He had been staring at Ryougi Shiki for over an hour.
Ryougi Shiki was starting to get uncomfortable.
Just as Ryougi Shiki’s face turned an alarming shade of red,
Aozaki Aoko walked in.
“Well, any progress?”
Only then did Shirakawa finally tear his gaze away.
Ryougi Shiki breathed a sigh of relief.
She had been locked in eye contact with Shirakawa for a long time.
To be honest, the pressure was immense.
“Some, but not much.”
“The Dead Apostle’s Noble Phantasm is far more complex than I imagined.”
“It won’t be easy to fully comprehend in a short amount of time.”
“But it’s fine, I’ve at least gotten the hang of it.”
Shirakawa addressed Aozaki Aoko.
Ryougi Shiki’s Dead Apostle’s Noble Phantasm was even more powerful and profound than Shirakawa had initially thought.
Back when he was observing Aozaki Aoko’s Noble Phantasm.
It didn’t take him very long at all.
This meant that.
Ryougi Shiki’s Noble Phantasm was of a higher tier than Aozaki Aoko’s.
Though, that wasn’t really surprising.
“Only you could use such a simple, brutal method.”
“Anyone else would never be able to achieve what you have.”
Aozaki Aoko sighed.
She had been acquainted with Shirakawa for over a year now.
Yet, Shirakawa’s inhuman displays of ability.
Continued to refresh Aozaki Aoko’s concept of genius.
This guy was simply too absurd.
Things that were impossible for normal people.
Were child’s play for Shirakawa.
It was simply outrageous.
.
Noble Phantasm.
An exceptionally powerful mystery, surpassing even magic itself.
However, this power.
Could be obtained through posterior efforts.
Take Aozaki Aoko for instance.
She’s the quintessential example.
Aozaki Aoko was born without a Noble Phantasm.
She acquired hers through later study and magical modifications.
And Ryougi Shiki, in a way, is similar.
The original Ryougi Shiki did not possess the power of the Dead Apostle’s Noble Phantasm.
After undergoing a death.
After touching the root of the world.
She finally awakened her Dead Apostle’s Noble Phantasm.
And this gave Shirakawa an opportunity.
If other people could awaken their own Noble Phantasm through posterior efforts.
Why couldn’t Shirakawa?
After all, for current Shirakawa.
Ordinary magic had lost much of its research value.
Only things close to the root could take him further on this path.
And to get closer to the root.
He’d either have to obtain one of the “Five Great Magics.”
Or learn Ancient Magic.
Or, he could go for a Noble Phantasm.
Anyone else would likely pick one out of the three options.
But Shirakawa was different.
He wanted it all!
.....
Ever since Ryougi Shiki joined the Guran Gallery.
Shirakawa’s days became exceptionally full.
Either he’d follow Morgan and learn new Ancient Magic.
Or he’d stare into Ryougi Shiki’s eyes, researching her Dead Apostle’s Noble Phantasm.
However, while he was upgrading himself.
Shirakawa didn’t ignore Ryougi Shiki’s training.
Like now.
“Go on, this is an opponent I managed to find for you after a lot of trouble.”
“Don’t be nervous, don’t hesitate.”
“You’re more than capable of taking down this trash.”
Late at night, standing on the rooftop of a high-rise building in Kanbaru City.
Shirakawa and Ryougi Shiki stood, both gazing down at the dark alleyway below.
In the darkness, invisible to ordinary people.
A tragedy was unfolding.
An unfortunate salaryman was falling victim to a Dead Apostle.
The Dead Apostle was currently feasting on the salaryman.
And this Dead Apostle was the opponent Shirakawa had chosen for Ryougi Shiki.
Watching the Dead Apostle below.
Ryougi Shiki felt incredibly nervous.
After all, it was a Dead Apostle.
In the past, if she had to deal with a Dead Apostle like this.
Ryougi Shiki alone would have been completely incapable.
It would have even required the entire Ryougi family to intervene.
Only then might they have had a chance to defeat it.
It was unavoidable, after all, the Ryougi family were just the lowest rung of the mystical world.
But now, things were different.
Thinking about how she’d been through the wringer under Shirakawa’s tutelage.
Thinking about the abilities she was slowly unlocking in her Dead Apostle’s Noble Phantasm.
Ryougi Shiki finally made up her mind.
She turned to Shirakawa and said, “Shirakawa-sensei, I won’t disappoint you.”
As she spoke, her eyes emitted a violet-blue glow.
That was the sign of her Dead Apostle’s Noble Phantasm being activated.
At the same time, on Ryougi Shiki’s limbs.
A pale blue pattern lit up.
This was the magical inscription that Shirakawa had carved into Ryougi Shiki’s body.
Once activated, it could significantly enhance Ryougi Shiki’s physical stats.
Making her more agile and powerful.
With everything in place, Ryougi Shiki didn’t hesitate.
She leapt directly from the rooftop of the building.
The sound of her freefall breaking the silence caught the Dead Apostle’s attention.
The Dead Apostle looked up and saw Ryougi Shiki falling from the sky.
“A magus? How could there be a magus here?”
“Damn it, aren’t all the mages supposed to be in Fuyuki now?”
The Dead Apostle was taken aback for a moment, then its face immediately contorted in fear.
To become a Dead Apostle meant that it had been lurking in the mystical world for a while.
Because of that, this Dead Apostle knew just how terrifying mages were.
If you compared the Ryougi family, a demon-slaying clan like that.
To a simple amoeba in the mystical world’s food chain.
Then powerful mages.
Were equivalent to lions and tigers.
The apex predators.
To go up against a mage, a normal Dead Apostle wouldn’t stand a chance.
It would need to be an incredibly powerful Dead Apostle.
But then again.
Those incredibly powerful Dead Apostles.
How could they possibly be reduced to scavenging for food on the streets?
They would be doing breeding programs.
So, the fate of this Dead Apostle was pretty much sealed.
Facing Ryougi Shiki, who was falling from the sky.
The Dead Apostle’s first instinct was to flee.
But before it could escape the alleyway, Ryougi Shiki caught up to it.
With no other choice, the Dead Apostle fought back.
Then, then it really died.
One blow.
Just one blow.
Ryougi Shiki followed the trajectory of her Dead Apostle’s Noble Phantasm’s line of death, a single blow, and the Dead Apostle was cut in half.
It was dead, deader than dead.
The Dead Apostle’s life force.
Before the Dead Apostle’s Noble Phantasm.
Was nothing more than a joke.