The establishment of the Time Travelers Alliance began in the first year of Conan

Chapter 332 The Soulless One, Soul Loss... Ryunosuke, Your "Death" Has Arrived (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

Ryunosuke Uryu had never seen such a "peaceful" city.

He even often wondered if the place he lived in now was really the city from his childhood memories.

Ryunosuke originally thought that this small seaside town in the far east would, like its name, freeze its development along with the long winter.

To his surprise, Xindu's development was faster than he had imagined, and it had even become quite modern.

This gave Ryunosuke, who had just returned from a truly big city, Tokyo, a sense of novelty and subtlety.

Ryunosuke Uryu attributed it to his feelings of being away from home for too long: "Perhaps it's because I haven't been back for so long."

This rising curiosity about change has somewhat rekindled the "diminished enthusiasm" that the serial killer has recently encountered.

However, he did not commit the crime immediately.

Because it was merely novel, it didn't bring any unique inspiration—in other words, this murderer wanted a better idea.

He returned to his hometown with the idea of ​​rediscovering that initial "feeling".

In fact, as Ryunosuke drove across the bridge connecting the two sides of the river, that familiar, unchanging feeling immediately returned.

—The entire city seems to be deliberately divided into two different styles by that red Kobe Bridge.

This is understandable, as unlike the new capital which is built on a relatively open riverside plain, the town of Fukayama on the west side of the Mien River is built on a hilly area with undulating hills.

Those ubiquitous hills made it difficult to easily build skyscrapers. Add to that the rustic charm of Ryudou-ji Temple on Mount Enzo further west, and the locally renowned Tohsaka and Matou residences.

Perhaps, when modern buildings become commonplace in the future, this ancient and mysterious atmosphere will attract more travelers.

However, for Ryunosuke, the most important purpose of returning to his hometown was to see his first target again.

—His sister.

In fact, in many people's eyes, Ryunosuke Uryu was a cheerful and optimistic young man who earnestly enjoyed life.

Even his parents still believe that his sister simply disappeared because she was playing around.

The real answer is that Ryunosuke simply "hid" his sister in the warehouse.

This man maintains an optimistic and constructive attitude at all times, and also has a strong curiosity and thirst for knowledge.

His interests, however, lie in torture, murder, and disposing of corpses.

This is by no means a personality distortion caused by any trauma he suffered in his childhood.

You can only admit that his evil is the same as Kirei Kotomine's; it is his innate nature.

This is also the thing that Conan Edogawa hates the most.

This guy did it simply out of curiosity and amusement, out of observation of death, and not because there was any real "motive for the case".

Any detailed account of his actions would be blasphemous and evil. No platform or publisher would be willing to publish this serial killer's recorded insights on death.

Ryunosuke Uryu savored all sorts of vigilante justice, the "exploration" of the human body, and the resulting pain and despair felt by the victims before their deaths.

Nothing could be more real than this.

Whether it's an unbelievable will to survive, painful cries, desperate struggles, or anger at Ryunosuke's actions...

What could be more revealing than death, allowing people to express their true feelings and demonstrate their value in the world until the very end?

Moreover, on a planet inhabited by billions of people, the number of deaths every day is probably not small.

In fact, the total number of humans he has killed so far is no more than fifty, while a single cannonball can often exceed that number.

So, does one die at the hands of a murderer, or in the midst of battle or social conflict?

—I'm afraid there's not much difference.

Moreover, in Ryunosuke's view, such a simple death was a real waste.

If everyone could recognize the true value of death as I do, and thoroughly understand the "value" of someone before deciding to kill them...

Hmm, Ryunosuke thought about it carefully with his rational mind, and perhaps most people would refuse to kill others.

In that case, I might even become a valuable treasure worthy of study!
After all, killing a complete stranger is difficult.

But driven by greed or impulse, some people will do this before they have truly thought it through.

But if you need to truly understand his existence, to know whose father or son, whose mother or daughter, and to understand his attachment to and persistence in the beauty of life.

Anyone with even a shred of conscience would realize the preciousness of life and try to do something to prevent tragedy.

Of course, this is not a problem for Ryunosuke at all.

Even, just like the women who care about him—they often become his more "intimate" "friends".

Just like his sister.

……

"Ugh--"

Looking at his sister's face and figure, which were somewhat deformed due to his improper handling the first time, Ryunosuke Uryu sighed.

The stale smell that hit him filled Ryunosuke Uryu with deep disappointment, and he felt no joy at the reunion whatsoever.

It would be better to witness the transformation of Xindu.

As Ryunosuke was about to leave in disappointment.

