"Death....is not as great as you think it is...that's why i'm glad i rejected becoming a murderer in my life. In fact, i wish i could reverse time and take back the day i killed her, but what can i do? what's done is done and i simply have to pay for what i did. " Tohno's tone belied the regret he had in his heart, but still―he was right. There was no use in lamenting over the past. He could pray a thousand times, but nothing would change what has already occurred. Moreover, what good what it do him now?; when he thought about it, his situation was a lot more convenient then what he thought it would be. He was still allowed to live his normal life, and was allowed to come and help them too. In retrospect, Shiki honestly couldn't come up with a way to make things better then they were right now. When he thought deeply on it, they could have really been strict and brutal with him; Hell, they could have even killed him. Its not like they would have been wrong to do so. He attempted to kill one, and he killed one brutally only a few days ago. After listening to her, he spoke with a more serious tone then before, though it still seemed to hold that nonchalant attitude he had during this entire time. "Its...not...like...i'm normal..anyways. Didn't you notice that, the night you met the other me?" To be honest, Shiki had not the slightest idea of who this other man Hinawa kept mentioning was. With a soft smile, he could tell from a glimpse of her expression, that she wasn't too interested in telling of her story, but still―He was curious as to how she ended up where she was, in this decrepit graveyard. For a girl like her, there had to be something better. Shiki felt that she didn't deserve a life of isolation. Despite her attitude, Shiki felt that deep down inside-――that deep down inside――There was a girl trapped, hidden from the cruel reality of the world, a girl cursed by everyone for her abilities, when she never asked for that resentment and hate to begin with. Even if she didn't want anyone's sympathy, Shiki couldn't help but feel sorry for her. No one deserved a hell like that.


As Shiki started to listen to her intently, with his focus directed towards her―his eyes widened in surprise at the name, Kiri. "...Wha...." Why did it sound familiar? There were so many things Shiki lost in his childhood, he never knew that he had a father, nor did he know much about the profession the man was specialized in―what his blood kept trying to force him to become, a assassin. Even as the name surprised him, he still listened. There was no reason to get too off track. She was giving him the information that kept nagging at his mind, the answers to the questions he had been aiming to hear ever since he arrived here. He nodded as the words reached his mind, but still, the name, why did it sound like he knew someone by that name? whatever the case was, he continued to carefully listen to her without breaking his attention. No sooner after she spoke of her background as an orphan, and told him the name of her parents, she told him to listen to one more thing. Perhaps, the one thing today, that would break the man's calm and confident composure he had during the day. He took the time to listen to her, he didn't want to upset her or be ignored for their time together on this mission. Slowly, as the haunting melody left her mouth, and she turned to him, he started to feel his body stop in it's tracks. Not because of any of the ice, nor the cold and oppressive aura he had been feeling ever since he came here but――Wait, did a tear just fall from his eyes? as he stared on watching the petite and rebellious girl sing her wonderful yet depressing melody, he felt as though his heart strings had been gripped by something strong. Something that was not willingly ready to let go. As the song continued on, his cheeks felt wet, it would have been fine to write it off as rain, but such weather did not appear today. Perhaps―――Perhaps, these were tears. Indeed, they could not be mistaken for anything else. "...Ah...."


Why did he feel a connection?; He felt the sense of abandonment, the sense of loss. He didn't expect for a song of all things to leave him in tears, but the way the words were brought out with her voice―――a voice that was hauntingly beautiful, yet held so much sadness that could make even the devil lament. She had no one. Probably, as her life continued she was looking for someone to be there to guide her. Yet, she was never blessed with those things. As she said, once your a monster, no one will look at you like a human. No, once they see the abilities you have, they'll drive you out like a beast, like an animal. That was the cruel world she was forced to experience. When Shiki thought about it, he realized just what she meant, by just how good he had it in his life. Compared to her, he was truly blessed. But, as she finished the song. He knew one thing in his mind, and declared this to himself and spoke aloud; "...I'm...sorry....i...had...this...all wrong....." Without a answer as to why he did this, he walked towards her and knelled down in front of her. No sooner after he got down on his knees, his firm arms enclosed her shoulders and then her entire body. It was painful, her body was unbelievably cold. So, he had to make this quick. Or else he'd probably come down with a cold or worse, be turned into a human icicle. "No matter how much this world...was cruel to you...Hinawa....There....there..exists a few people, that will never betray you, never leave your side...never condemn you. They would look upon you and see the beauty of your abilities, and...the...girl...that's still locked down there...deep inside...." he held her closely his tone held sadness, yet it was still surprisingly direct and caring. "And....today....if only...temporary...you met..such a person...Hinawa...i make this oath to you....as long as you are by my side....you will never have to be alone...even if this world has cursed you...i..will..be the one to pull you out of this hell, that you call a life..." Shiki still held her close, and for some reason, he knew there would be insults to follow, but still. This wasn't meant to be romantic, nor was he trying to give her sympathy, for some reason, he felt that she deserved something better, something better then living the life of a lonely individual who never got to experience the true joys the world had to offer. But that was fine. There was nothing to regret. This was a promise that he was not only making to her, but himself as well. He would show her the light in the dark tunnel that had become her life.

