Chapter 138: The Conclusion of Murder Speculation (2)
In the film, Mikiya Kokutou is eventually caught by Shiki Ryougi.
"Swish!"
With a flash of the blade, Mikiya falls to the ground, unable to stand any longer.
Crossing the road, the girl in red slowly kneels on top of the fallen Mikiya, pressing the knife to his throat without hesitation.
Blood flows over the stone pavement.
"Ah—"
In that moment, the boy lets out a helpless gasp, staring blankly at the night sky, seeing only darkness—and Shiki Ryougi before him.
The girl's face is expressionless, her dark eyes devoid of emotion, filled only with determination.
The knife's tip touches Mikiya's throat. Perhaps because of the rain, the girl seems as if she were crying.
"Mikiya, say something."
Shiki speaks, as if wanting to hear Mikiya's last words.
"I... don't want... to die—"
The boy replies, his voice trembling, unsure if he is speaking to Shiki or to the approaching death.
Shiki smiles softly and says, "I want to kill you."
It is an incredibly gentle smile.
In the next instant, the beast's roar suddenly erupts.
The screen goes black, and the scene changes.
When the black screen fades, subtitles reveal that two years have passed.
Overlooking the scenery, Aozaki Touko reappears, smiling as she speaks to her apprentice, Mikiya Kokutou:
"Mikiya, isn't today the day you visit the hospital?"
"Yes, I'll go after work."
"You can leave early; you've finished your tasks anyway."
With an unusually kind tone, Touko's words make Mikiya smile and nod.
"I'll be back in a couple of hours."
"Remember to bring back a gift."
Mikiya acknowledges Touko's words with a gesture before leaving the room.
Next, there's a monologue by Mikiya Kokutou, accompanied by scenes of him holding flowers and heading to the hospital.
"Every Saturday afternoon, I visit her. I visit Shiki Ryougi, who has been unable to speak since that night."
"I don't know what kind of pain she feels or what she's thinking."
"I don't understand why she wanted to kill me."
"But seeing that dreamlike smile from Shiki at the end was enough."
"Shiki, who is always sleeping in the hospital room, still looks the same as she did back then."
"I remember that last day after school, with Shiki standing in the sunset."
"In a twilight that seemed like burning flames, Shiki asked me why she was worth believing in."
"I repeated my answer from that time."
"I had no reason, but I would always believe in her. Because I liked her, I wanted to keep believing in her—"
"What an immature answer that was."
"But I can guarantee that she would never kill anyone."
"Because she understands the pain of killing, being both the victim and the perpetrator—you understand better than anyone how sad that is."
"So I choose to believe. Believe in the Shiki who won't hurt anyone and the Shiki who is covered in wounds."
"—Believe in the girl named Shiki Ryougi, who always seemed on the brink of being hurt, looked so fragile, and never revealed her true feelings."
"On that snowy night two years ago, I met her."
The scene freezes on the comatose girl in the hospital, and the ending BGM begins.
...
As the movie ends, the audience falls silent.
Most of the silence is undoubtedly due to confusion; the ending left everyone with a sense of seeing something obscure and ambiguous.
No one knows why the story suddenly developed in this way.
"Why did Shiki suddenly fall into a coma?"
"It's strange. Even though I didn't really understand it, I feel very sad."
"What happened during that black screen at the end?"
"They should explain it in the next part; otherwise, it would be too confusing."
Various discussions arise. For the ordinary citizens of this world, the viewing threshold for "Kara no Kyoukai" might indeed be a bit too high.
Compared to the intense action scenes in Overlooking View, Murder Speculation left viewers feeling genuinely confused and disoriented.
Is Shiki Ryougi really a murderer?
Why did she want to kill Mikiya Kokutou?
Is Kokutou's attitude towards Shiki purely based on affection?
Why didn't Shiki manage to kill Kokutou and instead ended up in a coma?
What exactly is the story trying to convey?
Countless questions swirl in the minds of the audience, leaving those who were expecting a show like Fate/Zero with intense battles feeling quite dissatisfied.
Of course, Durin had anticipated this reaction, which is why he opted for a three-episode marathon.
Despite the audience's frustration, the knowledge that there is still one more episode to come kept their discontent in check as they quietly awaited the next installment.
However, during this interlude between episodes, Durin seized the opportunity to air commercials.
Thus, after the ending BGM of Murder Speculation faded out, the television immediately switched to an advertisement for the newly established Magical Alchemy Department.
Durin appeared personally to introduce the new department and warmly invited talented mages to join it.
This scene caused a stir among the students of the Imperial Magic Academy, with many regretting not seizing the opportunity to join the newly formed Magical Alchemy Department.
In reality, the students who had joined the department earlier under Durin's 007-style pressure now regretted their choice, having endured the demanding conditions set by him.
Nevertheless, the primary topic of discussion among the students remained the recently aired episodes of Kara no Kyoukai.
"The time span between Overlooking View and Murder Speculation is massive. It's confusing for most viewers."
"Absolutely, I didn't really understand much of it."
"Is this Durin-senpai's new experiment? Honestly, I think Kara no Kyoukai might turn out to be one of his least acclaimed works."
"It lacks the humor of Konosuba, the tension of Goblin Slayer, and the exciting battles of Fate/Zero. The plot is chaotic, with almost no explanations, making it difficult to grasp quickly. It really falls short in several areas."
"Let's not be too hasty in our judgment. There might be a twist later on."
Amid the various discussions, people took the opportunity during the break to grab food or use the restroom, causing a rush and congestion.
Despite their critiques, the anticipation for the third episode of Kara no Kyoukai remained high. They were eager to return as soon as possible, not wanting to miss a single moment.
...
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