Shinji Matou at Your Service

"Brother!!!"

"Tohno-kun!!!"

Akiha and Satsuki both called out at the same time.

Sion hurriedly added, "Don't be deceived by him, Shiki Tohno. He may have borrowed your appearance and abilities, but he is not you. He is merely an illusion created by the Dead Apostle."

"Dead Apostle?"

Shiki's grip on the frame of his glasses tightened, his voice grew lower, and an unusual aura emanated from his entire body. At this moment, he bore a striking resemblance to the murderous phantom lying on the ground.

"Is this all because of that Dead Apotstle?"

"Yes. That Dead Apostle is known as TATARI or The Night of Wallachia. It can turn malicious information, such as rumors and inner fears, into reality, creating beings that seek blood and slaughter. However, this manifestation cannot come from anything; it needs some form of information to rely on. The killer before you appeared borrowing your image, and the recently spreading Red Hair Ghost is likely borrowing the image of Akiha Tohno."

Upon hearing Sion's explanation, Akiha's expression turned grim. The dark aura she emitted, starkly contrasting with her usual perfect lady demeanor, made Satsuki feel very uneasy.

"Is this true? The impostor with my brother's face."

"I told you, don't call me an impostor!"

The killer struggled to stand up again, demonstrating a resilience beyond human limits.

Akiha scoffed, casually swung her hand, and her fingers sliced into the wall as if it were tofu, all the way to the base. She then coldly glanced at the killer.

The killer swallowed hard and muttered, "So violent, how could anyone—"

Halfway through his sentence, seeing Akiha's hair starting to turn red, the killer quickly swallowed the rest of his words and returned to the main topic.

"As you said, I am merely an illusion manifested by TATARI. But as you also mentioned, even illusions cannot come from nothing; they need some form of information to manifest. My foundation is your bloodlust, Shiki Tohno. My appearance may be fake, my existence may be fake, but this urge, this uncontrollable, overwhelming urge is real. Come, Shiki Tohno, embrace the slaughter; this is your true nature!"

At the mention of killing, the killer fell into a frenzy, and his body continued to heal and restore itself over time.

"As expected, I should have killed you earlier."

Riesbyfe complained impatiently and triggered a mechanism with her left hand, revealing a Holy Nail hidden within her shield. Once struck by this nail, even manifestations of malicious information could not be recovered.

Just as the knight was about to strike, Shiki, now enveloped in a dark aura, intervened.

"Miss executor from the church."

"I am not an executor; I am Riesbyfe Stridberg."

"Sorry, Knight. Please leave this… killer to me. The Tohno family is responsible for managing this area, and as the eldest son, I must handle this. Moreover, since he has appeared using my image and intends to harm my friends—no matter how you look at it, I am the most suitable person to deal with this."

"Very well, but if you cannot kill him, I will."

Riesbyfe retracted the Holy Nail and stepped back, using her shield to protect Sion and Satsuki, giving the killer no chance to launch a surprise attack. Despite her aversion to complications and her usual unorthodox methods, as a knight, she performed her duty impeccably.

A knight is meant to stand at the forefront of the team, and as long as they remain standing, they will not let their teammates suffer harm. Though temporary, Riesbyfe had already recognized Shion and Satsuki as her teammates.

Shiki calmly said, "Thank you," and then addressed the killer, "I have a question."

"Ask away," the killer replied, flexing his restored hands.

"Do you know where the dead apostle TATARI is hiding?"

"I don't know. I am an illusion, a killing illusion. Come, let's kill!"

The killer shook his head while urging.

"You haven't fully recovered yet. Give it a moment; I need some time too."

As he spoke, Shiki looked up towards a dark corner not far away.

"I'd like to hear your opinion, Touko-sensei."

"Huh?"

Akiha was taken aback, just in time to see an eyeball flying out from the corner, prompting her to shout in anger.

"Miss Touko, you're following us!"

A female voice emanated from within the large eyeball.

"Don't put it so harshly. If it weren't for Hisui and Kohaku worrying about your safety, I wouldn't waste such a precious Mystic Codel. Shiki, I don't have much time, so I'll be brief."

"Not much time? Could it be—"

Shiki and Akiha exchanged a glance, both showing a hint of concern on their faces.

"Yes, it's the illusion of The Night of Wallachia. Is there any family in this city more suitable to serve as a vessel for rumors than the Tohno family? Take you, Akiha, for example. Your recent night patrols have been witnessed, hence the birth of the Red Hair Ghost. It's likely the same for Shiki; when people go missing, they naturally think of a killer, and Shiki has quite the potential for such a reputation."

"I'm coming back immediately," Akiha said urgently.

"There's no need for that. I can handle things on my end. You two focus on dealing with the situation at hand. Once it's resolved, it would be best to invite those young ladies over for a discussion about The Night of Wallachia."

"You don't need to tell me. Be careful on your end, too," Akiha advised.

"Don't worry about me. Shiki, remember this: your urge to kill, your dark side, they are indeed a part of you, an inseparable part. But they are not all of you, and they are not invincible. Now is the best time to overcome them—if you can't conquer this, one day, the darkness will consume you. Don't lose to yourself."

"I understand."

Shiki reached into his pocket and pulled out his usual switchblade.

"One last reminder: the dead apostle can only manifest things within its understanding. If it can't comprehend something, it can't manifest it, such as death!"

"Thank you, Touko-sensei."

Shiki quietly removed his glasses and, with a reverse grip, pressed the end of the knife's handle, springing out a gleaming blade.

"Brother!"

"Tohno-kun!"

Akiha and Satsuki looked at him with concern, to which Shiki responded with a gentle smile. He carefully placed his glasses into his pocket and stepped forward into the shattered world.

"Come, Killer."

"I've been waiting for you, Shiki Tohno," the killer advanced with the same steps.

"Can you defeat me? Defeat someone born solely for killing?"

"I will defeat you."

A blue light covered Shiki's eyes, a glow that comes from true enlightenment, the kind that faces death head-on.

"You can lose to anyone, but not to yourself."

As the words settled, their bodies instantly vanished, leaving behind only two bright, snow-like flashes of the blade.