"Why is she out?" Haruka Kasugano followed up with the question.
Touko Aozaki proceeded to recount what had just happened.
"I am a cold-blooded magus; I don't care about the injustices of this world. But Shiki is different. She is human, and I don't know Fujino Asagami's motive for killing. What if there's a hidden story? So, I'm letting Shiki judge for herself," Touko smiled.
"Mmh, you did the right thing. Let her handle it," Haruka Kasugano replied with a grin.
It seemed things were moving exactly as he had anticipated. Because of the commission from Fujino's stepfather, Shiki Ryougi was off to subjugate her. But the current Fujino was not the same as the one in the original story—especially with him meddling behind the scenes. Shiki wouldn't be able to win so easily. When that time comes... just thinking about it was exciting!
Haruka Kasugano instructed Circe to keep a quiet eye on the situation. If Fujino fell into a disadvantage, she was to intervene. On the other hand, he directed Maiya Hisau to deal with Fujino's stepfather.
Daring to put out a hit on my woman... you've already found your way to a death sentence.
However, since Fujino's mother was still around, it wouldn't be good if she lost her husband entirely; after all, she wasn't bad to Fujino. Let's just turn the stepfather into a paraplegic or a vegetable, he thought. That way, Fujino's mother wouldn't have to remarry due to bankruptcy and could instead take control of the family finances.
Hahaha! That man is only arrogant because he has a little money... let's see how he feels when he realizes money can't save him.
Maiya Hisau was a professional assassin. Even if she had been pampered into having soft skin lately, her skills remained sharp. He could leave it to her.
With that settled, Haruka Kasugano went back to sleep. After waking up early and engaging in "strenuous exercise," he needed to catch up on his rest.
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Fujino Asagami was wandering through the city as Haruka Kasugano had requested. Following his instructions, if she encountered thugs trying to hit on her, she was to scare them off. If they spoke too crudely, she could break their limbs. If they tried to get violent, she could kill them outright.
Since she killed with her Mystic Eyes, the police would never find evidence to prove that a "weak girl" like her was responsible. She could act with impunity. Moreover, this city was so full of "crouching tigers and hidden dragons" that she didn't need to fear discovery by the Holy Church or the Clock Tower.
After a while, a thug saw Fujino wandering and approached her.
"Hey beautiful..."
As he spoke, he reached out to grab her. He looked practiced, as if he had ruined many girls this way before.
Kaka—
Without a word, Fujino fired her Mystic Eyes and killed him.
"My body... only he can touch," Fujino murmured to herself. She reflexively touched her hip—the spot where the character for "Kasugano" was branded.
At that moment, she noticed Shiki Ryougi watching from the side.
"Who are you?" Fujino asked warily.
"Just a passerby," Shiki smiled. Given the aura she radiated, no one would believe that.
"How long have you been there?" Fujino demanded.
"Since he tried to lay a hand on you," Shiki replied.
"Then why didn't you save him?" Fujino asked, puzzled.
"I don't know him. Why would I save him?" Shiki said matter-of-factly.
Fujino was momentarily speechless.
"Alright, let's fight. You've killed so many people anyway; I won't feel any guilt killing you," Shiki said, drawing her knife with a smile. "Actually, to be honest, the moment I saw you, I felt like killing you!"
"The same here..." Fujino responded.
Both of their eyes were hollow. Both had experienced tragic childhoods, both lacked personal life goals, and both were empty inside. Seeing the other was like looking into a mirror—and they hated what they saw.
Furthermore, Shiki's innate killing impulse clashed with the pleasure of killing that Haruka Kasugano had cultivated in Fujino. Both could see the "murderer" in the other's eyes. This first meeting made their conflict irreconcilable. It was an ideological clash, much like Emiya Kiritsugu and Kotomine Kirei.
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"This 'slice of meat' is actually quite funny," Shiki laughed, looking at the twisted corpse on the ground.
"A slice of meat... how can you call someone that?" Fujino retorted. But her face was actually indifferent.
"Heh, humans are just humans when they die. They don't become minced meat just because the soul leaves. But him... how can he be considered human? He's clearly just a slice of meat," Shiki laughed as she closed in.
"You're not normal!" Fujino cursed.
"What's the difference between us? We both enjoy killing!" Shiki gave a fascinating smile.
"Don't joke! I'm not like that!" Fujino shouted. I'm just completing the tasks he gave me. I'm his sow, I can't resist him... I don't think killing is fun at all! This person... is truly annoying!
Provoked, spirals began to appear in Fujino's pupils. Shiki's eyes also manifested blue glowing patterns.
Just as the two were about to clash, Fujino's stomach suddenly flared with a sharp pain. Her face turned pale, and her body curled up involuntarily.
"What's... happening..." Fujino groaned in pain, her fierce gaze instantly turning weak.
Shiki was confused but remained on guard, watching Fujino's every move. After a moment, the pain subsided slightly. Fujino struggled to stand up, a look of despair on her face.
This was caused by a flare-up of Fujino's appendicitis. Normally, she wouldn't have noticed the disease due to her lack of pain, but since Haruka Kasugano had removed the sensory restrictions on her lower body, the nearby appendix had regained some sensation.
Shiki, using her Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, saw the condition of Fujino's appendix. However, for Fujino—who had lacked sensory perception since childhood—she had no concept of this medical pain. Since she first gained bodily sensation through intimate contact with Haruka Kasugano, she subconsciously blamed this "abnormality" on the fact that she hadn't been close to him for a while.
"It hurts... it's so bad... I need him..." Fujino muttered to herself.
"Boring." Shiki's desire to kill evaporated. She had no interest in a defenseless weakling.
"If you were like you were a moment ago, I could have moved... What a disappointment!" Shiki called out. "Go home. If I see you out here killing people tomorrow, I won't let you off."
With that, Shiki departed.
Fujino clutched her stomach, feeling immense pain. She hadn't lost her power; in fact, she felt that under this intense pain, she could unleash a supernatural level of strength. But more than that, she wanted Haruka Kasugano's affection.
"I'm not like you... I have someone who loves me. You don't! Even if... it's a twisted love..."
She knew her love wasn't normal—it was something like Stockholm Syndrome. Compared to the cold people around her, Haruka Kasugano—who violated her, kept her, and controlled her—seemed to love her more. She couldn't let go of the feeling of being cared for. And besides, Haruka Kasugano was treating her better and better. It will turn into normal love sooner or later, she believed deep down.
She suppressed the power that nearly exploded from the pain. It hurts... it feels like a piece of meat was scooped out of my stomach... This must be because he hasn't 'filled' me lately. I need him to fill me!
Fujino sent a text to Haruka Kasugano. In the afternoon, Haruka Kasugano woke from his nap, saw the message, and went to pick her up.
The two arrived at a hotel once more.
"Haruka-kun... it hurts... it really hurts..." Fujino lay on top of him, rubbing the area of her appendix. She moved against him, trying to use the sensation to alleviate the pain. Pleasure and pain hit her simultaneously, leaving her pale and drenched in sweat.
Haruka Kasugano scratched his head and used a healing skill on her. His healing skill wasn't magecraft, but more like a direct "HP restore" from a game. It restored her appendix to a healthy state. To be safe, he used [Optimization] on it, strengthening it to prevent future inflammation.
After the session, while the threat wasn't permanently gone, her appendix no longer hurt. This allowed her to focus entirely on feeling the pleasure. Her expression shifted from agony to pure bliss.