I, Kenneth, am going to get to the root of the problem today.

Page 71

"Yes, we are different. I have found something that fills my void."

Fujino's faint smile made Ryougi Shiki tighten her grip on the sword. In the short exchange, Ryougi Shiki had already sensed Fujino's abnormality. They were similar but incompatible outcasts, destined to stand on opposite sides.

"You were attracted here too, weren't you? What do you know?!"

Suppressing her turbulent emotions, Ryougi Shiki was certain that Fujino in front of her had come for the massacre of the previous night. The woman in front of her was just like herself; they were both abnormal beings drawn by the bloodshed.

“I know everything here, but why should I tell you? We’re just strangers who met by chance.”

Tell me everything you know!

The pent-up doubts surged within her. After confirming that Asagami Fujino was also an anomaly, Ryougi Shiki drew her sword with a cold glint in her eye. Desperate to know the truth, she planned to use violence to coerce Fujino into revealing everything she knew.

Zheng—!!

"Miss, alleys can be dangerous, especially where no one can see you!"

The Moon Spirit Essence Liquid was activated, and the thin layer of mercury created ripples as it hit the short sword. A red light appeared in his eyes, and passersby who had come because of the sound rubbed their heads and left the alley as the magic was being activated.

"I'm going to be late, so I won't bother you any longer, miss. I hope we never meet again. Otherwise, you'll die!"

The red light in her eyes faded, and Fujino, now back to her gentle demeanor, picked up her shopping basket and disappeared at the entrance of the alley. Sheathed her short sword in her sleeve, and Ryougi Shiki, eager to uncover the truth, followed closely behind. In the gradually approaching crowd, Asagami Fujino, who was thinking of going back to cook, had already disappeared.

"So, you were the one who did this!"

No one could answer Ryougi Shiki's question. The streets were bustling with people, and Ryougi Shiki's question was dismissed as the ramblings of a rebellious girl. Conflicts were building up. Ryougi Shiki, having cleared a wisp of fog, followed her body's instincts and caught up with Asagami Fujino.

Observing the undercurrents in the cloth, Kenneth, who was waiting for the storm to break in the night, was squatting in the agency playing a video game from the 1990s with Aozaki Touko. Under Kenneth's beating, the character representing Aozaki Touko fell to the ground in the KO settlement screen.

"What's wrong with you? How come you, the former monarch of the Clock Tower, know more about games than I do! Let's go again!"

Fueled by the rage of being repeatedly crushed, Aozaki Touko pressed the controller and selected the character Kenneth had been playing in the previous game.

"Maybe that's talent. By the way, aren't you going to work? The construction of Ogawa's apartment building is only halfway done."

"Work? What a load of crap. You've got your eye on Araya Sōren. I'm not even sure if I'll get the final payment. Anyway, I have the blueprints, so I can just check on them occasionally."

Having learned of Araya Sōren's purpose, Aozaki Tōko, who had already sentenced him to death, had long since given up on the idea of ​​working. After taking on Kenneth's project, Aozaki Tōko no longer cared about those small sums of money. There was no way around it; the business of being a magician was simply too extravagant.

"What are you doing? Just sitting there. Surely one Araya Sōren shouldn't keep you waiting this long."

As her body moved with the character on the screen, Aozaki Touko, who was playing a motion-sensing game, subtly probed Kenneth's purpose in visiting Bushi City. Even though Araya Sōren was hiding it well, Aozaki Touko didn't believe that Kenneth hadn't figured out the other party's methods.

“He’s just a pebble that can be kicked away at any time. What I’m waiting for is the person who truly has the ability to decide all of this. Before I see her again, I don’t mind watching other people’s schemes.”

"The person who truly has the ability to decide all of this? How is that possible? Araya Sōren's magic is already approaching the Root. Who else can compare to the Root? Don't tell me the Root is a single person, hahaha!!"

When faced with Touko's insightful comment, Kenneth gave her a polite but slightly awkward smile. The hand that was patting Kenneth's shoulder paused, and Touko's smile froze on her face.

"Don't tell me this is true! The Root can't really be a single person! How is that possible? How could an unconscious Root give birth to human consciousness? Even if it's connected to the Root, it's impossible! How could a human bear something like that!"

