Chapter 206: The Garden of Sinners Episode 5: Paradox Spiral! (Part 4)
"Oi, Enjou! You sure can run, huh?!"
On-screen, Tomoe Enjou was being chased by a gang of delinquents through a dark alleyway—eventually, they forced him into a dead end.
But strangely, the boy's face showed no trace of fear.
Instead, his expression was cold, sharp, resolute—like a blade drawn in winter.
In one sudden motion, he spun around and lunged at the man closest to him.
"Tch—!"
With a sickening squelch, Enjou jammed his fingers directly into the man's left eye.
A disgusting sensation—like piercing rubbery jelly—greeted his fingertips.
The man immediately let out a blood-curdling scream.
"GaaaAAHHHHHHHH!"
Seizing the moment, Enjou grabbed the man's face and slammed the back of his head hard into the wall.
"...Tch. That alone probably won't kill you."
He muttered coldly, a twisted grin creeping across his face.
But just as he said that—the memory of killing his own parents came flooding back.
Nausea slammed into his gut like a tidal wave, making him stumble.
Before he could recover, the rest of the delinquents arrived and surrounded him.
One of them punched him hard in the face, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Yo, Little Tomoe. You seriously think you're better than us, huh?"
"Bit too cocky for your own good!"
Laughing cruelly, one of the thugs kicked him in the ribs.
The rest followed suit, treating him like a human punching bag.
Fists and boots came down on him one after another.
Enjou didn't even have the strength to fight back.
All he could do was cough up pain and blood.
Whether from a busted lip or internal bleeding—he couldn't tell anymore.
His vision began to blur.
Just as he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness—
—jingle.
A single clear sound rang through the alley.
The boys froze mid-kick and turned toward the source instinctively.
At the mouth of the alley stood a girl.
She wore strange clothes, a crimson jacket draped over her shoulders.
Her presence was icy, sharp, and overwhelming.
Her name was Ryougi Shiki.
Step by step, she walked toward them.
"Hey, you want something?"
The punks glanced at each other and smirked, slowly surrounding her.
But they had no idea what they were dealing with.
Before Enjou's fading eyes, the girl—without hesitation—charged right into them.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
In less than five seconds, the entire group of delinquents was out cold.
The fight is not even close.
They never stood a chance.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"You're…"
Enjou tried to speak—his voice cracked from pain and confusion.
The girl casually tossed something toward him.
"You dropped this, didn't you?"
It was a key.
"Ah…"
Still stunned, Enjou stared at the object in his hands.
Ryougi turned around, as if nothing else needed to be said.
She began to walk away.
Panicked, Enjou shouted out:
"Wait! You—!"
"Hm? What now? Lost something else?"
"You're just gonna leave after that?"
"Relax. Those guys aren't dead. Or are you saying you want me to call the cops or an ambulance?"
"No!"
"Why not?"
"…Because I killed someone."
"Oh?"
She raised an eyebrow.
"Didn't look like it."
"No. I'm serious. I killed them. With a kitchen knife… I stabbed their stomach—over and over. Then I cut off their head. No one could survive that. Not if they were human."
That finally caught Ryougi's interest.
After a brief exchange, she casually suggested something outrageous:
"You can hide at my place."
Enjou's eyes widened.
But in the end, despite his shock, he nodded.
He accepted.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
In terms of pacing, Paradox Spiral was easily one of the most tightly written episodes in The Garden of Sinners series.
It wasn't just fast—it was dense.
Mystery, action, visual detail—packed into every scene.
Even the opening alone had it all: tension, violence, emotion, and cinematic flair.
Any viewer who reached this point would be hooked.
Even the nobles watching from within the ducal estate—who had scoffed at the beginning—Now found themselves leaning forward in their seats, drawn in despite themselves.
They might not admit it aloud, but this was no mere "commoner's entertainment" anymore.
The nobles, who until now had spared no effort in mocking film and television as trivial, vulgar distractions, now found themselves utterly speechless.
Their haughty posturing evaporated, and their eyes were fixed squarely on the screen, unable to look away.
They wanted—no, needed—to see what came next.
Of course, pride still bound their tongues. None of them could bring themselves to offer even the faintest praise.
Instead, they watched coldly, waiting, hoping the story would falter… that it would collapse into the mediocrity they'd been predicting.
But a different voice broke through the silence.
Seated casually among them, the True Ancestor, Arcueid Viktor, smiled faintly and said:
"I actually had Constantine help me watch the earlier episodes of The Garden of Sinners on this television I personally created. To be honest, out of everything that's been aired so far, I enjoy this one the most."
This statement, coming from none other than the original Duke of the southern territory—caused a visible shift in the atmosphere.
The current Southern Territory Grand Duke stiffened slightly at her words.
While he'd long since grown used to being addressed so informally in private, being referred to as "Little Constantine" in front of others—by his ancestor, no less—was a blow to his dignity.
His expression turned awkward.
Meanwhile, Edward, who had just learned that the full name of Grand Duke Viktor was Constantine Viktor, couldn't help but glance at him out of the corner of his eye.
Before the Duke could offer any rebuttal in defense of his pride, Edward calmly interjected:
"So, True Ancestor… Miss? What made you so interested in The Garden of Sinners?"
The use of "Miss" was painfully casual—verging on irreverent.
Grand Duke Viktor's face instantly darkened. He opened his mouth to rebuke the disrespect, but Arcueid raised a hand, stopping him with a gentle gesture.
She seemed pleased. Amused, even.
Then, with a faint tilt of her head, she answered the question:
"Why do I like The Garden of Sinners? It's simple. Because the world it depicts reminds me of my own—The killers it portrays, the twisted emotions, the meaningless bloodshed… I find all of it strangely nostalgic."
"Most murderers," she continued, "don't have meaningful reasons. Their motives are stupid, or nonexistent. But regardless of species—human or otherwise—killing your own kind is an unforgivable sin. It's a primordial evil. And carrying that evil, living on while bearing that weight… That kind of mindset—honestly—it's a strange kind of comfort to me."
"…"
Edward said nothing.
He couldn't understand her words.
He couldn't grasp the thoughts behind them.
He lacked both the experience and the context.
A True Ancestor's thoughts weren't something he—or any ordinary human—could casually comprehend.
But he did find one thing suddenly made clear:
That television—so impossibly advanced, powered by magic beyond human means—hadn't been made by any mortal mage.
It had been built by her.
By a being whose very existence defied classification.
A creature beyond measure.
A vampire whose rank could not even be described by magical standards.
Everything made perfect sense now.
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