The Law of Shiki Tohno

[Verite]

"..."

Len nodded silently in response to Minato's question, seemingly grateful for his gesture. Still, it seemed like she wasn't up for fast running again, at least not for a small while.

Looking up, the two of them would be able to detect a nearby vending machine and bench, to which Len would stroll towards the former of the two excitedly, hoping that there would be a good snack...

... only to find that someone had beat her to the punch.

As quickly as it had appeared, Len's wide-eyed excitement would be replaced by even more dejection, as it would turn out upon closer inspection that the vending machine had been tampered with earlier. The glass on the front of it had been shattered, as though it were hit with something sturdy, and every single one snack was missing from inside. Evidently, whoever broke this vending machine was really hungry.

Still, hanging on one of the remaining shards of glass, a piece of blue cloth was able to be found. Blue was the color of the Misaki Town school uniform jacket, and it wasn't too difficult to piece two and two together...

@The Tactician​

 

[Khan of the Mardu]

"..."

Len nodded silently in response to Minato's question, seemingly grateful for his gesture. Still, it seemed like she wasn't up for fast running again, at least not for a small while.

Looking up, the two of them would be able to detect a nearby vending machine and bench, to which Len would stroll towards the former of the two excitedly, hoping that there would be a good snack...

... only to find that someone had beat her to the punch.

As quickly as it had appeared, Len's wide-eyed excitement would be replaced by even more dejection, as it would turn out upon closer inspection that the vending machine had been tampered with earlier. The glass on the front of it had been shattered, as though it were hit with something sturdy, and every single one snack was missing from inside. Evidently, whoever broke this vending machine was really hungry.

Still, hanging on one of the remaining shards of glass, a piece of blue cloth was able to be found. Blue was the color of the Misaki Town school uniform jacket, and it wasn't too difficult to piece two and two together...

@The Tactician​

"Shiki's been here, and recently too if no one's found the machine like this yet."

It was a good find, making the best of the sudden break. They now knew they were getting close, Len's senses having been correct, and soon, they would catch up to their target. Soon, their hunt would be over.

"Here, Len, you've earned it," Pulling another chocolate bar out of his bag, he handed it off to the girl with a pleased smile. She had been a good partner in the hunt, nothing like Arcueid had made her out to be, "Once you're ready, lets get moving again. We can't let this chance get away from us, okay?"​

 

[Verite]

Len would nod gratefully, before taking the candy offered to her. She ate the bar in silence rather quickly, understanding that they had little time to spare for a break, especially if they appeared to be this close to his general location. He couldn't have gone far, Len agreed. But it only begged the question... What drove him to go out of town this far? Even Len couldn't tell, and though it might be hard to ascertain from her facial expression, she was just as curious and mystified as Minato.

But that was why they were there; to find out the answers to those questions.

Swiftly finishing the bar, Len would get up and start walking down the road again without even waiting for Minato, expecting him to have been ready and follow her at a moment's notice.

As the road continued to simply be a straight line without any sign of stopping, Len continued to walk down it, and several trees would be seen in the distance, indicating that they were near the edge of a forest. Initially, it was easy to pay that factor little to no mind, but something would quickly catch Len's eye to make her wander to the edge of the road, examining the off-road grass.

"...!"

Upon further inspection, not only was the ground in the grass rather muddy, but more importantly, there appeared to be... footprints within the mud. They were definitely getting closer now, no doubt about it.

@The Tactician​

 

[Khan of the Mardu]

Minato rubbed the back of his head as he released an exasperated sigh at the discovery. The forest looked to be a rather thick maze of bushes, trees, and leaves, only made worse by the oncoming darkness. If Shiki had gone within it, they certainly in for a difficult search. "There's no helping it. We'll have to just hope we don't get lost in there."

"Len, how far away is he?" Having gone around her to take the first few steps into what now essentially a jungle that blinded his vision, the teen turned to look back at the familiar, keeping a hand out in front of him in case of a tree...

Only for a branch to smack him across the face when he looked back again, "... maybe you should take the lead again. You seem to know what you're doing."​

 

[Verite]

"..."

Giving a nod to Minato and putting on a determined look on her face now that the trail had become red hot, Len would dash forward, following the footsteps in the mud that steadily became dry dirt the further and further they'd travel forward, resulting in the footsteps slowly becoming harder and more difficult to make out until the trail would entirely disappear.

However, this would do little to deter Len from anything as she continued to move, occasionally beckoning for Minato to keep close. It seemed that she was putting her spiritual bond / connection to Shiki to good use. In no time, the two of them were fairly deep in the woods. Hopefully, by the time they need to get out, they wouldn't have too much trouble, though thought could be put in that later.

After a few minutes, Len would suddenly come to a stop upon coming across a peculiar sight; a strange campsite. A tree had been downed, and judging from the nice little campfire in front of Minato and Len that was still going strong, one could assume that parts of the tree had been used to make that fire.