Kenneth smiled, still smiling at Orange. As a primordial being, Kenneth wouldn't explain anything to Orange; gazing into the abyss will eventually be gazing back into the abyss. Some things were beyond Orange's reach at this stage. Just as the atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense, the door lock turned, and Asagami Fujino, carrying large and small bags, walked into the office.

"Lord Kenneth, Ms. Orange, what happened?"

"It's nothing, it's just that Orange keeps losing to me and she can't accept reality."

Looking at KO on the screen, and then at Orange who seemed to have her worldview collapsed, Fujino, not noticing anything unusual, bowed to the two of them and walked slowly towards the kitchen.

"Boss, the Third Law involves the soul, right? Could you erase what I'm thinking about?"

Judging from Kenneth's expression, Aozaki Touko had already imagined a lot. Aozaki Touko had long since become indifferent to the pursuit of the origin. In order not to be entangled by the mystery, the always easygoing Touko decided to abandon this speculation that was enough to refresh the world's understanding of magic.

"I refuse. Some things are predetermined. Deleting this memory won't change anything. Congratulations, Orange, you've glimpsed the truth of the world."

...

Meanwhile, downstairs at the agency, Ryougi Shiki, driven by instinct to come to the Hall of Garan, looked at the tightly closed door on the fourth floor, drew her short sword, and, feeling that she had found the truth, stepped onto the stairs.

Chapter 183 The Two Elements Following Behind

The office door was knocked on rhythmically. Aozaki Touko, who knew that a customer had arrived through the barrier, quickly sat back at her desk, put on a business-like smile, and looked at Ryougi Shiki who had pushed open the door without permission.

"Hi, hello here. This is the Garan no To Office. Is there anything this guest needs?"

After glancing at the overly familiar Aozaki Touko, Ryougi Shiki looked around the rather unprofessional-looking agency. A coffee table piled high with fruit peels and sunflower seeds, a controller on the floor, a flickering television, and that ordinary-looking man who made her want to stab him.

"Pfft, Orange, you should change your way of greeting people. And the layout here doesn't look like a proper agency at all!"

"It's all because you bought these things while I was away. Do you think I wanted the agency to turn out like this..."

Something was amiss. The presence of everyone here, including the very existence of this agency, was suspicious. With her short sword tightly gripped beneath her sleeve, Ryougi Shiki's gaze was fixed on the two people arguing at the desk.

"This is an agency, right? What are your services?"

With her usual indifference, Ryougi Shiki, having learned about the place from Aozaki Touko's introduction, decided to follow Touko's lead. Stopping her banter with Kenneth, Aozaki Touko tilted her head to look at Ryougi Shiki, who exuded an aura of unapproachability.

"Hmm, she's my type of girl, how lucky. This is the Garan no To Office. Although we usually take on cases that are completely unrelated to our own, we mainly deal with unusual cases."

After teasing the tense Ryougi Shiki for a moment, Aozaki Touko began to introduce the unconventional agency in a lighthearted tone.

"Is the delegation of the abnormal event abnormal?"

Muttering Aozaki Touko's keywords, Ryougi Shiki looked towards the kitchen where the sound of running water was coming from. There, Ryougi Shiki sensed the presence from several hours ago. Carefully observing Ryougi Shiki, Touko suddenly slapped her forehead and continued speaking:

"Oh my, I knew you looked familiar. It turns out you're the guy I met that night. Since we're so lucky, I'll give you a 20% discount on your request."

Her thoughts were interrupted, and what Aozaki Touko revealed caused Ryougi Shiki's indifferent face to show surprise.

"That night, buddy, you're still alive! That's unbelievable."

Ryougi Shiki's words stunned Aozaki Touko. Just as Aozaki Touko was about to test Ryougi Shiki, Kenneth spoke up from the side.

"Since we are an agency that deals with anomalies, we naturally have the ability to deal with them. What do you think, girl who was drawn here by anomalies?"

"Yes, we have the ability to handle exceptions."

Although she didn't understand why Kenneth was changing the subject, as a responsible working person, Aozaki Touko immediately agreed with Kenneth's explanation.

