Kara no Kyoukai:Chapter03 10

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Shiki starts to run. In the puddle of water and in this blowing wind, Shiki's speed is amazingly fast. It should not take more than three seconds to reduce the distance of ten meters to zero. It is enough time to take Fujino's thin body to the ground and stab her in her heart. But even that speed cannot match the speed of vision. Shiki has to get near her target while Fujino only has to look at her target. For the two, the difference of three second is too long.

"........."

Fujino's eyes glimmers. The left eye for a rotation to the left. The right eye for a rotation to the right. Taking Shiki's head and her left leg as the fulcrum, she twists. Strange feeling occurs instantaneously. The instant Shiki feels an invisible power on her, she jumps to the side. An exploding jump to the side. But the power on Shiki does not weaken. Fujino's power is not a firing weapon. Even if one gets away from one ground, it is impossible to get away from it while she is in her vision.

...... Damn......!!

Shiki realizes Fujino's power is stronger than she thought. Shiki still runs. As if to run out of her vision, Shiki runs in a circle around Fujino.

"Do you think you can get awa-"

Fujino murmurs and then she is astonished. Shiki did get away! Unbelievably, Shiki has jumped off the bridge down to the ocean. A sound of a window being broken is heard. What an athletic ability... Shiki went off the bridge and went into the parking lot right underneath it.

"What a ridiculous person you are."

Shiki did get away. But Fujino saw Shiki's left arm until the end. She did see Shiki's leather jacket twist. Shiki's left arm cannot be used anymore. Fujino realizes...

"I am...... stronger."

The pain in her stomach gets worse by the second. Withstanding the pain, Fujino makes her way down. She has to settle her match with Ryohgi Shiki now.

Inside the parking lot is darkness. The vision is bad and it is hard to walk. It feels like being in a miniature town. The metal poles and the stacks of materials are arranged like buildings. A few minutes after following Shiki down here, Fujino regrets choosing this place as the battleground. Her ability has to have the target in her vision to make the fulcrum of the twist. Even if Fujino knows that Shiki is hiding behind a metal pole, if she cannot see Shiki in her vision, the twist can only go to the pole. In that slight instant on top of the bridge, Shiki understood Fujino's power. That is why she ran away, to here, the place where she has a chance of winning. ... Fujino realizes how inferior she is at fighting. But still...... She is stronger in power. If she cannot see, she'll just have to destroy everything blocking her view. Fujino takes every metalic pole that might get in her way and bends them. As she twists each one, the pain in her stomach gets worse and the shaking in the paking lot gets harder.

"You really are ridiculous."

Shiki's voice echoes through the darkness. Fujino turns to the direction of the voice. The stack of materials Shiki is hiding behind is instantly smashed. At that instant... a white figure runs out of it.

"... There!!"

Fujino's eyes gets hold on Shiki. The girl in white kimono and a red leather jacket runs toward Fujino sticking her left arm out.

"......!!"

Fujino hesitates a bit and then bends. With a cracking sound, Shiki's left arm breaks. Her neck is next. When Fujino looks... Shiki is already within her range. The line that the knife takes is like a flash of light. It is a bright swing that seems to leave a trace in the darkness forever. The knife that is swung without hesitation however does not hit Fujino. It is because Fujino avoids by ducking the swing that was aimed at her neck. No, it was just an accident. Asagami Fujino only looked away because she got scared of Shiki, who was running towards her with a broken arm.

"Damn..."

Shiki says so and readies her knife again. Fujino frantically stares at Shiki's body.

"... Go away...!"

Shiki's movement is faster than Fujino's scream. Shiki runs into the darkness without hesitation. One should be surprized not at her athletic ability but her quick thinking choosing escape.

"...... What a person......"

Fujino murmurs. Her rough breathing is not from the pain in her stomach. Fujino carefully checks the darkness around her. She does not know when Shiki will jump out of it again. Fujino feels her neck. From the last attack, her neck has a slight scratch. A wound of about 4mm is not bleeding. ... It is not bleeding but her breathing is hard.

"Why does she not stop when her arm is broken...?"

Fujino says so aloud, not being able to contain the fear from that question. She cannot forget that instant. Those eyes of Shiki who still came at her after having her arm broken. Shiki was having fun. That person is enjoying this situation where I, even the one with the advantage, is overwhelmed with tension. Maybe... for Ryohgi Shiki, having her arm broken is not pain, but happiness. Fujino has not enjoyed murder so far. It is because she does not want to kill. But that person is different. That person must like murder. The more extreme the situation is, the happier she becomes. Fujino thinks... if Ryohgi Shiki is a person that lacks in sense of feeling of life, what will she do to substitute for that? For Fujino, it was murder. When she sees other humans die, she gets this undescribable feeling in her. Since Fujino found out what pain feels like, she is able to sympasize when looking at others in pain. The reality that she is the one in control of others makes her feel that she really does exist. A "ruthless murder" is Fujino's substitute. She does not know it herself, but Fujino takes plaesure in murder. Then what is Ryohgi Shiki's sustitute......?

