. Even without exposing my naked body, I can still make countless heroes submit just by moving this finger."
"T-Technician..."
Uttering his last words, Hisui collapsed forward on the floor.
The last scene he saw was that of Miraluka"s naked body.
Futhermore, because he was looking up from the floor, her entire lower body, including the garden at the root of her beautiful legs was also completely in view.
Perhaps dying like this was a kind of happiness.
"Then I"m going out. Enjoy a good soak here. Oh right, come to my room after you"re done."
Miraluka waved lightly then casually left the bathroom.
It took Hisui quite a long time before he was able to stand up again.
"...Then why do I have to use the hair dryer to blow dry your hair?"
"No helping it, my hair is long. This goes the same for humans and vampires regardless. I"ve been waiting for you to finish your bath and even now, it"s still all wet."
Just as Miraluka asked, Hisui went to her room as soon as he got out of the bathroom.
Hisui had sort of guessed this result beforehand. As soon as he entered the room, Miraluka tossed the hair dryer at him, asking him to dry her hair.
Holding a comb in his right while using the hair dryer with his left, he combed and dried Miraluka"s hair like a professional hairstylist.
Thinking back, Hisui had started doing this job from a very young age.
Before he had learned to wash dishes and do laundry, Miraluka had already ordered him to hold the comb and the hair dryer to fix up her hair.
The two of them would always do it in Miraluka"s bedroom, on this extra large bed.
Perhaps normally speaking, sitting in front of the dressing table mirror would be more appropriate but unfortunately, mirrors did not show the reflections of vampires.
Hence, Miraluka always sat casually at the head of the bed, calling Hisui over to her.
"Your skills haven"t gone rusty. I"m so glad I taught you personally."
"Don"t say it so weird. Even while you were gone, my hands have never had an idle moment."
That"s right--Hisui had been thinking about this all along.
During summer, after the incident with Fergus and Touko, for some reason, Rush.e.l.la started demanding Hisui to dry her hair whenever she got out of the bath.
"Too much of a ha.s.sle." "Can"t be bothered." Hisui rejected her with a total lack of motivation, then Rush.e.l.la gave him a sound beating. In the end, it became his daily task.
"What kind of unfair world is this? Does an entire race of female vampires have something against me?"
"I don"t know about others and I have no interest to know either. But you must remember this: talking about other women in front of a woman is taboo no matter what race you"re dealing with."
Seeing Miraluka"s piercing stare, Hisui frantically shifted his gaze away.
He knew he was in the wrong.
This sort of thing had happened countless times with Rush.e.l.la too.
Whenever he mentioned Miraluka in front of Rush.e.l.la, she would lose her temper. So the reverse was the same--This was not hard to predict.
"...It"s done."
Having dried her hair, Hisui left Miraluka"s side.
Her l.u.s.trous and beautiful hair was shining radiantly, standing testament to Hisui"s accomplishments.
His skills were impeccable.
Hisui returned the comb and hair dryer to their original place and prepared to leave the room. At this moment, Miraluka grabbed his arm.
"Hey, service me on occasion. It"s not like you"ll get punished for ma.s.saging my shoulders and back."
"I already did a bit for you just now."
"Then I demand more. A full body ma.s.sage."
Miraluka laid herself flat on the bed, dragging Hisui"s arm without releasing him.
But Hisui did not agree.
"No, I"m not in the mood today."
"Then how about I give you one?"
Miraluka spoke mischievously, pulling Hisui"s arm.
It was a light motion no matter how you looked at it, but because it was a vampire--a True Ancestor--"s power at night, Hisui was pulled into the air like a feather before falling on the bed.
The two of them swapped positions with Hisui lying face up and Miraluka climbing over him.
"...Hey."
"What?"
Miraluka rested her chin on her hand with her elbow on Hisui"s chest as though asking "what"s the problem?"
Her adorable action was very s.e.xy.
Both of them were wearing their usual sleep wear.
Hisui was casually wearing a t-shirt and sweats while Miraluka was dressed in a negligee of black lace.
Due to the flimsy fabric, he could clearly see the outlines of her lingerie while her body warmth was within arm"s reach.
However, a vampire"s body temperature was much lower than a human"s.
Sometimes people might describe vampires as bone-chilling cold but Miraluka could be considered the relatively warmer type.
Their heart rates gradually sped up in rhythm, body heat flowing between each other, their heart beats gradually synchronized.
"...Get off."
"Why? Why have you been so gloomy ever since I came back? Tell me if anything"s bothering you."
"Nothing. If I had to say what"s bothering me, it"s the current situation. Also that c.r.a.p you pulled in the bathroom just now!"
"What"s there to be shy of between you and me?"
"I"m already... not a child."
Hisui turned his face away and reminisced.
Indeed, the two of them had frequently taken baths together in the past.
But once he reached the upper years of elementary school, Hisui started insisting on taking baths alone.
Miraluka did not care and would nonchalantly barge in while Hisui was taking baths. But once Hisui started middle school, she started showing more restraint.
