"Nice to meet you, Shirou."
The black-haired girl in the kimono greeted the boy, her eyes narrowing gently.
"..."
Shirou was momentarily dazed. It was still Shiki Ryougi's face, yet that distinct androgynous air had vanished completely.
In its place was a smile that could calm even the most restless person in an instant.
Cool, peaceful, elegant, and filled with a maternal warmth.
Could the same person really change so drastically?
Touko Aozaki used her glasses as a medium for self-suggestion, switching back and forth between two personalities.
The polite, considerate, gentle Touko, and the dignified, stylish, strict, efficient Touko...
Their personalities were worlds apart, but both were still the real Touko Aozaki.
The girl before him, however, was different.
Shirou could say with certainty that she was not the Shiki Ryougi he knew, and she was probably not the vanished SHIKI either.
"Is Shiki asleep?" Shirou asked.
"Yes. That child worked very hard tonight," the girl said with a smile.
Her smile was flawless, as if it had been made to embody the very existence of women.
"Who exactly are you?" Shirou asked.
"I am simply myself. Not any particular Shiki, but the 'me' who exists within the Garan-dou. Perhaps you could say that the Garan-dou itself is me."
She placed a hand over her chest, closed her eyes, and spoke.
"Didn't you once say something rather interesting to that child? You said that if Shiki and SHIKI are the yin and yang Ryougi, then there should also be a Taiji. Just as you said, Shirou... although Shiki and SHIKI each possess a complete soul, that is also why they are isolated. They will forever be the front and back of the same thing, two extremes upon the same foundation. To maintain their harmony, there must be an existence equal to them. The circular outline that symbolizes Taiji, that is me. I am the personality, the intellect, born from this body of Shiki Ryougi."
"..."
Shirou was inwardly startled.
Although he and Souren Araya had both sensed a third personality within Shiki Ryougi, neither of them had imagined that this third personality was not asleep. Like SHIKI, she had been observing the world of her own will.
"I cannot sleep. Ever since my self was born, I have not slept for even a single instant. I have always been dreaming dreams that cannot even be called dreams... Shiki gazes at the outside world, while I gaze inward. Shiki's body is connected to the place called The Root, isn't it? Because I can only look inward, I know everything happening in this world. That feeling is painful, boring, and completely meaningless. Even if I close my eyes... I cannot rest."
"Shiki Ryougi" walked with elegant steps as she spoke quietly.
"I, who am connected to The Root, gradually became part of it, one of its organs. So even with my eyes closed, I can see everything... endlessly dreaming that kind of dream."
Shirou did not know what to say. The girl's tone was deeply sorrowful, but there was nothing he could do for her.
He changed the subject. "What should I call you? Is it all right if I keep calling you 'Shiki'?"
"Of course. Please do. I would be very happy if you used the name 'Shiki' for me."
"Shiki Ryougi" gave him an innocent smile. Although her manner was calm and mature, there was also an uncanny childlike quality to her.
Shirou decided to leave Ogawa Apartment Complex for now.
"Ah, wait... It would be better not to do that."
"Shiki Ryougi" stopped Shirou just as he was placing the unconscious Fujino on his back, intending to carry her home.
"She probably wouldn't want Shirou to treat her that way."
"Shiki Ryougi" pressed a finger to her chin and smiled. "Fujino-san worked hard tonight too. There's nothing wrong with giving her a little reward, is there?"
Shirou sighed helplessly and picked the girl up in his arms.
"Shiki Ryougi" let out an impressed sigh. "You make it look so easy. As expected of a boy."
The two left Ogawa Apartment Complex, chatting as they walked about trivial things unrelated to tonight's battle, such as "Shiki's top three favorite dishes made by Shirou."
"So Shiki really doesn't know you exist," Shirou muttered.
"Yes. Because I am different from them. SHIKI and Shiki are next to each other, so they understand one another. But I am a self they cannot perceive, so Shiki will not remember what happened today, or our conversation."
"I see." Shirou felt a little regretful.