"W-wait, you can't..." The voice raised was... surprisingly weak for Hinawa. What had just happened? For one reason or another, she had repeated the sad melody her mother once tought her... The melody of her family, as far as the ice-girl could remember. For some reason, it had been different from before... This time, the melody awakened something. A sleeping, human heart that she still had... and it hurt like hell, to feel how far apart she was from everyone... right until Shiki suddenly hugged her.
Nearly instantly, the ice princess froze in motion as she felt the warm body of the boy embrace her own, smaller one. She had only turned ever so slightly after seeing him suddenly kneel down, and now, the warmth of his life was suddenly wrapped around her. But... It was different from normal warmth. Unlike sunlight, it didn't burn in her eyes. Unlike humid air, it did not hurt her skin. Instead, it was more like a breaking away of the prison that held her... These arms, this warmth, was nice, calming, and comforting. It was incredible... Or in other words, it was what a hug was supposed to say, just that it was completely new to Hinawa.

Her eyes widened more and more at the boys words. And not fulfilling his predictions, she did not actually assault him with insults this time - but instead, she felt something. She was scared, scared of hurting him like this, but also happy, in a mysterious way. Without even noticing, she had blushed slightly - and this had changed something in her. As she did not reject the warmth, as she welcomed it... her own body started to suddenly warm up. It was as if the simply shed away the cold like an old mantle, throwing it overboard, if only for now.
"S...Shiki, please... If... if you do that, I'll..." Still, Hinawa did her best to keep her hands away from him as far as possible - until her eyes saw something. or rather, didn't see something. The fading memories of her parents swashed away like a fly, the importance of those two names would later be revealed... But for now, the only important part was here. Because what was not visible... was the aura around her hands. As if in slow-motion, with extreme care, as if not to 'break' the boy who had suddenly embraced her, the girl returned the hug. First only very softly - then a bit harder, almost clinging to Shiki now.

Slowly, a few tears were running down her face. This sensation was something unknown to Hinawa... to feel safe, if only for now. To feel... someone who understood her. Without saying another word, the ice princess simply floated in this feeling. It was different from her 'alliance' with the Vizard leader of this town, and for sure as hell different from the begrudging alliance she had forged with Arcueid. Was this... friendship? How stupid, such a thing was not real... or was it?
"That... That would be nice, in a way..." A voice that had lost the sharp edge from before, Hinawa still did not look up at Tohnos face, more so having her head kept against his chest. Thus, it almost sounded a bit mumbled, as if embarassed - but that could not be, right? Finally, she looked up. The normally pale girl was quite a bit red in the face - and to add up, her head felt slightly fuzzy and strange, not being able to catch a clear throught like normally. A side-effect from the 'fever' she had right now. Suddenly, she had a slight sly grin on her face...
Right before suddenly giving the boy who had given her the emotional breakout she had needed so badly a slight, almost shy kiss on the lips. "Still... You can get quite emotional, you crybaby." Saying that while still having tears visible on the face was maybe not the most convincing, but... for once, Hinawa was actually JOKING. What was the world coming to?

Despite Shiki's straightforward embrace, he was actually filled with surprise. He expected Hinawa to curse him, reject him, and reprimand him beyond repair. He expected a negative response, in fact, he would've accepted that. However, Surprise that came down like an avalanche engulfed Shiki. Not only did she accept his embrace, she had kissed him shyly on the lips without even an ounce of hesitation. "...W..Wah..." Shiki was speechless. It wasn't a deep kiss, but still, it was a kiss nonetheless. Shiki would've acted differently, had it been someone else, but coming from her had to be the ultimate form of a surprise attack. Shiki stood there with an expression of pure stupidity plastered over his face. His eyes were widened almost to a point, where they might well pop out of his sockets. Even his cheeks were filled with red in an instant. It seemingly took him moments to recover. After all, this deviated far from what his expectations were. In fact, this blew all of his assumptions to the wind, never to be found again. Still, did he hate it? No, he had to admit the feeling of her lips pressed up against his own, with no hesitation in her actions, were quite the nice sensation. To be honest, he felt a sense of relief. Still, even if she decided to reprimand him, he would have been ready to face the punishment. It wasn't a hollow promise. As long as this man had the time to live, and a heart to keep his body active, he would show this girl that beyond this grave lied a world filled with existent wonders and spectacles to be seen. He sighed inwardly, and looked off to the side with a flustered expression. "S-Shut...up...I...I" Damn, she really got him!; for the first time Tohno Shiki could not come up with a proper come back. Who would've predicted such a cause?

