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	<updated>2026-05-05T07:14:27Z</updated>
	<subtitle>User contributions</subtitle>
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	<entry>
		<id>https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Talk:Kara_no_Kyoukai&amp;diff=13218</id>
		<title>Talk:Kara no Kyoukai</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Talk:Kara_no_Kyoukai&amp;diff=13218"/>
		<updated>2007-03-29T00:38:35Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;218.186.8.13: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;== Thanks ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Thank you [[User:Question|Question]],&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While it sort of makes the contribution by alyeris kinda futile, &lt;br /&gt;
I hope this doesn&#039;t put you off in doing other chapters, &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
You are always welcome to practise your &amp;quot;rusty&amp;quot; korean here on any of our hosted series.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
(^_^)/&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 16:10, 14 January 2007 (PST)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Shirazumi Lio/Rio ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I propose that we start using the name Lio instead of Rio; it would make more sense considering that Araya said that he was one letter away from being a lion.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Project Status==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is Kara No Kyoukai an official current project? Its not in the list of current projects on the left, neither is it in the list of teaser projects. -- Question&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ask Oni :) As far as I know none of the translators are a part of Baka-tsuki&#039;s official translation team so I guess it isn&#039;t an official project.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The problem is that its impossible to get to the kara no kyoukai project page unless one is given a direct link or knows what to enter in the search bar. Its not linked from the main page or anywhere else. -- Question&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Scripts==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Just a note that all my scripts are draft versions only, pending editing by me or any other helpful person that wishes to help out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[user:Alyeris|Alyeris]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==distinction between sorcery and magic==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is it sorcery which is capable of &#039;miracles&#039; or magic. I&#039;m not sure which is which here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Magic is the realisation of miracles, things that have absolutely 0% chance of happening otherwise. Sorcery can only replicate effects achievable by science. However there is a contradiction...in Fate/stay night it was stated that Caster was very close to achieving magic as she was capable of spatial teleportation which is not possible by science, and that should already be magic. Note that i got this info about caster through second hand sources so it may not be accurate. -- Question&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Void Shrine==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I want to clarify, for those chapters marked &amp;quot;Draft&amp;quot; does that mean that the translation is done and waiting editing, or the translation is still incomplete? [[User:Question|Question]] 07:00, 9 March 2007 (PST)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Clarification of Status==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Any scripts I put up with (draft) tagged to the chapter link is a chapter I have completed translating but not really satisfied with. I wouldn&#039;t mind fairly major revisions being done on them, especially regarding the grammar and sentence style. My Korean isn&#039;t that great so sometimes I find it hard to get across Nasu&#039;s style of writing.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[user:Alyeris|Alyeris]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*I removed the draft status of the last chapter of Void Shrine. I could find no typo or grammar errors and the sentences flowed quite well. [[User:218.186.8.13|218.186.8.13]] 17:38, 28 March 2007 (PDT)(Question)&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>218.186.8.13</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Talk:Kara_no_Kyoukai&amp;diff=13217</id>
		<title>Talk:Kara no Kyoukai</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Talk:Kara_no_Kyoukai&amp;diff=13217"/>
		<updated>2007-03-29T00:29:42Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;218.186.8.13: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;== Thanks ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Thank you [[User:Question|Question]],&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While it sort of makes the contribution by alyeris kinda futile, &lt;br /&gt;
I hope this doesn&#039;t put you off in doing other chapters, &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
You are always welcome to practise your &amp;quot;rusty&amp;quot; korean here on any of our hosted series.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
(^_^)/&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 16:10, 14 January 2007 (PST)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Shirazumi Lio/Rio ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I propose that we start using the name Lio instead of Rio; it would make more sense considering that Araya said that he was one letter away from being a lion.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Project Status==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is Kara No Kyoukai an official current project? Its not in the list of current projects on the left, neither is it in the list of teaser projects. -- Question&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ask Oni :) As far as I know none of the translators are a part of Baka-tsuki&#039;s official translation team so I guess it isn&#039;t an official project.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The problem is that its impossible to get to the kara no kyoukai project page unless one is given a direct link or knows what to enter in the search bar. Its not linked from the main page or anywhere else. -- Question&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Scripts==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Just a note that all my scripts are draft versions only, pending editing by me or any other helpful person that wishes to help out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[user:Alyeris|Alyeris]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==distinction between sorcery and magic==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is it sorcery which is capable of &#039;miracles&#039; or magic. I&#039;m not sure which is which here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Magic is the realisation of miracles, things that have absolutely 0% chance of happening otherwise. Sorcery can only replicate effects achievable by science. However there is a contradiction...in Fate/stay night it was stated that Caster was very close to achieving magic as she was capable of spatial teleportation which is not possible by science, and that should already be magic. Note that i got this info about caster through second hand sources so it may not be accurate. -- Question&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Void Shrine==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I want to clarify, for those chapters marked &amp;quot;Draft&amp;quot; does that mean that the translation is done and waiting editing, or the translation is still incomplete? [[User:Question|Question]] 07:00, 9 March 2007 (PST)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Clarification of Status==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Any scripts I put up with (draft) tagged to the chapter link is a chapter I have completed translating but not really satisfied with. I wouldn&#039;t mind fairly major revisions being done on them, especially regarding the grammar and sentence style. My Korean isn&#039;t that great so sometimes I find it hard to get across Nasu&#039;s style of writing.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*I removed the draft status of the last chapter of Void Shrine. I could find no typo or grammar errors and the sentences flowed quite well. [[User:218.186.8.13|218.186.8.13]] 17:29, 28 March 2007 (PDT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[user:Alyeris|Alyeris]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>218.186.8.13</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai&amp;diff=13216</id>
		<title>Kara no Kyoukai</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai&amp;diff=13216"/>
		<updated>2007-03-29T00:28:03Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;218.186.8.13: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&#039;&#039;Kara no Kyoukai&#039;&#039; (&amp;quot;空の境界&amp;quot;) is a series of stories written by Kinoko Nasu (奈須きのこ) with illustrations by Takeshi Takeuchi (武内崇). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The first five chapters were posted online on Nasu and Takeuchi&#039;s dojin website &amp;quot;Takebouki (竹箒)&amp;quot; starting Oct 1998, and the last two chapters being released at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comiket Comiket] 56 in 1999. In 2001, part of the story was included in &amp;quot;[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsukihime_PLUS-DISK Tsukihime PLUS-DISK (月姫PLUS-DISC)],&amp;quot; created by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TYPE-MOON TYPE-MOON], the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doujin doujin] circle Nasu and Takeuchi joined. The story gained huge popularity, and the doujinshi edition of the stories saw release on December 30, 2001 at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comiket Comiket] 61.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Additional information can be found here&lt;br /&gt;
*[[About_Kara_no_Kyoukai|About Kara no Kyoukai ]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Updates ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*Jan 13,2007&lt;br /&gt;
:*Series activated&lt;br /&gt;
:*Please give a warm welcome to [[user:Alyeris|Alyeris]]&lt;br /&gt;
:*Volume 03, chapter / 0 &amp;amp; /1 scripts has been added&lt;br /&gt;
:*page layout reformated&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*Jan 15,2007&lt;br /&gt;
:*Taka&#039;s script for chapter 3 put up by Question.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*Jan 18,2007&lt;br /&gt;
:*Please give a warm welcome to Translator [[user:lvlln|Lvlln]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*Jan 22,2007&lt;br /&gt;
:*Please give a warm welcome to a new translator [[user:Anonyfag !Fsxil11tVc|Anonyfag !Fsxil11tVc]] (special mention to annyms k40z for editing those scripts)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*Feb 18, 2007&lt;br /&gt;
:*Draft versions of Chapter 4 are all up. Please feel free to edit to heart&#039;s content.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Translator ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*[[user:Alyeris|Alyeris]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[user:Lvlln|Lvlln]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[user:Anonyfag !Fsxil11tVc|Anonyfag !Fsxil11tVc]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Translation: Active ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This project has been revived by an active contribution &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Please understand that although a large amount of translation has been made available, it is pre-translated work that has been re-arranged to match the novel format that was used in 2001. If you would like to contribute translation scripts please do so, by informing a Supervisor and registering your intended contribution:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Registration_Page|Registration Page]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Special Thanks ===&lt;br /&gt;
To&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*[[User:sssssz|sssssz]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[User:TakaJun|TakaJun]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
for translating and giving us premission to host these translation here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If you wish to know which chapters was translated by them please see the [[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Registration_Page|Registration Page]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Kara no Kyoukai Series by Kinoko Nasu ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &#039;&#039;1／Overlooking View - Fujoh Kirie | 1／俯瞰風景 - Fujoh Kirie&#039;&#039;: &#039;&#039;&#039;Thanatos.&#039;&#039;&#039; ===&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter01_00|／Overlooking View | ／俯瞰風景]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter01_01|／1]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter01_02|／2]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter01_03|Overlooking View／ | 俯瞰風景／]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter01_04|→／3]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter01_05|／4]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter01_06|Overlooking View／ | 俯瞰風景／]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter01_07|Epilogue]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &#039;&#039;2／Murder Study (Part 1) - Ryougi Shiki | 2／殺人考察(前) - Ryohgi Siki&#039;&#039;: &#039;&#039;&#039;...and nothing heart.&#039;&#039;&#039; ===&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter02_00|／Murder Study (Part 1) | ／殺人考察(前)]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter02_01|／1]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter02_02|／2]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter02_03|／3]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter02_04|Murder Study (Part 1)／ 1~5 | 殺人考察(前)／]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter02_05|／4]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter02_06|／5]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter02_07|Kara no Kyoukai／Opening | 空の境界／序]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &#039;&#039;3／Remaining Sense of Pain - Asagami Fujino | 3／痛覚残留 - Asagami Fujino&#039;&#039;: &#039;&#039;&#039;ever cry, never life.&#039;&#039;&#039; ===&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter03_a|Remaining Sense of Pain | 痛覚残留]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter03_01|／0]] &lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter03_02|／1]] &lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter03_03| Remaining Sense of Pain／ 1 | 痛覚残留／ 1]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter03_04| Remaining Sense of Pain／ 2 | 痛覚残留／ 2]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter03_05|／2]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter03_06|／3]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter03_07| Sense of Pain／Stay Behind 3 | 痛覚／残留 3]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter03_08| Sense of Pain／Stay Behind 4 | 痛覚／残留 4]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter03_09|／4]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter03_10|／5]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter03_11| Remaining Sense of Pain／ 5 | 痛覚残留／ 5]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter03_12| Remaining Sense of Pain／ 6 | 痛覚残留／ 6]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &#039;&#039;4／Void Shrine - 「　　」 | 4／伽藍の洞 - 「　　」&#039;&#039;: &#039;&#039;&#039;garan-no-dou.&#039;&#039;&#039; ===&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter04 00|／Void Shrine | ／伽藍の洞]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter04_A|／0]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_kyoukai:Chapter04_01|／1]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter04_02|／2]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter04_03|／3]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Void Shrine|Void Shrine／ 1~3 | 伽藍の洞／ 1~3]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter04_04|／4]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter05_05|／5]](draft)&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter-final|／Void Shrine | ／伽藍の洞]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &#039;&#039;Ceremony of Boundary - Kirie/Fujino | 境界式&#039;&#039; ===&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Ceremony_of_Boundary-1|境界式]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &#039;&#039;5／Paradox Spiral - Enjou Tomoe | 5／矛盾螺旋 - Enjoh Tomoe&#039;&#039;: &#039;&#039;&#039;Paradox Paradigm.&#039;&#039;&#039; ===&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter05_00|／Paradox Spiral | ／矛盾螺旋]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter05_0|／0]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter05_01|／1 (Paradox Spiral, 1) | (矛盾螺旋、1)]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*／2 (Paradox Spiral, 2) | (矛盾螺旋、2)&lt;br /&gt;
::*／3 (Paradox Spiral, 3) | (矛盾螺旋、3)&lt;br /&gt;
::*／4 (Paradox Spiral, 4) | (矛盾螺旋、4)&lt;br /&gt;
::*／5 (Spiral Paradox, 1) | (螺旋矛盾、1)&lt;br /&gt;
::*／6 (Spiral Paradox, 2) | (螺旋矛盾、2)&lt;br /&gt;
::*／7 (Spiral Paradox, 3) | (螺旋矛盾、3)&lt;br /&gt;
::*／8 (Spiral Paradox, 4) | (螺旋矛盾、4)&lt;br /&gt;
::*／9 (Paradox Spiral, 5) | (矛盾螺旋、5)&lt;br /&gt;
::*／10&lt;br /&gt;
::*／8 (Paradox Spiral, 5) | (矛盾螺旋、5)&lt;br /&gt;
::*／11 (Paradox Spiral, 6) | (矛盾螺旋、6)&lt;br /&gt;
::*／12&lt;br /&gt;
::*(14／)&lt;br /&gt;
::*／13 (Paradox Spiral, 6) | (矛盾螺旋、6)&lt;br /&gt;
::*／14&lt;br /&gt;
::*／15&lt;br /&gt;
::*／16&lt;br /&gt;
::*17／&lt;br /&gt;
::*／18&lt;br /&gt;
::*Paradox／Spiral (19) | 矛盾／螺旋 (19)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &#039;&#039;6／Oblivion Recorder - Kurogiri Satsuki | 6／忘却録音 - Kurogiri Satuki&#039;&#039;: &#039;&#039;&#039;Fairy Tale.&#039;&#039;&#039; ===&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter06_00|／Oblivion Recorder | ／忘却録音]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*Oblivion Recorder／ 1~2 | 忘却録音／ 1~2&lt;br /&gt;
::*／1&lt;br /&gt;
::*／2&lt;br /&gt;
::*Oblivion Recorder／ 3 | 忘却録音／ 3&lt;br /&gt;
::*／3&lt;br /&gt;
::*Oblivion Recorder／ 4 | 忘却録音／ 4&lt;br /&gt;
::*Oblivion Recorder ／5 | 忘却録音 5／&lt;br /&gt;
::*5／&lt;br /&gt;
::*Oblivion Recorder ／5 | 忘却録音 ／5&lt;br /&gt;
::*／5&lt;br /&gt;
::*Oblivion Recorder／ 6 | 忘却録音／ 6&lt;br /&gt;
::*／6&lt;br /&gt;
::*Oblivion Recorder／ 7 | 忘却録音／ 7&lt;br /&gt;
::*／Oblivion Recorder | ／忘却録音&lt;br /&gt;
::*／7&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &#039;&#039;Ceremony of Boundary - Lio | 境界式&#039;&#039; ===&lt;br /&gt;
::*(0)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &#039;&#039;7／Murder Study (Part 2) - Shirazumi Lio | 7／殺人考察(後) - Sirazumi Lio&#039;&#039;: &#039;&#039;&#039;...not nothing heart.&#039;&#039;&#039; ===&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter07_00|／Kara no Kyoukai | ／空の境界]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*／Opening | ／序&lt;br /&gt;
::*Murder Study／1 | 殺人考察／1&lt;br /&gt;
::*／1&lt;br /&gt;
::*Murder Study／2 | 殺人考察／2&lt;br /&gt;
::*／2&lt;br /&gt;
::*Murder Study／3 | 殺人考察／3&lt;br /&gt;
::*Murder Study／4 | 殺人考察／4&lt;br /&gt;
::*／3&lt;br /&gt;
::*／4&lt;br /&gt;
::*Murder Study／5 | 殺人考察／5&lt;br /&gt;
::*／5&lt;br /&gt;
::*Murder Study／6 | 殺人考察／6&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[／6]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*[[／7]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*Murder Study／7 | 殺人考察／7&lt;br /&gt;
::*／8&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &#039;&#039;Kara no Kyoukai | 空の境界&#039;&#039; ===&lt;br /&gt;
::*Kara no Kyoukai／ | 空の境界／&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/空の境界 Japan wiki 空の境界]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.typemoon.org/kara/ TYPE-MOON HP 空の境界]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.typemoon.com TYPE-MOON HP]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://mirror.fuzzy2.com/magic-cage/karakyo.html 空の境界 Drama CD Flash movie]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Hosted_Projects]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>218.186.8.13</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter04_04&amp;diff=13215</id>
		<title>Kara no Kyoukai:Chapter04 04</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter04_04&amp;diff=13215"/>
		<updated>2007-03-29T00:13:10Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;218.186.8.13: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;/ 4&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As the usual morning check-up ended I realised that it was now the 20th. Which meant that it has now been seven days since I woke up. My body has also recovered without a hitch so I am going to be released tomorrow. The bandages over my two eyes, I will also be able to take them off tomorrow morning.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Seven days... a week.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I haven&#039;t gained much during this period of time.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I&#039;ve lost so many things that I&#039;m not even sure what I&#039;ve lost.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My parents, Akidaka, they are probably the same as they were before. But to me they feel like different people. The fading away of all that once surrounded me is something that can&#039;t be helped, since the one called Ryougi Shiki has changed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I touch the bandage covering my eyes.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The only thing I gained in exchange for everything I have lost is this.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I, who experienced 「death」for two years while still alive. My body has changed so that I can now view such formless concepts.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The first thing I saw upon waking up from the coma was not the surprised nurse running towards me... It was the line wrapping around her throat. People, walls, even the air itself... there are incredibly fine lines visible on everything. Those lines were always moving and irregular. But I suffered from an obsession with the idea that death would spread out at any moment from those individual concepts and pull me in. I saw a hallucination in which the approaching nurse crumbled into pieces starting from the line in her neck.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When I understood what those lines were --- I crushed my two eyes with my own hands.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My hands hadn&#039;t moved in two years and just clenching them brought on agonizing pain, but I still moved my arms. Luckily or unluckily, my arms were still weak and I was stopped by the doctors in the process of destroying my eyes. They decided that it was just a sudden impulse brought on by the turbidity of my mind and weren&#039;t particularly interested in why I had tried to crush my eyes.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Are my eyes --- going to recover soon?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I don&#039;t want that. That kind of world, I never want to see it again.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A world where nothing exists. While I was 「there」, I was content and at peace.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
--- I can&#039;t believe it now. Remembering that world after I woke up I thought about it and there couldn&#039;t be anything more pathetic than that world. That darkness, even if it was just a nightmare I dreamt up during my sleep --- I can&#039;t stand the thought of falling into that place again.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And, these two eyes of mine that are connected to that place.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I bring my fingertips to my eyes.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After that, all that&#039;s left is to stab my eyes with those fingertips as cleanly as if I was swinging a bamboo sword.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Just a second, hold up. You give up too quickly.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Suddenly a noise.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I turn my senses towards the door.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The thing that is there is --- what is it?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Without a sound the someone comes closer, coming right up to the bed where I&#039;m reposed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Is it the &#039;Mystic eyes of death perception&#039;? It&#039;s too wasteful to destroy that Shiki. Especially seeing as anything you can see will be seen even if you ruin your eyes. You see, a curse is something that comes back if you throw it away.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Are you --- human?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My question provokes a reaction which sounds like somebody trying not to laugh.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Whoosh, I hear the sound of a lighter being flicked and a flame springing out.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;m a sorceress. I came here to teach you how to use those eyes of yours.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That familiar female voice... This someone is without a doubt the counsellor.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;What do you mean, how to use these eyes... ?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Well, it will only be a little better than now, but I suppose it&#039;s better than nothing. Your mystic eyes that can conceive another&#039;s death by just looking are the first since the time of the Celtic gods. Erasing them is too wasteful.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s called Balor, the lady adds some ununderstandable words.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Mystic eyes are normally the result of you bringing about some kind of augmentation effect for your eyes through spiritual surgery. But in your case I think they came about naturally. An ability you originally had was brought to the fore by the accident. By the sounds of it, it seemed that the child called Shiki was always seeing to the heart of everything.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... She talks as if she knows.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Actually, as she said, Shiki had always been gazing at a far-off location. I think that even while looking at a person she saw not the exterior, but that person&#039;s core.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Although Shiki herself wasn&#039;t aware of it.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Well you see, that was definitely a control mechanism Shiki used unconsciously. You shouldn&#039;t try to look at exteriors.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every object has flaws. The fancy of wishing everything could be taken apart and remade only exists because there&#039;s no such thing as a perfect object.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your eyes can see those flaws, as if they were a microscope. Your spiritual sight is too strong. you can see those lines that are invisible to us and that brain of yours that was in contact with death for so long can even understand what they are. In conclusion, you can see death. Not only see it, but you can even touch it. A living organism&#039;s lines of death will keep changing position as long as it&#039;s alive. The ability to see those lines clearly, there&#039;s not much difference between that and mystic eyes that can kill with a look. If you must stab those eyes I will receive them instead. I will pay you any price you call.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Did you say I will be able to see this even if my eyes can&#039;t see? In that case there&#039;s no reason for me to stab them.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Well, yes. You can&#039;t lead a normal life anyway. Leave your agonizing at that Ryougi Shiki. Open your eyes a bit. You are originally a human of my kind. If you are --- abandon any dreams you have of living like everyone else.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;---.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... That one sentence, in some ways it was conclusive.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But I felt as if I shouldn&#039;t accept it for some reason.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I reply with the strongest rebuttal I can manage at this time.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Something as pitiful as an urge to live on --- I don&#039;t have any such thing.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Heh. Is that because you&#039;ve emptied your mind? But you don&#039;t want to die do you? Because you&#039;ve seen that world. Since you&#039;ve reached a state of realisation that not even a Kabalist of Keter can reach you gorged brat.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Do you understand? Your problems simple. Okay, you&#039;ve revived as another person, so what? It&#039;s just that SHIKI isn&#039;t here. I guess since you and SHIKI were definitely a set his absence alone would mean that you are a whole different person. Even if you are the very embodiment of Shiki, I understand that you are different from before.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But what I&#039;m saying is that that&#039;s as far as it goes.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Right now you are desperately rejecting death while you have no will to live. You have no reason to live on but you fear the thing called death. Life or death, unable to choose either side you are walking a tightrope on the boundary of the two. I suppose it&#039;s enough to empty your mind.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... You keep chattering away as if you know everything...&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I glare at the woman. At that moment --- without a hint of doubt, my eyes which should be blind catch sight of the woman&#039;s outline and black lines.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
「death」coils out towards me from the woman&#039;s lines.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Did you see it? It&#039;s because there are flaws that they move with just that much contact. In the eyes of the idle spirits here, your body is the perfect vessel. If you don&#039;t wake up you are going to be hauled away and killed.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
By that talk of being dragged away and killed does she mean that white smoke?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But that doesn&#039;t come around here anymore.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Idle spirits are nothing more than a part of the soul left behind after death. They don&#039;t have a will so they just wander around. But as they are parts they keep grouping together to form a whole until they become a ghost. They don&#039;t have a will but basic desires remain. Thing&#039;s like, &#039;I want to return to my former self&#039; or &#039;I want a human body&#039;.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A hospital has a lot of idle spirits. They form drifting ghosts and look for a body they can inhabit. Since they are so weak normal people can&#039;t feel them or even come into contact with them. Formless spirits only follow people with paranormal abilities who can perceive them. Sorcerers who make a living out of talking to ghosts protect their egos with a shell so it&#039;s very rare for them to be taken down by a drifting ghost.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the other hand --- they will probably latch onto a person with an empty heart, say you for example, pretty easily.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There is a hint of contempt in her voice as she speaks.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So, was that why that smoke came to me. If that was the case why didn&#039;t it possess me. If it had tried to become my kernel I wouldn&#039;t have resisted.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- Pathetic. Even the rune&#039;s protection is meaningless like this. That&#039;s it, as expected this doesn&#039;t suit you. Just do as you will after this.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After speaking so venomously the lady distanced herself from the bed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Just before she shut the door to the room that lady left behind one last remark.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But you know, did SHIKI really die for nothing Ryougi Shiki?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I couldn&#039;t reply to that.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Really --- that lady only touches the subjects I am avoiding and leaves them behind like thorns.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s night.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Darkness surrounds me. Tonight there isn&#039;t even the sound of anyone walking through the corridors.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the midst of that night which was peaceful as a silent lake deep within a mountain range, I was recalling my conversation with that lady.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No, just that last undeniable question.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For what reason did SHIKI die in Shiki&#039;s stead. SHIKI isn&#039;t here to reply.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
--- SHIKI who is no longer here.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Exactly why did he disappear.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
What did he disappear in exchange for.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
SHIKI who liked to dream.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He was always asleep. But on that night of the rain he abandoned even that action and died.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The self I can no longer meet, the self I could never meet in the first place.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
SHIKI, who was always myself.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My consciousness settles down.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In an attempt to reach the conclusion he reached I look back through my memories.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Creak, the door to the room opens.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Following that slow footsteps approach me.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is it a nurse? No, the time is already past midnight.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If it&#039;s a visitor, if could only be ---&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At that moment a human hand wraps around my neck.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold hand squeezes as if to break my neck just like that.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>218.186.8.13</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter04_04&amp;diff=13214</id>
		<title>Kara no Kyoukai:Chapter04 04</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter04_04&amp;diff=13214"/>
		<updated>2007-03-29T00:11:27Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;218.186.8.13: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;/ 4&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As the usual morning check-up ended I realised that it was now the 20th. Which meant that it has now been seven days since I woke up. My body has also recovered without a hitch so I am going to be released tomorrow. The bandages over my two eyes, I will also be able to take them off tomorrow morning.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Seven days... a week.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I haven&#039;t gained much during this period of time.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I&#039;ve lost so many things that I&#039;m not even sure what I&#039;ve lost.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My parents, Akidaka, they are probably the same as they were before. But to me they feel like different people. The fading away of all that once surrounded me is something that can&#039;t be helped, since the one called Ryougi Shiki has changed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I touch the bandage covering my eyes.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The only thing I gained in exchange for everything I have lost is this.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I, who experienced 「death」for two years while still alive. My body has changed so that I can now view such formless concepts.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The first thing I saw upon waking up from the coma was not the surprised nurse running towards me... It was the line wrapping around her throat. People, walls, even the air itself... there are incredibly fine lines visible on everything. Those lines were always moving and irregular. But I suffered from an obsession with the idea that death would spread out at any moment from those individual concepts and pull me in. I saw a hallucination in which the approaching nurse crumbled into pieces starting from the line in her neck.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When I understood what those lines were --- I crushed my two eyes with my own hands.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My hands hadn&#039;t moved in two years and just clenching them brought on agonizing pain, but I still moved my arms. Luckily or unluckily, my arms were still weak and I was stopped by the doctors in the process of destroying my eyes. They decided that it was just a sudden impulse brought on by the turbidity of my mind and weren&#039;t particularly interested in why I had tried to crush my eyes.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Are my eyes --- going to recover soon?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I don&#039;t want that. That kind of world, I never want to see it again.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A world where nothing exists. While I was 「there」, I was content and at peace.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
--- I can&#039;t believe it now. Remembering that world after I woke up I thought about it and there couldn&#039;t be anything more pathetic than that world. That darkness, even if it was just a nightmare I dreamt up during my sleep --- I can&#039;t stand the thought of falling into that place again.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And, these two eyes of mine that are connected to that place.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I bring my fingertips to my eyes.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After that, all that&#039;s left is to stab my eyes with those fingertips as cleanly as if I was swinging a bamboo sword.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Just a second, hold up. You give up too quickly.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Suddenly a noise.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I turn my senses towards the door.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The thing that is there is --- what is it?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Without a sound the someone comes closer, coming right up to the bed where I&#039;m reposed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Is it the &#039;Mystic eyes of death perception&#039;? It&#039;s too wasteful to destroy that Shiki. Especially seeing as anything you can see will be seen even if you ruin your eyes. You see, a curse is something that comes back if you throw it away.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Are you --- human?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My question provokes a reaction which sounds like somebody trying not to laugh.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Whoosh, I hear the sound of a lighter being flicked and a flame springing out.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;m a sorceress. I came here to teach you how to use those eyes of yours.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That familiar female voice... This someone is without a doubt the counsellor.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;What do you mean, how to use these eyes... ?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Well, it will only be a little better than now, but I suppose it&#039;s better than nothing. Your mystic eyes that can conceive another&#039;s death by just looking are the first since the time of the Celtic gods. Erasing them is too wasteful.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s called Balor, the lady adds some ununderstandable words.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Mystic eyes are normally the result of you bringing about some kind of augmentation effect for your eyes through spiritual surgery. But in your case I think they came about naturally. An ability you originally had was brought to the fore by the accident. By the sounds of it, it seemed that the child called Shiki was always seeing to the heart of everything.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... She talks as if she knows.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Actually, as she said, Shiki had always been gazing at a far-off location. I think that even while looking at a person she saw not the exterior, but that person&#039;s core.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Although Shiki herself wasn&#039;t aware of it.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Well you see, that was definitely a control mechanism Shiki used unconsciously. You shouldn&#039;t try to look at exteriors.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every object has flaws. The fancy of wishing everything could be taken apart and remade only exists because there&#039;s no such thing as a perfect object.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your eyes can see those flaws, as if they were a microscope. Your spiritual sight is too strong. you can see those lines that are invisible to us and that brain of yours that was in contact with death for so long can even understand what they are. In conclusion, you can see death. Not only see it, but you can even touch it. A living organism&#039;s lines of death will keep changing position as long as it&#039;s alive. The ability to see those lines clearly, there&#039;s not much difference between that and mystic eyes that can kill with a look. If you must stab those eyes I will receive them instead. I will pay you any price you call.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Did you say I will be able to see this even if my eyes can&#039;t see? In that case there&#039;s no reason for me to stab them.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Well, yes. You can&#039;t lead a normal life anyway. Leave your agonizing at that Ryougi Shiki. Open your eyes a bit. You are originally a human of my kind. If you are --- abandon any dreams you have of living like everyone else.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;---.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... That one sentence, in some ways it was conclusive.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But I felt as if I shouldn&#039;t accept it for some reason.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I reply with the strongest rebuttal I can manage at this time.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Something as pitiful as an urge to live on --- I don&#039;t have any such thing.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Heh. Is that because you&#039;ve emptied your mind? But you don&#039;t want to die do you? Because you&#039;ve seen that world. Since you&#039;ve reached a state of realisation that not even a Kabalist of Keter can reach you gorged brat.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Do you understand? Your problems simple. Okay, you&#039;ve revived as another person, so what? It&#039;s just that SHIKI isn&#039;t here. I guess since you and SHIKI were definitely a set his absence alone would mean that you are a whole different person. Even if you are the very embodiment of Shiki, I understand that you are different from before.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But what I&#039;m saying is that that&#039;s as far as it goes.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Right now you are desperately rejecting death while you have no will to live. You have no reason to live on but you fear the thing called death. Life or death, unable to choose either side you are walking a tightrope on the boundary of the two. I suppose it&#039;s enough to empty your mind.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... You keep chattering away as if you know everything...&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I glare at the woman. At that moment --- without a hint of doubt, my eyes which should be blind catch sight of the woman&#039;s outline and black lines.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
「death」coils out towards me from the woman&#039;s lines.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Did you see it? It&#039;s because there are flaws that they move with just that much contact. In the eyes of the idle spirits here, your body is the perfect vessel. If you don&#039;t wake up you are going to be hauled away and killed.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
By that talk of being dragged away and killed does she mean that white smoke?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But that doesn&#039;t come around here anymore.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Idle spirits are nothing more than a part of the soul left behind after death. They don&#039;t have a will so they just wander around. But as they are parts they keep grouping together to form a whole until they become a ghost. They don&#039;t have a will but basic desires remain. Thing&#039;s like, &#039;I want to return to my former self&#039; or &#039;I want a human body&#039;.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A hospital has a lot of idle spirits. They form drifting ghosts and look for a body they can inhabit. Since they are so weak normal people can&#039;t feel them or even come into contact with them. Formless spirits only follow people with paranormal abilities who can perceive the. Sorcerers who make a living out of talking to ghosts protect their egos with a shell so it&#039;s very rare for them to be taken down by a drifting ghost.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the other hand --- they will probably latch onto a person with an empty heart, say you for example, pretty easily.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There is a hint of contempt in her voice as she speaks.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So, was that why that smoke came to me. If that was the case why didn&#039;t it possess me. If it had tried to become my kernel I wouldn&#039;t have resisted.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- Pathetic. Even the rune&#039;s protection is meaningless like this. That&#039;s it, as expected this doesn&#039;t suit you. Just do as you will after this.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After speaking so venomously the lady distanced herself from the bed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Just before she shut the door to the room that lady left behind one last remark.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But you know, did SHIKI really die for nothing Ryougi Shiki?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I couldn&#039;t reply to that.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Really --- that lady only touches the subjects I am avoiding and leaves them behind like thorns.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s night.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Darkness surrounds me. Tonight there isn&#039;t even the sound of anyone walking through the corridors.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the midst of that night which was peaceful as a silent lake deep within a mountain range, I was recalling my conversation with that lady.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No, just that last undeniable question.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For what reason did SHIKI die in Shiki&#039;s stead. SHIKI isn&#039;t here to reply.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
