／7

Ryougi Shiki was gorgeous, almost depressingly so.
Shirazumi Lio was so absorbed by her that he almost forgot to breathe.
The handcuffs used to restrain her had lost their function. They weren't unlocked, but broken by her.
They hung on her right wrist like an oversized ornament, without a single trace of breakage.
The only apparent damage was on her hand.
To free herself, Shiki had bitten off her left thumb, chewing away even the flesh around the stub's base.

"----Ha, haha, ha!"
Shirazumi Lio smiled.
----Even his laughter was a pain to my ears.
"----You really are the greatest."
His throat trembled, as if he was putting up an act.
But I had enough of this damned dog.
...I have no time to be here, to be doing this.
"----Then let's begin, Ryougi, only you can attach me to this world."
Like a fly attracted to light, he made his way towards me.
Yet I did not even glance at him.
"Find someone else, I'm not doing it."
I forced my lips apart to speak.
The thing failed to comprehend my words, halted its steps and blinked.
"....What did you say?"
"I have no time for you."
I do not need to be called a murderer.
That would be better left to someone like him, because I knew that I already had what I wanted.
The hole in my chest---- the emptiness of it had already been filled.
Even though my bloodlust would never disappear, I would be able to suppress it.

SHIKI's reason to kill was different from Shiki's.
Shouldn't I have known this since the events of summer?
I put my life on the line so that I could feel alive.
Yet now, that reason has slowly faded away. Even without risking my life to make
sure it exists, I can still be satisfied.
Because the person I am now is not the Shiki that I used to be.
As long as I head back and keep fighting Ryougi Shiki, it'll be fine.
It'll be all over if I lose, but I can't succumb to something like a murderer.
To fill the hole in me, he, who disappeared for the sake of my happiness ---- the other SHIKI.
"You have to be lying, are you, Ryougi?"
"Goodbye, murderer."
I started stepping forward.
With my drugged body and a broken left thumb, I strolled by Shirazumi Lio as if we were total strangers.
It remained where it was, staring at my back as its breathing quickened.
"----Are you going to betray me too?"
His words dissipated in the sound of the rain.
I listened to nothing else but the rain.
"...I won't forgive you. You are going to abandon someone who killed for you,
someone who took himself to where he is now for solely your sake?
If that is the case, Shirazumi Lio will never exist again. Only you can retain the existence of Shirazumi Lio."
I forced my strengthless legs forward.
Without turning back, I wanted to leave this plantation.
----Until I heard it.
"....So you want to go back to Mikiya, Ryougi?"
He whispered with a grin.
----My legs froze.
"Then you have no need to head out, because he's here."
I exhaled fiercely.
The sight before me started to shake, as if it was about to collapse.
I couldn't think.
....But, why?
Am I able to understand perfectly what he meant....?
"You----"
I couldn't make a sound.
I had intended not to turn back, but I did so anyway.
I had intended to --- live a life without killing again.
"It's all your fault, Ryougi. Because you had to be so indecisive, I only did what you wanted for you."
I couldn't comprehend his speech, as if there was something wrong with my ears.
"That is correct. This is your knife, isn't it? Sorry, I dirtied it a little, but here you go!"
Clang.
My knife fell to the floor.
The silver blade was stained by a shade of crimson.
My knife has someone's blood on it.
I knew very well who it belongs to...I could not possibly mistake the smell of his blood, because it was so memorable for me.
"...Ah, so you're dead..."
I took a step forward as I finished my sentence.
Because I had to pick the knife up from the concrete floor.
"Right, I killed him, because I had to free you...! Kokuto had to act like a nice guy till his last moment. He said that we were complete opposites of each other, isn't that ridiculous? We are suppose to be so smiliar to each other...!"
I walked to where the knife was, and kneeled on the ground.
The blood on the blade was still fresh, it was probably stained only a few minutes ago, wasn't it?
---Ah.
From such a short distance.
In such a short time.
I lost him.


"...Idiot, didn't I ask you to stay with Tohko? It's just so much like you to die like this!"
"I won't forgive you if you kill him, Shiki."
The man who bound me with those words has been killed by the animal he tried to protect.
....Why.

He was supposed to be mine.
I was supposed to be the only one who can take his life.
"-----Absolutely."
I picked up the knife, and holding it with both hands, I rose.
With my head lowered, I hugged it close to my chest.
I kept my face down and spoke.
"----Very well, do it."
With my face lowered, I did not even glance at my opponent.
It would have been pointless to; I had never placed my sight on that animal since just now.
"----You said that you won't forgive me. Shirazumi, that is one thing that's similar about us."
The animal charged.
Still, I kept my head down, ignoring it.
I want to feel it ---- while I still can.
While his warmth still lingers on this knife ----


Shirazumi Lio's body leapt into the air.
Even faced with an enemy charging head-on, she still remained motionless.
Slash.
The animal's claws snatched flesh from her arm.
Even bleeding, even with the enemy just passing by her, she still kept her head lowered.
Her arms still gently hugged the knife to her chest.
As if handling a piece of irreplaceable treasure, closely...closely...