More than that, there were kabobs near the fire, pieces of unidentified meat on it, along with a few bags. If the bags were to be checked, it would appear that the only items that were able to be found were spare clothes, a wallet, a cell phone, and... a lot of snacks, ranging from chips and candy to soda.

... And a shard of glass or two.

@The Tactician​

 

[Khan of the Mardu]

"..."

Giving a nod to Minato and putting on a determined look on her face now that the trail had become red hot, Len would dash forward, following the footsteps in the mud that steadily became dry dirt the further and further they'd travel forward, resulting in the footsteps slowly becoming harder and more difficult to make out until the trail would entirely disappear.

However, this would do little to deter Len from anything as she continued to move, occasionally beckoning for Minato to keep close. It seemed that she was putting her spiritual bond / connection to Shiki to good use. In no time, the two of them were fairly deep in the woods. Hopefully, by the time they need to get out, they wouldn't have too much trouble, though thought could be put in that later.

After a few minutes, Len would suddenly come to a stop upon coming across a peculiar sight; a strange campsite. A tree had been downed, and judging from the nice little campfire in front of Minato and Len that was still going strong, one could assume that parts of the tree had been used to make that fire.

More than that, there were kabobs near the fire, pieces of unidentified meat on it, along with a few bags. If the bags were to be checked, it would appear that the only items that were able to be found were spare clothes, a wallet, a cell phone, and... a lot of snacks, ranging from chips and candy to soda.

... And a shard of glass or two.

@The Tactician​

This certainly didn't bode well for their chances. Though the tree being downed was strange given the fact that he was fairly certain that Shiki wasn't that strong, what was particularly worrying to Minato were the bags they had discovered. "He left his bags and a fire going... Why would Shiki do that?" The glass had been a telling sign that the possesions were his friends, but they gave no clue as to why he left them behind.

"Len, can you sense anything else out here, something other than Shiki?" Something was very wrong with this situation. Shiki wasn't stupid enough to just leave his supplies behind, or he wouldn't have survived in the games as many times as he had. Something had forced him to leave them, something that left him little time to get away.​

 

[Verite]

Len would take a step forward, standing there for a brief moment, as though making use of her senses to see if there was something else around. Once she was done, she would shake her head, as though stating that she wasn't able to sense anything or anyone definite in the nearby area. Silence overtook the area for a brief moment, save for the soft crackling of the fire, as Len seemed to continue to look around, as though trying to determine where to go next, before she would stop moving dead in her tracks, not moving a muscle as something seemed to spook her, as evident from her alarmed eyes and her ears twitching ever so slightly.

A footstep was heard in the distance, crushing some leaves. Then another. And then another. And with that, the noise gradually grew louder as the source of the footsteps drew closer.

Gasping softly, Len would scurry behind Minato, hugging his arm like a scared cat, no pun intended, and meekly poking her head out to see who the source was.

Past the trees and shadows, a pair of eyes glowed brightly in the darkness. A glow that no natural eyes could make.

Soon enough, the figure's heavy breathing could be heard, trudging through the woods with an almost deliberately menacing demeanor. Len couldn't make heads or tails of the presence; the fact that she was unable to detect it despite it seeming to be so close by could only mean that it had some sort of presence-concealing ability.

And then... once it would make its way out of the woods and into the clearing, the site of the campfire, it would turn out to be...

"Huh? Len? Arisato-kun? What are the two of you doing here?" A certain Shiki Tohno would ask, holding his trusty knife in one hand and what appeared to be a rabbit, likely deceased, in the other.

As oblivious as ever.

@The Tactician​

 

[Khan of the Mardu]

Giving Len a pat on the head to calm her and flex the arm she had clamped down on to get the blood flowing once again, Minato shrugged at Shiki's question with a bored expression, "Hi, Shiki-kun, great to see you too. What am I doing out here? Oh, you know, just helping your familiar track down some mopey guy who ran off without a word to his family and friends instead of getting to spend a weekend with Ciel. Really just the usual stuff."

He dropped the sarcastic tune after that, walking back to the fire and taking a seat on one of the few remaining dry patches of dirt in the forest, "Anyways... Your vampire friend sent me to find you because her and Ciel are busy. Can you please come back now? I don't really take you as a person that the whole traveling-to-find-enlightment thing working out for..."​

 

[Verite]

Shiki frowned as Minato would speak, casually speaking of the situation that he found himself in with Len. Sitting across from the two of them, the warm campfire separating the three of them, the young man would take a moment to process Minato's words, his face occasionally grimacing a little whilst thinking about the mentioned vampire friend. All the while this was happening, strangely enough, the eerie sensation that he was being watched would never leave Minato, as though there really was something else out there, not that Shiki seemed to notice or care, at least at the moment anyway.

