Kara no Kyoukai: A Complete Guide to the Setting’s Power and Abilities

This thread has the goal of clearing up many misconceptions and show why Kara no Kyoukai stands as one of the strongest settings in Type-Moon, even when judged purely within its own self-contained framework, without relying on other series like Tsukihime for scaling.

There’s a long-standing myth floating around that Kara no Kyoukai is the “weakest” Type-Moon work. In reality, it’s one of the strongest by a wide margin. Not because it’s loud or flashy, but because it operates on a far more abstract and foundational level. Its strength comes from how deeply it engages with existence, perception, and the structure of reality itself.

A lot of the confusion comes from very surface-level readings. Claims like Ryougi Shiki being “physically normal” ignore clear statements in the novel, as well as her consistent portrayal as a "living program" built for extreme efficiency and adaptability. In the same way, calling the setting “tame” completely misses the point: restraint in presentation doesn’t mean the scope is small. Using destructive scale as the only measure of power would imply that Dragon Ball characters are barely above planetary, which is obviously not how that setting works.

For a long time, these misunderstandings were made worse by the lack of a proper translation of the novels. Only fairly recently has the full text become widely accessible, making it possible to evaluate the setting and its ideas accurately.

Important Disclaimer:

Before getting into the main analysis, there are two important points that need to be addressed.

1. The first is that Type-Moon is not a single, unified canon. This is a common misconception, so I’ll link a separate thread (not mine) that explains it in detail. For the purposes of this guide, the short version is that post-90s Type-Moon gradually replaced much of its older lore, eventually solidifying a modern canon with differences that cannot be reconciled even through alternate timelines.

These changes are especially damaging to the original Kara no Kyoukai light novel. Modern material significantly alters the characterization of Ryougi Shiki and Void Shiki, which is a serious lore issue. Origins in KnK are abstract, pre-existential forces; they do not change based on experience or circumstance. Altering Void Shiki’s personality fundamentally breaks how Origins are supposed to work.

The most extreme inconsistency, however, concerns the Spiral of Origin itself. In Kara no Kyoukai, the Spiral is the omnipotent source of existence, where all causality and possibility intersect, existing outside reality as its abstract foundation. In modern Type-Moon, it is reinterpreted as the empty space left by the Big Bang and the source of the physical multiverse, something that can even be mirrored or replicated to create new universes. This directly contradicts the original portrayal, where all of creation could be destroyed and remade from the Spiral precisely because it exists beyond reality.

This makes Kara no Kyoukai’s original light novel and the modern Type-Moon setting completely incompatible at the most fundamental level.

-One framework posits that “ ” is an omnipotent source outside reality itself, with living beings merely accessing aspects of it to affect the physical world. Even Araya’s closed cosmos or an infinite void are explicitly stated not to be true “ ”, precisely because they can still be defined. “ ” is the source of definition itself, the condition that allows any possible reality, void, or system to exist in the first place.

-The modern setting, on the other hand, claims that there is a separate “ ” for every celestial body, which immediately disqualifies it from being omnipotent or the source of all causality. If causality is truly universal, it must necessarily include all possible realities (which includes those other celestial bodies), exactly as KnK already understood. Under modern TM, “ ” is no longer a metaphysical absolute; it’s just the physical origin point of a single planet’s physical multiverse. At that point, we have no idea what the actual underlying source of the cosmos even is.

As a result, any attempt to retroactively apply modern Type-Moon lore to the original KnK light novel is fundamentally self-defeating. Their axioms of existence are not just different; they are mutually exclusive. KnK’s metaphysics would literally collapse if you tried to force modern TM’s framework onto it. The setting would become so altered and incoherent that you’d be forced to separate them anyway, whether you like it or not. Otherwise, Kara no Kyoukai simply has no reason to exist under modern Type-Moon logic at all.

And it's not just about the world-building/metaphysics: these retcons also include Future Gospel, which openly contradicts Ryougi Shiki’s original characterization. In it, she becomes the head of the Ryougi family and has a child with Mikiya. This runs counter to Shiki’s worldview and her Origin: she rejects imposed meaning, labels, and predefined roles. Even defining herself as a “killer” is something she ultimately resists, because Nothingness is the absence of definition itself. She also openly despises humans and stays in isolation from them.

Mikiya’s role was never to give Shiki a purpose, but to stabilize her by demanding nothing from her. He is explicitly described as special because of his complete lack of ambition or need to impose meaning, so much so that he even refuses Void Shiki’s wish-granting in the Epilogue. This is precisely why he is compatible with Shiki in the original novel.

By contrast, Future Gospel implies that Mikiya is no longer content as he is (Desiring a child), and that Shiki is now comfortable defining herself through fixed roles such as motherhood and family headship; especially within the same family she spent the novel distancing herself from after being treated as a tool. Nasu himself has described Future Gospel as a “Frankenstein” sequel written purely out of gratitude for the anime’s success and as a reflection of how much he had personally changed. He even clearly says that the anime adaptation went down a different path and could never properly capture the real original story.

So not only was Nasu no longer the same person when he wrote Future Gospel (which neatly explains why it fails as a continuation of the original themes), but the anime version itself is not a faithful rendition of the light novel. And yes, while Future Gospel does have a novel, it was still written later as an extension of the anime's vision, at a point where Nasu had already admitted that he had fundamentally changed as a writer and person.

Despite this, it is this version of KnK that modern Fate works and crossovers tend to use.

As a result, later crossover appearances of KnK characters (especially in Fate) should not be treated as representative of the original novel. The closest exception is Melty Blood Actress Again, which aligns far more closely with the original lore and is set in the original Tsukihime continuity. That continuity was later replaced by the Tsukihime Remake, which explicitly aligns with modern Fate, further highlighting the narrative shift.

That said, even Melty Blood and Tsukihime won’t be used for this guide. They aren’t required to explain the power or mechanics of Kara no Kyoukai characters, which can be fully evaluated on their own terms.

2. The second important premise is that Nasu’s interview statements should not be treated as authoritative representations of the original lore.

Taken at face value, these statements often contradict the written material outright. Some claims are logically unworkable (such as Taiga being comparable in skill to Self-Hypnosis Shiki) while others contradict each other, like Void Shiki being described as weaker than Ciel in one instance and later as the second strongest character overall. Both claims are incompatible with what is actually shown in the source material.

Nasu has also openly acknowledged that his older works were not written in isolation. He has stated that he received significant editorial input, with examples such as Nrvnqsr Chaos's character and the Kohaku route of Tsukihime being conceived largely due to the art director’s influence, and even being instructed to rewrite Tsukihime from scratch. Some of his ideas were also discarded entirely, such as Mash originally being planned for Fate/stay night. This kind of editorial involvement is not unusual; similar cases exist elsewhere, like Akira Toriyama creating Cell at the suggestion of his editor after initially planning only Androids 17 and 18.

Because of this, it’s very likely that many interview statements reflect Nasu’s unfiltered ideas rather than the finalized versions shaped through collaboration and revision, which would explain why they often make no sense. On top of that, Nasu himself has changed significantly as a person. He has explicitly acknowledged this, most notably when discussing Future Gospel in this interview, where he stated that the version of himself who wrote Kara no Kyoukai has effectively “passed on.”

This shift in mindset has been explained well in a separate short thread (Also not made by me), which I’ll link, but the core point is simple: 90s/2000 Nasu and early 2000s-2026 Nasu are fundamentally different creators. As a result, interview statements, especially later ones, cannot be reliably applied to his older works. 

This issue is further reinforced by Nasu’s own recent admissions. He has stated that the modern Type-Moon setting contains inconsistencies and plot holes, to the point where information managers are needed to keep things organized. He has also openly said that strict consistency is not a priority for him, as long as he can continue writing around a central theme:

In his own words, even if the details and information become “a little shaky,” as long as the core direction is clear, “the river will flow.” Given that approach, interview statements cannot reasonably be treated as fixed lore, especially when they contradict the source material or are applied to works written under a completely different mindset.

So, to summarize, Nasu:

1. Had help and revisions in writing his stories.

2. Has changed entirely as a person and writer.

3. His current self explicitly doesn't care for the lore (let alone his interviews) to be fully consistent as long as a major theme is followed.

4. Most of his interview statements in fact don't even make sense within the context of the older stories.

This clarification is necessary because for many years, while Kara no Kyoukai remained untranslated, fans relied almost entirely on these same interview statements as firm guidelines for the lore. As a result, the setting’s actual scope, and especially its true level of power, was consistently misunderstood, misrepresented, and heavily underrated.

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With that being said, we can now dive into the abilities displayed in the setting.

Explanation of Origins:

The most important concept for understanding what characters in Kara no Kyoukai can do is the idea of Origins. But what are they?

An Origin is the fundamental "direction" of an existence. It is an abstract force present in all things, living or not, that determines how something naturally acts and unfolds. If existence were a machine, the Origin would be its design plan.

"The direction of everything that arose from fundamental cause. The α that enabled the existence of α, the absolute order that existed at the very core. For instance, something with the Origin of 'taboo,' regardless of being born as a human, animal, or plant, would always exist to go against the morals established by the collective. It was the idea that, independent of the process of reincarnation, humans acquired bodies and wisdom from the directional force at the point of origin, and acquired personalities that were only slightly different from their prior lives. - Garden of Sinners Pamphlet - [Other] : Origin

More than that, Origins are what make existence possible at all. Without them, reality would be an undifferentiated mass of endless potential. Origins give form and direction, allowing the world to take on stable, meaningful shapes. Every being and every phenomenon expresses itself according to the direction set by its Origin.

For instance, someone with an Origin of Slaughter will be drawn toward killing regardless of upbringing or circumstances. Even if reborn as another kind of being, human, animal, or supernatural, that same drive would still define their existence.

This principle is not limited to conscious life. Even inanimate objects follow an underlying, instinctive directive. That directive is an Origin. Origins are not biological traits, but the hidden intent from which all phenomena arise. Every phenomenon is the expression of an idea, and Origins are those ideas at their source:

"Kokutou, do you believe in past lives?"

"You mean like, living as an animal before being born as a human? Hm, I suppose it'd be a maybe. While I can't deny it, it's not like I approve of it either."

"I couldn't think of an answer more befitting of you. Well, for the sake of discussion, let's hypothesise that they do exist. Even when speaking scientifically, there are grounds for believing in reincarnation. Every particle that exists in the universe eventually changes forms, right? So long as you don't factor in concepts like our minds and souls, everything will eventually be reincarnated as something else.

An Origin is a means of retracing that orderless rule. There are some mages who allow themselves to be possessed by their past lives in order to use their abilities. Basically, it's an attempt to bring the abilities you possessed before being born into the present. An Origin is a similar concept, but it exists on an even higher plane than that. If we possessed lives before our current ones, then it'd only make sense for that life to also have one previous to it. Even if you weren't born as a human in your past life, and even if you weren't a living being in the life before that, there lies a thread of existence that ties it all together. For every one of us, there exists a beginning of our soulsーa birthplace of our existences. However, the concept of living beings does not exist there.

All that exists is a genesis, a direction for causality to move in. Within the fount where all originates, an orientation toward something is born in a flash of lightning. That prerogative toward a certain something begins to flow, eventually taking a form suitable to it. Sometimes, it just so happens to be the form of a human being. Perhaps you could call it a driving force that emerged at the beginning of all things. It's an inescapable impulse to accomplish something born from within the chaos of the Fount of Origination. An absolute imperative for all that have been given form to fulfil their purpose. That impulse is what we mages refer to as an Origin.

Well, put simply, I guess calling it an instinct would be good enough. You know how some people are only attracted to children? They say stuff like that is caused by a traumatic instance in a person's childhood, but nothing that happened to a kid would be able to affect an adult's consciousness like that.

People like that have been that way since before they were born. Our souls are bound by the rigid shapes of our Origin. Even if we're aware of it, we cannot oppose the courses set for us during the foundation of our existence."

That thing she said at the end sounded a bit too extreme. Regardless,

there were also some parts that indubitably made sense. We humans engage in actions that we don't want to because we're unable to keep our urges in check.

For all things, be it plants or minerals, our lives are bound by a predetermined direction.

"Most people live their entire lives unaware of their Origins, though.

However, there are people who are born a bit too close to their Origins. Just like people with psychic powers, they possess extraordinary abilities, and as a result tend to be outcasts of society. By the way, Shiki constantly seeks death because her Origin is Emptiness, and the reason why Azaka refuses to be bound by rules is because hers is Taboo. Shiki's being driven by that impulse because she's too close, but Azaka's pretty much a normal girl, right? An Origin is only a cause, meaning it isn't ordinarily something that rules over an individual. Unless you become aware of it for whatever reason, that is."

She glanced at me with a keen look in her eyes. I'd already understood what she was trying to say.

"In other words, you lose the ability to go in a different direction once you realise your own Origin?"

"Exactly. An Origin is a current that has surged since the beginning of existence. The mere seventeen years that Shirazumi Lio possesses will only end up getting swept away. All he can do is surrender himself to that impulse over and over again. Consumption, huh? That's quite an unusual impulse he has. I'm not surprised that Araya wanted to keep a close eye on him.

Listen, Kokutou. If that's what his Origin is, then his past life was probably a creature that feasted on everything it could get its hands on. Those who have awakened their Origins will gain the past lives they have accumulated. He can't be considered a single human anymoreーhe's an entire pack of beasts. Things haven't taken a turn for the worse because his original personality is still holding on, but once that's gone, that pack of beasts is all that will remain. Well, that'd also be quite the interesting sight," she said with a sarcastic grin on her face. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 7

As Touko explains, all matter in the universe is constantly changing. Forms shift, bodies break down, and identities are replaced. Yet through every transformation, the directive of the Origin remains unchanged.

This shows that an Origin exists beyond physical form. It is not a property of the body, but an abstract command that persists across death, rebirth, and transformation. Touko even implies that awakening one’s Origin does more than trigger instinct. It can also bring forth the accumulated memory of previous incarnations.

In this way, an Origin acts like an archetype: a core directive that has shaped every form an existence has taken from the very beginning.

—The flesh is there first, and intellect arises out of it. Is borne out of it.

—The flesh, we may say, becomes the basis of the intellect. It does not itself "have" an intellect. The flesh simply "is." But the flesh does have a personality, a will, of a kind. It grows up as one with, and gives birth to, the intellect. That- is what I am.

Ah, he said. He'd heard it somewhere before, hadn't he. That the human being is composed of three different things. Mind and soul, to which is added the fleshly body. Supposing, then, that the mind resides in the brain, and the soul in the body. That makes her - what? Shiki's essence. Her true character. A personality, "the body", with nothing of Shiki's heart.

Gently, she nodded her head. Ryougi Shiki did.

—Basically, that's how it is.

—"I" am not a personality borne of the intellect. I am the personality of the flesh as such.

"A personality of the flesh as such arises in every human, but ordinarily it does not come to any kind of self-awareness. Usually, before that can happen, the intellect stirs to life. From out of the body, more precisely the brain, the intellect is produced. The intellect borne out of the brain's activity becomes a personality and gains executive function over the fleshly body. At that point any personality which dwelt in the flesh becomes meaningless."

—It's because of this that the intellect tends to treat the brain which gave birth to it as if it were something specially set apart from the rest of the fleshly body, even though it is just one part of the whole.

—Software is useless without hardware, but hardware can't function without software. The personality borne of the intellect forgets this truth: it forgets that it is the body's product, and it imagines that it is the creator of this fleshly, embodied "I" which it finds itself to be. That is the ordinary case. I am different only in that the order in which these things happened was different for me.

—Even so, the fact that I'm here, now, talking to you is entirely due to the personality of Shiki. If she wasn't here, I wouldn't even have language. I am, after all, nothing but flesh.

—I think I get it, he said. Your ability to "know" or "perceive" the outside world is dependent on Shiki's personality.

—Correct. I am simply an unpowered piece of hardware. Without the requisite software I am just an inert box.

—I am a hollow container which only gazes inward, which communes solely with death - in other words with what Magi call the "Root", though I see no value in it whatsoever. - Kara no Kyoukai Epilogue

Void Shiki in this passage is explaining that each living being has three components:

-First is the soul, which is shaped by the Origin. The soul defines what an existence fundamentally is: its purpose, tendencies, and abstract nature. It is the “idea” behind a being.

-Second is the body, which acts as the interface through which the soul manifests in the material world. It allows the soul’s idea to take physical form, interact with reality, and express its traits.

-Third is the mind, which functions as the operating system of the whole. The mind controls the body and accesses the latent capabilities shaped by the soul. However, because the mind is also influenced by experience and environment, it can drift away from the soul’s original directive unless something forces a reconnection.

Awakening an Origin is the process by which the mind gains direct, unfiltered access to the soul. This means the mind is no longer constrained by the specific physical form it was born into, nor by ordinary natural laws. Instead, it can draw upon all possible expressions of the concept embodied by the soul, reconfiguring the body to operate optimally in any given situation.

However, this comes with a severe risk. Just as the mind gains access to the soul, the soul gains access to the mind. This allows the Origin itself to manifest an independent personality, one shaped purely by its abstract concept. This “Origin personality” exists only to fulfill the directive of the Origin, and can override the personality formed by the brain, reducing it to a servant of primal impulse.

If the individual possesses sufficient willpower, they can suppress this Origin personality, retaining control while still accessing its power. Every major combatant in KnK has undergone some form of Origin awakening, which is the foundation of their abilities.

Ryougi Shiki is a unique case. In her, the soul’s true personality, Void, surfaced first, and was later overwritten by the personality formed through lived experience. Despite this inversion, the underlying structure remains the same. The Origin still defines the core concept of her existence; only the order in which its components asserted themselves was reversed.

So how does all of this translate into combat?

Even before an Origin is fully awakened, some individuals are born unusually close to it. They may not be consciously aware of this proximity, but it grants them abilities that exceed normal human limits. These manifest as psychic or paranormal traits that feel completely natural to them, used as effortlessly as breathing:

However, there are people who are born a bit too close to their Origins. Just like people with psychic powers, they possess extraordinary abilities, and as a result tend to be outcasts of society. By the way, Shiki constantly seeks death because her Origin is Emptiness, and the reason why Azaka refuses to be bound by rules is because hers is Taboo. Shiki's being driven by that impulse because she's too close, but Azaka's pretty much a normal girl, right? An Origin is only a cause, meaning it isn't ordinarily something that rules over an individual. Unless you become aware of it for whatever reason, that is." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 7

Abnormal ability. Functions that normal humans do not possess. A kind of circuitry that leads to what are commonly called paranormal activities. Different from magecraft, inborn talents are absolutely necessary for psychic power. Those possessing psychic power circuits can induce paranormal phenomenon as naturally as breathing. The psychic power users themselves take psychic power for granted, and treat it as something they simply “can do.” They only realize that they are abnormal after others (who can only comprehend “normal”) have pointed it out. In this story, Asagami Fujino is an psychic power user, but since she was tampered with somewhat, her ability falls between psychic power and magecraft. Psychic power is normally an incidental occurrence, a sudden mutation limited to one generation.- Garden of sinners Pamphlet: Kara no Kyoukai Settings Glossary - Psychic Power [other]

In other words, mere proximity to an Origin is already enough to produce supernatural traits.

The novel makes this even clearer through Lio Shirazumi. In Chapter 6, Araya observes that Lio can already perform inhuman feats simply by acknowledging his Origin:

The boy, over the course of an hour, devoured a human corpse. Using nothing but his bare teeth and jaw, he consumed a creature larger than himself. The taste of human flesh held no pleasure or disgust; it was simply a task requiring raw exertion.

"An hour? Impressive," the cloaked figure remarked, having witnessed the boy's meal.

The boy turned, his mouth a crimson mask, not from the human flesh, but from the shattered bones of his own jaw, testament to his relentless chewing.

Yet, he hadn't stopped for a single second. As a result, the corpse had vanished without a trace.

"But that is your limit," the man continued.

“Merely acknowledging your Origin won't suffice. It must be awakened to take form."

