Chapter 175: Episode 4: The Hollow Shrine (Part 5)
The movie continued to unfold.
A week had passed since Ryougi Shiki awoke from her coma.
Every day without fail, Aozaki Touko came to visit her and chat. But Shiki remained cold and distant, never once softening her attitude.
Her sense of self was still fragmented. She couldn't even tell who she was anymore.
And perhaps because of that empty void within her… ghosts—those all-too-easily born within a hospital—began appearing in her room each night. Sensing her defenseless soul, they attempted to creep inside, hoping to possess her vacant shell.
Shiki didn't resist. Not once.
To her, she was just a hollow shell. Neither the Shiki she once was, nor anyone new.
So maybe, she thought, quietly fading away like this… would be the most pleasant choice.
But even that wasn't the only thing gnawing at her mind.
"My eyes… they're almost healed, huh?"
She didn't want that.
She didn't want to see it again—the world overflowing with death.
Instinctively, the girl raised her hands. Her fingers hovered before her eyes, poised like a blade above bamboo, ready to plunge into her own sockets—
Until a sharp voice interrupted her.
"Hold it. That's a little too decisive, don't you think?"
It was Aozaki Touko, striding into the room without hesitation.
"The Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, huh? What a waste it'd be to ruin them. Besides—" she said, her voice dry but sharp, "—even if you gouge them out, you'll still see it. A curse like that doesn't go away just because you try to abandon it."
"How do you know that?"
"Heh. I'm a magus. And I can teach you how to use those eyes."
"…Use these eyes?"
"Yep. My method won't cure you completely, but it's better than nothing."
She began explaining casually, as if offering a potion recipe.
"Most Mystic Eyes are the result of spiritual surgery—adding magical functions to one's vision. But yours manifested naturally. That makes you a born talent. If you really don't want them, why not sell them to me? Name your price."
"…You said I'd still see those lines even without eyes. In that case, there's no point in destroying them."
"Exactly. Besides, you were never meant to live a normal life. Stop dreaming about something that was never yours."
"I never… wanted to live in the first place."
"Heh. So because you can't rebuild your sense of self, you're just giving up on living? But you're scared of death, Shiki. Deep down, you're terrified. If you weren't, I wouldn't have been able to stop you from killing yourself."
"Don't act like you know everything—!"
"Tch. All I'm saying is, right now, there's a gaping void inside you—a hollow shrine. To the fragments of the dead wandering this hospital, you're like a tailor-made vessel. Sure, they're still too scattered for now, but eventually, they'll gather and become a complete spirit. And when that happens… your life won't be yours anymore."
"..."
"I'm not your babysitter. I'm not even good at this kind of thing. What happens next is up to you."
Touko turned and walked toward the door.
But just before she left, she paused and looked over her shoulder.
"But… was SHIKI's really die for nothing, Shiki?"
Shiki, who had ignored her up until now, suddenly froze in place.
. . . . . . .
As that scene played out on the screen, murmurs immediately rose from the audience.
No one could stay silent in the face of such a heavy revelation.
And perhaps because the Southern Territory lacked widespread belief in the Church of the Holy Light, people there were particularly intrigued by the topic of souls.
"Why did SHIKI really die? Feels like there's more to it than we've been told."
"Hard to say… there just isn't enough information."
"By the way, those ghosts in the movie—they were fragments of souls, right? So what really happens to the soul after death?"
"Well, according to the Church, every soul goes to Heaven to meet the God of Holy Light—unless you're a sinner, in which case, you're cast into the Abyss to suffer for eternity."
"Yeah, save it. That Heaven-and-Hell stuff doesn't fly down here in the South."
"Seriously. Do you buy that?"
"Nope. You?"
"Not a chance."
"The Human Empire was built by our own hands—not by some God of Light."
"If that god really cared about us, where was it when the Empire was falling apart on all sides?"
"Exactly! If gods actually ruled life and death, we wouldn't have a bunch of pompous priests running around trying to scam people."
"..."
Voices filled the theater—cynical, grounded, and strikingly unified.
It was clear that, after generations of de-religification led by the southern Grand Dukes, the people of the southern territories had long grown skeptical, even dismissive, of the Church's doctrine.
And hearing all this firsthand, Emperor Hubbard was visibly stunned.
This was likely the first time he had ever heard such candid opinions from the southern populace about the Church.
After all, despite being a supposedly enlightened monarch, he was still the ruler of a feudal empire. Most kings, no matter how wise, rarely had any insight into the thoughts of their lowest subjects.
This time, however, thanks to Edward's groundbreaking film, the Emperor found himself with a perfect excuse to step into the world of the common folk—and encountered a reality he had never considered before.
"The Grand Duke of the South… Constantine has done something truly remarkable," the Emperor murmured. "The Empire granted the four regional Grand Dukes extensive autonomy, allowing them to govern their lands freely so long as they didn't interfere with imperial interests. And now, it seems… the South is thriving the most."
General Wilhelm nodded.
"The Viktor family has always followed their ancestral code strictly. They limit noble involvement in commerce, maintain a standing army, and work to protect the rights of the common people. They also use education and cultural influence to block the Church's expansion. In many ways, the South has become the Empire's most advanced region."
"I never would have thought… The Viktor family truly is impressive."
"It's also due to how they choose their successors. Every generation, their heirs are sent to the undeveloped lands beyond the Southern Territory. There, they must form independent pioneer groups with no outside aid. In the end, only the one with the best results—achieved without cheating—can inherit the Grand Duke's title."
"Yes… I've heard of that. But it's the kind of thing even royal families wouldn't dare try."
Emperor Hubbard spoke with admiration—but also a trace of unease in his eyes.
He was old now. Retirement wasn't far off.
And among his current candidates for the throne… none truly impressed him. Without a capable successor, the Empire could easily fall into chaos within a century.
"…Looks like I'll have to stay alive a while longer."
The Emperor chuckled softly, though the words sounded far too much like a flag waiting to be triggered.
Still, he turned back toward the screen and resumed watching the film alongside the others.
At the same time, across the Empire, the mages of the Imperial Mage Academy were also deep in discussion, each expressing their own take on the film's latest developments.
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