"..."

Len narrowed her eyes at Shiki as she sat down quietly next to Minato. Now that he was finally here... She figured they should drag him back to Misaki Town, but knowing him, there was probably some big deep reason why he wasn't back already, and the familiar would prepare to listen to what he had to say in justification.

"Tch... Arcueid always has to butt into everything, doesn't she?" Shiki sighed, lightly rubbing his head in exasperation. Truth be told, he really had to expect this, especially after the manner he had left Misaki Town in, but even so... What a pain. So Minato and Len had been sent to find him. Humph. Having a familiar really could be a pain when you wanted to be alone.

Briefly pinching the bridge of his nose, Shiki would look up at Minato, putting down his knife to the side, and the dead rabbit to another, before finally thinking up how to respond to that kind of demand.

"I can't come back. Not yet anyway. There's something I still have to do."

The way he spoke held a tone of determination buried beneath reluctance. There was something he definitely wanted to do. Needed to do, even. Even if it wasn't going to be the most pleasant thing to do. With that, he would suddenly give a small laugh, staring at the fire with a strange expression of peace on his face.

"Y'know... Sensei always taught me that life was sacred. I can't believe how easily that notion can be forgotten, especially when you partake in a Murder Game or two, hmm?" Shiki asked, grabbing a nearby branch that he seemed to be using as a makeshift fire poker, poking some of the wood in the fire, "I think the main reason why I still remember that teaching of hers is because of these eyes I have," he would continue, gesturing towards his eyes. The Mystic Eyes of Death Perception held back only by his specialized glasses, "Everything I see... It's always death. Even after ten years, it's still frightening to see the death of everything. The crumbling foundation of people, things... It makes me remember just how fragile one's life can be. I mean... Look at all this."

"We use the lives of others for the benefit of our own. I guess you could say that's just how nature intends for life to exist, but in the rare moments that I stop to think about it... I still feel bad. I do things that make me feel like an ass, like saying "Thank you" after I put down this rabbit to use as dinner, doing a small little prayer after stealing some of the bark from the fallen tree... Truth be told, that tree was already like that when I got here, so I guess I'm only... half to blame?" He shrugged, the low crackling of the red hot fire being the only sound in these woods to accompany the voice of Shiki.

"In any case, I guess the point that I'm trying to make is... It's precisely because of how fragile life can be that we often take it for granted. People live empty lives, never knowing who they truly are... what they want out of it... That's a pretty depressing way to live and die, y'know? That's exactly what my family made me realize... I'm exactly the kind of person whom traveling-to-find-enlightenment would benefit. After all, life's always full of things to discover. No matter how much you find out about yourself, there's always another thing around the corner."

"And that applies to me as well. The thing I'm always reaching out to is different. Once upon a time, what I wanted to take into my hand was the security of those I cared for, and nothing else. And then it changed to the desire to fight for the sake of those I could never protect. And now, it's... Well, that's the thing. I don't really know what it is next, but... I know if I travel just a little further, I'll be able to find out what the next meaning to this life will be. That's why I can't come back home just yet."

"I still need to find myself. All this time trying to find what Mikasa would have wanted to protect her smile in my head... Trying to find the Arch Demon to defeat him and save the multiverse... Trying to find something further to fight, to fight for, and never did the thought occur to me even once that perhaps the one thing I need to find is what my constant purpose will always be at the end of the day. Until then... I can't come back."

@The Tactician​

 

[Khan of the Mardu]

Shiki frowned as Minato would speak, casually speaking of the situation that he found himself in with Len. Sitting across from the two of them, the warm campfire separating the three of them, the young man would take a moment to process Minato's words, his face occasionally grimacing a little whilst thinking about the mentioned vampire friend. All the while this was happening, strangely enough, the eerie sensation that he was being watched would never leave Minato, as though there really was something else out there, not that Shiki seemed to notice or care, at least at the moment anyway.

"..."

Len narrowed her eyes at Shiki as she sat down quietly next to Minato. Now that he was finally here... She figured they should drag him back to Misaki Town, but knowing him, there was probably some big deep reason why he wasn't back already, and the familiar would prepare to listen to what he had to say in justification.

"Tch... Arcueid always has to butt into everything, doesn't she?" Shiki sighed, lightly rubbing his head in exasperation. Truth be told, he really had to expect this, especially after the manner he had left Misaki Town in, but even so... What a pain. So Minato and Len had been sent to find him. Humph. Having a familiar really could be a pain when you wanted to be alone.

Briefly pinching the bridge of his nose, Shiki would look up at Minato, putting down his knife to the side, and the dead rabbit to another, before finally thinking up how to respond to that kind of demand.

"I can't come back. Not yet anyway. There's something I still have to do."