Nevertheless, blatantly parading in the living room clad in nothing but a bath towel was everyday behavior for Miraluka. As a result, her so-called restraint probably amounted to little.
"I don"t understand, what is troubling you so much?"
"It"s only natural that an immortal vampire doesn"t understand a young man"s heart. Okay, hurry and get off me."
"You"re leaving me more and more confused. What"s troubling you? It"s perfectly natural for men to l.u.s.t after beauty. But given our relationship, do you still need to be shy? It"s the law of nature for your age to advance with time. Since you"ve reached this age, pursuing me is only inevitable."
"...I don"t get you. Come again?"
Without answering, Miraluka simply untied her negligee"s shoulder strap.
The fabric over her chest slid down, revealing the bountiful bosom clad in her bra.
The bra and the negligee were both black but extremly skimpy in fabric.
This salacious underwear only barely managed to cover her nipples, existing only to seduce men.
Miraluka was a woman who loved wearing revealing underwear to begin with, but Hisui had never seen her dressed in such a provocative manner.
"Uh..."
"I used to have my neckline open like this all the time to play the mother"s role."
"...Don"t bring up those annoying memories."
"Like I said, there"s nothing to be shy about. Or rather... I am precisely the one who deprived you of your mother."
"..."
Indeed.
The woman before his eyes, in intimate physical contact, was precisely the one who had murdered his parents.
While his parents were forcing him to commit suicide, she was the one who had rescued and raised him.
"My lifespan is limitless but I"ve never been a mother. Watching other people"s mothers so much, it seems like I"ve learnt how to do it. Seeing you cry for mother, I became your mother... Not good enough for you?"
"...Like anyone knows. I don"t have any good impressions of my birth mother anyway, even if I did, I don"t remember it. I"m not so deprived of human values to think things are better just because you killed my parents... Neither will I hate you indiscriminately for it."
"It"s the first time for me to hear you talk about this."
Miraluka smiled.
Indeed, Hisui was bringing this up to her for the first time.
He had never been able to speak about it.
Something so simple, he still could not bring himself to say it even till the day she died once.
"I"m no longer a kid who needs to stick to his mother all day... I don"t need a second mother. You"re just an elder sister at most, right...? Oh well, except much older."
"I see, you"re right. But you were able to live independently while I was gone, so you don"t even need an elder sister, right?"
"It"s not like that... I don"t want to depend on you all the time. I have the ability to live independently but I don"t have the financial means."
Hisui was indeed used to living alone.
No matter what feelings he had in his heart, even if this mother and sister was not by his side, he was still able to make ends meet and live on.
"Then you don"t need me?"
"No, that"s not what I mean..."
"True. If I can"t be family, there are still other uses for me."
Saying that, Miraluka picked up Hisui"s right hand and moved it towards her chest.
"Hey..."
"You think I didn"t notice? Ever since middle school, you deliberately avoided looking at me here. Why?"
"W-Well...!"
"Since I"m your mother or sister, you don"t have to be self-conscious even if you looked at me there. There"s no problem. On the other hand, I can"t."
Miraluka pressed her b.r.e.a.s.t.s against Hisui and reached out to hold his hand.
Then pulling Hisui"s hand, she unfastened her bra.
The fabric that almost failed to serve as underwear slid down, exposing the b.r.e.a.s.t.s to the air.
Like heavy fruit quivering on a branch, the soft flesh came spilling out with overwhelming volume.
Despite seeing them up close earlier, Hisui found that the white mammary flesh before his eyes was giving off a different kind of color.
The warmth coming from the b.r.e.a.s.t.s to his hand was no different from a human"s.
The fruit on the tips of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s was already ripe, its stiffness something that Hisui could feel concretely.
Miraluka released Hisui"s hand.
Right now, Hisui was touching her body using his own hand.
"Be my guest, do as you please."
"..."
"Over here as well."
Miraluka whispered in Hisui"s ear, pulling his unoccupied left hand towards her b.u.t.tocks.
Hisui"s five fingers sank into her beautiful flesh that resembled a plain of snow.
Near his finger tips was the knot for her panties--The fabric there was as skimpy as the bra"s.
Miraluka probably had made her mind up already when she called Hisui to her room.
"Miralu..."
Before he could call out, Hisui"s lips were sealed.
She was already guilty of being a kissing demon in the past so this was not her first time doing this.
Nevertheless, today"s kiss was differerent from all previous ones.
This kiss was unlike those meant to express amity, not coming from a mother or a sister, different from a kiss from family.
This was probably a kiss between a man and a woman.
Those lips, which should have drunk countless fresh blood, did not carry any of the stench of blood.
Instead, they were richly sweet.
This was a fragrance familiar to Hisui.
This fragrance had filled the entire room. Even the bed was giving off this seductive scent.
There was no longer any of Rush.e.l.la"s scent here.
That type soap fragrance, filled with luxury yet secretly containing a sense of modesty had already disappeared.
