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Introduction
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Deux Ombres — Point of Departure is the eleventh chapter of Jun Mochizuki's The Case Study of Vanitas.
This article contains plot and/or ending details for The Case Study of Vanitas.
Read at your own risk.
Synopsis[]
“All too easily, memories of the beginning summon memories of the end.”
Ash spreads all over the floor like bursts of starlight. Noé says he doesn’t understand. Desperate, devastated, Noé holds Vanitas by his collars and asks him—what is “salvation”? Vanitas’s expression is as cold as his answer: he doesn’t know, and he tells Noé to figure it out himself. Noé, growing more and more distressed, grits his teeth. Their exchange is interrupted by a third voice, one that sings out to them eerily that she found them. Veronica de Sade, who glares ominously at them from beyond her fox mask. Noé and Vanitas separate, turning to her in shock. Meanwhile in the great hall, a crowd has gathered and is gawking and muttering with disturbed faces at something in the middle. Marquis Machina, wondering what the fuss is about, goes to see what it is. Dominique has been tied up in shibari-like bondage and has been strung up to dangle from the ceiling. Machina chokes and cries out to her, asking what happened. Dominique, face flushed and eyes teary from humiliation, calls out to Marquis Machina and tells him to ignore her, to his bafflement. Instead, she begs him to stop her sister.
Veronica’s eyes flash and shine a threatening red. In the blink of an eye, ice appears. It bursts out in lashes all around her, covering the floor and ceiling in frozen spikes. Noé and Vanitas barely jump out of the way to dodge it. Veronica, her voice growing more and more twisted, screams about the “stench.” The stench of men, the stench of humans—how she loathes both so deeply. Noé is shocked that, even with her vision obscured by her mask, she can rewrite the World Formula is such a massive and destructive extent. Vanitas laughs, impressed, and praises Veronica for her eyes while calling her a “Beastia.” Veronica’s silhouette becomes surrounded with floating shards of ice as her rage grows. She growls at him, a mere human, for using her name so casually. Her eyes glow brighter with fury. Veronica sends forward her shards of ice, which crash into the ground at Vanitas’s feet. Vanitas leaps backwards out of the way, evading being hit by any shard.
Then Vanitas lurches. He looks down and sees that the ice that struck the ground has spread to encase and trap his leg. All he can say is a mild “Oops” at the situation he’s found himself in. Energy surrounds Veronica, spelling out constellations in the air around her, as she continues her Formula interfering. As she does, she darkly and sadistically muses about what she’ll do to Vanitas. She’ll freeze him completely, and after that… Her younger sister Dominique tried to stop her, so Veronica will shatter him to piece right before her eyes. Noé cries out for Vanitas and rushes to help him, but then his head spins and he drops to his knees. The last attack he’d endured, that paralyzing strike from Vanitas, has rendered his body immobile once again. Veronica cackles with delight, her ice grows, Noé cries out in panic, Vanitas goes pale as the ice travels up his body, it’s about to consume him completely—
A cane appears. A new voice tells Veronica to stop. The end of the cane taps against her mask.
Veronica’s mask splits in two. Veronica and Noé both are wide-eyed as this new person appears. The mask falls to the ground in pieces. Veronica, her face now finally exposed, stops and looks up at the person who’d entered. A middle-aged man with fiery red hair, one piercing golden eye, and an eyepatch over the other, stares her down stoically. She addresses him—Lord Ruthven. Vanitas stiffens in shock. Ruthven scolds her, that as she golds the title of Beastia, “Queen’s Fang,” she shouldn’t be using her powers in such an unbecoming way. Veronica clicks her tongue, clearly displeased, but doesn’t protest any further. Noé hears the man’s name, “Ruthven.” His head throbs and he pants in exhaustion as he wonders why that name is so familiar to him. Veronica remarks on his late arrival. Ruthven explains that his carriage had been attacked by some unknown assailants, so he had to acquire and then proceed in a substitute carriage. Ruthven asks her to explain the situation. Veronica holds her paper fan over her mouth and stays quiet, face dark.