The way he spoke held a tone of determination buried beneath reluctance. There was something he definitely wanted to do. Needed to do, even. Even if it wasn't going to be the most pleasant thing to do. With that, he would suddenly give a small laugh, staring at the fire with a strange expression of peace on his face.

"Y'know... Sensei always taught me that life was sacred. I can't believe how easily that notion can be forgotten, especially when you partake in a Murder Game or two, hmm?" Shiki asked, grabbing a nearby branch that he seemed to be using as a makeshift fire poker, poking some of the wood in the fire, "I think the main reason why I still remember that teaching of hers is because of these eyes I have," he would continue, gesturing towards his eyes. The Mystic Eyes of Death Perception held back only by his specialized glasses, "Everything I see... It's always death. Even after ten years, it's still frightening to see the death of everything. The crumbling foundation of people, things... It makes me remember just how fragile one's life can be. I mean... Look at all this."

"We use the lives of others for the benefit of our own. I guess you could say that's just how nature intends for life to exist, but in the rare moments that I stop to think about it... I still feel bad. I do things that make me feel like an ass, like saying "Thank you" after I put down this rabbit to use as dinner, doing a small little prayer after stealing some of the bark from the fallen tree... Truth be told, that tree was already like that when I got here, so I guess I'm only... half to blame?" He shrugged, the low crackling of the red hot fire being the only sound in these woods to accompany the voice of Shiki.

"In any case, I guess the point that I'm trying to make is... It's precisely because of how fragile life can be that we often take it for granted. People live empty lives, never knowing who they truly are... what they want out of it... That's a pretty depressing way to live and die, y'know? That's exactly what my family made me realize... I'm exactly the kind of person whom traveling-to-find-enlightenment would benefit. After all, life's always full of things to discover. No matter how much you find out about yourself, there's always another thing around the corner."

"And that applies to me as well. The thing I'm always reaching out to is different. Once upon a time, what I wanted to take into my hand was the security of those I cared for, and nothing else. And then it changed to the desire to fight for the sake of those I could never protect. And now, it's... Well, that's the thing. I don't really know what it is next, but... I know if I travel just a little further, I'll be able to find out what the next meaning to this life will be. That's why I can't come back home just yet."

"I still need to find myself. All this time trying to find what Mikasa would have wanted to protect her smile in my head... Trying to find the Arch Demon to defeat him and save the multiverse... Trying to find something further to fight, to fight for, and never did the thought occur to me even once that perhaps the one thing I need to find is what my constant purpose will always be at the end of the day. Until then... I can't come back."

@The Tactician​

"So you're just going to keep walking the land, not wanting to come back home... Until you find some new purpose out there, that you don't even know has an existence yet or ever will... And you don't care what possible consequences that might have beyond you finding something to live for?" Was this really the path Shiki planned to follow for what may be the rest of his life? The path of running away in the name of finding some hidden truth?

"Shiki... I'm sorry, I really am, but I know the path you're going to walk. All alone, unable to connect with anyone, all in the name of something unachievable. For me, it was trying to forget what happened the night my parents died... And for you, it's trying to find this new purpose of yours. Whatever is supposed to come next in your life, it's not this. It's not the path that could so easily consume an entire decade of your existence."

"Because the honest truth of that path, Shiki, is that it doesn't give you resolution. All you're doing to yourself by taking this path, all you're doing to your sister, your friends... You're just causing all of us a bunch of suffering and grief, for something that you probably won't find out there but back home..."

"You're leaving behind everyone you love and care about... Cutting yourself off from everything you know... For what? Some nameless idea? Something that is quite likely to not even be here? That's not right, Shiki. Honestly, it's kind of a dick move, leaving without a word for us and now saying you're not coming back when your loved ones are obviously hurting."

"And, honestly, if you love life so much and feel awful for using other peoples' lives..."

"It's kind of ironic that you would just up and disappear, leaving us with the painful memories and nothing to go on beyond worrying for you... If you die out here, without coming back, is that really what you want as your last impression on your friends and family? The act of abandoning us to agonize over your fate and being unable to ever find you again?"

Unzipping his bag and pulling out his sword, Minato ended the conversation with an order, "Pick up your blade and keep watch. There's something sizing us up... And if it attacks, it'll give you time to think about what I said." His eyes scoured the darkened woods that laid beyond the safety net of the fire's light, his instincts as a leader and fighter coming back to his mind, "Can Len fight at all, or are we on our own out here?"​

 

[Verite]

"... Hmm."

Shiki gave a small frown when Minato would lightly scold him for his actions. It wasn't exactly a frown out of contempt, or disappointment, or anything of the sort. If anything, it was almost like an empty frown that simply came into existence because... It wanted to. Silly as that might sound on paper, of course.