After the long kiss, Miraluka released their lips.
She allowed Hisui"s hands to stay pressed against her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and b.u.t.tocks, then reached out with both hands to cradle his head.
"What would you like to do? You may do anything you wish, okay?"
"..."
"Or perhaps... You"d like me to show off my seniority and guide you instead?"
Miraluka smiled gently and separated herself from Hisui for now.
Taking off her negligee, she began to slowly remove her panties in a teasing manner.
Miraluaka then pressed her weight on Hisui and quietly lifted his t-shirt"s hem.
Pushing her b.r.e.a.s.t.s tightly against Hisui"s skinny chest, their body temperatures merged together again.
Lips and lips approached again.
A blood-red tongue extended out from similarly colored lips.
This kiss was different from the previous one, richer, sweeter, a point of no return as soon as the kiss began.
Breathing into each other"s face, they touched their lips lightly together.
Miraluka closed her eyes.
But Hisui opened his eyes wide.
"Stop...!"
Hisui pushed Miraluka as she leaned over.
Of course, Hisui"s strength was completely powerless against a vampire at night.
But Miraluka silently got off the bed. Still completely naked, she asked expressionlessly:
"...Are you unsatisfied with me in any way?"
"..."
"In the end... Am I nothing more than family? Or I should know my place and be happy that a mere vampire was able to get this intimate with you?"
Still maintaining that expressionless look, her words were filled with bitterness.
A man capable of making her, a True Ancestor, speak in such a voice, could there exist another apart from him?
Under the heavy silence, Hisui spoke with resolve.
"Who on earth... are you?"
Miraluka frowned with displeasure.
This question had already been asked during their reunion.
And she had responded with a perfect answer.
This answer was not going to change even now.
"I am Miraluka, who else could I be? You should recognize my body too."
Miraluka spread her arms, displaying her nude body completely before Hisui"s eyes.
He knew.
Eternal beauty was being carved into his eyes.
This body of porcelain, not off by the slightest, was definitely no replica.
His eyes could not be mistaken.
This was the body of the woman who stood as his mother, his elder sister and the one he loved.
However...
"Why?"
"What are you asking?"
"Your hand... Why isn"t it fully healed?"
Sitting on the bed, Hisui stared grimly at Miraluka"s right hand.
It was the hand with the burn.
Although her regeneration powers had taken some effect, the hand that had blocked the silver bullet was still marred by traces of severe burns.
"...I don"t understand what you are asking. That was a silver bullet after all, healing takes time."
"You simply blocked the bullet. It did not enter your body so damage should be limited. And given your power, this level of injury can"t be irrecoverable."
"I am a vampire, did you forget that? A wound from an ordinary bullet would heal instantly. But wounds caused by holy damage will leave permanent scars in the worst case scenario."
"Just like the "kisses" of your kind, even if the wound is gouged out together with the flesh, the wound will reappear again when the spot regenerates... Like that?"
This was what Miraluka had told him before.
The "kiss mark" piercing the victims of vampires--This was a curse. Unless the vampire was destroyed, the wound would never disappear.
Even using surgery to remove the flesh at the wound"s location, the "kiss mark" would still regenerate.
This served precisely as the explanation that a vampire"s "kiss" was no simple wound or infection but a magical curse.
The same phenomena occurred on vampires themselves.
When attacked by weapons with holy properties, permanent wounds were left on vampires in spite of their eternal life and youth.
This phenemonon depended on the interaction of various conditions including a vampire"s rank, the depth of the wound, the power of the weapon, the user"s strength and there was no simple answer but it really did exist.
"...How exaggerated. First of all, no one can verify permanent wounds. Supposing that kind of wound remained unclosed, perhaps it might grow shallower after a hundred years and even disappear after a thousand. For we vampires, waiting that long isn"t a problem. After all, this isn"t any severe injury to me, it"ll be gone without a trace after a week."
"Perhaps, what you say ought to be true. That"s why I found it strange."
"Why? It"s a wound produced by a weapon meant to counter my kind. I can"t help that."
"No. Perhaps it"s true for other vampires, but you"re different."
"..."
Miraluka fell silent.
She guessed what Hisui did not say aloud.
"Of course, this is also related to the fact that you"re a True Ancestor. This level of minor injury not healing instantly feels abnormal. But before that, you probably possess the most potent regeneration powers of all vampires. You even survived after getting incinerated by sunlight. Will someone that powerful get burnt by blocking just a single silver bullet? And leave a scar behind?"
Miraluka wanted to say something but Hisui continued attacking verbally without relenting.
"Also... You have ample medical and nourishment supplies and more blood than you could ever finish using. You"ve stockpiled a large amount of blood in the bas.e.m.e.nt, right? Although the blood for transfusion doesn"t taste good, with so much blood, recovering to full health shouldn"t be a problem at all. But your hand didn"t recover."
"..."
"At least the Miraluka I knew would be able to heal this kind of minor wound instantly. So..."