--- SHIKI who is no longer here.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Exactly why did he disappear.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
What did he disappear in exchange for.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
SHIKI who liked to dream.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He was always asleep. But on that night of the rain he abandoned even that action and died.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The self I can no longer meet, the self I could never meet in the first place.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
SHIKI, who was always myself.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My consciousness settles down.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In an attempt to reach the conclusion he reached I look back through my memories.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Creak, the door to the room opens.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Following that slow footsteps approach me.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is it a nurse? No, the time is already past midnight.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If it&#039;s a visitor, if could only be ---&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At that moment a human hand wraps around my neck.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold hand squeezes as if to break my neck just like that.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>218.186.8.13</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter04_04&amp;diff=13213</id>
		<title>Kara no Kyoukai:Chapter04 04</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter04_04&amp;diff=13213"/>
		<updated>2007-03-29T00:10:33Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;218.186.8.13: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;/ 4&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As the usual morning check-up ended I realised that it was now the 20th. Which meant that it has now been seven days since I woke up. My body has also recovered without a hitch so I am going to be released tomorrow. The bandages over my two eyes, I will also be able to take them off tomorrow morning.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Seven days... a week.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I haven&#039;t gained much during this period of time.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I&#039;ve lost so many things that I&#039;m not even sure what I&#039;ve lost.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My parents, Akidaka, they are probably the same as they were before. But to me they feel like different people. The fading away of all that once surrounded me is something that can&#039;t be helped, since the one called Ryougi Shiki has changed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I touch the bandage covering my eyes.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The only thing I gained in exchange for everything I have lost is this.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I, who experienced 「death」for two years while still alive. My body has changed so that I can now view such formless concepts.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The first thing I saw upon waking up from the coma was not the surprised nurse running towards me... It was the line wrapping around her throat. People, walls, even the air itself... there are incredibly fine lines visible on everything. Those lines were always moving and irregular. But I suffered from an obsession with the idea that death would spread out at any moment from those individual concepts and pull me in. I saw a hallucination in which the approaching nurse crumbled into pieces starting from the line in her neck.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When I understood what those lines were --- I crushed my two eyes with my own hands.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My hands hadn&#039;t moved in two years and just clenching them brought on agonizing pain, but I still moved my arms. Luckily or unluckily, my arms were still weak and I was stopped by the doctors in the process of destroying my eyes. They decided that it was just a sudden impulse brought on by the turbidity of my mind and weren&#039;t particularly interested in why I had tried to crush my eyes.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Are my eyes --- going to recover soon?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I don&#039;t want that. That kind of world, I never want to see it again.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A world where nothing exists. While I was 「there」, I was content and at peace.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
--- I can&#039;t believe it now. Remembering that world after I woke up I thought about it and there couldn&#039;t be anything more pathetic than that world. That darkness, even if it was just a nightmare I dreamt up during my sleep --- I can&#039;t stand the thought of falling into that place again.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And, these two eyes of mine that are connected to that place.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I bring my fingertips to my eyes.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After that, all that&#039;s left is to stab my eyes with those fingertips as cleanly as if I was swinging a bamboo sword.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Just a second, hold up. You give up too quickly.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Suddenly a noise.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I turn my senses towards the door.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The thing that is there is --- what is it?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Without a sound the someone comes closer, coming right up to the bed where I&#039;m reposed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Is it the &#039;Mystic eyes of death perception&#039;? It&#039;s too wasteful to destroy that Shiki. Especially seeing as anything you can see will be seen even if you ruin your eyes. You see, a curse is something that comes back if you throw it away.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Are you --- human?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My question provokes a reaction which sounds like somebody trying not to laugh.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Whoosh, I hear the sound of a lighter being flicked and a flame springing out.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;m a sorceress. I came here to teach you how to use those eyes of yours.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That familiar female voice... This someone is without a doubt the counsellor.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;What do you mean, how to use these eyes... ?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Well, it will only be a little better than now, but I suppose it&#039;s better than nothing. Your mystic eyes that can conceive another&#039;s death by just looking are the first since the time of the Celtic gods. Erasing them is too wasteful.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s called Balor, the lady adds some ununderstandable words.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Mystic eyes are normally the result of you bringing about some kind of augmentation effect for your eyes through spiritual surgery. But in your case I think they came about naturally. An ability you originally had was brought to the fore by the accident. By the sounds of it, it seemed that the child called Shiki was always seeing to the heart of everything.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... She talks as if she knows.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Actually, as she said, Shiki had always been gazing at a far-off location. I think that even while looking at a person she saw not the exterior, but that person&#039;s core.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Although Shiki herself wasn&#039;t aware of it.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Well you see, that was definitely a control mechanism Shiki used unconsciously. You shouldn&#039;t try to look at exteriors.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every object has flaws. The fancy of wishing everything could be taken apart and remade only exists because there&#039;s no such thing as a perfect object.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your eyes can see those flaws, as if they were a microscope. Your spiritual sight is too strong. you can see those lines that are invisible to us and that brain of yours that was in contact with death for so long can even understand what they are. In conclusion, you can see death. Not only see it, but you can even touch it. A living organism&#039;s lines of death will keep changing position as long as it&#039;s alive. The ability to see those lines clearly, there&#039;s not much difference between that and mystic eyes that can kill with a look. If you must stab those eyes I will receive them instead. I will pay you any price you call.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Did you say I will be able to see this even if my eyes can&#039;t see? In that case there&#039;s no reason for me to stab them.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Well, yes. You can&#039;t lead a normal life anyway. Leave your agonizing at that Ryougi Shiki. Open your eyes a bit. You are originally a human of my kind. If you are --- abandon any dreams you have of living like everyone else.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;---.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... That one sentence, in some ways it was conclusive.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But I felt as if I shouldn&#039;t accept it for some reason.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I reply with the strongest rebuttal I can manage at this time.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Something as pitiful as an urge to live on --- I don&#039;t have any such thing.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Heh. Is that because you&#039;ve emptied your mind? But you don&#039;t want to die do you? Because you&#039;ve seen that world. Since you&#039;ve reached a state of realisation that not even a Kabalist of Keter can reach you gorged brat.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Do you understand? Your problems simple. Okay, you&#039;ve revived as another person, so what? It&#039;s just that SHIKI isn&#039;t here. I guess since you and SHIKI were definitely a set his absence alone would mean that you are a whole different person. Even if you are the very embodiment of Shiki, I understand that you are different from before.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But what I&#039;m saying is that that&#039;s as far as it goes.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Right now you are desperately rejecting death while you have no will to live. You have no reason to live on but you fear the thing called death. Life or death, unable to choose either side you are walking a tightrope on the boundary of the two. I suppose it&#039;s enough to empty your mind.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... You keep chattering away as if you know everything...&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I glare at the woman. At that moment --- without a hint of doubt, my eyes which should be blind catch sight of the woman&#039;s outline and black lines.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
「death」coils out towards me from the woman&#039;s lines.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Did you see it? It&#039;s because there are flaws that they move with just that much contact. In the eyes of the idle spirits here, your body is the perfect vessel. If you don&#039;t wake up you are going to be hauled away and killed.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
By that talk of being dragged away and killed does she mean that white smoke?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But that doesn&#039;t come around here anymore.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Idle spirits are nothing more than a part of the soul left behind after death. They don&#039;t have a will so they just wander around. But as they are parts they keep grouping together to form a whole until they become a ghost. They don&#039;t have a will but basic desires remain. Thing&#039;s like, &#039;I want to return to my former self&#039; or &#039;I want a human body&#039;.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
A hospital has a lot of idle spirits. They form drifting ghosts and look for a body they can inhabit. Since they are so weak normal people can&#039;t feel them or even come into contact with them. Formless spirits only follow people with paranormal abilities who can perceive the. Sorcerers who make a living out of talking to ghosts protect their egos with a shell so it&#039;s very rare for them to be taken down by a drifting ghost.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
On the other hand --- they will probably latch onto a person with an empty heart, say you for example, pretty easily.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There is a hint of contempt in her voice as she speaks.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So, was that why that smoke came to me. If that was the case why didn&#039;t it possess me. If it had tried to become my kernel I wouldn&#039;t have resisted.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- Pathetic. Even the rune&#039;s protection is meaningless like this. That&#039;s it, as expected this doesn&#039;t suit you. Just do as you will after this.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After speaking so venomously the lady distanced herself from the bed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Just before she shut the door to the room that lady left behind one last remark.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But you know, did SHIKI really die for nothing Ryougi Shiki?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I couldn&#039;t reply to that.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Really --- that lady only touches the subjects I am avoiding and leaves them behind like thorns.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s night.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Darkness surrounds me. Tonight there isn&#039;t even the sound of anyone walking through the corridors.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the midst of that night which was peaceful as a silent lake deep within a mountain range, I was recalling my conversation with that lady.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No, just that last undeniable question.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For what reason did SHIKI die in Shiki&#039;s stead. SHIKI isn&#039;t here to reply.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
--- SHIKI who is no longer here.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Exactly why did he disappear.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
What did he disappear in exchange for.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
SHIKI who liked to dream.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He was always asleep. But on that night of the rain he abandoned even that action and died.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The self I can no longer meet, the self I could never meet in the first place.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
SHIKI, who was always myself.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My consciousness settles down.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In an attempt to reach the conclusion he reached I look back through my memories.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Creak, the door to the room opens.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Following that slow footsteps approach me.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is it a nurse? No, the time is already past midnight.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If it&#039;s a visitor, if could only be ---&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At that moment a human hand wraps around my neck.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold hand squeezes as if to break my neck just like that.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>218.186.8.13</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter04_04&amp;diff=13212</id>
		<title>Kara no Kyoukai:Chapter04 04</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter04_04&amp;diff=13212"/>
		<updated>2007-03-29T00:10:00Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;218.186.8.13: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;/ 4&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As the usual morning check-up ended I realised that it was now the 20th. Which meant that it has now been seven days since I woke up. My body has also recovered without a hitch so I am going to be released tomorrow. The bandages over my two eyes, I will also be able to take them off tomorrow morning.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Seven days... a week.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I haven&#039;t gained much during this period of time.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I&#039;ve lost so many things that I&#039;m not even sure what I&#039;ve lost.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My parents, Akidaka, they are probably the same as they were before. But to me they feel like different people. The fading away of all that once surrounded me is something that can&#039;t be helped, since the one called Ryougi Shiki has changed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I touch the bandage covering my eyes.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The only thing I gained in exchange for everything I have lost is this.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I, who experienced 「death」for two years while still alive. My body has changed so that I can now view such formless concepts.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The first thing I saw upon waking up from the coma was not the surprised nurse running towards me... It was the line wrapping around her throat. People, walls, even the air itself... there are incredibly fine lines visible on everything. Those lines were always moving and irregular. But I suffered from an obsession with the idea that death would spread out at any moment from those individual concepts and pull me in. I saw a hallucination in which the approaching nurse crumbled into pieces starting from the line in her neck.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When I understood what those lines were --- I crushed my two eyes with my own hands.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My hands hadn&#039;t moved in two years and just clenching them brought on agonizing pain, but I still moved my arms. Luckily or unluckily, my arms were still weak and I was stopped by the doctors in the process of destroying my eyes. They decided that it was just a sudden impulse brought on by the turbidity of my mind and weren&#039;t particularly interested in why I had tried to crush my eyes.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Are my eyes --- going to recover soon?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I don&#039;t want that. That kind of world, I never want to see it again.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A world where nothing exists. While I was 「there」, I was content and at peace.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
--- I can&#039;t believe it now. Remembering that world after I woke up I thought about it and there couldn&#039;t be anything more pathetic than that world. That darkness, even if it was just a nightmare I dreamt up during my sleep --- I can&#039;t stand the thought of falling into that place again.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And, these two eyes of mine that are connected to that place.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I bring my fingertips to my eyes.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After that, all that&#039;s left is to stab my eyes with those fingertips as cleanly as if I was swinging a bamboo sword.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Just a second, hold up. You give up too quickly.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Suddenly a noise.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I turn my senses towards the door.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The thing that is there is --- what is it?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Without a sound the someone comes closer, coming right up to the bed where I&#039;m reposed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Is it the &#039;Mystic eyes of death perception&#039;? It&#039;s too wasteful to destroy that Shiki. Especially seeing as anything you can see will be seen even if you ruin your eyes. You see, a curse is something that comes back if you throw it away.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Are you --- human?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My question provokes a reaction which sounds like somebody trying not to laugh.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Whoosh, I hear the sound of a lighter being flicked and a flame springing out.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;m a sorceress. I came here to teach you how to use those eyes of yours.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That familiar female voice... This someone is without a doubt the counsellor.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;What do you mean, how to use these eyes... ?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Well, it will only be a little better than now, but I suppose it&#039;s better than nothing. Your mystic eyes that can conceive another&#039;s death by just looking are the first since the time of the Celtic gods. Erasing them is too wasteful.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s called Balor, the lady adds some ununderstandable words.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Mystic eyes are normally the result of you bringing about some kind of augmentation effect for your eyes through spiritual surgery. But in your case I think they came about naturally. An ability you originally had was brought to the fore by the accident. By the sounds of it, it seemed that the child called Shiki was always seeing to the heart of everything.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... She talks as if she knows.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Actually, as she said, Shiki had always been gazing at a far-off location. I think that even while looking at a person she saw not the exterior, but that person&#039;s core.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Although Shiki herself wasn&#039;t aware of it.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Well you see, that was definitely a control mechanism Shiki used unconsciously. You shouldn&#039;t try to look at exteriors.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every object has flaws. The fancy of wishing everything could be taken apart and remade only exists because there&#039;s no such thing as a perfect object.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your eyes can see those flaws, as if they were a microscope. Your spiritual sight is too strong. you can see those lines that are invisible to us and that brain of yours that was in contact with death for so long can even understand what they are. In conclusion, you can see death. Not only see it, but you can even touch it. A living organism&#039;s lines of death will keep changing position as long as it&#039;s alive. The ability to see those lines clearly, there&#039;s not much difference between that and mystic eyes that can kill with a look. If you must stab those eyes I will receive them instead. I will pay you any price you call.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Did you say I will be able to see this even if my eyes can&#039;t see? In that case there&#039;s no reason for me to stab them.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Well, yes. You can&#039;t lead a normal life anyway. Leave your agonizing at that Ryougi Shiki. Open your eyes a bit. You are originally a human of my kind. If you are --- abandon any dreams you have of living like everyone else.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;---.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... That one sentence, in some ways it was conclusive.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But I felt as if I shouldn&#039;t accept it for some reason.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I reply with the strongest rebuttal I can manage at this time.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Something as pitiful as an urge to live on --- I don&#039;t have any such thing.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Heh. Is that because you&#039;ve emptied your mind? But you don&#039;t want to die do you? Because you&#039;ve seen that world. Since you&#039;ve reached a state of realisation that not even a Kabalist of Keter can reach you gorged brat.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Do you understand? Your problems simple. Okay, you&#039;ve revived as another person, so what? It&#039;s just that SHIKI isn&#039;t here. I guess since you and SHIKI were definitely a set his absence alone would mean that you are a whole different person. Even if you are the very embodiment of Shiki, I understand that you are different from before.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But what I&#039;m saying is that that&#039;s as far as it goes.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Right now you are desperately rejecting death while you have no will to live. You have no reason to live on but you fear the thing called death. Life or death, unable to choose either side you are walking a tightrope on the boundary of the two. I suppose it&#039;s enough to empty your mind.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... You keep chattering away as if you know everything...&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I glare at the woman. At that moment --- without a hint of doubt, my eyes which should be blind catch sight of the woman&#039;s outline and black lines.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
「death」coils out towards me from the woman&#039;s lines.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Did you see it? It&#039;s because there are flaws that they move with just that much contact. In the eyes of the idle spirits here, your body is the perfect vessel. If you don&#039;t wake up you are going to be hauled away and killed.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
By that talk of being dragged away and killed does she mean that white smoke?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But that doesn&#039;t come around here anymore.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Idle spirits are nothing more than a part of the soul left behind after death. They don&#039;t have a will so they just wander around. But as they are parts they keep grouping together to form a whole until they become a ghost. They don&#039;t have a will but basic desires remain. Thing&#039;s like, &#039;I want to return to my former self&#039; or &#039;I want a human body&#039;.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
A hospital has a lot of idle spirits. They form drifting ghosts and look for a body they can inhabit. Since they are so weak normal people can&#039;t feel them or even come into contact with them. Formless spirits only follow people with paranormal abilities who can perceive the. Sorcerers who make a living out of talking to ghosts protect their egos with a shell so it&#039;s very rare for them to be taken down by a drifting ghost.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
On the other hand --- they will probably latch onto a person with an empty heart, say you for example, pretty easily.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There is a hint of contempt in her voice as she speaks.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So, was that why that smoke came to me. If that was the case why didn&#039;t it possess me. If it had tried to become my kernel I wouldn&#039;t have resisted.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- Pathetic. Even the rune&#039;s protection is meaningless like this. That&#039;s it, as expected this doesn&#039;t suit you. Just do as you will after this.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After speaking so venomously the lady distanced herself from the bed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Just before she shut the door to the room that lady left behind one last remark.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But you know, did SHIKI really die for nothing Ryougi Shiki?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I couldn&#039;t reply to that.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Really --- that lady only touches the subjects I am avoiding and leaves them behind like thorns.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s night.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Darkness surrounds me. Tonight there isn&#039;t even the sound of anyone walking through the corridors.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the midst of that night which was peaceful as a silent lake deep within a mountain range, I was recalling my conversation with that lady.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No, just that last undeniable question.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For what reason did SHIKI die in Shiki&#039;s stead. SHIKI isn&#039;t here to reply.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
--- SHIKI who is no longer here.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Exactly why did he disappear.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
What did he disappear in exchange for.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
SHIKI who liked to dream.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He was always asleep. But on that night of the rain he abandoned even that action and died.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The self I can no longer meet, the self I could never meet in the first place.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
SHIKI, who was always myself.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My consciousness settles down.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In an attempt to reach the conclusion he reached I look back through my memories.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Creak, the door to the room opens.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Following that slow footsteps approach me.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is it a nurse? No, the time is already past midnight.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If it&#039;s a visitor, if could only be ---&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At that moment a human hand wraps around my neck.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold hand squeezes as if to break my neck just like that.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>218.186.8.13</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter04_04&amp;diff=13211</id>
		<title>Kara no Kyoukai:Chapter04 04</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter04_04&amp;diff=13211"/>
		<updated>2007-03-29T00:08:15Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;218.186.8.13: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;/ 4&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As the usual morning check-up ended I realised that it was now the 20th. Which meant that it has now been seven days since I woke up. My body has also recovered without a hitch so I am going to be released tomorrow. The bandages over my two eyes, I will also be able to take them off tomorrow morning.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Seven days... a week.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I haven&#039;t gained much during this period of time.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I&#039;ve lost so many things that I&#039;m not even sure what I&#039;ve lost.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My parents, Akidaka, they are probably the same as they were before. But to me they feel like different people. The fading away of all that once surrounded me is something that can&#039;t be helped, since the one called Ryougi Shiki has changed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I touch the bandage covering my eyes.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The only thing I gained in exchange for everything I have lost is this.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I, who experienced 「death」for two years while still alive. My body has changed so that I can now view such formless concepts.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The first thing I saw upon waking up from the coma was not the surprised nurse running towards me... It was the line wrapping around her throat. People, walls, even the air itself... there are incredibly fine lines visible on everything. Those lines were always moving and irregular. But I suffered from an obsession with the idea that death would spread out at any moment from those individual concepts and pull me in. I saw a hallucination in which the approaching nurse crumbled into pieces starting from the line in her neck.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When I understood what those lines were --- I crushed my two eyes with my own hands.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My hands hadn&#039;t moved in two years and just clenching them brought on agonizing pain, but I still moved my arms. Luckily or unluckily, my arms were still weak and I was stopped by the doctors in the process of destroying my eyes. They decided that it was just a sudden impulse brought on by the turbidity of my mind and weren&#039;t particularly interested in why I had tried to crush my eyes.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Are my eyes --- going to recover soon?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I don&#039;t want that. That kind of world, I never want to see it again.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A world where nothing exists. While I was 「there」, I was content and at peace.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
--- I can&#039;t believe it now. Remembering that world after I woke up I thought about it and there couldn&#039;t be anything more pathetic than that world. That darkness, even if it was just a nightmare I dreamt up during my sleep --- I can&#039;t stand the thought of falling into that place again.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And, these two eyes of mine that are connected to that place.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I bring my fingertips to my eyes.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After that, all that&#039;s left is to stab my eyes with those fingertips as cleanly as if I was swinging a bamboo sword.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Just a second, hold up. You give up too quickly.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Suddenly a noise.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I turn my senses towards the door.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The thing that is there is --- what is it?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Without a sound the someone comes closer, coming right up to the bed where I&#039;m reposed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Is it the &#039;Mystic eyes of death perception&#039;? It&#039;s too wasteful to destroy that Shiki. Especially seeing as anything you can see will be seen even if you ruin your eyes. You see, a curse is something that comes back if you throw it away.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Are you --- human?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My question provokes a reaction which sounds like somebody trying not to laugh.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Whoosh, I hear the sound of a lighter being flicked and a flame springing out.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;m a sorceress. I came here to teach you how to use those eyes of yours.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That familiar female voice... This someone is without a doubt the counsellor.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;What do you mean, how to use these eyes... ?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Well, it will only be a little better than now, but I suppose it&#039;s better than nothing. Your mystic eyes that can conceive another&#039;s death by just looking are the first since the time of the Celtic gods. Erasing them is too wasteful.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s called Balor, the lady adds some ununderstandable words.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Mystic eyes are normally the result of you bringing about some kind of augmentation effect for your eyes through spiritual surgery. But in your case I think they came about naturally. An ability you originally had was brought to the fore by the accident. By the sounds of it, it seemed that the child called Shiki was always seeing to the heart of everything.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... She talks as if she knows.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Actually, as she said, Shiki had always been gazing at a far-off location. I think that even while looking at a person she saw not the exterior, but that person&#039;s core.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Although Shiki herself wasn&#039;t aware of it.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Well you see, that was definitely a control mechanism Shiki used unconsciously. You shouldn&#039;t try to look at exteriors.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Every object has flaws. The fancy of wishing everything could be taken apart and remade only exists because there&#039;s no such thing as a perfect object.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Your eyes can see those flaws, as if they were a microscope. Your spiritual sight is too strong. you can see those lines that are invisible to us and that brain of yours that was in contact with death for so long can even understand what they are. In conclusion, you can see death. Not only see it, but you can even touch it. A living organism&#039;s lines of death will keep changing position as long as it&#039;s alive. The ability to see those lines clearly, there&#039;s not much difference between that and mystic eyes that can kill with a look. If you must stab those eyes I will receive them instead. I will pay you any price you call.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Did you say I will be able to see this even if my eyes can&#039;t see? In that case there&#039;s no reason for me to stab them.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Well, yes. You can&#039;t lead a normal life anyway. Leave your agonizing at that Ryougi Shiki. Open your eyes a bit. You are originally a human of my kind. If you are --- abandon any dreams you have of living like everyone else.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;---.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... That one sentence, in some ways it was conclusive.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But I felt as if I shouldn&#039;t accept it for some reason.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I reply with the strongest rebuttal I can manage at this time.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Something as pitiful as an urge to live on --- I don&#039;t have any such thing.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Heh. Is that because you&#039;ve emptied your mind? But you don&#039;t want to die do you? Because you&#039;ve seen that world. Since you&#039;ve reached a state of realisation that not even a Kabalist of Keter can reach you gorged brat.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Do you understand? Your problems simple. Okay, you&#039;ve revived as another person, so what? It&#039;s just that SHIKI isn&#039;t here. I guess since you and SHIKI were definitely a set his absence alone would mean that you are a whole different person. Even if you are the very embodiment of Shiki, I understand that you are different from before.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
But what I&#039;m saying is that that&#039;s as far as it goes.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Right now you are desperately rejecting death while you have no will to live. You have no reason to live on but you fear the thing called death. Life or death, unable to choose either side you are walking a tightrope on the boundary of the two. I suppose it&#039;s enough to empty your mind.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... You keep chattering away as if you know everything...&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I glare at the woman. At that moment --- without a hint of doubt, my eyes which should be blind catch sight of the woman&#039;s outline and black lines.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
「death」coils out towards me from the woman&#039;s lines.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Did you see it? It&#039;s because there are flaws that they move with just that much contact. In the eyes of the idle spirits here, your body is the perfect vessel. If you don&#039;t wake up you are going to be hauled away and killed.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
By that talk of being dragged away and killed does she mean that white smoke?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But that doesn&#039;t come around here anymore.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Idle spirits are nothing more than a part of the soul left behind after death. They don&#039;t have a will so they just wander around. But as they are parts they keep grouping together to form a whole until they become a ghost. They don&#039;t have a will but basic desires remain. Thing&#039;s like, &#039;I want to return to my former self&#039; or &#039;I want a human body&#039;.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
A hospital has a lot of idle spirits. They form drifting ghosts and look for a body they can inhabit. Since they are so weak normal people can&#039;t feel them or even come into contact with them. Formless spirits only follow people with paranormal abilities who can perceive the. Sorcerers who make a living out of talking to ghosts protect their egos with a shell so it&#039;s very rare for them to be taken down by a drifting ghost.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
On the other hand --- they will probably latch onto a person with an empty heart, say you for example, pretty easily.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There is a hint of contempt in her voice as she speaks.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So, was that why that smoke came to me. If that was the case why didn&#039;t it possess me. If it had tried to become my kernel I wouldn&#039;t have resisted.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- Pathetic. Even the rune&#039;s protection is meaningless like this. That&#039;s it, as expected this doesn&#039;t suit you. Just do as you will after this.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After speaking so venomously the lady distanced herself from the bed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Just before she shut the door to the room that lady left behind one last remark.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But you know, did SHIKI really die for nothing Ryougi Shiki?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I couldn&#039;t reply to that.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Really --- that lady only touches the subjects I am avoiding and leaves them behind like thorns.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s night.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Darkness surrounds me. Tonight there isn&#039;t even the sound of anyone walking through the corridors.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the midst of that night which was peaceful as a silent lake deep within a mountain range, I was recalling my conversation with that lady.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No, just that last undeniable question.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For what reason did SHIKI die in Shiki&#039;s stead. SHIKI isn&#039;t here to reply.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
--- SHIKI who is no longer here.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Exactly why did he disappear.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
What did he disappear in exchange for.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
SHIKI who liked to dream.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He was always asleep. But on that night of the rain he abandoned even that action and died.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The self I can no longer meet, the self I could never meet in the first place.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
SHIKI, who was always myself.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My consciousness settles down.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In an attempt to reach the conclusion he reached I look back through my memories.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Creak, the door to the room opens.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Following that slow footsteps approach me.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is it a nurse? No, the time is already past midnight.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If it&#039;s a visitor, if could only be ---&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At that moment a human hand wraps around my neck.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The cold hand squeezes as if to break my neck just like that.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>218.186.8.13</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Void_Shrine&amp;diff=13210</id>
		<title>Kara no Kyoukai:Void Shrine</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Void_Shrine&amp;diff=13210"/>