Shiki couldn't expect Minato to fully understand what he was getting at. After all, not even Shiki himself could really put his feelings into words that well, which was why his monologue ended up as long as it did in the first place. That was why he couldn't bring himself to hold it against Minato for his words. What was more, it wasn't like the blue-haired teen was exactly wrong either, but even so...

However, before Shiki would be able to respond to that, it would seem that Minato would be alarmed by something else. What a pain. There was always something in the woods, eh? Maybe Shiki should have taken up some survival classes or something, but he liked to imagine he was always able to handle himself pretty well. Getting onto a knee, his hand placed on his knife's hilt, he stared in the direction that Minato was, as would Len meanwhile.

"Yeah, she can hold her own. She's actually way stronger than she looks, so I think we'll be good."

With that being said, the presence of whatever was watching would come closer and closer, a heavy aura like when Shiki, obscured by the shadows of the trees at the time, was approaching the camp site. Shiki and Len remained frozen like statues, ready for whatever was to come, and then... It did come.

A small bunny, no different from the dead one that Shiki had brought to the camp site, showed up in town.

...

With her feline instincts taking over, Len would quickly try to dash over to it, like a predator to its prey, before comically enough, Shiki would dash forward just in time and hold Len back, wrapping his arms around her body like a girl with a teddy bear, holding her back.

"Hissssss!"

"Dammit, Len! I have a rabbit right here! We don't need another one!" Shiki exclaimed, continuing to restrain her as she attempted to reach out to the rabbit, who would naturally run off, frightened by Len's sudden display. When it would disappear as quickly as it had appeared, Len would stop fighting, looking down with a dejected expression on her face.

"Eugh... Can never be too careful in these parts, huh?"

@The Tactician​

 

[Khan of the Mardu]

"... Hmm."

Shiki gave a small frown when Minato would lightly scold him for his actions. It wasn't exactly a frown out of contempt, or disappointment, or anything of the sort. If anything, it was almost like an empty frown that simply came into existence because... It wanted to. Silly as that might sound on paper, of course.

Shiki couldn't expect Minato to fully understand what he was getting at. After all, not even Shiki himself could really put his feelings into words that well, which was why his monologue ended up as long as it did in the first place. That was why he couldn't bring himself to hold it against Minato for his words. What was more, it wasn't like the blue-haired teen was exactly wrong either, but even so...

However, before Shiki would be able to respond to that, it would seem that Minato would be alarmed by something else. What a pain. There was always something in the woods, eh? Maybe Shiki should have taken up some survival classes or something, but he liked to imagine he was always able to handle himself pretty well. Getting onto a knee, his hand placed on his knife's hilt, he stared in the direction that Minato was, as would Len meanwhile.

"Yeah, she can hold her own. She's actually way stronger than she looks, so I think we'll be good."

With that being said, the presence of whatever was watching would come closer and closer, a heavy aura like when Shiki, obscured by the shadows of the trees at the time, was approaching the camp site. Shiki and Len remained frozen like statues, ready for whatever was to come, and then... It did come.

A small bunny, no different from the dead one that Shiki had brought to the camp site, showed up in town.

...

With her feline instincts taking over, Len would quickly try to dash over to it, like a predator to its prey, before comically enough, Shiki would dash forward just in time and hold Len back, wrapping his arms around her body like a girl with a teddy bear, holding her back.

"Hissssss!"

"Dammit, Len! I have a rabbit right here! We don't need another one!" Shiki exclaimed, continuing to restrain her as she attempted to reach out to the rabbit, who would naturally run off, frightened by Len's sudden display. When it would disappear as quickly as it had appeared, Len would stop fighting, looking down with a dejected expression on her face.

"Eugh... Can never be too careful in these parts, huh?"

@The Tactician​

Minato sighed as the threat was revealed to be the harmless creature that disappeared just as quickly. The poor thing had been probably been scared senseless because of Len, and he couldn't help but feel pity for it. Here they were, ready to have killed it, Shiki already having killed one of its brethren, and it had only wished to see who they were.

"Yes... Though it was quite a cute thing. If not a good meal, then perhaps it would have been a good pet."​

Sometimes, his mind went to the weirdest of places.

"Anyways, do you think that a single rabbit will be enough to fill you and Len? I have a feeling she'll steal the entire meal..."​

 

[Verite]

"Well, I didn't think you two were going to pop up today, so this was originally just for me... But I also want to avoid taking any more life. It's one thing to take another for the sake of one's own survival, but we wouldn't want to get carried away with it, right? We have to keep in mind the sacrifices others make for us, or else we become so self-indulgent that we take it all for granted, and lose sight of the importance of life. Case in point, this rabbit that I already have here. That tree over there that would become used for this fire, even if it was already downed before I got here," Shiki spoke, before taking a pause, the look on his face seemingly becoming a little more distant out of the blue, a melancholic smile appearing on his features.

"...?"

