Why can't humans do it too?

"Haven't you noticed yourself—your heart is gone."

As Xin Ke finished speaking, everyone's gaze naturally fell on the vampire girl who had been standing silently in the corner since earlier. Under this serious question, she seemed to break her silence.

"...When...did you examine me?"

Compared to the Japanese spoken by Araragi Koyomi and the Japanese that Sue learned while working, the vampire girl's Japanese was much more archaic, as if someone was giving her an ancient Chinese lesson, immediately revealing the fact that she was very old.

Thinking about it this way, the only two people in this room who can be considered young are Sull and Araragi Koyomi... It seems like a man has shamelessly made himself look younger.

“Of course, only when I’m interested,” Xin Ke said frankly, then revealed a curious expression: “But you haven’t had a check-up after swallowing a leg. Is it possible that the heart could grow back? Hmm, that’s an interesting topic.”

“…No need,” Kiss-Shot seemed to realize, thanks to Hinco’s reminder, that she had lost her heart without even knowing when. She then placed her hand on her chest and felt for a moment, confirming the fact. “I think I know who it is.”

Her vampire traits also endowed her with an exceptionally good memory. In just a few breaths, Kiss-Shot had already mentally searched for all the anomalies that had occurred in the days leading up to her attack, as well as the possible timing of her heart loss.

"Really?" Araragi Koyomi became a little nervous. Whether as a member of the family or as... cough, as a personal interest, he was very worried that this enemy hiding in the shadows might harm Kiss-Shot.

“Hmm, a man,” Kiss-Shot narrowed her eyes slightly, “He looked to be in his thirties, with short, fluffy blond hair, and wearing a pink shirt. He must have taken my heart during that moment when I was in a daze.”

"But, you, this?" Araragi Koyomi gestured, momentarily at a loss for words.

After all, no one could understand the changes happening to his body better than him. If he was like an ant in the past, he had now become a human in the eyes of an ant.

His body is practically immortal, with recovery and healing capabilities exceeding those of any medicine. His physical strength and power have increased dozens of times over. After all, he couldn't have carried a car around like that in the past, and these abilities were just the basics.

Like a superhero from various comic books.

He was merely Kiss-Shot's familiar. Since he was a familiar, Kiss-Shot's abilities were certainly far greater than his, not to mention that this vampire had extensive experience in honing his skills.

In this situation, how was her heart so easily taken away?

Chapter Eight Choice

Even Kiss-Shot herself didn't realize that she had lost her heart. If she could do that, how powerful must the enemy hiding in the shadows be?

So the answer is obvious—someone is fixing the match (no).

Smacking his lips, Su Er felt his mouth dry again, even though he had just drunk water. Araragi Koyomi and Shin had already explained what happened after he fell unconscious, but he was still a little confused.

"So we've only just returned to the wonderful modern human society and we've already been forced into trouble?" Suer sighed, exhausted, and simply lay down to look at the ceiling above him, where mottled dirt and cobwebs clung to the corners.

If his life were a novel, he would wish it were categorized as a slice-of-life story of youth. He would want to wear his high school uniform, carry his briefcase, walk around school every day, joke around with his deskmate, and then go out to play together after school... instead of worrying about these trivial matters.

"How about using magic to shrink our physical age so we can go to school?" Following her principle of acting on a whim, Suer turned to Xinke and asked blankly, "Or how about shrinking our mental age too?"

"Huh?" The topic changed so quickly that even Xin Ke couldn't keep up for a moment, but fortunately, before she could understand the question, Su Er changed back.

“No, let’s forget it,” Sue shook her head. “So what are you and Jibril planning? Or is there some use for keeping them here? I thought you wouldn’t interfere with this kind of normal racial feud.”

There was no sense of panic. What Araragi Koyomi considered a major crisis, or even a sudden event that seemed to require him to shoulder the burden of the world, was just a rather ordinary little thing for Sull.

“They saw us come here. Miss Monster is inclined to kill them on the spot, while I would rather wait until you wake up before making a decision.”

"Huh??? This was a decision we made together, and now you're blaming it all on me? Can't weeds just die already?!"

