Episode.
He carries on his shoulder with one hand a gigantic cross, three times his height, the cube of his weight, a guy with a white uniform and sanpaku eyes. {eyes with visible white between the iris and the lower eyelid}
He is -- a vampire hunter, I hear.
He hunts vampires aiming at monetary rewards, you could say he is a hit man.
And then -- furthermore in addition at the same time.
He is -- a half vampire.
Hunter and half.
According to the angle he could look as nothing but a youngster, but on the contrary he is a specialist of vampire exorcism who stole from Kissshot her left leg -- this is Episode.
"............You are late"
Three days since then -- April 4th.
The line-up of ill-omened numbers subtly makes me uneasy, but even if I fuss over such a thing that I have no control over, I still can't do anything about it.
I try to check the time on my wristwatch, and I notice I forgot to put on my wristwatch -- then I think I'll check it on my cellphone, and I forgot even my cellphone.
Disconcerting.
As I thought, I am not calm.
Well, whatever -- because when it comes to it, the person I want to get in touch with, Oshino Meme, a vagrant-like person, doesn't own a cellphone or a PHS. {Personal Handyphone System}
But then, as said by the person himself, it seems he is an idiot with electronics.
Well, the cellphone is a tool that seems rather barely related to spirits and Kaiis.
That aside, the night of April 4th.
Once again I went to the school field of Naoetsu private high school at night.
Naturally -- the second battle.
To fight with the second specialist at vampire exorcism, Episode.
In these three days, I considered many things -- however, I ultimately settled on going unarmed, similarly to the fight with Dramaturgie.
"It is better not to carry weapons"
I followed the opinion of Hanekawa.
"Well, a normal weapon might not withstand your present superhuman strength as a vampire, and even assuming you prepared a weapon that could withstood it, if you were walking around carrying it and a policeman questioned you, what would you do?"
"............"
Now, she really had a point.
"Well, if you say so, I think those vampire exorcists should receive questioning from authorities for sure"
"Those people are professionals, aren't they? Won't they know ways to avert at least that?"
"Uhm"
Thinking about it, Dramaturgie was able to turn the body into fog.
I guess he is thinking outside those people's boxes.
It follows that I'm unarmed -- I feel like I'm not capitalizing on the lessons acquired from my blunder of having challenged empty-handed Dramaturgie's two wavy blades the previous time, but Hanekawa, I own her one, taught me a few things she could observe from that fight, even if she was just watching from behind the building.
Essentially, she found my faults.
Making the best of that experience -- I will fight.
As usual, Kissshot's advice was hardly of use -- below I'll recall the scene of when I received Kissshot's advice.
"Vampire hunter and half vampire -- well, I too know at least that of vampire terminology, however Kissshot, can't I receive information that is a little more detailed?"
The 12 years old looking Kissshot, however, replied this to my question,
"I forgot"
She said.
She forgot......
As always throwing out her chest with a proud attitude -- because passing from a 10 years old to a 12 years old she was experiencing the so-called age of secondary sexual characteristics, the puffing of the chest in itself indeed happened, however certainly it was not because of proud words.
"Hm -- My memory is dropping. Ah, did I tell thee before?"
"Those are amusing words......"
"Uhm. Wait a minute"
Saying that, Kissshot put her right hand beside the face in a handchop, and without taking aim she thrusted those four fingernails in her own temple.
The tiny right hand sank in the head of the blonde girl up to the wrist.
The blood gushed out like crazy, evaporated and vanished.
"H-H-Hey......!"
"Wait a minute. I will remember at once"
Like that, Kisshot crudely stirred up her own cranium, that is the squashy cerebral insides. From the wound not only blood, but also a liquid which was probably spinal fluid spilled out whistling.
".........!"
Nonononononononono.
This is totally unsuitable for an anime.
The fingers got entangled even in the ocular muscles or something, because the right eye was exhibiting a novel movement that could only make you think it has been possessed by the devil.
S-She is literally searching her mind.
What a mnemonic technique.
"Uhm"
At last Kissshot extracted the deep red stained hand.
She was smiling, refreshed.
"I remembered"
"......What?"
I interrupted, while seeing that even the blood that stained the hair was still evaporating.
"What did you remember?"
