A Shiki Story

Twenty-First Slaughter

Violet

They waited for Sunako to fall asleep. "I don't want to fall asleep," Sunako sobbed. Poor Sunako wanted to be with them all to the very end, that was something she could not have as the sun began to rise.

  "Don't worry. I'm with you, So is Mr. Tatsumi and Miss Violet," Mr. Muroi tried to console her as the two Jinrou sat on the stairs. Head bent own she used her hair as a curtain to hide her tears.

She wanted the same things Sunako wanted. Sunako, Tatsumi, Yoshie, Chizuru, Seishrou and even Mr. Muroi. I want to be with them, She cried as she kept herself silent. I need to be strong, breaking down won't do them any good, She said to herself as her clutched her pants with her hands.

  Gone was her yakuta, instead it was city street clothes.

 "But...He killed his younger brother due to despair," Mr. Muroi said. Is he talking about his book. "His younger brother was a point of contact between him and the world...as well as a point of contact between him and his despair at the same time. 

  He told his hollow-eyed younger brother, "It's not like I hated you." His brother said, "I know." That Shiki spoke for the first time. You set me free from that hill. After all, that hill was under God's control. That's why I played a good man in order to gain the favor of God.

  I suppressed myself. I hated and despised the hill. I had no choice but to live that way.... although I detested that  way of living from the bottom of my heart. You were my total opposite; you were free."

 "That's the reason the younger brother followed his brother," Sunako replied. "Yes...The younger brother wanted to be one with his brother... Just for that reason..." Abel and his older brother Cain, there were times Sunako would order to retrieve his work from the temple at all cost.

   "But why did the older brother loose hope ?"

"Thank you. I wanted you to kill me," Abel thanked his older brother. "He stared at her younger brother. And, the younger brother disappeared. It was still not yet the time that Shiki would return to their graves. Despite that, his younger brother had disappeared. 

  He called for his younger brother out loud for the first time. Then he remembered that this name belonged to himself. He did not have a younger brother ! He was the one who killed. He was also the one who was killed.  The younger brother was born from his despair. And, due to that despair, he killed his younger brother and himself."

"Was my father also feeling despair acting as the Head Monk ?" Mr. Muroi questioned out loud. He said it so softly that she decided not to speak.

3rd pov

A trio of the human villagers walked the street, on the prowl for more shiki to hunt as they were armed with knives and other weapons. "Yeah. I wonder if they've already gone into hiding somewhere," One spoke.

  Two Shiki jumped down, pouncing on their prey as they immediately bit them. "You bastards !" The third took a step back as he trembled, watching his friends crumble to the ground. From behind a younger shiki, a young girl bit him.

  "Attack those who are are trying to hunt us down," Yoshie began as she ordered the new pawns. "Attack even the old people," The second Shiki, a grey haired woman ordered. "Do it for us," The youngest of the trio chimed in as her blank expression human dropped.