Shiki Ryougi's Questions and Answers / Little Shirou, Who Lost His Memory

It's all over...

At that moment, a figure leaped down from the sky as if stepping on clouds.

This is a spirited woman with long black hair. She is wearing a gorgeous long-sleeved kimono, and her bare feet are wearing round wooden clogs. The black lacquer of the clogs and the red shoelaces make her fair bare feet stand out.

Shirou sensed a peculiar and familiar aura emanating from this woman who had appeared out of nowhere. It possessed the same energy as an omnipotent wish-granting machine, yet it also shared some similarities with him—no, with the white deity.

As the saying goes, Taiji gives rise to Yin and Yang, Yin and Yang give rise to the Four Symbols... Yin and Yang are emptiness and nothingness, representing all things and connecting to the source of all things.

This woman, named Ryougi Shiki, is one of the most mysterious beings in Chaldea.

Ryougi Shiki is a physical body connected to the root, a personality generated from the body, and does not possess intellect.

Families like the Wujing, Asagami, Nanaya, and Ryougi Families, which exorcise demons, have been attempting to create beings that surpass humanity for generations. The Ryougi Family's method involves creating individuals with multiple personalities. Since ordinary people, regardless of their circumstances, can only achieve a limited number of things in their lifetime, by utilizing dual personalities, they can reach different levels of attainment, much like a computer executing different programs to accomplish what ordinary humans cannot. Multiple personalities can also be used to reach the "Vortex of Origin."

Therefore, the Ryougi Family attempted to create an omnipotent being by incorporating multiple personalities into a single body. Through the Ryougi Family's unique secret techniques, Shiki developed multiple personalities, hence her name 'Shiki'. Shiki of a shikigami. Shiki of a number system. A system capable only of perfectly resolving predetermined matters. Possessing countless personalities, moral concepts and common sense are all written into the empty doll of these personalities—

Unlike typical multiple personality disorder, individuals with multiple personality disorder in the Ryougi Family possess one personality (Shiki) with absolute control over the physical body and another proxy personality (Ori). Both Shiki and Ori coexist, with Shiki deciding which personality to manifest.

Shiki, possessing the feminine quality, is responsible for affirming everything, while Ori, possessing the masculine quality, denies everything. In reality, the repression of emotions will be borne by Ori. Shiki is a born murderous demon, while Ori carries the murderous impulse of the Ryougi clan. Ori loves Kirito Kiriya, so the more she loves him, the more she wants to kill him.

But when Kirito Kiriya was tackled, he said to Shiki, "He doesn't want to die yet."

'If I can't kill you, then I'll just have to kill myself.' So Zhi walked towards the oncoming vehicle.

At this point, the form is not a feminine form, but rather a physical existence, representing the origin of Ryougi Shiki.

Its existence is equivalent to the great circle Taiji containing both of these, so the Root Shiki is also the essence of Style and Weave, but neither of them knows of the existence of the Root Shiki. Because they were forced to face the outside world, and because they were bored with the outside world, they handed over the control of their bodies to "Style" and fell into a deep sleep.

Because she is connected to the Root, the Root Shiki is almost omnipotent. It can be regarded as the Root itself, claiming to be omniscient and omnipotent; however, because of this, she is not interested in the outside world, and usually just looks down indifferently without taking the initiative to interfere.

"What beautiful flames! Don't you think so, Mr. Emiya? It's been a long time." Ryougi Shiki landed on the ground, looked at the burning scene outside, and spoke to Shirou.

Chapter 928 Ryougi Shiki's Questions and Answers

"I'm just here to confirm something for 'others'," the woman in the kimono with long black hair said to Shirou with a gentle smile. Her voice was soft, but lacked any reassuring quality.

In a parallel world, Touko, while raising Demonic Beast from another dimension, inadvertently connected to the network of that other world and learned of Araya Sōren's presence in Shirou's world. This was probably the subtle guidance of the Counter Force. So Touko communicated with Shirou and the others through the network and then asked Shiki to come to this world to check on the situation. However, it was Ryougi Shiki, with whom Touko had little contact, who arrived here.

Shirou had more or less guessed the origins of the 'others' she was referring to; they were the two major Counter Force on Earth.

If his answer doesn't satisfy her, will she be killed on the spot?

Memories of this woman surfaced in Shirou's mind. She was someone he encountered in a special Singularity within Chaldea. Gudako had met a girl named Shiki there, dressed in a kimono and geta (wooden clogs), but with a red leather jacket over it. She was carrying a small knife and looked like a murderous demon, leaving a deep impression on him.

That being said, the things that have happened recently are indeed very similar to what's happening here, and the girl named Asagami is also very similar to a certain Archer in Chaldea, only the difference in appearance and age made him somewhat overlook her.

However, the woman before him was different from that one. Shirou understood that she was another side of Shiki, existing in Chaldea as a special Servant with another body.