"As also clear from the fact that Dramaturgie tried to make thee a comrade, he was not hunting vampire because he hated them, but Episode is different. He hath an antipathy towards vampires"
"Antipathy? How come -- Isn't he 50% vampire? Well, since he is a hunter, I'm sure he at least is not an ally but --"
"Well, about the half vampires -- since the samples are scarce to begin with, I cannot draw a conclusion -- but in most cases, they hate vampires"
"Why?"
"Well, simply put, because a half vampire is an entity not accepted by the vampire world. On the other hand, it is not like the human world could accept him either. Hence -- he hateth his vampire blood"
"Shouldn't he hate humans as well, then?"
"He may not like them, however what’s the point for thou to hate people who are weaker than thyself?"
Kissshot said a blunt thing.
"Though a half, his strength cannot be compared to that of an average human. Above all Episode seemeth to bear a strong hatred towards vampires. I do not know in which way he was raised -- well, he must have been raised in a way that is better to be left unknown. Therefore do not think he will simply give up. Unlike Dramaturgie, he is acting out of personal feelings rather than work"
"Sigh--"
So he is not as committed to professionalism as Dramaturgie, huh.
"Half vampires, in exchange for an immortality even weaker than that of a vampire -- are characterized by almost not bearing the weak points of a vampire. They can even walk under the sun -- and they can even cast a shadow"
"Eeh...... they can cast a shadow?"
"In other words -- talking about the converse, in exchange for having the advantages halved, they are stripped of almost all the weak points"
"Aah......"
I see.
It depends but -- not having weak points makes one a little formidable.
"What can I do to win?"
"Uhm? Well, how about doing as usual?"
"............"
Thanks for your overconfidence in me.
That said -- the night of the appointed day has come.
During these three days, I was absorbed with manga reading. Looking from an external point of view, well I was idling, or if not that I was feeling like doing nothing, but I couldn't help it -- you could say I covered almost all the manga of the Gakuen Inou Batoru genre published in major magazines.
It's a mystery, but if you read driven by necessity, no matter how much interesting is the manga, the hand that turns over the pages becomes slow...... including today, every day since then Hanekawa has come to the cramming school immediately after the sunset to deliver me manga, so I couldn't say it was already enough.
I have received even a book card, but in the end it was better for me not to go out that much.
So said Oshino.
The night of April 1st, exactly immediately after Hanekawa went home, Oshino went back -- it happened then. I even thought I could almost introduce Hanekawa, but since it appeared Oshino chose expressly the time Hanekawa went home to return, I presumed I wasn't suppose to interfere.
"I talk from a neutral standpoint, but that's a nice idea. That class rep-chan is sharp"
After Oshino said that,
"However, I believe I have to speak against you going out saved for the day of the showdowns"
he continued.
"Because there is the possibility that they are aiming for that time"
"Well, but -- this should be covered by your negotiations"
"The key of a negotiation is not giving the opponent any chance, you know. I don't think they will meddle with you, but you may not find it fun to be followed"
"Even if I am followed, this place won't be discovered, right?"
It's a barrier that only the residents, me, Kissshot, and also the men who affixed it himself, Oshino can enter – I believe he told me this was the effectiveness of the barrier.
"Well, I am confident about the barrier. However, I'd like to thwart the minimum possibilities."
"The possibilities --"
"Class rep-chan will come tomorrow too, right? If you wish to increase the variety of the manga you read, try asking her in that occasion. Ah, I think that since there is a barrier, even if she comes here twice or thrice, she will get lost though -- I have no choice but to include her"
"B-But"
"Obviously, since I can't help you, if you say class rep-chan is out, you will have to rely on your other friends"
There isn't any other friend.
I have no choice but to rely on Hanekawa.
"Ah, if you've finished reading lend it to me too"
And with that single irritating word, Oshino left.
He came back and then immediately went out......
But when does he sleep?
I have often seen him lying down, but come to think of it I've never seen him sleeping -- is he working so hard on the negotiations?
If so, then maybe I could at least lend him manga.
And Hanekawa is really a nice person, the next day -- that is to say April 2nd, when she came back to the ruins of the cramming school I made the request, and with an immediate reply she took upon herself the role of "person in charge of purchases", and from then until today, that is to say April 4th, for three consecutive days she went buying her recommended manga and my requested manga.