		<updated>2007-03-29T00:03:28Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;218.186.8.13: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;Garan-no-Dou&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/1&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aozaki Touko first heard the story of the person called Ryougi Shiki on a nice afternoon, not long after they had just entered the month of June.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The origin of it all was that the new employee she had just hired on an impulse was Ryougi Shiki&#039;s friend, and as a way to pass the time she lent an ear to his story.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to his tale the person called Ryougi Shiki fell into a coma state after a traffic accident 2 years ago. She was retaining her life functions but there was no possibility of her waking up. Not only that but the growth of her body also seemed to have stopped. At first Touko couldn&#039;t believe this apparent contradiction, how could a person&#039;s life functions continue while they&#039;ve stopped growing.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Hmm, the only living organisms that don&#039;t grow are dead things. No, the pressure of time even affects the dead. A corpse passes through the growth called decay and returns to the earth. The only thing that moves but doesn&#039;t grow would be that wind-up doll you brought in and set loose a while ago.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But it&#039;s true. After the accident it looks like she hasn&#039;t aged a bit. Are there any other cases where a person is in a coma for which there&#039;s no explainable cause Touko-san?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the new employee&#039;s question Touko goes &#039;hmmm&#039; and crosses her arms.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Let&#039;s see. There was that famous one in that country over there. Where a newly married woman in her twenties fell into a coma. She woke up after fifty years had passed, don&#039;t you know that one?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In reply to Touko&#039;s words the new employee says no and shakes his head.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Uh, how was that person when she woke up?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Extremely normal. As if she hadn&#039;t been sleeping for 50 long years. Her mind was revived just as it had been in her twenties, apparently it made her husband sad.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- Eh? Sad, how come? His wife&#039;s recovery should be a joyous occurrence.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The thing is, her mind was still just as it was in her twenties but her body had grown old into it seventies. Even in a coma state, leaving something alive means degrading it, you can&#039;t do anything about that.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So this seventy year old granny is always urging her husband to go out as if she&#039;s till in her twenties. The husband has lived the seventy years normally so he&#039;s normal. The problem is the wife. Because fifty years have flowed past without her knowledge, she can&#039;t accept the fact no matter how you explain it. It&#039;s not that she doesn&#039;t want to accept it, she really can&#039;t conceive of it as the truth.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s a tragedy among tragedies. They say that the lady who wanted to go out to play with that wrinkled face of hers was persuaded not to by her husband who was in tears. They also say that he had this thought: If it was going to be like this it would have been better if she hadn&#039;t woken up at all.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
How was it? This dream-like tragedy, it&#039;s actually something that happened in the past. Was it useful?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For a wonder he actually nodded in response to Touko&#039;s sarcastic question.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Oh, are you onto something?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He gave a small nod to the impishly smiling Touko.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...Yeah, a little. I&#039;m thinking it might be like this. That Shiki might be trying not to wake up.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It sounds like there&#039;s a past there. Good. Since I&#039;m bored shall I listen to the story as a way to pass the time?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He gets angry at Touko who really thinks of it as just another way to kill time and turns away.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;No thank you. Touko-san, your insensitivity is a real problem.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;What, you are the one who brought it up. I understand, so spill it. It&#039;s not just a whim for me either. That Azaka, every time she rings it&#039;s Shiki this and Shiki that. If I have no idea as to what kind of person this Shiki is I can&#039;t reply can I?&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the mention of Azaka&#039;s name he gets a sour face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;ve been meaning to ask you for a while but, how did my little sister come to know you Touko-san?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;One year ago at a tourist spot. I got caught up in an impossible situation and my cover was totally blown.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...Well, okay, but Azaka is a very naive child so please avoid that talk of what&#039;s there and what&#039;s not around her. Since she&#039;s in that period where I&#039;m worried about her even without her getting involved in all that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Azaka... Naive? Well, your relationship with your little sister is your problem so I won&#039;t get involved. Instead share that story about that kid called Shiki.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unable to withstand Touko who had pushed herself onto the desk, he began talking.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About his friend Ryougi Shiki&#039;s personality and her unique character.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
During high school he and Ryougi Shiki were classmates. He had a relationship with the name Ryougi Shiki before entering high school, and after getting put in the same class as her became friends. The only person to have a friendly relationship with Ryougi Shiki, who didn&#039;t want any friends, was him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But, after the street murders during the first year of high school, Ryougi Shiki began changing in a strange way.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She confessed to him that she had a dual personality, and that her other side enjoyed murder.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To be truthful, how R. Shiki was connected to the street murders two years ago is still a mystery. Before anything could be confirmed she had an accident in front of his eyes and was moved to the hospital.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
During the first days of March, on that cold night of the falling rains.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That kind of story about someone&#039;s life. Touko treats it as just another story told over a beer, but as the story progresses the smile disappears from her face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- That&#039;s all there is to know about the relationship between Shiki and me. Although the story is already two years old.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- So is that why her growth has stopped? Stocking up her life. It&#039;s not even as if she&#039;s a vampire.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Heh, Touko smirks with the end of the lips curled up.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So, how do you write that kid&#039;s name? It would be in kanji wouldn&#039;t it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shiki(數) from (神), why?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Is it the Shiki of Shikigami(式)? And her family name is Ryougi at that. That&#039;s just perfect.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rubbing out the cigarette she had been biting on the ashtray, Touko stands up as if she can&#039;t tolerate something.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Was that hospital in the suburbs? This is getting interesting... I&#039;ll be right back.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Without waiting for a reply Touko leaves the office behind her.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I can&#039;t believe I&#039;m getting involved in this sort of nonsense at a place like this, what kind of fate is this? Touko bites her lips.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/2&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ryougi Shiki&#039;s recovery was a few days later.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The fact that the situation doesn&#039;t even allow for the relatives to visit means that normal visits are out of the question.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is it because of that?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is that the reason that the new employee is concentrating on his deskwork with a sulkiness which makes it seem that his whole person has undergone a change.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It&#039;s gloomy, too gloomy.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yes ma&#039;am. A light, I&#039;ll obtain one that&#039;s suitable.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He replies without even looking at Touko.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There are times when a dutiful person will show absurdly eccentric conduct as a result of having missed something. Thinking this teen was of that sort, Touko spoke to him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Don&#039;t think so obsessively about it. You seem ready to just charge in there tonight or something.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Impossible ma&#039;am. That hospital, the security is nothing short of a research lab.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Compared to the casual way he replied, it seems as if he&#039;s carried out a pretty through investigation.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko shrugs, thinking &#039;well I can&#039;t let a brand new employee become a criminal.&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... I was going to stay quiet about this, but since you are so agitated I&#039;ll tell. I&#039;m going to be working at the hospital as a stand-in from tomorrow. I&#039;ll find out how Ryougi shiki is so just sit tight for now.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- What?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It just so happened that I got invited as a doctor. Normally I would have refused but this time it&#039;s not as if it&#039;s someone else&#039;s business. Seeing as I dragged the story out of you I thought that I had to at least do this for you.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko speaks as if it&#039;s no big deal.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rising up from his chair, he approaches Touko and grabs hold of her two hands. Voom, voom. The two people&#039;s hands go up and down. ... Not realizing that this was an expression of his admiration, Touko stared at him with a stiff face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You have some strange hobbies, don&#039;t you?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;m delighted, in fact I&#039;m stunned. There&#039;s a gentle and virtuous side to Touko-san like in other people after all!&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... I realised I&#039;m not like others, but I think it&#039;s better not to say things like that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Sorry, I wasn&#039;t thinking. Ah, so that&#039;s why you are dressed formally today. It look very smart, it really suits you. I couldn&#039;t recognize you!&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... My outfits the same as always but, whatever, I&#039;ll accept the compliments.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s useless to say anything, Touko realised and quietly folded things up.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So don&#039;t do anything rash. Even without that sort of thing that hospital is strange. You will sit here and look after the office, got it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At that the till then hyperactive employee settled down.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Strange, you mean that hospital?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yeah. There&#039;s a ward placed there for something. It seems like another magician was meddling with things. Of course the target wasn&#039;t Ryougi Shiki. If it was they wouldn&#039;t have held off for two years.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was a whopper of a lie but the confident way in which she spoke meant he didn&#039;t suspect a thing.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Uhm, a ward. That&#039;s like the second floor of this building isn&#039;t it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yep. A ward is something of different levels which isolates a specified area. They range from ones that really create a wall to ones that cover the target area with an invisible barrier. The highest ranking wards are a form of subliminal coercion that goes, &#039;nothing has been done but no one approaches&#039;. It&#039;s the same as this building. If you put in place a suggestion like &#039;Anyone who does not have a reason to come here will not be conscious of this place&#039;, a ward will be formed which will continue to exist without anyone noticing. A ward that just mimics another world and makes people realise that something is wrong is the worst of the worst.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A strangeness which prevents you from noticing strangeness, that is her rule of vacancy. A ward which everyone ignores and passes although it&#039;s on the map. A world where a pre-eminent magician lives, appears to be just like any other neighboring house.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But that ward, this new employee unconsciously broke it. This building which he shouldn&#039;t be able to find unless he knew Aozaki Touko, he found too easily.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... Well, that is also the reason she hired him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... So, is that hospital&#039;s ward a dangerous one?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Try listening to what someone is saying. A ward itself does no harm. That word, it originates from Buddhism. A ward is always something that isolates an area from the outside world. Although the word has somehow come to mean the technique by which a magician protects his or her body.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Understand? I said this just before but the best wards don&#039;t feel weird to a normal person. Shall we call it &#039;an idea which forces itself on the unconscious mind&#039;. The best of the best reach the stage of &#039;disconnection of space&#039;, but if you go that far you are looking at mages not sorcerers. Currently there&#039;s only one mage in this country, so basically that kind of ward just can&#039;t be formed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Well nothing that powerful was formed, but the ward placed around that hospital is pretty complex. It&#039;s good enough that even I didn&#039;t notice it for a while. There&#039;s a ward specialist that I know, this skill is at the same level as that guy.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... Well, among ward specialists there are a lot of philosophers. Most of them are well distanced from anything accompanied by violence so it should be alright nor now.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That&#039;s right, there&#039;s no danger in the ward itself. The problem is what is happening within the bounds of that space cut off from the rest of the world. That hospital&#039;s ward is aimed inwards not outwards. In short, it&#039;s of the kind that makes it so no one notices no matter what happens within the building. For example if a room was to explode in the middle of the night not one person would wake up because of the noise.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko didn&#039;t tell him that. Saying something about the time creeping along, she walked out with her eyes focused on the clock.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
His voices catches on her narrow back.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Touko-san. Shiki, take good care of her.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Alright, Touko says while waving. He asks her another trivial question even though she didn&#039;t even bother to turn around.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Ah, yes. Touko-san, who&#039;s that ward specialist you know?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tock, Touko&#039;s feet stop.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She falls into thought for a second then swings her head around to pierce him with her eyes as she replies.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Well, if it&#039;s a ward specialist of course it&#039;s a monk.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/3&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Around six days had passed since Touko was invited to the hospital as a provisional doctor. Every time Touko passed on the news that Ryougi Shiki was improving everyday to her employee, she couldn&#039;t help but have one little worry.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is, whether or not the Ryougi Shiki of the present and the Ryougi Shiki of the past were the same to another person.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Taking physiotherapy twice a day and getting a CT scan is like her work. You&#039;ll be able to see her on the day she&#039;s released so just wait a little more.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Having come back from the hospital Touko smooths out her orange necktie and sits on the desk.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The time of evening with summer just ahead.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The red light of the sunset dyes the lightless interior of the office a dark orange.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Physiotherapy twice a day? Is it okay with just that? Shiki has been asleep for two years.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;They say they moved her joints for her even though the patient was asleep. On top of that physiotherapy isn&#039;t exercise. Five minutes a day is sufficient. Originally the term rehabilitation isn&#039;t a medical term. It means the recovery of your dignity as a human. That&#039;s how Ryougi Shiki, who has been lying around until now, has been able to regain the feeling that she is human. The body&#039;s recovery, well that&#039;s a different story.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko lights the cigarette she&#039;s holding in her mouth, cutting off the conversation for a while.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But you know. The problem isn&#039;t on the side of the body but instead its the mind. That kid is becoming different from the Ryougi Shiki of before.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- is it, memory loss?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As if he had prepared for such a thing, he hesitantly says something stupid.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Hmm, I wonder. I believe her personality itself is the same as before. There hasn&#039;t been a change to Ryougi Shiki herself. What has changed is Shiki. I don&#039;t know if this will come as a shock to you.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;m plenty used to this kind of thing by now. Please explain fully. Shiki... what&#039;s happened to her?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Mmm, to tell the truth. She&#039;s completely empty.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Shiki who until now had always carried around another person inside of her. But SHIKI no longer exists. No, she must be unsure whether or not she&#039;s even Shiki or SHIKI.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When she woke up SHIKI was already gone from inside her. Through his loss her mind has become a blank space. Maybe --- that kid won&#039;t be able to stand the empty space... Her heart is empty. Like a hole it&#039;s completely open. Even the air passes through like the wind.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;What do you mean SHIKI&#039;s gone --- how come?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He probably died in Shiki&#039;s stead. However it happened, Ryougi Shiki died in that accident two years ago. You might misunderstand since she&#039;s somehow still alive but just assume for a minute that she died. Ryougi Shiki came back to life as a new entity inside the body of Ryougi Shiki. To the Shiki of now, the Shiki of the past, and the Shiki of the present derived from those memories are nothing but strangers. No one can accept another person&#039;s history as being theirs. That child will perhaps be spending her nights with the thought that &#039;I&#039;m still not myself&#039;.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Another person? So, Shiki can&#039;t remember the things that have happened?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;No, she remembers. At present she is definitely the Shiki you know. The reason she&#039;s still alive is because she had the equal but separate personalities of Shiki and SHIKI.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ryougi Shiki suffered a death of the mind due to the accident. Let&#039;s say that SHIKI accepted the role of dying at that time. So although she should have died at that moment, Shiki was still there in her brain and as a consequence her mind didn&#039;t die. Shiki has been asleep because of the death of Ryougi Shiki, but since it was SHIKI that died she was able to survive.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And so --- she was in a coma for two years, and although her body kept functioning she didn&#039;t grow. All because she was dead yet still alive.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But the revived her is different to the past Shiki in the details. It&#039;s not so bad as to call it memory loss but she probably won&#039;t be able to bring to mind any memories unless she needs to.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
You can&#039;t say it&#039;s another person or that it&#039;s a complete stranger but she&#039;s now different from the Shiki you&#039;ve know till now. A third personality which is an amalgam of the personalities of Shiki and SHIKI, it would be most appropriate to accept her as such.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... That&#039;s what she said, but in reality such a thing could not happen.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As long as Shiki was Ryougi, there was no need to mix with SHIKI who was her other half, and Shiki wouldn&#039;t be able to fill the hole left by SHIKI&#039;s absence by herself.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Avoiding any reference to that fact Touko continues talking.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even if she&#039;s revived as a wholly different person she&#039;s still Ryougi Shiki. No matter how little confidence you have in the fact that you are you --- that child is still Ryougi Shiki. Right now she probably can&#039;t even feel that she&#039;s alive, but the time will come when she will accept that she is Shiki.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A rose is born as a rose. It doesn&#039;t become a different flower just because the ground it&#039;s on and the water it receives changes.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So don&#039;t be so hung up over it all, she added in a whisper.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Eventually an empty hole has to be filled. She will have to build a new self, not based on her memories of the past but through her experiences in the present. That&#039;s a garan (shrine) that no one can help her build. It&#039;s not something another person should meddle in. In short all you have to do is treat her as you&#039;ve always done. Oh, and it seemed like they were going to release her pretty soon.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Throwing the burnt down cigarette stub out the window Touko raises her arms and straightens her back.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crick, crick, crack. The sound her bones make can be clearly heard.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I knew I shouldn&#039;t have done something I&#039;m not used to. The cigarettes tasted so bad that I was about to go crazy.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She talked while letting out a long sigh as if she was tired of the world.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>218.186.8.13</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Void_Shrine&amp;diff=13209</id>
		<title>Kara no Kyoukai:Void Shrine</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Void_Shrine&amp;diff=13209"/>
		<updated>2007-03-29T00:00:29Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;218.186.8.13: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;Garan-no-Dou&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/1&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aozaki Touko first heard the story of the person called Ryougi Shiki on a nice afternoon, not long after they had just entered the month of June.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The origin of it all was that the new employee she had just hired on an impulse was Ryougi Shiki&#039;s friend, and as a way to pass the time she lent an ear to his story.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to his tale the person called Ryougi Shiki fell into a coma state after a traffic accident 2 years ago. She was retaining her life functions but there was no possibility of her waking up. Not only that but the growth of her body also seemed to have stopped. At first Touko couldn&#039;t believe this apparent contradiction, how could a person&#039;s life functions continue while they&#039;ve stopped growing.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Hmm, the only living organisms that don&#039;t grow are dead things. No, the pressure of time even affects the dead. A corpse passes through the growth called decay and returns to the earth. The only thing that moves but doesn&#039;t grow would be that wind-up doll you brought in and set loose a while ago.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But it&#039;s true. After the accident it looks like she hasn&#039;t aged a bit. Are there any other cases where a person is in a coma for which there&#039;s no explainable cause Touko-san?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the new employee&#039;s question Touko goes &#039;hmmm&#039; and crosses her arms.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Let&#039;s see. There was that famous one in that country over there. Where a newly married woman in her twenties fell into a coma. She woke up after fifty years had passed, don&#039;t you know that one?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In reply to Touko&#039;s words the new employee says no and shakes his head.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Uh, how was that person when she woke up?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Extremely normal. As if she hadn&#039;t been sleeping for 50 long years. Her mind was revived just as it had been in her twenties, apparently it made her husband sad.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- Eh? Sad, how come? His wife&#039;s recovery should be a joyous occurrence.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The thing is, her mind was still just as it was in her twenties but her body had grown old into it seventies. Even in a coma state, leaving something alive means degrading it, you can&#039;t do anything about that.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So this seventy year old granny is always urging her husband to go out as if she&#039;s till in her twenties. The husband has lived the seventy years normally so he&#039;s normal. The problem is the wife. Because fifty years have flowed past without her knowledge, she can&#039;t accept the fact no matter how you explain it. It&#039;s not that she doesn&#039;t want to accept it, she really can&#039;t conceive of it as the truth.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s a tragedy among tragedies. They say that the lady who wanted to go out to play with that wrinkled face of hers was persuaded not to by her husband who was in tears. They also say that he had this thought: If it was going to be like this it would have been better if she hadn&#039;t woken up at all.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
How was it? This dream-like tragedy, it&#039;s actually something that happened in the past. Was it useful?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For a wonder he actually nodded in response to Touko&#039;s sarcastic question.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Oh, are you onto something?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He gave a small nod to the impishly smiling Touko.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...Yeah, a little. I&#039;m thinking it might be like this. That Shiki might be trying not to wake up.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It sounds like there&#039;s a past there. Good. Since I&#039;m bored shall I listen to the story as a way to pass the time?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He gets angry at Touko who really thinks of it as just another way to kill time and turns away.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;No thank you. Touko-san, your insensitivity is a real problem.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;What, you are the one who brought it up. I understand, so spill it. It&#039;s not just a whim for me either. That Azaka, every time she rings it&#039;s Shiki this and Shiki that. If I have no idea as to what kind of person this Shiki is I can&#039;t reply can I?&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the mention of Azaka&#039;s name he gets a sour face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;ve been meaning to ask you for a while but, how did my little sister come to know you Touko-san?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;One year ago at a tourist spot. I got caught up in an impossible situation and my cover was totally blown.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...Well, okay, but Azaka is a very naive child so please avoid that talk of what&#039;s there and what&#039;s not around her. Since she&#039;s in that period where I&#039;m worried about her even without her getting involved in all that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Azaka... Naive? Well, your relationship with your little sister is your problem so I won&#039;t get involved. Instead share that story about that kid called Shiki.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unable to withstand Touko who had pushed herself onto the desk, he began talking.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About his friend Ryougi Shiki&#039;s personality and her unique character.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
During high school he and Ryougi Shiki were classmates. He had a relationship with the name Ryougi Shiki before entering high school, and after getting put in the same class as her became friends. The only person to have a friendly relationship with Ryougi Shiki, who didn&#039;t want any friends, was him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But, after the street murders during the first year of high school, Ryougi Shiki began changing in a strange way.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She confessed to him that she had a dual personality, and that her other side enjoyed murder.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To be truthful, how R. Shiki was connected to the street murders two years ago is still a mystery. Before anything could be confirmed she had an accident in front of his eyes and was moved to the hospital.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
During the first days of March, on that cold night of the falling rains.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That kind of story about someone&#039;s life. Touko treats it as just another story told over a beer, but as the story progresses the smile disappears from her face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- That&#039;s all there is to know about the relationship between Shiki and me. Although the story is already two years old.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- So is that why her growth has stopped? Stocking up her life. It&#039;s not even as if she&#039;s a vampire.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Heh, Touko smirks with the end of the lips curled up.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So, how do you write that kid&#039;s name? It would be in kanji wouldn&#039;t it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shiki(數) from (神), why?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Is it the Shiki of Shikigami(式)? And her family name is Ryougi at that. That&#039;s just perfect.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rubbing out the cigarette she had been biting on the ashtray, Touko stands up as if she can&#039;t tolerate something.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Was that hospital in the suburbs? This is getting interesting... I&#039;ll be right back.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Without waiting for a reply Touko leaves the office behind her.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I can&#039;t believe I&#039;m getting involved in this sort of nonsense at a place like this, what kind of fate is this? Touko bites her lips.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/2&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ryougi Shiki&#039;s recovery was a few days later.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The fact that the situation doesn&#039;t even allow for the relatives to visit means that normal visits are out of the question.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is it because of that?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is that the reason that the new employee is concentrating on his deskwork with a sulkiness which makes it seem that his whole person has undergone a change.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It&#039;s gloomy, too gloomy.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yes ma&#039;am. A light, I&#039;ll obtain one that&#039;s suitable.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He replies without even looking at Touko.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There are times when a dutiful person will show absurdly eccentric conduct as a result of having missed something. Thinking this teen was of that sort, Touko spoke to him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Don&#039;t think so obsessively about it. You seem ready to just charge in there tonight or something.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Impossible ma&#039;am. That hospital, the security is nothing short of a research lab.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Compared to the casual way he replied, it seems as if he&#039;s carried out a pretty through investigation.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko shrugs, thinking &#039;well I can&#039;t let a brand new employee become a criminal.&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... I was going to stay quiet about this, but since you are so agitated I&#039;ll tell. I&#039;m going to be working at the hospital as a stand-in from tomorrow. I&#039;ll find out how Ryougi shiki is so just sit tight for now.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- What?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It just so happened that I got invited as a doctor. Normally I would have refused but this time it&#039;s not as if it&#039;s someone else&#039;s business. Seeing as I dragged the story out of you I thought that I had to at least do this for you.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko speaks as if it&#039;s no big deal.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rising up from his chair, he approaches Touko and grabs hold of her two hands. Voom, voom. The two people&#039;s hands go up and down. ... Not realizing that this was an expression of his admiration, Touko stared at him with a stiff face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You have some strange hobbies, don&#039;t you?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;m delighted, in fact I&#039;m stunned. There&#039;s a gentle and virtuous side to Touko-san like in other people after all!&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... I realised I&#039;m not like others, but I think it&#039;s better not to say things like that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Sorry, I wasn&#039;t thinking. Ah, so that&#039;s why you are dressed formally today. It look very smart, it really suits you. I couldn&#039;t recognize you!&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... My outfits the same as always but, whatever, I&#039;ll accept the compliments.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s useless to say anything, Touko realised and quietly folded things up.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So don&#039;t do anything rash. Even without that sort of thing that hospital is strange. You will sit here and look after the office, got it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At that the till then hyperactive employee settled down.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Strange, you mean that hospital?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yeah. There&#039;s a ward placed there for something. It seems like another magician was meddling with things. Of course the target wasn&#039;t Ryougi Shiki. If it was they wouldn&#039;t have held off for two years.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was a whopper of a lie but the confident way in which she spoke meant he didn&#039;t suspect a thing.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Uhm, a ward. That&#039;s like the second floor of this building isn&#039;t it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yep. A ward is something of different levels which isolates a specified area. They range from ones that really create a wall to ones that cover the target area with an invisible barrier. The highest ranking wards are a form of subliminal coercion that goes, &#039;nothing has been done but no one approaches&#039;. It&#039;s the same as this building. If you put in place a suggestion like &#039;Anyone who does not have a reason to come here will not be conscious of this place&#039;, a ward will be formed which will continue to exist without anyone noticing. A ward that just mimics another world and makes people realise that something is wrong is the worst of the worst.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A strangeness which prevents you from noticing strangeness, that is her rule of vacancy. A ward which everyone ignores and passes although it&#039;s on the map. A world where a pre-eminent magician lives, appears to be just like any other neighboring house.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But that ward, this new employee unconsciously broke it. This building which he shouldn&#039;t be able to find unless he knew Aozaki Touko, he found too easily.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... Well, that is also the reason she hired him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... So, is that hospital&#039;s ward a dangerous one?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Try listening to what someone is saying. A ward itself does no harm. That word, it originates from Buddhism. A ward is always something that isolates an area from the outside world. Although the word has somehow come to mean the technique by which a magician protects his or her body.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Understand? I said this just before but the best wards don&#039;t feel weird to a normal person. Shall we call it &#039;an idea which forces itself on the unconscious mind&#039;. The best of the best reach the stage of &#039;disconnection of space&#039;, but if you go that far you are looking at mages not sorcerers. Currently there&#039;s only one mage in this country, so basically that kind of ward just can&#039;t be formed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Well nothing that powerful was formed, but the ward placed around that hospital is pretty complex. It&#039;s good enough that even I didn&#039;t notice it for a while. There&#039;s a ward specialist that I know, this skill is at the same level as that guy.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... Well, among ward specialists there are a lot of philosophers. Most of them are well distanced from anything accompanied by violence so it should be alright nor now.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That&#039;s right, there&#039;s no danger in the ward itself. The problem is what is happening within the bounds of that space cut off from the rest of the world. That hospital&#039;s ward is aimed inwards not outwards. In short, it&#039;s of the kind that makes it so no one notices no matter what happens within the building. For example if a room was to explode in the middle of the night not one person would wake up because of the noise.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko didn&#039;t tell him that. Saying something about the time creeping along, she walked out with her eyes focused on the clock.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
His voices catches on her narrow back.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Touko-san. Shiki, take good care of her.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Alright, Touko says while waving. He asks her another trivial question even though she didn&#039;t even bother to turn around.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Ah, yes. Touko-san, who&#039;s that ward specialist you know?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tock, Touko&#039;s feet stop.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She falls into thought for a second then swings her head around to pierce him with her eyes as she replies.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Well, if it&#039;s a ward specialist of course it&#039;s a monk.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/3&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Around six days had passed since Touko was invited to the hospital as a provisional doctor. Every time Touko passed on the news that Ryougi Shiki was improving everyday to her employee, she couldn&#039;t help but have one little worry.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is, whether or not the Ryougi Shiki of the present and the Ryougi Shiki of the past were the same to another person.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Taking physiotherapy twice a day and getting a CT scan is like her work. You&#039;ll be able to see her on the day she&#039;s released so just wait a little more.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Having come back from the hospital Touko smooths out her orange necktie and sits on the desk.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The time of evening with summer just ahead.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The red light of the sunset dyes the lightless interior of the office a dark orange.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Physiotherapy twice a day? Is it okay with just that? Shiki has been asleep for two years.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;They say they moved her joints for her even though the patient was asleep. On top of that physiotherapy isn&#039;t exercise. Five minutes a day is sufficient. Originally the term rehabilitation isn&#039;t a medical term. It means the recovery of your dignity as a human. That&#039;s how Ryougi Shiki, who has been lying around until now, has been able to regain the feeling that she is human. The body&#039;s recovery, well that&#039;s a different story.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko lights the cigarette she&#039;s holding in her mouth, cutting off the conversation for a while.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But you know. The problem isn&#039;t on the side of the body but instead its the mind. That kid is becoming different from the Ryougi Shiki of before.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- is it, memory loss?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As if he had prepared for such a thing, he hesitantly says something stupid.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Hmm, I wonder. I believe her personality itself is the same as before. There hasn&#039;t been a change to Ryougi Shiki herself. What has changed is Shiki. I don&#039;t know if this will come as a shock to you.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;m plenty used to this kind of thing by now. Please explain fully. Shiki... what&#039;s happened to her?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Mmm, to tell the truth. She&#039;s completely empty.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Shiki who until now had always carried around another person inside of her. But SHIKI no longer exists. No, she must be unsure whether or not she&#039;s even Shiki or SHIKI.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When she woke up SHIKI was already gone from inside her. Through his loss her mind has become a blank space. Maybe --- that kid won&#039;t be able to stand the empty space... Her heart is empty. Like a hole it&#039;s completely open. Even the air passes through like the wind.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;What do you mean SHIKI&#039;s gone --- how come?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He probably died in Shiki&#039;s stead. However it happened, Ryougi Shiki died in that accident two years ago. You might misunderstand since she&#039;s somehow still alive but just assume for a minute that she died. Ryougi Shiki came back to life as a new entity inside the body of Ryougi Shiki. To the Shiki of now, the Shiki of the past, and the Shiki of the present derived from those memories are nothing but strangers. No one can accept another person&#039;s history as being theirs. That child will perhaps be spending her nights with the thought that &#039;I&#039;m still not myself&#039;.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Another person? So, Shiki can&#039;t remember the things that have happened?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;No, she remembers. At present she is definitely the Shiki you know. The reason she&#039;s still alive is because she had the equal but separate personalities of Shiki and SHIKI.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ryougi Shiki suffered a death of the mind due to the accident. Let&#039;s say that SHIKI accepted the role of dying at that time. So although she should have died at that moment, Shiki was still there in her brain and as a consequence her mind didn&#039;t die. Shiki has been asleep because of the death of Ryougi Shiki, but since it was SHIKI that died she was able to survive.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And so --- she was in a coma for two years, and although her body kept functioning she didn&#039;t grow. All because she was dead yet still alive.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But the revived her is different to the past Shiki in the details. It&#039;s not so bad as to call it memory loss but she probably won&#039;t be able to bring to mind any memories unless she needs to.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