"And of course, the sacrifices that other people make for the ones they care about. You're right, Arisato-kun... It's not fair of me to just leave without so much as saying goodbye, but... I know that if I did, they'd try to stop me. And I can't let even those that I love do that," Shiki spoke, taking a small breath, Len giving him something of an annoyed look as he'd continue talking, "And you're right. Maybe this is all a useless gesture... Saying that I'm leaving to go find something, when I don't even know what I'm supposed to be looking for, or if it even exists."

And then a seamless transition from a distant look to a determined look.

"But even so... I won't know if I don't look. And I'd rather at least try to find what it is that I'm looking for instead of living my life, never knowing what it was that was missing."

"..."

Len simply looked at the ground, her hands in her lap as she registered Shiki's words. As always, it was less than easy to determine what she was exactly thinking with how little she was actively contributing to the conversation, but as her glare towards Shiki was substantially less intense than before, one could at least get a general idea.

Still, reaching over, Shiki would give Len a pat on the head, treating her like a real cat, a soft smile once again appearing on his face.

"Ah, jeez..."

"But I do know one thing. The memory of me leaving... I'll make absolutely sure that that won't be the last memory that those I care for will have of me. I will return eventually. I don't know when, or how, but I will. I may be lower than dirt, but I'm not quite a deliberate villain, y'know? I'm almost offended you think I'd never come back without a word."

@The Tactician​

 

[Khan of the Mardu]

"Well, I didn't think you two were going to pop up today, so this was originally just for me... But I also want to avoid taking any more life. It's one thing to take another for the sake of one's own survival, but we wouldn't want to get carried away with it, right? We have to keep in mind the sacrifices others make for us, or else we become so self-indulgent that we take it all for granted, and lose sight of the importance of life. Case in point, this rabbit that I already have here. That tree over there that would become used for this fire, even if it was already downed before I got here," Shiki spoke, before taking a pause, the look on his face seemingly becoming a little more distant out of the blue, a melancholic smile appearing on his features.

"...?"

"And of course, the sacrifices that other people make for the ones they care about. You're right, Arisato-kun... It's not fair of me to just leave without so much as saying goodbye, but... I know that if I did, they'd try to stop me. And I can't let even those that I love do that," Shiki spoke, taking a small breath, Len giving him something of an annoyed look as he'd continue talking, "And you're right. Maybe this is all a useless gesture... Saying that I'm leaving to go find something, when I don't even know what I'm supposed to be looking for, or if it even exists."

And then a seamless transition from a distant look to a determined look.

"But even so... I won't know if I don't look. And I'd rather at least try to find what it is that I'm looking for instead of living my life, never knowing what it was that was missing."

"..."

Len simply looked at the ground, her hands in her lap as she registered Shiki's words. As always, it was less than easy to determine what she was exactly thinking with how little she was actively contributing to the conversation, but as her glare towards Shiki was substantially less intense than before, one could at least get a general idea.

Still, reaching over, Shiki would give Len a pat on the head, treating her like a real cat, a soft smile once again appearing on his face.

"Ah, jeez..."

"But I do know one thing. The memory of me leaving... I'll make absolutely sure that that won't be the last memory that those I care for will have of me. I will return eventually. I don't know when, or how, but I will. I may be lower than dirt, but I'm not quite a deliberate villain, y'know? I'm almost offended you think I'd never come back without a word."

@The Tactician​

"Heh, just make that the next memory isn't us finding you with your ass kicked," Minato sighed after a weak chuckle, understanding the message that Shiki was projecting. They weren't getting him to come back, no matter what reasoning they used, so it was better to just let him wander for a bit longer, "Really though, make sure that you come back alive. If your vampire friend ends up killing me because of you, Buddha won't appreciate me showing up to rough you up in Nirvana or Heaven or whatever actually comes after this life."

For a few seconds, he fell silent once again, staring at the blazing fire with a worried expression. He wondered what Ciel would say when he came back after going missing and worrying her when she already had Shiki and her duties to worry about. Maybe I should see if one of the guys at school will let me stay over for a few nights. Would be better than the couch and her anger...

"Anyways... I guess since we're not taking you back, we should going to tell Arcueid the bad news," He pushed himself up, stretching his tired muscles, "Though since Len's your familiar, I guess you might want to keep her with you. I should be able to get home on my own."​

 

[Verite]

"Wouldn't dream of it," Shiki said, adjusting his glasses and returning the chuckle in question. Indeed, losing to anyone was not something he intended on doing, much less to himself.

"And don't worry, Arcueid isn't really that kind of person. She wouldn't do anything to make me mad. Not so much because she's scared of me, but because she cares so much for me. Between you and me, it's pretty damn annoying, but I'd be lying if I said she didn't have her cute moments too, I suppose," he said, crossing his arms.