She is too nice.
Today I went out after three days and
"Good Luck"
she cheered me with words of encouragement.
They were simple words, but they filled my heart.
"Really...... if I return a human, I wonder what can I do to thank her"
However.
At that time -- I was off the mark.
About the strength of the girl called Hanekawa Tsubasa.
And I had yet to grasp -- the amount of danger involved by now.
"I think that guy actually went back home --"
While I murmured something terribly idyllic if looking back from future developments -- at last, Episode appeared.
He appeared on the Naoetsu private high school's sport field.
In the guise of fog -- he appeared.
"............"
Vampire hunter.
Half vampire.
He doesn't have the weak points of a vampire.
However -- even if weakened by half, the abilities of a vampire remained.
A guy with a thin lines image -- and sanpaku eyes.
White uniform.
He looks very young -- but the gigantic cross carried on a shoulder with one hand is refuting this impression.
With a faint smile like in that day -- he gave me a sharp glare.
Episode.
The guy who stolen Kissshot's left leg.
"That's hilarious"
He suddenly said.
Not even a word of apology for coming late.
"Really, it makes me laugh -- chief Dramaturgie was reverse exorcised by a brat like you, of all things. Talk about slacking off -- I really hate vampires' guts, including those of fellow vampire exorcists, and yet I still respected chief Dramaturgie, him alone --"
"........."
He was full of hostility and spite.
On top of that, he was looking down on me.
Well, if he hates vampires and humans, a former human like me who has just become a vampire must be his most hated type.
"Well? What should I do with you, brat?"
"......What you should do, you say"
"This is a fight -- in what should I fight you? I'm cool even with something not violent -- I feel like I will never lose to the likes of you"
"I'm sorry"
I say.
"Apart from being Kissshot's subordinate, I'm just a normal person -- among other things I was even a dunce. I can only go with vampire hunters and vampires. Besides, I don't think I can beat you in anything but rock paper scissors"
"Aw, man. That's -- hilarious"
I'm seriously laughing my head off, said Episode.
"You are unexpectedly a chicken. I've hunted some former human vampires, but -- they all got carried away more. Like they felt they had become all-powerful. Just because they obtained an ability akin to a mosquito, they put on the airs of world leaders. That's hilarious"
"............"
I don't know how much he strives for 'local lingo', but for this guy with a dangerous cross on the shoulder repeating 'that's hilarious' over and over can't help but feel so out of place...... {Episode speaks like an alpha male, but the expression translated with "that's hilarious" is only used by young girls}
I don't know what the person himself thinks about it, though.
"Well, I teach reality to those guys though. But it seems you don't need it -- It spares me the work. Therefore, today is special service"
Episode says, closing one eye.
That may have been a wink.
"I'll kill you in such a way your side effect won’t play out"
"......I've already heard those words before"
"It's my catchphrase. That's hilarious, right? When you'll imitate me, set it up properly"
Saying this -- Episode offered the hand from the side that didn't carry the cross.
A handshake?
A handshake before a fight?
The guy is surprisingly polite...... while thinking that, I tried to grasp that hand, however in that instant Episode quickly moved it --
-- and formed with it the scissors.
"Yeah, I win"
"............"
"You can't defeat me in rock paper scissors either -- therefore I'll beat you even with vampire hunters and vampires"
"Oshino is the type that I’m not good with."
I said.
"But you -- you are the type that I hate."
"Oh man, if you say this for people like me, you can't fight Guillotinecutter -- not even I can come close to his nastiness. Well, since tonight you will lose against me, luckily you won't ever have to fight him though"
"You are very self-confident"
"You can say it"
However, he said.
"I agree that man, Oshino Meme, is a twisted bastard. Man, that's hilarious. Because he put up this farce -- be it with a former human vampire or a genuine vampire, I've never done such fair and square battle"
"Let me hear the terms"
"Yeah. If I win you'll tell me Heartunderblade's whereabouts -- in the fat chance you defeat me I'll return the left leg of that girl. This kind of thing?"
"Yeah -- exactly"
"By the way, do you understand the meaning of these terms?"
Continued Episode with a grinning face while I nodded.