The warmth she remembered softly fades.
It was like her own body warmth, like the touch of skin.
The heart that I possess, the heart that trusts his.
Bleeding, hurting, losing its temperature with each passing second.

But I felt nothing of the pain.
Because I knew something that hurts much more than that.
In the freezing rain, we pursued it again and again.

----Only a trace of heat could be found in our breaths.
As if we would both stop living any second.

Slash.
Another piece of meat was torn off.
The enemy felt like it was enjoying the thrill of hunting, toying with the motionless me.
He sped around at a speed untraceable by the eyes, taking off a piece of flesh everytime he passed by.
...The rain outside kept falling.
Even though it's trivial, it still excites me.
----On rainy days.
After school has ended, listening to your whistle.

Third strike, my leg.
Splat.
The concrete ground got covered in red.
The claws, long enough to scrape the bones, painted the floor with blood.
It hurts just to remain standing.

....Indeed. It takes my breath away just to remain standing.
But I think that it's still possible to face each other with a smile at times.
Because SHIKI likes you.

---At dawn.
In the classroom tinted into a burning red, I was chatting with you.



The enemy's abilities had surpassed everything that was before, be it speed or accuracy. It had gone beyond the line of an actual animal.
I had become an empty shell. My heart froze, and my body would not be able to move for much longer.
But this makes me incurably happy.
My hand could still move. The next time it comes near, it will be dealt with.


----As long as you are here, as long as you smile, I will be in bliss.

Fourth attack.
The enemy's target is my right arm.
Even knowing that, I remained still.
.....Because I can't kill.

----As long as you are here, just being by your side makes me happy.

Having bled too much, my conciousness began to become muddled.
My body wouldn't last much longer.
But I still held to his words.
....Don't kill Shirazumi Lio.
Even through death, his words remained in my heart.
....Because I want to guard that warmth.

----Only for a short time.
Pausing because the sunlight peeking through the forest seemed so warm.

I felt very happy.
That you treated me like a normal person.
That you seriously told me not to kill.
Even though I never told you.
But to me, you were miraculously beautiful.

----You smiled to me and said.
That someday we would be standing in the same place.

The final strike draws near.
It was definitely going to be my limit.
The enemy would probably be aiming for my neck.
I would bleed to death if left alone, all he needed to do was to slice an artery.

----I've always wished for someone to tell me that.

....Death draws near.
Recalling all the happy events that took place up until now, my face lit up with a hint of joy.
Only one year in the past, and half a year up until today.
Time flies, and I was grateful about the happiness that was almost like a lie.

The highschool life that was better left unchanged.

The peaceful, everyday life without turmoil.


----Those truly were.
Days with a dream-like feel to them.

Thank you. But, sorry...
I lifted my head and glared at the person's "death".
I know that I will disappear...
The me you trusted, the me you said that you like.
Even knowing that, I still have to kill him.
Even if I make it all disappear, nobody will be by my side.
Even so ----- I can't forgive the one who killed you -----

-----She kept her eyes on the nearing enemy.
Things are much simpler this way.
Like a bird leaves the surface of a pond.
It only took a moment for it to end.


The end came quickly.
Shirazumi Lio's extended hand was severed in a flash.
She hacked off the enemy's legs, and planted the dagger into the chest of
Shirazumi Lio's floating body, slamming him hard onto the ground.

The knife pierced his heart like a tombstone.

Wah.
He exhaled, and everything was over.
Shirazumi Lio's expression abruptly stopped.
Without even realizing the amazing speed he had been killed at.
The knife stood on Lio's chest like a headstone.
She remained still, clutching the weapon with both hands.
Slanted sunlight peeked in through the windows.
Shone on by a grey light, like a priest sends off a deceased person.
Shirazumi's corpse did not bleed.
The red spread all around the warehouse belonged only to her.
Her legs, her wrist and her body were all torn, she probably would not survive for more than a few minutes.

...But if it was her, she could extend her remaining life manyfold, and fully recover after receiving treatment.

But she didn't feel like doing much.
She released her grip on the knife.
Ha.
Exhaling.
If she extends the time between her breaths and cuts off the nerves near the wounds, she should be able to recover enough to head out for help.
But....
"Forget it."
Shiki stared at the sky.
Outside the window it never stopped raining.
In winter, under a sky like this, she soiled her hands.

....Can't go home like this.
....Going back like this would only earn you a scolding.
"Even so, he'd still be waiting for me."
....We were supposed to stroll together.
....He was supposed to hold my dirty hands on the path to my home.
....There were supposed to be more of those dreamy days.
"Really, it's like a lie."
Breathing stopped.
Consciousness faltered like a candle's flame.
A disapppearing life was too beautiful, like a mirage.

She adjusted her breathing.
Not to live, but to sleep.
Tears flowed out of those eyes that were fixated on the sky.
I have told myself before...
If I were to cry, I would only do it when that person dies.
I shut my eyelids, making my breathing more stable.
I didn't have many regrets, only remained in thought silently.
...Without Mikiya, it would be meaningless to live.
Like a beast that would be unable to return to the wild after experiencing the
warmth of fire.
I can no longer return to the emptiness that was myself.