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Black
More light!
Black
this story about a vampire has an unhappy ending
it concludes with everyone becoming miserable
Kizumonogatari Tekketsu-hen
March 25th
Naoetsu Private High School Crossing
Red
Uh...
I... didn't see anything.
Naoetsu Private High School Crossing
Black
You know, for hiding something you don't want seen,
then no matter how you look at, it a skirt doesn't provide much defense, does it?
You really need tights as a firewall, don't you?
...I wouldn't know.
I'm heading out.
Wait a minute!
Black
I finally caught up with you.
You walk pretty quickly, don't you,
Araragi-kun?
Araragi-kun
Wait, why do you know my name?
Of course I know it! We go to the same school, don't we?
You take a "阿" that looks like the one in "possible (可能)",
two of the "良"s from "good boy (良い児)",
and the "木" from "arbor (樹木)", and you get "Araragi (阿良々木)".
And your first name is "Koyomi (暦)" as in "calendar (暦)", if I remember correctly.
Koyomi
And that gives us "Araragi Koyomi".
Araragi Koyomi
You're Hanekawa...
...Hanekawa Tsubasa.
Hanekawa Tsubasa
Wow!
Black
I'm impressed you knew the name of someone like me.
Hanekawa Tsubasa, the person who, on last year's midterms,
across all subjects including health, PE, and art, got only a single fill-in-the-blank question wrong.
Huh?
Wait, why do you know all that?
Could it be that you've been stalking me?
Although jumping to that conclusion might make me seem like I have a victim complex.
That's not it.
I heard about you from my alien friend.
Wait, Araragi-kun, you have friends?
Ask about the "alien" part first!
Black
It's just, you're always alone, so you give off this impression of being off in your own world.
Well, you're right about me not having any friends.
But the fact that even such a friendless guy knows about you is a testament to how famous you are.
Could you cut it out?
I don't really like jokes like that.
By the way, Araragi-kun...
By the way, Araragi-kun.
...do you believe in vampires?
Why vampires?
It's just a rumor, but recently people have been saying that there's a vampire in this city.
They've been saying that it's dangerous to go out alone at night.
What a vague rumor... and on top of that, why would anyone believe it?
They say the vampire is a beautiful blonde woman with eyes so cold they'll freeze your spine.
You couldn't know she's a vampire from just that, right?
Couldn't she be a normal person who just stands out because of how blonde she is?
But they say that even under a streetlamp so bright her hair was practically glowing, she didn't have a shadow.
I mean, this was at nighttime, right? Even with a streetlamp, it would be easy to mistake what you saw.
Yup. I think the rumors are rediculous too, but you know... if there really was a vampire, I'd like to at least meet her.
I think it would be nice to meet something superior to a human.
Superior to a human... you mean like a god?
It doesn't have to be a god.
Because otherwise, where's the reward?
Black
This is no good... Araragi-kun, you're surprisingly easy to talk to, you know.
My tongue slipped and I may have said something rather hard to understand.
It's surprising that you don't have any friends, given how easy you are to talk to. Why don't you try making some?
If I make friends, my intensity as a person will fall.
Huh? Sorry, I don't really get it.
It's like... y'know, if I had friends, I'd have to pay attention to them, right?
If I notice my friends, I'd be noticed by them, and when my friends were sad, I'd be sad as well.
It seems like those kinds of downsides just pile up. They'd just make you weaker.
But if your friends were having fun, you'd be having fun too,
and if your friends were happy, you could be happy with them. You wouldn't just be unconditionally weaker.
No, if my friends were having fun, I'd just be jealous, and if they were happy, I'd just be envious.
How petty.
Leave me alone.
Naoetsu Private High School Crossing
I was thinking of heading to the library.
Want to come along?
Why? What would we do at the library?
We would study, obviously.
"Obviously"?
Sorry, but I'm not so diligent as to spend my homework-free spring break studying.
You do know we have entrance exams coming up next year, right?