You can&#039;t say it&#039;s another person or that it&#039;s a complete stranger but she&#039;s now different from the Shiki you&#039;ve know till now. A third personality which is an amalgam of the personalities of Shiki and SHIKI, it would be most appropriate to accept her as such.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... That&#039;s what she said, but in reality such a thing could not happen.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As long as Shiki was Ryougi, there was no need to mix with SHIKI who was her other half, and Shiki wouldn&#039;t be able to fill the hole left by SHIKI&#039;s absence by herself.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Avoiding any reference to that fact Touko continues talking.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even if she&#039;s revived as a wholly different person she&#039;s still Ryougi Shiki. No matter how little confidence you have in the fact that you are you --- that child is still Ryougi Shiki. Right now she probably can&#039;t even feel that she&#039;s alive, but the time will come when she will accept that she is Shiki.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
A rose is born as a rose. It doesn&#039;t become a different flower just because the ground it&#039;s on and the water it receives changes.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So don&#039;t be so hung up over it all, she added in a whisper.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Eventually an empty hole has to be filled. She will have to build a new self, not based on her memories of the past but through her experiences in the present. That&#039;s a garan (shrine) that no one can help her build. It&#039;s not something another person should meddle in. In short all you have to do is treat her as you&#039;ve always done. Oh, and it seemed like they were going to release her pretty soon.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Throwing the burnt down cigarette stub out the window Touko raises her arms and straightens her back.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crick, crick, crack. The sound her bones make can be clearly heard.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I knew I shouldn&#039;t have done something I&#039;m not used to. The cigarettes tasted so bad that I was about to go crazy.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She talked while letting out a long sigh as if she was tired of the world.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>218.186.8.13</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Void_Shrine&amp;diff=13207</id>
		<title>Kara no Kyoukai:Void Shrine</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Void_Shrine&amp;diff=13207"/>
		<updated>2007-03-28T23:59:26Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;218.186.8.13: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;Garan-no-Dou&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/1&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aozaki Touko first heard the story of the person called Ryougi Shiki on a nice afternoon, not long after they had just entered the month of June.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The origin of it all was that the new employee she had just hired on an impulse was Ryougi Shiki&#039;s friend, and as a way to pass the time she lent an ear to his story.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to his tale the person called Ryougi Shiki fell into a coma state after a traffic accident 2 years ago. She was retaining her life functions but there was no possibility of her waking up. Not only that but the growth of her body also seemed to have stopped. At first Touko couldn&#039;t believe this apparent contradiction, how could a person&#039;s life functions continue while they&#039;ve stopped growing.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Hmm, the only living organisms that don&#039;t grow are dead things. No, the pressure of time even affects the dead. A corpse passes through the growth called decay and returns to the earth. The only thing that moves but doesn&#039;t grow would be that wind-up doll you brought in and set loose a while ago.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But it&#039;s true. After the accident it looks like she hasn&#039;t aged a bit. Are there any other cases where a person is in a coma for which there&#039;s no explainable cause Touko-san?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the new employee&#039;s question Touko goes &#039;hmmm&#039; and crosses her arms.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Let&#039;s see. There was that famous one in that country over there. Where a newly married woman in her twenties fell into a coma. She woke up after fifty years had passed, don&#039;t you know that one?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In reply to Touko&#039;s words the new employee says no and shakes his head.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Uh, how was that person when she woke up?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Extremely normal. As if she hadn&#039;t been sleeping for 50 long years. Her mind was revived just as it had been in her twenties, apparently it made her husband sad.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- Eh? Sad, how come? His wife&#039;s recovery should be a joyous occurrence.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The thing is, her mind was still just as it was in her twenties but her body had grown old into it seventies. Even in a coma state, leaving something alive means degrading it, you can&#039;t do anything about that.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So this seventy year old granny is always urging her husband to go out as if she&#039;s till in her twenties. The husband has lived the seventy years normally so he&#039;s normal. The problem is the wife. Because fifty years have flowed past without her knowledge, she can&#039;t accept the fact no matter how you explain it. It&#039;s not that she doesn&#039;t want to accept it, she really can&#039;t conceive of it as the truth.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s a tragedy among tragedies. They say that the lady who wanted to go out to play with that wrinkled face of hers was persuaded not to by her husband who was in tears. They also say that he had this thought: If it was going to be like this it would have been better if she hadn&#039;t woken up at all.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
How was it? This dream-like tragedy, it&#039;s actually something that happened in the past. Was it useful?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For a wonder he actually nodded in response to Touko&#039;s sarcastic question.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Oh, are you onto something?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He gave a small nod to the impishly smiling Touko.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...Yeah, a little. I&#039;m thinking it might be like this. That Shiki might be trying not to wake up.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It sounds like there&#039;s a past there. Good. Since I&#039;m bored shall I listen to the story as a way to pass the time?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He gets angry at Touko who really thinks of it as just another way to kill time and turns away.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;No thank you. Touko-san, your insensitivity is a real problem.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;What, you are the one who brought it up. I understand, so spill it. It&#039;s not just a whim for me either. That Azaka, every time she rings it&#039;s Shiki this and Shiki that. If I have no idea as to what kind of person this Shiki is I can&#039;t reply can I?&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the mention of Azaka&#039;s name he gets a sour face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;ve been meaning to ask you for a while but, how did my little sister come to know you Touko-san?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;One year ago at a tourist spot. I got caught up in an impossible situation and my cover was totally blown.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...Well, okay, but Azaka is a very naive child so please avoid that talk of what&#039;s there and what&#039;s not around her. Since she&#039;s in that period where I&#039;m worried about her even without her getting involved in all that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Azaka... Naive? Well, your relationship with your little sister is your problem so I won&#039;t get involved. Instead share that story about that kid called Shiki.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unable to withstand Touko who had pushed herself onto the desk, he began talking.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About his friend Ryougi Shiki&#039;s personality and her unique character.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
During high school he and Ryougi Shiki were classmates. He had a relationship with the name Ryougi Shiki before entering high school, and after getting put in the same class as her became friends. The only person to have a friendly relationship with Ryougi Shiki, who didn&#039;t want any friends, was him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But, after the street murders during the first year of high school, Ryougi Shiki began changing in a strange way.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She confessed to him that she had a dual personality, and that her other side enjoyed murder.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To be truthful, how R. Shiki was connected to the street murders two years ago is still a mystery. Before anything could be confirmed she had an accident in front of his eyes and was moved to the hospital.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
During the first days of March, on that cold night of the falling rains.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That kind of story about someone&#039;s life. Touko treats it as just another story told over a beer, but as the story progresses the smile disappears from her face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- That&#039;s all there is to know about the relationship between Shiki and me. Although the story is already two years old.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- So is that why her growth has stopped? Stocking up her life. It&#039;s not even as if she&#039;s a vampire.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Heh, Touko smirks with the end of the lips curled up.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So, how do you write that kid&#039;s name? It would be in kanji wouldn&#039;t it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shiki(數) from (神), why?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Is it the Shiki of Shikigami(式)? And her family name is Ryougi at that. That&#039;s just perfect.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rubbing out the cigarette she had been biting on the ashtray, Touko stands up as if she can&#039;t tolerate something.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Was that hospital in the suburbs? This is getting interesting... I&#039;ll be right back.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Without waiting for a reply Touko leaves the office behind her.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I can&#039;t believe I&#039;m getting involved in this sort of nonsense at a place like this, what kind of fate is this? Touko bites her lips.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/2&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ryougi Shiki&#039;s recovery was a few days later.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The fact that the situation doesn&#039;t even allow for the relatives to visit means that normal visits are out of the question.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is it because of that?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is that the reason that the new employee is concentrating on his deskwork with a sulkiness which makes it seem that his whole person has undergone a change.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It&#039;s gloomy, too gloomy.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yes ma&#039;am. A light, I&#039;ll obtain one that&#039;s suitable.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He replies without even looking at Touko.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There are times when a dutiful person will show absurdly eccentric conduct as a result of having missed something. Thinking this teen was of that sort, Touko spoke to him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Don&#039;t think so obsessively about it. You seem ready to just charge in there tonight or something.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Impossible ma&#039;am. That hospital, the security is nothing short of a research lab.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Compared to the casual way he replied, it seems as if he&#039;s carried out a pretty through investigation.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko shrugs, thinking &#039;well I can&#039;t let a brand new employee become a criminal.&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... I was going to stay quiet about this, but since you are so agitated I&#039;ll tell. I&#039;m going to be working at the hospital as a stand-in from tomorrow. I&#039;ll find out how Ryougi shiki is so just sit tight for now.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- What?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It just so happened that I got invited as a doctor. Normally I would have refused but this time it&#039;s not as if it&#039;s someone else&#039;s business. Seeing as I dragged the story out of you I thought that I had to at least do this for you.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko speaks as if it&#039;s no big deal.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rising up from his chair, he approaches Touko and grabs hold of her two hands. Voom, voom. The two people&#039;s hands go up and down. ... Not realizing that this was an expression of his admiration, Touko stared at him with a stiff face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You have some strange hobbies, don&#039;t you?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;m delighted, in fact I&#039;m stunned. There&#039;s a gentle and virtuous side to Touko-san like in other people after all!&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... I realised I&#039;m not like others, but I think it&#039;s better not to say things like that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Sorry, I wasn&#039;t thinking. Ah, so that&#039;s why you are dressed formally today. It look very smart, it really suits you. I couldn&#039;t recognize you!&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... My outfits the same as always but, whatever, I&#039;ll accept the compliments.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s useless to say anything, Touko realised and quietly folded things up.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So don&#039;t do anything rash. Even without that sort of thing that hospital is strange. You will sit here and look after the office, got it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At that the till then hyperactive employee settled down.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Strange, you mean that hospital?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yeah. There&#039;s a ward placed there for something. It seems like another magician was meddling with things. Of course the target wasn&#039;t Ryougi Shiki. If it was they wouldn&#039;t have held off for two years.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was a whopper of a lie but the confident way in which she spoke meant he didn&#039;t suspect a thing.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Uhm, a ward. That&#039;s like the second floor of this building isn&#039;t it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yep. A ward is something of different levels which isolates a specified area. They range from ones that really create a wall to ones that cover the target area with an invisible barrier. The highest ranking wards are a form of subliminal coercion that goes, &#039;nothing has been done but no one approaches&#039;. It&#039;s the same as this building. If you put in place a suggestion like &#039;Anyone who does not have a reason to come here will not be conscious of this place&#039;, a ward will be formed which will continue to exist without anyone noticing. A ward that just mimics another world and makes people realise that something is wrong is the worst of the worst.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A strangeness which prevents you from noticing strangeness, that is her rule of vacancy. A ward which everyone ignores and passes although it&#039;s on the map. A world where a pre-eminent magician lives, appears to be just like any other neighboring house.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But that ward, this new employee unconsciously broke it. This building which he shouldn&#039;t be able to find unless he knew Aozaki Touko, he found too easily.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... Well, that is also the reason she hired him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... So, is that hospital&#039;s ward a dangerous one?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Try listening to what someone is saying. A ward itself does no harm. That word, it originates from Buddhism. A ward is always something that isolates an area from the outside world. Although the word has somehow come to mean the technique by which a magician protects his or her body.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Understand? I said this just before but the best wards don&#039;t feel weird to a normal person. Shall we call it &#039;an idea which forces itself on the unconscious mind&#039;. The best of the best reach the stage of &#039;disconnection of space&#039;, but if you go that far you are looking at mages not sorcerers. Currently there&#039;s only one mage in this country, so basically that kind of ward just can&#039;t be formed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Well nothing that powerful was formed, but the ward placed around that hospital is pretty complex. It&#039;s good enough that even I didn&#039;t notice it for a while. There&#039;s a ward specialist that I know, this skill is at the same level as that guy.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... Well, among ward specialists there are a lot of philosophers. Most of them are well distanced from anything accompanied by violence so it should be alright nor now.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That&#039;s right, there&#039;s no danger in the ward itself. The problem is what is happening within the bounds of that space cut off from the rest of the world. That hospital&#039;s ward is aimed inwards not outwards. In short, it&#039;s of the kind that makes it so no one notices no matter what happens within the building. For example if a room was to explode in the middle of the night not one person would wake up because of the noise.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko didn&#039;t tell him that. Saying something about the time creeping along, she walked out with her eyes focused on the clock.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
His voices catches on her narrow back.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Touko-san. Shiki, take good care of her.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Alright, Touko says while waving. He asks her another trivial question even though she didn&#039;t even bother to turn around.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Ah, yes. Touko-san, who&#039;s that ward specialist you know?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tock, Touko&#039;s feet stop.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She falls into thought for a second then swings her head around to pierce him with her eyes as she replies.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Well, if it&#039;s a ward specialist of course it&#039;s a monk.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/3&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Around six days had passed since Touko was invited to the hospital as a provisional doctor. Every time Touko passed on the news that Ryougi Shiki was improving everyday to her employee, she couldn&#039;t help but have one little worry.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is, whether or not the Ryougi Shiki of the present and the Ryougi Shiki of the past were the same to another person.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Taking physiotherapy twice a day and getting a CT scan is like her work. You&#039;ll be able to see her on the day she&#039;s released so just wait a little more.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Having come back from the hospital Touko smooths out her orange necktie and sits on the desk.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The time of evening with summer just ahead.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The red light of the sunset dyes the lightless interior of the office a dark orange.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Physiotherapy twice a day? Is it okay with just that? Shiki has been asleep for two years.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;They say they moved her joints for her even though the patient was asleep. On top of that physiotherapy isn&#039;t exercise. Five minutes a day is sufficient. Originally the term rehabilitation isn&#039;t a medical term. It means the recovery of your dignity as a human. That&#039;s how Ryougi Shiki, who has been lying around until now, has been able to regain the feeling that she is human. The body&#039;s recovery, well that&#039;s a different story.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko lights the cigarette she&#039;s holding in her mouth, cutting off the conversation for a while.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But you know. The problem isn&#039;t on the side of the body but instead its the mind. That kid is becoming different from the Ryougi Shiki of before.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- is it, memory loss?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As if he had prepared for such a thing, he hesitantly says something stupid.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Hmm, I wonder. I believe her personality itself is the same as before. There hasn&#039;t been a change to Ryougi Shiki herself. What has changed is Shiki. I don&#039;t know if this will come as a shock to you.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;m plenty used to this kind of thing by now. Please explain fully. Shiki... what&#039;s happened to her?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Mmm, to tell the truth. She&#039;s completely empty.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Shiki who until now had always carried around another person inside of her. But SHIKI no longer exists. No, she must be unsure whether or not she&#039;s even Shiki or SHIKI.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
When she woke up SHIKI was already gone from inside her. Through his loss her mind has become a blank space. Maybe --- that kid won&#039;t be able to stand the empty space... Her heart is empty. Like a hole it&#039;s completely open. Even the air passes through like the wind.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;What do you mean SHIKI&#039;s gone --- how come?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He probably died in Shiki&#039;s stead. However it happened, Ryougi Shiki died in that accident two years ago. You might misunderstand since she&#039;s somehow still alive but just assume for a minute that she died. Ryougi Shiki came back to life as a new entity inside the body of Ryougi Shiki. To the Shiki of now, the Shiki of the past, and the Shiki of the present derived from those memories are nothing but strangers. No one can accept another person&#039;s history as being theirs. That child will perhaps be spending her nights with the thought that &#039;I&#039;m still not myself&#039;.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Another person? So, Shiki can&#039;t remember the things that have happened?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;No, she remembers. At present she is definitely the Shiki you know. The reason she&#039;s still alive is because she had the equal but separate personalities of Shiki and SHIKI.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ryougi Shiki suffered a death of the mind due to the accident. Let&#039;s say that SHIKI accepted the role of dying at that time. So although she should have died at that moment, Shiki was still there in her brain and as a consequence her mind didn&#039;t die. Shiki has been asleep because of the death of Ryougi Shiki, but since it was SHIKI that died she was able to survive.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And so --- she was in a coma for two years, and although her body kept functioning she didn&#039;t grow. All because she was dead yet still alive.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But the revived her is different to the past Shiki in the details. It&#039;s not so bad as to call it memory loss but she probably won&#039;t be able to bring to mind any memories unless she needs to.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
You can&#039;t say it&#039;s another person or that it&#039;s a complete stranger but she&#039;s now different from the Shiki you&#039;ve know till now. A third personality which is an amalgam of the personalities of Shiki and SHIKI, it would be most appropriate to accept her as such.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... That&#039;s what she said, but in reality such a thing could not happen.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As long as Shiki was Ryougi, there was no need to mix with SHIKI who was her other half, and Shiki wouldn&#039;t be able to fill the hole left by SHIKI&#039;s absence by herself.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Avoiding any reference to that fact Touko continues talking.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even if she&#039;s revived as a wholly different person she&#039;s still Ryougi Shiki. No matter how little confidence you have in the fact that you are you --- that child is still Ryougi Shiki. Right now she probably can&#039;t even feel that she&#039;s alive, but the time will come when she will accept that she is Shiki.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
A rose is born as a rose. It doesn&#039;t become a different flower just because the ground it&#039;s on and the water it receives changes.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So don&#039;t be so hung up over it all, she added in a whisper.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Eventually an empty hole has to be filled. She will have to build a new self, not based on her memories of the past but through her experiences in the present. That&#039;s a garan (shrine) that no one can help her build. It&#039;s not something another person should meddle in. In short all you have to do is treat her as you&#039;ve always done. Oh, and it seemed like they were going to release her pretty soon.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Throwing the burnt down cigarette stub out the window Touko raises her arms and straightens her back.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crick, crick, crack. The sound her bones make can be clearly heard.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I knew I shouldn&#039;t have done something I&#039;m not used to. The cigarettes tasted so bad that I was about to go crazy.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She talked while letting out a long sigh as if she was tired of the world.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>218.186.8.13</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Void_Shrine&amp;diff=13206</id>
		<title>Kara no Kyoukai:Void Shrine</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Void_Shrine&amp;diff=13206"/>
		<updated>2007-03-28T23:59:14Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;218.186.8.13: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;Garan-no-Dou&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/1&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aozaki Touko first heard the story of the person called Ryougi Shiki on a nice afternoon, not long after they had just entered the month of June.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The origin of it all was that the new employee she had just hired on an impulse was Ryougi Shiki&#039;s friend, and as a way to pass the time she lent an ear to his story.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to his tale the person called Ryougi Shiki fell into a coma state after a traffic accident 2 years ago. She was retaining her life functions but there was no possibility of her waking up. Not only that but the growth of her body also seemed to have stopped. At first Touko couldn&#039;t believe this apparent contradiction, how could a person&#039;s life functions continue while they&#039;ve stopped growing.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Hmm, the only living organisms that don&#039;t grow are dead things. No, the pressure of time even affects the dead. A corpse passes through the growth called decay and returns to the earth. The only thing that moves but doesn&#039;t grow would be that wind-up doll you brought in and set loose a while ago.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But it&#039;s true. After the accident it looks like she hasn&#039;t aged a bit. Are there any other cases where a person is in a coma for which there&#039;s no explainable cause Touko-san?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the new employee&#039;s question Touko goes &#039;hmmm&#039; and crosses her arms.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Let&#039;s see. There was that famous one in that country over there. Where a newly married woman in her twenties fell into a coma. She woke up after fifty years had passed, don&#039;t you know that one?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In reply to Touko&#039;s words the new employee says no and shakes his head.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Uh, how was that person when she woke up?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Extremely normal. As if she hadn&#039;t been sleeping for 50 long years. Her mind was revived just as it had been in her twenties, apparently it made her husband sad.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- Eh? Sad, how come? His wife&#039;s recovery should be a joyous occurrence.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The thing is, her mind was still just as it was in her twenties but her body had grown old into it seventies. Even in a coma state, leaving something alive means degrading it, you can&#039;t do anything about that.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So this seventy year old granny is always urging her husband to go out as if she&#039;s till in her twenties. The husband has lived the seventy years normally so he&#039;s normal. The problem is the wife. Because fifty years have flowed past without her knowledge, she can&#039;t accept the fact no matter how you explain it. It&#039;s not that she doesn&#039;t want to accept it, she really can&#039;t conceive of it as the truth.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s a tragedy among tragedies. They say that the lady who wanted to go out to play with that wrinkled face of hers was persuaded not to by her husband who was in tears. They also say that he had this thought: If it was going to be like this it would have been better if she hadn&#039;t woken up at all.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
How was it? This dream-like tragedy, it&#039;s actually something that happened in the past. Was it useful?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For a wonder he actually nodded in response to Touko&#039;s sarcastic question.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Oh, are you onto something?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He gave a small nod to the impishly smiling Touko.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...Yeah, a little. I&#039;m thinking it might be like this. That Shiki might be trying not to wake up.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It sounds like there&#039;s a past there. Good. Since I&#039;m bored shall I listen to the story as a way to pass the time?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He gets angry at Touko who really thinks of it as just another way to kill time and turns away.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;No thank you. Touko-san, your insensitivity is a real problem.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;What, you are the one who brought it up. I understand, so spill it. It&#039;s not just a whim for me either. That Azaka, every time she rings it&#039;s Shiki this and Shiki that. If I have no idea as to what kind of person this Shiki is I can&#039;t reply can I?&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the mention of Azaka&#039;s name he gets a sour face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;ve been meaning to ask you for a while but, how did my little sister come to know you Touko-san?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;One year ago at a tourist spot. I got caught up in an impossible situation and my cover was totally blown.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...Well, okay, but Azaka is a very naive child so please avoid that talk of what&#039;s there and what&#039;s not around her. Since she&#039;s in that period where I&#039;m worried about her even without her getting involved in all that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Azaka... Naive? Well, your relationship with your little sister is your problem so I won&#039;t get involved. Instead share that story about that kid called Shiki.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unable to withstand Touko who had pushed herself onto the desk, he began talking.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About his friend Ryougi Shiki&#039;s personality and her unique character.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
During high school he and Ryougi Shiki were classmates. He had a relationship with the name Ryougi Shiki before entering high school, and after getting put in the same class as her became friends. The only person to have a friendly relationship with Ryougi Shiki, who didn&#039;t want any friends, was him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But, after the street murders during the first year of high school, Ryougi Shiki began changing in a strange way.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She confessed to him that she had a dual personality, and that her other side enjoyed murder.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To be truthful, how R. Shiki was connected to the street murders two years ago is still a mystery. Before anything could be confirmed she had an accident in front of his eyes and was moved to the hospital.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
During the first days of March, on that cold night of the falling rains.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That kind of story about someone&#039;s life. Touko treats it as just another story told over a beer, but as the story progresses the smile disappears from her face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- That&#039;s all there is to know about the relationship between Shiki and me. Although the story is already two years old.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- So is that why her growth has stopped? Stocking up her life. It&#039;s not even as if she&#039;s a vampire.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Heh, Touko smirks with the end of the lips curled up.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So, how do you write that kid&#039;s name? It would be in kanji wouldn&#039;t it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shiki(數) from (神), why?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Is it the Shiki of Shikigami(式)? And her family name is Ryougi at that. That&#039;s just perfect.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rubbing out the cigarette she had been biting on the ashtray, Touko stands up as if she can&#039;t tolerate something.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Was that hospital in the suburbs? This is getting interesting... I&#039;ll be right back.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Without waiting for a reply Touko leaves the office behind her.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I can&#039;t believe I&#039;m getting involved in this sort of nonsense at a place like this, what kind of fate is this? Touko bites her lips.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/2&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ryougi Shiki&#039;s recovery was a few days later.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The fact that the situation doesn&#039;t even allow for the relatives to visit means that normal visits are out of the question.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is it because of that?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is that the reason that the new employee is concentrating on his deskwork with a sulkiness which makes it seem that his whole person has undergone a change.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It&#039;s gloomy, too gloomy.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yes ma&#039;am. A light, I&#039;ll obtain one that&#039;s suitable.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He replies without even looking at Touko.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There are times when a dutiful person will show absurdly eccentric conduct as a result of having missed something. Thinking this teen was of that sort, Touko spoke to him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Don&#039;t think so obsessively about it. You seem ready to just charge in there tonight or something.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Impossible ma&#039;am. That hospital, the security is nothing short of a research lab.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Compared to the casual way he replied, it seems as if he&#039;s carried out a pretty through investigation.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko shrugs, thinking &#039;well I can&#039;t let a brand new employee become a criminal.&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... I was going to stay quiet about this, but since you are so agitated I&#039;ll tell. I&#039;m going to be working at the hospital as a stand-in from tomorrow. I&#039;ll find out how Ryougi shiki is so just sit tight for now.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- What?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It just so happened that I got invited as a doctor. Normally I would have refused but this time it&#039;s not as if it&#039;s someone else&#039;s business. Seeing as I dragged the story out of you I thought that I had to at least do this for you.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko speaks as if it&#039;s no big deal.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rising up from his chair, he approaches Touko and grabs hold of her two hands. Voom, voom. The two people&#039;s hands go up and down. ... Not realizing that this was an expression of his admiration, Touko stared at him with a stiff face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You have some strange hobbies, don&#039;t you?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;m delighted, in fact I&#039;m stunned. There&#039;s a gentle and virtuous side to Touko-san like in other people after all!&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... I realised I&#039;m not like others, but I think it&#039;s better not to say things like that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Sorry, I wasn&#039;t thinking. Ah, so that&#039;s why you are dressed formally today. It look very smart, it really suits you. I couldn&#039;t recognize you!&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... My outfits the same as always but, whatever, I&#039;ll accept the compliments.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s useless to say anything, Touko realised and quietly folded things up.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So don&#039;t do anything rash. Even without that sort of thing that hospital is strange. You will sit here and look after the office, got it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At that the till then hyperactive employee settled down.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Strange, you mean that hospital?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yeah. There&#039;s a ward placed there for something. It seems like another magician was meddling with things. Of course the target wasn&#039;t Ryougi Shiki. If it was they wouldn&#039;t have held off for two years.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was a whopper of a lie but the confident way in which she spoke meant he didn&#039;t suspect a thing.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Uhm, a ward. That&#039;s like the second floor of this building isn&#039;t it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yep. A ward is something of different levels which isolates a specified area. They range from ones that really create a wall to ones that cover the target area with an invisible barrier. The highest ranking wards are a form of subliminal coercion that goes, &#039;nothing has been done but no one approaches&#039;. It&#039;s the same as this building. If you put in place a suggestion like &#039;Anyone who does not have a reason to come here will not be conscious of this place&#039;, a ward will be formed which will continue to exist without anyone noticing. A ward that just mimics another world and makes people realise that something is wrong is the worst of the worst.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A strangeness which prevents you from noticing strangeness, that is her rule of vacancy. A ward which everyone ignores and passes although it&#039;s on the map. A world where a pre-eminent magician lives, appears to be just like any other neighboring house.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But that ward, this new employee unconsciously broke it. This building which he shouldn&#039;t be able to find unless he knew Aozaki Touko, he found too easily.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... Well, that is also the reason she hired him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... So, is that hospital&#039;s ward a dangerous one?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Try listening to what someone is saying. A ward itself does no harm. That word, it originates from Buddhism. A ward is always something that isolates an area from the outside world. Although the word has somehow come to mean the technique by which a magician protects his or her body.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Understand? I said this just before but the best wards don&#039;t feel weird to a normal person. Shall we call it &#039;an idea which forces itself on the unconscious mind&#039;. The best of the best reach the stage of &#039;disconnection of space&#039;, but if you go that far you are looking at mages not sorcerers. Currently there&#039;s only one mage in this country, so basically that kind of ward just can&#039;t be formed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Well nothing that powerful was formed, but the ward placed around that hospital is pretty complex. It&#039;s good enough that even I didn&#039;t notice it for a while. There&#039;s a ward specialist that I know, this skill is at the same level as that guy.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... Well, among ward specialists there are a lot of philosophers. Most of them are well distanced from anything accompanied by violence so it should be alright nor now.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That&#039;s right, there&#039;s no danger in the ward itself. The problem is what is happening within the bounds of that space cut off from the rest of the world. That hospital&#039;s ward is aimed inwards not outwards. In short, it&#039;s of the kind that makes it so no one notices no matter what happens within the building. For example if a room was to explode in the middle of the night not one person would wake up because of the noise.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko didn&#039;t tell him that. Saying something about the time creeping along, she walked out with her eyes focused on the clock.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
His voices catches on her narrow back.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Touko-san. Shiki, take good care of her.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Alright, Touko says while waving. He asks her another trivial question even though she didn&#039;t even bother to turn around.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Ah, yes. Touko-san, who&#039;s that ward specialist you know?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tock, Touko&#039;s feet stop.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She falls into thought for a second then swings her head around to pierce him with her eyes as she replies.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Well, if it&#039;s a ward specialist of course it&#039;s a monk.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/3&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Around six days had passed since Touko was invited to the hospital as a provisional doctor. Every time Touko passed on the news that Ryougi Shiki was improving everyday to her employee, she couldn&#039;t help but have one little worry.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is, whether or not the Ryougi Shiki of the present and the Ryougi Shiki of the past were the same to another person.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Taking physiotherapy twice a day and getting a CT scan is like her work. You&#039;ll be able to see her on the day she&#039;s released so just wait a little more.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Having come back from the hospital Touko smooths out her orange necktie and sits on the desk.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The time of evening with summer just ahead.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The red light of the sunset dyes the lightless interior of the office a dark orange.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Physiotherapy twice a day? Is it okay with just that? Shiki has been asleep for two years,&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;They say they moved her joints for her even though the patient was asleep. On top of that physiotherapy isn&#039;t exercise. Five minutes a day is sufficient. Originally the term rehabilitation isn&#039;t a medical term. It means the recovery of your dignity as a human. That&#039;s how Ryougi Shiki, who has been lying around until now, has been able to regain the feeling that she is human. The body&#039;s recovery, well that&#039;s a different story.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko lights the cigarette she&#039;s holding in her mouth, cutting off the conversation for a while.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But you know. The problem isn&#039;t on the side of the body but instead its the mind. That kid is becoming different from the Ryougi Shiki of before.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- is it, memory loss?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As if he had prepared for such a thing, he hesitantly says something stupid.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Hmm, I wonder. I believe her personality itself is the same as before. There hasn&#039;t been a change to Ryougi Shiki herself. What has changed is Shiki. I don&#039;t know if this will come as a shock to you.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;m plenty used to this kind of thing by now. Please explain fully. Shiki... what&#039;s happened to her?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Mmm, to tell the truth. She&#039;s completely empty.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Shiki who until now had always carried around another person inside of her. But SHIKI no longer exists. No, she must be unsure whether or not she&#039;s even Shiki or SHIKI.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
