Chapter 174: Episode 4 - The Hollow Of Shrine (4)
The conversation in the movie continues.
"Have you heard? The patient in the single room on the third floor... I can't believe it, but she woke up."
"Yeah, and can you believe she tried to blind herself? While the doctor wasn't paying attention, she pressed her palm against her eyes, trying to crush them. It's terrifying."
"Wait, wasn't that girl in a coma for two years? Her body shouldn't even respond properly."
"That's true, but isn't her family wealthy? Since she was admitted, we've been giving her constant and careful rehabilitation. Her joints never stiffened."
"Sigh, who would've thought... She almost gave herself glaucoma from pressing on her eyes so hard. Now, she can't see anything at all. I heard she even asked to have bandages wrapped around her eyes."
"From darkness, back to darkness. That doesn't sound right."
"'A little' doesn't begin to cover it. That girl has other issues too. She seems to have developed some sort of aphasia. She can't communicate normally, so the doctor brought in a speech therapist he knows, since we don't have a specialist here."
"Well, ever since Dr. Araya resigned last month, we don't have anyone for that. But... that means she's refusing visitors now, right?"
"Yeah, poor kid."
"Ah, you mean the loyal little puppy? He's still coming by, huh? You don't see that kind of devotion much these days."
"Exactly. Over these two years, he's been the only one constantly by her side. I can't help but feel... maybe part of the miracle of her waking up has something to do with him."
"I like him too. If only I had a man so deeply devoted to me..."
"..."
The nurses' conversation trailed off. As medical professionals, they knew better than to gossip too much.
At the same time, as their conversation unfolded, a red-haired woman, Aozaki Touko, walked into the hospital and made her way to Ryougi Shiki's room.
.....
In the scene, Aozaki Touko quickly engages in a conversation with Ryougi Shiki.
Aozaki Touko seems to have been sent by the hospital as a counselor to provide psychological support to Shiki. Her demeanor is extremely lively—perhaps overly so—causing Shiki to become visibly irritated.
But Touko is far from an ordinary person. As a seasoned mage, she straightforwardly points out the core issue within Shiki.
"You've lost something important. Now there's a hole in your heart, one that even magic can't fill. Only you can find a way to fill it."
"A hole in my heart?"
"That's right. You must have realized it by now—you're completely alone."
With that, Aozaki Touko leaves, leaving Ryougi Shiki lying in bed, confused and disoriented.
...
After this scene, one of the audience's lingering questions is finally answered.
People had long speculated about what happened to Ryougi Shiki's other personality, Ryougi SHIKI, and now it seems clear—SHIKI is truly dead.
"Is SHIKI really gone for good? No wonder Ryougi Shiki didn't show any signs of that personality in Overlooking View or Remaining Sense of Pain."
"But why? Was Shiki attacked that night?"
"Definitely. Why else would she end up in the hospital? I think SHIKI's personality died in her place."
"Sigh, I liked SHIKI… and now they're just gone?"
"…"
Such murmurs filled the air as the people in the tavern focused their attention on the newly awakened Ryougi Shiki and the possibility that Ryougi SHIKI might never reappear.
In contrast, Emperor Hubbard was more intrigued by the concept of the hospital described in the film. He remarked:
"Lord Durin's design of this facility is truly innovative—consolidating large numbers of healthcare workers and patients into a single large complex for treatment. It's a simple concept, yet the empire has never had something like this."
Beside him, General Wilhelm added:
"It's not entirely unheard of. During wartime, the Healing Knights were a similar concept, but they only appeared during war. In peacetime, the Church doesn't send out that many priests to treat common folk, and the cost of paying priests is beyond the reach of ordinary people."
"The Church, huh…"
Hearing this, Emperor Hubbard's brow furrowed slightly.
The relationship between the monarchs of the human empire and the Church had always been strained.
After all, the Church continually promoted its doctrine of divine right of kings, something no ruler could ever truly accept.
Still, no matter how much an emperor might despise the Church, it wasn't feasible to abolish an institution with such a strong base among the populace. The best they could do was minimize the Church's political influence.
Nowadays, the internal corruption within the Church had become obvious to everyone, but even Emperor Hubbard had no clear solution to the problem.
Sensing the emperor's thoughts, General Wilhelm spoke up:
"I think building large-scale hospitals might be a good idea. If we can take the power of healing away from the Church, we could weaken their authority."
"Hmm, that's a good idea."
The emperor nodded in agreement.
Who could have imagined that an emperor and his general, after watching a simple scene in a film, would settle on a proposal that would prove deeply troublesome and far-reaching for the Church?
....
At the Imperial Mage Academy, the film sparked discussions among most of the mages about Ryougi Shiki's psychological state. After all, with one personality suddenly gone in a case of duality, the impact on her mental state was certainly worth examining.
However, most mages had a rather weak understanding of the study of the mind and soul. Even students specializing in the psychology of spirits and consciousness struggled to provide reasonable explanations.
In this context, Gebrun, who had appeared at some point, exclaimed loudly:
"With SHIKI dead, Ryougi Shiki has effectively lost half of herself. Her memories must be in disarray as a result, and for a time, her grasp of her own personality will undoubtedly be unbalanced. Right now, her condition is likely akin to cognitive dissonance—she recognizes everything around her, but the reasons why she recognizes them, the process of recognition, and the rationale behind that knowledge have all vanished. To put it simply, she knows this is paper, a flower, fire, and grass, but what are they really? Her mind can't provide a clear concept."
"Oh, I see!"
Upon hearing Gebrun's explanation, the other students nodded in agreement, admiration evident on their faces.
However, when they noticed Gebrun's appearance, they instantly froze, clearly recognizing the unremarkable problem student.
Of course, Gebrun didn't care about the subtle gazes from the other students. He was entirely absorbed in appreciating Kara no Kyoukai.
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