The boy listened with vacant eyes. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 6

As Araya Souren notes, Lio’s feats already defy human biology, yet this is still before a full awakening. True power only emerges when the Origin fully surfaces.

This demonstrates that Origins are not just instincts or personality quirks. They are the purpose of existence itself, to the point that even partial awareness allows the mind to unlock abilities that violate physical law.

When a full awakening occurs, the transformation becomes fundamental:

"When those instincts surface, they also bring a slight change to the physical body. Not in terms of appearance, but its internal makeup. Apparently, it's some sort of return to our original forms. The point is, people don’t even realize it’s happening until it’s over." — Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 7

Here, “internal makeup” doesn’t mean superficial enhancement. It refers to the complete biological restructuring of the body (muscles, nerves, cells, and instinctual systems) realigned to match the concept embodied by the Origin.

At this point, combat no longer relies on training, muscle memory, or technique. The body itself becomes a direct expression of the Origin. The fighter isn’t just executing movements; they are manifesting an idea. Actions that should be impossible under normal physics or biology become natural outcomes.

They are no longer fighting as a person.

They are fighting as a concept made real.

This is what makes Origin-awakened individuals so dangerous. They are not constrained by what a human body should be capable of. Their movements are guided by perfect instinct and absolute precision, driven by a directive older than the physical world itself.

The most concrete and direct example of this in action is this description of Lio Shirazumi:

"The enemy's prowess had escalated beyond recognition. Unnatural speed and precision surpassed any creature of flesh and bone." —Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 7

Lio’s abilities surpass anything achievable by a biological organism because they are no longer purely physical: they are conceptual. His speed and precision are described as “unnatural,” explicitly placing him outside the limits of ordinary life. Once a being awakens to their Origin, they no longer operate under biological constraints, but under metaphysical law.

Lio does not move through learned technique or trained reflex. He moves through instinct sharpened into will. His limbs become direct extensions of his predatory essence, expressing the idea of his Origin rather than the limits of his body.

As we examine each character’s abilities in detail, we will see more specific examples of this process at work. The key takeaway, however, is that Kara no Kyoukai characters do not fit conventional power scaling models.

Their strength and speed are not fixed physical stats, but adaptive reconfigurations of their biology. Upon recognizing a threat, their body instinctively draws from the concept embodied by the Origin, manifesting the form best suited to confront it. As a result, an Origin-awakened being is automatically stronger, faster, and more resilient than anyone bound to normal physical limits, on top of possessing properties unique to the idea their Origin represents.

So with that out the way, we can focus on the specific abilities of the characters:

How strong is Lio?

Lio Shirazumi is often underestimated because Shiki defeats him so decisively. But his Origin, Consumption, makes him far more dangerous than he first appears.

Consumption is not just violent impulse. It is the fundamental drive to devour, absorb, and dominate. A primordial principle that has governed predation since the beginning of life. Any existence that survives by consuming another, from natural predators to Dead Apostles, falls within the domain of Consumption.

This is made explicit in the novel:

"Exactly. An Origin is a current that has surged since the beginning of existence. The mere seventeen years that Shirazumi Lio possesses will only end up getting swept away. All he can do is surrender himself to that impulse over and over again. Consumption, huh? That's quite an unusual impulse he has. I'm not surprised that Araya wanted to keep a close eye on him.

Listen, Kokutou. If that's what his Origin is, then his past life was probably a creature that feasted on everything it could get its hands on. Those who have awakened their Origins will gain the past lives they have accumulated. He can't be considered a single human anymoreーhe's an entire pack of beasts. Things haven't taken a turn for the worse because his original personality is still holding on, but once that's gone, that pack of beasts is all that will remain. Well, that'd also be quite the interesting sight," she said with a sarcastic grin on her face. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 7

This clarifies the true nature of Lio’s threat. He is not a man with excessive hunger. He is the embodiment of predation itself, a convergence point where countless lives shaped by Consumption overlap.

Unlike vampires, who remain bound to Gaia’s ecosystem and must consume blood to survive, Lio transcends biological necessity. His hunger is not about survival. It is inevitability. He does not consume because he is hungry. He consumes because Consumption exists.

Those he devours are not merely prey. They are mediums through which his Origin asserts dominance over all predatory life. Lio is not competing with predators. He is the principle that underlies them.

Even before fully succumbing to his instincts, Lio Shirazumi already displays inhuman precision and fluidity, instinctively adopting whatever predatory behavior best suits the moment:

The snake shed its coiling form, erupting into a ferocious beast. With an explosive burst, it launched itself towards Shiki's head, its knife aimed at her skull. A metallic clang echoed as their blades met, Shiki's own knife raised in defence. For a fleeting moment, their gazes locked, as if their weapons were extensions of themselves. Shiki's gaze burned with cold hostility, while the monster's eyes blazed with manic glee. With a twisted grin, he leaped back, landing with the agility of a spider. A single, fluid motion had put six metres between them. He braced himself on his hands and knees, panting like a beast, a creature clearly beyond the bounds of humanity. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 7

But retreat would never allow him to outrun Shiki. To escape, he had to flee to a place beyond her reach. Thinking on his feet, he sprang onto the wall surrounding the alleyway and then vaulted higher. With a movement akin to a flying squirrel, he easily gained a safe distance. The monster clung to the side of the building, twenty metres above the ground, fearfully surveying the scene below. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 7

He bolted, startled, but it was too late. I closed the distance, the knife in my left hand arching downwards in a deadly strike. At the last moment, he sprang upwards, aiming for the wall just as he did last night. Unlike a bird or spider, my human form lacked the dexterity for such three-dimensional manoeuvres. I was getting tired of all his little tricks. I hurled the dagger at the wall-clinging foe, sending him crashing to the ground. I lunged forward, pinning him beneath me. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 7

These moments show that Lio does not rely on learned technique or trained muscle memory. He instinctively adopts the most efficient predatory movement available: striking like a snake, leaping like a flying squirrel, clinging like a spider. These abilities are not practiced or refined, they are inherited. His body does not deliberate; it simply knows.

This reflects the true scope of Consumption. Ordinary predators are bound to a single species and body. Lio is not. His body draws from the shared, primordial essence of all predators, shifting seamlessly between instincts and movement patterns as needed.

At this stage, however, his Origin is still limited to natural predation. That changes after he “kills” Mikiya. With the last restraint on his sanity and humanity gone, Consumption fully asserts itself. He abandons his knife and grows claws instead, symbolically and literally rejecting his human identity.

From that point on, his abilities escalate beyond anything biological:

The enemy's prowess had escalated beyond recognition. Unnatural speed and precision that surpassed any creature of flesh and bone. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 7

Here, Consumption reveals its true form. Lio is no longer bound to biology at all. His abilities cease to be physical and become conceptual. As Touko explains, once his personality fully gives way, he is no longer a single human being. He becomes an entire pack of predators, an ever-devouring force shaped by all predation since the beginning of life.

This places him above even vampires such as Nrvnqsr Chaos or the True Ancestors. While those beings are powerful, they remain tied to the world’s ecosystem. They require blood, obey planetary limits, and function within established rules. Lio does not. His Origin cuts that connection entirely.

He does not represent a species. As the embodiment of predation itself, he can manifest the traits of any hunter, natural or otherwise. His hunger is not biological need, but a universal principle asserting dominance through instinct.

In battle, this means Lio does not adapt over time. He adapts immediately. His body shifts into whatever state most efficiently overwhelms his opponent. Against anyone still bound by physical form, his very existence enforces the supremacy of the predator. With each moment, he grows faster, stronger, and more precise, not through effort, but through inevitability.

For him, evolution is no longer a process.
It is his default state.

This makes Lio nearly impossible to defeat through physical means or even magecraft. Every exchange teaches him. Every threat is absorbed. His tactics and even his form change mid-battle to meet the enemy.

He does not merely act on instinct.
He is instinct, given form by his Origin.

Some people attempt to downplay this line:

"The enemy's prowess had escalated beyond recognition. Unnatural speed and precision that surpassed any creature of flesh and bone."

— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 7

by citing another translation that renders it as something like:

"He surpassed the line of a real beast."

They argue this makes the description vague or less impressive. But this is a misreading. Both translations convey the same core idea: Lio has surpassed the natural order of living predators. Whether phrased as “beyond flesh and bone” or “beyond the line of a real beast,” the meaning is that he is no longer comparable to any natural creature. His abilities are not merely animalistic. They exceed animals entirely.

This is the point of his Origin. Lio does not imitate predators or act on survival instinct. He embodies predation itself. Beasts draw their instincts from the same principle that defines him.

The comparison is not meant to place him close to animals, but to separate him from them. Beasts evolve toward survival. Lio exists as survival already realized.

It is the difference between something that fights because it learned how to live, and something that is living as an absolute imperative.

Additionally, Lio possesses advanced regenerative abilities:

"This? It's exactly as you thought, Ryougi Shiki did this to me. I didn't think losing an arm would be a big deal, but it looks like I've got no hope of getting it back. I suppose this is what it means to kill something. Even though I can heal the wound, there's no bringing back the part of me that died. Araya once told me that the ability of revival was only within the realm of magicians."

— Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 7

This confirms that Lio can recover from severe injuries, including the loss of limbs, demonstrating an exceptional regenerative ability. However, this regeneration has a clear limit. What Ryougi Shiki destroys with her Mystic Eyes is not merely injured tissue, but the existence of that part itself. Her ability does not damage the body; it imposes death at a conceptual level.

Because of this, Lio can heal wounds, but he cannot restore what has been conceptually erased. This is why Shiki is still able to kill him despite his overwhelming physical advantages.

More importantly, Lio’s regeneration is not purely biological. It is rooted in his Origin of Consumption, an idea that precedes and defines his physical existence rather than emerging from it.

Consumption represents survival through predation. Lio’s healing draws on the accumulated survival instincts of countless predators carried across his past lives. This is what Touko refers to as the “pack of beasts”: not a metaphor, but a mass of layered instinct enforcing continuation.

Because an Origin exists prior to the physical world and dictates how existence is allowed to manifest, Lio’s regeneration does not function as repair. When he is injured, his Origin overwrites the damage by reasserting the condition of survival itself. His body is reshaped until it can continue functioning, regardless of conventional anatomy or physical limits.

In other words, Lio does not recover because his body is resilient. He recovers because his existence is not permitted to reach a state where survival has failed. Survival is enforced first; form is reconstructed afterward.

This is precisely why Ryougi Shiki can defeat him. Her power does not injure, overwhelm, or outpace regeneration. It denies survival as a valid state altogether, imposing death as an absolute conclusion rather than a condition Lio can adapt around.

This advanced regeneration leads to a crucial point:

The true scale of Lio’s Consumption is often underestimated.

His Origin is not limited to Earth’s biosphere. It taps into the primordial current that shaped predatory life across existence itself. Even on Earth alone, predators display extraordinary versatility: mimicry, parasitism, chemical warfare, regeneration, camouflage, adaptive cognition, and countless other survival strategies. Now extrapolate those principles across all possible ecosystems, worlds, and lifeforms.

Unlike Nrvnqsr Chaos, who embodies Earth’s fauna as a chaotic collection of semi-autonomous familiars, Lio represents a single, unified principle. Nrvnqsr must actively control hundreds of fragmented beasts. Lio does not manage a horde: he is the beast. His abilities are fully integrated. His entire body functions as a seamless enactment of consumption and adaptation, shifting to meet whatever the situation demands.

Because Consumption is a conceptual principle rather than a biological one, Lio’s adaptations are not constrained by physics or DNA. He does not merely regenerate damaged tissue; he manifests entirely new functions drawn directly from the idea of predation itself. In theory, this could include venom production, paralytic toxins, silken traps, subterranean movement, environmental mimicry, or traits inspired by alien ecosystems completely detached from Earth’s evolutionary logic.

In this sense, Lio is not merely a predator. He is predation perfected, not raw chaos, but a refined and inevitable force. A universal constant within the ecosystem of reality itself: something that always evolves to hunt what came before it. He is not many beasts.

He is the answer to all of them.

And yet, ironically, the moment he reaches this perfected state, he dies. His body has only just finished evolving when Ryougi Shiki kills him, cleanly and without struggle. But that's simply because Shiki herself is even more broken.

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Summary of Lio’s combat abilities:

Lio embodies predation as a concept. His abilities are not learned, trained, or refined. They are direct expressions of his Origin.

• Instant combat adaptation
• Lio immediately shifts his movement, posture, and tactics to the most effective predatory behavior for the situation. There is no learning phase.
• Super-biological speed and precision
• His reactions, accuracy, and movement exceed what any biological organism can achieve.
• Instinct-driven versatility
• He can express different predatory traits (ambush, pursuit, climbing, evasion, lethal precision) without conscious thought.
• Advanced regeneration
• He recovers from severe injuries, including loss of limbs, not through biological healing, but by enforcing survival as a prior condition of existence, reshaping his body until continuation is possible.
• Mid-combat escalation
• The longer a fight continues, the faster, stronger, and more precise he becomes as threats are assimilated.
• Manifestation of new abilities
• Lio can develop entirely new functions as needed, drawing from the concept of predation itself. These abilities are not limited to Earth’s biology and can reflect predatory principles from alien or non-terrestrial ecosystems, as long as they align with his Origin. This allows him to overcome opponents who appear overwhelmingly powerful in raw ability or scale, as long as they are still constrained by physical laws and cannot directly alter the rules of reality.

At full awakening, Lio no longer functions as a human combatant. He operates as predation itself acting through a physical form.

Unlike Dead Apostle Ancestors, Lio is not bound by:

• biological survival requirements,
• fixed anatomy or species traits,
• Earth’s ecosystem or Gaia’s constraints,
• standard physical limits.

Dead Apostle Ancestors are extremely powerful, but their abilities are still implemented through biology and matter. They evolve, regenerate, and fight within physical law.

Lio does not.

His power is conceptual first, physical second. He does not need time to adapt. He enforces optimal predation immediately. In direct combat, this gives him overwhelming superiority against any opponent whose abilities still rely on physical structure or biological processes.

Despite this, Lio does not change or overwrite the laws of reality.

His power:

• operates within existing rules
• expresses a single concept rather than rewriting causality,
• enforces survival but does not redefine existence itself.

His Origin, being focused on survival and nature, cannot influence more fundamental concepts on which even Consumption relies. It alters his body to overcome any being that physically qualifies as prey, but it does not modify the laws that define that relationship. An abstract reality warper can invalidate Consumption as a concept, alter its mode of expression through Lio, or remove it from the system entirely. This limitation prevents him from being a true higher-tier character in Kara no Kyoukai or the broader Type-Moon universe.

This is why he can dominate nearly any physically bound being, yet still be decisively killed by Ryougi Shiki, whose Mystic Eyes impose death as an absolute condition rather than a survivable state. He can cleanly overcome every single character that doesn’t have significant abstract abilities (Nrvnqsr Chaos, 30% Arcueid, Akiha, etc.) But cannot oppose Types, True Magicians like Zelretch or Aoko, and beings with a superior Origin awakening.

We’re only at the first character, and one of the weaker ones, no less, yet we’ve already crossed the threshold of Dead Apostle Ancestor-level threats. With the fearsome Nrvnqsr Chaos being literally a dollar store version of Lio in combat abilities. If that doesn't tell you already that KnK is a powerful setting, I don't know what does.

How strong is Asagami?

Asagami Fujino’s main power lies in her Mystic Eyes of Distortion, which allow her to manifest invisible fulcrums around which she twists and contorts targets through eyesight alone. This isn’t merely a psychic ability, but the result of an artificially awakened Origin: Nothingness (not to be confused with Shiki’s version). This transformation turned her into something far more dangerous than a natural-born psychic.

We know Asagami’s Origin was fully awakened because Araya Souren specifically sought individuals who had undergone an awakening to push Ryougi Shiki toward her own:

"I failed 2 years ago. That person was too different. What was needed were those who had diverged from the same 'origin.'" – Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

His goal was clear: by forcing Shiki to confront killers whose nature opposed her own, he could drive her to realize her true self and potentially lose to its influence, causing Void Shiki to take over her body:

"Right? By making Shiki confront murderers who held concepts totally opposite to her own, you made Shiki realize her own nature." – Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

So, what was it that you wanted, Araya? For Shiki and SHIKI to tear each other apart and leave behind an empty shell? Or did you just want to meet Ryougi Shiki?"

"Two years ago was to draw 'her' out. But it's different now. I told you the conclusion was already out. Shiki does not require that body. That body which is connected to the origin, I shall be taking it and making it my own." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Now, as noted, Fujino’s Origin is not exactly the same as Shiki’s, but it represents a different expression of the thematic connection to emptiness. In her case, this emptiness manifests through her congenital lack of physical sensation. Because she cannot feel pain or touch, her perception of reality developed without a sense of resistance, boundary, or impact. Pain is one of the body’s primary ways of defining position, limits, and existence; without it, the world never registered to her as something structured or solid, either physically or conceptually.

As a result, Fujino does not perceive space as a collection of separate, rigid objects. To her, reality is a continuous, formless field without clear divisions. She does not experience a steel beam as “hard” or “heavy,” but as something soft and empty. Crushing it does not feel like an act of force, but a natural consequence of how she experiences space.

This disconnect severs her intuitive link to the world’s physical constraints. Because she does not recognize the boundaries of her own body, she also does not recognize the boundaries of space itself. Direction, density, and spatial structure do not carry the same meaning for her as they do for others.

As a result, her ability does not manipulate force or material properties in the way magecraft does. Instead, it projects her distorted perception onto reality. When Fujino activates her Mystic Eyes, she does not twist matter through power; she collapses spatial order itself. Objects do not break from impact: they fold, crumple, or implode because the coordinates that define them cease to function.

This is not physical damage, but ontological damage. Her distortion does not come from control or intent, but from disconnection: a reflexive rejection of structure born from a lifetime of never having felt it.

Asagami Fujino’s abilities initially manifested as psychic powers; an incidental mutation caused by being born close to her Origin. However, due to external interference, her powers evolved into something far more dangerous.

In this story, Asagami Fujino is an psychic power user, but since she was tampered with somewhat, her ability falls between psychic power and magecraft.Psychic power is normally an incidental occurrence, a sudden mutation limited to one generation.- Garden of sinners Pamphlet: Kara no Kyoukai Settings Glossary - Psychic Power [other]

This tampering was carried out by her own family, who artificially sealed her abilities. Rather than weakening her, this paradoxically strengthened her power, as noted by Touko:

"A family totally opposite of that of Ryougi, which tries so hard to make ones with power. But what's sad is that her power became stronger by doing that. Magi from in and around Egypt stitch their eyes shut to keep their Mana within them. What's the difference between them and Asagami Fujino?" — Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 3

This forced suppression likely triggered the awakening of her Origin: Nothingness. By severing her sense of touch, they alienated her from the world and shattered her perception of reality, elevating her from a mere psychic to something far more volatile.

Even specialists struggle to categorize her power:

"You mean the arms of an adult? That's pretty amazing. "Distortion" depends on the object's size rather than its hardness. I would think it should take about seven days to bend something like the human arm. So, which way is it? Right? Left?"

"Does that matter?"

"Of course. It has something to do with the fulcrum. Even Earth has a direction of rotation, right? What, it's not constant? Hmm... does such a power actually exist? Then you shouldn't have anything to do with this person. This person has more than two channels. That unfit existence can probably rotate things in both directions. I have never heard of a case of someone having two channels and able to use them both at once; it's too powerful."- Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 3

Most supernatural abilities operate along structured, predictable pathways, much like the Earth’s fixed rotation. Fujino does not. She can twist space in multiple directions simultaneously. She is not applying force; she is violating the framework that defines direction and rotation in the first place.

The mention of “more than two channels” implies that her power does not flow along a single metaphysical pathway. Where normal psychics or magi channel power in ordered, limited ways, Fujino’s energy exists in an unstable, unbound state. This is why her ability is so destructive.

In short, Fujino is neither a standard psychic nor a magus bound by theory. She is an unclassifiable anomaly, created through sealed potential, enforced numbness, and an awakened Origin of Nothingness.

