[296] Maintaining the Status Quo

There was something peculiar about how Shiki felt towards Kazuya...

Before meeting Kazuya...

She had a grandfather.

For a long time, he had lost his sanity, imprisoned in a dungeon for nearly twenty years. However, she managed to maintain her current self, remaining alone without succumbing to the teachings he left behind.

Her grandfather, in the final moments of his life, regained consciousness like a last burst of light.

Afterwards...

Not long after, she encountered Kazuya.

He believed in her.

He knew a lot, but still...

Whether it was Shiki or SHIKI, in his eyes, they were not murderers; they were just two children sharing a body...

It should be like that.

She didn't know what made him so confident.

Shiki attempted to kill Kazuya, but... she failed. The reason for the failure wasn't because she couldn't defeat him or anything like that.

Although he occasionally resisted, it was more like a joke.

Most of the time... he wouldn't do anything.

But... she still couldn't bring herself to harm him.

This man had a mysterious confidence that he absolutely wouldn't take action...

As Shiki watched Kazuya walking beside her, holding her hand, several heads taller than her, she couldn't understand why he had so much faith in her.

...

Space seemed to meld like the surface of water.

Something emerged from that space.

It was a man wearing a black robe-like coat.

He didn't stare at the two walking ahead; instead, he headed in the opposite direction.

"Who is that man?"

The man's name was Araya Souren.

Seven days ago, he discovered Shiki and targeted her... he possessed a concealed ability that even Shiki's Mystic Eyes couldn't detect.

However...

That man noticed.

Just staring at him for a while, he realized that something was wrong...

But! Regardless of who that man was, he couldn't disrupt his actions—

"Shiki, there's something off about that body..."

Seven days were enough for Araya Souren to make a rough judgment. If, by any chance, he unintentionally saw the person as he imagined him to be...

Then, he could achieve what he desired—The Root.

When Shiki realized the root, it wasn't the result; it was the process.

What he sought was what happened after reaching the root.

But that was simple; if he could truly achieve it... he attempted it several times, but each time, he unintentionally triggered a counterforce. Previous attempts failed due to various unexpected reasons.

But now— he saw the greatest possibility!

"Let's observe for now." Araya Souren made a decision. Two hundred years was nothing compared to these few days, and even a few years wouldn't matter. He had to find the most suitable time.

To prevent the counterforce from activating again, it was necessary to completely isolate the temple, much like a different world.

But, all of this depended on his confirmation. Once he confirmed everything, he could take action.

When the temple was complete... he could take action, get hold of that person... get Shiki!

The premise for all this was that everything went as he expected.

...

"Was it an illusion..." At a corner, Kazuya and Shiki hid, peeking out their heads to look at the person behind them, furrowing their brows.

"I told you, didn't I?" Shiki sighed slightly. "How could anyone be tailing me?"

"Really... maybe." Kazuya nodded. "But Shiki, anyway, I've participated in two Holy Grail Wars. Maybe I can't match you in intuition, but... I have a skill called 'Mind's Eye.'"

Shiki nodded. "Are you saying you've gained the ability called 'Mind's Eye' from your manga?"

"No, no, I'm just using it as a metaphor." Kazuya sighed. "After all, I've encountered various battles. There's always a strange premonition, a feeling like someone is watching me... just now, it was a gaze that seemed to be examining me. But there was nothing, perhaps... it really was just an illusion."

Kazuya continued talking as he pulled Shiki forward. "Anyway, let's go back for dinner. It's getting late."

"You should tell me more about the situation in Cairo."

"You can rest assured; I'll tell you everything you want to know." Holding Shiki's hand, Kazuya walked slowly, stepping lightly. "How's school? Have you made any friends?"

"No." Shiki said decisively. "I don't need something like that. Friends and such..."

The two of them chatted casually, and soon they reached the Ryougi residence, coincidentally seeing a group of people passing by from the side.

"Akitaka-san, is everything over?"

"Shiki-sama, you're back." After giving a slight bow to Shiki, Akitaka turned to Kazuya and said, "It's nothing difficult; it's simple to handle. However, there have been more situations like this recently..."

"It's the same every year, don't worry about it." Shiki nonchalantly remarked. "Every year when students start school, there are always several groups of people who think they're strong, and the number of people they gather is enough to seize a part of the profits. Just casually discipline a couple of them, and it's done..."

"Shiki-sama is correct. There's nothing to worry about..."

...

In a room in the Ryougi residence, the head of the Ryougi family looked at the group of people at the door, slowly closing the window, and asked those inside the room, "How was he? Kurokawa Kazuya."

"Indeed, if it's for the continuation of the Ryougi family, he is a good choice. However..."

"He is too extraordinary. The winner of two Holy Grail Wars, and he could have obtained the Holy Grail with just one more step. If... he truly desired it. However, he gave up both times. Perhaps others may not know, but we are well aware. Moreover, his assets are not inferior to those of the Ryougi family. Shiki is definitely impossible to marry off. So, is it possible for someone like him to marry in? I don't think there's anything in the Ryougi family that can attract him."

"But still, we should give it a try. Considering Shiki's personality, I don't think there are any other possibilities. In fact, it is true. Several years have passed, and she hasn't made a single friend in school. She keeps everyone away, and countless people feel fear towards her. There is only one person beside her who is so self-confident..."

"Well... Shiki is still young." The head pondered for a moment. "Let's wait for two more years to see the situation. If there's still no change, I will talk to him in detail. For now, let's maintain the current situation."

---

If you're interested in reading more, feel free to visit my patreon which already contains 30 chapters: 

https://www.patreon.com/XElenea