Before anyone realized it, time had slipped by, and it was suddenly 1999.
Both the world of the supernatural and regular society maintained a calm, uneventful rhythm.
Shiki Ryougi and Kuroto Mikiya also moved to Misaki Town for work-related reasons. Thanks to the generous salary and benefits provided by the Aozaki family to Mikiya, the two of them purchased a new home in Misaki and even obtained a residence in Center City within the Ark World.
However, before Shiki and Mikiya moved to Misaki, they encountered a minor incident: a pervert named Shirazumi Lio was committing murders all over Mifune City, disguising himself as Shiki Ryougi in an attempt to lure her out.
Of course, an ordinary serial killer would pose no threat to Shiki, who possesses the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. The real issue was that Shirazumi Lio was a hidden piece left behind by Araya Souren in Mifune City before being taken out by Touko.
Like Araya, Shirazumi Lio was an Origin Awakener, with his origin being Consumption. Through this concept, he gained traits like enhanced physical abilities, improved devouring and digesting abilities, and cannibalism, making him a thorn in the side of the local police.
Shirazumi Lio had previously attended the same school as Shiki and harbored a disturbingly obsessive affection for her. He had started killing people in Mifune City even before Shiki's car accident. Seeking kindred spirits, he also secretly distributed some alarming drugs that dramatically increased appetite, leveraging his pharmacological knowledge.
Upon learning that Shiki and Mikiya were about to move, Lio, who had been planning a slow approach, decided to act at once, trying to force Shiki to awaken. He repeatedly appeared before her, acting like a riddle-slinger, hoping she'd understand him.
Because Shiki took the act of killing so seriously, she struggled to effectively retaliate against such a deranged individual. On Mikiya's advice, she reached out to Touko.
After a moment's thought, Touko used her connections through Azaka and Mikiya to contact the Mifune City police.
The governments in the Nasuverse are more or less connected to the supernatural—one reason why the Chaldea project would later involve the UN.
Being already an insider, Akimi Daisuke, uncle to the Kokutou siblings, volunteered to join the Special Investigations team after learning his nephew's girlfriend had been targeted by a serial killer.
With the special help of the Third Magician, the Special Investigations team's combat power increased dramatically. The very night Shirazumi Lio decided to kidnap Mikiya to force a meeting with Shiki, he was caught red-handed by the team.
No matter how many beast-like abilities Lio gained through his origin, facing professionals armed with modern automatic weapons and magical equipment, he never stood a chance.
Knowing exactly what he'd done and that he'd never receive a normal trial in matters involving the supernatural, the team had no intention of capturing Lio alive. The moment they met, they opened fire without mercy—the bullets extracted from his corpse almost weighed as much as he did.
Thus, Akimi Daisuke, as team leader, was immediately promoted to two ranks for successfully taking down the serial killer Shirazumi Lio. Overjoyed, he treated the Kokutou siblings and Shiki to a fancy meal as a farewell before Mikiya's move.
After Touko's report, Aoko thought all the troublesome matters around Shiki had finally been resolved. But one evening in the Ark World, she suddenly ran into the last person she wanted to see at this stage.
That's right—she encountered Void Shiki, the personality linked to the Root, distinct from both Shiki and SHIKI.
Dressed in a gorgeous kimono woven by Habetrot, Void Shiki stood in the deserted Central City park, where she met Aozaki Aoko, who had come out for a post-dinner stroll.
"Sigh, did you deliberately choose to meet me on a snowy day?" Aoko sighed, taking the initiative to speak to this omnipotent being.
"Yes," Void Shiki smiled—a smile that made her seem far more feminine than Aoko, Touko, or any other woman in this world. "Snowy days are my favorite weather in this little world."
"So, what brings the Lady of the Root to seek me out?" Aoko asked half resigned. "Is it because I took too much-forbidden knowledge when I last visited you?"
"You're mistaken," Void Shiki shook her head nonchalantly. "First, the Root can be Ryougi Shiki, but Ryougi Shiki is not the Root itself."
"Hmm, so when the Root takes on form and personality, it's no longer the Root itself?" Aoko mused.
"That's about right," Void Shiki clasped her hands behind her back, crunching the snow beneath her feet with interest. "There's one more thing you got wrong."
"Oh?" Aoko asked, intrigued. "Do tell?"
"'The Root' doesn't care how much knowledge you take away, and neither do I," Void Shiki smiled at her. "I've come simply to thank you."
"Thank me?" Aoko was puzzled. "You, connected to the Root—nothing I do should matter, right? You could do anything yourself."
"You misunderstand," Void Shiki explained patiently. "I, as Ryougi Shiki, don't have strong motives to act—most of the time, I wouldn't show up, even if Shiki or SHIKI were in danger. I'm just the vessel carrying Shiki's personality."
"Thanks to your help, both Shiki and Mikiya avoided much suffering that was supposed to happen," Void Shiki said. "So, I want to thank you on their behalf."
"I can grant you one wish," Void Shiki continued seriously. "Anything at all. As a Magician, you know I can do it."
"A wish, huh?" Aoko wasn't particularly excited. Instead, she looked troubled, thought for a moment, and then tentatively asked, "Can I save this chance for later?"
"You can." Void Shiki gave her a gentle smile, like a parent proud of their child's achievements. "When you've decided what to wish for, we'll meet again."
As soon as she finished speaking, Void Shiki vanished before Aoko's eyes in the blink of an eye, leaving only footprints in the snow as proof that someone had truly stood there.