Forget entrance exams, I'll be lucky to even graduate. I'm already a lost cause.
Araragi-kun, do you have a cell phone?
Yeah, why?
Can I see it?
Thanks! Here you go.
Naoetsu Private High School Crossing
I put in my number and email address.
Sorry, but it looks like you accidentally made a friend.
What's her deal?
Naoetsu Private High School Crossing
Black
Reminiscing
Black
Reminiscing
Black
You there.
I shall allow you to save me.
Did you not hear me? I said I would allow you to save me.
Are... are you okay?
I'll... I'll call an ambulance-
An ambulance? I have no need for such a thing.
Instead... give me thy blood.
Red
Araragi-kun, do you believe in vampires?
They say the vampire is a beautiful blonde woman with eyes so cold they'll freeze your spine.
My name is Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade,
the iron-blooded, hot-blooded, cold-blooded vampire.
I shall consume thy blood as my own flesh. Therefore-
-give me thy blood.
Vampires are immortal, aren't they?
I have lost too much blood. I can no longer regenerate, nor can I transform. At this rate, I will perish.
Black
Consider the opportunity to become one with my flesh and blood a great honor.
B-blood? Couldn't you just get a transfusion or something?
H-how much do you need?
For now, thy body's worth should tide me over.
Oh, my body's worth.
What are you waiting for? Deliver my thy blood.
Do it now!
Do it now, laggard!
I'll be fine. I can get away.
Who do you think I'm talking to?
I can get away from here.
It'll be fine if I run.
Just by doing that,
I can reject this reality.
Hey!
You're joking, right?
You... aren't going to save me?
NOOOOOO!
No! No! No! I don't want to die!
I don't want to die I don't want to die
Help me! Please, help me!
PLEEEEASE!
NOOOOOO!
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
I thought I was a goner.
Besides, she's a monster. A vampire!
There's no need for me to save her, right?
OF COURSE THERE ISN'T!
Black
Red
Don't give up, you idiot!
Are you okay with this?
Of course I'm not, you dumbass.
Dammit... dammit, dammit... How'd it end up like this?
I swear, I'll do better with my next life.
I'll be reborn as the kind of guy with great judgment, who can always pass off his failures as someone else's fault.
So I'll save you.
Drink my blood. I'll give you all of it. Don't leave even a drop behind.
Thank you.
Was that a dream?
[Surprise]
Black
Hey, wake up!
Five more minutes.
5 minutes
I said, wake up!
Later... when I'm in the mood...
Mood
Exactly how long do you plan on sleeping?
...about 4.6 billion years?
4.6 billion years
Another Earth will have formed by then!
March 28th
It's been two days already?
Black
You idiot!
Black
For crying out loud.
What kind of moron just goes out into the sunlight like that?
Any ordinary vampire would have evaporated instantly.
Don't even think about going out during the day again.
Your immortality will turn on you, and your life will become an endless cycle of incineration and regeneration.
If an immortal vampire can be said to live, that is.
V-vampire? You mean you're really a-
Black
Yup.
Indeed; I am Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade.
You may address me as Heart-Under-Blade.
It's been four hundred years since I last made a thrall, and this is only my second time,
but judging by your regeneration abilities it seems to have gone pretty well.
Th-thrall?
Thrall
Indeed! Therefore, you...
...uh...
...hm, I suppose you haven't told me your name yet.
Well, no matter. I suppose your prior name has already ceased to hold meaning.
Anyhow, servant of mine...
...welcome to the world of the night.
Black
Where are we?
Red
This was a... cram school, I believe they're called?
It felt into disrepair several years ago and was abandoned, which makes it an excellent place to hide.
Huh. Well then, Kiss-Shot, next question-
Hold thy tongue! I told you to address me as Heart-Under-Blade, did I not?
That's way too long, especially compared to "Kiss-Shot". Or am I not allowed to call you that?
Well... not exactly. If you're fine with calling me Kiss-Shot, I suppose I have no reason to object.
So? What was this question of yours?
