Magician in Type-Moon

Page 224

"But why should I sell it to you? Money is of no use to me."

Fujino practically forced the words out of her throat, with a hint of stubbornness and resentment.

"Listen to my terms first, and maybe you'll find what you're looking for," Matou Ike's voice came again.

“You can say whatever you want…” Fujino tried her best to calm herself down and took a deep breath, “...but don’t act like you know everything!”

“I can give you a few choices. One is after I take your eyes, because your eyes were formed naturally. You were born with the talent, and this experience has allowed that talent to blossom.”

"You should know that the source of your extraordinary abilities lies within yourself. The bloodline of the Asami God will automatically allow your powers to be re-formed."

"Is that why you don't want to talk to me now? But there is still one way to solve this problem, and that is to kill you."

Matouchi spoke terrifying words in a low voice.

"But you don't really want to die, do you? How about being reborn as someone else?"

"I know a friend who can make dolls that are indistinguishable from human bodies, but the side effect is that dolls are not real living beings after all. They will not age or grow naturally, and will only have parts that break down."

Maintaining youthful vitality is a luxury even in the magic world; such a thing could even spark a legendary tale like the Argonauts' Great Adventure in ancient times.

But in this mysterious and desolate modern world, immortality is like a curse for normal people.

If Asagami Fujino chooses this path, she will need to move to a different place to live every ten years or so.

Upon hearing Matou Ike's words, Asagami Fujino ceased her violent struggles.

Although it looked like a forced sale, the price offered by the other party was indeed beyond her expectations.

However, the drawbacks are still too great. Every time you change your identity, you have to abandon your original self and the relationships you've worked so hard to build...

"My second option is that I can seal your abilities, just like your father did to you. He used drugs, and I use magic, so you can regain your senses and continue living the life of Asagami Fujino. What do you say?"

"What about the side effects? This condition seems much more favorable than the previous one, doesn't it?" Fujino narrowed her eyes and calmly asked.

Matou Ike still had a faint smile on her face, as if she had expected her to ask that question.

He gently shook the medicine bottle in his hand. "Side effects...of course there are."

He straightened up and stared intently at Fujino.

Matou Ike's words struck Fujino's heart like a heavy hammer.

"Your father is temporarily suppressing your abilities by blocking your sense of pain, but this is not a fundamental solution."

He continued, his tone calm and cold, "In our line of work, especially among magicians in Egypt, they even sew up their eyelids to seal in their magic and ensure that it doesn't leak out."

Fujino's hand trembled involuntarily; this extreme method sent a chill down her spine.

“In other words,” Matou Ike continued to explain:

“Relying solely on sealing, whether through medication or other means, can only delay the outbreak of the problem, not completely resolve it. Your bloodline power comes from the inheritance of the Asagami God, and once it is re-condensed, your superpowers will always make a comeback.”

"And at that time, you will probably no longer be able to control it. What will the people around you think of you then? Fujino, no matter how you look at it, you will not be saved."

Fujino could hear the despair in his words and knew that he wasn't trying to scare her.

"So... does this mean I'm destined to become a monster?" Fujino's voice was weak, all the power in her body stripped away by this endless despair.

"Of course, if you're willing to accept your own talent, I have another option I can tell you. Would you like to know?"

Fujino fell into deep thought, gazing at the pitch-black landscape before her, her mind filled with countless thoughts.

"What is it?"

With a soft pop, Asagami Fujino heard the sound of a lighter igniting.

"I am a magician, and I intend to teach you how to use those eyes, after they have been reassembled, of course."

"...Use these eyes? Even if I could use these eyes, what difference would it make?"

"After you become my apprentice, I have a gift to give you as a formal apprenticeship gift."

As soon as she finished speaking, the surrounding darkness suddenly receded like a tide, and Fujino's vision began to return.

Gradually, the scene before her reappeared, and Matou Ike was still standing in front of her, with an ambiguous smile on his face.

He handed over the little gadget he had been playing with.

"What is this?" Fujino asked, somewhat puzzled.

“Crest Worms,” Matou Ike said with a faint smile. “If you implant these things into your parents’ bodies, they will be under your control, and you can continue to maintain that boring puppet show.”

"Of course, that's on the condition that you can learn my magic trick, how about it?"

Asagami Fujino fell silent. This was indeed the future she wanted, but she clearly wanted to get rid of this...

"What exactly is your purpose in presenting this answer to me in such a roundabout way? It's not just about wanting my eyes, is it?"

“Heh.” Matou Ike nodded and replied:

“You are very smart. I am indeed not satisfied with your eyes now. As I just mentioned, the bloodline of the Asagami family has fallen into the demonic path due to the hybridization of blood. The demonic eyes awakened by the fallen are red. To me, this is just a defective product.”