The boy suddenly realized that this was not only his first meeting with "Shiki Ryougi," but likely his last in this life as well.
After tonight, "Shiki Ryougi's" consciousness would melt away like fallen snow and sink into eternal sleep.
The thought filled him with an overwhelming sadness.
She was only a stranger he had never met before... So why did he...
"..."
Shirou came back to himself and noticed that "Shiki Ryougi" was staring straight at him.
He quickly turned his head aside. "What is it? Staring at my face like that is rude, you know."
The black-haired girl giggled.
"Shirou, may I ask you a question? It is a little regrettable, but after I ask it, our conversation will end here. This is why I came here."
Hearing that, Shirou hurriedly tried to keep her. "At least come with me to Touko's office."
The girl gazed gently at Shirou with eyes far more mature than her appearance.
"What do you want?"
"...Huh?"
"Shiki Ryougi" spoke as if it were only natural.
"A long time ago, I decided something. If I ever met someone I liked, I would be willing to do anything for him."
"Uh, why are you suddenly bringing that up...?"
"I think I like you, Shirou. So please, let me hear your wish."
"Shiki Ryougi" watched the boy's warming cheeks with an expression that seemed almost teasing.
"I am part of the Swirl of the Root. Since Shirou is also a Magus, you naturally understand what that means, don't you? Whatever your wish is, I can grant it for you. Tell me, Shirou. What is your wish? During the Holy Grail War five years ago... you once said you had no wish. Do you still feel the same way now?"
"..."
Shirou stared at her in silence.
The omniscient, omnipotent girl reached out to him with a cool expression.
"Let me confirm. It really can be any wish?"
"Of course."
"Shiki Ryougi" nodded lightly.
With some disappointment, she thought, So Shirou had a wish after all.
"I can do anything. Whether it is restructuring the laws of tiny substances invisible to the naked eye, or tracing back to the planet's origin and changing the System Tree of Life, even that is possible for me. Rearranging the order of this world as it exists now would be easy too. Not rebuilding this world, but destroying the old world with a new one. Shirou, what do you want? World peace? Human evolution? Or perhaps the removal of all evil? Tell me. Let me grant it for you... If it is for you, I do not mind making a mistake."
Shirou gazed into her deep blue eyes and answered.
"I hope I'll get to see 'Shiki' again someday."
"......"
The black-haired girl closed her eyes and let out a quiet sigh.
"You're so sly, Shirou. That's cheating, you know.
You knew I'd already decided not to appear again, so why would you say something like that?"
It was the first time Shirou had ever sensed something close to anger from her.
"And abandoning the principles you've held onto all this time for something like this is just... really awful.
Shiki was right about you. Shirou is an enemy of women. You act all harmless and then say something like that... it's just not fair."
Shirou didn't mind what she called him. "Can't you grant my wish? Didn't you say you'd do anything for me?"
"..."
Shiki Ryougi opened her eyes.
She said nothing and walked straight up to the boy.
"'Shiki Ryougi'?"
Still shaken, Shirou held his breath.
"Shiki Ryougi" silently lifted Shirou's bangs with one hand.
Then, like a chick pecking at grain, she brushed her lips lightly against the boy's forehead.
After doing something so unexpected, "Shiki Ryougi" took one step back.
"That just now... was my answer."
The girl gave him a shy smile, like she had just pulled a prank, as if to say, "Make sure you keep this a secret from Shiki, okay?"
Shirou felt strength pour into the emptiness in his chest, and he nodded happily.
"Yeah. It's a promise."
...
...
By the time Fujino regained consciousness, they were only a short distance from the agency.
It was two in the morning, and there was no one on either side of the street.
Shirou had carried her in his arms the whole way from Kayamihama to Mifune City.
"Shi-Shirou-kun!?"
Fujino's eyes widened in surprise.
She hurriedly tried to struggle free from Shirou's arms, only to realize her body would not move at all.
She remembered taking one last punch from Souren Araya. Had she been injured then?
"Fujino, are you awake?"
