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Introduction
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Sens Unique — Fall is the fifty-second 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.
Summary[]
“I am Vanitas.”
Noé and Vanitas’s first meeting.
“I inherited this Book and the name from the Vampire of the Blue Moon, and I am… an average human being!”
In that church where Vanitas proudly introduced himself to Noé, with the church’s window behind him illuminating him in the light of the moon. Vanitas’s smile was lit up by that lunar light, making him look almost radiant. And Noé faced with this sight could only stare in awe.
“Lend me your strength… Noé!”
Blood spills. Noé’s side is slashed open and splatters out blood, which drips off and stains Vanitas’s knife. Noé is wide-eyed in shock, and he clutches his side while collapsing to his knees onto the ground. Vanitas stands for a moment catching his breath. Blood erupts from his face. Noé stares at Vanitas as he turns around on unsteady legs, blood trailing down his face from his eyes. Both spent and injured, they pause to stand off against each other in the pouring rain. Vanitas stands exhausted, practically dead on his feet as he stares Noé down. Noé stares back in utter shock.
Noé starts thinking. If he didn’t try to hold back when Vanitas had charged at him headlong, he would’ve killed him. But Noé corrects himself. In actuality, Vanitas was certain that Noé couldn’t kill him, thus he charged in so recklessly. Noé’s eyes shake in distress. Even all the patterns in his attacks and he’s not aware of, Vanitas seems to know. Vanitas truly is predicting all of Noé’s movements. At this revelation, Noé unconsciously clenches his hand, and he curses in his frustration. Vanitas pulls out another syringe full of the Chasseurs’ serum. Noé rises to his feet and yells in rage. That Mikhail said he didn’t know a thing about Vanitas, that Mikhail laughed at him for it. And yet, Vanitas… Vanitas injects himself with the second dose and charges. Mikhail rides his mechanical dog to atop the rollercoaster and spectates their fight as it continues, eyes shining with satisfaction.
Everything around them explodes. The buildings and rides and props they encounter on their way shatter between their intensely violent and emotionally charged battle. Blood spills, from Noé as he charges forward, from Vanitas as he retreats backward, onto the landscape they fight on. Vanitas rushes to hide behind a building, while Noé continues to yell in his anger. He recalls all the times before of Vanitas acting as if he and only he knows everything—when they first met and fought against Jeanne, when Vanitas demanded to be taken to the Vampire Queen, when Noé asked him what “salvation” was. And yet, Noé screams, Vanitas would never tell Noé anything.
Noé flinches as a gunshot resounds and a bullet flies past his head. He whips around with a growl, only to find a smoking gun propped up with no one manning it. Vanitas jumps out behind Noé, Book of Vanitas shining its blue light. From the Book emerges flashes of blue lightning which arc outwards and attack Noé, who jumps backwards narrowly avoiding each strike. Noé growls—it all makes him sick. The hateful way he treats the people important to Noé; Vanitas uncaring of how Dominique’s life is at risk. Him not listening to a word Noé said. And Vanitas dismissing everything they went through together, all those small moments of comradery between them, the genuine connection that bloomed despite their differences and circumstances. Everything they went through. Everything they were to one another. He treated as if none of it ever happened. They continue fight, and Noé asks if Vanitas has anything to say back to him.
Noé screams—“Say something!!!” Vanitas’s expression remains unchanged.
Mikhail perched on his dog atop the rollercoaster continues watching. Smugly, he tells Noé that his efforts are useless. What Vanitas had done was set a hypnotic suggestion on himself: “If anyone tries to take my memories… kill them without fail.” Thus, Vanitas’s unresponsive and ruthless demeanor. Thus, no matter who he’s facing off against, he would be able to kill them. Even Noé who stands as his opponent right now. Mikhail laughs. He reassures his brother, that even if he kills Noé, even if he ends up hurt, and sad, and all torn up. Mikhail will stay with him forever because he’s the only one who will. Mikhail grins, and his laughter echoes through the amusement park, traveling even all the way to the ferris wheel.
Atop the ferris wheel: Dominique continues to stand, still motionless, still softly calling Noé’s name. In the dark space of her consciousness. Vaguely, she registers the ongoings happening outside, of Noé and Vanitas’s fight. Dominique tells herself that Noé is hurt, so she must go save him. “No.” Another figure appears next to her. Also Dominique, looking the way she did as a child, around the time of her brother’s death. Dominique’s child self reminds her of her orders. The alarm on Mikhail’s watch will soon ring, which is when she must jump from the wheel. A flash of Mikhail’s Book of Vanitas. Dominique recalls this and confirms it. The fight continues. Noé continues to scream in his rage and agony. Dominique hears it all. Her hands shake and she brokenly says, if Noé is getting hurt then she can’t just watch it happen. Dominique drags her hands down her face, wearing an expression of absolute anguish. If she loses Noé too, she can’t survive. Dominique’s child self stares at her older self. She turns away, pursing her lips. She then begins to propose an alternative. Dominique’s heels clack as she walks along the ferris wheel. There’s a way to abide by Mikhail’s orders and stop Noé’s fight at the same time. Dominique listens to this suggestion. Tears in her eyes, she says, “That’s fine.”
Dominique jumps off the ferris wheel.
Mikhail turns up towards her and blinks in surprise. Noé while he’s still engaged in battle with Vanitas looks upwards as well. His eyes catch on a very familiar figure plunging head-first towards the ground. Noé’s eyes are wide with horror. In his eyes flash the memories of his childhood alongside Dominique and Louis, along with the realization that he will lose that happiness all over again.
“If it means Noé won’t get hurt because of my anymore, then…”
In Dominique’s words, “That’s fine.”
Characters[]
- Vanitas
- Noé Archiviste
- Vanitas of the Blue Moon (Mentioned only)
- Mikhail
- Jeanne (Mentioned only)
- Faustina (Mentioned only)
- Dominique de Sade
- Louis de Sade*
(*) - Denotes that the character did not appear physically, but as a part of another character's memories.
Terms[]
Trivia[]
- Sens Unique is literally translated as "one way" from French.
References[]
[]
| 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 • 64 • 65 • 66 |
| Intermissions | 15.5 • 46.5 • 51.5 • 60.5 |
| Volumes | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 |
| Omake | Vanitashu no Karute • Romance is a✰LOVE MISSION • Confessional Counseling Office |
| Other | Author's Notes |