Rumors refer to statements that are widely circulated or have no basis in their source. They are often used together with gossip to form the Chinese idiom "rumors", which mostly refer to slanderous and defamatory statements spread behind someone's back.
Due to human's social attributes and bad nature, there will be rumors wherever humans gather. When some bizarre rumors ferment, urban legends are born.
The same is true of this small town in Tokyo.
"Have you heard? Someone went missing again yesterday."
"I heard about it, I heard about it, it seems like a female ghost is causing trouble or something. Grandma said that the female ghost of Hongye has been haunting here for many years."
"Oh, there are still people who believe in such old-fashioned legends."
"I didn't believe it before, but my dad did see it a few days ago. It was red hair that looked like blood, glowing in the dark."
"Wow, is this true?"
"Really? At least my dad has no reason to lie to me about this."
"Could it be that your father saw it wrong?"
"Probably not. He pinched himself hard at the time. It was very severe. The mark has not disappeared yet."
"Your father is really cruel."
"I think so too. Do you think we should go look for that red leaf ghost?"
"Why are you looking for her? You want to die."
"Don't you believe it?"
"I believe it now."
This was a conversation between two female students after school one day. Neither the speaker nor the listener took it too seriously, but to someone who paid close attention, it had a different meaning.
"Excuse me for interrupting you. You just mentioned the Red Leaf Ghost? I want to ask about the details."
A male student interrupted their conversation.
Maybe it was because it was not a serious matter, or maybe it was because the boy looked weak and honest, so the girl who claimed that someone in her family saw a female ghost did not hide it.
"It was three nights ago, around 10pm, on the small road that turns left at the second intersection ahead."
"Crossroads, small road..." The boy looked at the direction the girl pointed, thinking, "Thank you."
"Well... I also know a little bit about the legend of the female ghost. If you are interested, we can go to that cafe and sit for a while..."
Another girl suggested, but before she could finish she was interrupted by a new voice.
"No."
Another girl came over, wearing the same school uniform as the boys, her long black hair flying in the wind, and her dignified and beautiful face filled with oppression because of her serious expression.
"Qiu Ye..." The boy glanced at the new girl, and it was obvious that they knew each other.
"We have plans later, right, Shiki?"
The girl gently held the boy's arm, and her serious expression turned into a gentle smile, but the feeling of oppression increased instead of decreasing.
The boy was a little embarrassed. Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly felt a pain in his waist. He could only smile dryly and nodded.
"What? So you have an appointment."
The girl who suggested going to the coffee shop looked disappointed. She took her companion's hand and left. You could hear the two of them talking as they walked.
"Why did you want to date that boy? He looks ordinary, nothing good about him."
"That's because you have bad eyesight. You didn't see it. That boy is very handsome, but he is blocked by those big old-fashioned glasses. Ah, I didn't expect that there are people with the same good eyesight as me and they are so beautiful."
"Shame on you, you're obviously much uglier than others."
"Okay, if you say I'm ugly, I'll tear your mouth apart!!!"
"Don't be impatient, don't be impatient, you are uglier than her, but your breasts are bigger than hers."
"I like to hear that. I'll let you go."
...
"Hehe, hehe, hehe..."
With a sneer, her long black hair trembled and danced. It was not blown by the wind, but forced out by the air pressure surrounding Qiu Ye.
"Calm down, calm down, Akiha, you don't want the legend of the red leaf ghost to reappear in the sun, do you?" Shiki hurriedly comforted.
After hearing what he said, Qiu Ye finally calmed down. The ends of her hair that had been turning red returned to their original black color. She coughed embarrassedly.
"I'm sorry I lost my temper."
"Sure enough, Qiuye is very concerned about her figure."
Shiki's gaze paused on Akiha's chest for a moment, but this moment still did not escape Akiha's perception.
"Brother, are you thinking about something rude?"
"No, absolutely not." Shiki shook his head quickly. Are you kidding? He wouldn't dare to admit it even if you beat him to death.
After more than a year of getting along, Shiki has figured out Akiha's personality. She looks dignified and elegant, but in fact she is still the little girl in her childhood. She depends on him, gets angry from time to time, and will resort to violence when she is angry, especially when a girl gets close to her.
For this reason, she transferred from a noble girls' school in a neighboring city to her own high school. The day she transferred there was a sensation, and the boys went crazy. However, Akiba ignored those boys. In school, apart from polite social interactions, the only person she could talk to was herself. Shiki sadly discovered that high school life was getting further and further away from the peace he was pursuing.
Sometimes I really envy Gan Ye, the boy sighed more than once. Unfortunately, he didn't know that Gan Ye was under no less pressure than him. He was calm, but his life was not.
After sighing once more, Shiki began to change the subject skillfully, which was also a trick he had figured out while getting along with Akiha.
"Qiuye, why do you want me to ask about the female ghost? Do you..."
"It's not me." Qiu Ye knew what his brother was going to ask and denied it directly.
"But you've been out every night lately..."
"How did my brother know that I was out? Could it be Amber..."
"It's none of their business. I saw you walk out of the porch with my own eyes."
"That's because I need to investigate something... No, I'm afraid you can still see me at this late hour, brother... Brother, could you please explain it to me?"
Long hair flying, oppression reappears. My brother went out in the middle of the night, this is a big deal, what if he got together with some questionable women...
"Ahahaha, you saw through me." Shiki touched the back of his head embarrassedly, "I also have something I want to investigate. Recently, I always feel that this city is weird, and I have a bad feeling. It's like being soaked in a sink, and it's hard to breathe, especially at night. I asked Mr. Orange, and he said that this city is 'distorted';."
"So my brother has noticed it, too. Indeed, something is invading this city. As the local manager and head of the Tohno family, I have an obligation to find out the truth and prevent the anomaly from affecting ordinary citizens. So, my brother—"
"—You want to say that you can do it? I'm sorry, that's not possible. I'm also a member of the Tohno family, and the eldest son. Your obligations are my obligations."
"I am the head of the family, and I have the final say. My brother is not in good health and should rest at home."
"Your ability is not stable either, is it? And I'm the older brother, and it's my duty to protect my younger sister."
Akiba stubbornly refused to agree, and Shiki argued with him, and neither of them gave in.
PS: We have to admit that the humans in "Tsukihime" are obviously a level higher than those in Fate. Just look at Shion, the next dean of Atlas Academy. Her status and potential are comparable to Lorelaia. Rin, Sakura, and Shirou are all a level weaker than them in terms of strength and potential.