"It's forbidden to fight to kill -- in this battle. In order to get Heartunderblade's whereabouts from you, I can't kill you, if you want to get back from me the left leg of that girl, you can't kill me either. The action seems rough, yet it draws a line from being a deathmatch. It's a peaceful thing --"
"............"
A game.
Oshino defined it in that manner.
It is not a deathmatch, but a game.
"And -- it's like you say. Dramaturgie, Guillotinecutter, me too, we are all professional -- you don't have any odds of victory unless you do things this way. He chose the method that gave you some chance"
For -- real?
This is the balance thing?
That glib man -- did he think this far, and set up this kind of fight?
His neutral -- negotiation service.
2 million yen -- he asked.
"Well, obviously, if I just knew Kissshot Acerolaorion Heartunderblade's whereabouts, you and that woman, together -- guess what, I'd kill you in such a way your side effect won’t play out, you know?"
Episode laughs.
"Just so you know, don't think I'll go easy on you. I hate bullying the weak -- but I love bullying villains"
"Am I a villain?"
"You must be. You are a monster after all"
"......Even you"
Even you are the same.
I couldn't say that.
He is -- just half.
"Eh? Even you -- what? If there's something you want to say, spit it out"
"No, it's nothing...... there is nothing I want to say. Let's begin"
"Yeah, let's finish this"
The introduction was over.
Contrary to the time I fought Dramaturgie, it was me the one who attacked first -- in fact, I was thinking only about making the first move.
In fact, I don't have any fighting experience.
If I turn defensive, I'll start shaking in no time, and I won't understand anymore what's going on before my eyes -- I should at least launch myself into offense.
With a movement I saw on a manga, I rushed in and unleashed a punch I placed all my body weight on -- however, that punch cut the air.
Or to better say -- it cut the fog.
In an instant, Episode changed his body into fog -- it is impossible to hit the fog. I was drawn in by the arm on which I place my body weight on in a weird pose, and I staggered forward.
This is bad, the counterattack will come -- and I put myself on guard, however, having turned into fog, even the other person was likewise unable to attack.
Episode, turned to fog together with the huge cross,
"Sorry, but in raw strength I'm no match for you, the Kaii Killer's subordinate -- I don't plan to fight you in close combat"
He said, while in form of fog -- he restored his body in a place quite distant from me.
Even the cross is reconstituted.
The cross too became fog -- is it a part of his body, like with Dramaturgie?
No, I am mistaken...... if I had to say it, he handles it in the same way as the clothes.
The same as Dramaturgie and Kissshot's clothes.
It must be that.
"......What are you planning to do from that far away?"
"I'll do this!"
Said Episode --
And he threw that gigantic cross towards me.
Offhandedly --
Unlike what I did when I faced Dramaturgie before, he didn't have a pitching stance or anything, he threw it using just raw power.
"W......whoa"
It was completely unexpected.
Don't tell me he throws that gigantic cross, three times his height tall -- well, if we go there I too was going to throw a roller, but -- a vampire hunter that throws crosses!?
This guy is not pious at all!
I had thought it was a weapon, but -- I was adamant he was just going to use it like a broadaxe --!
"......Kuh!"
At the last moment -- I dodged it.
I dodged, and I mentally cursed.
Am I stupid, will I ever learn -- I don't have any need to dodge the opponent's attack! After all, with the regenerative power that comes from being Kissshot's subordinate, I'll be healed in the blink of an eye -- I thought I had to make the best of that advantage! That may be the common sense from when I was a human, but I unintentionally dodged by reflex. It was because I could see it with vampire eyes -- however.
However, this time it was a blessing.
The cross I thought I dodged, as a matter of fact just barely grazed my right shoulder -- and that right shoulder, the following instant, burst into flames.
It flared up.
It -- evaporated.
Exactly like the time I basked under the sunlight --
"T-The cross--!"
I mean -- isn't it a weak point of all vampires?
Even I knew at least that!
Episode was carrying it like it was overly, overly ordinary, furthermore its extreme conspicuity was on the contrary a blind spot -- that is, he was so completely unperturbed by me noticing it that I left it out of my consideration.
I see.
As a half vampire Episode doesn't have the weak points of the vampire -- in other words, he is unfazed by crosses.