In her place, a group of Vampires emerge from behind to explain what happened. They tell him, that human man before him is the Kin of the Blue Moon, to Ruthven’s surprise. The recall what Vanitas had done earlier, how they saw the Mark on his arm that proved the fact without a doubt. Vanitas smiles darkly as the Vampires continues talking of him. As soon as Vanitas appeared, so did several curse-bearers at once. They accuse him of using the Book of Vanitas to spread the Vampire of the Blue Moon’s curse. Noé rises up, trying to protest, but his voice is lost to the crowd. Ruthven steps up to where Vanitas stands, held in place by the ice. Ruthven asks him if it’s true. If it was Vanitas who caused those Vampires to turn to ash. Catherine’s remains lie on the ground right behind him. Vanitas smiles, with an edge of something almost desperate. He says yes, he killed that young girl. Ruthven, single visible eye shining with a menacing light, reaches his open palm out to Vanitas, advancing on him slowly. Someone jumps in between them.
Noé stands before Ruthven, protecting Vanitas with his own body. Ruthven is surprised, while Vanitas is shocked, almost affronted. Noé, fangs bared and eyes glowing red, growls at Ruthven not to touch Vanitas. At this act of open hostility, the surrounding Vampires cry out in shock. Noé, panting heavily and tiredly, says he doesn’t know who Ruthven is. The Vampires are even further shocked. Noé snaps in his anger, fed up and frustrated. He was talking to Vanitas, only to get interrupted by Ruthven and his people barging in with no further thought. Noé gets caught up in his anger, going on a complete rant at everything that’s been done to them in this skirmish. Hijacking the situation despite not knowing a thing about what’s going on. Shoving the blame onto Vanitas just because it’s convenient for them—Noé stops. He’s in shock. A realization truly horrifying has occurred to him. Noé recalls everything he’s experienced, all he’s felt as he watched Vanitas fighting through this bal masqué.
All of that is exactly what Noé was doing to Vanitas as well.
Ruthven laughs. Noé flinches, snapped out of his sudden stupor. Ruthven apologizes, assuming himself to be rather well-known, but as he chuckles amusedly, he realizes that was arrogant of him. Ruthven properly apologizes as, in Noé’s own words, he was acting the most rude. He finally introduces himself—Ruthven, a member of the Senate who serves her majesty the Queen. Noé recognizes the Senate, and he comments on such curiously. Luca then runs out from the crowd up to Ruthven, calling him “Uncle.” Ruthven greets his nephew, relieved to find him safe, and Luca returns his uncle’s sentiments. Noé is confused at hearing this, mind too spent from all that’s happened, and he wavers on his feet. Luca asks Noé what’s going on, only for Noé to start falling over. Ruthven catches him before he can fall, and Noé leans against the older man, panting feverishly in his exhaustion.
Ruthven raises a hand, causing Noé to snap to attention and try to stop him. Ruthven assures him: he only intends to melt the ice. From Ruthven’s fingers, flames emerge. Colored pitch black like the night, Noé watches as their heat and power gently licks at the ice and frees Vanitas from its hold. Vanitas stares stoically at the man. Luca asks what Ruthven intends with them, and Ruthven answers he will take them under his protection. The other Vampires around, including Veronica, are shocked as they hear this. To them, Ruthven reminds of what happens to anyone who dares to attack a “guest” of his. Ruthven’s eyes are as dark and burning as the flames that ignite in the palm of his hand. If either are them are harmed, it will be viewed as an attack on his own person. All the Vampires around shudder in fright and recoil, properly threatened. Luca sighs out a breath of relief. Noé, still exhausted as he leans for support against Ruthven, looks back at where Vanitas stands. Vanitas is looking at him in turn. His eyes are hard, his lips are pursed, and he looks deeply, deeply upset. Noé shakily reaches a hand out to him desperately as his vision starts to fade. Despite the darkness beginning to overcome him, all he can think of is that he needs to apologize—
A hand takes his own. His Teacher asks him: apologize for what?