Before meeting that person, Kenneth didn't intend to interfere in Ryougi Shiki's internal conflicts. The truth needed to be discovered by herself, and Ryougi Shiki's awakening also required this process of verification. Narrowing her eyes, Ryougi Shiki stared at the two who were working together. It wasn't a lie; what the two said contained no exaggeration or fabrication.

"Is that so? It seems you forced him to back down."

Using irrelevant truths, Kenneth guided Ryougi Shiki to the conclusion she insisted on. Touching the bruise on her shoulder through her kimono, Ryougi Shiki temporarily believed Kenneth's explanation.

"Since you're a law firm, then you should take on cases. I want to know what happened last night!"

As always, she remained aloof, revealing the purpose of her trip while glancing at the ever-closed kitchen door. This time, Aozaki Touko didn't speak, but instead looked at the silent Kenneth. Aozaki Touko attempted to communicate with her eyes, but Kenneth wasn't equipped with a gaze translator.

Something's not right, something's very wrong. Ryougi Shiki felt she had discovered the truth. From the moment she entered the abandoned building, everything seemed abnormal. The agency that solved the anomalies was inhabited by anomalies, and the woman who was the owner of the agency (Orange) was cooperating with that seemingly ordinary man. Even that twisted kind (Tengna) had concealed his anomalies.

"I want to know what happened last night. Do you accept this request?"

Repeating her previous words, Ryougi Shiki, who had already figured out who was in charge, looked at Kenneth, who was sitting on the sofa tactically drinking tea. After a moment's thought, Kenneth answered Ryougi Shiki's question.

"Just like the news reports, a beastly killer continues his crimes. Aren't the bite marks at the scene already pointing to the murderer?"

Although he didn't answer directly, Kenneth's words made his stance clear: he wouldn't accept the request. As if oblivious to Kenneth's meaning, Ryougi Shiki continued to explain her findings.

"There were three murders last night, but the methods used in each were completely different. I want to know who committed the other two!"

Kenneth's gaze was fixed on Asagami Fujino, who gracefully emerged carrying a tea tray. If it weren't for the unusual setting, Kenneth would have genuinely thought Ryougi Shiki would blurt out, "That cunning frog has been touching your belly all along!" Realizing that Fujino had been caught red-handed, Kenneth decided to continue his deception to the very end.

"You should contact the police, not us, for such a discovery. We cannot help you with your request."

Kenneth's veto confirmed Ryougi Shiki's suspicions, and her sharp gaze immediately locked onto Tenno, who was standing behind Kenneth.

"Then let me ask you another question. What did she do last night?"

"I'm sorry, this involves Tengnai's privacy, and I refuse to answer this question."

Seeing Kenneth's obvious cover-up, Ryougi Shiki was certain that Tenno was one of the culprits from last night. A pain shot through her shoulder, and considering what Touko had said earlier, Ryougi Shiki focused her attention on Kenneth again.

"You must have seen him before, right? Were the injuries on my body inflicted by you?"

"I did it."

Kenneth answered almost instantly, making no attempt to hide the fact that he had made a move against Ryougi-ori. A short sword was drawn from his sleeve, its gleaming tip becoming incredibly sharp with each glance from its wielder.

"Tell me what happened between you and him, and how those people died!"

At this point, Ryougi Shiki was certain that the man in front of her was inextricably linked to last night's case, and this seemingly ordinary man was the biggest anomaly!

It has to be said that Ryougi Shiki is the most reckless person on the moon, now and always. No matter who the opponent is, drawing her sword upon meeting them is Ryougi Shiki's consistent style.

“He wanted to kill me, and I gave him the chance. Unfortunately, he failed. Failure naturally comes with its own punishment, so I left that scar on his shoulder. As for who killed those people, didn’t you already have a guess in your heart?”

"You bastard! So it really was you who killed those people!"

Ryougi Shiki naturally showed no sympathy for the thugs. Instead, after realizing that there was more than one killer, she sought out the others. In Shiki's mind, Ori was the serial killer, but that didn't mean she was willing to bear the burden of killings unrelated to her. The killer from last night was right before her eyes, and Ryougi Shiki was already struggling to control the murderous intent within her.