Fujino's eyes glimmer. The left eye for a rotation to the left. The right eye for a rotation to the right. Taking Shiki's head and left leg as the fulcrums, she twists. A strange sensation occurs instantaneously. The moment Shiki feels the invisible power upon her, she jumps explosively to one side. But the power on Shiki does not weaken. Fujino's power is not a projectile weapon. Even if one gets away from one round, it is impossible to get completely away from it whilst in her vision...

Damn......!! Shiki realizes Fujino's power is stronger than she thought. She runs. As if to escape from her vision, Shiki runs in a circle around Fujino.

"Do you think you can get awa-" Fujino murmurs, but then is astonished. Shiki did get away! Unbelievably, Shiki has jumped off the bridge down to the ocean. The sound of a window being broken is heard. What athletic ability... Shiki went off the bridge and into the parking lot right underneath it. – Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 3

The stack of materials Shiki is hiding behind is instantly smashed. At that instant... a white figure streaks out of the wreckage. – Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 3

Fujino’s ability isn’t a kinetic force: it’s a sight-triggered rewriting of reality. Once something enters her perception, it becomes subject to distortion. She does not push or pull objects; she removes their structural resistance, causing them to twist and collapse as if spatial stability itself has failed.

Crucially, the text makes clear that her ability is not a projectile. Once Fujino perceives a target, the effect is continuous and unavoidable as long as she maintains awareness of it. Her power does not travel through space; it alters space directly at the point she observes. Conventional evasion is therefore ineffective. Dodging does not help, because the space in which one would dodge is itself being distorted.

This is why speed alone is insufficient. The directions an opponent might move through are already compromised. Bodies and structures unravel as their defining coordinates lose coherence, folding in on themselves in non-linear ways. What resists Fujino’s power is not speed, but metaphysical resistance.

This is also why Ryougi Shiki is able to evade her. Shiki’s awakened Origin allows her to break free from deterministic causality. Nothingness exists outside fixed definitions, allowing her to move past outcomes that would otherwise be inevitable. Ordinary beings lack this capacity and would be trapped the moment they are perceived.

Mechanically, this also explains how Fujino’s reaction speed and her primary weakness function in practice.

Fujino’s activation speed is driven entirely by her Origin, not by physical training or conscious reaction. Because Origins operate as instinctual, non-physical directives, her responses occur before deliberate awareness. She does not wait for motion to complete. She acts the moment a presence is registered.

This directly addresses a common misconception: that simply moving faster than a normal human’s eyesight would allow someone to avoid her ability. This is incorrect. Fujino does not react to visible motion. Her power activates the instant a presence enters her awareness. Once perceived, the distortion is already in effect. Speed only matters if it allows an opponent to leave her perception entirely. Merely exceeding visual limits accomplishes nothing.

This behavior is explicitly shown in her fight with Shiki. Fujino’s attack is described as not being a projectile, and its effect persists regardless of movement. Dodging, acceleration, or attempting to “outrun her sight” does not weaken it, because the distortion is anchored to awareness rather than to a moving target.

However, this same mechanism defines Fujino’s primary weakness. Her power depends entirely on maintained perception. If that perception is disrupted, her offense collapses immediately. She has no physical combat skill to compensate, because her Origin's scope is conceptual rather than martial.

This is confirmed when Shiki escapes not by moving faster, but by leaving Fujino’s field of perception entirely. The moment Shiki exits her awareness, the effect ends.

As long as Fujino maintains perception, she remains extremely dangerous. But once awareness is broken, her power ends.

This vulnerability, however, is only temporary. While fighting Shiki, Asagami undergoes a further evolution that directly compensates for her dependence on line-of-sight: she developed clairvoyance, a power that drastically enhanced her already overwhelming abilities. Previously, her distortions required a direct line of sight. But clairvoyance allowed her to perceive the space around her beyond conventional vision, effectively erasing her greatest weakness.

With this newfound awareness, she could instantly destroy an entire bridge, demonstrating the catastrophic potential of her fully realized power:

The parking lot shakes. The ocean in the middle of the storm appears inside of Fujino's mind. Withstanding the burning in her brain, Fujino creates a fulcrum on either side of the bridge...... And bends...

BOOM!

A tumultuous roar, like the crash of lightning, is heard. The metal foundation creaks and screams. The ground tilts and the ceiling starts to collapse. Fujino blankly stares at the building that is about to give way. The girl on top of her fell away as the world suddenly tilted. There is a storm outside, with the ocean below. If she falls without being able to grab onto something, she will surely die. Fujino takes command of her body, which is even having trouble breathing. She tells it that this place is going to collapse, so she has to get away from here. Dragging her nearly burned-out body, Fujino exits the parking lot. The shopping mall is relatively free of damage. The square corridor is now a rhombus - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 3

Broad Bridge is distorted like it has been squeezed by a giant hand. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 3

Shiki and Touko immediately recognize the implications of this development:

"Touko, she came up with clairvoyance in the end. She'll have a ridiculous amount of power if you leave her be." "Clairvoyance, huh? Certainly, if you add that to her power, she'll be invincible. She would be able to make a fulcrum even if you are hiding... Huh? If you leave her be...? - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 3

Up until this point, Fujino’s power had a critical limitation: her distortions required her to see her target. She could be outmaneuvered by breaking line of sight, forcing her to actively search before attacking. But clairvoyance eliminates that flaw completely. She’s no longer restricted by the physical constraints of her eyes; her awareness extends beyond them, allowing her to perceive and target hidden objects, people, or even internal body structures.

The term “clairvoyance” typically refers to extrasensory perception. In Asagami’s case, it translates to an expanded spatial awareness: the ability to intuitively know where things are, even without looking. That makes her distortions not only harder to avoid, but also far more devastating. Her destruction of the massive bridge underscores this: her powers now affect the environment on a macro level. Like a bomber, she can unleash destruction across vast areas without needing to pinpoint each target.

------

Summary of Asagami’s combat abilities:

Asagami Fujino is not a conventional combatant. She is a space-manipulation anomaly whose power works by collapsing spatial structure itself.

• Sight-triggered spatial distortion
• Anything Fujino perceives becomes subject to distortion. The effect is continuous and unavoidable as long as she maintains awareness.
• Clairvoyant spatial awareness
• After unlocking Clairvoyance, Fujino’s perception extends beyond physical sight. She can sense positions, movement, and structures through obstructions, allowing her to target hidden enemies or internal structures. Hiding from her awareness becomes effectively impossible.
• Non-kinetic destruction
• She does not apply force. She removes spatial coherence, causing objects or bodies to fold, implode, or unravel as coordinates collapse.
• Affects physical and non-physical targets
• Any entity that occupies space or has a positional presence can be distorted, including intangible or normally untouchable beings. Matter, mass, and density are irrelevant to her, as her lack of physical sensation never allowed her to register such distinctions. Instead, she forces targets to bend as if gripped by space itself, the same space they rely on to exist.
• Fulcrum-based distortion
• Her power establishes invisible pivot points and twists targets in multiple directions at once, bypassing durability and physical resistance.
• Instinctive reaction speed
• Her awakened Origin allows her to act on spatial presence itself rather than conscious reaction, making normal reflexes irrelevant. Her Origin reconfigures her body to express spatial disruption, enabling her to track any vector within space and bend it in accordance with her Origin.
• Macro-scale environmental destruction
• After unlocking clairvoyance, Fujino can distort entire structures or areas at once, collapsing terrain, buildings, or large constructs as long as they fall within her spatial awareness.

At full activation, Fujino no longer fights opponents directly.

She controls the space they exist in.

Fujino’s power does not travel through space: it rewrites space locally. Because all physical actions (movement, defense, speed, durability) operate within space, conventional combat methods are ineffective.

Dodging, blocking, or overwhelming force do not help. The directions an opponent might escape through are exactly what she distorts. Combined with clairvoyance, escaping her perception is extremely difficult.

As long as an opponent is bound by spatial structure and lacks conceptual resistance, Fujino can defeat them regardless of apparent power or scale.

However, her ability does not extend into the abstract layer of reality. Fujino does not manipulate concepts, meanings, or laws. Her distortions act on space, not on the principles that define existence. Beings that operate through abstract authority or conceptual law are therefore outside her effective range.

Her distortion is the projection of her own perception onto otherwise neutral space. If a superior force actively alters, enforces, or seals the underlying rules of reality, her power cannot override it. In short, she dominates ordinary space, but loses authority the moment that space itself is no longer neutral or accessible.

This ties directly into something important I need to clarify before ending her section, since I’ve seen people claim she’s one of the most powerful characters in the setting; or worse, that she’s stronger than Araya Souren (the guy who literally builds entire universes sealed from all external interference). That’s simply not true. So I'll now take a bit of time to dismantle her wank utterly, before moving on with the rest of the characters:

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Why Asagami isn't actually a top tier in KnK, and why she only fought a massively pre-prime Shiki:

While Asagami’s abilities are certainly formidable, it’s important to clarify that, contrary to popular belief, she ultimately poses no real threat to Ryougi Shiki at full power. Their fight in Kara no Kyoukai: Chapter 3 occurred when Shiki had not yet fully aligned with her Origin or fully awakened her combat nature. The most crucial, and often overlooked, aspect of this fight is that... Shiki wasn’t even used to her Mystic Eyes yet:

"I suddenly recall the girl that was with Azaka... That aura of death creeping out of her like capillaries. Since I am not used to my eyes yet, I saw it without any prior preparation... That was abnormal." — Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 3

This is the ONLY reason she even struggled with Asagami; she couldn’t yet perceive the more complex forms of Death, such as those embodied by Fujino’s Distortions. However, after becoming accustomed to Asagami’s powers, Shiki could finally perceive them, despite their formless and invisible nature:

"... I see. ...... You must be abnormal."

Fujino can only think this. She looks at Shiki and bends. Her vision distorts. The fulcrums created on Shiki's head and leg each rotate in opposite directions and twist Shiki's body like a piece of carpet.

... It should have twisted her.

Shiki, whose left arm is bleeding, nullifies Fujino's "distortion" just by swinging the knife in her right hand. No...... she kills it.

"It's hard to see that without form, but you used your power too many times. Now I can finally see it. Your power is a spiral of red and green. It's really... beautiful."

Fujino does not understand what Shiki is saying. The only thing she realizes is that Shiki will surely kill her now. Fujino repeatedly prays.

Bend, bend, bend, bend!

As Fujino glares, Shiki swings her knife and eliminates the power. The pain in Fujino's stomach is about to go over its limit.

"Who...... are you?"

Shiki answers Fujino's fear with infinitely deep eyes.

"Everything in existence has an imperfection. Especially humans, but even in air, will, and time. It's natural to have an end if it has a beginning. My eyes can see the death of things. They're special, like yours."

Shiki looks at Fujino with those ominous eyes that Fujino felt before.

"That's why... if one exists, I could even kill a God."

Shiki runs. As gracefully as if she were walking. She approaches Fujino and pushes her down to the ground. Shiki straddles her. Fujino's throat trembles at facing Death so close to her. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 3

After Shiki adjusted to her ability, Asagami essentially became irrelevant. Even though Shiki was on the verge of unconsciousness from blood loss and had a crippled arm, she was still able to casually defeat Fujino:

Shiki takes off her jacket and cuts away the sleeve. She wraps the cloth around her left upper arm to staunch the bleeding. A crude treatment. There's no feeling in the arm that was twisted. It will probably never move. Shiki feels a chill at that fact.

She is losing blood quickly. She feels her consciousness slipping away....I'm hot-blooded anyway. If I lose some, it will just make me think more clearly…

After shaking her head clear of the effect of the blood loss, Shiki gets up. She grips her knife tightly in her right hand. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 3

I really want to emphasize this: Asagami was only a threat to Shiki because she wasn’t used to her new powers yet. Many people understandably get the impression that Asagami is a major challenge due to the non-linear storytelling, but chronologically she was essentially a “tutorial” enemy for Shiki, shortly after she acquired her MEoDP. That’s why in Chapter 1 (which takes place later), Shiki defeats a far more abstract and powerful threat like Kirie Fujou with far less effort.

Moreover, Shiki’s broader perception of Death directly ties into her speed: both her stats and MEoDP stem from her Origin, which reconfigures her body to match its intent. Shiki herself explains her fighting style is not trained but rather a mental reconstruction that modifies her body anew for every battle, tapping into her limitless potential as a “blank” vessel:

The thing you train is your mindset, Ryougi adds.

"You remake your body. From your breathing to the placement of your feet, awareness, thoughts, to be able to remake all of them for combat. Even the way of using your muscles changes, so it might feel like you become a different person.

I suppose tensing your body and mind as a fight starts, and while you are fighting, is the foundation of all martial arts. However, we followed only that too much, and as a result our path went too far." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

“The Ryougi family is a dynasty, just like the Asagami and the Fujou families. They are families who are trying to create humans who are beyond human, and used various methods to ensure the birth of an heir. All so that they could pass on their family’s ‘inheritance’.

“The Ryougi family is especially interesting. They knew that if they had a supernatural ability, they would one day be destroyed by the civilized world. So they thought up a supernatural ability that would let them appear as normal human beings. Hey, Kokutou. Those people we call professionals, why is it that they can only reach the top in one area?

That’s because no matter how perfect a body, or how high the amount of natural aptitude you are born with, you can only put one talent into one person. The higher you climb, the more you are restricted as to what other peaks you can go up, until in the end you cannot climb any others.

“The Ryougi family solved that problem by imbuing one body with a countless number of personalities. It’s the same as a computer. If you put hundreds upon hundreds of pieces of software into one piece of hardware called Shiki, a professional in all areas is created. That’s why her name is Shiki. The Shiki kanji in Shikigami. The Shiki kanji when you talk about Mathematical Formulas. A program that fulfills any task required of it perfectly. An empty doll that possesses countless numbers of identities, and can be modified by putting in another personality with different morals, thought patterns, even senses.” - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

What does this mean? When Shiki perceives something with her MEoDP, she is automatically fast enough to kill it. The more abstract the death she can perceive, the less mediation is required, and the “faster” she becomes. Her Origin restructures her body to follow its urge to erase fixed definitions, with the MEoDP perceiving and erasing the idea of an object in perfect alignment.

This is demonstrated against Kurogiri Satsuki:

"You." "Cannot." "See Me."

The mage's voice echoed, resonating directly in my mind. Its truth was undeniable. In an instant, I lost sight of him, and my swung knife cleaved empty air.

"Wha..."

I scanned my surroundings. There was no one else in the chapel, only the presence of another person transmitted to my skin. Kurogiri was indeed right in front of me, yet his form remained unseen.

"...That was dangerous. I underestimated your ability to act faster than I could speak. As a result, I lost an arm. It's no wonder Araya was defeated. You possess a remarkable aptitude for killing."

The voice came from right in front of me. I suppressed my urge to attack, focusing my consciousness on my immediate vicinity. If I couldn't see him, I only needed to perceive his lines of death...

"You cannot defeat me," the voice echoed directly in my thoughts.

But before it finished, his death lines materialised before my eyes.

"Found you."

This time, I wouldn't let him escape. Once again, I charged towards the mage.

But... I lost sight of him again.

"This Place." "Inhibits." "Sight."

The voice reverberated through the chapel, which had now plunged into complete darkness. With a single word, the world turned invisible, devoid of light.

"Hm... It appears the effect is weaker on you. Your connection to the Fount places you on the same rank as my words. But that's been accounted for. Here, even Ryougi Shiki cannot perceive death. Though, of course, I can't see anything here either." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 6

"This is futile. I already explained, you cannot defeat me. Even you, who can kill anything, cannot vanquish words."

It was a truth I'd never contemplated. Words were the one enemy beyond my reach.

"However, that doesn't grant me the power to kill you either. This is the extent of my abilities. Any closer, and you could overpower me with ease. There will be no exchange of lives. I am no warrior. My role is simply to fulfil your desires." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 6

"Isn't that useless then? What's the point of it all if no one can even reply to him?"

"If it were just a normal language, then yes. The fact that he can communicate with beasts and rocks doesn't mean that he's speaking to them directly. Instead, he speaks to the world itself. Think of it like an ontological hierarchy. As long as 'I' exist, there will always be an Aozaki Touko above me that exists within the world itself. If he were to use the Unified Language on me, I would have no way of resisting. If I were to reject his words, that'd be equal to denying the fact that I exist in this world. The very words he utter become an irreversible truth. God's Word is capable of placing all of creation under complete hypnosis. The memories that we humans possess, are also recorded by the world itself. It's a similar concept to the Akashic Records, but this is a wave phenomenon that exists on a lower level than it. You see, one of the possible methods of deciphering it is the Unified Language. That's why Kurogiri's able to gather memories that have already been forgotten. He isn't drawing their forgotten memories out of their brains, but rather from the record the world stores of the past. In the present day and age, he's the only person capable of accessing the various recordings of the past that our world has kept in store. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 6

In her optimal state, after mastering MEoDP, Shiki can literally move faster than reality can register alterations by far more fundamental powers than Asagami’s space hacks. Kurogiri tried to rewrite reality by speaking directly to its abstract foundation, yet Shiki was able to strike him before his commands stabilized. Panicked, Kurogiri decided to outright remove the concept of sight for everyone, including himself. Even then, this only temporarily stalled Shiki. Kurogiri himself admitted that if he got any closer, becoming perceivable to Shiki through senses other than sight, he would be dead. 

If Shiki can strike faster than reality can update itself from its abstract foundations, then avoiding Asagami’s spatial distortions would be trivial.

"Well, ok. But Asagami later got Clairvoyance, so she is much more dangerous even for Shiki!"

Not really. Clairvoyance does not stop this. Shiki’s body actively reconfigures itself, drawing directly from Nothingness. She becomes as fast as the void that exists before form and matter, allowing her to outpace even the rewriting of reality’s rules by the Unified Language. In effect, her Origin gives her body an 'undefined' state, letting her slip free of fixed constraints altogether.

Offensively, Clairvoyance actually works against Fujino Asagami. It only enlarges her spatial distortions to a massive scale, which is actually ideal for Shiki. Larger distortions simply mean more surface for Shiki to cut.

Scale and size are meaningless to her. This is already proven when she killed Mugen, an infinite void. Whether something is small, vast, or limitless does not change the outcome. If it exists, it can be killed:

“There is no need for concern. I have not imprisoned her in a room within the apartment complex. I have thrown her into Mugen, the infinite void, that connects the material world to the otherworld.

An enclosed, infinite space with no exit was impenetrable to conventional means. Since it had no form, physical weapons could not touch it. But Ryougi Shiki's power was meant to target such intangible things.

But, Araya Souren, because you're a mage, you treated magic as absolute. Closing off a space doesn't matter. Something that abstract—she'd break through it with ease!" 

He had sufficient awareness to understand how she escaped the imprisoned space. Last night, the young lady had lost consciousness after several of her ribs were shattered by the Magus’s blow.

She had just recently awakened within the closed space, in the boundary set between the walls of the apartment complex. Within that impossible space she slashed through the impossible wall.

Infinity is not 「 」. For infinity to remain infinite, the finite has to be defined. Without the finite there cannot exist infinity. Because things have an end, we can observe the thing called infinity.

Ryougi Shiki had been cast into infinity, she saw the impossible finite and cut through it.

Of course, there is no finite inside of the infinite. You can’t slash through what doesn’t exist, so escape from such a cage is impossible. But, if there is no finite then there is no infinite. Whether finite walls exist or not, an endless world holds no meaning before Ryougi Shiki.

If there really is no finite, then it’s not infinite but 「 」. If the finite can be comprehended, Shiki could detect and slash through it.

... The black hole that should have been absolute was just a small dark room to his opponent. The Magus felt ashamed of himself. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

While Touko comments that Fujino would be “invincible” with clairvoyance added to her powers, this is an exaggeration meant to emphasize her potential danger. Shiki, in contrast, remains unmoved and simply remarks that she would have “a ridiculous amount of power if left alone.” This distinction is important. Shiki’s indifference implies that, even after her evolution, Fujino remains within the realm of what Shiki can overcome. In truth, while clairvoyance eliminates Fujino’s primary weakness and grants her a terrifying degree of battlefield control, it does not elevate her to the highest tiers of the verse. Rather, it makes her a localized apocalyptic threat, immensely dangerous to most, but still outclassed by figures with deeper conceptual authority.