Buddhist teachings state that all things are empty, arising solely from the mind. This means that all things develop according to natural laws, and all attachments are merely the result of human desires. Once you understand this, there is nothing you cannot let go of. There is no need to be angry or afraid; just like air, it is there. You won't get angry because air is in your way, nor will you fear that air might suddenly disappear.

Emptiness is an important Prajna wisdom in Buddhism, representing the wisdom of enlightenment and liberation in Buddhism.

Emptiness is not pessimism, but a realistic and direct observation of oneself and all things in the world. Emptiness allows one to see one's true self and the true world. Emptiness is not nothingness, but rather the removal of the nothingness attached to everything, so that one has the ability and opportunity to touch the real world, possess the real world, and have a real life.

When a person can let go of everything, they can embrace everything.

She exists on two parallel lines with the girl, never intersecting, never appearing in the same place at the same time. Ryougi Shiki physical body connected to the Root is omniscient and omnipotent, transcending the material world, belonging nowhere, without any desires, and without interference, well, perhaps except for a few special beings.

In ancient times, she would have been regarded as an immortal, a saint chosen by heaven; in the West, she would have been a prophet who rose from the dead; and in Buddhism, she would have been called the Buddha.

It is precisely because of her that she is not seen as a threat by True Magic Counter Force, like the Magecraft who peer into the source of existence. Instead, she occasionally acts as an ally in protecting humanity.

At this Ryougi Shiki, Ryougi Shiki, this exquisite and mysterious long-haired beauty, was dressed in a gorgeous kimono with a long drape trailing on the ground. She was cleverly without heavy makeup, as if the filth of the world had deliberately avoided her. Every move she made was accompanied by the fluttering of cherry blossoms.

If anything, she is almost omnipotent in some ways, because she is connected to the root.

Ryougi Shiki traveled through a parallel world and arrived here, only to find that everything had already been resolved by Shirou.

Ryougi Shiki asked Shirou, "What exactly is happiness in your heart? Although she is connected to the Root and can fulfill all sorts of wishes, she cannot fulfill your wish."

"No, it's because my happiness isn't just my own. If it were just personal happiness, it might be easier to achieve, but if it's the happiness of all humanity, even the most fundamental source probably couldn't do it," Shirou said with a calm smile.

"Is that so? I could easily grant you any wish you have." Ryougi Shiki said to Shirou with a hint of regret.

"Thank you, but for me, this is enough for now," Shirou said.

"Shirou-kun, I don't deny your thoughts as an individual. That child and I are completely different beings. I am static and unchanging, just looking at the human world through that child's eyes. In fact, as long as you go through the Vortex of Origin, you can know the cause and effect of everything. Everything in the human world is as bland as boiled water to me."

But that child will grow up, she will marry the person she loves, give birth to lovely women, and grow old slowly with her husband. So such an individual can exist. Shirou-kun, if you want to pursue your own happiness, I think the white god will not object."Ryougi Shiki looked at Shirou and smiled, then continued:

"We don't envy you, nor do we regret anything. Our omniscience and omnipotence allow us to encompass everything, whether it's humanity itself, human good, or human evil—all exist in the same way. But at the same time, we've become very unfamiliar with and insensitive to human thought."

"Therefore... it seems extremely difficult for beings like us to bring happiness to the whole world and all of humanity."

"It's okay, there will be a result sooner or later. Whether the result is good or bad, I will probably accept it. I feel the same way. He probably just wanted to try one last time before disappearing. Stubbornly and unreasonably wanting to achieve something difficult but that he believes is right, that's probably what it feels like."

Yes, if what the girl with futuristic vision said is true, he will disappear in twenty years.

In other words, everything will be known by then.

"Is that so? Since that's how you feel, I won't say any more." Ryougi Shiki said calmly. This is who she is now: seemingly gentle and lovely, but essentially devoid of joy or sorrow.

"Well then, goodbye, Ryougi Shiki."

"Well, goodbye, human Emiya- kun."

And so, Shirou, carrying Mashiro on his back, walked towards his own world.

Ryougi Shiki then turned and passed through the portal to the void, using the Root to return to her own world.

Twenty years is neither a long nor a short time. For human beings, living well in the present is more difficult than reminiscing about the past or looking to the future, even though it is actually the only feasible way.

Shirou will stay with Mashiro in this world forever, until that day comes.

"Hmm." As they stepped out of the apartment building, now a ruin, the girl on his back twitched her brow.

"You're awake, Mashiro," Shirou said with a smile, sensing the movement.

"Um... Shirou, thank you." Mashiro rubbed against Shirou's back and said with a smile.

"No, I should thank you, Mashiro, for trusting me." Shirou said with a smile to the girl behind him.