"So I"m a fake? This doesn"t even count as decisive evidence. Ultimately, the most crucial thing is whether you believe me or not."
Miraluka shook her head lightly.
There was sadness on her face.
"Since you suspect me, then you really ought to confirm with your body, right? I can"t deceive you in that area."
Miraluka got on the bed again.
But while she was climbing onto the bed, Hisui jumped off.
Then he burst out of the door while Miraluka"s shrill voice called out to him from behind.
It was the voice of his only family, the same as always in the past.
"I haven"t changed, nowhere from head to foot. You"re the one who changed, right?"
"What do you mean by that?"
Hisui feigned calmness but his voice was trembling.
"I live as evidence of my own existence, that"s all. But that seems to be different for you."
"..."
"Come back any time you want me."
Hisui did not reply, he did not even look back.
Because he was unable to do anything, he could only choose to escape in this manner.
That morning, he fled the house.
"...So you came running to my home? Have you no shame?"
Early Sunday morning, Eruru was mocking him unhappily in the living room of her own apartment.
Eruru was sitting on the sofa. Hisui was sitting on the floor with embarra.s.sment all over his face, in stark contrast to her.
"By the way, why did you run over to my home just because you are feeling uncomfortable in your home? If you go to Sudou-san"s or Uno-san"s, they will gladly receive you."
"Sudou"s home... I feel like she"ll surely make all sorts of demands for me to repay her. As for Senpai... I don"t want to trouble her family."
"You came to me because I live alone? Then I shall be frank, you are very annoying."
"...I am in the wrong."
Hisui could not find any reb.u.t.tal.
Afraid of being alone with Miraluka in the same room, he had no choice but to escape.
He was even thoughtful enough to bring his usual school uniform, how lame.
But Hisui had an excuse to come here.
"About Miraluka... Do you have any news on your side?"
"..."
"None of you three answered my texts yesterday, I was worried... Did something happen?"
Hisui carefully chose his words to pursue the matter.
Eruru told him the truth with a scowl.
"Noting much. Right now, the possibility of uncovering a crime seems very difficult. But I believe she is the type of gray that is very close to black."
"I see..."
"Also, we were too busy with other things yesterday to respond."
"What, did something happen?"
"We encountered Rush.e.l.la."
Hisui"s face changed with alarm then settled down.
Eruru continued mercilessly.
"I shall be brief with the details of what transpired. She ran all the way to the Supernatural Investigations Section to investigate her origins but failed to find any clues. Then she left."
"Really...? Then where is she now!?"
Hisui looked up and asked emotionally.
But seeing Eruru"s ice-cold gaze, he shut up again.
"What would you do if you knew?"
"What do you mean, what..."
"She left you most likely out of her own accord. Judging from yesterday"s situation, no one was forcing or and she did not have any companions with her either. Since she is determined to leave, what can you do?"
"Well..."
"I shall ask again. Is she irreplaceable to you?"
A cruel question.
Why find Rush.e.l.la? Hisui had been trying to answer this question himself all along.
Had it been earlier, Hisui would surely have answered in a half joking manner, "don"t ask the obvious, this doesn"t need a reason."
But now...
"She feels that you do not need her anymore, that is why she left. Surely you must have reached this conclusion, right?"
This question made Hisui felt like his heart was being stabbed by knives. Eruru knew that.
Precisely because of that, she brought this up without emotion.
"To you two... No, to Rush.e.l.la-san, do you not feel that this is a painful matter?"
Eruru"s every word was merciless.
Standing in the intermediate territory between humans and vampires, she knew very well how difficult it was for the two races to coexist.
Let alone the fact that there was Miraluka by Hisui"s side.
Hisui did not answer and kept his head down.
Clenching his fist, gnashing his teeth, he felt like his heart was running amok with all sorts of emotions.
The silence persisted and still Hisui did not answer.
"She is currently very dangerous seeing as she has not drunk any blood apparently. I feel that she does not have the body type that can endure well, so the situation is quite bad. If she continues to abstain from blood, she will go mad sooner or later."
Eruru stood up and spoke.
"If that happens... Will the Supernatural Investigations Section handle it?"
"I will not deny it. But just as you know, destroying a rampaging vampire is quite tricky. To be honest, it would be better to find her first and make her drink blood no matter what. Oh well, it would be pointless if she refuses and spits the blood out. Hence if you want my opinion, it would be best to have a source of blood by her side that she prefers."
"You..."
Hearing the true message in Eruru"s words, Hisui stared blankly at her.
"Her whereabouts are not known exactly, but I have already narrowed down the approximate area. Since she visited the Supernatural Investigations Section once, then it would be best to trace things from the MPD as a start. If she took some kind of transportation, there will be records left behind. If she escaped on foot, there will be eye witnesses. After all, her appearance is so striking that questioning witness for clues will not be heard. In any case, I already have an idea where she could be hiding."
"Where is... that place!?"
