The blade flashed.
Fleetingly.
The battle was over.
Yes, it was over, amidst the astonished gazes of everyone.
As anticipated, this battle was expected to last for quite so ti—since the killer was born from Shiki's urge to kill, both shared the sa skill level and physical abilities. Given that it was a fight against oneself, each could accurately predict the other's every move. To determine the outco, one side would have to make a mistake.
However, no one expected the battle to end so quickly.
In less than the blink of an eye, the outco was decided, along with life and death.
Two figures, both dressed in white shirts and black pants, passed each other, their blades unhesitatingly slashing across each other's chests.
Blood blossod, and blood gushed like a fountain.
The blossoming blood belonged to Shiki.
The gushing blood belonged to the killer.
The killer's dagger was the first to stab into Shiki's chest.
Although Shiki's knife was a fraction slower, it sliced directly from the killer's left chest to the right, cleaving him in two.
Just a small knife, cutting him in two with one stroke.
The upper half of the killer's body slid down, staring in disbelief at the lower half that remained standing.
"This, this is impossible! How, how did you do it?"
"Nothing is impossible. The world you see is completely different from the one I see."
The dagger had pierced his chest, injuring his lungs, and making it difficult for Shiki to breathe. Yet his voice remained incredibly calm, like a still pond.
"A different world?"
The killer's body began to dissipate, turning into dark, mist-like particles.
"What you see is a normal world, perhaps sowhat peculiar, but still whole. What I see is a fragnted world of death."
Shiki's voice grew fainter until only the two of them could hear it. It seed he was explaining to the killer, but perhaps he was just talking to himself.
"To see death ans to lose rationality. To see death ans to be unable to recover. To see death ans to be forced to accept the ambiguous and fragile nature of this world. The ground feels nonexistent, and the sky seems ready to collapse at any mont. You'll never understand the illusion that the entire world could end in a second."
"Non-nonsense..."
Hearing this, the killer, whose lower half had already dissipated and whose upper half was continually crumbling, suddenly beca hysterical.
"If... if what you say is true, how could you still maintain your humanity? What have you seen?"
Shiki turned around, and his eyes, which could see the points and lines of death and destroy anything with a light stroke, looked indifferently at the killer.
The latter, as if seeing a demon, let out a piercing scream and disintegrated into ashes, despite having remained unperturbed even after being severely injured by Riesbyfe.
Shiki lowered his head, sheathed his knife, and carefully retrieved his glasses from his pocket, placing them on his nose and ears.
The fragile, fragnted world returned to normal, everything becoming beautiful once more. No, even more beautiful, because having seen death, he now cherished the normal scenery even more.
You were right. Back then, even walking terrified . If I hadn't t that person, I might have beco abnormal long ago. Even so, I still feared myself, feared the urge to turn the world into that fragnted state, which led to your creation.
But not anymore. I will no longer fear this part of myself, nor will I give you another chance to erge.
Thank you, Touko-senseii.
You taught that gods don't bestow power without reason; there must be a purpose for to have this ability.
You taught to honestly admit my mistakes and understand how to say sorry.
You taught how to be an upright adult.
And—
He lifted his head, sincerely addressing the eyeball in the sky.
"Thank you too, Aoko-sensei. Thank you for your guidance; I haven't lost myself, and I never will."
However, Touko did not appreciate Shiki's gratitude.
"Too? You were thinking of that idiot Aoko again, weren't you? Hmph, always falling behind her. It's annoying."
Shiki's expression instantly froze.
"Alright, stop standing there like an idiot. Your wound is still bleeding."
"Ah."
Only then did Shiki belatedly clutch his wound, his face turning pale.
"Brother! Hold on a bit; I'll heal you right away."
Akiha rushed over in a few quick steps and placed her hand on Shiki's chest, activating her ability, the Tohno family's inherited power—Shikigami Operation.
Shikigami Operation allows one's consciousness to rge with another's, enabling various forms of exchange, including vitality.
What she was doing now was sharing her life force, using her life to save his.
Satsuki, slower in her movents and lacking such abilities, could only stand by and watch Akiha sacrifice for Shiki.
At that mont, she understood why Akiha's transfer had felt so threatening to her. The emotions in those blue eyes were not rely those of a sibling, but sothing far more profound.
Family love, friendship, romantic love—all fused into one, converging on the man before her, forming an invisible shield that blocked out all disturbances.
Satsuki didn't want to remain passive any longer; she wanted to take action.
I want—to step into your world.
...
On the balcony of the Tohno family living room, Touko watched this scene, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"A bunch of idiots! I gave them rune stones for healing, yet they're using life force to heal. Aren't they afraid of becoming weak and vulnerable?"
In the courtyard below the platform, a burly man in a suit was causing havoc.
Each punch, each kick, carried imnse power, and the re shockwaves were enough to topple walls and crack the ground.
The style of those punches and kicks was one that everyone in the household was familiar with. It was the martial art that Akiha practiced daily, the Tohno family's traditional combat technique.
And on the roof of the main mansion, red hair extended outwards, vibrant as maple leaves, fiery as flas. The figure was the recently infamous Red Ghost.
Aoko glanced casually at the ghost on the roof and carelessly lit a cigarette.
"So, you've recovered this quickly? The life force of Tohno blood is indeed strong, making it a suitable target for manifestation. But using the owner's phantom to destroy the owner's ho is a bit too twisted. Also, every ti I see that long red hair, it reminds of my idiot sister. It's annoying... Let vent a bit, as a substitute for her!!!"
The rune etched a spark that lit the cigarette and simultaneously activated the prearranged chanism.
It was four slabs imbued with mysterious power, inscribed with simple yet ancient characters.
"Primordial Rune activation!!! Perish, phantom."
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