“Those blue eyes are the true inheritance of the Asakami family. But unfortunately, you are now the only one left with the Asakami bloodline, and I have nowhere to find another pair of magical eyes with such power.”

Matou Ike paused for a moment and then continued:

"Blue represents God, and red represents Demon. I'm greedy; I want both kinds of Demon Eyes, so I can only satisfy my needs by slowly nurturing you. That's how it is. Do you understand?"

Matouike added:

"Of course, if you choose one of the first two options, I won't go back on my word. It's an equal exchange, fair, isn't it?"

Fujino finally understood that the man in front of her had never treated her as a normal person from beginning to end.

Fujino fell silent, and the surrounding air became heavy, as if even the sound of the wind was suppressed by this pressure.

She took a deep breath and looked up at Matou Pond again. "I need time."

“Of course.” Matou Ike smiled gently. “However, remember, some things don’t wait for anyone. I only have one day to wait for your reply.”

"Then how do I find you?" Fujino asked softly.

“Isn’t there this guy?” Matou Ike kicked Angelo Manuel, who was standing to the side, lightly. “Once you’ve figured it out, tell this guy. Remember, you only have one day.”

......

That night.

In the only hospital in the city center, the sound of nurses' shoes gently pattering on the tiles echoed through the deathly silent corridors.

Under the dim yellow light, the ward door was half-open, and the room was not lit, with only the occasional flashes of lightning outside the window briefly illuminating the room.

Thick cumulonimbus clouds covered the entire sky.

"Snapped--"

A faint flash of lightning ripped through the night sky, illuminating a corner of the ward.

A figure leaned against the window; it was Kurogiri Mikiya, who had accepted the mission from Matouchi.

He had been in this ward for a day and a night, and fatigue and weariness had long since crept onto his face.

He was clutching a talisman with ancient runes in his hand, a protective charm that Orange had given him.

Thunder rumbled outside the window, and the oppressive atmosphere of the downpour made it hard to breathe. Kurogiri Mikiya's eyes were somewhat vacant, as if he was lost in thought.

"If it weren't for the rune amulet that Orange gave me, I probably would have jumped off this cliff by now..."

He muttered to himself, his gaze, slightly weary, sweeping across the oppressive city skyline outside the window.

It felt like a dream of flying; just getting close to it evoked such a strong urge.

Kurogiri Kanya let out a long sigh.

He's not good at handling these kinds of things.

In Wujiang Wue's hospital room, the silence made him feel suffocated.

Today marks the third day since the last high school girl committed suicide by jumping off a building.

According to Aozaki Touko and Matou Ike's deductions, a new victim will appear today.

According to Matou-senpai, before the victim appeared, someone would come to the sealed-off ward of Wujo Kirie and deliver a bouquet of flowers.

He frowned slightly, his gaze falling on a bunch of flowers in the corner of the room that had begun to wither—they had been placed there a few days ago.

Today's timeline is drawing ever closer; new flowers may appear in the ward, and new lives will be swallowed up.

"Why does it have to be a flower?" Kanya murmured to himself, as if asking himself.

"Brother?" A strange female voice suddenly came from the doorway, interrupting Kurogiri Mikiya's thoughts.

He shifted his gaze from the window to the doorway, where a strange young girl stood.

She had long purple hair, and her eyes conveyed a sense of both familiarity and estrangement.

"Who are you?" Kurogiri Kanya frowned slightly, becoming more vigilant.

"It really looks like it..."

The newcomer was dressed in the uniform of a traditional Catholic aristocratic girls' school, holding a bouquet of flowers, and speaking in a language that was incomprehensible to others.

"I am Misaya Huanglu. What is your name?"

The woman, who called herself Huang Lu Meisaya, walked straight to Kurogiri Mikiya's side and gently placed the flowers in her hand on the hospital bed.

Kurogiri Mikiya looked at the overly familiar woman in front of him, somewhat puzzled.

The other party seemed to completely disregard him.

But he still gave his name.

“Black tung tree trunk.”

"A very poetic name. Are you here to investigate Wu Tiao's affairs?"

That's too blunt; the other party doesn't seem to care about obtaining certain information.

Then there's no need to go through all that trouble.

“Yes, I’m investigating what happened here.” Kokutou Miki didn’t mince words, attempting to extract more information through conversation. “And you? Why are you here?”

Misaya Huang smiled slightly, looking relaxed, as if she were having a casual chat rather than dealing with a serious matter.

"I just came to deliver flowers to Wu Tiao. She... suffered pain that she shouldn't have to bear."

Her voice was gentle, seemingly tinged with pity, but this only intensified Kanya's sense of vigilance.