Food rots, plants wither, animals die.
But food leaves behind decaying matter, plants leave behind withered remains, and animals leave behind corpses and souls.
These remaining things can be further killed until they completely disappear.
"All things are alive? This is the first time I've heard your view."
Fujiwara found it somewhat novel. That which has no consciousness is inanimate; this has been a universally accepted view, yet from the other person's mouth, she heard a different perspective.
"Isn't that so?"
"All things in the world have their day of demise, so before that, they can all be considered alive."
"The wind will cease, the thunder will quiet, and even solid rock will return to dust; just as humans die, a hundred years amount to but a handful of yellow earth."
This is what Shiki considers living: as long as it exists in this world, it can be considered alive.
"Now that you put it that way, it's true!" Fujiwara nodded thoughtfully.
"Isn't it precisely because all things are striving to live that this world is so vibrant?"
Although there are always a few individuals who harbor bitter resentment towards the world, most still hold expectations for it.
The world Shiki saw was one of collapse and demise, but precisely because of this, she cherished even more the beautiful scenery she used to see.
"Indeed, topics like life are too heavy. Let's stop here for today, Ryougi."
"Ah, then I won't see you off."
Fujiwara said, standing up and patting the dirt off her bottom, then, to Kazuha's bewildered expression, she pulled him away.
Shiki watched the two leave, then refocused her eyes. The collapsing world once again appeared before her. After a long moment, she let out a soft sigh: "Ah... I really don't like it."
Her Mystic Eyes of Death Perception don't have an on/off switch, unlike the Byakugan or Sharingan, which can be activated and deactivated at will.
The Mystic Eyes of Death Perception are that overbearing, because as soon as she sees something, her brain begins to analyze death and materialize the Lines of Death on the object.
Only by blurring her eyes' focus, making her brain mistakenly believe she isn't looking at anything, can she avoid that apocalyptic scenery.
Her body had established a link with something when she was near death, and after waking up, she could even link with the Ley Line, so she no longer had to worry about burning out her brain.
In any world, there exists such a place, where all of the past, present, and future are recorded; it is the birthplace of all truth and laws.
In Type-Moon, it is called "the Root," but its name in this universe is currently unclear.
No one knows what is inside that hole, and Shiki doesn't either. Establishing a link does not mean she knows everything.
It's like a computer and the internet. If you encounter a problem you don't understand, you can search for the answer online, but this doesn't mean a computer possesses all the information on the internet.
After all, a computer's capacity is only so small.
And Shiki is this computer. She can directly find answers about the death of objects from the Hole, but asking her to find all answers and know everything is clearly impossible.
Shiki shook her head. Thinking about this gave her a headache. It's better to practice her sword first.
...
The festival quickly arrived. Shiki was still wearing her white and pink furisode. Her Vision was pinned in the center of the large bow on her back, and Kujikanesada was left at home.
As one of the few festivals that brought joy to the people of Inazuma, carrying a sword was somewhat inappropriate.
No one would think of causing trouble at the festival; that would be a direct slap in the face to the Three Commissions. Although the three families usually didn't get along, during the festival, they formed an unusually unified front.
The bustling crowd made Shiki feel a bit overwhelmed. She was not inherently a person who enjoyed crowds; even on Earth, anime conventions were one of the few events she was willing to attend.
'Damn Ioroi, why did he just disappear!'
The festival was honestly still different from an anime convention. If she were alone, she would never have appeared here.
"Ryougi! Over here, over here!"
Fujiwara's distinctive voice came from not far away, and then Shiki saw Fujiwara and Kazuha emerge from the crowd, with various snacks in her hands.
"Oh my goodness, you two are finally here. If it weren't for you, I feel like I could have stood here forever."
Shiki breathed a sigh of relief. Having acquaintances was good; otherwise, she might really have stood there like an idiot.
"Hehe, relax, relax. Isn't it livelier with more people? Come on, I'll take you to experience the fun of the festival!"
"Eh, eh, eh?"
Fujiwara grabbed Shiki's hand and ran, passing through crowds of people until they reached a small vendor's stall.
"Takoyaki, 500 Mora a serving. Would you two ladies like to try some?"
"...The fun you mentioned, is it this?" Shiki was a bit confused. Could the fun of the summer festival simply be buying snacks?
"This is just one of them! There's so much more to come!" Fujiwara said with a smile, then put down a few Mora:
"Boss, give us one serving each!"
"Alright!"
Soon, a steaming hot serving of takoyaki appeared in Shiki's hand.
"The taste is no different from usual..."
"How can that be? Don't you feel a taste called happiness?"
"Happiness?"
"Yes, haven't you noticed that everyone around you has a smile on their face? So you should smile too!"
Fujiwara extended her finger and pushed up the corners of Shiki's mouth. A slightly forced smile appeared on the girl's face. Although it was beautiful, there was no genuine amusement in it.
"Never mind, I'll take you to explore more first. Don't worry, the festival will make you happy without you even realizing it!"
Shiki was pulled towards the next stall, still chewing on her takoyaki.
At this moment, Kazuha stood in the crowd, scratching his head in confusion: "Strange, where did they go?"
Fujiwara took Shiki to try all the snack stalls at the festival, including taiyaki, Apple candy, and cotton candy.
"Speaking of which, you can really eat a lot. I'm already full, *burp*~"
"Hmm, it's not bad, there's not much here." Shiki quickly finished the oden in her hand, then wiped her mouth.
"I can't anymore, hiccup~ I can't eat any more…"
Fujiwara rubbed her bulging belly, then looked at the girl's still flat stomach beside her, and a question mark slowly appeared in her mind.
?
They both ate the same amount, so why was the girl completely unaffected?
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