Shiki Ryougi carried Haruka Kasugano on her back all the way back to Garan no Dou.
"Touko! What exactly is going on here?" Shiki shouted, her face mask-like but her voice filled with burning anxiety. Perhaps she hadn't even realized herself just how much she had come to care for him.
Touko Aozaki was equally puzzled. She hadn't yet figured out Haruka Kasugano's true intentions, so why had he suddenly fallen into a coma? She walked over quickly and conducted a thorough examination of his body. To her surprise, she found a mysterious power clinging to him—an invisible hand tightly pulling at his soul, plunging him into a deep slumber. This spiritual energy seemed intent on dragging his soul away entirely.
"This is trouble. It looks like he's been 'claimed' by the ghost at the Fujou Building. If we don't handle this quickly, I'm afraid his soul will be taken for good," Touko analyzed.
"What?" Shiki was momentarily stunned. How could this happen? Deep self-reproach flickered across her face. If she hadn't been interested in that ghost, Haruka Kasugano wouldn't have followed her there, and he wouldn't have been lured away.
Then, an uncontrollable rage surged within her. She gripped the knife Haruka Kasugano had given her and sprinted back toward the Fujou Building. She intended to cut that ghost down herself and make it pay for what it had done.
Watching Shiki storm out, and then looking at the sleeping Haruka Kasugano on the sofa, Touko felt even more confused. Could it be that this ghost incident truly has nothing to do with him? For a grand magus to have his soul snatched by a mere ghost was honestly laughable.
Wait... She just remembered: Haruka Kasugano didn't actually have any Magic Circuits. Because of his vast knowledge and behavior, she had subconsciously assumed he was a magus. Driven by curiosity, she knelt down to examine the mysteries of his body. How does he manage to perform magecraft without a single Magic Circuit?
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The night grew deep. Shiki Ryougi stood once more beneath the Fujou Building. Looking up, she saw eight ghostly girls floating serenely in the moonlight, like phantoms from a nightmare. She charged into the stairwell without hesitation. Every step felt blocked by invisible spiritual pressure, as if she were walking through thick thorns. Doors flew out from the darkness with the sound of howling wind, trying to repel her.
However, Shiki had only one thought—save Haruka Kasugano. She gripped her knife, hacking a path forward and ignoring all obstacles. After a grueling climb, she reached the rooftop. The scene before her made her heart tighten.
Eight ghostly girls surrounded a woman in white. The woman possessed a beauty that was otherworldly, appearing as if she didn't belong to this realm. Her black hair flowed like a waterfall in the wind, exuding a deep, mysterious aesthetic. Shiki locked eyes with her, and both gazes were filled with cold killing intent.
Kirie Fujou gently raised a slender finger, directing a pull of spiritual energy toward Shiki. Shiki merely stumbled for a moment before steadying herself.
"So this is how you use psychological suggestion to make people jump to their deaths..." Shiki sneered. "How ridiculous. I can't even feel that I'm alive; how could I possibly have a 'yearning for flight'?"
"Tell me—why did you take him?"
Kirie Fujou remained silent for a moment, then, following Haruka Kasugano's instructions, spoke slowly: "He often passes by below... I have never seen a man as exceptional as him. I—"
"Shut up!" Shiki suddenly barked. "I won't let you take him! I saw him first! Give him back to me right now!"
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Touko Aozaki spent a long time examining Haruka Kasugano's body, only to find he was no different from an ordinary human. She couldn't find a single secret within him. Then how does he do it? Touko couldn't figure it out.
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The night was like thick ink, slowly saturating the city. In the deep darkness, Shiki stood still. Her eyes suddenly erupted with brilliant blue light—her Mystic Eyes of Death Perception were active. Her gaze pierced the darkness, locking onto the ghost, Kirie Fujou. Her eyes were like two sharp blades, ruthlessly dissecting her enemy.
In her vision, Kirie's body was tangled in shimmering "lines of death," distributed like a complex spiderweb. Shiki noticed clear lines on both feet, one on her back, and a glaring "point" where multiple lines converged on the left side of her chest. She took a deep breath; her decision was made. If she were to strike, the chest area was undoubtedly the best target.
I don't care if this opponent is a hallucination or what. As long as it's a living thing, I'll kill even a God for you to see.