Such a simple kiss had overwhelmed him to such an extent. But judging from her overall reaction, she seems as though she would like to enjoy the things Shiki has to show her. The only problems that could possibly come to mind, is dealing with Arcueid, but that would abate over time. Moreover, Shiki felt proud of his success so far. Sure, the kiss was still hard to recover from, but he was starting to know the girl known as Hinawa Kagami more better then he did from the start of things, and that success filled him with a sense of elation.

"Hehe... Got you speechless at least once, did I?" Chuckling lightly, the ice-girl had no intentions of ending the hug just yet. This feeling, this 'fever', was so nice - completely different from the one she felt during the battle with his other self. It was more caring, and... honest, in a way? It was hard to describe for her in her head, just like it was hard to even understand in the first place. The grasp of the situation had fled her. But one thing was clear - while her cheeks were slightly blushed now - and maybe a bit glittering and wet from the tears she was still losing from time to time - she did not seem to feel any shame for just blatantly kissing him out of the blue - and that was simply the case.
"You're... Quite something, you know? I thought you're just some whiny guy who doesn't know anything, but... You know a lot..." Smiling with truth on her face, her hands on his bare back were not cold at all, having lost their powers for now. In fact, they even had the temperature of a human now. Just like him, but unlike the glasses, a state like this was temporary at best and not willingly created. Resting her head slightly against the surprisingly trained chest of the assassin, the safety Hinawa had felt was still there - as long as Shiki did nothing to betray it, she would follow him, for better or worse. It was hard to see her not despising or at least disliking normal humans, but if he said that the world could be a nice place - someone who had been cursed just like her - then it was worth a shot. He was the 'light' version of a killer, she the 'dark' version... Quite ironic from fate to do it like that.
"Your scar from the accident, right?" moving one of her hands away from his back - but not letting him go in the slightest with the other - she traced the borders of it. "Geez... Quite a bit one at that. Your will to live... Is amazing. I won't forgive you if you give up and not hold true to your promise, got it?" Getting a bit of her grin and usual 'tsundere' personality back, she looked quite cute instead of menacing right now. She herself did not notice, but maybe she had a slight crush on this young man now - even if it was only a girlish, light one. Time only knew what was about to come in the future. Then suddenly, the Kagami girl remembered something.
"Hm... That's kind of funny. I've got a scar similliar to that for as long as I can remember as well, although it's a bit higher... and only about this size. Don't tell me being a potential killer steems from getting nearly killed?" Tracing the shape of the scar she had relatively above her breasts, she couldn't guess that the source were two different beings with similliar backgrounds, just that hers was even older and a more precise strike, thus not actually scarring her entire chest.

Meeting another killer... fighting to near-death, and then meeting his real personality... The last days, more had happened in her life than ever before. But for once, Hinawa felt alive - thus, she did not complain at all. Instead, she was happy, in her own, strange way. Only someone like her could be happy about having to fight an eldritch abomination to the death soon - only a true, born assassin of the supernatural. Finding someone to feel closer to was a nice addition to say the least, and so, the girl simply enjoyed his words for a bit... Not a typical nice-guy, simply someone who didn't go back on his words and held kindness. Quite unlike her, who knew nearly no kindness for others, but maybe that was what drove her closer to him. The princess had no concept of 'love' or anything of the sort in her heart - she followed instinct and her hearts desire, not careful thought.

"...Eh?"

Maybe not quite the reaction that was thought to happen, but pretty much as Shiki traced the scar - that single word left her mouth. No, not because of that tracing - she most likely wouldn't have minded that. However, now, her pretty tight grip onto Tohno lessened a bit, either with shock or because she prepared to chop his head off, nobody could tell that quite yet. One thing, though, definiatly happened... first slowly, but suddenly as fast as the speed of light, her slightly blushed face from attacking him with a kiss earlier turned into a deep red. Well, who would've thought? The ice princess was actually embarased - because Tohno just feeled her up accidentally a bit.
"..." It took her a bit to find her voice again, but the smile from before turned into a frown - an angry one, at that, but not like her earlier anger - not destructive, and more completely and utterly embarassed.
"W-w-w-w-w-w-w-what do you think you're doing, IDIOT!" stuttering like a broken record at first, the glance in her eyes was already getting slightly menancing - when the girl suddenly revealed that within her small frame, she still held the strength of a superhuman. How did that become obvious? Simple, with an armor-percing slap all across his face with the same hand that had just traced his scar. A scar this old should not be able to bleed... But neither of them knew what kind of scar it really was. Only two living people knew the whole story... and two not quite dead and not quite alive people as well.