Noé, lying in a bed, rests his hand on his Teacher’s and blinks in surprise as the latter sits at the former’s bedside. The Teacher tilts his head inquisitively. Noé tells his Teacher that he tried to force his ideals and hopes onto Vanitas. The human never once broke his word, but through developing his own expectations of the man through his own selfish viewpoint, Noé ended up feeling betrayed despite Vanitas never doing anything to cause such a reaction. Noé rests his forearm over his eyes, distressed at his own misgivings, and bemoans that he’s not experienced enough. His Teacher asks him: now that he sees that Vanitas isn’t what he expected, does he no longer want to be around him? Noé’s eyes are wide and he doesn’t answer. The Teacher smiles. He tells his student, when he gave that order to discern the “true character” of the Book of Vanitas, he didn’t want Noé to try and determine whether the Book was a threat to Vampires or not. What the Teacher wants is for Noé to engage with the “tale” of the people that surround it. The Teacher rests his hand on Noé’s eyes. Under his Teacher’s touch, Noé closes his eyes. His Teacher continues: once he does that, how would Noé define the Book of Vanitas for himself? That is what he wants to know.
The darkness fades. Noé opens his eyes. He finds himself resting on a foreign bed, with a chair placed right at his bedside. He touches the cushion and sees that it’s warm. Noé stands from the bed and opens the window, letting in the faint morning sunlight. He looks to the sky, seeing the faint cobwebs etched into its fabric, telling him he’s in Altus. But… Noé leans out of the window and peers to his side. There’s a tall bell tower right beside the building he’s in. Noé lifts himself up onto the windowsill. Noé calls out to Vanitas, perched on the edge of the bell tower looking out into the distance. Noé steps up from the stairs and joins Vanitas fully, noting that he’s truly fond of high places. Vanitas doesn’t respond. Noé asks what happened after he passed out, to which Vanitas answers with nothing much. Ruthven took charge of the situation and dispersed the crowd that gathered around them. The official story given is that they are Ruthven’s guests, allowing them protection for the time being. Noé guesses the room he was placed in to be Ruthven’s doing as well, which Vanitas confirms. Noé looks at Vanitas, who continues staring away with a blank expression. Noé drops down to Vanitas’s level and asks him, what is it? Vanitas doesn’t know what he means, so Noé clarifies: he’s angry about something. Or he’s sulking. Vanitas scoffs. Noé asks if Vanitas has something to say to him, which Vanitas answers with a firm no.
Noé says that he does. Vanitas turns to him, surprised. Noé recalls Vanitas’s words, that what he’s trying to do is revenge. He asks what Vanitas meant by that. Vanitas claims he was lying. Noé stares at him. Vanitas explains that he didn’t think the Vampires around him would listen unless he made such a spectacle and scene, and mocks Noé for being so idiotic as to fall for it. Noé stares at him, then proclaims that he’s lying. What Vanitas said then, as he stood high above the Vampires atop a chandelier of bones and stared with eyes full of death into nothing at all… The notion that what he said in that moment was a lie, is in itself a lie. Vanitas doesn’t say anything. Noé recalls the other’s words, his declaration of salvation, of vengeance. When he heard that, everything made sense to him suddenly. He recalls Vanitas’s expression at that time. Looking like he had given up on something.
Vanitas’s eyes widen. He strikes out with his knife. Noé grabs him by the wrist, stopping him in place.
Vanitas struggles with his knife against Noé’s hold angrily, growling at him for placing his assumptions on him. Vanitas’s face is dark with anger. Noé simply stares back, unfazed. He declares that he’s tired of this. He can’t deal with someone as simple as Noé anymore, so from now on, he won’t have anything to do with him. Vanitas snaps at Noé to do the same and stay away from him—Noé interrupts blankly, why should he listen to anything Vanitas says? Vanitas gapes. Noé tells him that he has the wrong idea—that Noé does not like him. So he has no intentions of obeying his orders or helping him with anything. Vanitas tries to argue back, insisting—the bell tower chimes. Vanitas and Noé, who were arguing directly below it, naturally get hit point-blank with his deafeningly loud chime, which echoes all the way through the city. They stare in shock at the bell, holding their ears each with one hand. They instantly start trying to argue again. The bell chimes again, interrupting them once again. Vanitas clicks his tongue, fully fed up. Noé watches him closely, noting that while he at first seemed to be angry, he’s suddenly turned cranky. Noé stares, thinking about how fun this is.