Even before awakening to full strength, Shiki had already outmaneuvered and defeated Asagami in a weakened state. At full alignment with her Origin, there’s no contest.

Outside of her fight with Shiki, there's one more "evidence" people love to spam mindlessly when claiming Fujino is a top-tier character:

Pure statistics-wise, Fujino has the greatest ability in this tale. - Garden of sinners Pamphlet: Asagami Fujino [Person]

At first glance, this might sound impressive. But again, we’re dealing with people who treat reading comprehension like a hidden talent. It literally says “pure statistics-wise.”

What are statistics? Numerical data; strength, speed, durability, the kinds of quantifiable traits that define interaction within standard physical reality. And yes, Fujino’s Distortion disregards those rules by targeting space itself. That’s powerful...in a vacuum.

But here’s the problem: the higher-tier characters in this setting transcend those statistics. Shiki can read the blueprint of how existence is structured and erase those rules altogether. God's Word doesn’t obey statistics: he rewrites them by speaking to reality's own record. Araya Souren’s bounded fields override the world’s parameters with his own, sealing out all external interference.

So yes, Fujino has the strongest statistical ability. In the same story where statistics are a plaything for actual reality-warpers. If that one quote is your entire argument for calling her top tier, you're missing the point of Kara no Kyoukai; a setting built around abstraction overriding physical rules.

In fact, Asagami is arguably the weakest of the individuals Araya deployed against Ryougi, even weaker than Shirazumi Lio.

Unlike ordinary beings, Lio Shirazumi continuously evolves to overcome threats. Even when affected by Fujino Asagami’s spatial distortions, his Origin of Consumption drives him to restructure himself, both conceptually and physically, until those distortions no longer matter.

Asagami’s ability is a projection of her subjective rejection of spatial logic. It creates localized breaks in how space normally functions, corrupting the directions that hold matter together. While extremely dangerous, this power still operates within deeper rules that define how reality can be altered.

Lio’s Consumption exists on a more fundamental level. It is a primordial principle of existence itself: survival through predation. His Origin does not merely change his body. It passively pressures reality around him, forcing the environment to accommodate his drive to hunt and devour. Unless opposed by a force with greater conceptual authority, Consumption inevitably reshapes the conditions of battle in Lio’s favor.

In practical terms, this means Asagami’s distortions would lose effectiveness over time. Lio would adapt by rewiring his movement, senses, or body structure to bypass warped space, treating spatial anomalies as navigable terrain rather than obstacles. What begins as a threat becomes irrelevant once his Origin assimilates the conditions that allow her power to function.

As for Kirie and Kurogiri, their superiority over Asagami should be obvious once we reach the sections covering their abilities. Kirie’s power drags the subconscious mind into the conscious layer, rewriting how reality is perceived at its root, while Kurogiri’s statements directly address the concept of an entity as recorded in the world’s memory, compelling it to obey. Both operate at a deeper metaphysical level than a simple spatial distortion ever could.

How Strong is Kirie?

Kirie Fujou is one of the most underrated characters in Kara no Kyoukai, largely because she was quickly dispatched by Shiki. However, she was actually the strongest piece Araya prepared to confront her. Unlike Asagami or other opponents, Kirie’s abilities transcend the material plane, making her a more abstract threat.

Her power is directly tied to her Origin, Nothingness, which manifests differently from both Shiki's and Asagami’s. We know Kirie’s Origin was fully awakened because Araya specifically sought individuals who had undergone an Origin awakening in order to push Ryougi Shiki toward her own:

"I failed 2 years ago. That person was too different. What was needed were those who had diverged from the same 'origin.'" – Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

His goal was clear: by forcing Shiki to confront killers with natures that opposed her own, he hoped to drive her toward fully realizing her true self. If Shiki lost to this influence, Void Shiki would take over her body.

"Right? By making Shiki confront murderers who held concepts totally opposite to her own, you made Shiki realize her own nature." – Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

"So, what was it that you wanted, Araya? For Shiki and SHIKI to tear each other apart and leave behind an empty shell? Or did you just want to meet Ryougi Shiki?"
"Two years ago was to draw 'her' out. But it's different now. I told you the conclusion was already out. Shiki does not require that body. That body which is connected to the Origin—I shall be taking it and making it my own." – Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

While Kirie’s Nothingness is not identical to Shiki’s, it represents another form of emptiness. Unlike Asagami, whose detachment is primarily physical, Kirie embodies a broader existential severance: a lack of purpose and a deep inability to connect with the world. She is drawn to escape, not from a specific condition, but from the suffering of existence itself. This makes her the embodiment of Thanatos (also the name of her chapter), the subconscious drive toward death as a form of release.

Thanatos, in Kara no Kyoukai’s context, can be understood as a negative inversion of an Origin. While Origins are subconscious directives that propel life forward, pure instinctual movement, Thanatos reverses that vector. It is not merely the absence of desire, but the refusal of desire’s validity altogether. Instead of acting impulsively through unconscious drives, Thanatos replaces those drives with a will toward non-being. It views the fact of existence as suffering, precisely because existence is tied to compulsive longing.

Kirie’s entire being is shaped by this concept. Her powers are not simply an expression of death: they are the manifestation of a soul that has realized nothingness as peace, and life as distortion. Her entire character revolves around floating and daydreaming, symbolic of a life without true purpose or direction:

A woman in her late twenties. One of the three who made contact. A descendant of an ancient shaman lineage. A character defined by day-dreaming and floating.
Kirie was a woman plagued by disease and spent her life in the hospital ward. After losing her sight, she viewed the world with renewed clarity, and was set free by Araya Souren with another body.
However, without a goal, Kirie had nowhere to go. She lingered and floated, resulting in several victims.
As an aside, the Fujous made a living by channeling. They are a house as ancient as the Ryougis and Asakamis. Although the itako of Mount Osore lost their sight due to looking into the realm of the dead, Kirie’s power blossomed as a result of losing her sight to illness. - Garden of Sinners pamphlet - Kirie Fujou [Person]

This quote reinforces that Kirie Fujou's powers are fundamentally spiritual in nature, aligning with her Origin of Nothingness. The Fujou family practiced channeling, meaning they had abilities tied to spiritual perception, possession, or communication with the dead. Like the blind itako of Mount Osore, who gained supernatural sight by gazing into the afterlife, Kirie developed her powers after losing her physical sight. This suggests that her blindness allowed her to interact with a plane beyond normal human perception, much like how Shiki's Mystic Eyes allow her to see Death. This is what likely caused her Origin to awaken, as she was gradually detaching herself from the world in a physical sense and observing it in a broader way:

"...Have you ever longed for the outside world for a long time? For so many years that you lose touch with reality? I hated, despised, and feared the outside world. I was overlooking it all the time. After a while, my eyes became weird. I was in the sky above that garden, and was overlooking the world below. It was a feeling like my eyes were flying around while my body and mind were still here. But since I can't move from here, all I can do is to overlook the area around here.”

"You must have imprinted the surrounding scenery into your mind. If that's the case, you should be able to think that you can see it from all directions... You started to lose your vision around that time too?"

I'm surprised. She knows I'm on the verge of losing my vision.

I nod.

"That's right. The world turned white and in the end, nothing was there. At first, I thought everything turned into darkness, but that was wrong."

Everything disappeared, or at least everything that could be seen.

But I have no problem with that, because my eyes are already flying around. I can only see the scenery around this hospital, and I can't get out of here anyway.

"Nothing changed, nothing..."

Then, I cough. It's been a long time since I've talked this much, so my throat is burning.

"I see. So your mind was up in the sky. But then... why are you alive? If that ghost at the Fujiyoh building was your mind, you should have been killed by Shiki."

Yes, I am wondering the same thing.

That person... I guess the name is Shiki... How was that person able to cut me?

That floating me cannot touch anything. In return, I cannot be touched by anything, but that person killed me as if I had a real body.

"Answer me. The you at the Fujiyoh building, was that really Fujoh Kirie?"

"The me at the Fujiyoh building isn't me. Myself looking at the sky and myself in the sky, ‘that me’ gave up on me and flew away. I have been left behind even by myself."

The woman gasps. For the first time, she showed her emotion.

"So it's not that your personality split up. There was someone that gave you, who had one container, a second container. I see, you controlled two bodies with one mind. This is indeed nothing like before." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 1

Kirie’s transformation began as she lost her vision, initially confined to the hospital but gradually perceiving the world in a detached, floating way; her eyes seeming to separate from her body. This detachment perfectly reflects her Origin of Nothingness, manifesting as a complete disconnection from physical reality.

The key revelation is that Kirie ended up with two bodies controlled by one mind. When the floating self at the Fujiyoh building “gave up on me and flew away,” it was her actualized Origin self; fully consumed by Nothingness. Meanwhile, the part remaining in the hospital was “left behind,” indicating a split consciousness between her physical form and her awakened essence.

Touko’s insight clarifies this: Araya Souren, skilled in Boundaries and Origin awakening, granted Kirie a second body, one no longer limited by her diseased physical form, but fully embodying her Nothingness.

The final key takeaway is that Kirie’s second body was shaped by her Origin, allowing her to exist in a state beyond conventional physicality. She describes her floating self as untouchable: “That floating me cannot touch anything. In return, I cannot be touched by anything.” This shows that her second body wasn’t just a ghost: it was a conceptual phenomenon, an abstract projection of her will. Unlike a normal spirit or phantom, it didn’t interact with the material world at all; it was pure mind given form, detached from normal laws of cause and effect.

The only reason she was ultimately defeated was because Shiki could perceive the Death of all things, even the boundary that anchored Kirie’s abstract existence to reality. Shiki didn’t cut a physical body, but rather the limit that allowed Kirie’s will to manifest at all, erasing her from the world. This is why Kirie is confused by how she was “killed”: she believed she had become something no longer bound by any physical or spiritual harm.

Since an awakened Origin naturally shapes the user’s vessel, Kirie’s second body functioned as an extension of her mind and essence alone. It was completely untouchable by the outside world because Kirie herself was fundamentally disconnected from it, unable to perceive it as meaningful: her very nature dissolved the boundary that would allow normal interaction. This makes her almost impossible to harm or alter, since her very existence is an undefined singularity: a pure extension of her mind with no meaningful tie to the world it floats above.

With that being said, Kirie is not simply a passive abstract entity but an active enforcer of her Origin, using it to impose Nothingness upon others in an offensive and lethal manner:

The white fingertip points at Shiki. Shiki's head sways. The thin body steps once to regain its balance. But only once.

"---------"

The woman overhead hesitated a bit from that. The suggestion that "you can fly" is not working on this person. Her power can give someone the impression that "they were flying" - more of a brainwashing than a "suggestion" by any normal definition. There is no way to fight it, and as a result, one actually tries to fly, or conversely runs away from the fear of being able to fly. But Shiki was able to withstand it with just a small daze.

"---------"

The woman wonders if the contact was too weak, and decides to use suggestion again. But this time, stronger. Not a weak impression like "You can fly" but she orders firmly: "You have to fly!" - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 1

This passage shows that Kirie’s power doesn’t simply hypnotize; it enforces a fundamental contradiction between mind and body. The victim’s perception is rewritten, and their body can no longer reconcile what the mind insists upon. It isn’t suggestion: it’s conceptual reprogramming, an external manifestation of Kirie’s own existential state. Her Origin of Nothingness dissolves the boundary between self and void. When she says “fly,” she isn’t referring to mere physical motion through air, but to the intrinsic impulse to return to silence; to be released from the burdens of life, limitation, and selfhood itself. By forcing this condition as a conscious command, she drives the target to an existential impasse: either they willingly end their life, or they lose all sense of direction, their mind collapsing into the very Nothingness that defines her.

The reason why Shiki is able to resist this ability is because of her own Origin of Nothingness, which makes her fundamentally immune to the underlying principle of Kirie’s attack. Shiki’s existence is already self-contained and detached from external influence; she perceives all things as inherently meaningless compared to the perfection of the Fount. Kirie’s ‘escape’ from reality’s constraints is therefore irrelevant to her: she is already severed from those constraints by nature. We know later on that Shiki's connection to Akasha can even resist God's Word unified language, so this is clearly a resistance granted by her Origin.

"That makes sense. But why weren't you happy with just imagining the outside world? I don't think there was a need to let those girls fall."

Those girls...? Oh, I see, the girls I was jealous of. They were unfortunate. But I did not do anything, because the girls fell on their own.

"The you at the Fujiyoh building was more like a will. You used that, huh? Those girls were able to fly from the beginning, right? Even if it was just an image in their head, or if they really had the power to fly. People flying in their sleep isn't rare, but it never gets to be a problem. Why? Because they only do so in their sleep and they never even think about flying when they are awake. Since they are unconscious, they have no evil will when they are flying.

“Those girls were special even in that case. We're not talking Peter Pan, but it's easier to fly when you're small. Maybe one or two might have actually floated, but most of them should have floated only in their dreams.

“But you made them think about it. You gave them the impression they had while they were dreaming when they were awake.

“As a result, they found out they could fly. Yes, they can fly... but only unconsciously. Flight with only human power is difficult. Even I cannot fly without a broom. The chance of flight under consciousness is about thirty percent. The girls tried to fly as usual, and fell as they were supposed to."

Yes, they were flying around me. I thought they could be my friends. But all they did was float around me like fishes without noticing me.

It was shortly after that I found out they had no consciousness. I just thought they would notice me if they had consciousness. That was the only reason, so why... - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 1

This confirms Kirie didn’t “command” the girls to jump. She surfaced a memory from their dreams into waking awareness. Normally, dream experiences stay buried in the subconscious; that boundary keeps reality stable. But Kirie’s ability forces the unconscious into the conscious mind. The victim “remembers” something they could only handle unconsciously, like flying in a dream, and tries to apply it to the real world. But the body, trapped between logic and dream-logic, fails, and falls.

The reason this is so dangerous is because the subconscious acts as the interpretative filter of a sentient being: while each world has its natural laws, those laws are enforced by influencing the subconscious and collective consensus, ensuring individuals do not stray from them. However, in principle, an unbound subconscious could reorganize the world however it sees fit, which is why dreams can feel indistinguishable from reality until we wake up. What Kirie does is directly manipulate this filter, so that reality is perceived according to the victim's greatest desire: release.

Kirie’s power is a mental analogue to the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. Rather than tracing the inherent flaws of all things, she perceives the subconscious drive within every being, the longing to return to silence, and manifests it as conscious law. Every sentient being possesses this drive, just as every existent thing contains a line of death. To exist is to be finite, and therefore to hold within oneself the potential to cease.

Kirie inverts this principle. While an Origin guides existence forward, toward action, meaning, or continuation, her Origin redirects that drive backward, toward non-being and non-action. It nullifies the will to persist, causing the target to terminate itself. Thus, her ability transcends mind control: it is a distortion of perception and conceptual boundaries.

This is most vividly shown when the girls who fell from the Fujou Building continue to exist in a ghostly state. The novel explains that their memories persist unnaturally:

“So in other words, time there is not working properly. It's not like there's only one way for time to pass by. The time it takes for something to rot away is unfairly different for everything. Then, it should follow that a human individual and its memory take different times to disappear. When someone dies, does that person's memory disappear? It doesn't, right? As long as there are observers, ones to remember, nothing disappears instantly, but gradually fades away.

“Memories, or rather, 'records'. If an observer happens to be in the environment around that person, people like those girls will be preserved by their memories and walk the earth as 'illusions' even after their deaths. This is part of the phenomenon which we know as 'ghosts.' The only ones who see these projections are the ones that share the memories with these ghosts, namely their parents and friends. Shiki, however, is an exception.

"Of course, the passage of time does affect these 'records,' but at the top of that building, it seems to occur at a much slower rate. The girls' memories from when they were alive have not caught up to their true state yet.

"As a result, the memories stay alive. What can be seen there are the actions and the existences of those girls whose time happens to be passing by slowly.” — Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 1

Normally, time governs the natural decay of both physical bodies and abstract concepts like memory. After death, a person’s existence is typically preserved only through the memories of others, which fade with time. But in Kirie’s presence, this process is disrupted: memories linger and become visible, not as metaphors or hallucinations, but as perceivable illusions grounded in suspended time. This further proves that Kirie can stabilize abstract phenomena and cause subconscious remnants to manifest as tangible reality. In other words, she can turn the impulses of the mind into physical laws that the body/world must obey.

The reason she focused on those girls in the story is because she wanted companions who shared her inherent detachment. Kirie sensed that the girls subconsciously wished to escape reality in their dreams, and simply made them act on it, the ghostly remnants that linger afterward are evidence of how her power traps these subconscious states in abstract stasis, keeping them around her, free from reality’s suffering and rules, but not in the way they truly hoped for.

This shows that Kirie’s power inherently gives precedence to desire over reality: the girls secretly wished to “escape,” so Kirie made them “fly,” unbound by any rule: neither life nor death could claim them, because they became free from their defining conditions.

This principle applies to any sentient being. The subconscious, in theory, is pure potential: it can dream anything, want anything, and reconfigure reality in any direction. That’s why, in dreams, physical laws don’t apply and contradictions coexist freely. In that limitless field, “nothing” itself becomes meaningful, a significance that slowly leads to oblivion. Even an Ultimate One is not exempt. Such entities embody planetary law, yet their subconscious still carries the instinct to return to silence: to rest from the burden of being. Kirie’s power draws out that latent desire, the potential to abandon the role of existence itself. But without purpose to stabilize that freedom, even a planetary will unravels, dissolving into Stillness.

Kirie’s Origin is not destruction; it is a return. It echoes Thanatos in its deepest form: the desire for dissolution, for the undoing of all imposed form and meaning. Her Nothingness of Mind is the quiet force that returns beings to the undifferentiated, to a state before identity, function, or structure. She does not kill in the active sense; she offers release.

Every living being moves according to some internal function: survival, reproduction, growth, fulfillment. Kirie removes the necessity of that movement. She reveals that purpose itself is optional, that you don’t need to act, because nothing is inherently meaningful. And once this truth is realized, the instinct to continue simply… fades.

This is Thanatos in its truest form: not violent death, but the end of the need to be.

------

Summary of Kirie's combat abilities:

Kirie Fujou is not a physical being. She is a disembodied will, an intangible phenomenon that exists purely as a mind shaped by her Origin. She cannot be harmed by physical attacks or conventional reality manipulation.

• Intangible existence
  Kirie has no physical body and cannot be interacted with through material means.

• Mind-based ontology
  Her existence is defined entirely by consciousness and subconscious structure.

• Thanatos embodiment
  Her Origin represents the vector away from attachment to life: the impulse toward cessation, silence, and release.

• Subconscious enforcement
  Kirie turns subconscious beliefs, fears, and desires into reality within her influence.

• Reality-through-belief
  What a target truly believes becomes physically real to them (e.g. flying, falling, burning, dying).

• Boundary erasure (mind)
  She removes the separation between conscious thought and subconscious impulse, making illusion indistinguishable from reality.

• Thanatos injection
  Amplifies the latent desire for non-being present in all minds, often manifesting as self-destruction or surrender.

• Psychosomatic fatality
  Can cause death without physical damage by forcing the mind to accept death as inevitable.

This is not hypnosis and not illusion.
It is reality reconstructed through the mind’s own interpretive framework. Even beings who can control time, space, or life no matter how powerful, carry the subconscious instinct toward non-being: the quiet wish for cessation. Kirie amplifies that instinct into law, turning the will to live into the will to fly. Only those with an absolute, self-contained existence, like Araya Souren’s Stillness or Ryougi Shiki’s inner Void, can resist her unraveling effect. 