Pouting with anger, she didn't seem to want to murder him just yet, though. Her slightly faster breathing subsided into normal with a last deep sigh, still at least pink in her face, even if no longer deep red.
"If your aim is that off, it'll end badly in the future for you." glaring, she did definiatly NOT mean the second meaning behind this, but that it even had a secondary meaning escaped her to begin with - after all, she was a girl that lived for battle more than for romance. True, she DID like him in a certain, strange way, but not THAT much. Or did she? Well, she only knew that she was embarassed - and that her fever was slowly subsiding. Not good... she'd have to let go of him soon.

Let go? That is right - not even after giving him a mark to remember on the cheek did she break the hug that they still had. Her being still mad even seemed more played up than real - He had not TRIED to feel her up. If that had been the case... Well, he would have needed help with anything involving hands afterwards. No, not including that, get your mind out of the gutter - because she'd have cut it off as well.

"...Hey, Shiki." After a brief moment of looking to the sides, she regained a bit of her sly, knowing and mean smirk. "We should get going soon, right? Once it's dark, we have to search for Arcueids enemy." It seemed like she simply wanted to move on - but in truth, the girl did not want to let go just yet. So she'd leave it to him, cruel as she was, to escape the hugging embrace and tell her to hurry up - so that Hinawa would not have to deal with accidentally hurting him by having her powers suddenly come active again.

After stretching a bit as the hug ended, the girl had a slight pout on her face for getting her own line thrown back at her so swiftly. Well, she could at least truely and wholeheartedly agree to the fact that killers always seemed to know the best comebacks from anything. The small transparent aura around her hands had returned, and it seemed like she found back to the old self quite easily without her thoughts being obstructed by fever. Her right hand felt surprisingly numb from the slap - it seemed like Shiki had a lot more in his body than he knew. A normal guy would suffer from a severe case of 'snapped neck' and 'death' right now, but he seemed to shrug it off... It was intriguing, like always. But in the end, today, she had learned more about herself than him, surprisingly. But times would change, for sure...
"Let's just get going." With a handwave, the girl signaled Tohno to start following her out of the maze of tombstones only seperated from them by a few trees. Without a second thought, they were going to leave this area through the opposite side to before - right by some nice statues of ice, it seemed. Only if Shiki took the time to actually look at them, he would notice...
That those were not statues. Inside every single one of them, either a human or a Hollow could be seen, encased in ice, eyes dull, but faces still in shock, panic or fear - a garden of death of those dumb enough to stumble into these parts and then pick a fight with Hinawa in her home territory. She had nearly double her strength in this small part of Karakura thanks to how cold it was, while others grew weaker.
Turning back to the killer with a view over her shoulder, the piercing effect of her eyes had returned together with her aura - but she did not seem to carry any malice in it anymore. "Hurry up, will you? If I don't 'deliver' you in time, that Arcueid will never let me hear the end of it. As much as I would like to tick her off a bit, we need her until her enemy is defeated. I don't know much about said enemy... but I do know that people have started disappearing." Seems like the talks were now shifting to the 'work' they'd have to do - and hopefully, Tohno would not take it too badly that she had a garden of corpses in her 'home'.

Tohno sighed inwardly at the bittersweet sensation of not being able to embrace Hinawa. But then, why was that? He was still confused and didn't bother to find any answers, simply because he had none. His mind was slightly oblivious, even to his own feelings, he may have a had comeback for all of his friends but in the face of love he seemed to be little more then a small and meager bug. Shiki stood upright as he dusted off any possible specks of dirt on his clothing while he took a deep breath in order to regain all the composure he had lost. He didn't hate how today had transpired; Today was a big step in the right direction. He had gotten closer then he first expected with this ice queen who still had hidden and latent powers, still unknown, herself. Both of them had potential and if they were to stick together with well needed guidance from the benevolent time user known as Arcueid; then victory against this "enemy" didn't sound too far-fetched. Then again, Shiki couldn't quite say that confidently, this was an unknown enemy after all. Despite what these two females claimed, Shiki felt no sense of power emanating from his form. Maybe, just maybe, his assassination skills worked like a on and off switch with a light. Maybe, if he were to become excited enough by something, or angered, then just maybe he'd be able to bring out this side of himself that they kept talking about so much. In any case, there was no use trying to achieve that now. There attention was wholly directed on getting info and clues. Everything else would follow suit; and Tohno would hopefully be ready at that time. He had too; his life and their lives depended on it. And for once, he sure as hell wasn't going to let his promise go to waste. He was going to push through this enemy, and after they survived, he would show Hinawa the wonders of the world, even though she had experienced the many ugly things within it. In the time they took their leave, and as Shiki followed Hinawa, he did indeed catch a glimpse of the mortifying "Statues". While he was struck with fear at first, he realized, that this was the way of war. In a way, when a warrior won their battles, they would use the body of their fallen foe as a monument for their victory. This was something he had the pleasure of seeing in a few movies, but, the same things applied to the real world. He chuckled nervously and walked faster. "Uwah...she really is...scary..." he said, as he slid his hands within his pockets and kept on walking. "I'm coming i'm coming, Do you really think someone as sweet as that will reprimand us like you do to me?" on that note, he had once again hit her with a comeback and chuckled. It would seem as though chapter 1 of his new life, had been completed, and it had ended on a good note. The question was, just how would everything else fall into place? where would the pendulum of fate take him now?

