Chapter 173: Episode 4 - The Hollow Of Shrine (3)
As the story progressed, and much to the audience's anticipation, Shiki Ryougi, who had been lying in a hospital bed, finally awoke.
Over the two years, her once short hair had grown into long, jet-black locks. Her dark eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment. After such a long slumber, her body was so stiff that even lifting her arm proved quite difficult.
Upon opening her eyes, she noticed a bouquet of flowers placed beside her, brought by Kokutou during his frequent visits, as well as a note meant to record thoughts and feelings.
Seeing the familiar yet distant name on the note, Shiki had no time to process; the scene reflected in her eyes filled her with dread.
At that moment, as the film cut to Shiki's perspective, the screen revealed a world laced with dense lines—every object was covered in lines of death, appearing as countless cracks.
"What is this…"
Shiki touched the cracks covering the petals lightly, and then a bewildering scene unfolded.
The flowers began to wither rapidly, as if their life had ended, reaching the 'end' of their existence at an unimaginable speed.
Overwhelmed by the sudden influx of incomprehensible knowledge, Shiki fainted.
"…"
When Shiki regained consciousness, a doctor was there to see her.
Yet, the words of both the doctor and the nurse felt indescribably distant and foreign to her, as if they were coming from another world.
Meanwhile, the sights reflected in her eyes became more chaotic; human bodies fragmented into pieces, the ground started to crack, and the sky outside turned blood-red. It seemed as though the entire world was shrouded in 'death.'
Faced with a vision that could drive any normal person insane, Shiki stood stunned for a long while before slowly raising her hands. In an instant, before the doctor and nurse could react, she desperately pressed down on her own eyes.
"Crack…"
The world before her returned to void once more.
.....
The scenes in the film left the audience astonished, as it was the first time Kara no Kyoukai depicted the side effects of the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.
The current scene made everyone realize that while these eyes could peer into death lines and instantly bring about demise, they also turned the world into a terrifying and oppressively psychological experience.
"Indeed, every power comes with its drawbacks. The Mystic Eyes of Death Perception seem powerful, but they are definitely not something an ordinary person can handle."
"Ryougi Shiki wanting to blind herself is pretty extreme."
"Won't her eyes actually break from that?"
"Eyes are quite resilient, and didn't Ryougi just wake up from a two-year coma? Her hands probably don't have much strength yet."
"That must be really distressing; everything you see skips straight to its death scene, and looking at other people is like seeing a mass of flesh…"
"…"
The audience buzzed with conversation, all deeply impressed by the side effects of the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.
Emperor Hubbard was equally taken aback by the scene, but having not seen the previous episodes of Kara no Kyoukai, he didn't fully grasp the depth of the Mystic Eyes and asked puzzledly:
"What's up with the change in that girl's eyes? She seems to see things that normal people can't."
"Yes," Wilhelm nodded, explaining:
"It appears the film's protagonist, Ryougi Shiki, has awakened a type of mystic eyes that can perceive death lines. By using a blade or some kind of sharp tool to sever these lines, she can instantly end the life of any object."
"Any object?"
"Yes, whether it's human, spirit, or ordinary objects. As long as she can perceive the death lines and comprehend the concept of death, she can end its life. It's an incredibly straightforward and handy ability."
"I see. That is quite an exaggerated power."
Emperor Hubbard nodded, his confusion resolved, and he was eager to see what more the series had in store.
Meanwhile, the Orc Prophet beside him watched the television intently. Although Kara no Kyoukai had not yet shown anything that shocked him, he remained vigilant.
He firmly believed that behind these seemingly entertaining films lay some truth of the human empire, and as the Orc Prophet, he wouldn't miss a single detail!
...
The students at the Imperial Mage Academy reacted similarly to the citizens in the television tavern regarding Ryougi Shiki's act of self-destruction of her eyes. However, as magic users, they empathized more deeply with her choice.
"I've felt that before," one student shared. "When I first awakened my magical abilities, the whole world seemed to change colors before my eyes. What once was an ordinary world suddenly became patches of red and purple. During those first few days, I didn't even dare to open my eyes."
"Same here. If it weren't for the old mage in the village who understood what was happening and helped me stabilize, I might have wanted to end it all," another responded.
"Power often comes with a burden. The seemingly noble and powerful mages actually undergo significant cognitive shifts with each breakthrough. If they can't adjust, they risk mental collapse, diminished willpower, or even falling into dark magic, rarely with a positive outcome."
"This demonstrates the necessity of the Mage Tower today. Without the system established by the Imperial Mage Academy and the Mage Tower, mages would struggle to support each other like they do now, let alone help newly awakened mages navigate their challenges. During the Enlightenment era, less than fifty percent of gifted mages successfully completed their awakening!"
"Yeah, nowadays in the empire, the failure rate of magical talent awakening is less than one percent. Whenever someone awakens magical talent, seasoned mages from the nearest academy branch rush to provide mental and physical guidance. Unless someone is deep in the wilderness, every mage receives meticulous care from the moment they are born, thanks to the Imperial Mage Academy."
"This truly is the best era for us mages!"
"…"
Amidst various discussions, the mages' conversations ebbed and flowed.
This was only natural, as the impact of advanced systems touches many facets of life.
The Mage Tower, and the Imperial Mage Academy built upon it, represent the most advanced institutional systems in the empire, and perhaps the world, offering mages unrivaled superiority through systemic advantages.
Although mages occasionally complain about certain inhumane aspects, in the grand scheme of things, every mage in the empire deeply appreciates the mage system established by the Mage Tower, grateful for the wisdom and bloodshed of the pioneers who laid the foundation for this new age.
Of course, aside from reflecting on these universal truths, the mages were mostly eager to see the unfolding story of Kara no Kyoukai, anxious to discover how Ryougi Shiki would overcome her current difficult situation.
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