“I killed him, so what? Evil is not an excuse for them to cover up their desires. We need to take it up, not put it down. Since they use evil to glorify themselves, they should bear the consequences of their evil deeds. Is there anything wrong with that?”

Looking at Kenneth, who showed no remorse for killing, Ryougi Shiki, who had always restrained herself with morality, didn't know how to answer. It wasn't because of the lives of those thugs, but simply because she couldn't find anything to refute Kenneth.

"When a person is killed, they die. This is something an interesting person once said. You want to clear your name of the crimes that have been imposed on you, but you've come to the wrong person. I have never concealed the traces of last night. It was those guys who still pinned the blame on the serial killer. Like I said before, you should provide them with your findings. Perhaps that way, those guys can avoid some detours."

This is sophistry, but regardless of the Metropolitan Police Department's considerations in grouping three unrelated cases together, the fact remains that the blame was placed on the same person. Under Kenneth's gaze, Ryougi Shiki's expression shifted several times, and finally, the young Ryougi Shiki lowered the dagger in her hand.

"I'll be watching you. I'll catch you before you act, and hopefully you'll still be able to spout all that nonsense then!"

The man before her was impeccable. He had no desire to kill, yet he did not deny killing. He viewed life as if it were roadside weeds. Ryougi Shiki did not understand and did not want to understand. In order to cleanse herself of the killing that did not belong to her, Ryougi Shiki decided to stare at the man before her.

"I'm really flattered. I hope you can keep it up."

Ryougi Shiki, having sheathed her short sword, stared intently at Kenneth.

Chapter 184 Stillness

The single-minded Ryougi Shiki left after finding out who the murderer was. Kenneth could only say that Ryougi Shiki's appearance was due to the influence of the cosmic consciousness. Ryougi Shiki was still too young at this stage. If it were Ryougi Shiki a few years later, Kenneth estimated that the other party would have already put a knife to his throat.

"That girl, she seems to have a split personality. It looks like you've encountered one too."

After Ryougi left, Aozaki Touko, who had been silent all along, spoke up. Touko had a premonition that Kenneth had other purposes for Ryougi; otherwise, this somewhat aloof lady would have been a corpse in the alley long ago.

"When you encounter one personality that affirms and another that denies, you fall into a spiral of contradictions, which is really interesting."

"Is it just personality? Simple personality disorder wouldn't interest you."

As the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat. As a magician who pursues mystery, Orange's curiosity about the unknown is no less than that of a cat. Even though she regretted the root of the problem, she was once again interested in the unknown. It has to be said that the nature of a magician is impossible to suppress.

"His name is Ryougi Shiki. Ryougi signifies her state, but Orange, where does Ryougi come from?"

"The Yi Jing says, 'The Great Ultimate gives rise to the Two Forms.' So she was from the Liangyi family? That explains it. The Liangyi family is one of the four great exorcist families, and their lineage does indeed match the surname Liangyi."

Upon learning Ryougi Shiki's surname, Orange thought of the local tyrant of Guanbuzi City, the only remaining of the four great families who had already partially withdrawn from the mystical world.

"The secret technique of the Ryougi family, if I remember correctly, involves placing multiple personalities into a single body to create an omnipotent being, thereby achieving omniscience similar to the Root..."

Indeed, the Ryougi family reached a consensus with DIO early on. After realizing that ordinary people can only reach a limited level in their entire lives, the ancestors of the Ryougi family decided not to be human. Since one personality cannot reach omniscience, they would continue to split and create personalities to contain knowledge, conceptually approaching the omniscience of the "Root".

However, the ideal is beautiful, but the reality is harsh. The Ryougi family overestimated the limits of humanity. Each generation of omnipotent individuals fell into chaos due to the conflict of multiple personalities. In order to continue the family line, the Ryougi family limited the awakening of personalities to two, and continued the family's magic from generation to generation.