Hinawa raised one eyebrow slightly with an amused and at the same time annoyed look. She was definiatly back to normal now, and normal meant sarcastic, rude and cold. Though maybe not as much as before. The frozen statues did not phase her at all, she even took a moment to realize what he meant with 'scary'. Those trophies of 'battles' long gone meant nothing to her, it was just a convinient way of keeping herself from the question of how to get rid of the bodies. Her face even became slightly amused as she realized why. "Heh, of course I'm scary. Did the fact escape you that I'm a born killer and assassin? This is nothing compared to what I can do."
A little bit of boasting here and there, the Kagami girl was really proud of being able to so easily kill people. Well, there was not much else she ever developed into, and while she had an amazing IQ, little did she know that being intelligent was something one could also be proud of. Never having visited any schools, her knowledge of... knowledge was limited at best. The sly smile on her face still looked cute, even with death surrounding her. A snow fairy that mercilessly slaughtered all those who were enemies...
"Arcueid might appear sweet, but she's just trying to be manipulative. I can tell, because I do it too." Non-chalantly speaking such horrendous things, she just had another grin on her face, as a few hairs were flicked out of her face. She was walking slightly turned towards Tohno, but did not stop, while saying her words during the entire time. With every step, white, beautiful ice-crystals were blown up into the wind. With a slight sigh, Hinawa looked ahead. No sleep in 2 days now... Well, she could still go on. This was nothing too bad. Little did she know, her sleepiness made her blind to another presence nearby, and Tohno lacked a strongly developed spiritual sense.
"Though... I guess she's not all bad, but I absolutely hate her guts. Who does she think she is, talking to me like she does? Pah, I'm far superior to a weakened ancient wrench like her!" Slight scorn in her voice, it did not seem as if the ice-girl would suddenly start to like Arcueid that quickly, which could become a problem in the future...



With the evening, comes the cold. Even out here, it quickly grew even colder, so it was good that the two left.







Something that could only be called, an evil spirit given living flesh.

He was there, watching. From a tree at first, as soon as the sun had set. The light was his enemy - he had no other choice but to appear now. The sunlight would've burned him into a crisp for sure... To stay in the night was his fate. His curse. And yet, he enjoyed it. His mind was fragmented and insane at best, completely unstable and manical at it's worst. But yet, he did not blindly attack, but only watch. Red eyes piercing the darkness, the slight ruffling of a Kimono.
Then, he leaped. Through the air, onto the air, and away again. Like a bird swooping down, he made little no to noise - but then, he felt it. The intense pain in his entire body, and the cold. He was the one who should've died, but now was still alive, having stolen from the boy infront of him what he had already taken once in full. Now he had a fourth of it - life energy, the combined effort of Reiatsu and the will to live. Now, his bare feet stood on the cold ground right behind the boy who had killed him and stolen it all! The boy who had taken his self! But still, the red eyed menace stilled it's hands. There would be no satisfaction in killing him, even if he could. His eyes saw the lines - running through the body of Tohno Shiki, so many of them. Holding his body together with their precious life energy... As his pain was now felt, he was sure of it. The connection would come into effect, and show Shiki infront of him the same pain...!
"Hello, Shiki. Long time no see." A voice like a whispering. A smirk of unparalleled cruelty, which let the ice-girl infront of him seem like a saint. No, she truely was not a monster. The monster was now behind them, but Hinawa could not see him - having turned her eyes forward. The cold voice of his was different from her coldness - the cold in the girls voice seemed rejecting, but not hostile or completely and utterly surpressing, no, it was sad and longing. But his was seething with hate, detest, and monstrous rage. A rage so cold that it burned his very being to the core.
If Shiki were to turn around, his eyes would most likely not be able to comprehend WHO he was. The old man had taken care of that. But he would make him remember! Every single detail... Yes. A blue kimono, stained here and there with red. Claw-like hands which now slowly regressed back into human-like ones. White, short her, and blood-red eyes like an albino. And even more, very much visible fangs in his mouth.