This makes her the first character in this guide capable of defeating abstract reality warpers. She not only embodies total disconnection from physical laws (the very laws they control) but also directly rewrites their perception, forcing it to act upon their inherent potential for non-being and compelling them toward death as a form of release from existence. This easily places her among the upper echelon of Type-Moon's characters in terms of power, surpassed only by the best of he best.

How strong is God's Word?

God’s Word, also known as Satsuki Kurogiri, was intended to be Araya’s fourth and final agent against Shiki, but Araya was defeated before this plan could be enacted:

"Araya briefed me about you. I was originally called to this city for that purpose, after all. As I said, you and I have a connection of our own. He desired to put the two of us at odds, but it seems he fell before that could ever happen. It's truly a shame. I was somewhat interested in seeing him achieve his goal." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 6

If Asagami represents disconnection from physical sensation, Kirie disconnection from physical existence, and Shiki disconnection from definition and meaning, then God’s Word embodies Nothingness of the Self, or more precisely, Nothingness of Memory. This is expressed through his defining ability: the Unified Language.

This ability is not the result of study or training. It is an innate mutation he was born with. Despite having no aptitude for magecraft, God’s Word mastered the Unified Language in only ten years, surpassing what even accomplished magi achieve through decades of study:

According to the rumours, God's Word never harms other people. In the first place, he isn't even a mage. He doesn't have any latent aptitude for magecraft, nor is he descended from a family of mages. He was born with some genetic mutation, just like Azaka was. Similarly, just as Azaka's only ability is to control flames, his sole gift is the command over language. However, because these abilities are part of their innate disposition, they are capable of reaching heights that even bloodlines spanning generations such as mine cannot hope to achieve. In that sense, God's Word is a monster. It took him only ten years to attain those heights.

The magecraft he utilises is exactly as his moniker suggests: God's Word. He has complete command over every language spoken by any race or tribe that currently roams the world. When I say complete, I don't just mean that he can speak them. He knows everything that has ever emerged from them, beginning from their conception. Their history, their beliefs, all of it. There exists no word that he cannot speak, and there exists no race of man that is unknown to him. However, he did not acquire this knowledge by travelling the world. God's Word learned only a single language, and his understanding of every other one is nothing more than a consequence of that. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 6

This confirms that his ability is intrinsic, much like psychic powers that manifest in individuals born close to their Origins. However, this alone does not prove that his Origin was awakened, only that he possessed an extreme natural affinity.

That confirmation comes later.

God’s Word recounts a traumatic childhood event in which he was abducted by beings he believed to be fairies, only to later realize he had slaughtered them himself. The aftermath of this massacre resulted in a curse that permanently altered his perception of reality:

“It’s true that I was abducted by fairies in my youth. Then again, I don’t know if those creatures really were fairies. Perhaps they were only spirits that sought out companionship. They told me they wanted to be together for all of eternity. I, on the other hand, only ever wanted to go home. I'd known of the superstition that children who ran into fairies could never return home, so I frantically tried to escape from them. I ran through the plains and past the woods. When I finally saw my house in sight, I looked back in relief. It was then that I noticed the countless empty husks that were once fairies, and realised that my hands were stained in their red blood. It was at that moment that I realised that the superstitions were true. After being abducted by them, I was never able to return to my home," he said with the comical expression of a clown.

I tried to envision it in my mind. Even when he returned home, all his parents were met with was their son soaked in blood. At that point, his home was no longer what it once was, it was no longer a place for him to return to. The home he'd envisioned was one with a loving family, not one with the cold stares of his parents.

"You mean the fairies didn't abduct you?”

"Indeed. Apparently, I'd massacred them all instead. That proved to be a grievous mistake, however. In the end, they cursed Kurogiri Satsuki for what he did to them. Like I said, I hadn't actually forgotten anything. It was just that from that day on, Kurogiri Satsuki became unable to recognize his memories as his own. Since then, I've been unable to authenticate anything I see with my own eyes. All the knowledge I gained from then on was mere information, not memory. I no longer saw the world as a picture, but as a mass of information that could be changed with words. My world stopped moving when I was ten years old. There exists no method for me to dispel the curse that has been cast on me by the fairies."

I have the traits of the person known as Kokutou Azaka recorded within me as words. Your appearance matched up with the words I used to describe Kokutou Azaka, which is why I recognized you. If someone else who fit my definition better than you arrived, then they would become Kokutou Azaka to me instead. It has nothing to do with whoever you actually are. As I said, there are no pictures within me. Everything within me is documented by means of language. In the case of humans, that'd be their height, weight, bone structure, skin colour, hairstyle, behaviour, and age. 

I didn't look at you and recognize you as someone I know, it's just that your traits happened to match up with those of Kokutou Azaka best. I can encode, record, and store memories. Only the authentication portion of the process is impossible for me. Of course, this method of mine leads to countless mistakes. Without the ability to verify information with images, I can only distinguish them through words. The mere act of choosing to tie your hair a different way could be enough for me to mistake you. That's why I'm often considered to be forgetful by the people around me. The people of this academy have been saying that about me too, haven't they?"

He chuckled like a child.

"You mean your memories are just a form of language to you?" I mumbled, unable to hold myself back. The events of the day before were stored within him as records, and not as memories. Because of that, a walking mass of data such as him had no concept of self. It was impossible for someone who couldn't recognize his own memories. To him, memories didn't exist as a foundation for his sense of self, but rather as a source of information in order to survive the world around him. The will of the man known as Kurogiri Satsuki was a very faint thing. Because of that, he only ever spoke if he was talked to first, and accepted all things without any resistance whatsoever. In the first place, he couldn't resist, even if he wanted to - Kara no Kyokai Chapter 6.

As a result, Kurogiri lost the ability to authenticate his memories through images or lived experience. Everything became language: descriptions, attributes, recorded data. Identity ceased to be something he recognized and became something he defined. His sense of self weakened to the point of near erasure.

This transformation is critical. His world ceased to be one of perception and became one of abstraction. Reality, to him, was no longer experienced; it was described. This aligns perfectly with the Unified Language, which treats words not as representations of reality, but as mechanisms that shape it.

In essence, the massacre and the curse shattered Kurogiri’s normal relationship with memory and identity, likely triggering the awakening of his Origin. His overwhelming command of language is not merely a skill, but the natural expression of an existence that no longer anchors itself in experience, image, or selfhood.

“But Nasu said God’s Word’s Origin is Nostalgia!”

If you read the premise at the beginning of this guide, it should already be clear why interview statements are not treated as authoritative. Nasu himself explicitly stated that the version of himself who wrote the original novel has “passed on,” and this particular comment comes from an interview released around the sixth movie adaptation. By that point, Nasu had already acknowledged a significant shift in his mindset as early as the first Kara no Kyoukai film.

More importantly, the label Nostalgia does not align with what is shown in the novel.

Nostalgia implies longing, attachment, or emotional fixation on the past. Kurogiri exhibits none of these. He does not remember his experiences as lived events; he records them as detached information, observing them as if they belonged to someone else. He has no continuity of self and no emotional connection to his own memories, because memory itself, the foundation of identity and attachment, was stripped of subjective meaning by the fairies’ curse.

What this describes is not longing, but absence.

Rather than yearning for the past, Kurogiri exists in a state where memory has been reduced to unfelt data. This aligns far more closely with a form of emptiness or Nothingness, fitting his role alongside Kirie and Asagami as an agent meant to confront Shiki. Araya deliberately sought individuals who embodied different expressions of Nothingness in order to force Shiki to turn inward and risk succumbing to her Origin’s true personality, Void.

So, we have established that Kurogiri is another Origin-awakened being. The next question, then, is how this manifests in his abilities:

"So, the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, I see. I view only streams already travelled, while you perceive trails yet to be trodden. Chronicler of the past and observer of the future. Hm... it seems Araya summoned me to eliminate you, Shiki." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 6

While Shiki perceives the “future”, the inevitable death of all things, through her connection to Akasha, God’s Word retrieves the memories of the world itself, allowing him to reshape reality by invoking what has already been recorded. This ability stems from his greatest power: the Unified Language, an ancient, metaphysical tongue that communicates with the world on an ontological level:

It was God's Word that proved all of them wrong. He showed that it wasn't only our planet that was more powerful in the Age of Gods, but also our language. If God confused the languages of man, then what was it like before that? Indeed, mankind had but a single language of communication back then. Could a language truly give meaning to and speak of every single phenomenon in our world? If it truly existed, then it would have to be a formless language. It would not be a language used to communicate with fellow men, but a language that derived its meaning through a dialogue with the world itself. God feared the word of man, so he confused our tongues and granted us a language with form.

We thought we were being granted wisdom, but we were only robbed of the truth instead.

That lost truth is what God's Word has learned, the original language that was shared among all who dwelled in this world before the Tower of Babel. We call this the Unified Language.

"Isn't that useless then? What's the point of it all if no one can even reply to him?"

"If it were just a normal language, then yes. The fact that he can communicate with beasts and rocks doesn't mean that he's speaking to them directly. Instead, he speaks to the world itself. Think of it like an ontological hierarchy. As long as 'I' exist, there will always be an Aozaki Touko above me that exists within the world itself. If he were to use the Unified Language on me, I would have no way of resisting. If I were to reject his words, that'd be equal to denying the fact that I exist in this world. The very words he utter become an irreversible truth. God's Word is capable of placing all of creation under complete hypnosis. The memories that we humans possess, are also recorded by the world itself. It's a similar concept to the Akashic Records, but this is a wave phenomenon that exists on a lower level than it. You see, one of the possible methods of deciphering it is the Unified Language. That's why Kurogiri's able to gather memories that have already been forgotten. He isn't drawing their forgotten memories out of their brains, but rather from the record the world stores of the past. In the present day and age, he's the only person capable of accessing the various recordings of the past that our world has kept in store. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 6

As described here, God’s Word can access the world’s stored memory, a system similar to a lower-tier version of the Akashic Records. This “record” contains the original definitions of everything that exists or could exist. Something is considered real only because the world has it recorded.

When God’s Word speaks, he does not force reality to change. Instead, he calls up that record and makes the world treat his statement as if it were the original definition of the thing in question.

Because the world already relies on these records to decide what is real, it automatically accepts his declaration as truth. Reality then adjusts itself so that the present matches what the record now says.

This is why Touko Aozaki explains that resisting the Unified Language is equivalent to rejecting one’s own existence. If something exists, it must already be recorded. Rejecting God’s Word means rejecting the record that allows the world to recognize you as real.

In short:
God’s Word does not rewrite reality.
He changes what the world believes was always true, and reality updates itself to stay consistent.

A clear example of God’s Word’s reality-altering power occurs when he commands Shiki to lose sight of him, blocking her physical vision through language alone:

"You." "Cannot." "See Me."

The mage's voice echoed, resonating directly in my mind. Its truth was undeniable. In an instant, I lost sight of him, and my swung knife cleaved empty air.

"Wha..."

I scanned my surroundings. There was no one else in the chapel, only the presence of another person transmitted to my skin. Kurogiri was indeed right in front of me, yet his form remained unseen.

"...That was dangerous. I underestimated your ability to act faster than I could speak. As a result, I lost an arm. It's no wonder Araya was defeated. You possess a remarkable aptitude for killing."

The voice came from right in front of me. I suppressed my urge to attack, focusing my consciousness on my immediate vicinity. If I couldn't see him, I only needed to perceive his lines of death...

"You cannot defeat me," the voice echoed directly in my thoughts.

But before it finished, his death lines materialised before my eyes.

"Found you."

This time, I wouldn't let him escape. Once again, I charged towards the mage.

But... I lost sight of him again.

"This Place." "Inhibits." "Sight."

The voice reverberated through the chapel, which had now plunged into complete darkness. With a single word, the world turned invisible, devoid of light.

"Hm... It appears the effect is weaker on you. Your connection to the Fount places you on the same rank as my words. But that's been accounted for. Here, even Ryougi Shiki cannot perceive death. Though, of course, I can't see anything here either." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 6

Rather than blocking her vision physically, he redefines her recorded state, declaring that she is not meant to perceive him. The world accepts this as if it had always been true, and her ability to see him disappears accordingly.

Shiki initially counters her blindness through her Mystic Eyes, which grant her resistance to the Unified Language. This is because her Eyes are tied to her Origin: an absolute, immutable truth that exists beyond external interference. Recognizing this resistance, God's Word escalates his power, issuing a command that strips the entire area of the concept of "sight" itself.

At that moment, the chapel itself is rewritten to be a domain where sight doesn't function, not through mundane means like light being extinguished, but through ontological rewriting. It’s not darkness in a conventional sense; it’s a world where the concept of seeing simply no longer exists. Even Kurogiri himself says:

"Though, of course, I can't see anything here either."

This reinforces that what he invoked is not one-sided manipulation: he’s changed the world in a way that affects everyone, even himself. The Unified Language redefined the chapel’s foundation as a place where sight does not exist. The world accepts this as if it had always been true, and reality updates accordingly.

Importantly, God’s Word notes that Shiki’s connection to the Fount places her on the same “rank” as his words, implying that the Unified Language operates at a level comparable to the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. This confirms that both abilities operate on meaning itself, not on physical phenomena.

The Mystic Eyes enforce death by revealing the endpoint of an existence’s meaning. The Unified Language enforces truth by redefining the meaning an existence is built upon. In both cases, reality changes because meaning has changed, and the world follows that change automatically.

“But God’s Word is said to be the closest to True Magic, meaning he’s still just Magecraft and not top tier!”

First of all; that’s a laughable take. His feats speak for themselves: altering reality through absolute truth, rewriting existence through speech, and bypassing all conventional magical systems. That is top tier. The label doesn't diminish his standing: it reflects the metaphysical categories of the verse, not a power ceiling.

Second, Unified Language isn't classified as True Magic not because it lacks power, but because it was once a natural human faculty. Ancient humans could use it to literally define the world as they described it. They weren’t casting spells: they were declaring reality, and the World accepted it.

It was sealed away by “God”, not out of necessity, but out of fear and jealousy. God didn’t want humanity defining the world on its own terms. So it was locked away, suppressed, and forgotten after the events of the Tower of Babel.

So yes, from a metaphysical categorization perspective, Unified Language isn’t “impossible,” and therefore doesn’t qualify as True Magic. But that’s a technicality. The only reason it isn’t labeled True Magic is because it used to be possible. In truth, it was more natural and more direct than any current system; and the fact that God's Word can wield it now means he is doing what should no longer be possible, reclaiming the divine authority that was stolen from humanity.

So calling him “not top tier” because it’s “not quite True Magic” is missing the point entirely. Unified Language may not be True Magic in classification; but it’s just as frightening, and arguably more meaningful.

------

Summary of God's Word's combat abilities:

God’s Word can communicate directly with the abstract concepts that define reality itself. His words are not commands or spells; they are accepted by the world as absolute truths, effectively “hypnotizing” the foundations of existence. When he speaks, reality restructures itself to match his declaration.

This allows him to retroactively alter how concepts manifest in the world. If he states that a rule does not exist (such as gravity, sight, or identity) reality adjusts to make that statement true. His power operates at the level of existential validation, not physical force or energy output.

Because all beings and powers must be recorded and authenticated by the world's record to exist at all, even abstract reality warpers cannot resist him. God’s Word bypasses manipulation of laws and instead rewrites the truth that makes those laws valid in the first place. This makes him one of the most powerful beings in TM, surpassing even Ultimate Ones and True Magicians.

How strong is Touko Aozaki?

Compared to the higher tiers of the setting? Not very much. She barely defeated a doll imitation of Araya, which was being remotely controlled by an already weakened Araya who was just getting used to a new body. Oh, and he was intentionally holding back because he wanted to keep her brain intact to study her knowledge:

That was... a puppet?”

As Touko spoke she spat out more blood. The Magus who had suddenly appeared behind her replied,

“Of course.”

“I may not be as skilled as you in making puppets, but I too have inherited the techniques of my predecessors. You know the name of the esoteric priest who crafted human figures, don’t you?” - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

All that remained to die was her brain. Without the flow of blood, her brain would soon deteriorate. The knowledge and techniques she had accumulated would be completely lost. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

The combined efforts of Ryougi Shiki and Aozaki Touko had completely destroyed the body he had been using up to this point. The body that was now active was just a spare he had prepared. It would take time for him to fully adapt to it. Even though he would soon transfer to the body of Ryougi Shiki, any misstep with this body he was not used to could lead to irreparable failure. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

After destroying what had been Enjou Tomoe, the Magus stood still as he stayed in the corridor. The time was near. It had been half a day since he moved from the body he had been using up to yesterday to his current spare body. Finally, his consciousness felt like it had spread to every corner of this body. Araya Souren was not like some Puppeteer who had died after preparing a completely identical copy. He still had not experienced death. His body had rotted away several times over the years, each time this happened he maintained his consciousness and so far continued to live on. Araya Souren was only one person. If this body perished, there would be no refuge next time. Things had to be handled carefully. However, there was no longer any need to wait. The will of the soul known as Araya Souren had placed this latest of his bodies under his control. The wiring of the Magic Circuits that moved his body extended down to his toes, the Magus had at last sublimated his temporary body into a real one. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Compared to the rest of the verse though? She ranks surprisingly high. But let’s proceed in order.

Touko specializes in Rune Magecraft, a system that applies specific effects through engraved symbols, such as the rune Sowilō, which can set a target on fire. However, her magecraft is fundamentally limited by conventional energy dynamics: she is a magus, not a conceptual being or Origin-awakened entity. Her techniques depend on her magical energy and obey the physical and metaphysical constraints of normal magecraft. Or, in simpler terms, they are limited by Touko’s “power level,” making them insignificant compared to the abilities of the other major characters in the story.

Additionally, her runes are ineffective at a distance against anyone with even basic magical energy. This is because mages with active magic circuits can instinctively reject indirect magical interference. To bypass this, Touko must inscribe her runes directly onto the target through physical contact:

The Rune Magecraft that Touko had mastered certainly had offensive capabilities. Runes are a form of Magecraft that makes the meaning of the engraved letters a reality by carving a powerful seal into a target. If Touko were to directly inscribe the Rune of Sowilō, which represented fire, onto Araya’s body, then his body would burst into flames.

... The weak point, however, was that the runes had to be inscribed directly, overlapping letters from a distance wouldn’t work on Magi. Indirect magical energy would be repelled by a Magus who had direct magical energy coursing through their body. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5.

Because of this limitation, Touko relies heavily on an enchanted coat as a key defensive tool. This coat acts as a powerful magical artifact that severs direct interference with her magic circuits, effectively shielding her from typical magecraft attacks while she closes the gap to engage at close range.

However, against conceptual or reality-altering attacks, the coat's limits become apparent. When Araya unleashed his space compression, a subtle yet devastating manipulation of reality that crushed the very space Touko occupied, her body was struck from all directions by an invisible force. Despite the coat blocking all forms of magical interference against her Magic Circuits, it was shredded to pieces, forcing her to her knees:

Simultaneously, Touko’s body shook with a violent impact. Her coat, which blocked all forms of magical interference with her Magic Circuits, was shredded to pieces and fell to the floor.

There had been an attack, it was an invisible impact.

Struck equally across her body from every direction, she then fell to her knees.

Touko instantly understood what the impact had been.

... Araya crushed the space in which Touko had been standing. It was as if her entire body had been pressed down upon.

Touko’s tongue was silenced in disbelief. She had no knowledge of what Magecraft enabled such a small gesture to manipulate space.

“... I got hit. Dammit, how many ribs did he break?”

Swallowing the blood pooling in her mouth, Touko assessed the damage to her body. Unlike Shiki, Touko had no physical training, she had no way of knowing how many of her bones were broken.

All she understood was the fact that her coat had saved her. If she were to take a hit like that again, she would certainly be crushed. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

This incident demonstrates the coat’s remarkable durability against conventional magecraft and blunt physical trauma, even from opponents with superhuman strength. Yet it also highlights its vulnerability to high-tier conceptual abilities like Araya’s space manipulation, which transcend ordinary physical and magical defenses.