When she woke up SHIKI was already gone from inside her. Through his loss her mind has become a blank space. Maybe --- that kid won&#039;t be able to stand the empty space... Her heart is empty. Like a hole it&#039;s completely open. Even the air passes through like the wind.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;What do you mean SHIKI&#039;s gone --- how come?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He probably died in Shiki&#039;s stead. However it happened, Ryougi Shiki died in that accident two years ago. You might misunderstand since she&#039;s somehow still alive but just assume for a minute that she died. Ryougi Shiki came back to life as a new entity inside the body of Ryougi Shiki. To the Shiki of now, the Shiki of the past, and the Shiki of the present derived from those memories are nothing but strangers. No one can accept another person&#039;s history as being theirs. That child will perhaps be spending her nights with the thought that &#039;I&#039;m still not myself&#039;.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Another person? So, Shiki can&#039;t remember the things that have happened?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;No, she remembers. At present she is definitely the Shiki you know. The reason she&#039;s still alive is because she had the equal but separate personalities of Shiki and SHIKI.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ryougi Shiki suffered a death of the mind due to the accident. Let&#039;s say that SHIKI accepted the role of dying at that time. So although she should have died at that moment, Shiki was still there in her brain and as a consequence her mind didn&#039;t die. Shiki has been asleep because of the death of Ryougi Shiki, but since it was SHIKI that died she was able to survive.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And so --- she was in a coma for two years, and although her body kept functioning she didn&#039;t grow. All because she was dead yet still alive.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But the revived her is different to the past Shiki in the details. It&#039;s not so bad as to call it memory loss but she probably won&#039;t be able to bring to mind any memories unless she needs to.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
You can&#039;t say it&#039;s another person or that it&#039;s a complete stranger but she&#039;s now different from the Shiki you&#039;ve know till now. A third personality which is an amalgam of the personalities of Shiki and SHIKI, it would be most appropriate to accept her as such.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... That&#039;s what she said, but in reality such a thing could not happen.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As long as Shiki was Ryougi, there was no need to mix with SHIKI who was her other half, and Shiki wouldn&#039;t be able to fill the hole left by SHIKI&#039;s absence by herself.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Avoiding any reference to that fact Touko continues talking.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even if she&#039;s revived as a wholly different person she&#039;s still Ryougi Shiki. No matter how little confidence you have in the fact that you are you --- that child is still Ryougi Shiki. Right now she probably can&#039;t even feel that she&#039;s alive, but the time will come when she will accept that she is Shiki.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
A rose is born as a rose. It doesn&#039;t become a different flower just because the ground it&#039;s on and the water it receives changes.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So don&#039;t be so hung up over it all, she added in a whisper.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Eventually an empty hole has to be filled. She will have to build a new self, not based on her memories of the past but through her experiences in the present. That&#039;s a garan (shrine) that no one can help her build. It&#039;s not something another person should meddle in. In short all you have to do is treat her as you&#039;ve always done. Oh, and it seemed like they were going to release her pretty soon.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Throwing the burnt down cigarette stub out the window Touko raises her arms and straightens her back.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crick, crick, crack. The sound her bones make can be clearly heard.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I knew I shouldn&#039;t have done something I&#039;m not used to. The cigarettes tasted so bad that I was about to go crazy.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She talked while letting out a long sigh as if she was tired of the world.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>218.186.8.13</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Void_Shrine&amp;diff=13202</id>
		<title>Kara no Kyoukai:Void Shrine</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Void_Shrine&amp;diff=13202"/>
		<updated>2007-03-28T23:45:53Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;218.186.8.13: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;Garan-no-Dou&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/1&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aozaki Touko first heard the story of the person called Ryougi Shiki on a nice afternoon, not long after they had just entered the month of June.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The origin of it all was that the new employee she had just hired on an impulse was Ryougi Shiki&#039;s friend, and as a way to pass the time she lent an ear to his story.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to his tale the person called Ryougi Shiki fell into a coma state after a traffic accident 2 years ago. She was retaining her life functions but there was no possibility of her waking up. Not only that but the growth of her body also seemed to have stopped. At first Touko couldn&#039;t believe this apparent contradiction, how could a person&#039;s life functions continue while they&#039;ve stopped growing.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Hmm, the only living organisms that don&#039;t grow are dead things. No, the pressure of time even affects the dead. A corpse passes through the growth called decay and returns to the earth. The only thing that moves but doesn&#039;t grow would be that wind-up doll you brought in and set loose a while ago.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But it&#039;s true. After the accident it looks like she hasn&#039;t aged a bit. Are there any other cases where a person is in a coma for which there&#039;s no explainable cause Touko-san?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the new employee&#039;s question Touko goes &#039;hmmm&#039; and crosses her arms.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Let&#039;s see. There was that famous one in that country over there. Where a newly married woman in her twenties fell into a coma. She woke up after fifty years had passed, don&#039;t you know that one?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In reply to Touko&#039;s words the new employee says no and shakes his head.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Uh, how was that person when she woke up?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Extremely normal. As if she hadn&#039;t been sleeping for 50 long years. Her mind was revived just as it had been in her twenties, apparently it made her husband sad.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- Eh? Sad, how come? His wife&#039;s recovery should be a joyous occurrence.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The thing is, her mind was still just as it was in her twenties but her body had grown old into it seventies. Even in a coma state, leaving something alive means degrading it, you can&#039;t do anything about that.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So this seventy year old granny is always urging her husband to go out as if she&#039;s till in her twenties. The husband has lived the seventy years normally so he&#039;s normal. The problem is the wife. Because fifty years have flowed past without her knowledge, she can&#039;t accept the fact no matter how you explain it. It&#039;s not that she doesn&#039;t want to accept it, she really can&#039;t conceive of it as the truth.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s a tragedy among tragedies. They say that the lady who wanted to go out to play with that wrinkled face of hers was persuaded not to by her husband who was in tears. They also say that he had this thought: If it was going to be like this it would have been better if she hadn&#039;t woken up at all.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
How was it? This dream-like tragedy, it&#039;s actually something that happened in the past. Was it useful?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For a wonder he actually nodded in response to Touko&#039;s sarcastic question.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Oh, are you onto something?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He gave a small nod to the impishly smiling Touko.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...Yeah, a little. I&#039;m thinking it might be like this. That Shiki might be trying not to wake up.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It sounds like there&#039;s a past there. Good. Since I&#039;m bored shall I listen to the story as a way to pass the time?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He gets angry at Touko who really thinks of it as just another way to kill time and turns away.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;No thank you. Touko-san, your insensitivity is a real problem.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;What, you are the one who brought it up. I understand, so spill it. It&#039;s not just a whim for me either. That Azaka, every time she rings it&#039;s Shiki this and Shiki that. If I have no idea as to what kind of person this Shiki is I can&#039;t reply can I?&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the mention of Azaka&#039;s name he gets a sour face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;ve been meaning to ask you for a while but, how did my little sister come to know you Touko-san?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;One year ago at a tourist spot. I got caught up in an impossible situation and my cover was totally blown.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...Well, okay, but Azaka is a very naive child so please avoid that talk of what&#039;s there and what&#039;s not around her. Since she&#039;s in that period where I&#039;m worried about her even without her getting involved in all that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Azaka... Naive? Well, your relationship with your little sister is your problem so I won&#039;t get involved. Instead share that story about that kid called Shiki.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unable to withstand Touko who had pushed herself onto the desk, he began talking.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About his friend Ryougi Shiki&#039;s personality and her unique character.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
During high school he and Ryougi Shiki were classmates. He had a relationship with the name Ryougi Shiki before entering high school, and after getting put in the same class as her became friends. The only person to have a friendly relationship with Ryougi Shiki, who didn&#039;t want any friends, was him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But, after the street murders during the first year of high school, Ryougi Shiki began changing in a strange way.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She confessed to him that she had a dual personality, and that her other side enjoyed murder.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To be truthful, how R. Shiki was connected to the street murders two years ago is still a mystery. Before anything could be confirmed she had an accident in front of his eyes and was moved to the hospital.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
During the first days of March, on that cold night of the falling rains.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That kind of story about someone&#039;s life. Touko treats it as just another story told over a beer, but as the story progresses the smile disappears from her face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- That&#039;s all there is to know about the relationship between Shiki and me. Although the story is already two years old.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- So is that why her growth has stopped? Stocking up her life. It&#039;s not even as if she&#039;s a vampire.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Heh, Touko smirks with the end of the lips curled up.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So, how do you write that kid&#039;s name? It would be in kanji wouldn&#039;t it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shiki(數) from (神), why?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Is it the Shiki of Shikigami(式)? And her family name is Ryougi at that. That&#039;s just perfect.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rubbing out the cigarette she had been biting on the ashtray, Touko stands up as if she can&#039;t tolerate something.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Was that hospital in the suburbs? This is getting interesting... I&#039;ll be right back.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Without waiting for a reply Touko leaves the office behind her.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I can&#039;t believe I&#039;m getting involved in this sort of nonsense at a place like this, what kind of fate is this? Touko bites her lips.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/2&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ryougi Shiki&#039;s recovery was a few days later.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The fact that the situation doesn&#039;t even allow for the relatives to visit means that normal visits are out of the question.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is it because of that?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is that the reason that the new employee is concentrating on his deskwork with a sulkiness which makes it seem that his whole person has undergone a change.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It&#039;s gloomy, too gloomy.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yes ma&#039;am. A light, I&#039;ll obtain one that&#039;s suitable.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He replies without even looking at Touko.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There are times when a dutiful person will show absurdly eccentric conduct as a result of having missed something. Thinking this teen was of that sort, Touko spoke to him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Don&#039;t think so obsessively about it. You seem ready to just charge in there tonight or something.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Impossible ma&#039;am. That hospital, the security is nothing short of a research lab.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Compared to the casual way he replied, it seems as if he&#039;s carried out a pretty through investigation.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko shrugs, thinking &#039;well I can&#039;t let a brand new employee become a criminal.&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... I was going to stay quiet about this, but since you are so agitated I&#039;ll tell. I&#039;m going to be working at the hospital as a stand-in from tomorrow. I&#039;ll find out how Ryougi shiki is so just sit tight for now.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- What?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It just so happened that I got invited as a doctor. Normally I would have refused but this time it&#039;s not as if it&#039;s someone else&#039;s business. Seeing as I dragged the story out of you I thought that I had to at least do this for you.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko speaks as if it&#039;s no big deal.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rising up from his chair, he approaches Touko and grabs hold of her two hands. Voom, voom. The two people&#039;s hands go up and down. ... Not realizing that this was an expression of his admiration, Touko stared at him with a stiff face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You have some strange hobbies, don&#039;t you?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;m delighted, in fact I&#039;m stunned. There&#039;s a gentle and virtuous side to Touko-san like in other people after all!&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... I realised I&#039;m not like others, but I think it&#039;s better not to say things like that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Sorry, I wasn&#039;t thinking. Ah, so that&#039;s why you are dressed formally today. It look very smart, it really suits you. I couldn&#039;t recognize you!&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... My outfits the same as always but, whatever, I&#039;ll accept the compliments.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s useless to say anything, Touko realised and quietly folded things up.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So don&#039;t do anything rash. Even without that sort of thing that hospital is strange. You will sit here and look after the office, got it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At that the till then hyperactive employee settled down.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Strange, you mean that hospital?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yeah. There&#039;s a ward placed there for something. It seems like another magician was meddling with things. Of course the target wasn&#039;t Ryougi Shiki. If it was they wouldn&#039;t have held off for two years.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was a whopper of a lie but the confident way in which she spoke meant he didn&#039;t suspect a thing.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Uhm, a ward. That&#039;s like the second floor of this building isn&#039;t it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yep. A ward is something of different levels which isolates a specified area. They range from ones that really create a wall to ones that cover the target area with an invisible barrier. The highest ranking wards are a form of subliminal coercion that goes, &#039;nothing has been done but no one approaches&#039;. It&#039;s the same as this building. If you put in place a suggestion like &#039;Anyone who does not have a reason to come here will not be conscious of this place&#039;, a ward will be formed which will continue to exist without anyone noticing. A ward that just mimics another world and makes people realise that something is wrong is the worst of the worst.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A strangeness which prevents you from noticing strangeness, that is her rule of vacancy. A ward which everyone ignores and passes although it&#039;s on the map. A world where a pre-eminent magician lives, appears to be just like any other neighboring house.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But that ward, this new employee unconsciously broke it. This building which he shouldn&#039;t be able to find unless he knew Aozaki Touko, he found too easily.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... Well, that is also the reason she hired him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... So, is that hospital&#039;s ward a dangerous one?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Try listening to what someone is saying. A ward itself does no harm. That word, it originates from Buddhism. A ward is always something that isolates an area from the outside world. Although the word has somehow come to mean the technique by which a magician protects his or her body.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Understand? I said this just before but the best wards don&#039;t feel weird to a normal person. Shall we call it &#039;an idea which forces itself on the unconscious mind&#039;. The best of the best reach the stage of &#039;disconnection of space&#039;, but if you go that far you are looking at mages not sorcerers. Currently there&#039;s only one mage in this country, so basically that kind of ward just can&#039;t be formed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Well nothing that powerful was formed, but the ward placed around that hospital is pretty complex. It&#039;s good enough that even I didn&#039;t notice it for a while. There&#039;s a ward specialist that I know, this skill is at the same level as that guy.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... Well, among ward specialists there are a lot of philosophers. Most of them are well distanced from anything accompanied by violence so it should be alright nor now.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That&#039;s right, there&#039;s no danger in the ward itself. The problem is what is happening within the bounds of that space cut off from the rest of the world. That hospital&#039;s ward is aimed inwards not outwards. In short, it&#039;s of the kind that makes it so no one notices no matter what happens within the building. For example if a room was to explode in the middle of the night not one person would wake up because of the noise.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko didn&#039;t tell him that. Saying something about the time creeping along, she walked out with her eyes focused on the clock.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
His voices catches on her narrow back.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Touko-san. Shiki, take good care of her.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Alright, Touko says while waving. He asks her another trivial question even though she didn&#039;t even bother to turn around.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Ah, yes. Touko-san, who&#039;s that ward specialist you know?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tock, Touko&#039;s feet stop.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She falls into thought for a second then swings her head around to pierce him with her eyes as she replies.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Well, if it&#039;s a ward specialist of course it&#039;s a monk.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/3&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Around six days had passed since Touko was invited to the hospital as a provisional doctor. Every time Touko passed on the news that Ryougi Shiki was improving everyday to her employee, she couldn&#039;t help but have one little worry.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is, whether or not the Ryougi Shiki of the present and the Ryougi Shiki of the past were the same to another person.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Taking physiotherapy twice a day and getting a CT scan is like her work. You&#039;ll be able to see her on the day she&#039;s released so just wait a little more.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Having come back from the hospital Touko smooths out her orange necktie and sits on the desk.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The time of evening with Summer just ahead.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The red light of the sunset dies the lightless interior of the office a dark orange.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Physiotherapy twice a day? Is it okay with just that? Shiki has been asleep for two years,&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;They say they moved her joints for her even though the patient was asleep. On top of that physiotherapy isn&#039;t exercise. Five minutes a day is sufficient. Originally the term rehabilitation isn&#039;t a medical term. It means the recovery of your dignity as a human. That&#039;s how Ryougi Shiki, who has been lying around until now, has been able to regain the feeling that she is human. The body&#039;s recovery, well that&#039;s a different story.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko lights the cigarette she&#039;s holding in her mouth, cutting off the conversation for a while.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But you know. The problem isn&#039;t on the side of the body but instead its the mind. That kid is becoming different from the Ryougi Shiki of before.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- is it, memory loss?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As if he had prepared for such a thing, he hesitantly says something stupid.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Hmm, I wonder. I believe her personality itself is the same as before. There hasn&#039;t been a change to Ryougi Shiki herself. What has changed is Shiki. I don&#039;t know if this will come as a shock to you.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;m plenty used to this kind of thing by now. Please explain fully. Shiki... what&#039;s happened to her?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Mmm, to tell the truth. She&#039;s completely empty.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Shiki who until now had always carried around another person inside of her. But SHIKI no longer exists. No, she must be unsure whether or not she&#039;s even Shiki or SHIKI.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
When she woke up SHIKI was already gone from inside her. Through his loss her mind has become a blank space. Maybe --- that kid won&#039;t be able to stand the empty space... Her heart is empty. Like a hole it&#039;s completely open. Even the air passes through like the wind.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;What do you mean SHIKI&#039;s gone --- how come?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He probably died in Shiki&#039;s stead. However it happened, Ryougi Shiki died in that accident two years ago. You might misunderstand since she&#039;s somehow still alive but just assume for a minute that she died. Ryougi Shiki came back to life as a new entity inside the body of Ryougi Shiki. To the Shiki of now, the Shiki of the past, and the Shiki of the present derived from those memories are nothing but strangers. No one can accept another person&#039;s history as being theirs. That child will perhaps be spending her nights with the thought that &#039;I&#039;m still not myself&#039;.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Another person? So, Shiki can&#039;t remember the things that have happened?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;No, she remembers. At present she is definitely the Shiki you know. The reason she&#039;s still alive is because she had the equal but separate personalities of Shiki and SHIKI.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ryougi Shiki suffered a death of the mind due to the accident. Let&#039;s say that SHIKI accepted the role of dying at that time. So although she should have died at that moment, Shiki was still there in her brain and as a consequence her mind didn&#039;t die. Shiki has been asleep because of the death of Ryougi Shiki, but since it was SHIKI that died she was able to survive.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And so --- she was in a coma for two years, and although her body kept functioning she didn&#039;t grow. All because she was dead yet still alive.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But the revived her is different to the past Shiki in the details. It&#039;s not so bad as to call it memory loss but she probably won&#039;t be able to bring to mind any memories unless she needs to.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
You can&#039;t say it&#039;s another person or that it&#039;s a complete stranger but she&#039;s now different from the Shiki you&#039;ve know till now. A third personality which is an amalgam of the personalities of Shiki and SHIKI, it would be most appropriate to accept her as such.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... That&#039;s what she said, but in reality such a thing could not happen.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As long as Shiki was Ryougi, there was no need to mix with SHIKI who was her other half, and Shiki wouldn&#039;t be able to fill the hole left by SHIKI&#039;s absence by herself.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Avoiding any reference to that fact Touko continues talking.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even if she&#039;s revived as a wholly different person she&#039;s still Ryougi Shiki. No matter how little confidence you have in the fact that you are you --- that child is still Ryougi Shiki. Right now she probably can&#039;t even feel that she&#039;s alive, but the time will come when she will accept that she is Shiki.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
A rose is born as a rose. It doesn&#039;t become a different flower just because the ground it&#039;s on and the water it receives changes.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So don&#039;t be so hung up over it all, she added in a whisper.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Eventually an empty hole has to be filled. She will have to build a new self, not based on her memories of the past but through her experiences in the present. That&#039;s a garan (shrine) that no one can help her build. It&#039;s not something another person should meddle in. In short all you have to do is treat her as you&#039;ve always done. Oh, and it seemed like they were going to release her pretty soon.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Throwing the burnt down cigarette stub out the window Touko raises her arms and straightens her back.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crick, crick, crack. The sound her bones make can be clearly heard.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I knew I shouldn&#039;t have done something I&#039;m not used to. The cigarettes tasted so bad that I was about to go crazy.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She talked while letting out a long sigh as if she was tired of the world.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>218.186.8.13</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Void_Shrine&amp;diff=13200</id>
		<title>Kara no Kyoukai:Void Shrine</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Void_Shrine&amp;diff=13200"/>
		<updated>2007-03-28T23:42:41Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;218.186.8.13: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;Garan-no-Dou&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/1&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aozaki Touko first heard the story of the person called Ryougi Shiki on a nice afternoon, not long after they had just entered the month of June.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The origin of it all was that the new employee she had just hired on an impulse was Ryougi Shiki&#039;s friend, and as a way to pass the time she lent an ear to his story.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to his tale the person called Ryougi Shiki fell into a coma state after a traffic accident 2 years ago. She was retaining her life functions but there was no possibility of her waking up. Not only that but the growth of her body also seemed to have stopped. At first Touko couldn&#039;t believe this apparent contradiction, how could a person&#039;s life functions continue while they&#039;ve stopped growing.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Hmm, the only living organisms that don&#039;t grow are dead things. No, the pressure of time even affects the dead. A corpse passes through the growth called decay and returns to the earth. The only thing that moves but doesn&#039;t grow would be that wind-up doll you brought in and set loose a while ago.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But it&#039;s true. After the accident it looks like she hasn&#039;t aged a bit. Are there any other cases where a person is in a coma for which there&#039;s no explainable cause Touko-san?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the new employee&#039;s question Touko goes &#039;hmmm&#039; and crosses her arms.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Let&#039;s see. There was that famous one in that country over there. Where a newly married woman in her twenties fell into a coma. She woke up after fifty years had passed, don&#039;t you know that one?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In reply to Touko&#039;s words the new employee says no and shakes his head.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Uh, how was that person when she woke up?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Extremely normal. As if she hadn&#039;t been sleeping for 50 long years. Her mind was revived just as it had been in her twenties, apparently it made her husband sad.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- Eh? Sad, how come? His wife&#039;s recovery should be a joyous occurrence.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The thing is, her mind was still just as it was in her twenties but her body had grown old into it seventies. Even in a coma state, leaving something alive means degrading it, you can&#039;t do anything about that.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So this seventy year old granny is always urging her husband to go out as if she&#039;s till in her twenties. The husband has lived the seventy years normally so he&#039;s normal. The problem is the wife. Because fifty years have flowed past without her knowledge, she can&#039;t accept the fact no matter how you explain it. It&#039;s not that she doesn&#039;t want to accept it, she really can&#039;t conceive of it as the truth.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s a tragedy among tragedies. They say that the lady who wanted to go out to play with that wrinkled face of hers was persuaded not to by her husband who was in tears. They also say that he had this thought: If it was going to be like this it would have been better if she hadn&#039;t woken up at all.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
How was it? This dream-like tragedy, it&#039;s actually something that happened in the past. Was it useful?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For a wonder he actually nodded in response to Touko&#039;s sarcastic question.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Oh, are you onto something?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He gave a small nod to the impishly smiling Touko.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...Yeah, a little. I&#039;m thinking it might be like this. That Shiki might be trying not to wake up.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It sounds like there&#039;s a past there. Good. Since I&#039;m bored shall I listen to the story as a way to pass the time?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He gets angry at Touko who really thinks of it as just another way to kill time and turns away.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;No thank you. Touko-san, your insensitivity is a real problem.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;What, you are the one who brought it up. I understand, so spill it. It&#039;s not just a whim for me either. That Azaka, every time she rings it&#039;s Shiki this and Shiki that. If I have no idea as to what kind of person this Shiki is I can&#039;t reply can I?&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the mention of Azaka&#039;s name he gets a sour face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;ve been meaning to ask you for a while but, how did my little sister come to know you Touko-san?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;One year ago at a tourist spot. I got caught up in an impossible situation and my cover was totally blown.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...Well, okay, but Azaka is a very naive child so please avoid that talk of what&#039;s there and what&#039;s not around her. Since she&#039;s in that period where I&#039;m worried about her even without her getting involved in all that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Azaka... Naive? Well, your relationship with your little sister is your problem so I won&#039;t get involved. Instead share that story about that kid called Shiki.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unable to withstand Touko who had pushed herself onto the desk, he began talking.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About his friend Ryougi Shiki&#039;s personality and her unique character.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
During high school he and Ryougi Shiki were classmates. He had a relationship with the name Ryougi Shiki before entering high school, and after getting put in the same class as her became friends. The only person to have a friendly relationship with Ryougi Shiki, who didn&#039;t want any friends, was him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But, after the street murders during the first year of high school, Ryougi Shiki began changing in a strange way.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She confessed to him that she had a dual personality, and that her other side enjoyed murder.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To be truthful, how R. Shiki was connected to the street murders two years ago is still a mystery. Before anything could be confirmed she had an accident in front of his eyes and was moved to the hospital.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
During the first days of March, on that cold night of the falling rains.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That kind of story about someone&#039;s life. Touko treats it as just another story told over a beer, but as the story progresses the smile disappears from her face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- That&#039;s all there is to know about the relationship between Shiki and me. Although the story is already two years old.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- So is that why her growth has stopped? Stocking up her life. It&#039;s not even as if she&#039;s a vampire.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Heh, Touko smirks with the end of the lips curled up.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So, how do you write that kid&#039;s name? It would be in kanji wouldn&#039;t it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shiki(數) from (神), why?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Is it the Shiki of Shikigami(式)? And her family name is Ryougi at that. That&#039;s just perfect.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rubbing out the cigarette she had been biting on the ashtray, Touko stands up as if she can&#039;t tolerate something.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Was that hospital in the suburbs? This is getting interesting... I&#039;ll be right back.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Without waiting for a reply Touko leaves the office behind her.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I can&#039;t believe I&#039;m getting involved in this sort of nonsense at a place like this, what kind of fate is this? Touko bites her lips.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/2&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ryougi Shiki&#039;s recovery was a few days later.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The fact that the situation doesn&#039;t even allow for the relatives to visit means that normal visits are out of the question.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is it because of that?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is that the reason that the new employee is concentrating on his deskwork with a sulkiness which makes it seem that his whole person has undergone a change.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It&#039;s gloomy, too gloomy.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yes ma&#039;am. A light, I&#039;ll obtain one that&#039;s suitable.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He replies without even looking at Touko.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There are times when a dutiful person will show absurdly eccentric conduct as a result of having missed something. Thinking this teen was of that sort, Touko spoke to him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Don&#039;t think so obsessively about it. You seem ready to just charge in there tonight or something.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Impossible ma&#039;am. That hospital, the security is nothing short of a research lab.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Compared to the casual way he replied, it seems as if he&#039;s carried out a pretty through investigation.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko shrugs, thinking &#039;well I can&#039;t let a brand new employee become a criminal.&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... I was going to stay quiet about this, but since you are so agitated I&#039;ll tell. I&#039;m going to be working at the hospital as a stand-in from tomorrow. I&#039;ll find out how Ryougi shiki is so just sit tight for now.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- What?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It just so happened that I got invited as a doctor. Normally I would have refused but this time it&#039;s not as if it&#039;s someone else&#039;s business. Seeing as I dragged the story out of you I thought that I had to at least do this for you.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko speaks as if it&#039;s no big deal.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rising up from his chair, he approaches Touko and grabs hold of her two hands. Voom, voom. The two people&#039;s hands go up and down. ... Not realizing that this was an expression of his admiration, Touko stared at him with a stiff face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You have some strange hobbies, don&#039;t you?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;m delighted, in fact I&#039;m stunned. There&#039;s a gentle and virtuous side to Touko-san like in other people after all!&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... I realised I&#039;m not like others, but I think it&#039;s better not to say things like that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Sorry, I wasn&#039;t thinking. Ah, so that&#039;s why you are dressed formally today. It look very smart, it really suits you. I couldn&#039;t recognize you!&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... My outfits the same as always but, whatever, I&#039;ll accept the compliments.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s useless to say anything, Touko realised and quietly folded things up.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So don&#039;t do anything rash. Even without that sort of thing that hospital is strange. You will sit here and look after the office, got it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At that the till then hyperactive employee settled down.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Strange, you mean that hospital?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yeah. There&#039;s a ward placed there for something. It seems like another magician was meddling with things. Of course the target wasn&#039;t Ryougi Shiki. If it was they wouldn&#039;t have held off for two years.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was a whopper of a lie but the confident way in which she spoke meant he didn&#039;t suspect a thing.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Uhm, a ward. That&#039;s like the second floor of this building isn&#039;t it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yep. A ward is something of different levels which isolates a specified area. They range from ones that really create a wall to ones that cover the target area with an invisible barrier. The highest ranking wards are a form of subliminal coercion that goes, &#039;nothing has been done but no one approaches&#039;. It&#039;s the same as this building. If you put in place a suggestion like &#039;Anyone who does not have a reason to come here will not be conscious of this place&#039;, a ward will be formed which will continue to exist without anyone noticing. A ward that just mimics another world and makes people realise that something is wrong is the worst of the worst.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A strangeness which prevents you from noticing strangeness, that is her rule of vacancy. A ward which everyone ignores and passes although it&#039;s on the map. A world where a pre-eminent magician lives, appears to be just like any other neighboring house.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But that ward, this new employee unconsciously broke it. This building which he shouldn&#039;t be able to find unless he knew Aozaki Touko, he found too easily.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... Well, that is also the reason she hired him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... So, is that hospital&#039;s ward a dangerous one?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Try listening to what someone is saying. A ward itself does no harm. That word, it originates from Buddhism. A ward is always something that isolates an area from the outside world. Although the word has somehow come to mean the technique by which a magician protects his or her body.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Understand? I said this just before but the best wards don&#039;t feel weird to a normal person. Shall we call it &#039;an idea which forces itself on the unconscious mind&#039;. The best of the best reach the stage of &#039;disconnection of space&#039;, but if you go that far you are looking at mages not sorcerers. Currently there&#039;s only one mage in this country, so basically that kind of ward just can&#039;t be formed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Well nothing that powerful was formed, but the ward placed around that hospital is pretty complex. It&#039;s good enough that even I didn&#039;t notice it for a while. There&#039;s a ward specialist that I know, this skill is at the same level as that guy.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