The bell continues chiming. Noé stares at Vanitas, who doesn’t meet his eyes and simply stands in place, face sullen and dissatisfied. Noé’s grip on Vanitas’s wrist remains strong. The bell’s chiming stops, and they simply stand there together as light continues to grow over the horizon. Noé says, despite that… He thinks, exactly because of that… Vanitas interests him as a person. Vanitas stares at Noé in shock, face stricken. Noé wants to understand. Whatever it is that he’s attempting, Noé wants to see it through to the end. Noé’s lips turn up. Vanitas is stunned. The sun starts to emerge from the horizon line in the far distance. Noé stares at it and declares, even if he pushes him away…
“…‘I’ll do as I please. And, no matter what’ you want…”
Vanitas is struck silent. Noé smiles at him.
“I’ve decided I’m staying with you, Vanitas.”
The sun rises fully. Its light illuminates their forms in its bright morning light, as they stand facing each other, hands gripping at one another, together.
Vanitas’s eyes are wide in shock. He opens his mouth. He closes it again. Slowly, he starts to laugh, quietly and amusedly as Noé watches him. Vanitas smiles back in defeat and retracts his knife. All he can say to Noé is, “Do as you like.” Noé smiles as Vanitas looks over to the horizon. Noé does as well, the sunrise lighting up his eyes.
Even now, Noé vividly remembers. The color of the rising sun he saw then.
As the two of them stand together atop the bell tower, Ruthven behind a curtained window watches them with an enigmatic smile.
Noé writes… “All too easily, memories of the beginning summon memories of the end.” The things that slipped through his fingers. The people he couldn’t protect.
Noé’s hand reaching out desperately but unable to grasp Vanitas’s as the other slips out of his reach.
“The regrets of that day… When I didn’t grab your hand—”
Noé recalls something. The morning sun, fully risen over the horizon, casts its light over the both of them, their two shadows standing side-by-side to that backdrop of light. Noé apologizes. Vanitas asks what for. Noé simply says, he just wanted to say it.
Characters[]
- Noé Archiviste
- Vanitas
- Veronica de Sade
- Marquis Machina
- Dominique de Sade
- August Ruthven (First Appearance)
- Vanitas of the Blue Moon (Mentioned only)
- Catherine (Mentioned only)
- The Queen (Mentioned only)
- Luca Oriflamme
- The Teacher
(*) - Denotes that the character did not appear physically, but as a part of another character's memories.
Terms[]
Trivia[]
- Deux Ombres is literally translated as "two shadows" from French.
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| v - e - t | The Case Study of Vanitas Chapters |
|---|---|
| Parisian Excursion Arc | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 |
| Bal Masqué Arc | 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 |
| Hunters of the Dark Arc | 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 |
| The Beast of Gévaudan Arc | 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30 • 31 • 32 • 33 • 34 • 34.5 • 35 • 36 • 37 • 38 • 38.5 • 39 • 40 • 41 • 42 • 43 |
| Amusement Park Arc | 44 • 45 • 46 • 47 • 48 • 49 • 50 • 51 • 52 • 53 • 54 • 54.5 • 55 • 55.5 • 56 |
| Miel Incident Arc | 57 • 58 • 59 • 60 • 61 • 61.5 • 62 • 62.5 • 63 |
| Intermissions | 15.5 • 46.5 • 51.5 • 60.5 |
| Volumes | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 |
| Omake | Romance is a✰LOVE MISSION |
| Other | Vanitashu no Karute • Author's Notes |