Ten minutes after Elquet and Shiki left.
The blue-haired girl, wearing a dark, loose nun's uniform and long boots, stood on a distant street lamp facing the wind, quietly watching the entire fierce battle.
"Hmm... I was right about you... Shiki-kun."
"In that case, can I leave the aftermath to you, Deputy Priest?"
Behind her, the twelve-year-old priest substitute, Mario Jezzero Bestino, a boy in red clothes and short gray-blond hair, stood there, as if floating in the air.
"What? You noticed it but didn't say hello."
"That system, has it arrived?"
"I'm here, but it's really annoying. The Church's most advanced creation, containing the power of kiva... I had to deliver it to the dogs of the Burial Agency...!"
"With this kind of power, if you use it to its full potential and combine it with the Seventh Sacred Scripture, it's not impossible to kill the True Ancestor~"
"..."
"Oh yeah, let me tell you another piece of news. A fragment of Kiva's memory is showing signs of awakening in this city. Don't die in such a horrible way~"
"Anyway, my goal this time is Roya's workshop, but it would be great if I could capture that Kiva memory fragment."
........................
"Bite tight"
"henshin."
The unknown man was covered in red and black armor, and the green eyes on the bat-like mask lit up, transforming into a Kiva-like appearance.
The cloak behind her fluttered in the wind, and she stood like a king, her deep green eyes fixed on "Elquet" in front of her. She smiled at the kiva in front of her.
I don't know what happened, but after a miraculous attack that seemed like "magic" that I couldn't understand,
Under the reflection of a blood moon, Kiva jumped high, and his elusive figure fell like a meteor, kicking the woman solidly with a devastating blow.
In an instant, a bright ball of light appeared between the two of them, accompanied by a roar, and continued to expand until it swallowed up the entire world...
........................
…
not bad.
At least, I wasn't woken up by a nightmare today! But it was still a strange dream. Who was that woman whose face looked exactly like Elquet's? And that strange kiva, I always feel an inexplicable sense of familiarity...
A morning like this where you aren't woken up by a nightmare can set the mood for the day.
The warm and gentle sunshine gently shines on my body, and the fresh fragrance of flowers and plants drifts into the room.
But the injuries I got yesterday were still painful, especially my legs, which still felt like they were burning. This was probably the result of using Dark Moon Break on both legs at the same time.
"Good morning, dear kivat~"
"Um... Good morning, Shiki. Why do you seem strange? And why do you get up so early today?"
Kivat hung upside down on the hanger in the bedside cabinet, wiping his eyes sleepily with his left wing.
"I don't know, maybe I slept well last night... Jadeite?! Why are you here!?"
"Good morning, Master Shiki. I came here to wake you up, but I didn't expect you to wake up so early."
As she spoke, Jade poked her head towards the closet, then began to think doubtfully.
"Also, Lady Akiba is already waiting for you in the reception room. She wants to hear your detailed account of the past two days."
! Is it true that I can't escape this hurdle? ! Even though my body is in this condition, my sister won't let me go? !
"Oh... ok! I'll go right away."
Shiki was just about to get out of bed, but as soon as his legs touched the ground, he felt so weak that he fell to the ground.
"Master Shiki! Are you okay...?"
"No...it's okay. I'm just a little uncomfortable with it."
Toono Shiki trembled and supported himself on the bed before he managed to stand up.
"Then please take this."
Hisui brought a cane from outside and handed it to Shiki.
"Oh! Thank you Hisui!"
"Well, your clothes are ready. If there is nothing else, I will leave now."
Jade bowed deeply and left the room.
"So~ Don't use that trick again! It's too dangerous! Hey, Shiki! Are you listening?!"
Shiki stared at the crutch in his hand quietly, resisting the strange urge to break it with his knee, and tried to recall something but quickly gave up.
Well, Jade is so gentle and considerate~ I wish Akiha could be like this now...
........................