An old, thread-bound book fell to his feet with a "thud" as a gentle breeze blew.

"Huh? What's this—?"

A magic book that records the techniques of summoning.

……

In Ryunosuke's opinion, the mystical words recorded in this book were... extremely boring.

However, one of the ritual patterns recorded in it has a strangely captivating appeal.

Using rituals to imitate the devil's crimes is so cool!
That was his first crime after returning to his hometown.

This was also his last crime.

For a small seaside town that hasn't changed much, a "ritual killing case" resembling "cult activity" offers plenty of room for discussion and can cause a great deal of panic.

Therefore, after the police reported the bizarre case that occurred in the abandoned factory, Hasegawa Tsuki immediately tracked down Ryunosuke based on the traces on it—the biological information left by Ryunosuke.

Considering that this guy, who has dozens of lives on his hands, could also rejoice at his own death.

In Conan's view, enjoying an endless prison in an eternal time loop is the final fate he deserves.

As for that innocent runaway girl, although Conan says he can't break the "historical inertia,"...

But he still secretly tried to "revive" her.

However, it was the resurrection of that child named ■■■■ that forced him to abandon his idea of ​​immediately bringing [Usui Ryunosuke] to justice.

……

There are just too many disgusting things about this "universe".

What could be more closed off, or more likely to negate the progress of "technology" than the concept of "mystery"?
What could be more capable of determining the inevitable course of all things than something like the "root"?

On the operating table at the observatory base, facing the half-collapsed body, Conan's face was ashen.

In fact, Hasegawa Tsuki was unaware at the time that Conan was trying to revive the dead.

Of course, after the recent "concealment incident," she will probably soon discover this from that pile of extra plans.

In a sense, this relates to why Conan insisted on deleting the [Spiritual Structure] she possessed.

And as a magician from the Clock Tower.

At this moment, looking at this force that is constantly trying to resist "reason" and to pull that almost vanished existence back from nothingness, Mayastia dares to swear.

This scene completely contradicted any magical knowledge he had about "life".

The surprise on their faces had never been so obvious, even reaching the level of awe at witnessing a miracle.

"A life without... a soul!"

"How can this be!"

To give a more vivid example, what Meastia saw at this moment was like seeing a cultivator with a water spiritual root who, after undergoing the tribulation of heavenly lightning, had his spiritual root transformed into a "hydrogen spiritual root" and an "oxygen spiritual root".

Apparently—

This violates the underlying logic of the Type-Moon universe.

……

In the Type-Moon universe, the soul is considered the highest of the three elements of life, and this is not without reason.

It cannot be simply understood as "consciousness" or "personality" as commonly believed, therefore, losing it cannot be understood as becoming a "vegetative state" or similar existence.

For life, the soul is the absolute foundation of its existence.

Its absence means that existence itself is completely denied, which means that it will directly lead to the complete annihilation of the individual at both the material and conceptual levels.

The physical body is merely a vessel for the soul to act upon; the state of the soul is reflected in the vessel in real time.

Take the well-known [Zouken Matou] for example. It is precisely because his soul is decaying that he has become an existence that needs to constantly change his body and even has to rely on the Crest Worms to continue to survive.

Because no physical body could contain such a decaying soul, only the ever-reproducing, short-lived yet endless insect bodies could accommodate it.

Currently, the only humans who have mastered complete "resurrection technology" and are not bound by lifespan limitations, besides those who use [magic], are probably only the [Grand] puppet magician, Aozaki Touko.

This magician is known as the "Crimson of Pain".

Their puppetry technology is so advanced that it can even completely replicate, or rather reproduce, a person's "origin."

To know--

This is a true and complete resurrection.

There's no need to worry about philosophical paradoxes, because the existence of the "root" naturally guarantees that this "replicator" is absolutely itself.

Of course, there may also be some "life" that exists only briefly because of "imaginary numbers", or "soulless life" created by some great gods connected to the "root".

But no matter what, all of this cannot escape the root cause.

The above-mentioned special cases still cannot escape the fact that this is a phenomenon originating from the root cause.

but--

Now there will be one more such special case.

Moreover, it is a completely new and unprecedented case.

For example... what if a life were to break free from the "root"?

……

Conan had no idea that he had done something that defied common sense.

The most important thing now is to save this life.

He glanced at Meastia, who was recording this valuable data, frowned, and then spoke softly:
"So, Meastia, do you have any way to stop this collapse?"

"I can only temporarily stop this 'collapse' now; once I take her out of the observatory, the collapse will continue."

Instructions from the "root" obviously have the highest priority.

Meastia immediately stopped recording the moment.

