Director Edward

Chapter 213: Episode 5 · Paradox Spiral! (11)

The confrontation between Araya Souren and Ryougi Shiki captured the attention of all onlookers.

Everyone watched expectantly, eager to see who would emerge victorious in this clash.

Of course, while ordinary people simply waited for the fight to begin, magess had already started analyzing the battle from every angle.

"Ryougi Shiki's Mystic Eyes of Death Perception can't seem to discern Araya Souren's lines of death. This puts her at a significant disadvantage, doesn't it?"

"Not necessarily. I've always thought that the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception don't play a decisive role in battles where the opponents are evenly matched. Shiki's true strength lies in her combat skills."

"Exactly. I agree. We've all witnessed Ryougi Shiki's combat prowess. Even if her Mystic Eyes are ineffective, that doesn't mean she won't be able to contend with Araya Souren."

"But we know so little about Araya Souren. For now, we only know he's a mage. Although the magic system in the Kara no Kyoukai world isn't particularly overpowered, it's still possible he has extremely dangerous abilities."

"All things considered, I think Shiki has the upper hand. After all, she's the protagonist, and her fighting ability is definitely reliable."

"I think Araya Souren is stronger. Most importantly, this apartment is his base of operations, and the environment heavily favors him over Shiki."

"Even so, it's not like Shiki has no chance of winning."

"That may be true, but we should respect the narrative setup. No matter how you look at it, the situation is stacked against Shiki."

"Stop arguing and just watch the fight unfold."

"…"

At some point, the magicians' discussion about the storyline had grown increasingly heated.

Clearly, whether in fiction or reality, choosing sides and engaging in debates is a fundamental part of human nature.

In contrast, the archmages at the pinnacle of the Tower of Alchemy harbored no doubts about the outcome of the battle depicted in the film.

From the very beginning, they had already discerned the eventual victor.

What truly surprised them, however, was Araya Souren's use of the entire apartment complex as a medium for his experiment.

By separating the human body and soul to conduct a Yin-Yang duality experiment on humanity, his methods were astonishing even to the archmages of this world.

While the archmages struggled to grasp the concept of Yin-Yang as presented in the film, the conclusions drawn from the experiment itself were straightforward enough for them to understand.

Yet it was precisely this understanding that left them so deeply astonished by the results…

"Does Araya Souren believe that human death is predetermined?"

"If we follow the theory of origin, every person's life has a set trajectory from the beginning. Since the starting point is already predestined, the endpoint must also be fixed."

"An unchanging death, a predestined spiral—this film carries a heavy flavor of nihilistic fatalism."

"Indeed. But whether fatalism truly exists or not is something no one can say for certain. At least in my opinion, I don't believe fatalism is real. A person's fate can be broken."

"Perhaps that's true for our world, but the Kara no Kyoukai world doesn't seem to operate under the same rules. If the theory of origin is an established fact, then a person's endpoint is unalterable. I think Araya Souren himself understands this principle, which is why he holds no real expectations for the experiment itself."

"That may be so, but why target Ryougi Shiki specifically?"

"For Araya Souren, whether it's this apartment complex or the conflicts he's previously orchestrated, everything he has done seems to be in pursuit of a singular goal. If that's the case, perhaps Ryougi Shiki is the key to achieving that goal."

"…"

The exchange continued. The archmages, despite their vast knowledge, could only scratch the surface of the concepts presented in Paradox Spiral.

After all, the concepts of Taiji and Yin-Yang Duality embedded in the film are far beyond the comprehension of this world's inhabitants.

Without the foundational consciousness or worldview necessary to grasp them, understanding their core principles is bound to be an extraordinarily difficult task.

Thus, the archmages eventually abandoned their discussion on these abstract ideas.

Instead, they shifted their focus to the information revealed in the dialogue between Ryougi Shiki and Araya Souren—specifically, the revelation that the two had met before.

This detail was particularly perplexing, as none of the previous Kara no Kyoukai films had ever hinted at such a connection.

Now, the film suddenly introduced this clue, leaving viewers scratching their heads in confusion.

Of course, before the archmages could delve deeper into their analysis, the film had already moved on to the next scene.

...

In the film, upon hearing the reasons behind everything Araya Souren had done, Ryougi Shiki couldn't contain herself and shouted:

"Is this the reason why you've been repeating the same method of death over and over?"

"Every family that's been lured here—these are people already broken or on the verge of collapse. Coming to this place merely hastens their inevitable end."

"Indeed, this building easily pushes people into a state of stress. By designing the floors to mimic the shifting of the sea, disrupting their sense of balance, and by using lighting and paint that strain the eyes, you force people's nerves into tension without relying on any magical effects. You're quite the architect, aren't you?"

"Not at all. The design here was handled by Aozaki. If you're impressed, the praise should go to her, not me."

Hearing the familiar name, Shiki was momentarily surprised before responding sharply:

"Araya Souren, why did you kill me?"

"Neither Fujou Kirie nor Asagami Fujino were enough."

"???"

"Fujou Kirie, who could only survive by clinging to death, had a nature similar to yours. Asagami Fujino, who could only find joy through confronting death, also shared attributes reminiscent of yours. Two years ago, I failed once—that person was too opposite to what I needed. What I require are those who share the same origin as you and can fragment it. Yes, rejoice, Ryougi Shiki. Those two were prepared as sacrificial offerings solely for you."

"You bastard—"

"Mu, your chaos impulse, is your origin—look into that darkness. Now, remember your true name."

"—Culprit!!!"

Realizing that everything had been orchestrated by this man, anger flashed in Shiki's eyes. Her emotions surged as she suddenly launched herself at Araya Souren.

Her speed was like an arrow loosed from a bow drawn to its limit, hurtling forward with beast-like killing intent toward the tall, dark figure before her!

"Shhh!!!"

Witnessing this breathtaking scene, the audience outside the film held their breath, their hearts racing as they eagerly anticipated the explosive battle about to unfold!

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