She began to close in. Suddenly, a powerful impulse surged in Shiki's heart, like a long-dormant flood breaking through. A strong desire for flight and a craving for freedom washed over her. She could almost hear a voice deep within calling: "I can fly. I can soar. I've always longed for the sky. Yesterday I was in the air, and today, I should be able to fly higher and further..."
It was a realm of boundlessness and laughter, a dreamlike paradise. Shiki felt as if she were being pulled by an invisible force, urging her to fly toward that distant place.
However, a second later, Shiki snapped back to her senses. She realized this was just her own longing for the sky and a desire to escape reality acting up. Bound by gravity, her feet couldn't leave the ground; she was only fantasizing in her subconscious. But Kirie's voice continued to echo in her ear, tempting her: "Go, go... seek that free sky!"
Shiki sneered. She understood Kirie was trying to control her through suggestion. "How absurd! Is this all you have? If so, it's my turn!"
Shiki lunged, her body shooting toward Kirie like an arrow from a bow. Her eyes were filled with fierce determination. Seeing Shiki's murderous intent and ferocious momentum, Kirie felt a flash of panic. She increased the spiritual pressure to stop the advance.
But it was futile. With her powerful will and the Mystic Eyes, Shiki easily severed the spiritual threads. She leaped into the air, landing lightly in front of Kirie. She raised her knife, ready to deliver a fatal blow to Kirie's chest.
Though this was only a spiritual projection and killing it wouldn't harm Kirie's physical body, for Haruka Kasugano and Kirie, this "spirit" was a precious asset. If it were lost, they would lose a lot of "fun." Therefore, Circe, who had been lying in wait, made her move.
She instantly used [High-Speed Divine Words] to deploy a magic circle behind Kirie. She launched a sneak attack on the leaping Shiki, the powerful mana slamming her back to the ground.
Pfft—
Shiki hit the ground hard, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Her body trembled; she had clearly taken significant damage. What is going on? Is this a hidden attack from the ghost? No... why does it feel exactly like that time with Fujino? Is it the mastermind again? What is his goal?
Shiki clutched her stomach, wiped the blood from her lips, and stared at Kirie in the sky. Behind the ghost, powerful magic circles were still swirling. It looked as if Kirie had deployed them herself.
"Sister, don't daze out! Speak according to the plan!" Circe, hidden in the shadows, whispered via telepathy to Kirie, who had been frightened by Shiki's intensity.
That's right—this was all a trap set by Haruka Kasugano. He had conspired with Kirie in secret, asking her to "hook" his soul when he and Shiki arrived. As for the goal...
"O-Oh..." Kirie snapped out of it, adjusted her emotions, and spoke proudly to Shiki: "You cannot defeat me! My psychological suggestions are useless against you, so just leave! I have no interest in you!"
Kirie's haughty words instantly enraged Shiki. She roared, "Bullshit! If I don't kill you, how will he wake up?"
"Hehehe..." Kirie laughed coldly. "Killing me is indeed one way to wake him, but can you do it now?"
"Even if I can't, I will!" Shiki struggled to her feet, prepared to fight to the death.
Kirie froze for a moment, sighed, and then said, "Fine... I didn't expect you to be so devoted. I admit defeat... so I will tell you! There's no need to throw your life away, because there is a much simpler way to take him back from me."
"What way?" Shiki asked, confused.
"That is... for you to 'unite' with him. My spiritual energy is 'Yin' (negative). If you engage in the union of Yin and Yang, you will break the spiritual power within him, and he will wake up," Kirie explained.
"Huh?" Shiki was utterly dumbfounded. "To... with him... do that..."
Memories of her encounter with Haruka Kasugano two days ago flooded back. That memory—both painful and exhilarating... Her face turned beet red. This, this, this... Haruka Kasugano is unconscious... which means I have to be the one on top...
Last time, Haruka Kasugano did it to save me... now I have to do the same thing for him... I haven't even officially acknowledged him yet... and I have to be the one to initiate...
Ahhh... how humiliating...
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Seeing Shiki standing there with a blushing face, her head practically steaming from embarrassment, Circe—watching from the dark—knew the plan was almost a success. She urged Kirie to drive her away once more.
"Are you still going to fight? If you want to die here, I'll oblige!" Kirie continued according to the plan.
As Kirie shouted the line, Circe activated her [High-Speed Divine Words] again. Ten magic circles materialized behind Kirie, their terrifying pressure making the surrounding air feel as if it had frozen solid.