... Well, among ward specialists there are a lot of philosophers. Most of them are well distanced from anything accompanied by violence so it should be alright nor now.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That&#039;s right, there&#039;s no danger in the ward itself. The problem is what is happening within the bounds of that space cut off from the rest of the world. That hospital&#039;s ward is aimed inwards not outwards. In short, it&#039;s of the kind that makes it so no one notices no matter what happens within the building. For example if a room was to explode in the middle of the night not one person would wake up because of the noise.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko didn&#039;t tell him that. Saying something about the time creeping along, she walked out with her eyes focused on the clock.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
His voices catches on her narrow back.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Touko-san. Shiki, take good care of her.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Alright, Touko says while waving. He asks her another trivial question even though she didn&#039;t even bother to turn around.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Ah, yes. Touko-san, who&#039;s that ward specialist you know?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tock, Touko&#039;s feet stop.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She falls into thought for a second then swings her head around to pierce him with her eyes as she replies.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Well, if it&#039;s a ward specialist of course it&#039;s a monk.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/3&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Around six days had passed since Touko was invited to the hospital as a provisional doctor. Every time Touko passed on the news that Ryougi Shiki was improving everyday to her employee, she couldn&#039;t help but have one little worry.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is, whether or not the Ryougi Shiki of the present and the Ryougi Shiki of the past were the same to another person.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Taking physiotherapy twice a day and getting a CT scan is like her work. You&#039;ll be able to see her on the day she&#039;s released so just wait a little more.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Having come back from the hospital Touko smooths out her orange necktie and sits on the desk.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The time of evening with Summer just ahead.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The red light of the sunset dies the lightless interior of the office a dark orange.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Physiotherapy twice a day? Is it okay with just that? Shiki has been asleep for two years,&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;They say they moved her joints for her even though the patient was asleep. On top of that physiotherapy isn&#039;t exercise. Five minutes a day is sufficient. Originally the term rehabilitation isn&#039;t a medical term. It means the recovery of your dignity as a human. That&#039;s how Ryougi Shiki, who has been lying around until now, has been able to regain the feeling that she is human. The body&#039;s recovery, well that&#039;s a different story.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko lights the cigarette she&#039;s holding in her mouth, cutting off the conversation for a while.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But you know. The problem isn&#039;t on the side of the body but instead its the mind. That kid is becoming different from the Ryougi Shiki of before.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- is it, memory loss?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As if he had prepared for such a thing, he hesitantly says something stupid.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Hmm, I wonder. I believe her personality itself is the same as before. There hasn&#039;t been a change to Ryougi Shiki herself. What has changed is Shiki. I don&#039;t know if this will come as a shock to you.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;m plenty used to this kind of thing by now. Please explain fully. Shiki... what&#039;s happened to her?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Mmm, to tell the truth. She&#039;s completely empty.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Shiki who until now had always carried around another person inside of her. But SHIKI no longer exists. No, she must be unsure whether or not she&#039;s even Shiki or SHIKI.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
When she woke up SHIKI was already gone from inside her. Through his loss her mind has become a blank space. Maybe --- that kid won&#039;t be able to stand the empty space... Her heart is empty. Like a hole it&#039;s completely open. Even the air passes through like the wind.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;What do you mean SHIKI&#039;s gone --- how come?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He probably died in Shiki&#039;s stead. However it happened, Ryougi Shiki died in that accident two years ago. You might misunderstand since she&#039;s somehow still alive but just assume for a minute that she died. Ryougi Shiki came back to life as a new entity inside the body of Ryougi Shiki. To the Shiki of now, the Shiki of the past, and the Shiki of the present derived from those memories are nothing but strangers. No one can accept another person&#039;s history as being theirs. That child will perhaps be spending her nights with the thought that &#039;I&#039;m still not myself&#039;.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Another person? So, Shiki can&#039;t remember the things that have happened?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;No, she remembers. At present she is definitely the Shiki you know. The reason she&#039;s still alive is because she had the equal but separate personalities of Shiki and SHIKI.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Ryougi Shiki suffered a death of the mind due to the accident. Let&#039;s say that SHIKI accepted the role of dying at that time. So although she should have died at that moment, Shiki was still there in her brain and as a consequence her mind didn&#039;t die. Shiki has been asleep because of the death of Ryougi Shiki, but since it was SHIKI that died she was able to survive.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
And so --- she was in a coma for two years, and although her body kept functioning she didn&#039;t grow. All because she was dead yet still alive.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
But the revived her is different to the past Shiki in the details. It&#039;s not so bad as to call it memory loss but she probably won&#039;t be able to bring to mind any memories unless she needs to.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
You can&#039;t say it&#039;s another person or that it&#039;s a complete stranger but she&#039;s now different from the Shiki you&#039;ve know till now. A third personality which is an amalgam of the personalities of Shiki and SHIKI, it would be most appropriate to accept her as such.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... That&#039;s what she said, but in reality such a thing could not happen.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As long as Shiki was Ryougi, there was no need to mix with SHIKI who was her other half, and Shiki wouldn&#039;t be able to fill the hole left by SHIKI&#039;s absence by herself.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Avoiding any reference to that fact Touko continues talking.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even if she&#039;s revived as a wholly different person she&#039;s still Ryougi Shiki. No matter how little confidence you have in the fact that you are you --- that child is still Ryougi Shiki. Right now she probably can&#039;t even feel that she&#039;s alive, but the time will come when she will accept that she is Shiki.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
A rose is born as a rose. It doesn&#039;t become a different flower just because the ground it&#039;s on and the water it receives changes.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So don&#039;t be so hung up over it all, she added in a whisper.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Eventually an empty hole has to be filled. She will have to build a new self, not based on her memories of the past but through her experiences in the present. That&#039;s a garan (shrine) that no one can help her build. It&#039;s not something another person should meddle in. In short all you have to do is treat her as you&#039;ve always done. Oh, and it seemed like they were going to release her pretty soon.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Throwing the burnt down cigarette stub out the window Touko raises her arms and straightens her back.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crick, crick, crack. The sound her bones make can be clearly heard.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I knew I shouldn&#039;t have done something I&#039;m not used to. The cigarettes tasted so bad that I was about to go crazy.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She talked while letting out a long sigh as if she was tired of the world.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>218.186.8.13</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Void_Shrine&amp;diff=13199</id>
		<title>Kara no Kyoukai:Void Shrine</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Void_Shrine&amp;diff=13199"/>
		<updated>2007-03-28T23:38:44Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;218.186.8.13: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;Garan-no-Dou&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/1&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aozaki Touko first heard the story of the person called Ryougi Shiki on a nice afternoon, not long after they had just entered the month of June.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The origin of it all was that the new employee she had just hired on an impulse was Ryougi Shiki&#039;s friend, and as a way to pass the time she lent an ear to his story.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to his tale the person called Ryougi Shiki fell into a coma state after a traffic accident 2 years ago. She was retaining her life functions but there was no possibility of her waking up. Not only that but the growth of her body also seemed to have stopped. At first Touko couldn&#039;t believe this apparent contradiction, how could a person&#039;s life functions continue while they&#039;ve stopped growing.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Hmm, the only living organisms that don&#039;t grow are dead things. No, the pressure of time even affects the dead. A corpse passes through the growth called decay and returns to the earth. The only thing that moves but doesn&#039;t grow would be that wind-up doll you brought in and set loose a while ago.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But it&#039;s true. After the accident it looks like she hasn&#039;t aged a bit. Are there any other cases where a person is in a coma for which there&#039;s no explainable cause Touko-san?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the new employee&#039;s question Touko goes &#039;hmmm&#039; and crosses her arms.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Let&#039;s see. There was that famous one in that country over there. Where a newly married woman in her twenties fell into a coma. She woke up after fifty years had passed, don&#039;t you know that one?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In reply to Touko&#039;s words the new employee says no and shakes his head.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Uh, how was that person when she woke up?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Extremely normal. As if she hadn&#039;t been sleeping for 50 long years. Her mind was revived just as it had been in her twenties, apparently it made her husband sad.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- Eh? Sad, how come? His wife&#039;s recovery should be a joyous occurrence.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The thing is, her mind was still just as it was in her twenties but her body had grown old into it seventies. Even in a coma state, leaving something alive means degrading it, you can&#039;t do anything about that.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So this seventy year old granny is always urging her husband to go out as if she&#039;s till in her twenties. The husband has lived the seventy years normally so he&#039;s normal. The problem is the wife. Because fifty years have flowed past without her knowledge, she can&#039;t accept the fact no matter how you explain it. It&#039;s not that she doesn&#039;t want to accept it, she really can&#039;t conceive of it as the truth.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s a tragedy among tragedies. They say that the lady who wanted to go out to play with that wrinkled face of hers was persuaded not to by her husband who was in tears. They also say that he had this thought: If it was going to be like this it would have been better if she hadn&#039;t woken up at all.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
How was it? This dream-like tragedy, it&#039;s actually something that happened in the past. Was it useful?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For a wonder he actually nodded in response to Touko&#039;s sarcastic question.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Oh, are you onto something?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He gave a small nod to the impishly smiling Touko.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...Yeah, a little. I&#039;m thinking it might be like this. That Shiki might be trying not to wake up.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It sounds like there&#039;s a past there. Good. Since I&#039;m bored shall I listen to the story as a way to pass the time?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He gets angry at Touko who really thinks of it as just another way to kill time and turns away.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;No thank you. Touko-san, your insensitivity is a real problem.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;What, you are the one who brought it up. I understand, so spill it. It&#039;s not just a whim for me either. That Azaka, every time she rings it&#039;s Shiki this and Shiki that. If I have no idea as to what kind of person this Shiki is I can&#039;t reply can I?&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the mention of Azaka&#039;s name he gets a sour face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;ve been meaning to ask you for a while but, how did my little sister come to know you Touko-san?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;One year ago at a tourist spot. I got caught up in an impossible situation and my cover was totally blown.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...Well, okay, but Azaka is a very naive child so please avoid that talk of what&#039;s there and what&#039;s not around her. Since she&#039;s in that period where I&#039;m worried about her even without her getting involved in all that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Azaka... Naive? Well, your relationship with your little sister is your problem so I won&#039;t get involved. Instead share that story about that kid called Shiki.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unable to withstand Touko who had pushed herself onto the desk, he began talking.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About his friend Ryougi Shiki&#039;s personality and her unique character.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
During high school he and Ryougi Shiki were classmates. He had a relationship with the name Ryougi Shiki before entering high school, and after getting put in the same class as her became friends. The only person to have a friendly relationship with Ryougi Shiki, who didn&#039;t want any friends, was him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But, after the street murders during the first year of high school, Ryougi Shiki began changing in a strange way.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She confessed to him that she had a dual personality, and that her other side enjoyed murder.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To be truthful, how R. Shiki was connected to the street murders two years ago is still a mystery. Before anything could be confirmed she had an accident in front of his eyes and was moved to the hospital.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
During the first days of March, on that cold night of the falling rains.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That kind of story about someone&#039;s life. Touko treats it as just another story told over a beer, but as the story progresses the smile disappears from her face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- That&#039;s all there is to know about the relationship between Shiki and me. Although the story is already two years old.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- So is that why her growth has stopped? Stocking up her life. It&#039;s not even as if she&#039;s a vampire.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Heh, Touko smirks with the end of the lips curled up.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So, how do you write that kid&#039;s name? It would be in kanji wouldn&#039;t it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shiki(數) from (神), why?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Is it the Shiki of Shikigami(式)? And her family name is Ryougi at that. That&#039;s just perfect.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rubbing out the cigarette she had been biting on the ashtray, Touko stands up as if she can&#039;t tolerate something.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Was that hospital in the suburbs? This is getting interesting... I&#039;ll be right back.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Without waiting for a reply Touko leaves the office behind her.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I can&#039;t believe I&#039;m getting involved in this sort of nonsense at a place like this, what kind of fate is this? Touko bites her lips.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/2&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ryougi Shiki&#039;s recovery was a few days later.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The fact that the situation doesn&#039;t even allow for the relatives to visit means that normal visits are out of the question.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is it because of that?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is that the reason that the new employee is concentrating on his deskwork with a sulkiness which makes it seem that his whole person has undergone a change.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It&#039;s gloomy, too gloomy.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yes ma&#039;am. A light, I&#039;ll obtain one that&#039;s suitable.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He replies without even looking at Touko.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There are times when a dutiful person will show absurdly eccentric conduct as a result of having missed something. Thinking this teen was of that sort, Touko spoke to him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Don&#039;t think so obsessively about it. You seem ready to just charge in there tonight or something.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Impossible ma&#039;am. That hospital, the security is nothing short of a research lab.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Compared to the casual way he replied, it seems as if he&#039;s carried out a pretty through investigation.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko shrugs, thinking &#039;well I can&#039;t let a brand new employee become a criminal.&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... I was going to stay quiet about this, but since you are so agitated I&#039;ll tell. I&#039;m going to be working at the hospital as a stand-in from tomorrow. I&#039;ll find out how Ryougi shiki is so just sit tight for now.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- What?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It just so happened that I got invited as a doctor. Normally I would have refused but this time it&#039;s not as if it&#039;s someone else&#039;s business. Seeing as I dragged the story out of you I thought that I had to at least do this for you.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko speaks as if it&#039;s no big deal.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rising up from his chair, he approaches Touko and grabs hold of her two hands. Voom, voom. The two people&#039;s hands go up and down. ... Not realizing that this was an expression of his admiration, Touko stared at him with a stiff face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You have some strange hobbies, don&#039;t you?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;m delighted, in fact I&#039;m stunned. There&#039;s a gentle and virtuous side to Touko-san like in other people after all!&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... I realised I&#039;m not like others, but I think it&#039;s better not to say things like that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Sorry, I wasn&#039;t thinking. Ah, so that&#039;s why you are dressed formally today. It look very smart, it really suits you. I couldn&#039;t recognize you!&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... My outfits the same as always but, whatever, I&#039;ll accept the compliments.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s useless to say anything, Touko realised and quietly folded things up.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So don&#039;t do anything rash. Even without that sort of thing that hospital is strange. You will sit here and look after the office, got it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At that the till then hyperactive employee settled down.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Strange, you mean that hospital?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yeah. There&#039;s a ward placed there for something. It seems like another magician was meddling with things. Of course the target wasn&#039;t Ryougi Shiki. If it was they wouldn&#039;t have held off for two years.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was a whopper of a lie but the confident way in which she spoke meant he didn&#039;t suspect a thing.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Uhm, a ward. That&#039;s like the second floor of this building isn&#039;t it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yep. A ward is something of different levels which isolates a specified area. They range from ones that really create a wall to ones that cover the target area with an invisible barrier. The highest ranking wards are a form of subliminal coercion that goes, &#039;nothing has been done but no one approaches&#039;. It&#039;s the same as this building. If you put in place a suggestion like &#039;Anyone who does not have a reason to come here will not be conscious of this place&#039;, a ward will be formed which will continue to exist without anyone noticing. A ward that just mimics another world and makes people realise that something is wrong is the worst of the worst.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A strangeness which prevents you from noticing strangeness, that is her rule of vacancy. A ward which everyone ignores and passes although it&#039;s on the map. A world where a pre-eminent magician lives, appears to be just like any other neighboring house.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But that ward, this new employee unconsciously broke it. This building which he shouldn&#039;t be able to find unless he knew Aozaki Touko, he found too easily.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... Well, that is also the reason she hired him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... So, is that hospital&#039;s ward a dangerous one?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Try listening to what someone is saying. A ward itself does no harm. That word, it&#039;s originates from Buddhism. A ward is always something that isolates an area from the outside world. Although the word has somehow come to mean the technique by which a magician protects his or her body.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Understand? I said this just before but the best wards don&#039;t feel weird to a normal person. Shall we call it &#039;an idea which forces itself on the unconscious mind&#039;. The best of the best reach the stage of &#039;disconnection of space&#039;, but if you go that far you are looking at mages not sorcerers. Currently there&#039;s only one mage in this country, so basically that kind of ward just can&#039;t be formed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Well nothing that powerful was formed, but the ward placed around that hospital is pretty complex. It&#039;s good enough that even I didn&#039;t notice it for a while. There&#039;s a ward specialist that I know, this skill is at the same level as that guy.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
... Well, among ward specialists there are a lot of philosophers. Most of them are well distanced from anything accompanied by violence so it should be alright nor now.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That&#039;s right, there&#039;s no danger in the ward itself. The problem is what is happening within the bounds of that space cut off from the rest of the world. That hospital&#039;s ward is aimed inwards not outwards. In short, it&#039;s of the kind that makes it so no one notices no matter what happens within the building. For example if a room was to explode in the middle of the night not one person would wake up because of the noise.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko didn&#039;t tell him that. Saying something about the time creeping along, she walked out with her eyes focused on the clock.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
His voices catches on her narrow back.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Touko-san. Shiki, take good care of her.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Alright, Touko says while waving. He asks her another trivial question even though she didn&#039;t even bother to turn around.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Ah, yes. Touko-san, who&#039;s that ward specialist you know?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tock, Touko&#039;s feet stop.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She falls into thought for a second then swings her head around to pierce him with her eyes as she replies.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Well, if it&#039;s a ward specialist of course it&#039;s a monk.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/3&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Around six days had passed since Touko was invited to the hospital as a provisional doctor. Every time Touko passed on the news that Ryougi Shiki was improving everyday to her employee, she couldn&#039;t help but have one little worry.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is, whether or not the Ryougi Shiki of the present and the Ryougi Shiki of the past were the same to another person.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Taking physiotherapy twice a day and getting a CT scan is like her work. You&#039;ll be able to see her on the day she&#039;s released so just wait a little more.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Having come back from the hospital Touko smooths out her orange necktie and sits on the desk.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The time of evening with Summer just ahead.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The red light of the sunset dies the lightless interior of the office a dark orange.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Physiotherapy twice a day? Is it okay with just that? Shiki has been asleep for two years,&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;They say they moved her joints for her even though the patient was asleep. On top of that physiotherapy isn&#039;t exercise. Five minutes a day is sufficient. Originally the term rehabilitation isn&#039;t a medical term. It means the recovery of your dignity as a human. That&#039;s how Ryougi Shiki, who has been lying around until now, has been able to regain the feeling that she is human. The body&#039;s recovery, well that&#039;s a different story.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko lights the cigarette she&#039;s holding in her mouth, cutting off the conversation for a while.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But you know. The problem isn&#039;t on the side of the body but instead its the mind. That kid is becoming different from the Ryougi Shiki of before.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- is it, memory loss?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As if he had prepared for such a thing, he hesitantly says something stupid.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Hmm, I wonder. I believe her personality itself is the same as before. There hasn&#039;t been a change to Ryougi Shiki herself. What has changed is Shiki. I don&#039;t know if this will come as a shock to you.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;m plenty used to this kind of thing by now. Please explain fully. Shiki... what&#039;s happened to her?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Mmm, to tell the truth. She&#039;s completely empty.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Shiki who until now had always carried around another person inside of her. But SHIKI no longer exists. No, she must be unsure whether or not she&#039;s even Shiki or SHIKI.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
When she woke up SHIKI was already gone from inside her. Through his loss her mind has become a blank space. Maybe --- that kid won&#039;t be able to stand the empty space... Her heart is empty. Like a hole it&#039;s completely open. Even the air passes through like the wind.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;What do you mean SHIKI&#039;s gone --- how come?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He probably died in Shiki&#039;s stead. However it happened, Ryougi Shiki died in that accident two years ago. You might misunderstand since she&#039;s somehow still alive but just assume for a minute that she died. Ryougi Shiki came back to life as a new entity inside the body of Ryougi Shiki. To the Shiki of now, the Shiki of the past, and the Shiki of the present derived from those memories are nothing but strangers. No one can accept another person&#039;s history as being theirs. That child will perhaps be spending her nights with the thought that &#039;I&#039;m still not myself&#039;.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Another person? So, Shiki can&#039;t remember the things that have happened?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;No, she remembers. At present she is definitely the Shiki you know. The reason she&#039;s still alive is because she had the equal but separate personalities of Shiki and SHIKI.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Ryougi Shiki suffered a death of the mind due to the accident. Let&#039;s say that SHIKI accepted the role of dying at that time. So although she should have died at that moment, Shiki was still there in her brain and as a consequence her mind didn&#039;t die. Shiki has been asleep because of the death of Ryougi Shiki, but since it was SHIKI that died she was able to survive.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
And so --- she was in a coma for two years, and although her body kept functioning she didn&#039;t grow. All because she was dead yet still alive.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
But the revived her is different to the past Shiki in the details. It&#039;s not so bad as to call it memory loss but she probably won&#039;t be able to bring to mind any memories unless she needs to.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
You can&#039;t say it&#039;s another person or that it&#039;s a complete stranger but she&#039;s now different from the Shiki you&#039;ve know till now. A third personality which is an amalgam of the personalities of Shiki and SHIKI, it would be most appropriate to accept her as such.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... That&#039;s what she said, but in reality such a thing could not happen.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As long as Shiki was Ryougi, there was no need to mix with SHIKI who was her other half, and Shiki wouldn&#039;t be able to fill the hole left by SHIKI&#039;s absence by herself.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Avoiding any reference to that fact Touko continues talking.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even if she&#039;s revived as a wholly different person she&#039;s still Ryougi Shiki. No matter how little confidence you have in the fact that you are you --- that child is still Ryougi Shiki. Right now she probably can&#039;t even feel that she&#039;s alive, but the time will come when she will accept that she is Shiki.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
A rose is born as a rose. It doesn&#039;t become a different flower just because the ground it&#039;s on and the water it receives changes.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So don&#039;t be so hung up over it all, she added in a whisper.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Eventually an empty hole has to be filled. She will have to build a new self, not based on her memories of the past but through her experiences in the present. That&#039;s a garan (shrine) that no one can help her build. It&#039;s not something another person should meddle in. In short all you have to do is treat her as you&#039;ve always done. Oh, and it seemed like they were going to release her pretty soon.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Throwing the burnt down cigarette stub out the window Touko raises her arms and straightens her back.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crick, crick, crack. The sound her bones make can be clearly heard.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I knew I shouldn&#039;t have done something I&#039;m not used to. The cigarettes tasted so bad that I was about to go crazy.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She talked while letting out a long sigh as if she was tired of the world.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>218.186.8.13</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Void_Shrine&amp;diff=13198</id>
		<title>Kara no Kyoukai:Void Shrine</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Void_Shrine&amp;diff=13198"/>
		<updated>2007-03-28T23:32:42Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;218.186.8.13: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;Garan-no-Dou&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/1&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aozaki Touko first heard the story of the person called Ryougi Shiki on a nice afternoon, not long after they had just entered the month of June.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The origin of it all was that the new employee she had just hired on an impulse was Ryougi Shiki&#039;s friend, and as a way to pass the time she lent an ear to his story.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to his tale the person called Ryougi Shiki fell into a coma state after a traffic accident 2 years ago. She was retaining her life functions but there was no possibility of her waking up. Not only that but the growth of her body also seemed to have stopped. At first Touko couldn&#039;t believe this apparent contradiction, how could a person&#039;s life functions continue while they&#039;ve stopped growing.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Hmm, the only living organisms that don&#039;t grow are dead things. No, the pressure of time even affects the dead. A corpse passes through the growth called decay and returns to the earth. The only thing that moves but doesn&#039;t grow would be that wind-up doll you brought in and set loose a while ago.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But it&#039;s true. After the accident it looks like she hasn&#039;t aged a bit. Are there any other cases where a person is in a coma for which there&#039;s no explainable cause Touko-san?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the new employee&#039;s question Touko goes &#039;hmmm&#039; and crosses her arms.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Let&#039;s see. There was that famous one in that country over there. Where a newly married woman in her twenties fell into a coma. She woke up after fifty years had passed, don&#039;t you know that one?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In reply to Touko&#039;s words the new employee says no and shakes his head.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Uh, how was that person when she woke up?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Extremely normal. As if she hadn&#039;t been sleeping for 50 long years. Her mind was revived just as it had been in her twenties, apparently it made her husband sad.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- Eh? Sad, how come? His wife&#039;s recovery should be a joyous occurrence.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The thing is, her mind was still just as it was in her twenties but her body had grown old into it seventies. Even in a coma state, leaving something alive means degrading it, you can&#039;t do anything about that.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So this seventy year old granny is always urging her husband to go out as if she&#039;s till in her twenties. The husband has lived the seventy years normally so he&#039;s normal. The problem is the wife. Because fifty years have flowed past without her knowledge, she can&#039;t accept the fact no matter how you explain it. It&#039;s not that she doesn&#039;t want to accept it, she really can&#039;t conceive of it as the truth.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s a tragedy among tragedies. They say that the lady who wanted to go out to play with that wrinkled face of hers was persuaded not to by her husband who was in tears. They also say that he had this thought: If it was going to be like this it would have been better if she hadn&#039;t woken up at all.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
How was it? This dream-like tragedy, it&#039;s actually something that happened in the past. Was it useful?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For a wonder he actually nodded in response to Touko&#039;s sarcastic question.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Oh, are you onto something?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He gave a small nod to the impishly smiling Touko.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...Yeah, a little. I&#039;m thinking it might be like this. That Shiki might be trying not to wake up.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It sounds like there&#039;s a past there. Good. Since I&#039;m bored shall I listen to the story as a way to pass the time?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He gets angry at Touko who really thinks of it as just another way to kill time and turns away.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;No thank you. Touko-san, your insensitivity is a real problem.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;What, you are the one who brought it up. I understand, so spill it. It&#039;s not just a whim for me either. That Azaka, every time she rings it&#039;s Shiki this and Shiki that. If I have no idea as to what kind of person this Shiki is I can&#039;t reply can I?&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the mention of Azaka&#039;s name he gets a sour face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;ve been meaning to ask you for a while but, how did my little sister come to know you Touko-san?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;One year ago at a tourist spot. I got caught up in an impossible situation and my cover was totally blown.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...Well, okay, but Azaka is a very naive child so please avoid that talk of what&#039;s there and what&#039;s not around her. Since she&#039;s in that period where I&#039;m worried about her even without her getting involved in all that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Azaka... Naive? Well, your relationship with your little sister is your problem so I won&#039;t get involved. Instead share that story about that kid called Shiki.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unable to withstand Touko who had pushed herself onto the desk, he began talking.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About his friend Ryougi Shiki&#039;s personality and her unique character.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
During high school he and Ryougi Shiki were classmates. He had a relationship with the name Ryougi Shiki before entering high school, and after getting put in the same class as her became friends. The only person to have a friendly relationship with Ryougi Shiki, who didn&#039;t want any friends, was him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But, after the street murders during the first year of high school, Ryougi Shiki began changing in a strange way.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She confessed to him that she had a dual personality, and that her other side enjoyed murder.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To be truthful, how R. Shiki was connected to the street murders two years ago is still a mystery. Before anything could be confirmed she had an accident in front of his eyes and was moved to the hospital.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
During the first days of March, on that cold night of the falling rains.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That kind of story about someone&#039;s life. Touko treats it as just another story told over a beer, but as the story progresses the smile disappears from her face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- That&#039;s all there is to know about the relationship between Shiki and me. Although the story is already two years old.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- So is that why her growth has stopped? Stocking up her life. It&#039;s not even as if she&#039;s a vampire.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Heh, Touko smirks with the end of the lips curled up.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So, how do you write that kid&#039;s name? It would be in kanji wouldn&#039;t it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shiki(數) from (神), why?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Is it the Shiki of Shikigami(式)? And her family name is Ryougi at that. That&#039;s just perfect.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rubbing out the cigarette she had been biting on the ashtray, Touko stands up as if she can&#039;t tolerate something.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Was that hospital in the suburbs? This is getting interesting... I&#039;ll be right back.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Without waiting for a reply Touko leaves the office behind her.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I can&#039;t believe I&#039;m getting involved in this sort of nonsense at a place like this, what kind of fate is this? Touko bites her lips.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/2&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ryougi Shiki&#039;s recovery was a few days later.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The fact that the situation doesn&#039;t even allow for the relatives to visit means that normal visits are out of the question.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is it because of that?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is that the reason that the new employee is concentrating on his deskwork with a sulkiness which makes it seem that his whole person has undergone a change.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It&#039;s gloomy, too gloomy.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yes ma&#039;am. A light, I&#039;ll obtain one that&#039;s suitable.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He replies without even looking at Touko.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There are times when a dutiful person will show absurdly eccentric conduct as a result of having missed something. Thinking this teen was of that sort, Touko spoke to him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Don&#039;t think so obsessively about it. You seem ready to just charge in their tonight or something.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Impossible ma&#039;am. That hospital, the security is nothing short of a research lab.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Compared to the casual way he replied, it seems as if he&#039;s carried out a pretty through investigation.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko shrugs, thinking &#039;well I can&#039;t let a brand new employee become a criminal.&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... I was going to stay quiet about this, but since you are so agitated I&#039;ll tell. I&#039;m going to be working at the hospital as a stand-in from tomorrow. I&#039;ll find out how Ryougi shiki is so just sit tight for now.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- What?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It just so happened that I got invited as a doctor. Normally I would have refused but this time it&#039;s not as if it&#039;s someone else&#039;s business. Seeing as I dragged the story out of you I thought that I had to at least do this for you.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko speaks as if it&#039;s no big deal.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rising up from his chair, he approaches Touko and grabs hold of her two hands. Voom, voom. The two people&#039;s hands go up and down. ... Not realizing that this was an expression of his admiration, Touko stared at him with a stiff face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You have some strange hobbies, don&#039;t you?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;m delighted, in fact I&#039;m stunned. There&#039;s a gentle and virtuous side to Touko-san like in other people after all!&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... I realised I&#039;m not like others, but I think it&#039;s better not to say things like that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Sorry, I wasn&#039;t thinking. Ah, so that&#039;s why you are dressed formally today. It look very smart, it really suits you. I couldn&#039;t recognize you!&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... My outfits the same as always but, whatever, I&#039;ll accept the compliments.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s useless to say anything, Touko realised and quietly folded things up.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So don&#039;t do anything rash. Even without that sort of thing that hospital is strange. You will sit here and look after the office, got it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At that the till then hyperactive employee settled down.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Strange, you mean that hospital?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yeah. There&#039;s a ward placed there for something. It seems like another magician was meddling with things. Of course the target wasn&#039;t Ryougi Shiki. If it was they wouldn&#039;t have held off for two years.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was a whopper of a lie but the confident way in which she spoke meant he didn&#039;t suspect a thing.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Uhm, a ward. That&#039;s like the second floor of this building isn&#039;t it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yep. A ward is something of different levels which isolates a specified area. They range from ones that really create a wall to ones that cover the target area with an invisible barrier. The highest ranking wards are a form of subliminal coercion that goes, &#039;nothing has been done but no one approaches&#039;. It&#039;s the same as this building. If you put in place a suggestion like &#039;Anyone who does not have a reason to come here will not be conscious of this place&#039;, a ward will be formed which will continue to exist without anyone noticing. A ward that just mimics another world and makes people realise that something is wrong is the worst of the worst.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A strangeness which prevents you from noticing strangeness, that is her rule of vacancy. A ward which everyone ignores and passes although it&#039;s on the map. A world where a pre-eminent magician lives, appears to be just like any other neighboring house.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But that ward, this new employee unconsciously broke it. This building which he shouldn&#039;t be able to find unless he knew Aozaki Touko, he found too easily.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... Well, that is also the reason she hired him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... So, is that hospital&#039;s ward a dangerous one?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Try listening to what someone is saying. A ward itself does no harm. That word, it&#039;s originates from Buddhism. A ward is always something that isolates an area from the outside world. Although the word has somehow come to mean the technique by which a magician protects his or her body.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Understand? I said this just before but the best wards don&#039;t feel weird to a normal person. Shall we call it &#039;an idea which forces itself on the unconscious mind&#039;. The best of the best reach the stage of &#039;disconnection of space&#039;, but if you go that far you are looking at mages not sorcerers. Currently there&#039;s only one mage in this country, so basically that kind of ward just can&#039;t be formed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Well nothing that powerful was formed, but the ward placed around that hospital is pretty complex. It&#039;s good enough that even I didn&#039;t notice it for a while. There&#039;s a ward specialist that I know, this skill is at the same level as that guy.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