As soon as Shiki pushed open the door of the reception room, a strong cold air hit him in the face, making Shiki wonder if Volov had been resurrected before his eyes.
"Brother...it's a little late."
Qiu Ye closed his eyes calmly, leaning on the sofa with his arms folded across his chest, as if he was taking a comfortable rest.
"Ahem... sorry, but this is my fastest speed~"
Toono Shiki limped and sat on the sofa opposite Toono Akiha.
"Brother's legs, what's wrong with them?"
"It's okay! I just got a little hurt while I was out."
"Is that really the case?"
Toono Shiki looked at Akiba in confusion as she stood up and walked to her side, then watched her step on her.
! ! ! !
It felt like an electric current was running through his body, and the feeling as if his legs were being torn and roasted rushed to his brain. But even though veins bulged, cold sweat instantly gushed out and his face turned pale, Toono Shiki didn't even cry out.
"Eh... it doesn't look like a minor injury, so please tell me everything that happened over the past two days, as we agreed before."
"..."
"Are you still hesitating? Brother, your living expenses have been cut to half last time."
!
"If...if I really tell you everything, Akiha...can my living expenses...and curfew time...be increased?"
"Ah~ That, of course. If you tell me in detail, I will consider it, so please tell me."
"But I refuse."
"Wha…what?!"
"My favorite thing is...! Wait, stop stepping on my feet! I really can't tell Akiha the details..."
"Why is that? Didn't you promise to tell me everything when you come back?"
"…I'm sorry, I can only tell you my situation in general. I have something I have to do, not only for Akiha, but also for more people…"
"Even if this may cost me my life, do you have to do it?"
"Well, I have to go. I can't make the same mistake again. I won't let myself get paralyzed anymore. Since it's something I can do, I will try it regardless of the result."
"Is that so... But these few days are really dangerous. Brother, you also know about those people who died because their blood was sucked out! At least don't go out these few days, brother."
"No, this won't happen again! That vampire culprit no longer exists!"
"…?"
"..."
Oh no, it exploded.
"I mean, I saw with my own eyes the arrest of the culprit yesterday!"
"Who asked you?"
"..."
"Master Akiba, Master Shiki, breakfast is ready~"
Amber's cry was so shining, like a life-saving straw.
"Ahahahaha…Akiha! Let's eat first, and we'll talk slowly after we're done."
Without giving anyone a chance, Toono Shiki picked up his crutches and rushed out the door.
........................
Ah~
I haven't eaten Amber's cooking for a few days. It turns out that only her dishes are more to my taste. As for Elquet's... forget it.
...
Elquite...
Now that the mastermind behind these incidents has been dealt with, my escort mission is over.
I had no other reason to meet her. If we meet again, should I treat her as an enemy like a vampire as I said at the beginning, or...
If we could meet again...
wrong! What's wrong with me! The being named Tohno Shiki no longer had any connection with her, so why was her figure and her...smile all in her mind now?
Thinking of this, Tohno Shiki's mouth corners unconsciously rose up, and he strolled around the mansion leisurely.
"Wuwuwu!"
This sound...seems to be coming from my room...?
Oh no! Kivat was nowhere to be seen when we were having dinner just now! I was wondering why there was so much food today!
Shiki Tono quickly walked to his room with the help of crutches, and with a bad premonition, he pushed the door open.
What came into view was not the twisted and weird figure of a monster, but the white figure that had been muttering just now.
"Ah! Shiki~ Welcome back~"
"Excuse me."
Close the door gently.
wrong!
Kivat is still in there!
The door was opened with a bang. Kivat was tied to the coat rack with his mouth and body tied with several layers of tape. He was struggling and trying to flap his wings.
"As expected! Has your evil side as a vampire finally revealed itself?!"
Toono Shiki quickly raised his cane and aimed it at Elquet, who had one hand on his waist and looked unhappy.
But his trembling body had already shown that this would be a one-sided battle without any suspense.