Well, considering that this might be the only truly unique specimen in the universe that can proclaim "life" without a "soul," and considering Meastia's identity as a magician.

This is undoubtedly the highest form of respect.

“Hmm…” Meastia thought for a moment, “What about magic that uses the imaginary number category?”

In Meastia's view, the Alliance showed far too much respect for life. Even now, of the thirty-three magicians temporarily recruited, three have already volunteered to participate in experiments on Imaginary Number Magic and Spiritual Structures, after voting and her own persuasion.

But Conan ultimately refused to continue.

This was simply because he felt he didn't have absolute certainty of saving these people without using the [timeline].

Considering Matou Kariya's experience, using the "timeline" on these beings who have no "persona" to protect them might be less effective than simply killing them.

All I can say is that if it were the research team, they wouldn't have refused this.

Unlike Hades Raymond, who never committed any evil deeds, he had actually joined the League.

These people are still unofficial staff, aren't they?
This is also why the Ethics Committee is necessary.

But now, that child named ■■■■ is dead!

The more the magician thought about it, the more he felt this was an opportunity.

His voice rose with excitement from the sparks of inspiration colliding in his mind.

"We can try to construct an Imaginary Spirit Origin based on the Spirit Core structure of a Heroic Spirit, using imaginary circuits, and let it exist as a Servant!"

As for the result of the experiment, it was undoubtedly a failure.

Based on the information recorded by TDD, this is a partial record of the information that Conan captured when he grabbed Lancelot and instantly refined him.

Let alone creating an Imaginary Heroic Spirit, any attempt to reproduce a part of the [soul] of [■■■■] has failed.

“How is this possible?!” Meastia had never been so confused.

In his final attempts, he even gave up on completely recreating an identical version of the original, hoping only to create a similar prototype, much like creating an android.

The magician muttered to himself in anguish:

"How could the world itself refuse to acknowledge the recurrence of this phenomenon, and not allow a mere mortal to reappear in the world?"

—The rules of the shell are unreasonable.

Without a doubt, ■■■■, this nameless being, has already been killed by [Ryunosuke Uryu] through [historical inertia].

Even if this "shell" has some problems, even its faintest manifestation is by no means something that any random entity can contend with.

He was killed by Ryunosuke Uryu during the Fourth Holy Grail War; that is, he died.

The girl named ■■■■, at the moment of her death, her soul returned to the source.

This is simply because [Ryunosuke Uryu] can easily distinguish "false" deaths. Therefore, [Name]'s death must be real and permanent.

And that's why, in the end... Conan still used the CYZ effect.

Since the Type-Moon Universe is unwilling to acknowledge the existence of such a life form, let the Alliance acknowledge it.

Other magicians saw this as yet another manifestation of the power of "The Root".

Eiri Kyuin was born.

This is undoubtedly true "life".

Her soul is real and true, and her spirit is exactly the same as before.

Now, Eri Kuin's form of existence has become... a kind of existence that is not singular.

It draws on some of the concepts and ideas of the "magical timeline".

Today, her soul exists because of that part of "acknowledged history".

At the same time, it also became dependent on the "spirit".

This means that she can freely adjust the form of her soul according to her spirit.

For example, the physical body that Eri Ku is currently using has also undergone some changes.

She learned the skills related to "dolls" at an extremely fast pace.

Then--

He became the executive director of the "Action and Protection Layer" of the "CYZ Alliance - Type-Moon Branch".

The "dolls" that are now scattered throughout Fuyuki City and are responsible for operations, if you combine them all, you will find Eri Kuin.

This is also why [Ryunosuke Uryu] was able to continue "committing crimes" according to [historical inertia] and failed to "detect" the falsehoods of those deaths.

No matter which doll he targeted, he did indeed kill a person.

Because he had indeed killed that person.

As for Eri Kuin, she didn't know if she was still a ■■■■, although according to the judgment of the [soul], she was undoubtedly a ■■■■.

But just as she abandoned the name ■■■■ and chose to be called "Eiri Kuin".

Yongli Jiuyin no longer cares about this matter.

Once you know the truth, you can't forget it, and you don't want to forget it.

Whether it was the alliance's life-saving grace or its undoubtedly noble ideals, it was enough for her to join them directly.

In fact, if it weren't for the fact that this first anomaly revealed by the "historical inertia" was indeed discovered in "Ryunosuke Uryuu".

The alliance would not agree to the use of "dolls" to perpetuate this crime.

However, it seems that only [Ryunosuke Uryu] can summon Caster.

Because apart from [Ryunosuke Uryu], which can undoubtedly cause symptoms like "soul loss syndrome".