In essence, Touko’s coat is an exceptionally resilient defense against the vast majority of threats, magecraft and physical alike, that operate within normal parameters. But it cannot provide absolute protection against foes wielding powers that warp reality itself.

However, it's not just about her coat; Touko's true strength comes from her familiars, which in KnK are represented by a magical creature of pure shadow projected by a special machine in her bag:

Aozaki Touko's bag. She seems to be very fond of using it.

It is not used as a bag, and is stuffed with a projector-like mechanism.

A projection machine that perjures a magical creature of shadow. - Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Orange Bag [Others]

This familiar is a powerful and eerie creature vaguely resembling a cat, but having a face similar to an Egyptian hieroglyph, and a black body with no thickness, making it an otherworldly opponent:

“Is that... slime?”

Aozaki Touko directed such a phrase at the other worldly creatures that started swarming around her. However, the monsters that oozed out of the lobby’s outer walls were not such simple creatures.

Cream colored liquid oozed out of the walls and rapidly took form into larger shapes.

The shapes had the forms of both humanoids and beasts. Although the surface of the creatures looked like melting keloid scars, they appeared to constantly reshape themselves in an grotesquely real way. It was as if they were real people and beasts in a state of eternal decay, they looked extremely detailed yet awkward.

“With all your incarnation abilities this is the best you can do? Alba, forget about Magecraft, why not try being a movie director? I bet you could make a monster flick on a pretty tight budget with this creature fare here. Really you would be better suited trying your hand at horror movies than being the director of the abbey you know.”

Surrounded on all sides by the monsters filling the lobby, the young woman muttered these complaints. Certainly, the scene unfolding did look like one from a horror movie. Though it appeared that neither a Crucifix nor a shotgun would be of any effect.

Despite the fact that she was now surrounded by the monsters she called slimes, with only approximately a one meter radius around her to spare, she calmly reached into her inner coat pocket without lifting even an eyebrow.

“Actually you wouldn’t even be able to be a director; the direction isn’t good enough. If this is the best you can do, you wouldn’t please anybody in the audience. It can’t be helped really. Let me show you an example, Alba. If you want to advertise yourself as a horror show, you had better be able to at least do this.”

Thud, the woman kicked the leather bag still sitting at her toes.

“Go.”

The authoritative command left no room for disagreement.

In response the bag seemed to open on its own. Bang, the bag itself seemed to have nothing inside. At the same time, a black form spiraled around the Magus known as Aozaki Touko. Like a typhoon with a body, in which Touko stood in the eye of the storm, it began to spin around and around with an incredibly fast speed. The storm had an insane force.

Only a few seconds had elapsed before the lobby was completely devoid of the creatures that were just there. There was no trace or shape left of the things that had been spilling into the lobby. Only Aozaki Touko and her bag, now snapped shut, remained. That, and a black cat that now sat at her feet.

“... Wha–”

Alba could only look on at the scene as if in a trance.

The cat was bigger than Touko. Its body was pure black, but didn’t seem to have any thickness. The cat’s fur appeared like shadows. Rather than a cat, the form seemed merely to hold the silhouette of a cat, and face that resembled the Egyptian hieroglyphs.

“What is that..?”

The man looked down from the second floor at the cat. His gaze met with the cat’s painting like eyes. Even though it was missing a mouth, the cat seemed to smile back at him.

As if waking up from a nightmare, Alba gulped.

Touko didn’t say anything.

Bzz, bzz, bzz, bzz, bzz, from somewhere there rang a buzzing noise.

“This isn’t what we discussed! Was it a lie that your familiar was defeated by your sister!?”

Alba could no longer remain quiet and let out a shout.

With hardly a shrug, Touko gave only a half reply of, “Who knows?” then shifted her gaze back to the black cat.

“I guess I made you eat something nasty. However, your next meal will hopefully taste a little

better. Not just a lump of ether, but an actual human made of flesh. You already have plenty of spiritual reserves. And don’t hold back just because he’s a former classmate of mine. I’ve been properly training you every day haven’t I? How to devour your enemies.” - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

As seen in the passage, the creature appeared instantly upon Touko’s command, swirling around her like a typhoon with incredible speed and power. It completely obliterated the slime creatures surrounding her without leaving a trace, all within a matter of seconds. This display highlights its absurd speed, so much so that even Alba was left stunned at what had just occurred.

Because it is a projected shadow, this familiar defies conventional physical laws, making it an opponent that mages like Alba, who are limited to manipulating physical phenomena, or other conventional superhuman fighters simply cannot overcome.

For example, when the black cat charges at Alba:

Suddenly the black cat sprang forth.

As if sliding across the marble floor, the black cat sprinted toward the staircase.

... Yet the cat’s feet did not move. The silhouette of the cat remained in a sitting position while only the eyes seemed to shift as the shape continued forward toward the man in the red coat. At this speed it would not have taken ten seconds to reach the Alba on second floor landing from where Touko stood in the lobby.

However, Alba was no ordinary human who would allow this.

He was a Magus. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Its movement is completely unconventional, gliding across the floor without moving its limbs. Although the text says it “won’t take ten seconds” for the cat to reach Alba, this should not be mistaken for slow speed. Considering that Touko is standing in the lobby on the ground floor and Alba is positioned on the second floor landing, a significant vertical and horizontal distance, the cat is actually covering a large area in under ten seconds. In reality, this means it moves extremely fast, sliding effortlessly over a considerable distance in just a few seconds.

Alba tries to counterattack:

From that perspective, Alba’s chanting was excellent. It wasn’t particularly long, stuck to the necessary rhythm, incorporated words to uplift his own spirit, and required no more than two seconds to articulate.

Touko was impressed by this fact.

The young man Alba used to like chanting incantations that were unnecessarily long and overly elaborate, but he had undoubtedly grown over the past few years. The shape and speed of his chant, as well as the way he connected his circuits to affect the material world, were surprisingly skilled.

If his chant was simply Magecraft to destroy objects, it was undoubtedly the work of a first-rate Magus.

“I am the order. Therefore, you will be defeated securely––!

Alba stuck out one arm.

The moment the black cat seemed to reach the first step of the staircase, the air trembled slightly, and the stairs burst into flames.

A sea of blue flames engulfed the stairs, like a mirage rising up from the ground.

In only a few seconds, the flames engulfed the atrium all the way up to the second floor.

It was as if a volcanic geyser had erupted. The sea of flames, that seemed to consume all oxygen in the lobby, incinerated the black cat. This much was certain. The heat of the flames which exceeded a temperature of one thousand degrees Celsius would have melted the bodies of any creature like butter and evaporated their mass into the atmosphere. There wouldn’t even have been a split second for it to have gone through the liquification process. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Despite being hit by a magical attack with a temperature over 1000°C capable of melting and evaporating all solid matter, the cat was completely unaffected:

And yet, Alba saw it.

As the flames burned out, all of the sudden, the bizarre shape of the black cat suddenly appeared.

“That’s impossible!”

His blue eyes stared fixedly at the stairs.

The black cat sat licking at its thin black body in disappointment before shifting its gaze to the Magus in the red coat.

The black monster resumed its dash.

Alba wasted no time trying to determine what the cat was.

“I order you to repeat...!”

With cutting sharpness, Alba repeated his spell.

The stairs erupted into flames, however this time the cat did not stop. As if used to the flames, the cat continued in a straight line toward the Magus.

“Repeat!”

The sea of flames erupted again, then disappeared.

The cat had already arrived at the top of the stairs.

“Repeat!”

The fourth iteration of flames ended meaninglessly.

The black cat arrived at the second floor landing and opened its jaws wide as it drew near to Alba. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

It suddenly appeared as the flames burned out, almost as if it phased and immediately reconstituted itself; then it simply charged through the next flames as if they didn’t even exist, until it reached Alba.

From this, we can gather that this shadow being cannot be harmed in any conventional way. It simply adapts and phases through any material attack, regardless of how devastating.

Outside of its invincibility, the familiar is also capable of ignoring all physical limits, moving in a way that resembles sliding or teleportation rather than normal movement. It later even displays the ability to reverse gravity:

“What?”

With a faint look of surprise, Araya turned around in an instant. Without hesitation, he spread his outstretched palm and clenched it tightly once more.

Onn, a sound like a tremor could be heard.

Touko saw it, the space in front of Araya was collapsing further and further inward. The black cat leaped upward before it could be compressed. As if gravity had reversed, the cat landed on the ceiling and then glared at the Magus below. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

All of this is possible because of the mechanism Araya Souren explains:

“A shadow-puppet familiar is it? I see. That would explain why it could nullify all attacks. Even if the ether body projected into the atmosphere was destroyed, as long as the projector, the true body, kept running, it could revive endlessly... It’s a shame, I have to remove such a genius.” - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

The creature’s true body is the magical device itself. Even if the projection is destroyed, it endlessly regenerates so long as the projector remains intact. This makes it virtually invincible and capable of surprise attacks even against opponents far stronger than Touko herself.

This tactic allowed it to defeat the Araya puppet, an imitation that used the same powerful abilities, including bounded fields and conceptual laws that affect all planes of existence:

In an anxious manner the mage came forward. Another step, even though he approaches Shiki there is no change in Shiki.... The man's talismans have just shrunk from three to two. The mage clicks his tongue in exasperation. He hadn't considered the possibility that Shiki's Mystic Eyes of Death Perception would be so powerful. To think that she could kill a concept like a ward which had no form, or life, that kind of absolute power ---.- Kara no Kyoukai: Chapter 05

Threads of the magus’s web stretched across the ground and space, between planes and dimensions. Any living thing touching those circular lines would have its power stopped. – Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

The familiar bypasses these fields because the projector inside Touko’s bag exists outside their reach. Even if the projection is halted, the true body continuously recreates it from beyond the bounded field’s conceptual influence. As a result, Stillness-based rules cannot fully suppress it, allowing the familiar to pursue and devour its target without interruption.

In other words, the shadow familiar does not truly 'exist' within space. What can be interacted with is only a projection of its true self. Material attacks, magecraft, and physical limitations do not meaningfully apply, because there is no actual body to damage. Even if the projected shadow is “killed” or warped, nothing has been done to the real entity, which immediately reconstructs its manifestation from the source.

This also explains its impossible movement. Because the projection is constantly updated by the true body, it can phase through space, ignore inertia, reverse gravity, or reposition instantly without following physical law. It is not a being that moves through space, but one that is continuously reasserted within it.

The only way to deal with such a creature is to recognize it for what it is: a projection. Until the real body, the projector itself, is destroyed, the familiar cannot be meaningfully defeated.

As for its offensive capabilities:

Once the black cat reached the second floor, it went up to Alba and opened up its mouth. The body of the cat, which was as big as a man, opened up from head to toe. As if opening a treasure chest with the crown of its head as a lid.

Inside of the flat, planar cat, the corpses of the protoplasmic creatures it had swallowed earlier are pasted like mud.

Alba realized only then. That this thing was only taking the shape of a cat, and that it was an organism that had only a mouth.

"Repeat --- !"

With death in front of his eyes, terror makes him repeat his final spell.

But before that, the shark's mouth in the body of a cat closes down upon the mage. When it swallowed him whole with his red coat, Alba lost consciousness. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

This familiar opens its entire man-sized body to engulf prey whole, functioning as a phenomenon of consumption rather than a conventional predator. Its feline appearance is purely superficial; in reality, it is defined almost entirely by its ability to swallow.

The description of previously consumed creatures being “pasted like mud” inside its flat interior suggests that it does not chew or digest in any normal biological sense. Instead, it traps what it consumes within a non-physical internal space, closer to a warped containment zone than a stomach.

Because of this, the familiar ignores conventional notions of durability. Its offensive capability is not based on impact or force, but on enveloping the target within its ether-based body and erasing the boundary between prey and projection. Once swallowed, the victim is gradually broken down and assimilated into the same formless substance that composes the familiar itself.

In this way, the creature functions as an abstract predator. Rather than overpowering defenses, it bypasses them entirely through existential consumption, making most physical and magical protections ineffective.

"But the familiar wasn’t that strong in Fate!"

As explained in the premise, Type-Moon is not a single unified canon. Modern works significantly altered Kara no Kyoukai’s lore to fit a more simplified, shounen-like interpretation of the setting. This includes fundamental changes to the Spiral of Origin and even Ryougi Shiki’s characterization. In that context, altering Touko’s familiar is hardly surprising. This familiar doesn't "throw hands" or shoots beams of light as Fate changed it to. It is an actual shadow that consumes anything it catches instantly and without mercy.

So stop pestering me with watered-down interpretations and acting like they override the original novel.

------

Summary of Touko's combat abilities:

Overall, Touko is an extremely skilled magus capable of defeating most “conventional” supernatural threats; such as non-top-tier Dead Apostle Ancestors, all non-top-tier magi, and a vast number of Fate characters (including virtually every Servant from Stay Night and Zero, whom I doubt could handle her).

Her enchanted coat protects her from nearly all physical and magical attacks, even saving her from near-death against something as overwhelmingly powerful as Araya’s True Magic-tier manipulation of space.

Her familiar is a shadow being that doesn't properly "exist" as a real creature, rendering it immune to most non-conceptual attacks. It can completely ignore conventional speed limits, moving by unbounded phasing, reversing gravity, or giving the illusion of teleportation. Its debut showcased its ability to envelop Touko herself like a tornado, consuming everything within a full 360° radius in mere seconds.

Beyond its invincibility and near-instantaneous speed, the shadow cat is effectively immortal against even those rare attacks capable of harming it, such as Araya’s spatial compressions. As long as the device in Touko’s bag remains active, the cat infinitely regenerates from it, since the cat is merely an extension of the true body residing in the projection device. This allows it to potentially catch superior opponents off-guard and engulf them whole.

When the cat consumes its prey, it reveals itself as a man-sized mouth acting like a portal, transferring victims into an internal pocket dimension dedicated to their consumption. The prey appear flattened inside its planar body, illustrating how they are absorbed into this internal space and gradually broken down into formless ether.

This makes the cat essentially invincible against any being bound by physical laws, meaning it will defeat any character who is not Origin-awakened, a True Magician, a Type, or otherwise endowed with conceptual and reality-altering abilities. Touko likely obtained this familiar to counter her sister Aoko despite lacking the aid of Beowulf or the mystic eyes she once possessed; hence its incredible power. Even if an opponent knows about the projection mechanism, they must still reach Touko and destroy her bag, but as seen, the black cat acts as a constant, formidable shield, making direct confrontation extraordinarily difficult, even with full knowledge.

However, it falls short against Origin-awakened beings like Shiki, the real Araya Souren, or his stronger agents. To put it bluntly: the projection device is basically a subordinate instance of Lio Shirazumi’s Origin, meaning it’s only a glimpse of his potential, who could easily adapt to it or suppress it entirely. Nevermind the others.

In other words, while Touko may be outclassed by the monsters populating her own series, she remains an incredibly dangerous combatant in Tsukihime and especially Fate, ranking far above any conventional magus, Servant and Dead Apostle Ancestor even. It’s simply that within Kara no Kyoukai, which features existential threats of a much higher tier, she is outclassed; but even there, she still holds her ground reasonably well.

How strong is Azaka?

Mikiya's younger sister, who trained as a magus under Touko with the ambitious (and laughable) goal of surpassing Shiki. Despite the motivation fueled by her inferiority complex, her talents as a magus are mediocre at best: she doesn’t even possess Magic Circuits. Her only notable ability is a natural predisposition for combustion spells, which resemble ESP more than traditional magecraft. Her signature technique, Spontaneous Combustion, causes targets to self-combust internally rather than igniting them directly:

The so-called unexplained phenomenon of human combustion.

It was the spell that Kokutou Azaka favored. However, it was closer to psychic power than magecraft. In terms of psychic power, it would be called Pyrokinesis.

Spontaneous Combustion is a method of attack that causes the target to self-combust, rather than immolating the target directly.

There are many theories which explain Spontaneous Combustion, Azaka’s Spontaneous Combustion can be explained by an amalgamation of the Charged Corpus Theory and the Electromagnetism Theory. The Charged Corpus Theory suggests that the human body produces electrical current during states of psychological arousal which causes Spontaneous Combustion, while the Electromagnetism Theory suggests that Spontaneous Combustion is a result of an increased release of electrons in the atmosphere.

All incantations used to activate Spontaneous Combustion were musical notes, since Azaka comprehended magecraft and combat through music. - Garden of Sinners Pamphlet - Spontaneous Combustion [Other]

Despite her quirks, she has no significant feats that place her beyond the weakest character in the verse. In Kara no Kyoukai, it's even explicitly stated that mages can reject indirect magical interference, which is why Touko couldn’t apply her rune magecraft from a distance and had to inscribe it directly. This resistance comes from a mage’s control over their magical circuits, allowing them to instinctively negate any foreign magical effect not applied through direct contact:

... The weak point, however, was that the runes had to be inscribed directly, overlapping letters from a distance wouldn’t work on Magi. Indirect magical energy would be repelled by a Magus who had direct magical energy coursing through their body. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Azaka’s combustion spell, which is theorized to be based on the Charged Corpus Theory, manipulates the body’s natural electrical activity, particularly during moments of psychological stress, to trigger spontaneous combustion. While it can be effective against untrained targets, it relies on indirectly interfering with a person’s internal state.

But against a trained magus, the spell would likely fail entirely. Since it operates through indirect bodily manipulation, any competent mage’s passive resistance would negate it, just like with Touko’s runes. So while flashy, the spell is virtually useless against anyone with basic magical defense. In short, Azaka gets passively negged by any halfway decent magus, let alone the monsters that populate the rest of the setting.

Some misguided individuals may try to argue she might be physically stronger than Shiki, based on a comedic scuffle where Shiki casually handed her a knife to end the fight. But that scene was clearly lighthearted banter. Shiki didn’t take Azaka seriously, and neither should we. No need to overanalyze a gag moment, especially when Azaka herself admitted she is fodder:

Shiki has the power to see things that normal people can't. Aside from being able to see spirits, she can apparently see the lines that hold an object together.

On top of that, she's a savage at heart with incredible reflexes and physical abilities. If I were to be honest, she's the exact opposite of Mikiyaーshe's someone special. Someone like that is the last person I'd ever want to see with him.

In the first place, I actually only began training with Ms. Touko because of her. If Mikiya's partner was an average girl, I would've been able to eliminate her in a single day. However, I was soon faced with the reality that Shiki was on a completely different level altogether.

Despite all of that, I had to cope with the bitter truth that I still wouldn't be able to match up to Shiki, and so there I was honing my skills day by day. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 6

In fact, Azaka is very unlikely to be physically superhuman at all, even in that scene. The context makes it clear that Shiki wasn’t taking things seriously: she was lying in bed, annoyed but relaxed, and eventually handed over the knife just to end the argument. She didn’t see Azaka as a threat, even kept a hidden knife just in case, and her bruises came from Azaka’s emotionally charged roughhousing, not from being physically overpowered.

When Shiki quips that Azaka could “probably pin Mikiya,” it’s obviously a joke, not a genuine assessment of strength. Mikiya has no combat ability whatsoever, pinning him doesn’t mean anything in terms of power. More importantly, Azaka has no feats anywhere in Kara no Kyoukai suggesting she possesses enhanced physical stats. She doesn’t move with abnormal speed, has no signs of superhuman durability, and her magic is purely elemental, not strength-enhancing. She’s a fiery, stubborn character, but still functions fully within human limits.

How strong is Cornelius Alba?

Alba, a first-rate Magus who assisted Araya Souren during the events of Kara no Kyoukai, specializes in High-Speed Incantation. This style allows him to unleash thaumaturgical flames exceeding 1,000°C with near-instant activation and minimal downtime. Each cast consumes oxygen in the surrounding area and is capable of reducing most physical matter to nothing in seconds.

The following excerpt demonstrates both the power and repetition speed of his spellcasting:

From that perspective, Alba’s chanting was excellent. It wasn’t particularly long, stuck to the necessary rhythm, incorporated words to uplift his own spirit, and required no more than two seconds to articulate.

Touko was impressed by this fact.