"Apparently in a neighboring town. I never expected it to be so near."
Eruru"s tone of voice was grave and her expression did not relax.
"Hmm, well... Okay, why did she pick this strange place? It"s neither hiding in plain sight nor totally impossible to guess... This distance is totally easy to catch up."
"Wanting to avoid going far as much as possible yet not wanting to be found by you... I believe that is what she is thinking."
"...Can I give my honest opinion?"
"Go ahead."
"What a pain."
"I agree."
The two of them nodded.
Hisui seemed to be pulling himself together.
"Then... I shall be going out to investigate. If you have nothing to do, then please feel free to relax here as much you like."
"...I"ll go too. Why are you asking the obvious?"
"I do not read minds."
Then the two of them left together.
Still on Hisui"s face was gloom that could not be washed away.
Meeting up with Mei and Kirika who were waiting in front of the station, the team returned to their usual lineup.
"By the way, are you girls doing something behind my back? Sudou looks injured. If it"s about finding Rush.e.l.la, isn"t it totally mean to keep me in the dark?"
"Who knows, what about you, Senpai?"
"I am simply accompanying Kariya-san, right, Kariya-san?"
"I do not have any time or energy to waste on a useless person who wallows in his own troubles. Do not count him. The three of us must do our best."
"What kind of treatment is this...?"
Eruru seemed like she got off the wrong side of the bed today.
Feeling highly indignant, Hisui followed the group to the crowded main road in front of the station.
"Umm... We"re going to start searching from here? But there"s the problem of where to go, do you have any clues to the specific location?"
"She definitely pa.s.sed by this station yesterday, but the trail broke off afterwards. If she has not left this place, she should be within walking distance still."
Eruru herself did not seem to have definitive clues either, entering deep thought.
The four of them handed out missing person notices while asking in the subway, but these efforts were hardly rewarded.
Suppose Rush.e.l.la saw them from a distance, she would surely hide immediately.
"But investigating in secret is very limiting in all aspects..."
Mei began to think.
Kirika also tried to help think of a solution.
At this time, Hisui discovered an uninvited partic.i.p.ant.
"Oh."
"What is the matter?"
Hearing his voice, Eruru followed his gaze.
Then she saw as well.
Standing in the street smugly with her arms akimbo--Rangetsu.
"Hmph, looks like you lot are in quite a bind, aren"t you?"
" " " "No, not at all." " " "
The four of them denied simultaneously then started to leave.
"Anyway, let us set a meeting time then split up to gather information. I will check out the net cafe."
"I guess I"ll go to abandoned houses and empty shops."
"Then I"ll check out restaurants and convenience stores. Maybe she went to buy things a few times."
"Then I will go to other public places where she might have turned up. Perhaps she went to a community center that is open to the public for free..."
The four of them made specific plans.
Just as they confirmed one another"s division of roles and prepared to disperse, Rangetsu grabbed all their collars at once from the back.
"Hey, why are you ignoring me!? To think I came all the way out here to help...!!"
"It"s not like we asked you."
"Say, why are you here?"
"Are you acting as a representative of the Supernatural Investigations Section? A spy?"
"Umm, we"re acting privately here."
The four of them rejected her.
All of them were giving vibes of sending her off.
"What is the meaning of this!? And how do you intend to search!? With just the few of you, even though the Supernatural Investigations Section was unable to spare any manpower due to yesterday"s incident, but without using ma.s.s tactics, you still won"t find anything even by dusk, you know!?"
"No, we"ve already reached a conclusion. We know it"s difficult but if we don"t take action then we"ll never find her."
Hisui reb.u.t.ted with reason.
Rangetsu was clearly displeased that her plan was foiled.
"Umm, then if you"re goin to search, the more helpers the better... Right?"
Rangetsu twisted awkwardly, looking with pleading eyes and leaning over.
To be frank, this type of approach did not suit her image at all, totally not cute.
Hisui distanced himself from her in an exaggerated manner while the other three retreated as well.
"Hey, why are you evading!?"
"Uh, you"re too conspicuous and your voice is loud."
"We"re just a group of students, what are you thinking, trying to b.u.t.t into our center?"
"...May I ask if you are trying to get us to recruit you into our team?"
"Stop acting pretentiously."
In the end, Kirika murmured with pity.
Scorned by this group of youngsters, Rangetsu roared with her face red.
"L-Let"s see who"s going to succeed! Since you"ve said this much, I"ll go search on my own, I"ll show you when I find her, just you wait and see! Remember that!"
"Then go search. Let"s just do our best, separately."
"Just don"t get into our way, okay?"
"Good luck."
Hisui and Mei saw her off with blank expressions.
Kirika waved behind them.
Unable to go back on her words, Rangetsu asked them in a small voice:
"...You"re not going to ask me to stay?"
"Huh? Aren"t you the one saying you"re gonna leave?"
"Compet.i.tion drives motivation."
"We never called you here in the first place."
The three of them rejected her without holding back.