"Because we made a promise, no matter what, we'll stay together, right? So if I get lost, Shirou will come find me. If Shirou is missing, then I'll go find Shirou," Mashiro said matter-of-factly.

"Oh right, Mashiro." Shirou said, suddenly remembering something.

"Hmm?" Mashiro rested her chin on Shirou's shoulder and responded with a puzzled sound.

"Let's get married when you turn eighteen!" Shirou said.

"Yes!" the girl replied loudly.

The two walked together within the white light curtain, and no matter what happened, they would stay together until the end of their lives.

Shirou and the Headless Knight Arc

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Chapter 929 The Amnesiac Shirou

Shirou Emiya, fifteen years old, appears to be a incoming high school student about to enroll in a school in Tokyo. He arrives alone in this metropolis with an acceptance letter in hand. He has no idea who he is or why he came to this city; in short, he has lost his memory.

He knew nothing about this world. The only thing he could vaguely recall was that while he was sleeping, a frivolous man with long silver hair gave him some instructions, and then he was pushed into this world, where he fell onto a mountain with an admission notice on his person.

He walked for more than ten days through the dense forests of Mount Fuji to reach Tokyo, finally finding the school. He received his school uniform, but was told that the school did not provide room and board. Moreover, since the school was still a few days away from starting, he could not stay at the school.

During that time, he was certain of only one thing: he seemed not to be human, but a kind of monster that could sneak into other people's dreams. During the more than ten days he was in trouble on the mountain, he could survive on sleep alone, even without eating.

He would still eat if there was food available. He had eaten canned food provided to those who perished in the Fuji Sea of Trees, and it tasted quite good.

Shirou, who had planned to sleep on the streets, was led home by a female racer wearing a cat-ear hat and riding a black motorcycle without lights. She was a kind woman, but she was not human either, because if she took off her hat, there was no head underneath.

Today, as soon as he got out of school, he returned to his boarding house, the house of Shinra and Celty, only to find an uninvited guest at his home.

Mr. Izaya Orihara, with short black hair and a stylish and handsome demeanor, speaks somewhat frivolously, but his words and actions seem to conceal a deeper meaning, making him enigmatic. It is said that he occasionally provides work to Mr. Celty and Shinra.

Based on his animalistic instincts, Shirou sensed that getting entangled with him would be troublesome, so he decided it was best to minimize contact with him.

At this moment, Celty had already gone out to work, while the master, Shinra, was coming out of the kitchen with two cups of coffee.

But today, things haven't gone as planned.

"Hey, Shirou, we were just talking about you." Izaya Orihara was drinking coffee and smiling warmly at Shirou.

However, in Shirou's eyes, it was particularly sinister; it was the kind of expression the man in front of him would show when he wanted to use someone.

"I don't understand anything, I can't help you." The young Shirou took two steps back, waving his hands. Having lost all his memories, he would obviously be completely deceived by the other party.

"Celty has already gone out, and we're short-handed, so I was hoping you, who's been eating for free, could lend a hand," Shinra said with a smile, handing over a freshly brewed coffee. He was actually quite wary and suspicious of this charming, womanizing pretty boy; what if Celty got snatched away?

"So... if you don't want to work, then let me dissect your body right now. Seriously!" Under the pressure of his landlord Shinra's gaze, Shirou had no choice but to agree to the job.

"Well, anyway, sit down first and let me tell you what happened." Izaya Orihara handed Shirou the coffee that Shinra had, and said patiently.

Under pressure, Shirou glanced at Shinra to the side, and then nodded.

However, Shinra was still unhappy. Using the excuse that the kid needed to go to bed early and couldn't drink coffee, she snatched the coffee back and sat down sullenly to the side, drinking it alone.

To be honest, Shirou just wanted to finish his instant noodles and then retreat to his room in the storage room where he was staying. He didn't know why, but he suddenly missed the carefree life on the mountain.

So Izaya Orihara began to talk about his request, revealing a sinister smile as he said, "Actually, I've been interested in doing a good deed online every day and helping suicide prevention volunteers gather."

"Huh? You do such disgusting things? Why don't you commit suicide with them? You could have just let me dissect their bodies." Shinra asked with a smile.

"I've said it's just a hobby, a hobby. I've told you before, what I like most is humans! Anyway, let me tell you about what happened back then," Izaya Orihara said with a nonchalant smile.

"Anyway, let's talk about what you want to do before you die, shall we?"

In a karaoke room, Izaya Orihara, holding a drink, made a startling statement.

The other two women in the private room simply shook their heads in silence.

Unbeknownst to them, a tall, slender man with beautifully dyed silver-white hair, standing about 180 centimeters tall, was leaning against the door of the private room. He was wearing a slightly loose trench coat, the hood of which covered his lowered head, obscuring part of his face. However, the exquisite features of his face could still be discerned from the exposed parts.