... Well, among ward specialists there are a lot of philosophers. Most of them are well distanced from anything accompanied by violence so it should be alright nor now.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That&#039;s right, there&#039;s no danger in the ward itself. The problem is what is happening within the bounds of that space cut off from the rest of the world. That hospital&#039;s ward is aimed inwards not outwards. In short, it&#039;s of the kind that makes it so no one notices no matter what happens within the building. For example if a room was to explode in the middle of the night not one person would wake up because of the noise.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko didn&#039;t tell him that. Saying something about the time creeping along, she walked out with her eyes focused on the clock.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
His voices catches on her narrow back.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Touko-san. Shiki, take good care of her.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Alright, Touko says while waving. He asks her another trivial question even though she didn&#039;t even bother to turn around.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Ah, yes. Touko-san, who&#039;s that ward specialist you know?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tock, Touko&#039;s feet stop.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She falls into thought for a second then swings her head around to pierce him with her eyes as she replies.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Well, if it&#039;s a ward specialist of course it&#039;s a monk.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/3&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Around six days had passed since Touko was invited to the hospital as a provisional doctor. Every time Touko passed on the news that Ryougi Shiki was improving everyday to her employee, she couldn&#039;t help but have one little worry.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is, whether or not the Ryougi Shiki of the present and the Ryougi Shiki of the past were the same to another person.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Taking physiotherapy twice a day and getting a CT scan is like her work. You&#039;ll be able to see her on the day she&#039;s released so just wait a little more.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Having come back from the hospital Touko smooths out her orange necktie and sits on the desk.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The time of evening with Summer just ahead.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The red light of the sunset dies the lightless interior of the office a dark orange.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Physiotherapy twice a day? Is it okay with just that? Shiki has been asleep for two years,&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;They say they moved her joints for her even though the patient was asleep. On top of that physiotherapy isn&#039;t exercise. Five minutes a day is sufficient. Originally the term rehabilitation isn&#039;t a medical term. It means the recovery of your dignity as a human. That&#039;s how Ryougi Shiki, who has been lying around until now, has been able to regain the feeling that she is human. The body&#039;s recovery, well that&#039;s a different story.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko lights the cigarette she&#039;s holding in her mouth, cutting off the conversation for a while.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But you know. The problem isn&#039;t on the side of the body but instead its the mind. That kid is becoming different from the Ryougi Shiki of before.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- is it, memory loss?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As if he had prepared for such a thing, he hesitantly says something stupid.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Hmm, I wonder. I believe her personality itself is the same as before. There hasn&#039;t been a change to Ryougi Shiki herself. What has changed is Shiki. I don&#039;t know if this will come as a shock to you.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;m plenty used to this kind of thing by now. Please explain fully. Shiki... what&#039;s happened to her?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Mmm, to tell the truth. She&#039;s completely empty.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Shiki who until now had always carried around another person inside of her. But SHIKI no longer exists. No, she must be unsure whether or not she&#039;s even Shiki or SHIKI.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
When she woke up SHIKI was already gone from inside her. Through his loss her mind has become a blank space. Maybe --- that kid won&#039;t be able to stand the empty space... Her heart is empty. Like a hole it&#039;s completely open. Even the air passes through like the wind.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;What do you mean SHIKI&#039;s gone --- how come?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He probably died in Shiki&#039;s stead. However it happened, Ryougi Shiki died in that accident two years ago. You might misunderstand since she&#039;s somehow still alive but just assume for a minute that she died. Ryougi Shiki came back to life as a new entity inside the body of Ryougi Shiki. To the Shiki of now, the Shiki of the past, and the Shiki of the present derived from those memories are nothing but strangers. No one can accept another person&#039;s history as being theirs. That child will perhaps be spending her nights with the thought that &#039;I&#039;m still not myself&#039;.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Another person? So, Shiki can&#039;t remember the things that have happened?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;No, she remembers. At present she is definitely the Shiki you know. The reason she&#039;s still alive is because she had the equal but separate personalities of Shiki and SHIKI.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Ryougi Shiki suffered a death of the mind due to the accident. Let&#039;s say that SHIKI accepted the role of dying at that time. So although she should have died at that moment, Shiki was still there in her brain and as a consequence her mind didn&#039;t die. Shiki has been asleep because of the death of Ryougi Shiki, but since it was SHIKI that died she was able to survive.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
And so --- she was in a coma for two years, and although her body kept functioning she didn&#039;t grow. All because she was dead yet still alive.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
But the revived her is different to the past Shiki in the details. It&#039;s not so bad as to call it memory loss but she probably won&#039;t be able to bring to mind any memories unless she needs to.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
You can&#039;t say it&#039;s another person or that it&#039;s a complete stranger but she&#039;s now different from the Shiki you&#039;ve know till now. A third personality which is an amalgam of the personalities of Shiki and SHIKI, it would be most appropriate to accept her as such.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... That&#039;s what she said, but in reality such a thing could not happen.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As long as Shiki was Ryougi, there was no need to mix with SHIKI who was her other half, and Shiki wouldn&#039;t be able to fill the hole left by SHIKI&#039;s absence by herself.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Avoiding any reference to that fact Touko continues talking.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even if she&#039;s revived as a wholly different person she&#039;s still Ryougi Shiki. No matter how little confidence you have in the fact that you are you --- that child is still Ryougi Shiki. Right now she probably can&#039;t even feel that she&#039;s alive, but the time will come when she will accept that she is Shiki.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
A rose is born as a rose. It doesn&#039;t become a different flower just because the ground it&#039;s on and the water it receives changes.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So don&#039;t be so hung up over it all, she added in a whisper.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Eventually an empty hole has to be filled. She will have to build a new self, not based on her memories of the past but through her experiences in the present. That&#039;s a garan (shrine) that no one can help her build. It&#039;s not something another person should meddle in. In short all you have to do is treat her as you&#039;ve always done. Oh, and it seemed like they were going to release her pretty soon.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Throwing the burnt down cigarette stub out the window Touko raises her arms and straightens her back.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crick, crick, crack. The sound her bones make can be clearly heard.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I knew I shouldn&#039;t have done something I&#039;m not used to. The cigarettes tasted so bad that I was about to go crazy.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She talked while letting out a long sigh as if she was tired of the world.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>218.186.8.13</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Void_Shrine&amp;diff=13195</id>
		<title>Kara no Kyoukai:Void Shrine</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Void_Shrine&amp;diff=13195"/>
		<updated>2007-03-28T23:23:53Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;218.186.8.13: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&#039;&#039;&#039;Garan-no-Dou&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/1&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aozaki Touko first heard the story of the person called Ryougi Shiki on a nice afternoon, not long after they had just entered the month of June.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The origin of it all was that the new employee she had just hired on an impulse was Ryougi Shiki&#039;s friend, and as a way to pass the time she lent an ear to his story.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to his tale the person called Ryougi Shiki fell into a coma state after a traffic accident 2 years ago. She was retaining her life functions but there was no possibility of her waking up. Not only that but the growth of her body also seemed to have stopped. At first Touko couldn&#039;t believe this apparent contradiction, how could a person&#039;s life functions continue while they&#039;ve stopped growing.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Hmm, the only living organisms that don&#039;t grow are dead things. No, the pressure of time even affects the dead. A corpse passes through the growth called decay and returns to the earth. The only thing that moves but doesn&#039;t grow would be that wind-up doll you brought in and set loose a while ago.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But it&#039;s true. After the accident it looks like she hasn&#039;t aged a bit. Are there any other cases where a person is in a coma for which there&#039;s no explainable cause Touko-san?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the new employee&#039;s question Touko goes &#039;hmmm&#039; and crosses her arms.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Let&#039;s see. There was that famous one in that country over there. Where a newly married woman in her twenties fell into a coma. She woke up after fifty years had passed, don&#039;t you know that one?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In reply to Touko&#039;s words the new employee says no and shakes his head.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Uh, how was that person when she woke up?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Extremely normal. As if she hadn&#039;t been sleeping for 50 long years. Her mind was revived just as it had been in her twenties, apparently it made her husband sad.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- Eh? Sad, how come? His wife&#039;s recovery should be a joyous occurrence.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The thing is, her mind was still just as it was in her twenties but her body had grown old into it seventies. Even in a coma state, leaving something alive means degrading it, you can&#039;t do anything about that.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So this seventy year old granny is always urging her husband to go out as if she&#039;s till in her twenties. The husband has lived the seventy years normally so he&#039;s normal. The problem is the wife. Because fifty years have flowed past without her knowledge, she can&#039;t accept the fact no matter how you explain it. It&#039;s not that she doesn&#039;t want to accept it, she really can&#039;t conceive of it as the truth.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s a tragedy among tragedies. They say that the lady who wanted to go out to play with that wrinkled face of hers was persuaded not to by her husband who was in tears. They also say that he had this thought: If it was going to be like this it would have been better if she hadn&#039;t woken up at all.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
How was it? This dream-like tragedy, it&#039;s actually something that happened in the past. Was it useful?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For a wonder he actually nodded in response to Touko&#039;s sarcastic question.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Oh, are you onto something?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He gave a small nod to the impishly smiling Touko.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...Yeah, a little. I&#039;m thinking it might be like this. That Shiki might be trying not to wake up.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It sounds like there&#039;s a past there. Good. Since I&#039;m bored shall I listen to the story as a way to pass the time?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He gets angry at Touko who really thinks of it as just another way to kill time and turns away.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;No thank you. Touko-san, your insensitivity is a real problem.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;What, you are the one who brought it up. I understand, so spill it. It&#039;s not just a whim for me either. That Azaka, every time she rings it&#039;s Shiki this and Shiki that. If I have no idea as to what kind of person this Shiki is I can&#039;t reply can I?&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the mention of Azaka&#039;s name he gets a sour face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;ve been meaning to ask you for a while but, how did my little sister come to know you Touko-san?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;One year ago at a tourist spot. I got caught up in an impossible situation and my cover was totally blown.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...Well, okay, but Azaka is a very naive child so please avoid that talk of what&#039;s there and what&#039;s not around her. Since she&#039;s in that period where I&#039;m worried about her even without her getting involved in all that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Azaka... Naive? Well, your relationship with your little sister is your problem so I won&#039;t get involved. Instead share that story about that kid called Shiki.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unable to withstand Touko who had pushed herself onto the desk, he began talking.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About his friend Ryougi Shiki&#039;s personality and her unique character.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
During high school he and Ryougi Shiki were classmates. He had a relationship with the name Ryougi Shiki before entering high school, and after getting put in the same class as her became friends. The only person to have a friendly relationship with Ryougi Shiki, who didn&#039;t want any friends, was him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But, after the street murders during the first year of high school, Ryougi Shiki began changing in a strange way.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She confessed to him that she had a dual personality, and that her other side enjoyed murder.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To be truthful, how R. Shiki was connected to the street murders two years ago is still a mystery. Before anything could be confirmed she had an accident in front of his eyes and was moved to hospital.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
During the first days of March, on that cold night of the falling rains.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That kind of story about someone&#039;s life. Touko treats it as just another story told over a beer, but as the story progresses the smile disappears from her face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- That&#039;s all there is to know about the relationship between Shiki and me. Although the story is already two years old.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- So is that why her growth has stopped? Stocking up her life. It&#039;s not even as if she&#039;s a vampire.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Heh, Touko smirks with the end of the lips curled up.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So, how do you write that kid&#039;s name? It would be in kanji wouldn&#039;t it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shiki(數) from (神), why?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Is it the Shiki of Shikigami(式)? And her family name is Ryougi at that. That&#039;s just perfect.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rubbing out the cigarette she had been biting on the ashtray, Touko stands up as if she can&#039;t tolerate something.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Was that hospital in the suburbs? This is getting interesting... I&#039;ll be right back.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Without waiting for a reply Touko leaves the office behind her.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I can&#039;t believe I&#039;m getting involved in this sort of nonsense at a place like this, what kind of fate is this? Touko bites her lips.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/2&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ryougi Shiki&#039;s recovery was a few days later.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The fact that the situation doesn&#039;t even allow for the relatives to visit means that normal visits are out of the question.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is it because of that?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Is that the reason that the new employee is concentrating on his deskwork with a sulkiness which makes it seem that his whole person has undergone a change.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It&#039;s gloomy, too gloomy.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yes ma&#039;am. A light, I&#039;ll obtain one that&#039;s suitable.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He replies without even looking at Touko.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There are times when a dutiful person will show absurdly eccentric conduct as a result of having missed something. Thinking this teen was of that sort, Touko spoke to him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Don&#039;t think so obsessively about it. You seem ready to just charge in their tonight or something.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Impossible ma&#039;am. That hospital, the security is nothing short of a research lab.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Compared to the casual way he replied, it seems as if he&#039;s carried out a pretty through investigation.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko shrugs, thinking &#039;well I can&#039;t let a brand new employee become a criminal.&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... I was going to stay quiet about this, but since you are so agitated I&#039;ll tell. I&#039;m going to be working at the hospital as a stand-in from tomorrow. I&#039;ll find out how Ryougi shiki is so just sit tight for now.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- What?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It just so happened that I got invited as a doctor. Normally I would have refused but this time it&#039;s not as if it&#039;s someone else&#039;s business. Seeing as I dragged the story out of you I thought that I had to at least do this for you.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko speaks as if it&#039;s no big deal.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rising up from his chair, he approaches Touko and grabs hold of her two hands. Voom, voom. The two people&#039;s hands go up and down. ... Not realizing that this was an expression of his admiration, Touko stared at him with a stiff face.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You have some strange hobbies, don&#039;t you?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;m delighted, in fact I&#039;m stunned. There&#039;s a gentle and virtuous side to Touko-san like in other people after all!&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... I realised I&#039;m not like others, but I think it&#039;s better not to say things like that.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Sorry, I wasn&#039;t thinking. Ah, so that&#039;s why you are dressed formally today. It look very smart, it really suits you. I couldn&#039;t recognize you!&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... My outfits the same as always but, whatever, I&#039;ll accept the compliments.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&#039;s useless to say anything, Touko realised and quietly folded things up.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So don&#039;t do anything rash. Even without that sort of thing that hospital is strange. You will sit here and look after the office, got it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At that the till then hyperactive employee settled down.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Strange, you mean that hospital?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yeah. There&#039;s a ward placed there for something. It seems like another magician was meddling with things. Of course the target wasn&#039;t Ryougi Shiki. If it was they wouldn&#039;t have held off for two years.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was a whopper of a lie but the confident way in which she spoke meant he didn&#039;t suspect a thing.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Uhm, a ward. That&#039;s like the second floor of this building isn&#039;t it?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yep. A ward is something of different levels which isolates a specified area. They range from ones that really create a wall to ones that cover the target area with an invisible barrier. The highest ranking wards are a form of subliminal coercion that goes, &#039;nothing has been done but no one approaches&#039;. It&#039;s the same as this building. If you put in place a suggestion like &#039;Anyone who does not have a reason to come here will not be conscious of this place&#039;, a ward will be formed which will continue to exist without anyone noticing. A ward that just mimics another world and makes people realise that something is wrong is the worst of the worst.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A strangeness which prevents you from noticing strangeness, that is her rule of vacancy. A ward which everyone ignores and passes although it&#039;s on the map. A world where a pre-eminent magician lives, appears to be just like any other neighboring house.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But that ward, this new employee unconsciously broke it. This building which he shouldn&#039;t be able to find unless he knew Aozaki Touko, he found too easily.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... Well, that is also the reason she hired him.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... So, is that hospital&#039;s ward a dangerous one?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Try listening to what someone is saying. A ward itself does no harm. That word, it&#039;s originates from Buddhism. A ward is always something that isolates an area from the outside world. Although the word has somehow come to mean the technique by which a magician protects his or her body.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Understand? I said this just before but the best wards don&#039;t feel weird to a normal person. Shall we call it &#039;an idea which forces itself on the unconscious mind&#039;. The best of the best reach the stage of &#039;disconnection of space&#039;, but if you go that far you are looking at mages not sorcerers. Currently there&#039;s only one mage in this country, so basically that kind of ward just can&#039;t be formed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Well nothing that powerful was formed, but the ward placed around that hospital is pretty complex. It&#039;s good enough that even I didn&#039;t notice it for a while. There&#039;s a ward specialist that I know, this skill is at the same level as that guy.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
... Well, among ward specialists there are a lot of philosophers. Most of them are well distanced from anything accompanied by violence so it should be alright nor now.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That&#039;s right, there&#039;s no danger in the ward itself. The problem is what is happening within the bounds of that space cut off from the rest of the world. That hospital&#039;s ward is aimed inwards not outwards. In short, it&#039;s of the kind that makes it so no one notices no matter what happens within the building. For example if a room was to explode in the middle of the night not one person would wake up because of the noise.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko didn&#039;t tell him that. Saying something about the time creeping along, she walked out with her eyes focused on the clock.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
His voices catches on her narrow back.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Touko-san. Shiki, take good care of her.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Alright, Touko says while waving. He asks her another trivial question even though she didn&#039;t even bother to turn around.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Ah, yes. Touko-san, who&#039;s that ward specialist you know?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tock, Touko&#039;s feet stop.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She falls into thought for a second then swings her head around to pierce him with her eyes as she replies.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Well, if it&#039;s a ward specialist of course it&#039;s a monk.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;/3&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Around six days had passed since Touko was invited to the hospital as a provisional doctor. Every time Touko passed on the news that Ryougi Shiki was improving everyday to her employee, she couldn&#039;t help but have one little worry.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That is, whether or not the Ryougi Shiki of the present and the Ryougi Shiki of the past were the same to another person.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Taking physiotherapy twice a day and getting a CT scan is like her work. You&#039;ll be able to see her on the day she&#039;s released so just wait a little more.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Having come back from the hospital Touko smooths out her orange necktie and sits on the desk.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The time of evening with Summer just ahead.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The red light of the sunset dies the lightless interior of the office a dark orange.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Physiotherapy twice a day? Is it okay with just that? Shiki has been asleep for two years,&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;They say they moved her joints for her even though the patient was asleep. On top of that physiotherapy isn&#039;t exercise. Five minutes a day is sufficient. Originally the term rehabilitation isn&#039;t a medical term. It means the recovery of your dignity as a human. That&#039;s how Ryougi Shiki, who has been lying around until now, has been able to regain the feeling that she is human. The body&#039;s recovery, well that&#039;s a different story.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Touko lights the cigarette she&#039;s holding in her mouth, cutting off the conversation for a while.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But you know. The problem isn&#039;t on the side of the body but instead its the mind. That kid is becoming different from the Ryougi Shiki of before.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- is it, memory loss?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As if he had prepared for such a thing, he hesitantly says something stupid.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Hmm, I wonder. I believe her personality itself is the same as before. There hasn&#039;t been a change to Ryougi Shiki herself. What has changed is Shiki. I don&#039;t know if this will come as a shock to you.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I&#039;m plenty used to this kind of thing by now. Please explain fully. Shiki... what&#039;s happened to her?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Mmm, to tell the truth. She&#039;s completely empty.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Shiki who until now had always carried around another person inside of her. But SHIKI no longer exists. No, she must be unsure whether or not she&#039;s even Shiki or SHIKI.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
When she woke up SHIKI was already gone from inside her. Through his loss her mind has become a blank space. Maybe --- that kid won&#039;t be able to stand the empty space... Her heart is empty. Like a hole it&#039;s completely open. Even the air passes through like the wind.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;What do you mean SHIKI&#039;s gone --- how come?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He probably died in Shiki&#039;s stead. However it happened, Ryougi Shiki died in that accident two years ago. You might misunderstand since she&#039;s somehow still alive but just assume for a minute that she died. Ryougi Shiki came back to life as a new entity inside the body of Ryougi Shiki. To the Shiki of now, the Shiki of the past, and the Shiki of the present derived from those memories are nothing but strangers. No one can accept another person&#039;s history as being theirs. That child will perhaps be spending her nights with the thought that &#039;I&#039;m still not myself&#039;.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... Another person? So, Shiki can&#039;t remember the things that have happened?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;No, she remembers. At present she is definitely the Shiki you know. The reason she&#039;s still alive is because she had the equal but separate personalities of Shiki and SHIKI.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Ryougi Shiki suffered a death of the mind due to the accident. Let&#039;s say that SHIKI accepted the role of dying at that time. So although she should have died at that moment, Shiki was still there in her brain and as a consequence her mind didn&#039;t die. Shiki has been asleep because of the death of Ryougi Shiki, but since it was SHIKI that died she was able to survive.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
And so --- she was in a coma for two years, and although her body kept functioning she didn&#039;t grow. All because she was dead yet still alive.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
But the revived her is different to the past Shiki in the details. It&#039;s not so bad as to call it memory loss but she probably won&#039;t be able to bring to mind any memories unless she needs to.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
You can&#039;t say it&#039;s another person or that it&#039;s a complete stranger but she&#039;s now different from the Shiki you&#039;ve know till now. A third personality which is an amalgam of the personalities of Shiki and SHIKI, it would be most appropriate to accept her as such.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... That&#039;s what she said, but in reality such a thing could not happen.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As long as Shiki was Ryougi, there was no need to mix with SHIKI who was her other half, and Shiki wouldn&#039;t be able to fill the hole left by SHIKI&#039;s absence by herself.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Avoiding any reference to that fact Touko continues talking.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even if she&#039;s revived as a wholly different person she&#039;s still Ryougi Shiki. No matter how little confidence you have in the fact that you are you --- that child is still Ryougi Shiki. Right now she probably can&#039;t even feel that she&#039;s alive, but the time will come when she will accept that she is Shiki.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
A rose is born as a rose. It doesn&#039;t become a different flower just because the ground it&#039;s on and the water it receives changes.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So don&#039;t be so hung up over it all, she added in a whisper.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Eventually an empty hole has to be filled. She will have to build a new self, not based on her memories of the past but through her experiences in the present. That&#039;s a garan (shrine) that no one can help her build. It&#039;s not something another person should meddle in. In short all you have to do is treat her as you&#039;ve always done. Oh, and it seemed like they were going to release her pretty soon.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Throwing the burnt down cigarette stub out the window Touko raises her arms and straightens her back.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Crick, crick, crack. The sound her bones make can be clearly heard.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I knew I shouldn&#039;t have done something I&#039;m not used to. The cigarettes tasted so bad that I was about to go crazy.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She talked while letting out a long sigh as if she was tired of the world.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>218.186.8.13</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter04_03&amp;diff=13194</id>
		<title>Kara no Kyoukai:Chapter04 03</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter04_03&amp;diff=13194"/>
		<updated>2007-03-28T23:20:48Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;218.186.8.13: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;/3&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The something&#039;th morning after I woke up comes around. My eyes are still wrapped in bandages so I can&#039;t see a thing.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A quiet morning with no one around.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The wavelet-like silence is so dazzling that I lose my sense of self.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
-I can hear the chittering of little birds.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
-I can feel the warmth of the sunlight.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
-The clear air feels my lungs.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
-Ah. Compared to that world, this place is so beautiful.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But, there&#039;s a self that&#039;s not happy with this. Everytime I&#039;m wrapped in the morning air that I can only feel by sense, I just think:&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-They are this happy.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Humans are loners like this. Being alone is safest, so how come we can&#039;t bear being alone?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The past me was complete. Because I was self-sufficient, I didn&#039;t need anyone else. But, I&#039;m different now. I&#039;m no longer complete. I&#039;m waiting for a part I lack. I&#039;m just desperately waiting like this.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But just who am I waiting for... ?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The lady doctor who called herself a counsellor came daily. Before I knew it I seemed to be treating my talks with her as my only relief during the course of every mundane day.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Hmm, as expected. It&#039;s not that SHIKI didn&#039;t have control over the body, it&#039;s just that he didn&#039;t exercise it. You two keep getting more fascinating the more I hear about you.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Still bringing the chair over and sitting there next to the bed, the lady doctor talks as if she&#039;s amused by something. For some reason she knows my circumstances very well: the dual personality that only a few even within the Ryougi family know about, my involvement in the serial killer case 2 years ago. Those details that normally I would have to keep hiding, but to me they are inconsequential events anyway.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before I knew it I was responding to the counsellor&#039;s light teasing.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There&#039;s nothing funny about having a dual personality.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;No, no. You know, you two don&#039;t have anything as pleasing to look at as dissociative identity disorder. Existing simultaneously, each having their own unique will, and on top of that your actions are coordinated. That sort of complex personality shouldn&#039;t be termed dissociated identity but instead be called an united independent personality.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;United... independent personality?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yeah. Still, some questions remain. In that case there was no reason for SHIKI to stay asleep, but according to your story he was always sleeping. That part of it is a little strange.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
SHIKI who was always asleep.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... I&#039;m probably the only one who knows why.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
SHIKI, more than Shiki --- liked to dream.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So, is he still sleeping, that guy?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the lady doctor words I don&#039;t reply.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So that&#039;s how it is. He did die. Two years ago during the accident, in your stead.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
That&#039;s why you have an omission in your memory. Since he&#039;s dead those memories won&#039;t be coming back... How Ryougi Shiki was associated with the street serial killer, with this that knowledge has truely disappeared into the darkness.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;That event. They said that the criminal was never caught.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yeah. After your accident the criminal disappeared as if he were a lie.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I wonder to what point that is true, the lady doctor said with a laugh.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;However, there was no reason for SHIKI-kun to disappear. If he just stayed asleep ignoring the world outside, Shiki would have disappeared. For some reason he must have wish for himself to disappear.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That kind of thing, even if she asks me I don&#039;t have any answers.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I don&#039;t know. More importantly, did you bring the scissors?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Ah, as expected I couldn&#039;t. You have a history so any potential weapons are strictly forbidden.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The lady doctor&#039;s words are according to my expectations. Whether or not it was due to the daily rehab exercises, my body has recovered to the point where I can move easily by myself. They said that I am the first to recover so quickly with just a few minutes of exercise twice a day.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a celebration of sorts I asked the lady doctor for a pair of scissors.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But what are you going to use a pair of scissors for? Planning to do some flower arrangements?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As if, I just want to cut my hair.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That&#039;s why. Now that I can move my body, my hair that reaches my back has become inconvenient. Hair that bounces around from my neck and flows down to my shoulders is pretty annoying.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Then you can call a hairdresser. If you find it difficult to talk should I call one for you?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;No thanks. Another person touching my hair? I don&#039;t even want to think about it.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;That&#039;s right. To a woman her hair is her life. The fact that your hairs grown while you are the same as you were two years ago is a wonderful thing.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I can hear the lady doctor standing up.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So shall I give you this instead? It&#039;s a stone carved with a rune, it should do the same thing as a charm. I&#039;ll put it over your doorway so be careful not to lose it to anyone.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It seems that the lady doctor used her chair to place the charms or whatever it was over the door.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And just like that she opens the door.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Then, that&#039;s it for me. Someone else might come from tomorrow, so stay well.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Talking in a strange roundabout manner the lady doctor left.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That night the guest that always came to visit didn&#039;t appear. The smoke-like ghost that appears without failure at midnight, for some reason it didn&#039;t enter the room.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The smoke was coming every night and touching me.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I know that that is dangerous, but I just leave it alone. If that ghost gets angry at me and tries to kill me that&#039;s okay too.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No, rather, how comfortable would it be if it just killed me.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For me who cannot even feel that I&#039;m alive, there is no reason to keep living. Instead it would be easier to just disappear.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the darkness I try touching the bandage covering my eyes.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My sight will soon come back. In that case I will completely ruin my eyes this time around.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I can&#039;t see it now but if I fully recover it will be visible again. If I&#039;m going to see &#039;&#039;&#039;that&#039;&#039;&#039; world again I don&#039;t need something like these eyes. Even if destroying my eyes means I will be unable to see the world on this side of that divide, it&#039;s still better than that.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But until that moment I am unable to act.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Shiki of before would have destroyed her eyes without any hesitation, the current me is stopping at achieving a temporary darkness.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