Despite the fact that the thirty-three magicians recruited by the alliance used every means to increase their thirst for the Holy Grail.

"I'm very sorry, but even with the strongest hints, we cannot win the favor of the Holy Grail."

For nearly two days, everyone had a strong desire to "obtain the Holy Grail in exchange for the qualification to join the League".

He even attempted to summon the Heroic Spirit countless times using the spell left behind by [Wave].

Conan didn't know if this was yet another manifestation of "historical inertia," or if someone had deliberately severed the connection between the Throne of Heroes and these ritual arrays.

According to Raymond's account, he did feel the spell being activated, but there was no response from the Throne of Heroes.

However, the summons to Caster cannot be delayed until the third day.

therefore--

This is Ryunosuke Uryu's fourth offense.

Just as described by the concept of "historical inertia," this time it occurred in the center of the residential area.

The criminal broke into a family home of four, killed three dolls, and then left behind the child who bore a resemblance to a member of the Junior Detective League.

"Be full, be full, be full, be full..."

Holding the book in one hand, Ryunosuke casually read aloud the words on it as he finished drawing the final stroke of the ritual with his own blood.

Ryunosuke wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but the child in front of him seemed to be staring intently at the creatures he had disemboweled.

But after he spoke, the man looked at him with an indescribable gaze.

One of them, Ryunosuke was very familiar with, was anger and hostility towards his own actions.

But what about the others?

Ryunosuke couldn't remember for a moment.

However, the child's behavior still made Ryunosuke nod subconsciously—

He loved children the most, and he never tired of watching those pure lives pass away.

Even their crying and wailing had a more genuine and innocent quality than the fear of adults.

As the ceremony drew to a close, Ryunosuke grew increasingly excited.

He looked at Eiri Kyuin beside him.

"Hey, do you really think the demons described in the book actually exist?"

"When the demon is summoned, let him kill you, okay—it hurts!"

A pain like that of strong acid corrosion appeared on the back of my hand in an instant, resembling a pattern of three snakes intertwined.

For some reason, thunder seemed to rumble in the sky outside the house.

Inside the room, a gentle breeze defied the laws of physics and quickly turned into a strong wind, causing the magic circle drawn with blood to glow with a blinding red light.

Ryunosuke waited quietly, this feeling of the unknown was the most cool and powerful attraction!
Under the incredulous and excited gaze of Ryunosuke Uryu.

As a hazy mist rose from the center of the magic circle, a tall and grotesque figure vaguely appeared.

First of all, those eyes—

It resembles the eye of a fish in the deep sea, which bulges outward due to water pressure.

Next came the strange robe covered in striped patterns, adorned with some luxurious metal decorations, which fit ill-fittingly on the tall, eerie man.

This ancient statue, as if dragged ashore from the abyss of history, slowly raises its head.

With an almost pious smile, Gilles de Rais uttered his first words in this world.

Answer me, you are mine—

"boom--!!!"

Now it seems that the lightning outside the window did not come solely from the magic array.

With a deafening explosion, the roof was violently torn apart, and rubble and wooden beams fell like rain.

The pitch-black night sky was illuminated by violent magic. A black shadow, like a steel behemoth, carrying an unparalleled, all-crushing impact, precisely stomped the tall, thin figure into the cracked floor.

The crimson summoning circle, along with the floor, was crushed to pieces by the violent force, along with Ryunosuke's "dream".

The dark figure looked down at its prey.

Those scarlet pupils, filled with icy resentment, swept over the surrounding scene, which resembled a slaughterhouse.

Then, as if the air had been ripped apart by nails, it was torn apart by a terrifying killing intent, accompanied by a metallic hum, and transformed into a tangible madness that rushed toward Ryunosuke Uryu, who was somewhat at a loss due to this sudden situation.

Everything goes too fast.

Ryunosuke felt as if four gusts of wind swept past him.

The next moment——

Four straight lines of blood bloomed simultaneously on his limbs, and hot liquid splattered onto the broken planks and rubble, quickly spreading with the smell of burning.

"Thump—thump—thump—thump—"

With four dull thuds as his limbs hit the ground, his arms and legs fell to the ground like shredded pieces of flesh.

Immediately afterwards, the world seemed to suddenly begin to tilt.

Ryunosuke Uryu's vision tumbled and tilted as he plummeted toward the shattered floor.

……

Now, Ryunosuke finally remembered.

He finally understood the meaning behind the child's strange and empty gaze.

That is……

Those were eyes just like mine.

Just as he used to look down with disdain at those foolish policemen, those dying sacrifices—

A look of looking down, of indifference.

(End of this chapter)