The young man Alba used to like chanting incantations that were unnecessarily long and overly elaborate, but he had undoubtedly grown over the past few years. The shape and speed of his chant, as well as the way he connected his circuits to affect the material world, were surprisingly skilled.

If his chant was simply Magecraft to destroy objects, it was undoubtedly the work of a first-rate Magus.

“I am the order. Therefore, you will be defeated securely––!

Alba stuck out one arm.

The moment the black cat seemed to reach the first step of the staircase, the air trembled slightly, and the stairs burst into flames.

A sea of blue flames engulfed the stairs, like a mirage rising up from the ground.

In only a few seconds, the flames engulfed the atrium all the way up to the second floor.

It was as if a volcanic geyser had erupted. The sea of flames, that seemed to consume all oxygen in the lobby, incinerated the black cat. This much was certain. The heat of the flames which exceeded a temperature of one thousand degrees Celsius would have melted the bodies of any creature like butter and evaporated their mass into the atmosphere. There wouldn’t even have been a split second for it to have gone through the liquification process. 

And yet, Alba saw it.

As the flames burned out, all of the sudden, the bizarre shape of the black cat suddenly appeared.

“That’s impossible!”

His blue eyes stared fixedly at the stairs.

The black cat sat licking at its thin black body in disappointment before shifting its gaze to the Magus in the red coat.

The black monster resumed its dash.

Alba wasted no time trying to determine what the cat was.

“I order you to repeat...!”

With cutting sharpness, Alba repeated his spell.

The stairs erupted into flames, however this time the cat did not stop. As if used to the flames, the cat continued in a straight line toward the Magus.

“Repeat!”

The sea of flames erupted again, then disappeared.

The cat had already arrived at the top of the stairs.

“Repeat!”

The fourth iteration of flames ended meaninglessly.

The black cat arrived at the second floor landing and opened its jaws wide as it drew near to Alba. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

What truly distinguishes Alba is not just the lethality of his spells, but their rate of fire. He completes a full incantation in roughly two seconds and immediately begins the next, sustaining a relentless barrage with no meaningful recovery window. Most magi of similar rank require pauses to gather prana or stabilize circuits. Alba does not. His combination of speed and output makes him function less like a traditional caster and more like continuous magical artillery,  overwhelming opponents through sheer saturation.

This is far more significant than it might first appear, as Fate has shit like this (Credit to Seventhmoon/nicetryson for the compilation).

• Servants operate at speeds consistently below the speed of sound, with some of the fastest combat maneuvers, such as Medusa’s Pegasus charge or Saber’s motorcycle, clocking in around 400–500 km/h. While fast, these speeds remain far from supersonic or hypersonic.
• Attack speeds and reaction times for even elite superhuman fighters like Kotomine Kirei are measured in tenths of a second (e.g., 0.3 seconds per Black Key throw). 
• Firearms and projectile speeds in Fate are notably nerfed compared to real-world physics, with bullets traveling around 63.5 m/s, far slower than the 343 m/s speed of sound. 
• Servants, despite their legendary status, often require significant time and effort to break through simple physical barriers. Berserker Lancelot, for example, needed multiple hits to destroy an iron door, and even enhanced firearms took time to pierce a truck that Saber used as cover.
• When facing extreme rapid-fire weaponry such as the M61 autocannon (12,000 rounds per minute), Servants are overwhelmed, unable to contend with the sheer volume and speed of attacks.

Against this backdrop, Alba’s feats become all the more impressive. His spells rival the destructive output of the most dangerous conventional weapons that Servants are shown to struggle against, yet he deploys them with near-instantaneous activation and without meaningful downtime.

Where Servants rely on physical resilience, subsonic combat speeds, and burst-oriented attacks with clear recovery windows, Alba delivers a sustained inferno. Each casting floods large spaces with flames exceeding 1,000°C, consuming oxygen and destroying matter so rapidly that it skips liquefaction entirely, vaporizing targets outright. This is not damage that can be endured through toughness or resistance. It turns the battlefield itself into a lethal environment, creating overwhelming area denial rather than a single point of impact.

Some might argue that a Fate Servant could simply kill Alba before he finishes casting. In practice, this is unreliable. His incantations require under two seconds and chain immediately into the next with no pause. Given that Fate Servants’ reactions and movement are consistently subsonic and space-bound, closing distance, striking decisively, and disabling him within that window cannot be assumed. Once the first spell is released, evasion and counterattack become drastically limited, as survival in the affected area is no longer physically viable.

In practical terms, Alba operates at a level of continuous destructive output and battlefield control that many Fate Servants are not equipped to handle, despite their legendary status.

------

So Cornelius Alba, despite being one of the weakest characters in Kara no Kyoukai, is still an absurdly high threat outside of that universe, with capabilities that demonstrably surpass most in Fate. His flames don’t just burn foes: they erase living creatures to nothing in seconds, so utterly that even the liquefaction stage is skipped. This means he simply needs to activate his incantation (which only takes less than 2 seconds on its own) and spam his flames to obliterate any opponent.

However, the reason Alba isn’t a major threat in Kara no Kyoukai is that he remains bound to physical limits: his speed isn’t superhuman, and his magecraft, while extremely powerful, is still a physical phenomenon. This makes him essentially irrelevant to KnK characters, who possess absurd hax and conceptually enhanced stats (especially Origin-awakened beings). That’s why even Touko quickly dispatches him, Araya is depicted on an infinitely superior tier, and Alba’s role in the story is limited despite his incredible raw power.

How strong is Touko's sealed box demon?

This is one of the hardest entities in the novel to evaluate. The sealed box demon is described as immensely powerful, potentially even infinite, yet its true threat is difficult to gauge because it never acts directly and is only discussed in a highly specific context:

“That impudent talk, so it really is you? Then will you oppose me again?”

“No way, I have no chance of winning in this apartment complex.”

Her answer was absolute, she looked away from the Magus’s consciousness.

For her, treating the boy’s wounds was more important than her dialogue with Araya Souren, she took bandages out from under her coat and skillfully applied them to both of the boy’s knees.

“Are you sure? The monster in that box might be able to defeat me.”

“I refuse. This guy’s endless, if I let him go carelessly this entire apartment complex itself could disappear. If I did something so flashy the Association would not stay silent. This time, I’d be in a position to be pursued by the Association. I went through a lot of trouble to disappear, so I’m not going to do anything that’ll get me found by those guys.”

Although she answered the voice of the Magus she was still looking away.

“I was defeated in this matter as soon as I was killed. At this point I have no intention to interfere.

Whether you remove Shiki’s brain or settle inside the empty shell, do as you like. If there’s anyone who will prevent you from doing so, it surely won’t be me.”

“Are you still relying on The Counter Force at this point? But I told you that won’t take effect.” - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

This exchange between Touko and Araya Souren is frequently misread as implying the sealed demon is more powerful than Araya. But a closer reading reveals something else entirely.

Touko plainly states that she has no chance of winning within the apartment complex, not because Araya is invincible in absolute terms, but because the environment is entirely his domain. The Ogawa Apartment Complex functions like a Reality Marble: a bounded field where Araya exerts complete control over both physical and metaphysical laws. Within it, he is nearly omnipotent, capable of redefining perception, time, causality, and matter itself:

“A twisted dimension of this level should be completely separated from the physical laws of the outside world.” (Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5)

Araya's control is so absolute that with a gesture he can reduce someone to non-existence:

The Magus swung his arm.

The body in the form of Enjou Tomoe was completely annihilated with that one swing.

It was shattered into pieces, not even the head remained. As if it had been that way from the beginning, in the same way the Magus had said it, worthless, it turned into dust and disappeared into the void. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

When Araya says, “The monster in that box might be able to defeat me,” he is not expressing fear. The line is rhetorical, meant to test Touko’s response. Touko immediately dismisses the idea, calling the demon “endless” not to suggest superiority, but to emphasize its lack of restraint. Releasing it would risk destabilizing the complex and drawing the attention of the Mage’s Association, something Touko is explicitly trying to avoid.

While the demon may be capable of damaging the physical shell of the apartment, that shell is not the domain’s true foundation. The complex is, at its core, a Möbius loop constructed to encapsulate Mugen, the infinite void of formless potential. Araya’s dominion over Mugen means he has already subdued something far more fundamental than the demon’s so-called “endlessness.”

“There is no need for concern. I have not imprisoned her in a room within the apartment complex. I have thrown her into Mugen, the infinite void, that connects the material world to the otherworld.

The primary purpose of this distorted alien world was to create a closed loop. By no means, no matter the method or the impact, could one escape from the darkness of Mugen. Even if Ryougi Shiki were to awaken, there is nothing she could do. Monitoring her is unnecessary. Besides, given her injuries, even standing would be difficult. Even if she wakes, her body will be incapable of moving properly.” - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

“Sure, you didn’t make a mistake. For you as a Magus, this is the best solution. But, what if the assumption itself is a mistake? You isolated Shiki? Not in a room somewhere in this apartment complex, but you isolated her in this apartment complex itself? A Bounded Field that achieves spacial isolation is already on the level of Magic. It’s a miracle that only a Bounded Field expert like you could create.

“Those who are trapped by the sealed space of a Mobius Ring can never get out from the inside. A closed world that’s enclosed by walls that can’t be destroyed by physical impacts, it’s a cage that’s impossible to escape from. You slapped Shiki in there, which gave you peace of mind. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

“Wait Araya. I have one question. The original purpose of this apartment complex is to represent the Taiji in order to take in the Taiji, wasn’t it?”

“Indeed. I created this alien world to completely cut off Ryougi Shiki from the outside world. The other various functions are just accessories.” — Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

What’s important is not the quantity of death. It is the quality of death. Tracing back to the source, the forms a death can take can be categorized into broader distinctions. Dissecting the possibilities of death into every possible route, I arrived at the sixty-four possibilities present here. Here I have gathered the people who shoulder those varieties of death. Therefore, this place is a microcosm of the whole world. By experiencing their suffering, I am able to comprehend their suffering. I am able to simplify the eight divine signs into four simple forms and arrive at Ryougi, the Two Forms.” - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

his is a continuation on the subject of the Taiji, but the division of the chaotic 「　」 into two is Ryougi. In order to further stabilize this, and in order to increase the number of classes available, they divide it into four phenomena. They then further increase the complexity by cutting it into eight trigrams. Like this, they keep dividing by a base of two. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Mugen is not brute chaos, but undefined infinity: the conceptual ground from which form, meaning, and distinction arise. By binding it within his domain, Araya has not merely sealed a powerful anomaly, but enclosed the source of all potential itself. This grants him the ability to reshape, reconstruct, or erase anything within his bounded world by drawing on Mugen’s limitless reserve.

To avoid triggering the Counter Force, the complex must retain a superficial resemblance to the real world. This introduces a formal weakness: the demon’s chaotic energy can temporarily destabilize the domain’s visible structure. However, this damage is only superficial. Araya restores the complex by drawing again from Mugen, making the destruction a transient glitch in a self-correcting system.

Once the system stabilizes, Araya could confront and defeat the demon within his recreated domain, or let it exhaust itself against the void. Meanwhile, Touko would be the one at risk, either from the demon’s indiscriminate violence or from drawing attention from the Mage’s Association due to the resulting chaos.

But more likely, the demon wouldn’t even reach that far. Araya’s domain doesn’t just contain intrusions; it preemptively absorbs and neutralizes them. The very walls of the complex function as a conceptual membrane, filtering all things through Mugen. This is illustrated when Shiki is thrown against a wall, and instead of taking physical damage, she’s simply swallowed by the domain:

Grabbing hold of her belly with one hand the mage lifts the girl up, and throws her at the mansion wall. It was a brutal action that looked like it should break every bone in Shiki's body, but that too turned into an unnatural event. ... Having been thrown onto the wall Shiki's body was sucked in as if she was sinking into water. Only when the mansion wall had finishing gulping Shiki down, did the mage lower his arm. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

So, while the demon may appear boundless and destructive, its actual strength is vague, and ultimately meaningless within Araya’s domain. He never truly feared it. He deliberately provoked Touko into considering its release, knowing it posed no real threat to him and would more likely endanger her instead. The idea that the demon could defeat Araya rests on speculation alone, unsupported by any demonstration of comparable power. His composed demeanor, vastly superior feats, and even Touko’s own admission of helplessness all reinforce the idea that the demon is an ambiguous threat: dangerous, yes, but nowhere near Araya’s level. 

How strong is Shiki Ryougi?

Shiki, the protagonist of Kara no Kyoukai, is one of the most overpowered characters in existence. This is a streamlined look at her powers alone: no cross-series scaling, no extra fluff. Just the core of what makes her so powerful. 

Since Shiki is the central character, this section will inevitably be much longer than the others, so you've been warned.

Shiki's Origin is Nothingness, also known simply as " " :

"Nothingness is itself your murder impulse, your origin.--- Look upon that darkness. And remember your name." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

By the way, Shiki constantly seeks death becauseher Origin is Emptiness, and the reason why Azaka refuses to be bound by rulesis because hers is Taboo. Shiki's being driven by that impulse because she's tooclose, but Azaka's pretty much a normal girl, right? An Origin is only a cause,meaning it isn't ordinarily something that rules over an individual. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 7

—But not only did they keep me alive, they woke me up. They did not implant some readymade personality into me. They awakened the " " which is my origin. The outside world was thrust upon me. - Kara no Kyoukai Epilogue

—My origin is nihil. From nihil I originated, the flesh that I am, the corpse in the womb to which life was somehow given. That is why Shiki can perceive death. For two years, in her comatose state, she was unable to view the outside world, and could do nothing but gaze into the nihil that Ryougi Shiki "is." More than simply seeing, she felt death. - Kara no Kyoukai Epilogue

" " is not mere emptiness, but the abstract void from which all existence emerges. This is reinforced by how the Root itself is described:

The swirl of the Root is a "place" where all causalities interlace, where all things are in potential, and therefore where nothing is whatsoever. — Kara no Kyoukai Epilogue

Because this state contains all possibilities at once, it cannot be reduced to any single definition. The moment it is named or categorized, it ceases to be 「 」:

If you really wished to pronounce this term, call it “Kara.”Its meaning varied depending on each individual’s understanding. To put it in simple terms, it was the Spiral of Origin. However, since the Spiral of Origin was called the Spiral of Origin, it was no longer “ ”.To properly express this term was a source of headache during the production of the drama CDs. -Garden of sinners Pamphlet: Kara no Kyoukai Settings Glossary

This void is also known as the Root, the Spiral of Origin, or Akasha, the source from which all phenomena and magical systems flow:

A mage's ultimate goal, you see, is to reach the 'maelstrom of origins'. It's also called the Akashic Record, but it may be better to just regard the edge of the maelstrom as having such properties attached to it.

The thing called the maelstrom of origins, it is probably the birthplace of everything. All phenomena flow out from it. If you know the origin, the results are naturally produced. To describe it as it is, you could say that it is the 'perfect knowledge'. By creating a standard like perfection or the like, we are ultimately limiting the concept, so even that description is incorrect. But since that the easiest way of defining it, the name stuck.

Essentially, all the branches of magic that have spread throughout this world are nothing more than one branch of a small river flowing out from this maelstrom. This is the reason that every country has their own traditions and legends. The core is the same, but what decorates the exterior is the background of the one who understood that 'river'. Astrology, alchemy, kabbala, spiritualism, rune, the innumerable researchers. Their origins are the same, so in the end they hold the same final destination in mind. Because, they who have touched the tip of the stream that split off from the maelstrom of origins called magic, they have imagined what lay before --- the shape of the beginning.. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

What matters here is not the terminology, but the function: every system of magic, belief, and causality originates from the same source, with cultural differences acting only as external interpretation.

This is why the novel draws a strict distinction between 「 」 and infinity:

Infinity is not 「 」. For infinity to remain infinite, the finite has to be defined. Without the finite there cannot exist infinity. Because things have an end, we can observe the thing called infinity.

If there really is no finite, then it’s not infinite but 「 」. If the finite can be comprehended, Shiki could detect and slash through it. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Infinity is still a defined concept. It exists only in contrast to finitude. Because something has an end, we can conceive of something without one.

If there is truly no definition at all, then it is not infinite, but 「 」

Infinity can be killed because it still possesses structure, meaning, and boundaries.

「 」 cannot, because it exists prior to definition itself.

The moment something is named, understood, or categorized, it leaves the void and becomes subject to death.

Shiki's Origin represents this unbounded potential. Her existence itself is that of a vessel capable of reaching true emptiness, allowing for the highest level of adaptability possible within a human form:

Ryougi Shiki. The Ryougi clan was a family who had toiled over the ages to give birth to one with an empty body who could act as a vessel, all in order to create a human with maximum uses. To be empty was 「　」. Without realising what a dangerous thing they were doing, they had given birth to a body called Shiki who was connected to 「　」. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Even her name reflects this nature. “Ryougi” derives from Liangyi, the division of the One before existence (another name for 「 」) into Yin and Yang. It represents the moment where undefined potential first splits into opposing forms:

Taiji [Others]

A philosophy originated in ancient China, a graphical representation of the Yin-Yang theory. It attempts to capture the essence of everything on a conceptual level: those that are active are defined as Yang (white), and the opposite are defined as Yin (black).

The Taiji symbolizes opposing concepts such as day and night, light and darkness, male and female. At the same time, you may also call it a condensed version of the ever-changing, dynamic World.

Furthermore, there is a dot of Yin in Yang, and conversely a dot of Yang in Yin. This indicates that the distinction between Yin and Yang is not absolute. There is darkness even in light.

Taiji is the "one" at the beginning, the Yin and Yang that divide the "one" are called Liangyi (Ryougi). - Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Taiji

“Hmph. Is being unified as one really so desirable, Araya? Light and darkness were not divided to oppose each other, but because they are the attributes that encompass the greatest number of things. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Meanwhile, “Shiki” refers to a formula, program, or expression. Together, her name describes an existence structured to process and manifest possibility, rather than being bound to a fixed identity.

Shiki was deliberately raised as a superhuman vessel: an empty core capable of accepting countless “softwares.” Because her fundamental state is emptiness rather than specialization, her family could imprint skills, disciplines, and roles onto her as needed. This is what allows her to perform an extraordinary range of tasks with near-perfect competency, not through talent alone, but through a structure designed to adapt without resistance:

“The Ryougi family is a dynasty, just like the Asagami and the Fujou families. They are families who are trying to create humans who are beyond human, and used various methods to ensure the birth of an heir. All so that they could pass on their family’s ‘inheritance’.

“The Ryougi family is especially interesting. They knew that if they had a supernatural ability, they would one day be destroyed by the civilized world. So they thought up a supernatural ability that would let them appear as normal human beings. Hey, Kokutou. Those people we call professionals, why is it that they can only reach the top in one area?

That’s because no matter how perfect a body, or how high the amount of natural aptitude you are born with, you can only put one talent into one person. The higher you climb, the more you are restricted as to what other peaks you can go up, until in the end you cannot climb any others.

“The Ryougi family solved that problem by imbuing one body with a countless number of personalities. It’s the same as a computer. If you put hundreds upon hundreds of pieces of software into one piece of hardware called Shiki, a professional in all areas is created. That’s why her name is Shiki. The Shiki kanji in Shikigami. The Shiki kanji when you talk about Mathematical Formulas. A program that fulfills any task required of it perfectly. An empty doll that possesses countless numbers of identities, and can be modified by putting in another personality with different morals, thought patterns, even senses.”

Did Shiki already know of this..? Yeah, she definitely knew. That’s why she had stubbornly avoided becoming friendlier. Accepting the fact that she wasn’t an average person, the fact that she had not been born into a normal family, she had just been trying to live a quiet life.

“This is a continuation on the subject of the Taiji, but the division of the chaotic 「　」 into two is Ryougi. In order to further stabilize this, and in order to increase the number of classes available, they divide it into four phenomena. They then further increase the complexity by cutting it into eight trigrams. Like this, they keep dividing by a base of two. This, too, could symbolize Shiki’s ability. But that no longer exists. A bug appeared in the perfect program, you see. The Shiki you see now, well, there may be slight problems, but she is a perfectly normal human with self-awareness.”