"Hey! What evil side do you have? Is that how you see me? I only came here to meet Shiki!"
"Are you an idiot?! Do you want to meet someone just by barging into their house?!"
"Master Shiki? What happened?"
The sound of the doorknob turning startled Shiki, who was about to argue with Elquet.
!
It's over. If I'm discovered here, my life in the Toono family will be completely over.
"Ah~ Is it someone from Shiki's family? Well, this is a good opportunity to meet them~"
"!!!!
Wait! My bad! It's all my fault! Elquet came to see me with good intentions, and it was wrong for me to do this!
Please! Don't open the door! "
Toono Shiki was so anxious that he threw away his crutches and almost knelt down in front of Elquet.
"Okay! See you in the backyard square later~"
After saying that, Elquet jumped out of the window easily like an agile golden cat.
"No...it's okay! Jadeite, just go do your thing! Hahaha..."
"Are you really alright…?"
"No! No! I just ate too much, so I just did some exercise, haha~"
"Okay... I won't bother you anymore then."
The footsteps faded away, and the reassuring silence returned.
His tense nerves were relaxed for a moment, and Shiki Tono quickly tore off the tape on the kivat.
"Are you okay? Kivat! Don't die!"
"...I almost suffocated. Shiki, you chose to bicker with that woman instead of coming to help me right away...
You've changed... Shiki. "
After saying this, Kivat's eyes turned white and he fainted.
........................
"So, what are you planning on doing with the kivat?"
"I was just curious and wanted to try out Kiva's armor..."
"Besides that, it's wrong to just barge into someone else's house! At least knock on the front door properly!"
"Feel sorry..."
"You idiot——huh?"
"I know! I won't do that again next time... I just wanted to see how Shiki is recovering..."
The bright red eyes suddenly dimmed at this moment, and the two adobe hairs drooped limply.
"Ah… is that so…"
Tono Shiki, who had just criticized Elquet, felt nervous when he saw her like this.
She is really going too far!
Guilt and remorse filled his heart, making it difficult for Shiki to breathe.
"I'm sorry... I misunderstood you."
"It's okay, I forgive Shiki too~ Ah! By the way! Let's get down to business!"
Elquet clapped his hands, the light returned to his eyes, his ahoge stood up again, and he suddenly took out a jar from somewhere behind his back.
It seemed to be filled with colorful strange energy.
"Yeah! Together with the two Fangire we met at the door, these should be enough!"
"The two...fangire at the door?"
"Let's go, Shiki!"
After saying that, Arquette excitedly grabbed Shiki's hand and ran towards the strange building.
I didn't realize it until I got closer.
The square building with its medieval-style windows and appearance is more appropriately described as a small castle than a building.
"Well, it's time to let it get up and move around after sleeping for so long~"
"castle?"
"I'm getting close, but what's the specific name...?"
"Castle Dranlong."
Kivat answered almost reflexively.
"Yes! That's the name!"
"Kivat, do you know it?"
"Hmm... I don't know, but it looks so familiar..."
"Well, it's time to wake it up!"
Arquette arrived in front of the castle, closed his eyes and gently pressed his hands on the outer wall. After taking a deep breath, he suddenly opened his eyes, and his muscles instantly tensed as he pressed down hard.
After the castle shook, Elquet opened the bottle, and a large amount of life energy gushed out instantly and floated in front of the castle.
A huge dragon head with long dark green horns slowly raised itself up and yawned as if it had just woken up. Then its four limbs stretched out from the castle. It blinked its big eyes and stared at the scattered life energy as if it had found prey, then stretched its head and swallowed them all.
"Wow! Is this a real dragon?!"
"What else? Could it be fake? Let's go in and take a look."
........................
The interior of Castle Dranlong is also very large. Although not as large as the Tono Residence, it should be one-fourth of its size and can be used as a small stronghold.
The rooms inside are neatly arranged, with a medieval decorative style everywhere, exuding a sense of nobility.