Their eyes looked like they were trying to drive her off.
Stuck in an awkward position, Rangetsu stood there frozen, at a loss what to do. At this moment, Eruru extended a helping hand.
"Well, everyone please wait first. Regrettably, she does have strengths that we lack, so we should ask for her help right now. How about it, Rangetsu, will you make use of your talent?"
Eruru suddenly changed att.i.tudes dramatically and became polite in tone.
Rangetsu also seemed to get happy, puffing out her chest and nodding.
"Fine, fine. I can see that you"re facing a tough situation too. What do you want me to do? What is my specialty anyway?"
Instead of answering, Eruru took out a piece of clothing in a plastic bag from her hand carry bag.
No matter how Hisui looked at it, the garment was a uniform from Hisui"s school--And a female one at that.
"What is this...?"
"Just as you can see, a uniform."
"No, of course I know that, but what do you want me to do? And whose is this?"
"Rush.e.l.la-san left it behind. She apparently departed in her own clothing without taking this or her gym clothes, probably because she felt that she no longer needed them."
Eruru spoke aloofly.
Rangetsu and Hisui gradually figured out Eruru"s intentions.
"Then... What are you doing with it?"
"Sniff it then find Rush.e.l.la-san"s whereabouts according to the scent."
"What!? You"re ordering me around like I"m a police dog!?"
Rangetsu grabbed the uniform and threw it on the floor.
Her dignity had been denied by others in various ways.
"Hey, what are you doing? Don"t let it get contaminated by other odors, that"ll waste all earlier efforts, right!?"
Hisui frantically picked up the clothing.
Luckily, it did not touch the ground directly, being isolated by a plastic bag.
"Shut up! Although my sense of smell is indeed as keen as a dog"s, to find a person... No, to find a vampire is as easy as pie, but why do I have to do a dog"s job!?"
"Hmm? I think it"s using talent appropriately."
"So true. And didn"t you just agree to help?"
"A police officer is going back on her word?"
Hisui, Mei and Kirika stared at her.
Eruru simply watched coldly form the sidelines, pretending like it had nothing to do with her.
Rangetsu was about to cry, with only herself to blame for saying things without forethought.
But she was a police officer after all. Of course she knew very well that this was their best course of action given the current circ.u.mstances.
With only a moment"s hesitation, Rangetsu buried her face into the uniform.
She sniffed hard then looked around with a displeased face.
Sniffing, Rangetsu finally locked her gaze on a certain point.
"...This way, no mistake about it! Hurry and go!"
She ran at full speed as though venting her frustrations.
Hisui and the others knew they could not match her speed and could only hurry in pursuit as fast as they could.
The crowd opened up a path for Rangetsu, serving as a sign that prevented Hisui"s group from losing her.
While chasing her, Hisui asked Eruru helplessly.
"...You must have calculated this from the start, right? You kept your mouth shut all along, is this the strategy of good cop, bad cop?"
"Using a harsh and intimidating interrogator to scare the suspect then sending a benevolent colleague to apply restraint, then the suspect will cooperate and spill the beans. This is an trick frequently seen in crime dramas. But I never thought it would work so thoroughly on a police officer in service."
"After Rush.e.l.la disappeared, you took away the things she left behind, that was for this?"
"Since she is a vampire after all, I do not want to use ordinary police hounds. Apart from that, she is the best choice since she can pinpoint Rush.e.l.la-san"s location to a certain extent, able to use a dog"s sense of smell should the opportunity arise, stronger than a dog yet it does not matter if she dies in an accident."
"Are you truly a demon?"
Hisui absolutely did not want to be her enemy.
Chatting like this, they ran after Rangetsu"s trail.
Keeping her high speed, she soon reached an area with few people.
There were very few pedestrian in this place that was in the shadows in between the gaps of tall buildings.
Seeing this scene, it was very easy for someone to conclude this was vampire territory out of preconceived notions.
After a moment"s hesitation, Rangetsu stopped in front of some ruins.
Although the ruins themselves were unrecognizable, judging from the building"s decorations it was still possible to guess its original look.
This place... was most likely the ruins of a church.
"...The smell here is very chaotic. But at least, she must have spent a long period of time here recently. But probably not inside the church, let"s go check nearby net cafes first..."
"No, start here. j.a.pan has very few churches that can actually repel vampires."
"Judging from her personality, she"d probably try to be contrary and deliberately chose to treat the most dangerous place as the safest spot."
"As a dhampir, I can feel that there is no problem with this building, almost completely harmless."
"Then let"s go."
The group ignored the embarra.s.sed Rangetsu and entered the interior of the building.
There were nothing holy inside and all the articles with the church"s symbols had all been moved away already.
The light inside was very dim and even in the daytime, sunlight did not reach inside.
It would not be surprising for demonic ent.i.ties to lurk in this place.
Judging from the exterior of the building, it looked more like a hidden lair for supernatural ent.i.ties.
But the place was empty, devoid of other presences.