Uh...
So, I'm a vampire now, right?
That should go without saying by now.
Thou art my thrall and my servant. Be honored.
Servant, huh... Well, why do you look so childish?
When we first met, you seemed more... well, adult-like.
Well, excuse me for being so childish!
I didn't mean it like that...
Adult-like
and...
with all her limbs severed.
I didn't leave a single drop behind.
It wasn't even close to enough, so I ended up in this form. Still much preferable to death, of course.
That said, I'm only able to maintain minimal levels of immortality, and most of my vampiric powers are restrained.
Inconvenient, to be certain.
Red
As you can see, my limbs regrew, but only in the loosest of senses.
They're more or less hollow at the moment.
That said, from a distance they look fine.
All that said, be certain you don't forget who's in charge here, servant.
Despite my current appearance, I'm still a five-hundred-year-old vampire.
Normally I wouldn't give a newborn vampire like yourself so much as the time of day.
...I see.
Don't give me such an anemic response. Do you truly understand what I'm saying?
Well, I think I'm following, but...
Then as proof of your submission, I order you to pat my head.
I suppose that will suffice.
Black
Why did you turn me into a vampire?
I prepared for you to suck me empty; I was prepared to die.
It's not as if I did or didn't want to. Without exception, anyone who has their blood drunk by a vampire becomes one in turn.
Is... that so?
Well, it works out conveniently for me. I have something I need you to do for me, after all.
Your blood was only enough to restore my body to this point.
I'm still quite a ways from my full power. Therefore, it will be necessary for you to act on my behalf.
Act on your...
Can I...
...can I go back to being human?
I figured you might ask that.
Well? Can I-
You can.
Black
I guarantee it. I swear upon my name.
The names of the three who stole Kiss-Shot's limbs
Those three specialize in slaying vampires.
So you were slain by those guys?
Don't say foolish things. I'm still around, aren't I?
Of course, having my limbs stolen is a pain.
I've lost most of my regenerative capabilities, and I'm certainly in no state to fight.
To put it simply, you need just defeat those three and recover my arms and legs.
Wait, what?
That doesn't exactly sound "simple".
In order to turn you back into a human, I must first be returned to full power.
To restore my body and my power, those limbs are absolutely essential.
But I'm terrible at stuff like fighting. Worst case scenario, won't I just get slain?
Fool. That may have been the case when you were a human,
but now you are my thrall. It would be simple for you to defeat even me, the strongest vampire, in my current state.
Doesn't that just mean you're a weak vampire?
Fool!
Well, even if I'm stronger then you are now, those three were able to steal your limbs while you were at full power, right?
If that's the case-
There were three of them, and they caught me by surprise.
Hmm.
In other words, as long as you fight them one by one, they won't be a match for you.
To be frank, this task should be quite easy.
Black
Red
What am I supposed to do?
Dissecting
W-we can talk this out, guys!
Dissecting
Guys, I'm a human!
Do you guys... do you guys want to be murderers!?
Spinning
You three look lively... did something good happen to you guys?
Black
Huh?
...thanks for saving me.
No need to thank me. After all, you saved yourself, Araragi-kun.
No need to be so on guard.
Such an intense glare... you look so lively.
Something good happen to you?
We should probably start heading back, Araragi-kun.
Head back?
To that abandoned cram school.
Huh?
Wait, why do you know about that?
Hm? Of course I know about it. I'm the one who told the kid about it in the first place, after all.
Well, I was just doing the right thing.
That kid... Heart-Under-Blade seemed to be having trouble dragging your body around, so I taught her about a nice place.
What... exactly are you?
Just an old man who happened to be passing by.
Don't worry; I don't specialize in slaying vampires or anything like that.
My specialization is a little broader. I do all sorts of things, but I'll put off the self-introduction for now.
Black
Ah, you're back!
Hm? That guy behind you... looks familiar.
How rude... is that how little I mean to you?
Well? How'd it go?
How disappointing. So those three are still working together...