Although it seemed that no one had been here for a long time, there was not much dust inside and the air was not very turbid.
Shiki Tono followed Elquet through the castle that was like a maze.
"So, why did Elquet come to wake it up?"
"Because some things require its power."
"Power? What are you going to use it for? Volov has already been defeated. Who else do you need to use this power against?"
"That's right, Volov has been defeated, but the purpose of my trip is not Volov~ I will explain the specific situation to you later."
"Is that so... But is such a big dragon going to stay in the Tohno family like this?!"
"Don't worry, he can disguise himself. Ordinary people won't be able to see his true face."
"Is that so... It seems that Akiha is hiding a lot of secrets too..."
"Hold on tight, Shiki. Be careful not to get lost in there."
"Oh, okay."
But if nothing unexpected happens, something unexpected will definitely happen.
The castle suddenly began to shake violently, and Toono Shiki, who already had difficulty with his legs, staggered and fell towards the gate next to him.
"Oh no! Al—"
The door opened automatically when it sensed Shiki's approach, and the ball of light inside instantly enveloped Shiki.
As he disappeared inside, the door slowly closed.
"Is the Dranlong out of control...? Shiki, you stay here! I'll go first--Shiki?"
Elquet looked around the corridor in confusion, but did not see any sign of Tohno Shiki.
"Ah! Really! Why don't you listen to me every time!"
"I'll definitely teach him a lesson later! Well, let me tear him into pieces first!"
........................
After a burst of dazzling light that can instantly blind people, there is endless darkness and a feeling of floating, followed by a feeling of dizziness, strong winds whistling in the ears, and a strong and nauseating feeling of weightlessness stimulating the brain.
Wait, weightlessness?
When Toono Shiki opened his eyes, he found that he was actually free falling in the air, and the darkness just now was a sea of clouds in the night sky! But it does not mean that everyone is wandering in the air with nothing to rely on. The hill below was almost within reach, and it seemed that the only fate waiting for him was to be crushed to pieces.
If kivat was here at this time...
Suddenly, a small light hole appeared next to it, and the familiar figure finally appeared.
"Shiki! Why did you suddenly enter that door!?"
"What the hell is going on? I don't want to do this!"
"Anyway, let's solve this matter first.
I bite! "
Kivat quickly hung himself on the belt to complete the transformation. Toono Shiki quickly adjusted his posture and slammed heavily to the ground in a relatively maximum cushioning posture.
"It turns out that it still won't work without me!"
"Phew...thanks, kivat!"
As Kivat flew away, Shiki, who had released his transformation, looked around curiously. Something seemed to be burning, but at this moment his eyes met the surprised gazes of the other two.
With the help of the moonlight, Tono Shiki was finally able to see the two people clearly.
The one on the right is a girl with short black hair wearing a hat and a black coat. The other one in a burgundy skirt and a white down jacket with a glowing right hand is... the teacher? !
Shiki rubbed his eyes hard in disbelief. He couldn't have seen it wrong! Although I don't know why his hair color has changed to brown-black, and its length is not as exaggerated as the waterfall in my impression, but I will never forget those blue eyes and that handsome and beautiful face!
Toono Shiki waved excitedly and limped towards them.
"Hey——Teacher! Is that you?! Was that glowing thing just now magic?!"
"Shiki! Wait!"
At this moment, Shiki seemed to be able to meet Aozaki Aoko every day, but unfortunately, Aozaki Aoko on the opposite side did not seem to recognize Tohno Shiki in front of her.
After hearing what Kivat said, Shiki realized something and instinctively jumped to the side.
The original position was bombarded by something similar to a light bullet.
Toono Shiki looked at the girl who stretched out her right hand in disbelief.
"Wait... wait! Teacher! I'm Shiki! I'm Tohno Shiki!"
"Tohno Shiki? I have no impression of you. I have never seen a human being who can fall from a great height and still be alive and kicking! I have never accepted any students, so who are you?"