The cross.
A gigantic cross.
And that weapon, it looked like there was nothing to it but if I touched it directly, it seems that the effect comes out.
That terrific effect.
The evaporated skin -- in addition, doesn't regenerate.
Well, it's not like it doesn't regenerate -- although the regeneration is abnormally slow. Even if it's the recovery power of the subordinate of Kissshot -- it doesn't catch up.
Then this is bad -- more than with the sun.
One just touches it directly and it has an instant effect.
And just for a scratch -- I am in this state.
What would have happened if I took the blow directly!?
"Eh......?"
While I was worrying over my wound, once again Episode turned into fog -- and in the form of fog he switched place.
I was convinced he would have come here to attack me, however, as previously stated, Episode didn't get close. Speaking of where he went, it was the spot he threw the gigantic cross at a moment ago.
Having grazed my shoulder tip, it pierced the sport field with a 10 meter long tip up to half its length. Episode restored his flesh nearby -- and then he uprooted the buried cross.
"Come to think of it, when you fought with chief Dramaturgie, you threw things from far away -- nice idea. I too, when I fight with Dramaturgie look-alikes, use the same trick -- like this!"
So saying -- he threw the cross a second time.
Aimed at me.
This time I avoid it perfectly -- however, while it might be true I dodged it, I couldn't relax. It took me a while to understand what kind of battle plan Episode decided for me, but now I got all the details.
In the previous battle with Dramaturgie.
Hanekawa observed basically two faults.
The first one --
"If your opponent did the same what would you do?"
Was this.
"With the physical strength of that big man, if he threw back your shot or roller, what would you have done?"
And then -- the second one.
"The scary thing with attacks from long range, more than anything else, is running out of ammunitions. Because you throw your weapon -- even if the cage was full of balls, I think it was a poor move throwing them without thinking"
What Episode was doing now against a vampire like me was admirably free from those two faults.
First, the throwing of that cross.
No matter how much I try, I can't throw back that cross -- in what way can I throw a cross I can't even touch?
The moment I touch it, the part that touched it evaporates.
Furthermore, there is no worry of running out of ammunitions.
He turns into fog -- and he can go taking back the tossed cross by himself.
"......Half vampire --"
He is unfazed with touching crosses.
He can turn his body into fog.
He is making the best use of his own advantages -- heck, he is using even the weak points!
"That's hilarious"
As supporting my conjecture -- once again he restored his body nearby the cross stuck into the ground.
And then with all his strength he pulled it out.
"I'll slowly shave you to death like this -- I beg you, at least take care of not getting your heart hit. It's not like I can kill yy--ouu !"
While speaking -- a surprise throw.
I can dodge it -- this maybe is because, as he said, I top him in terms of power. Even the arm strength of a half vampire can bring forth plenty of speed, and yet it is not something that can surpass the eyesight and explosive power of me as a full vampire.
Although -- as it is, certainly, he will shave me to death.
I don't have any card to play -- in the Gakuen Inou Batoru books I've read in these three days, there wasn't this kind of development!
I turn around.
As I thought, the cross was stuck into the ground.
That was -- exactly like a grave marker.
The cross stuck into the sport field --!
And then nearby there, his shape arose.
"You can give up -- although in any case tomorrow I'll kill you. You can think I have a one track mind, you can think I'm stuck in a rut, I don't care, I'll kill you with the same technique I'm using now -- because vampires are helpless against crosses"
"............"
He is -- a professional.
Although he acts from personal motives, he too is a pro.
I look at the shoulder wound received in the beginning. It still hasn’t completely regenerated -- I keep feeling a violent pain.
I have no plan.
At any rate, unless it was a short conclusive battle, there were no ways for the experience-less me to win against an experienced opponent -- although, against his careful set up -- I can do nothing.
Thus I'm in a desperate situation.
Even if I run to the physical storehouse, with the opponent being fog there is no meaning to throw shots or rollers -- what kind of counterattack should I do against an opponent who won't be hit by physical blows?
Due to the panic the body completely stiffened, if I'm like this I won't avoid Episode's next attack, I came up with this somehow strangely calm conclusion. It happened then.
"A -- Araragi-kun!"
That yell -- reached my ears.