But even someone like that was ignored by passersby and waiters. Well, why would anyone care about something like a dream? This should be called the state of a monster called a tapir.

The two women in front of Izaya Orihara appeared here in response to his Izaya suicide prevention website. "This world is too unreasonable, let's die together." One of them chose to die because she couldn't find a job, and the other was unable to recover from a breakup and felt hopeless about herself.

Yes, at first glance, even Shirou would find it hard to accept that someone would choose suicide for such a reason. But the number of people committing suicide due to employment issues is indeed rising year by year. Analyzing the occupational composition of suicide victims also reveals a particularly large number of unemployed individuals. In addition, in terms of age, the number of suicides among those under twenty is far lower than other age groups. Recently, due to media reports on suicides caused by school bullying or academic pressure, many people believe that most suicides are committed by young people, but in fact, the vast majority of suicide victims are so-called adults. Apart from so-called forced suicides, domestic violence, left-behind elderly, abandoned elderly and weak, workplace bullying, work pressure, and demolition of houses are problems that can be found in every region.

In fact, statistics from several years ago in Shirou's hometown showed that at least 600,000 people commit suicide each year, with 2.5 million attempting suicide, which is about a quarter of the world's total. That is, on average, 19.02 people attempt suicide every minute in the world, and 15 are saved. And everyone knows that such figures are often underestimated in that area.

Why do so many people want to die? He would be happy if he could just find some expired canned food lying around in the forest.

Shirou wondered, puzzled.

Chapter 930 Izaya Orihara's Request to Shirou

Shirou only has a superficial understanding of this world, has many things he doesn't quite understand. Just like the two women in this private room, they are both around seventeen or eighteen years old, almost adults, so why are they doing such frivolous things? Although I have no right to say anything to them.

However, he still asked frankly, "Isn't this too cruel? They're not bad people, are they?"

"No, Shirou-kun, it's a foolish idea to categorize humans as good or evil," Izaya said, shaking his finger.

"Yes, yes, for example, if we're talking about Izaya, although he's worse than a villain, he's not entirely evil, but he's not a good person either; he's someone who makes you want to vomit. Hahaha!!"

"Hahaha, Shinra, your mouth is getting more and more venomous." Izanara Oriya said with a dangerous smile as he looked at his friend who was suffering from abusive tendencies.

"??" Shirou to the side, looked puzzled and completely bewildered.

Shirou felt that Izaya might understand these things better. He felt that this dangerous man with a somewhat familiar voice was a very shrewd and capable person. If he could use his abilities for good, that would be great.

He said he had attended about twenty such gatherings, and through these gatherings—yes, that's right, gatherings —Izaya he discovered that they didn't actually have much in common. People's attitudes toward death vary greatly; some people maintain a smile throughout the gathering, while others, who are clearly there to die, set up pre-recorded television programs before leaving.

However, none of the people who had previously met with Izaya had ever actually taken any action, which greatly disappointed him.

In recent years, the number of isolated suicide cases has consistently remained above 30,000. In fact, Shirou had seen relevant statistics ten years ago showing at least 600,000 suicides annually, with 2.5 million attempts, roughly a quarter of the world's total. That means an average of 19.02 people attempt suicide every minute worldwide, with fewer than 15 saved. However, everyone knows that such figures are often underestimated in his hometown, and the Dalits of India are never included in the statistics. And when do countries embroiled in war have the leisure for such calculations?

What were they thinking as they faced death? Was there truly no other way? Or, for whom did they resolve to die? How deep was their despair when they decided to die?

Izaya Orihara's greatest love is for humans. However, he didn't meet them to persuade them to give up their suicidal thoughts. He was simply curious about the suicidal volunteers among the humans he admired, and wanted to know the reasons behind it. So he started this kind of experimental investigation, a psychological test for suicidal volunteers. He recruited suicidal volunteers online to go to a karaoke bar, served them specially made drinks, and after they fainted, he stole their valuables and stuffed them into suitcases, making them feel extremely embarrassed.

Shirou in his most innocent state, ignorant of everything, yearning for truth, and therefore eager to know the reasons behind it all. But the world is so complex, and what he tries to understand may not be what his heart truly desires to know.

"Izaya- san? What do you need me to do for you?" Shirou asked, puzzled.

"Yes, you have the ability to enter other people's dreams, so simply drugging people is too boring. Could you please give them a few 'snap's' in their dreams?"

So, inside the karaoke bar, Izaya Orihara was chatting and laughing with two girls.

Izaya has seen many people who wanted to commit suicide but gave up. The reason those people didn't commit suicide wasn't because they didn't have suicidal thoughts but just joined in the fun, or because they were afraid of death. Izaya Orihara's true nature is about to be gradually revealed from beneath his calm facade.

Izaya raised his cheerful voice and changed the subject:

"Speaking of which, what will happen to you two after you die?"