"...Hahahaha...." Shiki let out a stagnant chuckle, as he scratched his head while he listened to hinawa boast. Certainly, he doubted highly that this was all she was capable of doing, but thankfully his imagination would not allow him to fathom just what this terrifying ice girl could do. As the two continued their leisurely walk towards their destination, Shiki smiled and chuckled when he heard his companion bring Arcueid up. "Really? Well, it's not like i don't deserve being manipulated, after all i could very well be dead. Anyway, i'm sure you'll get use to her someday. " As Shiki conversed with the Ice queen, the air around them seemed different, evil, malignant, dark. His heart began to beat at a exceedingly high rate, as he felt his senses rise. What was this feeling? Where was it coming from?

He could clearly here Hinawa speak, and yet, his attention was wholly focused towards this ominous oncoming force. The young assassin felt as though eyes were watching him, felt as though those eyes were filled with clear murderous intent. He felt his breath deepen, and his spine tingle. What was going on? Only moments ago, he felt at peace and at one with his new found friend, Hinawa. But now, it was as though it were nothing but mere illusion with how overbearing this aura was. And then, only a few meters from where the two teenagers were walking towards their destined location, he heard the whisper. It was hard to make out, but his senses had slowly but surely caught the words, how they flowed the air and reached his ears. "....." And Lo and Behold, Shiki saw what kept oppressing him, except, only this time, that aura and the one it belonged too was standing right behind him. "......." "........" "....." What was going on here? who was he? How did he know his name? Shiki felt as though there was something, some unknown yet very crucial factor he was missing.

Little did he know, that this was his brother at one point. A man who, when they were but only little children, would play every once and a while, sometimes alone as all young boys do, and at other times, with their little sister Akiha. This was Tohno SHIKI. Even if Shiki possessed the memories that he lost after that accident transpired, this new appearance was wholly different from what he resembled as a child. Red crimson eyes filled with hate, bloodlust, and Detest of the highest caliber. The Killing intent he felt was extreme, and with it, he felt his head becoming heavier and heavier by the minute. He could run away with Hinawa right now, and hope that this man would disappear, but then, doubt filled his mind.

His instincts told him that he should tell Hinawa to go. He frowned slightly, while one of his hands begins to rustle around in his pocket. There, he felt it, the Nanatsu-Yoru, the mysterious dagger passed down to him by Makihisa Tohno. "Hinawa, You go and find Arc on your own....i'll catch up with you as soon as possible. " With his feet spread slightly apart, he glared at SHIKI and began to wait for him to make the first move. If Hinawa should listen to his words, then there is no doubt that he will stay back and combat with this stranger. He had to know who he was, and how he knew his name. Obviously, when a man comes landing out of nowhere and calling you by your name, with an evil aura such as SHIKI'S; he's definitely not here for a reunion of any kind. For now, Shiki could only roll with what his mind was telling him. Just what was to occur? Will the madness to this young man's life ever end? While he asks himself these questions inwardly, he waits for the new individual to reply.

[Hinawa Kagami]

If this was a joke, then it wasn't funny in the least. She had stopped nearly the same moment Tohno did - a strange feeling. Her slightly tired self slowly awakened to full again, as a cold shiver ran down his spine, which was quite odd... Because she was unable to feel the cold since her powers awakened. So now, she slowly turned around - her face serious like before. Who was it? Who was disrupting this evening with such a strong murderous intent? Hinawa was unable to tell. Unlike Shiki, all she felt from the stranger was imminent danger - and the desire to kill him, which was quite odd. Sure, she was not the nicest girl around, but this desire... Was never so strong. But she also felt something else - the malice was not directed at her, and a sudden sadness hit her hard.
"Shiki..." Obviously, her voice was directed at her new-found first friend - the other man who actually had the same name didn't even notice her. His fractured mind was unable to comprehend the presence of anyone but the boy who had 'stolen' it all.



