i really love how they're introduced, and i especially like how their initial portrayal contrasts with how seimei is shown in the beginning... shadowy criminals who kill dogs and threaten people's lives versus the angelic, ever-present, innocent (victim) seimei... the only one who stood up for ritsuka, even after death, gifting him a fighter to keep him safe. and these nameless, faceless, heartless monsters are hunting ritsuka down, hurting and killing whoever they want along the way, maybe planning to hurt or kill ritsuka... they're not human, they're just a threat. unlike seimei (he could never be a threat), and unlike all the other fighter/sacrifice pairs up until now, who were still humanized, even if they were the enemy. the zeroes don't even get a proper panel showing them until enough of their sins have piled up; they're just negative space, threats and sounds of violence in the distance, absent in their presence, shown only through their violence. unlike seimei, who is always in ritsuka's mind, taking up space even if he's dead, fully present despite his absence. the innocent victim and the dirty criminals... they have nothing in common except for their ears. objectively, all three are virginal, but seimei is the only one who is truly pure... he was a healer and a shield for ritsuka, someone who could never cause harm, only prevent it. and then there are these false virgins who attempted rape within seconds of showing their faces. on this page they're even said to visibly stained with blood they spilt for no reason than their own amusement or annoyance (and it was not the first time). there is nothing clean or pure about them--them still having their ears is an oxymoron. they're nothing like seimei. he would never hurt or kill. he values the lives of others. he values ritsuka. he is pure. he is good. and the zeroes are not...
kianamaiart
theartofmadeline
blakekathryn
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
ellievsbear
germansingergirl
gummygunk