An auditory hallucination this loud is impossible -- looking at the direction from where the voice came, who was the person there...... oh well, if that much was said it's already clear from the voice, it was Hanekawa Tsubasa.
She came out from behind the building.
Like in that day, she was -- hiding there?
How absurd -- Hanekawa was supposed to be back at home, and yet --
"You can't give up yet! Your opponent is fog, therefore --"
Like ignoring my confusion, Hanekawa shaped both hands as a megaphone by the mouth, and she kept yelling toward me.
"A fog, therefore -- in other words --"
"......That's hilarious"
He said.
Episode, without any hesitation, threw that gigantic cross prepared against me -- toward Hanekawa.
Eh?
What?
Why did he do that --
"Ha...... Hanekawaaaaa!"
The reflexes of Hanekawa are by no means poor, I hear.
She is a honor student.
Even her PE grades in themselves are outstanding -- although after all this is within the common sense of humans.
She cannot be compared to vampires, of course.
And neither to half vampires.
With her eyesight and explosive power, dodging that cross is unattainable -- she could slip out at most half a step from that place, that was all.
An arm of the cross -- dug through her flank.
Naturally, not being a vampire, even if she was touched by the cross she wouldn't ignite nor evaporate, but even so there is no mistaking that gigantic cross was a thick mass of silver.
Her tender flank.
Offered no resistance at all.
"..................!"
I mustered all my running speed, and rushed over to Hanekawa's spot. For my senses it took only a moment -- as a matter of fact, before Hanekawa fell backward on the ground, I managed to catch her.
However.
In the end it was already -- too late.
The uniform of Hanekawa got torn, her skin got torn, her muscles got torn, her ribs got torn, her internal organs got torn. A bright red blood poured out without end -- it didn't stop.
The wound is too big, stopping the blood is out of the question.
Of course -- the pieces of meat scattered around, or the blood gushed forth, didn't evaporate.
They soaked the sport field as they were.
Without hurry.
The red -- the red was sinking.
"Ha...... Hanekawa, Hanekawa, Hanekawa, Hanekawa!"
"......Ehhehhe"
Hanekawa.
She laughed like she felt shy.
In these circumstances.
Like she felt embarrassed her internal organs have been seen.
She acted shy.
"Araragi-kun, you are loud"
"............!"
"Y-Your cellphone"
The complexion of Hanekawa was steadily worsening.
And even then she didn't let down her smiling face.
She didn't let down her smiling face and continued.
"You forgot your cellphone. I've come -- to bring it to you"
"I-I don't care about the cellphone!"
I cried.
Although even Hanekawa understands that -- cellphones and so on, for Hanekawa are nothing more than a pretext.
I'm sure Hanekawa was simply worried.
Without going back home -- she came here.
And then, not being able to stand watching -- she came out.
There's no way she didn't understand how great the danger was!
"Get a grip on yourself...... your opponent is fog"
Though the ground was steadily being dyed red -- nevertheless the tone of Hanekawa was firm.
"The fog is, in other words, just water"
"......? ......Ha-Hanekawa?"
"Araragi-kun"
With a firm tone of voice -- she slowly closes her eyes.
"What was your record at the running long jump?"
I felt her weight.
Like taking those words as a cue, suddenly the body of Hanekawa got heavy. Though the blood is pouring out so much -- just by losing consciousness, humans become so heavy.
Then.
What happens if they lose their life.
"Ha -- Hilarious. How long are you gonna make me wait?"
I looked.
Episode had already picked up the cross which went through Hanekawa -- he was facing in this direction, and he was ready.
"If you keep standing there, the body of that girl will get injured more"
"Y-You"
"For your information, you’re the one who broke the pact first -- Kaii Killer's subordinate. It should have been a one-on-one. Well, since I also meddled with an outsider, I'll say we're even"
"Hanekawa -- is an ordinary human"
She can't be counted in.
What in the world could Hanekawa have done?
"Against an ordinary human, you--!"
And yet.
Even humans -- are your enemies?
Not only the ones you hate -- are enemies?
Not only vampires, even humans --!
Even if that's the case, you still shouldn't drag Hanekawa into this -- when she lost consciousness, with a firm tone of voice to the last moment, she gave me an advice, whose meaning unfortunately I didn't understand at a--
"............!"