"Either way, it's pretty late by now, and if you were to leave now by yourself, you might exhaust yourself before you get very far," the young man would say, gesturing towards the sky. Sure enough, the sun had fallen, leaving a darker sky and many stars in its wake, "No harm in staying over, right? Like two little kids at a sleepover."

Upon mentioning Len, the familiar herself would perk up her ears at the notion of staying with Shiki, though her expression gave a different idea of how she was feeling.

She scooted closer to Shiki until she sat an equal distance from him as Minato, before turning to face the blue-haired teen, giving him a look as if to silently say "Is it really alright?" or something to that effect.

@The Tactician​

 

[Khan of the Mardu]

"Wouldn't dream of it," Shiki said, adjusting his glasses and returning the chuckle in question. Indeed, losing to anyone was not something he intended on doing, much less to himself.

"And don't worry, Arcueid isn't really that kind of person. She wouldn't do anything to make me mad. Not so much because she's scared of me, but because she cares so much for me. Between you and me, it's pretty damn annoying, but I'd be lying if I said she didn't have her cute moments too, I suppose," he said, crossing his arms.

"Either way, it's pretty late by now, and if you were to leave now by yourself, you might exhaust yourself before you get very far," the young man would say, gesturing towards the sky. Sure enough, the sun had fallen, leaving a darker sky and many stars in its wake, "No harm in staying over, right? Like two little kids at a sleepover."

Upon mentioning Len, the familiar herself would perk up her ears at the notion of staying with Shiki, though her expression gave a different idea of how she was feeling.

She scooted closer to Shiki until she sat an equal distance from him as Minato, before turning to face the blue-haired teen, giving him a look as if to silently say "Is it really alright?" or something to that effect.

@The Tactician​

"Well.... Only if you agree to write a note for the women in our lives so they know I wasn't just goofing off," The teen had a satisfied expression as he sat back down and laid back, pleased with his weird comment. At Len's seemingly scared or begging stare, he cocked a brow and shrugged, "It's up to you, Len. I wasn't told I needed to bring you back, only that I needed to bring back Shiki, and since I couldn't do that... I can just say that I felt he would be safer with you at his side."​

 

[Verite]

"... Hm."

With a small, soft breath, Len would nod after Minato spoke, affirming that she would decide to stay with Shiki. Meanwhile, the young man would purse his lips, before nodding back at Len, before giving a soft, sheepish laugh.

"My, how troubling. But I suppose if you insist, Len, I'll let you come along with me. You already went through all this trouble for me anyway, didn't you? There there," Shiki said, lightly scratching the back of Len's ear, causing them to twitch as she looked down, her eyes tightly closed shut, as though the sensation was greatly stimulating, reacting like a normal cat or dog would. It would seem that Minato's earlier thought of how she'd react to having the back of her scratched was confirmed.

After that, he would look up at the night sky, and then back at Minato.

"It's not exactly the most comfortable place to sleep, but I suppose we may as well get our rest. Early is better. That's when it'll be easiest for me to find breakfast," he spoke, before taking a breath, exhaling deeply as he would begin to lay down on the ground, his arms holding up the back of his head. Shiki had personally never gone camping before, so he had to say, as this was technically his first experience... He hated it.

Eugh.

@The Tactician​

 

[Khan of the Mardu]

"... Hm."

With a small, soft breath, Len would nod after Minato spoke, affirming that she would decide to stay with Shiki. Meanwhile, the young man would purse his lips, before nodding back at Len, before giving a soft, sheepish laugh.

"My, how troubling. But I suppose if you insist, Len, I'll let you come along with me. You already went through all this trouble for me anyway, didn't you? There there," Shiki said, lightly scratching the back of Len's ear, causing them to twitch as she looked down, her eyes tightly closed shut, as though the sensation was greatly stimulating, reacting like a normal cat or dog would. It would seem that Minato's earlier thought of how she'd react to having the back of her scratched was confirmed.

After that, he would look up at the night sky, and then back at Minato.

"It's not exactly the most comfortable place to sleep, but I suppose we may as well get our rest. Early is better. That's when it'll be easiest for me to find breakfast," he spoke, before taking a breath, exhaling deeply as he would begin to lay down on the ground, his arms holding up the back of his head. Shiki had personally never gone camping before, so he had to say, as this was technically his first experience... He hated it.

Eugh.

@The Tactician​

"Hmph, maybe I'll get vampire princess to fix your card so you don't have to do this anymore..." Sharing in the unspoken hatred for camping without any real equipment, Minato fell silent as he shuffled into a somewhat less uncomfortable position and closed his eyes. It was going to be a long, restless night of sleeping, and he'd prefer to go ahead and get it over with.