Aozaki Aoko looked down at Tohno Shiki who was slumped in front of her with a hostile look on her face.
However, the fact is that even if Aozaki Aoko believed that Shiki was a human, she still couldn't escape being killed because Shiki saw her using magic here.
This... this is bad. Do I have to fight the teacher here...
Suddenly, the figures of Tono Shiki and Kivat who were lying on the ground gradually became transparent and ethereal... and finally turned into stars and disappeared...
"No... it's gone?! What's going on! What kind of magic is this! Do you know anything about Yuju?"
The girl named Youzhu closed her eyes and stroked her chin, thinking deeply for a while.
"Hmm... I'm not sure, but I know you missed one just now..."
The sound of footsteps was betrayed by the weeds, and a distant figure instantly disappeared into the darkness...
"W-What?! What on earth is going on tonight!!!"
........................
The world and the scene before my eyes quickly disappeared...
It reappears before our eyes as if atoms are reorganizing.
The place where Tono Shiki was sitting changed from soil to sand.
Yeah, I know.
This teacher is not a teacher I am familiar with.
But after not seeing her for so many years, I saw her again.
I really want to tell her that I have gained great power, that I can get along well with my friends and family, and that I can use this power to protect everyone...
I really want to tell her...even if she just nods or smiles...
But it is obvious that the most urgent task is not to explain these things to the teacher, but to figure out what happened first.
"Kivat, what is going on?"
The bright starry sky with a single moon hanging high in the sky suddenly became the blazing sun.
The summer sun is scorching the beach where I am.
Waves of sea water splashed against my feet.
There are high mountains standing in the distance, dense forests, birds singing freely and a visible winding coastline.
This place looks like... an island?
"Hmm... let me think about it..."
Kivat rested his left wing on his nonexistent chin, thinking, and suddenly pointed upwards.
"Hey!
We must have time traveled! "
"...Can't I see that? The environment and time are obviously different!
I'm asking for the specific reason! "
"Why is this happening? I'm also looking for the answer - Oh! The door in Castle Dranlong seems to have the ability to transcend time, if my vague memory is correct!"
"Is it really that door? Can we still go back?"
"I don't know, let's just take it one step at a time~
But I can feel that some abilities here seem to still be usable.
"The Azure Iron Horse"——! "
As Kivat blew the whistle, a motorcycle actually drove out from the bushes nearby... ? !
"Great! This way we can find the local residents faster! The most urgent thing is to find a place to stay, otherwise we will starve today!"
"Well, let's just muddle through."
Toono Shiki put on his helmet, got on the motorcycle and started the engine. Kivat grabbed Shiki's shoulders, and the man and the bat rushed towards the center of the island.
........................
The surrounding woods quickly rushed backwards,
If we continue along this dirt road, we should see people soon.
However, it was not only the roar of the engine that entered my ears, but also the nearby...
"No fear~no pain~...
WBX 2 People's Body & Soul ~...
バキバキBurnin' heart~..."
......
Kivat was like a car stereo, constantly singing all kinds of songs I'd never heard of in all kinds of weird, off-tune ways.
"Kivat! Can you be a little quieter? Or at least finish singing the song completely!"
"OK, start your engine!"
"..."
"Wait! Shiki, in front!"
"Hmm, what——!"
A small pickup truck was coming towards us, and the other party was honking the horn continuously, but how could we avoid it on such a narrow dirt road?
Oh no, if I get hit like this, with my body type, I might end up being a "Kamen Rider" in a wheelchair for the rest of my life!
Shiki, desperate, finally decided to use his own weight to force the motorcycle to the right. There was a sound of metal friction and sparks. The motorcycle passed by the pickup truck, but soon due to the unstable center of gravity, both the man and the motorcycle slid into the woods with a harsh sound...
"Xia Lei... just now... he flew out, right...?"
"Kelly! Let's go check on him!"
The girl parked the car on the side of the road and quickly ran with the boy to the place where Tono Shiki fell...