However, the five of them did not lower their guard. Checking their surroundings, they searched in different directions.
Especially examining the floor, Eruru narrowed her eyes.
"There are clear and distinct footprints in the dust. Since it has not been covered by new dust..."
"That means someone visited recently..."
In charge of searching the forward direction, Hisui heightened his vigilance.
At this moment, the sound of floorboards being pulled apart could be heard ahead.
Then there was the sound of footsteps on stairs.
Someone was coming up from underground.
There was movement in the s.p.a.ce several meters ahead.
Shrouded deeply in shadows, there was definitely something up ahead.
The five of them readied their positions, made a gesture for silence and bided their time.
Then Eruru took out a small flashlight she was carrying and shone the light forward.
At the same time, the sound of rustling clothing came from the front.
Looking at the ground, there was a familiar garment--especially to Hisui.
This was a part of the school"s prescribed uniform--His shirt as well as Rush.e.l.la"s pajamas.
Hisui recalled that Rush.e.l.la had definitely taken it when she disappeared.
Thanks to that, Hisui had to spend money again--Sigh, whatever, that no longer mattered.
Since the pajamas was taken off, it meant that someone was in the process of changing.
In fact, next to her was a formal dress and underwear folded neatly.
In other words... She was currently nude.
Illuminated by the flashlight"s dazzling radiance, Rush.e.l.la"s pale nude body was exposed completely before the entire group.
Standing in front was Hisui.
This reunion was quite unsightly, to say the least.
Voluptuous bosom, narrow waist, tight and elastic b.u.t.tocks, slender and beautiful legs--Everything was in clear view of Hisui.
Just as everyone was petrified, Hisui timidly... said in a loud voice.
"h.e.l.lo again..."
"DON"T LOOOOOOOOOK!!"
A shrill scream echoed indoors as Rush.e.l.la picked up the shirt on the ground and threw it at him.
Not only Hisui but everyone else"s vision was blocked.
Rush.e.l.la seized this instant to rapidly put on her clothes.
Without caring about fixing up her disheveled appearance, she escaped outside like a puff of smoke.
"Hey, wait up!"
Hisui chased after her.
Speedy Rangetsu and Mei also followed but were blocked by Eruru.
"Do not follow, just leave it to him here. If we are to chase them, we should take detours to cut off her escape in a pincer formation. Most likely, her coffin is still here so she will eventually return. Just leave one person to standby here. Uno-senpai, can I rely on you for that?"
"Yes, sure..."
Receiving the orders, Kirika moved a folding chair that was leaning against a wall over and sat down.
"Then we should set off and start the game of hide and seek."
"...Even if you say that, you actually hope for Hi-kun to catch her, right? Even if I can"t catch up, Oogami"s speed can surely catch up to her."
"You are overthinking things. Let us go."
Eruru ignored Mei"s remarks and walked out of the building.
The two of them set off in directions different from where Rush.e.l.la had run off. At this moment, someone who did not understand finally could not tolerate any further.
"Hey what"s the big idea here? Why won"t you let me, a werewolf, chase her? A vampire during daytime is totally no match for my speed..."
"...You are very annoying."
"What do you mean!? It"s all thanks to me that you were able to search to this place..."
"Yes yes, good job. Oogami, you really don"t understand a man"s heart~"
"What did you say!?"
Hearing Mei"s taunt, Rangetsu turned her antagonism towards her.
"You girls, what are you doing blocking a competent adult like me here for--"
"Oogami."
Mei suddenly stared at her with serious eyes.
Rangetsu tilted her head in puzzlement while Mei patted her shoulder.
"You"re a virgin, right?"
"HUHHHHH!?"
"...Rather, you"ve never gotten along with men much, have you?"
Mei dropped the bomb.
She was totally looking down on this senior from a high position.
Although their actual experience were on the same level, Mei held an overwhelming advantage in her stored knowledge and honed skills.
"W-What rubbish are you talking about? Back in the day..."
"Back in the day?"
"...Back in the day when I was in the werewolve"s hidden settlement, I was quite the popular one... I guess."
"May I ask what the gender ratio was? I"ve heard that among werewolves, men make up the vast majority?"
Eruru mercilessly exposed her.
She was truly cold-blooded during times like these.
"Wanting to find a mate, you left your homeland and finally arrived at the MPD, right? Then have you found a mate?"
Mei struck the final blow.
"......Not yet."
Rangetsu looked up sadly into the sky.
Today"s sky was truly blue and clear.
But as luck would have at, several clouds blocked her view.
These obstructing dark clouded perhaps reflected her inner feelings right now.
Mei and Eruru left the demoralized Rangetsu behind and quickly departed.
"How pitiful... Disregarding whether she"s a monster, looks like it"s hopeless for her. A Christmas cake. Eruru-chan, you"d better be careful too❤"
"Do not compare me with her...!"
Eruru seemed really mad as she rushed out in a huff.
"Hey wait!"
Hisui yelled as he ran.
