"elder brother!!!"
"Tono-san!!!"
Qiuye and May shouted at the same time.
Shion also hurriedly said: "Don't be fooled by him, Tohno Shiki. He may have borrowed your image and abilities, but he is not you, just an illusion created by the vampire."
"vampire?"
Shiki gripped the frame of his glasses more and more tightly, his voice became deeper, and a strange aura emanated from his whole body. At this moment, he was extremely similar to the murderer lying on the ground.
"Is the source of all this the vampire?"
"Yes. That vampire is called 'Tartari' or 'Vallachia Night'. It is a vicious existence that can turn 'rumors', 'inner fears' and other 'evil information' into reality, creating bloodshed and killing. But this kind of reality cannot be created out of nothing, it must be based on certain information. The killer ghost in front of us appeared with the help of your image, and the 'Red Leaf Ghost' that has been spreading more and more recently should have borrowed the image of Tono Akiha."
After hearing Shion's explanation, Qiuye's expression became serious. That dark aura, which was completely different from her usual perfect young lady, made May feel very uncomfortable.
"Is this real? A fake one wearing my brother's face."
"I've told you, don't call me a fake." The killer once again struggled to get up from the ground, fully demonstrating his tenacious vitality that was different from that of humans.
Qiu Ye snorted, waved his hand, and inserted his five fingers into the wall like cutting tofu, all the way to the root, and then glanced coldly at the murderer.
The latter swallowed and whispered: "How could anyone be so violent—"
Halfway through his speech, seeing that Qiu Ye's hair was turning red, the killer immediately swallowed the following "I like it" and returned to the main topic.
"As you said, I am just a phantom materialized by 'Tatari'. However, you also said that even a phantom cannot come out of nothing. It needs the support of information to be materialized. My support is your killing impulse, Shiki Toono. My image can be false, my existence can be false, only this impulse, this high impulse that cannot be suppressed no matter what, is real. Come on, Shiki Toono, come and kill, this is where you belong."
At the mention of killing, the killer fell into madness again, and his body was constantly repaired and restored to its original state as time passed.
"Sure enough, I should have killed you just now."
Lizbaifei complained impatiently, and her left hand triggered a mechanism, which ejected the "holy nail" with destructive properties hidden in the shield. Once hit by it, even the manifestation of "evil intelligence" could not be recovered.
Just before the female knight was about to attack, Shiki, who was surrounded by a gloomy aura, blocked her way.
"This lady, the agent from the church."
"I am not an agent, I am the knight Lizbefe Stolindobarry."
"I'm sorry, Miss Knight, please let me handle this... murderer. The Tono family is the local management, and as the eldest son, I have the obligation to handle this matter. Moreover, since he appeared in my image and wanted to hurt my friends - no matter from which angle, I am the most suitable person to handle this matter."
"It's a pity, but you're right. But if you can't kill him for sure, I will."
Lizbeife put away the "holy nails", stepped back two steps, and used her shield to protect Shion and May, not giving the killer a chance to sneak attack. Although she was afraid of trouble, and her usual style was far from that of a clergyman, she was impeccable in this aspect of being a knight.
A knight is someone who stands at the front of the team and never lets his teammates get hurt unless he falls down. Although it is only temporary, Lizbeife has already identified Shion and May as teammates.
Shiki said "thank you" calmly, and then said to the killer, "I have a question."
"Just ask." The killer moved his recovered hands.
"Do you know where the vampire Tatali is hiding?"
"I don't know. I am a phantom, a phantom that only knows how to kill. Come on, let's fight." The killer urged while shaking his head.
"You haven't fully recovered yet. Wait a little longer. I also need some time."
Shiki said as he looked up at a dark corner not far away.
"I'd like to hear your opinion, Mr. Orange."
"Eh?"
Qiu Ye was stunned, just in time to see an eyeball flying out from the corner, and couldn't help but say angrily.
"Orange, you're following us!"
A female voice came from inside the big eyeball.
"Don't say such harsh words. If Hisui and Kohaku weren't worried about your safety, I wouldn't have wasted such a precious magic tool. Shiki, I don't have much time, so I'll be brief."
"Not much time? Could it be--" Shiki and Akiha looked at each other, with a hint of worry on their faces.
"It's the phantom of 'Valachia Night'. Is there any family in this city more suitable to be the carrier of rumors than the Tohno family? Take you, Akiha, for example. You were recently seen patrolling at night, so the Momiji ghost was born. It's probably the same with Shiki. When someone goes missing, people will naturally think of a murderer, and Shiki has great potential in this regard."
"I'll be back soon." Qiu Ye was anxious.
"That's not necessary. I can handle it here. You guys should focus on solving the current problem. Once it's done, it would be best to invite those ladies back to be guests and discuss the matter of 'Vallachia Night' together."
"You don't have to tell me, just be careful over there too." Qiu Ye warned.
"Don't worry about me, I'll do it. Shiki, remember that the urge to kill and the dark side are indeed a part of you, an inseparable part. However, it is not all of you, nor is it invincible. Now is the best chance to defeat it. If you can't even defeat it, then one day you will be swallowed by the darkness. Don't lose to yourself."
"I see." Shiki reached into his pocket and pulled out his usual switchblade.
"Finally, I would like to remind you that a vampire can only manifest things within his comprehension range. If he cannot understand something, he cannot manifest it, such as 'death'!"
"Thank you, Mr. Orange."
Shiki quietly took off his glasses, pressed the end of the handle with his backhand, and the sharp blade popped out.
"elder brother!"
"Tono-san!"
Akiha and Itsuki cast worried glances at him, but Shiki responded with a gentle smile. He carefully put his glasses into his pocket and walked forward in the shattered world.
"Come on, killing is expensive."
"I've been waiting for you for a long time, Tohno Shiki." The killer also moved forward at the same pace, "Can you defeat me? Defeat me who was born only for killing."
"I will defeat you."
Shiki's eyes were covered with a layer of blue light, which was the light that only came from true enlightenment and facing death head-on.
"You can lose to anyone, but never to yourself."
As soon as the words were spoken, the two men's bodies disappeared instantly, leaving behind only two clear, snow-like sword lights.
PS: Tsk tsk, Mushroom seems to like multiple personalities very much, Orange, Shiki, Shiki-sister, and who else. It's a pity that Shiki's personality is difficult to use and is not compatible with Perceptual Death. Otherwise, the killer's technique, Shiki's Perceptual Death + Nanaya's Pure Eye is simply a delight.