"That was bad"

Hiding behind a stack of materials, Shiki murmurs to herself. The arm had no power when it was twisted on the bridge. Since it was useless, she decided to use it as a shield and rely on one strike. But the plan failed before the fact that Fujino was more cowardly than Shiki thought she would be. Shiki takes off her jacket and cuts the sleeve. Using the cut cloth, she stops the bleeding on her left arm. A rough treatment which she just wraps around the cloth on her upper arm. The left arm that was twisted has no feeling. It will probably never move. Shiki feels a chill at that fact.

"You're great Asagami. You're the best...!"

Her blood is being lost quickly. A sensation of losing conciousness.

... I'm hot-blooded anyways. If I lose some, it will just make me think more clearly...

Shiki concentrates. Asagami Fujino is a strong enemy that might be the best she'll ever meet. One mistake could cost her life. That is pleasant, that makes Shiki feel that she am alive. For Shiki, who is bound by her past, only this moment is real. This sensation that she is able to feel only when putting her life in danger. That small life of hers that she can declare is hers. Kill or be killed. Since even her normal life is vague, Shiki can only feel life only by such basic methods like this. If Asagami Fujino seeks pleasure in murder... Ryohgi Shiki seeks the sensation of life by relating with murder. Fujino fears this situation.... and Shiki wishes for this situation. That is the difference between the hunter and the hunted. The difference between the two is definite at this time.

... Fujino's breathing echoes in the air. ... Roughly, strongly, painfully, as if in fear...

She is breathing hard like Shiki even though she has not been hurt yet. In the dark, they breath in unison. Are their beats, minds, and even their life the same? The bridge swinging in the storm feels like a crib. Shiki, for the first time, feels love toward Fujino. So much that she feels she must take Fujino's life with her own hands.

"I know it's useless though......"

Shiki murmurs. She knew from the time she saw her at the cafe. She knows that the inside of Asagami Fujino is on the verge of breaking down. It's meaningless to finish off Fujino right now. But, that's like life. Shiki thinks some things should come out of meaningless actions. She remembers Tohko saying that humans are things that does meaningless things. Shiki feels the same way now. Exactly like this bridge. People contempt one uselessness as stupidity while praising another uselessness as art. Where does the boundary lie? Boundaries are uncertain. It is yourself that establish it, but it's always the outside that determines it. Then there is no such thing as a boundary to begin with. The world is full of empty boundaries. That is why there are no walls in society to seprate the abnormal from the normal.

... The one to make the wall is us. Like me wanting to get away from the world. Like how Mikiya thinks I'm not abnormal. ... Like how Asagami Fujino is running away to death...

In that sense, Shiki and Fujino are alike. They are similar. In this small space, two of the same kind is not needed.

"Let's go. I can see the trick to your magic trick now."

Shaking the head clear from bleeding, Shiki gets up. She grips her knife hard in her right hand. If Fujino does not lay her own boundary... then she will just have to eliminate her.

Shiki slowly appears. Fujino cannot believe her eyes. Shiki comes out directly in front of her, and far away too. Fujino does not notice but her fever is over 39 degrees now. She does not realize that the pain in her stomach is from a "certain condition".

"... I see. ...... You must be abnormal."

Fujino can only think so. Fujino looks at Shiki and bends. Her vision distorts. The fulclum made in Shiki's head and leg each twists in the opposite direction and twists Shiki's body like a piece of rug.

... It should have twisted her.

Shiki, whose left arm is bleeding, nullifies Fujino's "distortion" just by swinging the knife in her right hand. No...... she killed it.

"It's hard to see those without shape but you used your power too many times. Now I can finally see them. Your power is a spiral of red and green. It's really... beautiful."

Fujino does not understand what Shiki is saying. The only thing she realizes is that Shiki will surely kill her now. Fujino repeatedly prays. Bend, bend, bend, bend. As Fujino glares so, Shiki swings her knife and eliminates the power. Fujino's pain in her stomach is about to go over its limits.

"Who...... are you?"

Shiki answers Fujino's fear with infinitely deep eyes.

"Everything in existence has an imperfection. Not to mention humans, but even in air, will, and time. It's natural to have an end if it has a beginning. My eyes can see the death of things. They're special like yours."

Shiki looks at Fujino with eyes that Fujino felt was omnious before.

"That's why... if it's alive, I can even kill God."

Shiki runs. It is graceful as if she is walking. She runs to Fujino and pushes her down onto the ground. Shiki get on top of her. Fujino shakes her throat at facing Death so close to her.

"Are you... going to kill me?"

Shiki does not answer.

"Why are you going to kill me? I only killed because my wound was hurting."