But running in front, Rush.e.l.la had no intention of stopping.
She ran as hard as she could, neither making use of small alleys nor buildings to evade Hisui, simply trying to shake him off through sheer stamina and speed.
Running aimlessly, her path was naturally hindered by pedestrians and cars but she did not care.
As luck would have it, because Rush.e.l.la was opening a path ahead, Hisui did not have any trouble following the s.p.a.ce opened by the pedestrians to let her pa.s.s. Furthermore, Rush.e.l.la was holding a parasol and the air resistance was limiting her speed like a natural set of brakes.
In spite of all that, the distance between the two of them did not shrink.
Although the sun had yet to set, this was only expected seeing as his opponent was a vampire.
A question soon appeared in Hisui"s mind after he chased for a while.
Her speed was definitely fast.
But he still managed to barely keep up.
She did not look like she was deliberately going easy on him but this was surely not her true level of power.
Very likely, she had not drunk any blood ever since she left him.
Apart from that reason, something inside her seemed to be weakening on a fundamental level.
Hisui had this feeling.
Currently, Rush.e.l.la was nothing more than an ordinary girl who could run fast.
Perhaps her level would make her one-in-a-hundred among high school students, capable of matching a track and field athlete from a renowned school.
However...
"My sides are starting to hurt..."
The key point was that the pursuer sucked too much.
A loser in sprinting matches to begin with, he was not good at long distance running either, plus his sides were hurting more and more.
In fact, in the entire Rush.e.l.la search team, he had the shortest legs.
The sight of Rush.e.l.la"s back was getting increasingly distant, soon about to disappear.
"Hold on and wait!"
Hisui yelled with the last strength he could squeeze out but most likely she did not hear it.
Even if she heard, surely she would not stop either.
Just as Hisui was at a loss, he felt a cold feeling on his face.
He could not help but stop and look up into the sky.
Raindrops instantly fell on his face.
Not long ago, there were only a few scattered clouds in the sky but now it was covered with dark clouds.
Then the raindrops turned into a downpour.
The torrent of raindrops smashed against Hisui"s entire body.
This was an unexpected disaster. The pedestrians in the surroundings all used their bags or luggage to cover their heads or ran under the shelter of eaves.
But for Hisui, this rain came with perfect timing.
Catching his breath, he started running again.
The wind and rain struck him in the face.
Even with an umbrella, walking would be difficult in this kind of raging wind.
But for Hisui, this opportunity was a gift from heaven.
Because if it was merely rain, Rush.e.l.la was not going to stop running.
A slowed down metabolism would make her decelerate somewhat but her parasol also doubled as an ordinary umbrella. Rainwater alone was not going to halt her footsteps.
Stopping to find shelter from the rain would risk getting found.
Hence, she could only continue to run.
All she could do was run nonstop, running until she had shaken Hisui off her trail completely.
However.
With wind, it was a totally different ballgame.
Blown horizontally, the rainwater evaded the parasol surface, striking her body.
Living water of natural origins was a taboo for vampires.
Even without causing critical injuries, it would slow down her entire body"s biological activity. In the worst case, it would turn her into something like a corpse.
The sudden rainstorm could be considered a gift for Hisui.
Hence, he did not stop either.
Ignoring the slippage underfoot, the drenched outer clothing, he simply raced across the streets.
Then he finally found her.
"This has happened before too."
Before his eyes was Rush.e.l.la collapsed in the streets.
Although she was holding a parasol, the rainwater attacking from the side battered her body all over.
She still tried to distance herself from Hisui, thus ending up in this state.
"You really know how to make trouble for others."
Hisui smiled wryly as he cradled Rush.e.l.la in his arms.
However, Rush.e.l.la weakly pushed his arm away.
"...What?"
"So noisy, get away from me...!"
"Don"t put on a tough front, you"re clearly so weak already. Have you been drinking blood properly? But no, you can"t drink irresponsibly."
"Shut up, I don"t need your help..."
Rush.e.l.la shut her mouth in protest, her voice so weak it was barely audible.
Crawling on the ground, she managed with great difficulty to move herself under a building"s shade to avoid the corrosion of rainwater. However, all this only served to indicate how weak and vulnerable she was right now.
"Oh my, I told you to stop putting up a tough front. Especially when you"re clearly a vampire."
"Hmph... B-By this point, what business do you have that you need to find me!?"
"...Well, it"s not business exactly... You must let me know before going out."
Finally a reunion with her after much difficulty but face to face, he did not know what to say.
Why did he have to find her? What next after he found her? Hisui never considered these questions at all.
"M-Money, I already left it for you! That"s the rent for everything up to now! Or you find it too little? What a greedy miser!"
"Considering all the trouble you"ve caused me, perhaps it might really not be enough, but ignoring the question of money first, you should at least say something before leaving! Why on earth... did you leave?"
This was actually quite difficult for Hisui to ask.
Hisui had guessed the reason vaguely... But in the end, he still wanted to hear the answer straight from her