Fog?
Water?
Running long jump?
Ah -- no.
No, I've understood.
I see...... it's 'advantage of terrain'.
I withdraw the previous statement, Hanekawa could be truly counted in.
With this, I can win!
"Ooooooooooooo!"
Yelling with all my strength -- I started running.
I lay down gently the body of Hanekawa on the sport field, and I put into practice, without further elaboration, a tactic I conceived from her hint.
The current position of Episode and 'that place' was in a straight line -- above that line, I stop my feet. And then, exactly at the same time, Episode throws at me the gigantic cross. That was perfect -- no, not yet.
If I don't dodge that cross I won't satisfy the requirements!
I don't jump, I crouch on the spot -- when the gigantic cross passes over my head, it takes away a tuft of hair.
And then the cross gets stuck into 'that place'.
"What what -- you should be angry yet in the end you just escape! Ha! You are lame through and through -- That's hilarious!"
Episode immediately turn his body into fog, and chases after the cross.
However I too wasn't going to stay in that place aimlessly -- from that crouched over stance, knees in a spring, I jump up at once!
With that shock, the sport field -- was not just dented, it was cracked.
I will have to make it level again afterwards.
However, now I couldn't care less about such thing -- It was the first time keeping a posture in mid-air, but it was quite difficult.
Vampire jumping power.
Vertically I jumped perhaps 20 meters.
And then, forward -- 20 meters.
Precisely as I aimed to.
I land in 'that place'.
'That place' -- like the PE storehouse, having attended this school for two years, and having received PE lessons, there's no way I don't know 'that place'.
That is -- installed at one end of the sport field, the sand pit.
I landed there.
Running long jump.
Though without the approach run.
I don't need it.
And yet this was surely a running long jump.
The landing happened right beside the cross who was stuck deep into the sand pit -- the arrival at the sand pit of Episode turned into fog, was once again simultaneous.
"Ha -- That's hilarious! A great power, however there is no way such imprecise kick can hit me as a fog!"
Still turned into fog Episode laughs.
It wasn't the case to laugh, though.
"Fog is nothing but water"
I say.
"If I were to spread around the sand here, what would happen?"
Running long jump -- when you land, you merrily scatter sand around.
Though that would have happened even with a normal running long jump -- this is a vampire running long jump. The sand stored in the sand pit got all dispersed -- it is an intense landing.
In addition, because of the cross Episode threw just before, the sand of the sand pit was stirred and dispersed -- my landing there was the final blow.
As expected.
Episode -- displayed his figure.
In the same way for example Hanekawa's blood has permeated the soil of the sport field -- Episode didn't have the intention, it was simply a physical phenomenon.
He showed his figure.
"Wh......Wh......!"
".........Ooo!"
With the chance of Episode being disoriented, I throw myself upon his slender body -- while the sand which flied up fell from the sky, I pushed down Episode on the spot with all my body weight.
Being mounted over, Episode still struggles and resists -- but I held him down against his will with brute force.
I hold him down with brute force, I wring his neck.
Episode can't turn his body into fog for a while.
If so -- with my strength, I win.
I.
I. I. I. I.
"..................!"
I’ll kill him!
There is a me that from somewhere, from a place that is not here, is observing a me in whom the inside of the head is becoming completely empty.
Completely empty.
The fact I was transformed into a vampire, my opponent being a half vampire, Kissshot's left leg, everything -- has disappeared from inside my head.
There are only.
There are only the internal organs of Hanekawa.
Inside a completely empty head, I cling to them -- therefore.
Therefore I, he,
Just him –- I have to kill--
"Enough"
Tap.
In that moment -- a light hand was laid on my shoulder.
"If you go further -- you will lose your humanity"
"............!"
Without taking off my hands from Episode's neck, I look over my shoulder -- the person there was a man with an aloha shirt, Oshino Meme.
While sand was raining down.
He was standing there like it was natural.
"A--Ah"
Even that time with Dramaturgie -- he was watching from somewhere, he said. Therefore he was certainly doing it this time too. I had completely forgotten this -- however, if that's the case!
"Y-You! Couldn’t you have stopped Hanekawa!"
"Don't yell it. You are so energetic, did something good happen?"