Fujino said, "Y-Yeah... I'm sorry, Shirou-kun... Please put me down. I'm fine now."
Shirou said, "How is that fine? You overused your Mystic Eyes, so you shouldn't be able to move right now.
It's okay. Just rest like this for now, Fujino."
"Ugh..."
The girl nodded. As expected, she couldn't hide anything from Shirou-kun.
When she thought about how she was being carried by a junior high school boy younger than her, and that he was also the person she liked...
Once Fujino calmed down, her cheeks turned bright red.
To cover her embarrassment, she asked, "Um... where is Shiki?"
Shiki had gone back to her apartment, Shirou explained.
"I told her to come with us so Touko could check her over at the office, but she stubbornly insisted on going home to sleep."
"I see…"
Realizing she and Shirou were alone now, Fujino relaxed a little.
She nervously leaned her head against the boy's shoulder.
Shirou's breathing was perfectly steady.
It was nearly forty kilometers from the Ogawa Apartment Complex to the office, yet he had carried her the entire way.
The thought left Fujino feeling terribly guilty. "Um… am I heavy?"
Shirou: "..."
"S-Shirou-kun! Why aren't you saying anything?"
Fujino was so anxious she was almost in tears, so Shirou quickly tried to reassure her.
"No, not at all. You're just right."
"Uu… I really am heavy, aren't I…"
If only she were as slender as Shiki-san, the girl thought in despair.
"I'm serious, you're not heavy! Not heavy at all!
R-Right… Fujino, your whole body is soft, so you're really comfortable to hold!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Shirou realized how bad they sounded. Wasn't that basically sexual harassment?
Sure enough, Fujino's cheeks flushed red.
But Shirou failed to notice the faint smile that slipped onto her face.
"Can I hug Shirou?"
"You really shouldn't move around too much right now…"
Sitting in Shirou's lap, Fujino wrapped her arms around his neck instead.
Two soft mounds, clearly beyond what a high school girl ought to have, pressed against Shirou's chest, leaving him with a rather complicated expression.
"Shirou-kun, thank you."
She whispered into the boy's ear.
Shirou froze for a moment. "I haven't done anything worth thanking me for."
The girl shook her head. "Thank you for thinking of me. I really am immature…
I arrogantly thought I could protect Shirou, but all I did was keep causing you trouble. I almost committed a sin I could never take back."
"I don't think you're trouble, Fujino. Besides… you overcame your own weakness and kept your promise to me. I think that's truly amazing."
"You don't have to comfort me like that. Shirou-kun, you really are kind… hehe."
Fujino murmured, "I've decided. I'm going to become a girl worthy of Shirou-kun.
I still have a lot of shortcomings, but I'll work hard.
One day, I'll become a good girl who can stand proudly in front of Shirou.
It may take many, many years, but… I'll never give up, because this is the dream I just found."
"…Fujino?"
Shirou sensed something was wrong and turned his head in surprise, only for her to cry out, "Don't look!"
"Don't look… It hurts… Not my body… My heart hurts…"
Fujino's body began trembling violently in Shirou's arms.
"So this is what heartbreak feels like… It hurts so much I'm about to cry… Shirou-kun, can I cry?"
"Mm."
Shirou nodded. "If it hurts, then cry."
Fujino remembered her mother saying the same thing when she was little.
The girl buried her face against Shirou's shoulder and began to sob softly, wearing a happy expression.
...
...
The next morning, Shirou opened his eyes in Touko Aozaki's bed.
"...?"
Shirou felt dazed. His entire body was completely unable to move, as if his soul had been drained away.
Barely managing to think, the boy wondered: Could this be…
"You have a fever. A bad one, too. Spend the whole day resting in bed."
Touko Aozaki sat down beside the bed, her slender fingers brushing Shirou's cheek.
"Don't worry, Shirou. Since I'm the one who gave it to you, I'll take responsibility and look after you… Come on, let's get your underwear changed first ♡~"
As she said that, the orange witch licked her lips, a seductive "Just as planned" smile spreading across her face.
***
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