And he could have been in his bed back home with Ciel. Shiki owed him a few favors for dealing with this.​

 

[Verite]

Looking up at the night sky, thousands of twinkling stars visible, Shiki would yawn softly, before making a small "Tch" sound in response to Minato's response, while Len would nonchalantly morph into her cat form and comfortably head to sleep there, seeming to almost use the warmth of her own fur as a makeshift blanket, a small, low purr visible from her as she seemed to be much more comfy where she was than Minato and Shiki on the other hand.

"The thought's appreciated. Though Arcueid isn't really a fixer-upper type. That must be at least part of the reason she sent Len after me," Shiki mused briefly. Briefly stretching his arms, the young man would close his eyes with that, attempting to go to sleep.

- - -

Back home, it had been said within the Tohno household that Shiki was a very heavy sleeper, to the point that his maid Hisui would occasionally find herself unable to wake him up in the morning for class, no matter how much she would try to shake him awake, and eventually, she'd just leave him to wake up by himself, even if it meant he'd end up panicking out of his bed, jumping into his clothes, and dashing out of the mansion with a clumsily placed piece of toast in his mouth.

That being said, one would think that Shiki would still be out like a log, especially considering it was early morning. The sun was just rising, and the chirping of the early birds would cause Len's sensitive ears to twitch, the cat opening her eyes and instinctively looking in the direction of where she had last seen Shiki, only to widen her eyes in surprise when it would turn out that he was not there, as Len was one of the few people who knew about the boy's sleeping habits. Looks like he really did keep his promise about making sure to get up early to get breakfast, judging from the fact that the fire was still active, and his bags were still there.

"... Hm."

Her tail wagging slowly and curiously, Len would quietly approach Shiki's bag, nimble as the cat she resembled, seemingly with the intention of having an early morning snack before breakfast. Before long, however, she would stop dead in her tracks when a peculiar noise would be heard by her in the distance.

Footsteps that were not Shiki's. She felt a feeling similar to this upon sensing the mysterious aura from the night before, and though she wasn't sure before, there was no doubt in her mind now.

With that, she would dash over to Minato, attempting to shake him awake in quite the urgent manner, a worried look plastered all over her face.

@The Tactician​

 

[Khan of the Mardu]

Looking up at the night sky, thousands of twinkling stars visible, Shiki would yawn softly, before making a small "Tch" sound in response to Minato's response, while Len would nonchalantly morph into her cat form and comfortably head to sleep there, seeming to almost use the warmth of her own fur as a makeshift blanket, a small, low purr visible from her as she seemed to be much more comfy where she was than Minato and Shiki on the other hand.

"The thought's appreciated. Though Arcueid isn't really a fixer-upper type. That must be at least part of the reason she sent Len after me," Shiki mused briefly. Briefly stretching his arms, the young man would close his eyes with that, attempting to go to sleep.

- - -

Back home, it had been said within the Tohno household that Shiki was a very heavy sleeper, to the point that his maid Hisui would occasionally find herself unable to wake him up in the morning for class, no matter how much she would try to shake him awake, and eventually, she'd just leave him to wake up by himself, even if it meant he'd end up panicking out of his bed, jumping into his clothes, and dashing out of the mansion with a clumsily placed piece of toast in his mouth.

That being said, one would think that Shiki would still be out like a log, especially considering it was early morning. The sun was just rising, and the chirping of the early birds would cause Len's sensitive ears to twitch, the cat opening her eyes and instinctively looking in the direction of where she had last seen Shiki, only to widen her eyes in surprise when it would turn out that he was not there, as Len was one of the few people who knew about the boy's sleeping habits. Looks like he really did keep his promise about making sure to get up early to get breakfast, judging from the fact that the fire was still active, and his bags were still there.

"... Hm."

Her tail wagging slowly and curiously, Len would quietly approach Shiki's bag, nimble as the cat she resembled, seemingly with the intention of having an early morning snack before breakfast. Before long, however, she would stop dead in her tracks when a peculiar noise would be heard by her in the distance.

Footsteps that were not Shiki's. She felt a feeling similar to this upon sensing the mysterious aura from the night before, and though she wasn't sure before, there was no doubt in her mind now.

With that, she would dash over to Minato, attempting to shake him awake in quite the urgent manner, a worried look plastered all over her face.

@The Tactician​

Stirring from his sleep, Minato groaned as Len panicked and woke him from his sleep. He had once been a light sleeper, back before his time within Tartarus and before meeting Ciel, yet now he had grown to love his peaceful rests in the quiet life he had found in Misaki Town. Especially when he had just been sent on a wild chase across the countryside for a missing friend.

"What...?" Groggily, he looked up at Len, recognizing none of the terror within her expression. However, after a moment to fully awaken, his hand grabbed at his blade and found it, "Tch, we've got trouble?"

Within a moment, he had both blade unsheathed and Evoker primed for a fight as he stood ready for a fight. His eyes searched through the shadows of the trees, his mouth going dry as he couldn't sense what was coming, "Len, where's it coming from?"​