Shokugeki no Shiki (Oneshot)
"Arcueid, drink my blood. Drink my blood and everything will return to how it should be." The words escaped my lips so naturally, after all that was the conclusion I came to after I have spent days agonizing on how to protect her.
We stared at each other in deafening silence. Arcueid's dazzling smile morphed into something that would sear my mind forever.
"I am so happy, Shiki."
"But I won't drink your blood, Shiki." Hearing those words broke my heart, but the look on her face…
"W-Why-" I shot up from my seat in my empty homeroom classroom as I was about to protest only to be cut off.
"I love you, Shiki, so I won't drink it." Arcueid's lips curved into a sad smile,
I wanted to scream, I wanted to yell at her, I wanted to change her mind. But, that smile, that gorgeous smile.
"And that's why this will be our farewell."
Facing Vlov filled me with the most primordial terror, just recalling the memory of our fight almost brought tears to my eyes. But what Arcueid just said now, felt like a thousand cuts, my heart frozen like a stone.
"I am a liar, a despicable liar." I choked out. "I promised that I would make you happy, that I would find a way to make your life easier.
"No, no you are not." Arcueid's cheeks softened with content. "For now I will go back to slumber but in the meantime I will dream of you, Shiki. Of our times spent together. Of the happiness you brought me."
"I love you, Shiki."
"I love you for your honesty, I love you for your reliability, I love you for your concern for me, I love you for your hard work, I love you for your positivity."
It was so faint, if I didn't pay attention I would have surely missed the sad smile.
"That is why I would love for you to remain the way you are."
Those were her parting words as she departed into the evening dusk, like a rabbit on the moon.
Tears flowed down my cheeks, unable to say anything, unable to think of anything.
Just when I was about to grieve for my shattered heart and let everything go. I was reminded of a sweetness.
Ah, looking at the dim orange colour reminded me of the first cup of tea I was served by Kohaku on the day I returned to the Tohno mansion.
It looked just like a simple cup of tea, like any other I have had at the Arima household. Nothing special, nothing remarkable. That's what I thought when I received the cup.
But the moment the cup was laid in front of me, the fragrance invaded every single pore of my body, it was so alien and soothing. When I took a first sip it was as if the taste had spread all over my body like wildfire. Just like the setting sun Arcueid melted into.
I remember now, when we went to eat a cheap, fast food burger in the mall after watching the boring French romance movie that Arcueid enjoyed so much. I was struck with a thought that this is not the sort of food she should be eating, to me it would feel right only if she were to eat in a fine restaurant.
Yes, fine dining.
Fine food.
A meal that could break all chains.
"Haha… hahah-hahahahahahahaha!"
I laughed.
I laughed like a man possessed.
I laughed like a man devoid of reason.
I laughed because it was that simple.
And when the laughter died down, I took a last glance at the setting sun. There, in the reflection of the window I saw a face filled with determination, a determination that would break a thousand year curse.
In the distant yet not so distant future.
It was another day of paperwork and reading reports. Such was a typical day of Cardinal Mario. Heretic hunts were a thing of the past in his old age, yet he was still the head overseer for Japan.
And then out of nowhere a rush that threatened to break his monotonous day slammed into the door of his office.
"C-Cardinal Bestino!" A young priest rushed in. "I bear grimm tidings. we have received a report from the Vatican that an Ancestor has arrived in Japan!"
"Well, out with it. Who is it?" Mario shot back with his typical impatient tone that even old age couldn't temper.
"It's… it's the XXVIII Ancestor! Shokugeki no Shiki, The Death of Terrible Cuisine!"
Hearing the frantic report, Mario's lips quirked into a faint smile that almost no one could spot.
"Summon Decem, it seems like we have a nuisance to deal with."