The fact that Xin could embellish with subtle writing once again ignited the war between her and Jibril, but Suer was already used to this kind of thing.

He was even prepared to see these two arguing every day for the rest of his long life.

At least I won't be lonely at home anymore, right?

"So what do you want to do?"

"I?"

Sue chose to ask the person directly, but Araragi Koyomi looked somewhat confused at that moment.

“Otherwise what? Do you want to protect that vampire over there?” Suer continued, “Without a doubt, you were bewitched by the vampire and impulsively offered yourself up there. Although I was surprised that she didn’t choose to suck you dry, at least the vampires I know would probably suck your flesh... But an impulse is an impulse, and you will eventually calm down.”

"Are you willing to sacrifice your life to protect her as a member of her family who was suddenly dragged into this situation? You just said you have two younger sisters. So, are you willing to embrace a long life and watch your family grow old? Hmm, or are you going to be hunted down by vampire hunters, die in front of your sisters, and watch them cry while holding you?"

"Or rather... Araragi Koyomi, do you want to become human again?"

"You don't need to convince yourself to accept the fate of being an outcast and having to coexist with another completely unfamiliar being because of an unchangeable reality."

After Xin Ke—crossed out, with Jibril's help, replenished some water, Sul felt tired again after talking so much in her still very weak body.

The only person Suer felt sorry for in the whole incident was the high school boy who went to buy pornographic magazines and was accidentally involved in the incident. Extraordinary power is inexplicable to ordinary humans—it is a magical power that cannot be explained by any love at first sight. For ordinary humans, the charm released by vampires is an irresistible poison, and they may even think that they made the decision willingly.

Araragi Koyomi was just an ordinary person, even more ordinary than Sue before he first transmigrated. After all, Sue had already entered society by then, had eaten rice for a few more years, and had been tempered in his resistance to temptation.

Araragi Koyomi was even a virgin.

"Huh? Can it really turn back?" Araragi Koyomi's mouth dropped open in disbelief, but what Sull was more concerned about was the blond vampire on the other side.

From the moment she started asking Araragi Koyomi questions, Sue had been keeping a close eye on the vampire named Kiss-Shot out of the corner of her eye. Now, when she heard that it was possible to turn Araragi Koyomi back into a human, her eyes widened.

"Why not?" Suer asked with a smile.

"If an object smells like an apple, tastes like an apple, looks like an apple, weighs like an apple, and has everything else that an apple should have, then it is an apple."

"Similarly, if you possess the strength, appearance, lifestyle, and everything else that a human should have, then you are human."

Suer patted Xinke's thigh beside him.

"Please allow me to introduce to you the most talented genius in the world, the great Miss Nirvalen. As long as she takes action, let alone wanting to turn back into a human, you can even turn into a white-stockinged beauty without any problem."

"Cough cough cough! I can do it too! Don't underestimate the precision with which the Skywing race controls elves!" Jibril kicked Sull's shin and raised her hand excitedly.

This was a game she had never played before.

"Is it really possible?"

"Are you sure you want it?"

Araragi Koyomi's eyes lit up, but then dimmed again at Sue's question.

"But... does this... really count as turning back?" The black-haired high school student seemed a little conflicted, after all, Sue's description sounded like some kind of Frankenstein monster creating Frankenstein.

“If you’re upset about my wording, then we can just erase this part of your memory. You just need to know that you’ve turned back into a human—you won’t have any psychological burden at all,” Suer said calmly.

perfect.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. For us, it's just a small favor... or rather, it's just my personal act of kindness because I couldn't stand by and watch."

Suer closed his eyes and sighed softly.

"I had no right to resist or choose the fate that suddenly befell me."

"But you have it now."

Chapter Nine: Human or Vampire?

Unless one chooses to embark on the Yakuza path, where one must occasionally cut off their little finger to pledge loyalty to their elder brother, most ordinary people spend their lives struggling with the mundane necessities of life: going to work, earning money, traveling, having children, and going out with friends... Hmm, this is questionable.

At least for Araragi Koyomi, it's questionable. After all, he's the type who believes that people become vulnerable when they make friends, which sounds like a lone wolf, or you could call him a recluse.