Shiki laughs.

"That's a lie. Then why are you laughing? That time before, and even now. Why do you seem so happy?"

Fujino hesitates. Fujino quietly places her hand on her own mouth.

............... It's bent.

She did not know because she does not feel anything, but she is certainly smiling......

My first murder. ... How did my face look in the pool of blood?

My second murder. ... How did my face look in the pool of blood?

I do not know but there was always an irritation. I was always irritated when I killed. Was that emotion... happiness? I could not even feel anything when I was raped, so I took pleasure in murder......?

"In the end, you were enjoying it. You like hurting others. That's why that pain would never go away."

It is because if the pain goes away, Fujino would have no reason to kill. The wound will continue hurting, for the sake of Fujino herself.

"......... That is...... the answer?"

Fujino murmurs. She does not want to accept it. She does not want to think about it. Because she must be different from Shiki......

"I told you, we are alike."

Shiki's knife moves. Fujino screams at the top of her lungs... For everything to bend.

The parking lot shakes. The ocean in the middle of the storm appears inside of Fujino's mind. Withstanding the burning in her brain, Fujino makes a fulclum on each side of the bridge...

... And bends them...

• BOOM*

A big noise as if a lightning came down occurs. The metal foundation creaks and screams. The ground tilts and the ceiling starts to collapse. Fujino blankly stares at the building that is about to collapse. The girl that was on her went down as the world suddenly tilted. There is a storm outside with ocean below. If she fell without being able to grab onto something, she will surely die. Fujino orders her body that is even having trouble breathing. She tells it that this place is going to collapse, so she has to get away from here. Dragging her body about to burn out, Fujino exits the parking lot. The shopping mall is relatively free of damage. The square corridor is now a rhombus.

Fujino walks, thinks she is walking... but falls. She cannot breath. Her legs would not move. Her head is in a daze and she cannot think. What is there is...... yes, only the strong pain inside of her. For the first time, Fujino thinks she is going to die. Because it hurts so much. This is unbearable. It's better to just die rather than living on with this pain.

"...... *Cough*"

Laying face down, Fujino coughs out blood. On the ground, she is in a daze. In the vision that goes white, only her blood is clear. Red blood... red vision. The setting sun seems like it is burning... always seems like it is burning...

"No...... I do not... want to die."

Fujino reaches out her arms. If her legs would not move, she will have to use her arms. Dragging her body, she inches forward. If she doesn't do so, Death would come for her. Fujino keeps moving. All the senses in her are pain. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts... that is the only words she can think about. It is the feeling of pain she finally obtained, but she hates it now. But...... it is true. It hurts... it really hurts, so she wishes she does not want to die. She does not want to disappear. She has to keep living and do something. Because she have not done anything, left nothing behind...

That is too miserable. That is too empty. ... That is too sad.

But it hurts. It hurts so much that the will to continue living might go numb and lose. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts. It hurts, but... ... Fujino moves her arms while still coughing up blood. What she repeat are the same words. For the first time in her life, Fujino wishes strongly. ... I want to live longer. ... I want to talk longer. ... I want to love longer. ... I want to stay here longer......

But nothing moves now. Only the pain repeats. This is the true form of what she was enjoying. The truth hurts more than anything for Asagami Fujino. Now she truely understands the sins she has commited, the meaning of the blood she spilled. The meaning is so heavy that she cannot even apologize. She only recalls the kind smile. If that person was here... would he still hug me? Her body convulses. The blood coming up her throat tells her of the final pain about to come. That impact causes her light to go away. Now she can only see what is left in her. No, even that is fading away...... Not being able to stand the loneliness of disappearing, Fujino talks aloud. Her true will that she has hidden so stubbornly. ... A small wish that she has dreamed of since she was small.

"......... It hurts. It hurts, Senpai. It really hurts... It hurts so much... I might cry... Mother, can I cry?"

... This is what she wanted to tell someone. ... If she could have said that on that day three years ago...

She cries. It hurts, it's sad, and it's so lonely that she can only cry. But just doing that eases the pain. That person has told her that pain is not something one bears but something one appeals to someone to love them. Fujino is thankful she met him... really thankful for being able to see him once again before this...

"Are you in pain?"

At the end of the pain, Shiki is standing. She has a knife in one hand. Fujino turns over to face Shiki.

"You should have said you were in pain if you were hurting."

Shiki says so in the end. ... It is the same words as in Fujino's memory. "Certainly", Fujino thinks. Even if she could say that starting now, she might not have came down this wrong road. That inconvenient, but normal life goes through her head. But she cannot. She has committed too many sins. She has killed too many people. ... She has killed many people for the sake of her own happiness.

Asagami Fujino slowly stops her own breathing. Her sense of pain quickly disappears. So fast that she does not feel the pain of the knife stabbed in her chest.