But why was she feeling so sad? Simple. Hinawa knew that she was unable to help. The princess of ice was able to tell from the air around the two... This was not a fight that she should or could interfere with. Whoever this white-haired menace of inhumanity was, he was the enemy of Shiki - not hers. Not Arcueid's enemy, either. Something... he had to do himself.
To leave him alone here... Broke her frozen heart. For some reason, the cold girl suddenly felt helpless, but also knew that she couldn't stay here. Arcueid... Would interfere with this, if she noticed. Unlike Hinawa, she didn't understand that secret part of Shiki at all! Tohno was more than a normal human, she just knew it. A killer, that had never given in to his urges willingly. A killer split in two personalities - the same person with a different background, to be exact.
"Shiki... Whatever you do..." Suddenly, Hinawa glided forward like a ghost herself. Crossing her arms around Tohno from behind, the intense cold around her hands in front of his chest had lost their hostility - it seemed to actually be friendly, caring, and protective. Her own head on Shikis shoulder, the mouth brought to his ear, she said a few simple sentences.
"Don't die, no matter what. I'll keep Arcueid busy... do what you have to do. But don't you dare... to break your promise..." Her voice was still cold, but just like her hands, had lost hostility nearly completely. Hinawa was honestly worried - worried that without Shiki, she would fall back into her cold self, and never resurface again. And even more... she just didn't want to lose him, for some bizarre reason.
//You're really... screwing me up in the head, you idiot...// Thinking to herself - even with a slight smile - Hinawa let go of Shiki, and slided backwards, out of the way. With one last view, she turned around, and slowly left the graveyard. The fight would start... And Shiki would win. Without question. After all, he was both the kind but snarking Tohno... and the homocidal, but amusing and strong Nanaya.


[Tohno SHIKI]



It was really funny for him, the crazed killer. The sudden shock... He felt it in his target. Ah, such pleasure he felt right now... And it would only increase. The other piece of meat didn't really bother him at all. It existed, it breathed, but he had no desire to feed right now. So Roa focused fully on the boy infront of him. The thief that had stolen it all. A slight, crackling laugh escaped the inverted Tohno. Almost in complete synchronity, as he took out his knife, SHIKI did the same. A simple knife without a name or purpose, and unlike Shiki's knife, it didn't increase in cutting power from killing intent. It was simply a steel blade that snapped into position, not meant for fighting, but still quite useful for it. The intentions of both of them were clear. SHIKI wanted blood and disaster, no questions asked, while Shiki wanted to survive. Their intentions clashed against each other even before one move was made.
Red eyes scanned over the lines. The delicious life running through Shiki... He would take it all. Little did he understand that what he saw was fundamentally different from what Shiki could see. The fake Tohno was superior to the real one in that regard, by far.
"Ku... kukukuku... Why so tense, Shiki? Shouldn't you be quite relaxed? You got it all, don't you." The sadistic smile twisted in itself. The other lump of meat seemed to leave, which was good. He didn't like interruptions while hunting. "But that's only natural. Because..." And suddenly, the smile twisted away completely. Pure hate, malice, and killing intent, together with a completely other and demonic aura stormed out of him, directed only at Shiki - as if the entire world concentrated hatred into this one spot. Such insane hatred could not be the result of anyone with a clear mind - his opponent was clearly mad, and had most likely lost his mind years ago.
"You... KILLED ME!"
With a growl that closely resembled a wild animal, SHIKI took off. His step was more of a jump - directly assaulting his 'brother' with a downward crash. Nowadays, he was unable to clearly remember, but a long time ago, he called this boy his 'brother', even without any blood relation. SHIKI had always been the older, more reckless brother of Akiha and him, and together, they were playing for hours without end outside... Always having fun, always together. SHIKI, Shiki, Akiha, Hisui. And her. Who could only watch. Her destiny had been to be rescued.
But now, it was all gone. Fractured. Torn apart. By that exact malice that now attacked. The being, the ancient spirit, known as Roa.

Coming down from his jump like a comet, SHIKI slashed down with the knife he had brought for the fight. In his enhanced hands, this strike was insanely strong - stronger than anything a normal human could achieve. But Shiki was not a normal human. Someone born with the bloodline of true assassins could not be easily killed, but Roa did not care. Roa or SHIKI, which one was his name? He couldn't remember. But he would get it all back. First him. Then Akiha. And then his name as a Tohno!

"...Hinawa....." Tohno could feel the petite and defiant girl embracing him from behind. That was neither unexpected nor embarrassing, this was the first time she actually cared for someone other then herself. He could remember the words flashing back within his mind, the oath, the sacred covenant that he forged with Hinawa Kagami. If no one else could guide her in this world, then he would be that one. He would surely show her, that beyond this life called hell that she resigned herself too, there lied something beautiful, friendship. So, no, he could not die here. There was no way he would allow himself to die when she still needed someone. Her entire life had been on the outside, detached from the world with no one to guide her in the right direction. Besides the blood of the assassin, there was another girl that was forced away. She was still defiant, she was still rather sinister, but beneath her icy heart, lied a truly wonderful gem. This was the Hinawa Kagami, Tohno Shiki knew. There was no one in this world who could save her, and yet this one young man being embraced by the ice queen was her only source of hope. His heart and his mind told him only one thing, as he breathed deeply, a smile crossing his lips. "Live". Yes, there was nothing else to be considered. He had to live, he would fulfill his promise, and maybe, just maybe, allow her to smile, smile as she did when he embraced her. A smile filled with neither sadism nor killing intent, but happiness. Pure, unrelenting happiness. He was ready to fight, but not for himself, for the goal he was striving towards. The goal to save Hinawa.



