"—This is my story with Shiki, although it happened two years ago."
Mikiya's tone was not much different from usual, but Touko and Shinji could both hear the deep affection and persistence hidden beneath his calm appearance and gentle tone.
It is precisely because of this that Shinji wishes him the best from the bottom of his heart. Only someone like Orange who does not care about the mundane world and mundane affairs would be willing to provide help to such an ordinary person, and almost for free.
"And then he stopped growing?" Orange held his chin thoughtfully.
"According to my knowledge, the only way for the body to be completely fixed is to become a Dead Apostle, but from your description it doesn't seem like that." Shinji wiped the tiredness from his face and sat up from the sofa.
Dead Apostles, a category of vampires.
Vampires are mainly divided into two categories: "True Ancestors" and "Dead Apostles".
"True Ancestor" is a congenital blood-sucking species. From birth, it is a species different from humans and is a special existence among vampires.
They are the species created directly by this planet to restrain humans. They can be said to be a natural and tactile existence, similar to the ancient "elves" or the "original gods" that existed before human history.
It is worth mentioning that the "True Ancestors" have no physiological need for blood. They are classified as vampires because they have a certain defect from the beginning of their birth, which is the urge to suck blood. All True Ancestors are eager to suck the blood of the "humans" they should restrain. Blood is to the "True Ancestors" like drugs to "humans". Once they take it, it is difficult to resist this temptation. They can only keep sucking blood to fill their spiritual thirst.
"Dead Apostles" are acquired blood-sucking species and are also the prototypes of vampires in various legends. Most of the blood-sucking species in the world are Dead Apostles.
Dead Apostles are basically humans that have evolved through some process. Some are "dead apostles" who were sucked blood by "True Ancestors", and some are transformed by magicians through special rituals in order to prolong their lifespan.
Regardless of which one it is, once you become a "Dead Apostle", it means a change in the form of existence. From the moment you become a "Dead Apostle", your body has already fallen into a state similar to death, so it will no longer grow. In order to maintain a nearly eternal body, "Dead Apostles" must regularly suck blood, just like humans eat. This is an instinct for survival and cannot be violated.
"Yeah, if he had become a Dead Apostle, he would have gotten up and started sucking blood. He wouldn't have stayed in bed for two years."
Orange agreed with Shinji's statement.
"Then how do you write her name? It's a single Chinese character, right?"
"Her name is Shi, which means "Shi" in Chinese. What's wrong with that?" Gan also gestured in the air with a little confusion.
"The Shikigami's name is Shiki, and his surname is Ryogi, this is too perfect." A hint of disbelief flashed in Orange's eyes, and he muttered to himself.
"Why, are you interested?" Shinji asked meaningfully.
"Yeah, I'm very interested, and you?" Orange admitted frankly.
"I'm a little interested too. Well, since you're planning to get involved, I won't worry about it. I already have a lot of things to do. By the way, if you find anything, remember to let me know."
Although he acted casually, Orange still noticed something unusual between Shinji's eyebrows.
"You... seem to know something?"
Shinji scratched his head unconsciously: "I guess so, but it's not an important matter, and the source of the information is not reliable, so I'd better not tell you, so as not to affect your judgment."
"I always feel like you're hiding something. Forget it, the hospital is in the suburbs, I'll go over and take a look."
After receiving a positive response from Kan'ye, Orange grabbed her coat and hurried out the door.
As Orange left, Gan also put down the documents in his hand and looked into Shinji's eyes.
"Shiki... Is there something wrong with her?"
"It's not the problem, it's the specificity."
Shinji was not surprised by Mikiya's sharpness.
"I don't know if you've discovered that your girlfriend is not an ordinary person, but someone like me and Miss Orange."
"Yeah, I know."
He knew it a long time ago, but he didn't care.
"A person like this will never live a peaceful life. Are you ready for this, Kurogiri Mikiya?"
"I don't know if I have done a good job of awakening or not, but no matter what happens, I will be with her and believe in her."
Gan Ye's smile is mellow, like a jar of old wine, exuding the intoxication accumulated over time.
"That's enough. Never forget what you said today." Shinji patted Mikiya's shoulder vigorously. "To know the peculiarity of Ryougi Shiki, you must first understand the secrets of the Yoji family. The information I have in this regard is very limited and mostly guesswork. The only thing I can tell you is that the Yoji family is one of the 'Four Great Demon Exorcist Families'. The rest you need to investigate on your own."
"The Four Great Demon-Exorcising Families, huh?" Ganye immediately took out his notebook and wrote it down.
"Given that the Yogi family has not interfered with your relationship with Yogi Shiki over the years, they probably won't do anything to you. But you still have to know when to stop. If they warn you, stop immediately."
"clear."
"And take this with you."
Shinji said as he took out three rune stones from his waist bag where they were stored.
"The square one can provide you with five minutes of protection. The triangular one can improve your body's functions for a short period of time, allowing you to run faster. The circular one is a distress signal, so if you encounter danger, crush it according to the situation. After all, I asked you to investigate, so I should ensure your safety."
"Thank you very much." Gan Ye thanked him while carefully putting away the rune stone.
"No need to thank me. I just have something to ask of you. While you are investigating the Liang Yi family, please also check the information of the other three families for me. The 'Four Great Demon-Exorcist Families'; Liang Yi, Wu Jing, Qian Shen, and Qi Ye."
"Shallow God?"
"It's the family Fujino came from. This family disappeared after bankruptcy three years ago. You just need to help me keep an eye on where they went. You need to pay a little more attention to the other two families. Note, just a little, don't go too deep. I'll give you a bottom line - the investigation can only be carried out in Guanbuzi City. If you need to go to other places, stop here."
"knew."
He is very sensible in doing things, and will never show off unless it is something related to Japanese style.
"I'll go now?"
"I'll go now. I'll come and say hello to Sister Chengzi, and I'll also take over the work at the office temporarily."
Five minutes later, Shinji was the only one left in the huge office. He moved the only phone he used for external communication to the coffee table, and lay back on the table, his eyes half open and half closed, unfocused.
"Ryougi Shiki? Ryougi Shiki... Tai Chi gives birth to two opposites, and the two opposites are Yin and Yang. Yin gives birth to Yang, and Yang gives birth to Yin. The self-contradictory spiral is the most perfect formula. In comparison, someone with only one personality is a little worse."
"Hehe, Mushroom... I really like the name Shiki."
PS: The original gods are derivatives of the planet's will and are no different from the concept of the True Ancestor.
PS2: Some readers thought the last chapter was a provocation, but it really wasn't. It's just that the relationship between Kanye and Shiki must be explained. Mushi spent so much time and effort to describe it, and it would be awkward if Jian Shao didn't mention it at all.