In any case, those three beat you at your full power, which means I don't stand a-
Like I keep saying, if you fight them one at a-
But they're still working together, right?
Also, you said we'd be fine as long as we kept our heads down, but they could find this place at any-
Being found won't be a problem. While you two were sleeping, I quietly set up a boundary around this building.
Boundary... is that like a barrier?
Something along those lines.
What are you up to? Why did you help Kiss-Shot... why did you help us? I get that you're not our enemy, but it's hard to think that you're on our side either.
You say some cruel things, Araragi-kun... if I had to put it in words, I'd say that I maintain the balance. I mediate between the this side and the other.
I think it's about time you stopped putting off that introduction.
Three
Two
Oshino Meme.
Oshino Meme
I'm something like a wandering nomad, but I'd appreciate it if you just thought of me as an expert in supernatural matters.
Unlike the three from earlier, I'm not particularly good at slaying apparitions.
Not particularly good?
To be blunt, I just don't much care for it.
But aren't you a specialist?
Like I said, my specialty is maintaining balance.
I negotiate from a position of neutrality. If you wanted to, you could call me a negotiator.
Negotiate? Mediation between this side and the other?
Which one is this side? Which one is the other?
Is this side the humans, and the other side the monsters?
Words / Sounds
In that case, as I am right now...
...which side am I on?
Monsters? That has a nice ring to it, although I call them aberrations. That girl is called the "aberration slayer", you know.
Aberration
She can drain energy from aberrations, which is a rare skill among vampires. That's probably why she's so famous.
Black
I couldn't help but overhear your conversation from earlier.
What troubling times these are. I never thought things would get this complicated.
It's not complicated in the least. To the contrary, it's quite simple.
Perhaps, when you look at it with a vampire's lifespan.
Black
But for us humans, it's a bit bothersome, isn't it, Araragi-kun?
Black
In any case, you've piqued my interest, Heart-Under-Blade.
You really do plan on turning your thrall Araragi-kun back into a human, don't you.
Black
In that case, I wouldn't mind acting as a go-between for you.
A go-between... you mean with those three?
Who else?
You mean you'll save us?
I won't save you. I'll just lend a hand.
The balance is all out of whack right now... it's almost like you're being bullied.
Of course, this is my job, so it won't exactly be free.
How does ‎¥2,000,000 (~$20,000) sound?
Two mil-
I won't hound you for the money, but I need to charge at least that much or the balance won't be maintained.
B-but...
Let's hear the specifics of your plan.
Black
Even if try to negotiate, you'll never be able to persuade those three.
All I can do is bow deeply and ask politely.
I'll convey my sincerity, y'know?
If they won't listen, I may have to resort to more dangerous measures, but if we're lucky, we can get the game started.
The game, you say?
If we begin be breaking them up and fighting them one by one...
...you said you'd be fine, right, Heart-Under-Blade? Then I'll make that a reality.
How exactly do you intend to negotiate with those three, boy?
The details are a trade secret, but I'll prepare a battlefield for you. Then you, Araragi-kun, will take back the limbs from those three.
If you can get back all the limbs, Heart-Under-Blade will regain her power, and you can safely return to being a human.
Hey, servant.
I cannot prepare human currency. I do not know how much 2 million yen is, but is the fee a burden you can bear?
Worry not. This boy's skills are the real deal.
Even as weak as I am, I can tell that much.
I don't have that much money, but if you say you won't hound me for it, and you don't need collateral...
then I'll take on the debt.
Then it's decided! Your patronage is much appreciated.
...or so they say.
Subs by Tao the Ninja 「氷」
Sound only
Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade
Iron-blooded, hot-blooded, cold-blooded
Then let us begin.
Dramaturgy
How very unpleasant.
Guillotine Cutter
Araragi-kun, don't worry about me!
HOW THE HELL COULD I NOT WORRY ABOUT YOU?
If I can't see you any more, going back to being a human is meaningless!
Araragi-kun...
...give up on going back to being human.