Even in a situation like that -- Oshino broke in a frivolous laugh.
He was displaying a rather annoying smiling face.
"However even if you are energetic, I'm sorry but you are in the middle of a match. Look, he fainted"
"Eh --"
After being told I notice it.
Episode was showing the white of his eyes. I took off my hands confused, I distinctly left the mark of my fingers on the base of his neck.
"E...... Eh?"
What was I trying to do now?
Was I -- trying to kill him?
Him, a half vampire...... half human?
However -- however, Hanekawa.
Hanekawa.
"Hanekawa!"
"Ah, I saw her"
"How could you watch -- why didn't you stop her!"
"Not covered by the fee. I am contracted only for negotiations with the three specialists of vampire exorcism -- more than that costs extra. I have no concern with an ordinary person"
Two million --
The compensation fee.
The balance.
"Then say it from the beginning! If you'd told me so--"
"You could have paid her part of fee, another two million yen, you say?"
"Two million? I would have paid you even three million yen!"
"Woah, that's grand"
"This is not the time to joke, Oshino!"
"It's not a joke, it's bargaining, Araragi-kun. And with three million yen, negotiations are completed"
Said Oshino unfazed.
"I'll give you a hint, then. Use your head a little, Araragi-kun -- what do you use your immortal body for?"
"Er --"
"Well, it's like you say, just because a single human took part in the strife between a vampire and a half vampire, there's no reason to kill. That's overdoing -- therefore for that additional charge I will tell you one good thing. This is a case where you don't wring any neck -- try remembering"
"Remember, you say......"
What?
There wasn't even time to think about this question.
Like Kisshot showed me before -- I formed a handchop, and I plunged it into my temple.
I don't care that you can't turn this into an anime!
With all my strength -- I fiddle with my brain. I savor the revolting touch of blood, spinal fluid and brain until I'm sick and tired of it -- and then.
"............!"
I immediately remembered.
A special characteristic of vampires -- I immediately knew what to do. On the spot, with the hand still plunged inside the brain -- I left behind Oshino and Episode, and with all my strength I ran up to the body of Hanekawa lying down.
Five minutes.
If the oxygen doesn't go to the brain for five minutes, the brain ceases activity -- speaking on the converse if I make it in time, even if the heart has stopped, she should be safe.
Safe.
Not even three minutes has passed yet.
I extract the handchop from my temple -- and I drop the blood stuck on that hand into the hollowed flank of Hanekawa, into that excessively big wound.
I heard it from Kissshot.
In the blood of vampires there is a healing effect -- and then in this case, this blood is the blood of me, the subordinate of Kissshot, the Iron-Blooded, Hot-Blooded, Cold-Blooded Vampire.
Obviously, since my vampire blood evaporates from the point that bleeds, I created wounds on my body, one after another, it was necessary to keep the blood pouring -- I did it.
And before my eyes -- it was visible.
The wound of Hanekawa was healing.
The internal organs were regenerated, the bones were regenerated, the muscles were regenerated, the skin was regenerated -- and in the end, without leaving not even one scar -- she was restored.
More than regeneration -- it seemed like regression.
I try touching her gently.
I try stroking Hanekawa's flank.
Pale and gently sloping, that part seemed even thin for her years -- very tender, it looked so glassy that if you pushed it would have collapsed, but still it was certainly real.
"......A-aaa"
In one breath.
Emotions stifled to death escape out.
In the blink of an eye, the chest is filled.
"Ha--Hanekawa!"
I hugged her belly passionately.
Though if I squeezed her with the strength of a vampire and broke her thin body, I would be back to square one.
"......Araragi-kun"
Says suddenly Hanekawa who seems to have recovered consciousness.
No -- it seems her consciousness returned a little while back.
"Why are you rubbing your cheek on my stomach like it is so precious for you?"
"Er"
"In addition, is my ripped uniform by any chance your deed?"
It may happen that people are unable to recollect what happened just before losing consciousness.
It seems that somehow this is also the case for Hanekawa.
Let aside your uniform, even your organs were ripped, you know.
"Please, Hanekawa"
I said to her, without changing posture, with my face buried in her flank.
I want to make sure she is alive.
"Let me stay like this just a little longer"