--- it&#039;s so, pitiful.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While I have no will to live, I don&#039;t even have any will to die. This emotionless self of mine doesn&#039;t feel an attraction towards any action. I can only affirm another&#039;s will.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So if that un-identifiable smoke tries to kill me I have no thoughts of stopping it.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The thought of death holds no attractions for me but I don&#039;t feel like resisting it either.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Because... Happiness or sadness, if they are things I could only obtain as Ryougi Shiki...&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Then the present me has no reason to live on.&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>218.186.8.13</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter04_03&amp;diff=13192</id>
		<title>Kara no Kyoukai:Chapter04 03</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter04_03&amp;diff=13192"/>
		<updated>2007-03-28T23:17:06Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;218.186.8.13: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;/3&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The something&#039;th morning after I woke up comes around. My eyes are still wrapped in bandages so I can&#039;t see a thing.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A quiet morning with no one around.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The wavelet-like silence is so dazzling that I lose my sense of self.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
-I can hear the chittering of little birds.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
-I can feel the warmth of the sunlight.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
-The clear air feels my lungs.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
-Ah. Compared to that world, this place is so beautiful.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But, there&#039;s a self that&#039;s not happy with this. Everytime I&#039;m wrapped in the morning air that I can only feel by sense, I just think:&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-They are this happy.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Humans are loners like this. Being alone is safest, so how come we can&#039;t bear being alone?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The past me was complete. Because I was self-sufficient, I didn&#039;t need anyone else. But, I&#039;m different now. I&#039;m no longer complete. I&#039;m waiting for a part I lack. I&#039;m just desperately waiting like this.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But just who am I waiting for... ?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The lady doctor who called herself a counsellor came daily. Before I knew it I seemed to be treating my talks with her as my only relief during the course of every mundane day.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Hmm, as expected. It&#039;s not that SHIKI didn&#039;t have control over the body, it&#039;s just that he didn&#039;t exercise it. You two keep getting more fascinating the more I hear about you.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Still bringing the chair over and sitting there next to the bed, the lady doctor talks as if she&#039;s amused by something. For some reason she knows my circumstances very well: the dual personality that only a few even within the Ryougi family know about, my involvement in the serial killer case 2 years ago. Those details that normally I would have to keep hiding, but to me they are inconsequential events anyway.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before I knew it I was responding to the counsellor&#039;s light teasing.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There&#039;s nothing funny about having a dual personality.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;No, no. You know, you two don&#039;t have anything as pleasing to look at as dissociative identity disorder. Existing simultaneously, each having their own unique will, and on top of that your actions are coordinated. That sort of complex personality shouldn&#039;t be termed dissociated identity but instead be called an united independent personality.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;United... independent personality?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yeah. Still, some questions remain. In that case there was no reason for SHIKI to stay asleep, but according to your story he was always sleeping. That part of it is a little strange.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
SHIKI who was always asleep.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... I&#039;m probably the only one who knows why.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
SHIKI, more than Shiki --- liked to dream.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So, is he still sleeping, that guy?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the lady doctor words I don&#039;t reply.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So that&#039;s how it is. He did die. Two years ago during the accident, in your stead.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
That&#039;s why you have an omission in your memory. Since he&#039;s dead those memories won&#039;t be coming back... How Ryougi Shiki was associated with the street serial killer, with this that knowledge has truely disappeared into the darkness.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;That event. They said that the criminal was never caught.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yeah. After your accident the criminal disappeared as if he were a lie.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I wonder to what point that is true, the lady doctor said with a laugh.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;However, there was no reason for SHIKI-kun to disappear. If he just stayed asleep ignoring the world outside, Shiki would have disappeared. For some reason he must have wish for himself to disappear.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That kind of thing, even if she asks me I don&#039;t have any answers.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I don&#039;t know. More importantly, did you bring the scissors?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Ah, as expected I couldn&#039;t. You have a history so any potential weapons are strictly forbidden.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The lady doctor&#039;s words are according to my expectations. Whether or not it was due to the daily rehab exercises, my body has recovered to the point where I can move easily by myself. They said that I am the first to recover so quickly with just a few minutes of exercise twice a day.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a celebration of sorts I asked the lady doctor for a pair of scissors.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But what are you going to use a pair of scissors for? Planning to do some flower arrangements?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As if, I just want to cut my hair.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That&#039;s why. Now that I can move my body, my hair that reaches my back has become inconvenient. Hair that bounces around from my neck and flows down to my shoulders is pretty annoying.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Then you can call a hairdresser. If you find it difficult to talk should I call one for you?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;No thanks. Another person touching my hair? I don&#039;t even want to think about it.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;That&#039;s right. To a woman her hair is her life. The fact that your hairs grown while you are the same as you were two years ago is a wonderful thing.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I can hear the lady doctor standing up.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So shall I give you this instead? It&#039;s a stone carved with a rune, it should do the same thing as a charm. I&#039;ll put it over your doorway so be careful not to lose it to anyone.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It seems that the lady doctor used her chair to place the charms or whatever it was over the door.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And just like that she opens the door.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Then, that&#039;s it for me. Someone else might come from tomorrow, so stay well.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Talking in a strange roundabout manner the lady doctor left.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That night the guest that always came to visit didn&#039;t appear. The smoke-like ghost that appears without failure at midnight, for some reason it didn&#039;t enter the room.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The smoke was coming every night and touching me.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I know that that is dangerous, but I just leave it alone. If that ghost gets angry at me and tries to kill me that&#039;s okay too.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No, rather, how comfortable would it be if it just killed me.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For me who cannot even feel that I&#039;m alive, there is no reason to keep living. Instead it would be easier to just disappear.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the darkness I try touching the bandage covering my eyes.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My sight will soon come back. In that case I will completely ruin my eyes this time around.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I can&#039;t see it now but if I fully recover it will be visible again. If I&#039;m going to see &#039;&#039;&#039;that&#039;&#039;&#039; world again I don&#039;t need something like these eyes. Even if destroying my eyes means I will be unable to see the world on this side of that divide, it&#039;s still better than that.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But until that moment I am unable to act.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Shiki of before would have destroyed her eyes without any hesitation, the current me is stopping at achieving a temporary darkness.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
--- it&#039;s so, pitiful.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While I have no will to live, I don&#039;t even have any will to die. This emotionless self of mine doesn&#039;t feel an attraction towards any action. I can only affirm another&#039;s will.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So if that un-identifiable smoke tries to kill me I have no thoughts no stopping it.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The thought of death holds no attractions for me but I don&#039;t feel like resisting it either.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Because... Happiness or sadness, if they are things I could only obtain as Ryougi Shiki...&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Then the present me has no reason to live on.&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>218.186.8.13</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter04_03&amp;diff=13191</id>
		<title>Kara no Kyoukai:Chapter04 03</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter04_03&amp;diff=13191"/>
		<updated>2007-03-28T23:15:38Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;218.186.8.13: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;/3&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The something&#039;th morning after I woke up comes around. My eyes are still wrapped in bandages so I can&#039;t see a thing.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A quiet morning with no one around.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The wavelet-like silence is so dazzling that I lose my sense of self.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
-I can hear the chittering of little birds.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
-I can feel the warmth of the sunlight.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
-The clear air feels my lungs.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
-Ah. Compared to that world, this place is so beautiful.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But, there&#039;s a self that&#039;s not happy with this. Everytime I&#039;m wrapped in the morning air that I can only feel by sense, I just think:&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-They are this happy.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Humans are loners like this. Being alone is safest, so how come we can&#039;t bear being alone?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The past me was complete. Because I was self-sufficient, I didn&#039;t need anyone else. But, I&#039;m different now. I&#039;m no longer complete. I&#039;m waiting for a part I lack. I&#039;m just desperately waiting like this.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But just who am I waiting for... ?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The lady doctor who called herself a counsellor came daily. Before I knew it I seemed to be treating my talks with her as my only relief during the course of every mundane day.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Hmm, as expected. It&#039;s not that SHIKI didn&#039;t have control over the body, it&#039;s just that he didn&#039;t exercise it. You two keep getting becoming more fascinating the more I hear about you.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Still bringing the chair over and sitting there next to the bed, the lady doctor talks as if she&#039;s amused by something. For some reason she knows my circumstances very well: the dual personality that only a few even within the Ryougi family know about, my involvement in the serial killer case 2 years ago. Those details that normally I would have to keep hiding, but to me they are inconsequential events anyway.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before I knew it I was responding to the counsellor&#039;s light teasing.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There&#039;s nothing funny about having a dual personality.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;No, no. You know, you two don&#039;t have anything as pleasing to look at as dissociative identity disorder. Existing simultaneously, each having their own unique will, and on top of that your actions are coordinated. That sort of complex personality shouldn&#039;t be termed dissociated identity but instead be called an united independent personality.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;United... independent personality?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yeah. Still, some questions remain. In that case there was no reason for SHIKI to stay asleep, but according to your story he was always sleeping. That part of it is a little strange.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
SHIKI who was always asleep.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... I&#039;m probably the only one who knows why.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
SHIKI, more than Shiki --- liked to dream.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So, is he still sleeping, that guy?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the lady doctor words I don&#039;t reply.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So that&#039;s how it is. He did die. Two years ago during the accident, in your stead.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
That&#039;s why you have an omission in your memory. Since he&#039;s dead those memories won&#039;t be coming back... How Ryougi Shiki was associated with the street serial killer, with this that knowledge has truely disappeared into the darkness.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;That event. They said that the criminal was never caught.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yeah. After your accident the criminal disappeared as if he were a lie.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I wonder to what point that is true, the lady doctor said with a laugh.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;However, there was no reason for SHIKI-kun to disappear. If he just stayed asleep ignoring the world outside, Shiki would have disappeared. For some reason he must have wish for himself to disappear.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That kind of thing, even if she asks me I don&#039;t have any answers.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I don&#039;t know. More importantly, did you bring the scissors?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Ah, as expected I couldn&#039;t. You have a history so any potential weapons are strictly forbidden.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The lady doctor&#039;s words are according to my expectations. Whether or not it was due to the daily rehab exercises, my body has recovered to the point where I can move easily by myself. They said that I am the first to recover so quickly with just a few minutes of exercise twice a day.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a celebration of sorts I asked the lady doctor for a pair of scissors.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But what are you going to use a pair of scissors for? Planning to do some flower arrangements?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As if, I just want to cut my hair.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That&#039;s why. Now that I can move my body, my hair that reaches my back has become inconvenient. Hair that bounces around from my neck and flows down to my shoulders is pretty annoying.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Then you can call a hairdresser. If you find it difficult to talk should I call one for you?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;No thanks. Another person touching my hair? I don&#039;t even want to think about it.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;That&#039;s right. To a woman her hair is her life. The fact that your hairs grown while you are the same as you were two years ago is a wonderful thing.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I can hear the lady doctor standing up.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So shall I give you this instead? It&#039;s a stone carved with a rune, it should do the same thing as a charm. I&#039;ll put it over your doorway so be careful not to lose it to anyone.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It seems that the lady doctor used her chair to place the charms or whatever it was over the door.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And just like that she opens the door.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Then, that&#039;s it for me. Someone else might come from tomorrow, so stay well.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Talking in a strange roundabout manner the lady doctor left.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That night the guest that always came to visit didn&#039;t appear. The smoke-like ghost that appears without failure at midnight, for some reason it didn&#039;t enter the room.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The smoke was coming every night and touching me.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I know that that is dangerous, but I just leave it alone. If that ghost gets angry at me and tries to kill me that&#039;s okay too.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No, rather, how comfortable would it be if it just killed me.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For me who cannot even feel that I&#039;m alive, there is no reason to keep living. Instead it would be easier to just disappear.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the darkness I try touching the bandage covering my eyes.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My sight will soon come back. In that case I will completely ruin my eyes this time around.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I can&#039;t see it now but if I fully recover it will be visible again. If I&#039;m going to see &#039;&#039;&#039;that&#039;&#039;&#039; world again I don&#039;t need something like these eyes. Even if destroying my eyes means I will be unable to see the world on this side of that divide, it&#039;s still better than that.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But until that moment I am unable to act.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Shiki of before would have destroyed her eyes without any hesitation, the current me is stopping at achieving a temporary darkness.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
--- it&#039;s so, pitiful.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While I have no will to live, I don&#039;t even have any will to die. This emotionless self of mine doesn&#039;t feel an attraction towards any action. I can only affirm another&#039;s will.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So if that un-identifiable smoke tries to kill me I have no thoughts no stopping it.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The thought of death holds no attractions for me but I don&#039;t feel like resisting it either.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Because... Happiness or sadness, if they are things I could only obtain as Ryougi Shiki...&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Then the present me has no reason to live on.&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>218.186.8.13</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter04_02&amp;diff=13190</id>
		<title>Kara no Kyoukai:Chapter04 02</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kara_no_Kyoukai:Chapter04_02&amp;diff=13190"/>
		<updated>2007-03-28T23:10:00Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;218.186.8.13: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;It&#039;s now the next day.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The fact that even I who can&#039;t see can tell the arrival of the morning is a small but satisfying discovery. Little things like that are a cause for joy. While I wondered why they made me happy my morning check-up began and ended before I knew it.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn&#039;t very quiet in the afternoon, because my mother and brother came to visit me. Our conversation wasn&#039;t very smooth as they felt like strangers to me. With no alternatives I answered their questions according to Shiki&#039;s memories, as a result of which my mother went home with an easy mind.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything was funny because it seemed like I was acting.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When the evening came around the counselor showed up.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The woman who initially introduced herself as a speech therapist as so bright and cheerful that I couldn&#039;t see any depth to her personality.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I&#039;ve never heard of a case where a doctor greeted a patient with the words &amp;quot;Hi, how have you been?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Oh, I thought you would be all emaciated but the vibrance of your skin is no joke. You know, when I first heard your story I pictured something along the lines of a ghost under a cherry tree so I didn&#039;t really feel like coming. But hey, you are a cute a lady along my line a fancy so it&#039;s my lucky day!&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The woman who I reckon to be in her late twenties judging by her voice sits down in the chair next to the bed I&#039;m lying in.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Pleased to meet you. I&#039;m the speech therapist who is to help you get over your Aphasia. I&#039;m not a resident doctor here so I don&#039;t have any ID, but I guess it won&#039;t be a problem since you can&#039;t see anyway.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- Aphasia? Me?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After finally getting a reply the doctor goes oho and I got the feeling she nodded her head as well.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There you go, it&#039;s normal to show anger. After all Aphasia isn&#039;t a very good image and in your case it&#039;s a misdiagnoses. Asika-kun is a text-book doctor so he&#039;s a bit weak when it comes to special cases like yours. Even so you are being naughty. People are getting such misconceptions because you can&#039;t be bothered answering them.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The woman smiles as if she is great friends with me. --- It was totally my own opinion but I decided then and there that this was a person who wore glasses.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So they think I have Aphasia.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yeah, since you did hurt your brain in the accident they are wondering if your speech circuits are damaged or something. However thats a misconception, the reason for your silence isn&#039;t physiological but psychological isn&#039;t it? So it&#039;s not Aphasia, just you being stubborn. In that case my role isn&#039;t needed but it feels bad to be cut before a minute has passed, and since my main job is idle for once I&#039;ll play with you for a bit.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
--- This is a useless act of kindness.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I reach out for the button that calls the nurse, but the lady doctor quickly removes it from my reach.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;... You.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Dangerous, dangerous. If you talk to Asika-kun now I&#039;ll be kicked out straight away. Anyway isn&#039;t this good? If you pretend to have Aphasia, you won&#039;t have to reply to useless questions. It&#039;s better this way right?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... That&#039;s correct. But who is this person that can say such things so boldly.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I turn my bandaged eyes towards the unknown lady doctor.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You are not a doctor are you?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Nope, my main job&#039;s a sorceress.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
That&#039;s so absurd I let out a sigh.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I don&#039;t have any business with a sorceress.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Ahahaha, that&#039;s correct. A magician can&#039;t fix that hole in your chest. The only thing that can fill it is a normal person.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- a hole, in my chest ---?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Yeah, you should be feeling it. That you are alone now.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The lady doctor smothers a laugh and stands up. I can hear her arranging the chairs and her footsteps as she goes out.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I think it&#039;s still too early so let&#039;s leave it at this for now. I&#039;ll come again tomorrow, bye!&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After appearing so abruptly, she leaves just as abruptly.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I touch my lips with the right hand that I have difficulty moving.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Now... Alone...&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A hole... in my chest...&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
--- Oh, how can this be.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Oh no, I hadn&#039;t realized.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No one. No matter where I call he&#039;s not there. The existence called Ryougi SHIKI that existed within Ryougi Shiki has disappeared without a trace.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Shiki was a dual personality disorder sufferer who possessed another personality within herself. Inside the Ryougi family children with two personalities were born genetically. That which would be shunned in a normal family was instead celebrated as being the traits of a transcendent being and the bearers were treated as the true heirs of the family.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... Shiki inherited that blood. It was the reason Shiki went past her older brother to become the heir to the Shiki family.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But this kind of thing doesn&#039;t happen very often.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Two personalities --- Yang affinity males and Yin affinity females, between those the leadership of the Yang affinity male is usually stronger. Among the few true Ryougi heirs till now, all had been born as men and had female personalities inside. But due to some mistake Shiki was the reverse of the norm.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Inside the female Shiki was included the male SHIKI.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The one with dominance over the body was the female Shiki --- me.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
SHIKI was my minus face, he contained my suppressed emotions. Shiki grew up suppressing the darkness called SHIKI. Time after time she killed the self called SHIKI and lived pretending to be normal. SHIKI didn&#039;t seem to have any complaints about that. After being asleep inside of me he woke up for things like sword training and took charge while complaining as if it was annoying.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... It might seem like a master/servant relationship but the reality wasn&#039;t like that. In the end Shiki and SHIKI are one person, so Shiki&#039;s actions are SHIKI&#039;s, and SHIKI suppressing his own fancies was also Shiki&#039;s wish as well.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
... Yes, SHIKI was a murderer. As far as I know he had no experience at it but, he had a desire within him to kill those beings called humans that were the same organism as him. The dominant personality of Shiki ignored this, in short she forbid it.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Shiki and SHIKI were inseparable beings although they ignored each other. Shiki was lonely but because of the self called SHIKI she wasn&#039;t alone.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But the time came when that relationship would be destroyed.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Two years ago --- when Shiki was a 1st year high school student. The season when for the first time SHIKI, who until then hadn&#039;t wanted to use the body, had asked to go out of his own volition.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
From there Shiki&#039;s memory is hazy.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Right now I can&#039;t bring to mind any of Shiki&#039;s memories from 1st year of high school until I was involved in the accident.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The thing I remember --- my shape standing at the site of the murder. More than that, there&#039;s an image that I can remember even more clearly than that.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The classroom burning red in the light of the sunset.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The one who destroyed Shiki, my classmate.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The boy, that Shiki wanted to kill.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The piece of normality, that Shiki wanted to protect.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I got the feeling that I knew this a long time ago.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But the me that has woken from a long sleep, his name is the one thing I can&#039;t yet remember.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
***&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Night falls, and the hospital grows quiet.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Only the occasional sound of slippers echoing through the corridors makes me feel that I&#039;m awake.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Inside the darkness --- no because I&#039;m in the darkness. The blind me, I take to heart the fact that I&#039;m alone. If I was the previous Shiki, I wouldn&#039;t have had this kind of feeling. Shiki who had another self inside her. But SHIKI no longer exists. No --- I, I don&#039;t even know whether I&#039;m Shiki or SHIKI.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
SHIKI had disappeared from inside me. With that along I am recognizing myself as Shiki.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Hic hic... What kind of contradiction is this. Not knowing which side one is if one side is missing.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I try talking to myself but the emptiness in my chest doesn&#039;t even fill a little. Even just the thought that I am sad would have some change on this emotionless mind of mine.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I won&#039;t be able to know.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Since I am no one, I can&#039;t feel that Ryougi Shiki&#039;s memories are really mine. Even if the shell called Ryougi Shiki exists if the contents are washed away the shell has no meaning. .... Oh it hurts. What must go inside this empty cave?&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;--- I, will, go, in...&amp;quot;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Suddenly I hear words like that.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A movement of the air as if a door has opened.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;It&#039;s probably my imagination&#039;&#039;, with that I turn my shut eyes that way.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There&#039;s --- something there.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
White smoke is blowing around. My eyes that shouldn&#039;t be able to see can see the shape of the smoke. The smoke strangely resembled a human, no it seemed as if a human lacked bones and was swaying in the wind like a sunflower.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The unpleasant smoke comes straight at me.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I can&#039;t move as I like yet so I just blankly waited for it.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even if this is a ghost, I&#039;m not afraid.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The really scary things have no shape. No matter how weird something is, if it has a form I can&#039;t be scared.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And --- if it is a ghost, the current me may as well be the same. After all there&#039;s not much difference between a thing that isn&#039;t alive and me who has no reason to live.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The smoke slapped me.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My whole body and mind goes into overdrive. The chill that flows down my spine is as sharp as a bird&#039;s talons.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was an unpleasant sensation but I just dumbly sat there and watched. After touching me for ages, the smoke melted like a snail sprinkled with salt.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The reason is simple. It&#039;s five hours since the smoke started touching me. It will soon be 5 o&#039;clock. The ghost melted because it&#039;s now morning.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Since I hadn&#039;t slept, I decided to go to sleep again from now.&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>218.186.8.13</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Talk:Clannad:Guidelines&amp;diff=11538</id>
		<title>Talk:Clannad:Guidelines</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Talk:Clannad:Guidelines&amp;diff=11538"/>
		<updated>2007-02-13T21:34:47Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;218.186.8.13: removed a dumb question by myself&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;== Digits, Interjections, thinking words, shouts/screams and action words ==&lt;br /&gt;
I would like to clarify on some of the translation guidelines.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Firstly, do we substitute Arabic numerals on the original text for half-width digits (e.g. 20) or their English equivalents (Twenty)? If it had not been decided, I would suggest that we stick to digits for convention, clarity and conciseness. For kanji numerals, I&#039;d rather we use English words.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the translations I have seen, interjections were mostly substituted beautifully, but there were several crude ones, and some of those were translated in other ways for other scenarios.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
May I suggest to translators and editors:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
あの, ano -&amp;gt; Um&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
え, e -&amp;gt; Eh (repeated えs would be Eeeeh etc.)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
ああ, aa -&amp;gt; Ya / K&#039; / Yea / Aah (depending on context)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
あ, a -&amp;gt; Ah&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
えっと, etto -&amp;gt; Erm / Err&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
っ, &#039;sokuon&#039; -&amp;gt; &#039; (e.g. 「えっ？」 -&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Eh&#039;?&amp;quot; , but only when the situation allows) (refer to the Yorkshire accent part on glottal stops in Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glottal_stop])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For those at the end of sentences:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
よ, ね, な, ぞ etc. -&amp;gt; huh / not? / (nothing, for when it is an integral part of the sentence, i.e. sounds awkward without it) / reflected in the sentence as &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
だろう, だろ -&amp;gt; I wonder / I guess / right? / not? / probably / it is probable&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I believe the rest have more obvious equivalents in English, and won&#039;t have much trouble integrating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the topic of screams, as they usually hold no meaning, might I suggest substituting them word for word (Hepburn romanization with  kana spelling) with the ー, chouon substituted for a dash, small vowels as their english equivalent (I have thought of substituting large vowels with caps, but wouldn&#039;t it lose some aesthetic quality?) and っ with a &#039;h&#039; where aesthetic standards allow.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For action words that occupy a single line, may I suggest the format as per in the following example, :&#039;&#039;もぐもぐ… *mogu mogu, munch munch&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I used the above format for action words in sentences like じっと、そこを見た during my translation draft (which was only at its third day as per this project&#039;s founding, despite that I started it near the end of December). However, I find it sloppy when nested in sentences, and I guess it also breaks the flow of the script. Please criticize this suggestions mercilessly.[[User:Jc100|Jc100]] 03:34, 6 February 2007 (PST)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: I agree with most of the conventions used above, albeit with a few minor changes:&lt;br /&gt;
: - &#039;mogu mogu&#039; should just be &#039;munch, munch&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
: - IRJustman and I would like to go with using just words for numbers (e.g., five), unless it comes to maybe 10-yen coins. Not like someone can say &amp;quot;one million yen&amp;quot;, right, as opposed to &amp;quot;1,000,000 yen&amp;quot;?&lt;br /&gt;
: - screams we&#039;ll have to think about, it&#039;s kind of hard to romanize say, Sunohara&#039;s ひぃぃぃぃぃぃ！！&lt;br /&gt;
: - most of the stuff above is freeform, so like you said, will depend on context.&lt;br /&gt;
: [[User:Velocity7|velocity7]] 10:09, 6 February 2007 (EST)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Ditto with velocity7. But I think the interjection translations should be guidelines; translators should retain free rein in using alternatives to naturalise/normalise the speech. Same goes for wild random screaming, this should be translator&#039;s call?&lt;br /&gt;
: More importantly, characters need to sound consistent throughout the game. Either this should be handled by QC, or translators can route-specialise. Or something; i&#039;m new to this game.&lt;br /&gt;
: American English, or British English?&lt;br /&gt;
: --[[User:Kwok|Kwok]] 05:40, 13 February 2007 (PST)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Naming ==&lt;br /&gt;
May I suggest adding a Female Youth name as a translation for 少女, shoujo, as a name title especially for the first Kotomi scene. At that first meeting, Tomoya was not too fond of her, hence the more formal name (albeit more conventional, in my opinion), even though name titles are not actually supposed to reflect relations.[[User:Jc100|Jc100]] 03:34, 6 February 2007 (PST)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I&#039;m inclined to follow your suggestion too, but will there be space constraints? Also, &#039;Female Youth&#039; sounds rather detached and unemotional for a guy&#039;s thoughts, so would &#039;Girl&#039; be simpler and sweeter? It&#039;s more casual and normalise the scenario that way. Same for shounen; we could call them &amp;quot;Guy&amp;quot;.--[[User:Kwok|Kwok]] 05:29, 13 February 2007 (PST)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Punctuation and General Typography ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the guidelines page, ellipses were written as &#039;...&#039; (3 periods). However, there exists a special character for groups of 3 ellipses, &#039;…&#039;. This character is also used in the game text. Unless it is due to technical restrictions(which I doubt there is), the second ellipse should be used. That is to distinguish the ellipses from the period following, as per The Chicago Manual of Style[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E2%80%A6]. Yes, a period is required after ellipses when writing in English. I would not recommend using a program to substitute periods for this character after translating for fear that it might make some unwanted changes in the text.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There are also other things to take note of. The hyphen at your keyboard is only for hyphens. For dashes, use the following&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For a limited range, e.g. &#039;07–15&#039; (haven&#039;t encountered any), or prefixing a term e.g. &#039;pre–World War II&#039;, use an en dash &#039;–&#039; (XP users: Alt+0150)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For an open range, e.g. &#039;Saturday—&#039; an em dash &#039;—&#039;(XP users: Alt+0151)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A word that is cut off halfway (say, when some interrupts your conversation) is denoted by a character more commonly seen in Unicode art (well, it sure isn&#039;t ASCII, and it&#039;s not Shift-JIS)(part of the box drawing character set). It seems like Key used that character as it did not have gaps when placed consequentially. Long lines are usually multiples of this character too. I would recommend using the horizontal bar &#039;―&#039; (U+2013; ampersand, hash, 8213, semicolon), as it also joins with another itself.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As stated in the previous topic, the chouon is used for creative purposes in shouts and yells. The em dash is an excellent substitution for it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The full width tilde &#039;～&#039; is used in several instances, like ぐっ～～. Seems like Key used it instead of the more politically correct wave symbol &#039;〜&#039; (they probably didn&#039;t know of it&#039;s existence). Both are in East Asian character sets. I can&#039;t find of any non-Asian character that imitates the full width tilde satisfactorily. Maybe we should default to half width tildes?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There is a quotation dash &amp;amp;#8275; (U+2053; ampersand, hash, 8275, semicolon). However, I currently cannot think of any instance it might be required in the script.&lt;br /&gt;
[[User:Jc100|Jc100]] 03:05, 13 February 2007 (PST)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:I understand that there is a love for Unicode characters in the script at the moment. However, if you would all please have a look at [http://dev.haeleth.net/rldev/manual.html#htoc26 this website...]&lt;br /&gt;
:You&#039;ll notice that I am currently using Western encoding to encode the script with rlBabel. At the time of this writing, this is currently the only way to compile the script so that it looks and works fine. In other words, if the character is not supported under CP1251 or ISO-8859-1, it is not very likely to work. This includes all Japanese characters.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:That&#039;s the reasoning for my use of &amp;quot;...&amp;quot; at the moment. For all other characters, they will have to be replaced or modified in some way in order to match up with this. I haven&#039;t had time to go look back in scripts to fix this, so if you have time, please feel free to fix them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:--[[User:Velocity7|velocity7]], February 13, 2007, 8:59 AM EST&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
CP1252 uses the code point 85 for ellipses, which is unassigned in ISO-8859-1. I&#039;m guessing that this was what Haeleth meant by (ISO-8859-1 with extensions). Why not give it a try?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[User:Jc100|Jc100]] 12:37, 13 February 2007 (PST)&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>218.186.8.13</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Talk:Clannad:SEEN3416&amp;diff=11441</id>
		<title>Talk:Clannad:SEEN3416</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Talk:Clannad:SEEN3416&amp;diff=11441"/>
		<updated>2007-02-12T22:18:00Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;218.186.8.13: New page: &amp;lt;0163&amp;gt; She&amp;#039;s one of those unconcerned student that talks to me even though they know I&amp;#039;m a delinquent. // 不良のレッテルを貼られている俺相手に、平気に話しかけて...&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;lt;0163&amp;gt; She&#039;s one of those unconcerned student that talks to me even though they know I&#039;m a delinquent.&lt;br /&gt;
// 不良のレッテルを貼られている俺相手に、平気に話しかけてくる数少ない生徒だ。&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Shouldn&#039;t this be translated into:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;She was labeled as a delinquent; few were able to speak to her without getting tense.&amp;quot; ?[[User:218.186.8.13|218.186.8.13]] 14:18, 12 February 2007 (PST)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
(ja wikipedia)不良少年である主人公にもためらわず声をかけ、歯に衣着せぬ物言いをする。&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;even the delinquent male protagonist hesitates to talk to her,...&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
don&#039;t you think so?[[User:218.186.8.13|218.186.8.13]] 14:18, 12 February 2007 (PST)&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>218.186.8.13</name></author>
	</entry>
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