As long as he can turn back into a human, he will not be hunted by vampire hunters, nor will he need to fight for his life like a beast. Even though he has power and abilities beyond that of ordinary humans, Araragi Koyomi is still very clear about one thing: this world is still a human world, and on the surface, all supernatural powers do not exist.

Therefore, he was not happy about becoming an alien; in fact, one could say... he wanted to die.

suicide.

Every inch of exposed skin was pricking with needles, as if someone was burning it bit by bit with a high-temperature torch. My body was melting like an ice cream, without even a trace of fluid, jumping directly to the stage of being burned to ashes.

This pain would spread, and in the blink of an eye it had extended to the parts covered by clothing. Only the pain remained unchanged, but no amount of pain could alleviate the confusion in Araragi Koyomi's heart—these feelings did not come from his self-pitying fantasies, but from the actions he had already taken.

When he awoke from his coma, he found that he had lost his human identity. Fear, confusion, anxiety, and self-abandonment overwhelmed him. He didn't know how to face his family, human society, or even the blond vampire he should now call his master. In the end, he stepped into the midday sun as a vampire, seeking self-destruction.

Then that little angel kicked him into the building.

There were no words of comfort, just like kicking away a soda can in front of him as he passed by. The little angel's indifferent attitude didn't even include a word of greeting. But surprisingly, after Araragi Koyomi quietly lay among the brick and stone ruins he had smashed and repaired his body, he did not choose to walk into the sunlight again.

It was from that time that Araragi Koyomi began to try to communicate with the blonde vampire, asking about names that Shinko and Jibril were not interested in, asking about the appearance and number of enemies, and even trying to communicate with the little angel who had kicked him and seriously injured him but indirectly saved his life from the sunlight, taking her to eat some snacks.

And seeing how fearless the enemy so easily delivered themselves to their doorstep, and how they are still stuck in a gasoline drum and unable to move.

It's hard to articulate one's feelings clearly, but Araragi Koyomi is indeed imprisoned around this abandoned building, unable to leave or send any messages out. According to the big-breasted elf, everything can only be decided after the man awakens.

I don't know if it's because every time I wake up and open my eyes I can see that translucent soul and the winged angel, compared to vampires who are mostly no different from ordinary people except for their canine teeth, they are more deserving of the title of "outcast". You can tell they are not human just by looking at them, whether it is their appearance or their personality.

But at least seeing them helped Araragi Koyomi feel much less of a strange feeling. This abandoned building was practically deserted by humans... it was like a kingdom of monsters.

When everything around you is a monster, then the monster is the normal existence and should not be called a monster.

This feeling made Araragi Koyomi feel much better, but just as he was trying to adapt to this body, the man woke up and asked him a question—Do you want to become human again?

what is this?

What did his previous hesitation and confusion, pain and unease, sadness and reluctance matter?

No one knew what this man named Suer had gone through, nor what he meant by saying that he had no choice when fate struck, nor what kind of expression lay beneath his closed eyes. All Araragi Koyomi could sense was a deep weariness and helplessness.

He can turn back into a human, away from all the troubles and anxieties. He won't have to worry about vampire hunters coming to his door to hunt him down while he's sleeping at home, or about his most beloved family members threatening him. His worries will still be the homework he has to hand in every day, the teacher's earnest advice, whether to go straight into the workforce or apply to university for further studies... and maybe he'll even meet a beautiful woman who can change his mind and have a romance.

This is undoubtedly the kind of life that ordinary human beings should have.

"Can't decide?"

Araragi Koyomi saw the man reopen his eyes, leaning against the semi-transparent, large-breasted elf, tilting his head to look at him, his gaze seemingly smiling.

“…Hmm,” Araragi Koyomi hesitated for a moment, then suddenly realized that he no longer had the same determination he had when he chose to step directly into the sunlight. But he was certain that he wanted to become human again, and that desire had not changed.

Araragi Koyomi subconsciously turned her head to look at the vampire girl standing in the corner. Having regained one leg, she looked much older than her previous child form—and she was staring at her intently, as if expecting something.