"I'll keep my promise, silly. Do you honestly think i'd lose to some sick freak like this? not in a million years. Hinawa, i will fulfill promise to you. There is nothing else i want more then that...Because...I...I..." love you. He could not say those words, at least not now. He could, however, voice them within his head. As she left, he knew that this was a fight he had to complete on his own. As Hinawa left, Shiki prepared himself for the upcoming battle. He had no redeeming talents as far as combat was concerned. He still thought that "killing" Arcueid was a farce, that whoever commuited such a dastardly deed was not him. Still, he had no intention of dying; that much was clear. He was going to win, and this uninvited stranger would lose. This was, of course, easier said then done. Shiki had no idea how to kill, but this psychotic man who as he said, lost everything to the Tohno brother standing before him. Shiki had to act with prudence. If he is to survive, he must calculate and fight, fight as though his life was depending on it.There was too much at stake, after all. With Hinawa gone, Shiki once again focused his attention the man known as SHIKI. "....." He spoke no words, and slowly and carefully listened and read the intent in the white haired beast's words. With a tight grip, he sensed that from the moment SHIKI paused, he was ready to attack, and Lo and Behold, the killer took flight. From a glance and the power of his jump, Shiki knew that he was no mere human, after all no human could achieve such inhuman unaided flight. There, at the range of 1 meter, SHIKI came down like a comet towards earth, towards the one who took it all. Or so, that's how he thought.

With inhuman speed of his own, Shiki quickly drew Nanatsu-Yoru slashing the dagger through the air as the flashing blade locked arms with the knife of his opponent. When the two blades connected, the kinetic energy and the strength that SHIKI put behind his knife traveled through the dagger and into his hand. Just as he had inhuman acrobatic talent, he also had surprisingly potent strength as an extra driving force. Shiki gritted his teeth and leaped back to five meters this time, and began to assess his abilities so far. From what he has currently shown at the outset, he possesses superhuman capabilities. Shiki too possessed these superhuman traits, but he could not unlock the killer inside him. If Nanaya was out right now, he would waste no time assaulting his opponent. Shiki could not act hastily or make a mistake, if he did, then he would die. There was no sugar-coating that cold hard truth. With his right foot placed ahead of his left, he held Nanatsu-yoru within his right hand and planted his feet on the ground. As he did this, he wonders if he should take the initiative or stay his hand and wait for an opportunity to reveal it's self. If he could cause the man to let up and cause him to go into a momentary lapse, he could take him down with one slash. Quickly, he started to take his glasses off as his eyes gleamed with a azure blue filling his the gray. There, he could see lines covering the body of his opponent the lines of his foe, Tohno SHIKI. What were these? Were they a possible chance at acquiring victory? as he asked himself this, he carefully awaited the ravenous warrior's next attack.

Love. Did SHIKI still know what it was? No, of course not. All he noticed was that the annoying one was gone, so now he focused solely on Shiki. The mad one was slightly surprised at how his adversary easily blocked his strike - this was highly unusual, for his strength exceeded human limits. So Shiki had also shed his limits away? This night was getting better and worse at the same time for Roa. A twisted grin appeared on his face once more.
"Not bad, Shiki. But you've gotten slower, I think. Did you trade speed for power? Nice, nice. And so aggravating! You, you little, annoying thief... Do you even realize who I am?!" Another mad dash and scream. There was no common sense left in him. Inverted as he was, the former nice, carefree boy SHIKI had turned into a blood-craving parasite, one that only desired the death of his brother. In the back of his mind, the desire to return to his former position also arose, but he didn't even completely understand what his former position was.

The red eyes stared intently. The black lines in the body of SHIKI were visible to his enemy, but Shiki also had them running through them. If not for Roa, SHIKI wouldn't even be able to know what the lines were - but then again, Roa was also the reason why SHIKI had inverted in the first place. The Reiatsu and aura of the two beings as one was monstrous - it had the form of a raging demon, which was the thing sleeping inside of the boy. The arms twisting slightly, the muscles of the exiled former Tohno expanded - and suddenly looked a lot more like the arms of a certain other Red Vermillion, although he was so far away from being one himself.
"What's wrong, Shiki? ATTACK ME! FIGHT ME! I'll take it back, EVERYTHING!" With a howl, the knife in his right hand was thrusted forward like a spear, aiming directly at the 'line' running through the right shoulder of his most hated and most trusted enemy at the same time, to make him helpless. But in his face, in the face of the crazed killer - for a short moment, there was only pain to be seen in it. Horrible pain. And thus, the vampire flinched only so slightly, slowing down his thrust, and not using all of his supernatural strength. What was going on? Roa didn't understand.