Multiversal Friendship System

After this bizarre bonding moment, Souta and Kiss-Shot became much more familiar with each other.

Their conversations became more relaxed and casual.

Of course, Kiss-Shot had always been the type to do whatever she wanted.

She saw her familiars as family, so there was never any distance in how she spoke to them.

It was only Souta who had been overly formal at first.

"By the way, servant…"

Back in the abandoned classroom, Kiss-Shot sized him up with a curious look.

Then she lifted her small hand and knocked on his chest.

"You seem… somewhat more physically fit now. Your body has become much firmer than before."

"Huh? My body… changed?"

Souta blinked in surprise.

He looked down at himself.

His physique did seem… more refined.

His body proportions looked better—his muscles felt tighter.

Everything about his appearance felt more balanced.

He reached down and touched his stomach—was that abs he was feeling…?

Souta's eyes widened in shock.

He hurriedly lifted his shirt to check.

And sure enough—not only did he have abs, but even his V-line was showing.

His muscles were well-defined, but not in a bulky, bodybuilder way—his frame still looked lean and well-proportioned.

"What… is this…?"

Souta pinched his stomach.

Most of the fat was gone.

Kiss-Shot, watching him closely, smirked and offered an explanation:

"When a vampire regenerates from an injury, the regrown part isn't an exact copy of the original—it reforms into a healthier version.

"Judging by your previous body… you must have been in terrible shape, yes? You looked like someone who barely exercised. Your body fat percentage was too high. Naturally, after regenerating in a healthier state, your physique has changed."

"So that's it…"

Souta glanced at his arms.

"I must've burned away a lot of my flesh when I exposed myself to the sunlight earlier… and when it regenerated, my whole body got an upgrade."

A grin crept onto his face.

This was amazing.

He just found a shortcut to fitness.

No exercise. No dieting. Just… burn it all away and regrow it?

"Servant," Kiss-Shot declared proudly. "Being a vampire comes with many advantages—you have only scratched the surface. In time, I shall teach you to fully experience them."

"Shame we can't go outside during the day, though," Souta remarked.

"That's not necessarily true," Kiss-Shot countered.

"We vampires fear the sun, not the daytime. There is a difference."

As she spoke, she turned and began walking toward the exit.

"Come, servant."

"Where are we going?" Souta followed curiously.

"I shall prove to you that vampires can walk under the daytime sky."

With that, she ascended the stairs, leading them to the rooftop.

Souta, intrigued, quickly caught up.

By now, the clock read 7 PM.

The sun was setting.

Golden light gradually withdrew from the town.

From the rooftop of the abandoned cram school, they had a breathtaking view of the cityscape.

Souta glanced around, taking in the sights.

"Vampire vision… is crazy."

Standing at the top of a building—he could see individual faces of pedestrians far in the distance.

He could make out their expressions, their features—

It was sharper than any telescope.

For a moment, he felt something.

A kind of illusionary omnipotence—

Like his entire perception of the world had changed.

"Hmph." Kiss-Shot stood at the edge of the rooftop railing, completely unbothered by the height.

The wind swept through her golden short hair, making it shimmer in the fading sunlight.

"Well, servant—do you finally understand the joys of being a vampire?"

"Yeah… I guess so."

Souta looked up at the dimming sky.

It was darker than before—but not pitch black yet.

He frowned.

"How exactly… does this 'vampires fear sunlight' thing work?"

The concept itself felt strange to him.

He gazed toward the horizon.

The sun itself was no longer visible, but the sky wasn't fully dark yet.

And yet—

Here he was, standing on the rooftop…

And he felt completely fine.

"The sun, hmm…"

Kiss-Shot followed his gaze.

Then, she spoke:

"Servant, you have misunderstood something."

"We vampires—as supernatural beings—do not fear the physical presence of sunlight.

"What we truly fear… is the concept of sunlight.

"Think of it this way."

Kiss-Shot gestured toward the horizon.

"On a cloudy day, humans often say, 'The sun isn't out today.'

"But in reality, the sun is still there, shining beyond the clouds.

"However, because humans perceive it as absent…

"We vampires also perceive it as absent."

She pointed toward the setting sun.

"For example—right now, the sky isn't completely dark, yet humans would say, 'The sun has set.'

"Therefore… we vampires can move freely."

Souta mulled over her words.

"So basically… vampires are shaped by human perception?"

"Exactly," Kiss-Shot affirmed. "We supernatural beings—our existence depends on human beliefs."

"That explains a lot…"

Souta nodded in understanding.

It made sense why vampires had such inconsistent weaknesses.

So long as they were protected by shade, they were safe.

And on cloudy days, they could move freely.

He already knew these details before—he just hadn't thought about them in a while.

Still—

There was something unusual about all this.

Souta turned to Kiss-Shot and asked,

"You seem… really fixated on emphasizing the benefits of being a vampire."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Are you… trying to convince me to accept my new identity?"

"To fully embrace life as your familiar and stay by your side… forever?"

Realizing this possibility, Souta was genuinely surprised.

That… wasn't how he had expected things to go.

Wasn't Kiss-Shot supposed to have an extreme desire to die?

What Souta didn't know was that Kizumonogatari had actually explored this very scenario before.

Maybe it didn't feel that way to him, but for Kiss-Shot, a familiar was the same as family.

Gaining a new family member was bound to have a profound effect on her mindset.

That's why, in Kizumonogatari, Kiss-Shot once asked Koyomi Araragi—

"Would you be willing to live forever by my side?"

In the end, Koyomi chose to become human again.

So, Kiss-Shot decided to die for him.

And now—

The same story was unfolding.

Only this time, it was happening with Souta instead.

Just in a slightly different way.

Hearing Souta's words, Kiss-Shot uncharacteristically fell silent for a few seconds.

She didn't look at him.

Instead, her gaze wandered to the distant streets—watching the sparse pedestrians and the dimming cityscape.

Then, softly, she spoke:

"Servant, which is better—being human, or being a vampire?"