Touko waited outside Kirie's hospital room for Shinji, and of course, it wasn't because she was jealous of any new or old love interests. In the Type-Moon world, there were numerous female characters, and Touko's route was undoubtedly one of the most challenging.
Just like her unpredictable and elusive nature, it was difficult to grasp her true intentions. Only Shinji, being young and also her debtor, could occasionally take advantage of their age difference and his status to get some benefits and enjoy a little advantage. For others, it was difficult to get close to her, let alone experience anything exciting or enjoyable.
But even Shinji, who had the closest relationship with her, didn't know what was going on in the mind of the woman before him. Most of their interactions revolved around serious matters, even when they were at a cozy coffee shop, accompanied by soothing music, reminiscent of the late 90s dating spots.
"You must have met Mikiya's love interest by now. How is she doing?" Shinji asked vaguely while biting into his spoonful of ice cream.
"Mikiya asked you to inquire about that?" Touko sipped her coffee.
"He didn't ask me, but his expression..." Shinji chuckled. "...almost screamed worry. If this continues, he'll eventually break into the hospital illegally. You know, this hospital has a security system on par with a research facility. I have to go through some trouble when taking Kirie out for a drive at night."
"Now that you mention it, I'm curious to see if Mikiya can successfully infiltrate." Touko tilted her head, and her slender eyes flickered mischievously, like a sly fox.
"Hey, hey, he's your employee after all. Don't give him such a hard time," Shinji protested.
Touko ignored Shinji's protest and continued, "How about a bet? Do you think Mikiya can successfully enter the Shiki's ward?"
"It's pointless. I won't bet," Shinji shook his head. "If it ever comes to that, I'll help Mikiya infiltrate or just take Shiki out myself."
"Well, there is a certain charm about him that makes you want to lend a helping hand," Touko said, toning down her playful mood. "That feeling became even stronger after meeting Shiki."
"So?"
"Tell Mikiya to be patient a little longer."
"The condition of Shiki isn't good?" Shinji furrowed his brow.
"Well, it's not good. You heard it earlier too. She almost ruined her own eyes. The doctor says it's due to her unstable mental state after waking up, but I don't think so. I have a feeling there must be some other reason."
Touko's intuition was not wrong. Shiki's self-inflicted eye injury wasn't caused by mental instability; it was because she awakened the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.
The Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, as the name suggests, can perceive the "death" of things. It is considered one of the highest-level and rarest Mystic Eyes, said to have originated from the Celtic mythological figure, Balor, the king of the Fomorians.
Everything has a predetermined moment of termination and destruction, which is decided at the very moment of its birth, known as the "death period." With a beginning, there is always an end, and the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception can perceive this concept of non-existence.
The Mystic Eyes of Death Perception can see the "death" of things and receive this intangible concept as visual information. It manifests as dark, crack-like lines that appear on the surface of objects, known as "lines of death." If these lines are traced, the object will suffer an undefendable and incurable injury, hence the name "lines of death."
It is worth mentioning that since the "lines of death" represent the concept of "death" itself, they make no distinction between hardness and softness. Regardless of how solid an object is, it can be effortlessly severed along the lines of death.
The awakening of the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception is a very unique process. One must experience death and establish a connection between the brain and the "Root" for the eyes to awaken.
To the holder of the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, the entire world is filled with cracks on the verge of collapse. If one has never seen the normal world, they may be unaffected. However, the feeling of transitioning from wholeness to fragmented chaos is enough to drive anyone insane.
Shiki couldn't bear this sensation, which led her to destroy her own eyes, avoiding the maddening world she perceived.
The details of this situation were unknown to Touko, who had only met Shiki once, and Shinji had no intention of revealing it. Touko pointed to her chest and continued.
"The eyes aren't the most troublesome part. The most troublesome part is here—this emptiness. It's not about losing memories but a deeper void, as if something crucial has been lost."
"The Origin of the Hollow Shrine?" The Shrine represents emptiness, a void.
"Yes, that's it. I speculate that one of the Shiki has been lost. The form I saw was the female form, so what's lost is the male aspect. That's why there's an unfathomable void that cannot be filled."
"Most likely," Shinji recalled the plot of "The Garden of Sinners" and gave an affirmative reply.
Two years ago, there was indeed a fatal car accident. It claimed the life of one-half of the Taiji, Denial/Negativity. The survivor, Shiki, experienced death and, coupled with her body being treated with the secret techniques of the Ryougi family, her physical form was already connected to the Root. This led to the awakening of the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. The vacant half gave rise to the Hollow Shrine.
"If a person doesn't have a sense of reality about themselves, they won't have the motivation to keep living. Death is inevitable."
"Now, the next step is finding a way to fill this void."
"Do you have a plan?" Touko looked at Shinji.
"Haven't you thought of something too?" Shinji looked back at Touko.
Their eyes met, and they understood each other's thoughts.
"We can only rely on Mikiya for this."
"But before they meet, we need to make Shiki face reality and ignite her will to live."
"Oh? Have you come up with a plan?" Shinji raised an eyebrow.
"Sort of. I plan to approach her as a life counselor and speech therapist, hoping to help her stabilize. If that doesn't work, we might have to resort to more drastic measures. The hospital is a place where life and death intersect. It's filled with remnants of souls, like ghosts. Unconscious ghosts instinctively possess bodies, and people like Shiki, with inner emptiness, are their preferred vessels. They will probably try to find a way to kill Shiki and take over her body."
"Using death to stimulate the desire to survive... It's a strong medicine for a serious illness, but we have to be careful. An overdose can easily kill the patient."
"I understand. When administering the medicine, I'll be there watching. If you're worried, you can come with me." Touko seemed prepared.
"Let me know when the time comes. If I don't have any plans, I'll join you..." Shinji glanced at the clock on the wall. "In a while, I have to pick up Sakura and Fujino, and then go to the station to pick up Justeaze. Are you coming with me?"
"No, I'll go back to the office first and update Mikiya on Shiki's situation."
"Heh, so it turns out you've forgotten your old love once you found a new one."
A gentleman takes revenge within ten years, and a petty person never forgets for a hundred years. Shinji finally found an opportunity to strike back.
"We're even the same in this aspect. We are a perfect match."
"Perfect match? Well, I suppose we are."
Touko gracefully left.
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