Until this generation, the Ryougi family both succeeded and failed. The omniscient "Ryougi Shiki" appeared, but this "Ryougi Shiki" did not respond to the Ryougi family's wishes. The omniscient Shiki observed the world from the narrow perspective of Ryougi Shiki's activities, overlooking time and space with a vision that connects to "Garan". As the ultimate existence formed by the convergence of human desires, the all-knowing "Ryougi Shiki" found it difficult to be interested in worldly affairs and always lived each day with an attitude of returning to simplicity and energy conservation.

Suddenly, Aozaki Touko understood. Combining this with the information Kenneth had previously provided, Aozaki Touko broke out in a cold sweat and looked at the composed Kenneth.

"The Two Elements Family...it can't have succeeded, can it? The Tai Chi that gave birth to the Two Elements, why did you lead me to discover these things! Big Boss, I have no grudge against you, why did you do this to me! How can I sleep now!"

Thus, thanks to Kenneth's deliberate leak, Aozaki Touko glimpsed the truth: the humans who connect to the Root exist, and Aozaki Touko's decades-long view of magic collapsed.

"Don't worry, I've already met with her. Her perspective is different from ours. Omniscience is omnipotence, but also a curse. Her attitude is more Buddhist than you imagine. Just let things take their course."

Kenneth's explanation had no effect whatsoever. Shaking as she got up, the numb Aozaki Touko decided to first reconstruct her shattered worldview. After Touko left, Kenneth picked up his teacup and went to the window of the office. The next moment, Ryougi Shiki, outside the Garan no Doraemon, looked at Kenneth with a knowing expression.

"First it was the Ryougi Shiki, then the Ryougi-Shiki. What are you thinking, Ryougi-Shiki?"

Having encountered Ryougi Shiki's physical persona repeatedly, Kenneth couldn't help but suspect that it was all being orchestrated by Ryougi Shiki, the narrator from the original series. Meeting Ryougi Shiki's straightforward gaze, Kenneth shook his head and walked back to the hall.

Night enveloped the city, and the single-minded Ryougi Shiki still stood outside the building like a statue. The door of the office opened, and Asagami Fujino, having finished a day's chores, walked out gracefully. Last night's hide-and-seek game was so exciting that Fujino had lost track of time. Tonight, Asagami Fujino decided to fulfill her previous idea and go see her mother, who had remarried.

"I just want to live a peaceful life, please don't disturb me, otherwise you will die."

As Ryougi Shiki passed by, Asagami Fujino's eyes flashed red, and the hidden twisted power attacked Ryougi Shiki, who was looking up at the agency, without reservation. Ignoring Fujino's threat, Ryougi Shiki's eyes were now only on Kenneth, who was an anomalous aggregate.

Before Kenneth lost interest in Ryougi Shiki, Asagami Fujino decided to suppress her murderous intent. The red light in her eyes faded, and Fujino, who had other things to attend to, walked past Ryougi Shiki and headed towards the street. In the darkness, the beast that had been drawn to Ryougi Shiki hesitated briefly before following Asagami Fujino.

Stepping through the puddled alley, Asagami Fujino walked toward the Asagami family home of her memories. As an opportunity to say goodbye to the past, Asagami Fujino wanted to talk to her long-lost birth mother and also see those mortals who were so afraid of her talents.

Footsteps were especially clear in the silence, and the barking of a dog from somewhere added a touch of eeriness to the already dark alley. With a faint smile, Asagami Fujino stopped at the fork in the alley.

"Sir, you've been following me for so long, aren't you going to come out and greet me?"

The beast's golden eyes flashed, and the dagger gleamed with silver light. A low growl like that of a wild beast came from the alley on the other side. The dark clouds drifted away, and following the gradually spreading moonlight, Asagami Fujino saw the person clearly: short hair, a kimono, and a red jacket. If she hadn't been sure that the other person was a man, Asagami Fujino would have really thought that the other person was Ryougi Shiki.

"She will awaken when she sees your corpse. Die!"

The murderer's desires leaped. In order to turn Ryougi Shiki into one of his own, Shiro Jun Rio, whose muscles were twitching from over-excitement, rushed towards Asagami Fujino with seemingly staggering steps. With a thirst for fresh flesh and blood, Shiro Jun Rio's dagger was aimed straight at Asagami Fujino's throat.