“Why are you making a face like that? The one that broke it was you. A mentally disturbed person, you see, doesn’t break down because they don’t even dream that they may be mentally disturbed. Shiki was like that before, too. Yeah, but a human called Kokutou Mikiya made her aware of the fact. That the existence of the one called Ryougi Shiki was strange. Ah, that’s right. If you were to say it was a rescue, you already saved Shiki two years ago, didn’t you? - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

However, the Ryougi family’s approach was ultimately self-limiting. By implanting pre-programmed skills and roles into Shiki, they imposed fixed definitions onto an existence whose Origin was Nothingness. While Nothingness is infinitely adaptable, it inherently resists imposed structure. Definition constrains it rather than empowering it.

This is why Shiki does not initially display overt superhuman capabilities. The skills forced onto her function like rigid overlays, preventing her Origin from expressing itself freely. Rather than enhancing her, the Ryougi family’s conditioning suppresses the very potential they aim to exploit.

Shiki’s growing self-awareness becomes the system’s critical flaw. From the family’s perspective, it is a "bug" in their attempt to engineer an ideal operative. From another angle, it is Nothingness beginning to assert itself against external control.

Meeting Mikiya acts as the catalyst that exposes this contradiction fully. Through him, Shiki develops an independent sense of self that the Ryougi framework cannot accommodate or suppress. Once that imposed structure breaks down, her latent potential surfaces beyond the family’s design or authority:

“After meeting Mikiya, I became warped. I realised that while I had blended into society, there had never been a moment where I truly lived within its norms. ...If only I hadn't known. I wished I hadn't known the warmth I could never possess. I yearned for it, but that yearning was also my undoing. No matter how much I tried to rationalise it, I was Shiki, the one who harboured a bloodthirsty monster within. That's when the undeniable truth slammed into me: I was broken. I desperately wanted to deny that epiphany and return to my former self, the one who felt no suffering. But I failed. From that point on, the bond between me and SHIKI began to fray.” - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 7

 

A clear illustration of this appears in Chapter 4:

“After the arrangement changed so that the corpse was on the ground side and I was on top riding it, I jumped by sense alone. I had just executed a miraculous fall, the likes of which I hadn't done once in the dojo.”
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 4

In this moment, Shiki executes a movement she has never practiced or trained for. There is no reliance on learned form or drilled technique. The action emerges spontaneously, guided solely by instinct and immediate awareness.

This scene reveals how Shiki’s Origin functions in practice. When she acts from her own will, free of imposed mental structures or pre-defined roles, Nothingness expresses itself as pure adaptability. Rather than drawing on stored skill, her body reorganizes itself in real time to meet the situation. The result is a feat that surpasses her training, not through mastery, but through absence of constraint.

Building on this, Ryougi Shiki explains that her fighting style is not based on fixed technique, but on mentally reconstructing herself. Rather than relying on practiced forms, she reshapes her mindset first, which then determines how her body moves:

"Aikido is just for fun. There's only one thing I've done since I was young."

"Since you were young, eh. I thought you were strong. It was you who let loose a high kick at the back of a fleeing opponent's head. I thought how you acted was different. It was because of that. So do you have anything like a finishing move?"

I ask the lamest questions. But Ryougi goes mmm, and falls into serious thought.

"I suppose I have something along those lines. I train by taking down everything using that as my premise, so if you call it a finishing move, it is one. But we aren't of that school. And it's originally a self-created style as well."

The thing you train is your mindset, Ryougi adds.

"You remake your body. From your breathing to the placement of your feet, awareness, thoughts, to be able to remake all of them for combat. Even the way of using your muscles changes, so it might feel like you become a different person.

I suppose tensing your body and mind as a fight starts, and while you are fighting, is the foundation of all martial arts. However, we followed only that too much, and as a result our path went too far." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Shiki herself notes that she has not yet fully realized this principle. Much of what she shows in combat, whether unarmed or with a knife, remains imitation: techniques copied through observation rather than true expressions of her full potential.

Even so, her explanation makes clear that her fighting style is a direct manifestation of her Origin of Nothingness. Combat is never a fixed form for Shiki. Each encounter begins with an internal reset, where she reconstructs her breathing, awareness, posture, and intent to suit the moment. Rather than applying learned technique, she redefines herself to meet the situation.

This reflects the meaning embedded in the name Ryougi, the division of the undifferentiated Void into duality. In battle, Shiki instinctively balances opposing states: offense and defense, power and restraint, motion and stillness. Because her core remains empty, she can adopt or discard any approach without attachment, reconstructing her style in real time.

What appears as adaptability is not mere flexibility or talent. It is Nothingness functioning as potential. By remaking herself each time, Shiki allows specific possibilities to briefly take form through her, only to dissolve and be redefined again.

This reconstruction is not purely mental. It is a holistic reorganization of her entire being through her Origin, altering coordination, timing, and force at a fundamental level. As a result, Shiki is never bound to a single physical ceiling. Her strength, speed, and precision are not fixed attributes, but variables that reshape themselves as long as she remains aligned with the emptiness at her core.

This immediately dispels a common misconception surrounding the story: that "Shiki is a normal human girl who is physically outclassed by most supernatural beings."

No. You have simply not read the novel. Shiki is explicitly a superhuman vessel, engineered to execute any possible action with near-perfect precision. She repeatedly states and demonstrates the ability to reconstruct herself to perform optimally in response to a given situation. This adaptive remaking is further amplified by her Origin awakening, at which point it begins to alter her body at a biological level to express the concept she embodies:

"When those instincts surface, they also bring a slight change to the physical body. Not in terms of appearance, but its internal makeup. Apparently, it's some sort of return to our original forms. The point is, people don’t even realize it’s happening until it’s over." — Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 7  

"The enemy's prowess had escalated beyond recognition. Unnatural speed and precision surpassed any creature of flesh and bone." —Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 7

 

In other words, Shiki is automatically stronger and faster than any living being or force bound by physical laws, as her own Origin is an abstract force preceding reality, reshaping her body to execute its directive.

This contrast is what truly sets her apart, while also mirroring her male counterpart, Nanaya Shiki.

Nanaya represents Death as execution. He refines his body and instincts to their absolute limits, honing the act of killing into something efficient, precise, and unavoidable. His strength lies in singular focus: the perfection of slaughter as an instinctual art. He is a predator shaped entirely around one purpose.

Ryougi Shiki, however, represents something more unsettling. She is not merely the end of a life, but the collapse of the structure that defines that life. By reconfiguring herself to counter an opponent’s technique, mindset, or nature, she does not simply defeat them. She dismantles the framework that made their specialization meaningful in the first place.

This difference reflects her Origin. Nanaya kills by perfecting a form. Ryougi kills by proving that no form is absolute. Her nihilistic core manifests as adaptability taken to its logical extreme: a reality where any method, identity, or strength can be deconstructed if it contains contradiction.

This distinction also applies directly to Nanaya Shiki himself. Shiki is explicitly described to be capable of imitating his fighting style:

"A listless girl who who wears both Eastern and Western clothes by wearing a leather jacket on top of her kimono. A character that seems have to have taken only the best parts of two characters: Tohno Shiki's Mystic Eyes of Death Perception and Nanaya Shiki's Nanaya Techniques. Every movement is high-spec, with no opening in either her offense or defense. However, attacks that do not use either her knife or her katana deal surprisingly low damage." - Character Introduction from Tsukihime's fourth Character Popularity Poll.

"Her performance with the 17 dissections is almost the exact same as someone else's"- Character Introduction from Tsukihime's fourth Character Popularity Poll.

This is not imitation in the sense of training or inheritance. It is reconstruction. Shiki can reproduce Nanaya’s techniques with near-perfect fidelity because they are still forms, and forms can be understood, dismantled, and reassembled. Unlike Nanaya, however, she is never bound by what she copies. Once internalized, a style becomes provisional, something she can refine, discard, or hybridize the moment it ceases to be optimal.

Where Nanaya perfects a single method until it becomes absolute, Ryougi absorbs methods only to demonstrate that none of them are. Even Nanaya’s art of killing, refined to its limit, remains a structure, and therefore something she can step into, strip down, and move beyond.

After establishing the baseline of Shiki's abilities and the moment of her true awakening, let's dive into more specific examples of how her Origin manifests in action:

The bundle wasn’t even one meter long, but was heavy as if it were made of steel. While it didn’t seem like a very bulky bundle when I left my house, my arm had gone numb after walking a hundred meters. While I relaxed the muscles in both my arms, Shiki came walking over.

Showing a rare bright face, Shiki lifted the bundle leaning against the wall. Holding the package that was heavy even for me with just one hand, Shiki began to loosen the string that held the bag shut. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

With her thin arm the girl grabs his arm. She pulls with no effort. As if he were weightless, the boy spins around in a full circle and falls to the ground head first. Maybe that's one of those judo throws. The movement was very quick, but it was so natural that it looked like it was in slow motion. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

The other two leap at the girl. She pushes one of their chests with her palm, and with just that her opponent was down. Even though it took me so much violence just to knock out one guy, this girl made two people lose consciousness without a single wasted move. I hazard about 5 seconds have passed. Just like how I realized this fact, it seems the one left over also realized that his opponent wasn't ordinary."Ooowah!", he screamed while beginning to flee. The girl kicked the head of the one who turned his back to flee. The clean roundhouse kick didn't even make noise and knocked out the last one."Hmph, he was a rockhead, what an idiot." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

"Hou, are they saying they want to go for it?" Ryougi spoke as if smiling and pulls a knife out from inside her jumper. Someone slowly came into the lounge. The lightly treading shadow that appeared without making a sound, it was a middle-aged man who would have belonged anywhere. His blank face and empty eyes paradoxically let us sense that this is a dangerous person. That man who I thought I had seen somewhere tried to attack us straight away. Like some puppet being controlled by its strings, without any warning. But Ryougi easily kills him. One person. Two people. Three people. Four people. She kills the mansion residents who are flooding in through the front door with an easy grace that makes it look like she is dancing. There were no useless motions in that dance. Before long the lounge was full of corpses. Ryougi grabs my hand and starts running. "It's not good to be in this place for long, let's go.

"Ryougi is Ryougi. I --- had become a little unsteady after seeing my parents' corpses, but even then I couldn't forgive this situation.Why --- why is this brat killing people for no reason?

"Ryougi, you --- !"

"Let's talk later. By the way, those things aren't human. Even I can't tell how many times they've died. Things like those, they aren't humans or even corpses but mere dolls. This one and that one, they all want to die so I'm feeling sick.

"For the first time --- With a face full of hatred Ryougi runs. I hesitated for a second, then stepped over the corpses of the crowd Ryougi had murdered and came out into the corridor. When I came out to the corridor, there were already five or so people on the ground. In the time that I spent looking from one to another, Ryougi was cutting down a somethingeth human in front of number 8.

--- Strong. It's overwhelming. For some reason these don't seem like they came from the east building, but they don't move slowly like the zombies you see in movies. With a human-like quickness they leap towards us. Regardless, Ryougi doesn't bat an eyelash and easily takes care of them. Is they reason they aren't bleeding because they aren't human, like Ryougi said? Killing people without spilling a drop of blood, Ryougi looked like a white god of death as she opened a path to the central lobby. I look towards the end of the pack of people Ryougi is cutting down. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

These examples not only confirm Shiki’s superhuman capabilities, but also demonstrate her exceptional control over movement. Her actions unfold with such precision and fluidity that they appear almost slowed, producing effects that feel unnatural, such as effortlessly seizing a thug’s arm and rendering him unconscious with a single motion.

Her graceful yet brutal dispatch of the undead further illustrates how her Origin reconciles opposing qualities. Beauty and lethality are not in conflict, but integrated, allowing her to achieve maximum effect with minimal exertion.

The clearest demonstrations of Shiki’s abilities appear in her major battles. In her confrontation with Asagami Fujino, the narrative establishes that even at baseline, Shiki’s physical performance operates at the upper extreme of human capability, despite severe environmental resistance:

Shiki starts to run. Her speed is incredible, despite the pooling water and violent wind. It should not take more than three seconds to reduce the distance between them from ten meters to zero. Enough time to bring Fujino's frail body to the ground and stab her in her heart. But even that speed cannot match the speed of sight. Shiki has to close in on her target while Fujino only has to look at her target. For the two, that difference of three seconds is too long. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 3

The narration explicitly emphasizes her speed, particularly given the conditions. Running through standing water and against violent wind would severely hinder even elite athletes, yet Shiki maintains near-perfect efficiency, as expected by her Origin. At this stage, however, her movement still remains within the theoretical limits of a highly trained human body, rather than exceeding them outright.

Her speed is not yet supernatural at this point, because she is advancing toward a stationary target. It is only once Asagami Fujino begins using her Distortion ability, the “speed of sight,” that Shiki’s Origin responds to a threat exceeding normal physical constraints.

When confronted with such a threat, Shiki’s combat performance escalates beyond human perception itself, allowing her to evade and counter space-warping attacks in real time:

Fujino's eyes glimmer. The left eye for a rotation to the left. The right eye for a rotation to the right. Taking Shiki's head and left leg as the fulcrums, she twists. A strange sensation occurs instantaneously. The moment Shiki feels the invisible power upon her, she jumps explosively to one side. But the power on Shiki does not weaken. Fujino's power is not a projectile weapon. Even if one gets away from one round, it is impossible to get completely away from it whilst in her vision....... Damn......!! Shiki realizes Fujino's power is stronger than she thought. She runs. As if to escape from her vision, Shiki runs in a circle around Fujino.

"Do you think you can get awa-" Fujino murmurs, but then is astonished. Shiki did get away! Unbelievably, Shiki has jumped off the bridge down to the ocean. The sound of a window being broken is heard. What athletic ability... Shiki went off the bridge and into the parking lot right underneath it. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 3

This feat is absolutely insane because the moment Shiki becomes aware of the attack, its effect is already being imposed on her body. Her position in space is actively being distorted. This is not a matter of anticipation or simple reflex. The phenomenon has already begun, yet she escapes instantaneously, moving with freedom far beyond what a normal body could achieve.

Fujino’s power is not merely fast, but reality-bending. It does not strike through space so much as it rewrites it, instantly destroying anything caught within its influence:

The stack of materials Shiki is hiding behind is instantly smashed. At that instant... a white figure streaks out of the wreckage - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 3

This is not an attack that can normally be “dodged.” Because it distorts space itself, there is no safe trajectory once it has taken hold.

Shiki’s survival is possible precisely because of her Origin of Nothingness. Rather than resisting the distortion head-on, she adapts without anchoring herself to a fixed definition of position, movement, or outcome. Even as space is warped, her body does not fully commit to the rewritten structure, allowing her to slip past paths that should be unavoidable.

This demonstrates that Shiki is not merely fast, nor simply evasive. She avoids harm by refusing to be fully constrained by imposed physical conditions. When reality itself becomes hostile, she does not overpower it. She passes through the contradiction it creates.

Alongside her remarkable agility, Shiki’s physical endurance is equally extraordinary. After having her arm twisted at an unnatural angle, she immediately counters:

Fujino hesitates a bit and then bends. With a cracking sound, Shiki's left arm breaks. Her neck is next; but when Fujino looks... Shiki is already within range. The path that the knife takes is like a flash of light. A bright swing that leaves a lingering trace in the darkness. The knife that strikes without hesitation, however, does not hit Fujino. She ducks, avoiding the swing that was aimed at her neck... no, it was just an accident. Asagami Fujino only looked away because she was scared of Shiki, who was running towards her with a broken arm.

"Damn..."

Shiki readies her knife again. Fujino frantically stares at Shiki's body.

"... Go away...!"

Shiki's movement is faster than Fujino's scream. Shiki runs unhesitatingly into the darkness. One should be surprised not at her athletic ability, but at her quick thinking in choosing to escape. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 3

Even after suffering significant blood loss, Shiki’s ability to continue fighting is demonstrated when she applies a makeshift tourniquet to stop the bleeding. Though her arm is numb and likely non-functional, she forces herself to stay alert, fighting through weakness and the brink of unconsciousness:

Shiki takes off her jacket and cuts away the sleeve. She wraps the cloth around her left upper arm to staunch the bleeding. A crude treatment. There's no feeling in the arm that was twisted. It will probably never move. Shiki feels a chill at that fact.

She is losing blood quickly. She feels her consciousness slipping away....I'm hot-blooded anyway. If I lose some, it will just make me think more clearly…

After shaking her head clear of the effect of the blood loss, Shiki gets up. She grips her knife tightly in her right hand. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 3

At this point, she’s able to perceive Asagami’s distortions with her Mystic Eyes and react even faster than before, severing them with ease:

"... I see. ...... You must be abnormal."

Fujino can only think this. She looks at Shiki and bends. Her vision distorts. The fulcrums created on Shiki's head and leg each rotate in opposite directions and twist Shiki's body like a piece of carpet.

... It should have twisted her.

Shiki, whose left arm is bleeding, nullifies Fujino's "distortion" just by swinging the knife in her right hand. No...... she kills it.

"It's hard to see that without form, but you used your power too many times. Now I can finally see it. Your power is a spiral of red and green. It's really... beautiful."

Fujino does not understand what Shiki is saying. The only thing she realizes is that Shiki will surely kill her now. Fujino repeatedly prays.

Bend, bend, bend, bend!

As Fujino glares, Shiki swings her knife and eliminates the power. The pain in Fujino's stomach is about to go over its limit.

"Who...... are you?"

Shiki answers Fujino's fear with infinitely deep eyes.

"Everything in existence has an imperfection. Especially humans, but even in air, will, and time. It's natural to have an end if it has a beginning. My eyes can see the death of things. They're special, like yours."

Shiki looks at Fujino with those ominous eyes that Fujino felt before.

"That's why... if one exists, I could even kill a God."

Shiki runs. As gracefully as if she were walking. She approaches Fujino and pushes her down to the ground. Shiki straddles her. Fujino's throat trembles at facing Death so close to her. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 3

Finally, still in those weakened and injured conditions, Shiki survives a collapsing bridge and later casually knocks out a security guard with a single tackle, despite being pale and weak:

The parking lot shakes. The ocean in the middle of the storm appears inside of Fujino's mind. Withstanding the burning in her brain, Fujino creates a fulcrum on either side of the bridge...... And bends...

BOOM!

A tumultuous roar, like the crash of lightning, is heard. The metal foundation creaks and screams. The ground tilts and the ceiling starts to collapse. Fujino blankly stares at the building that is about to give way. The girl on top of her fell away as the world suddenly tilted. There is a storm outside, with the ocean below. If she falls without being able to grab onto something, she will surely die. Fujino takes command of her body, which is even having trouble breathing. She tells it that this place is going to collapse, so she has to get away from here. Dragging her nearly burned-out body, Fujino exits the parking lot. The shopping mall is relatively free of damage. The square corridor is now a rhombus - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 3

"Are you in pain?"At the end of the pain, Shiki is standing. She has a knife in one hand. Fujino turns over to face Shiki. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 3

Broad Bridge is distorted like it has been squeezed by a giant hand. After coming here in the storm in Touko-san's buggy and arguing with the guard, Shiki shows up from under the bridge with a blood-soaked arm. The guard runs up to Shiki, but she tackles him and knocks him unconscious. Shiki says this with a pale face. There were many things I wanted to say, but they all disappear when I see how weak she is. I run to help her, but Shiki refuses and does not even let me support her. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 3

 

During her battle with Kurogiri, Shiki's prowess overcomes a mage whose very words reshape reality:

"You." "Cannot." "See Me."

The mage's voice echoed, resonating directly in my mind. Its truth was undeniable. In an instant, I lost sight of him, and my swung knife cleaved empty air.

"Wha..."

I scanned my surroundings. There was no one else in the chapel, only the presence of another person transmitted to my skin. Kurogiri was indeed right in front of me, yet his form remained unseen.

"...That was dangerous. I underestimated your ability to act faster than I could speak. As a result, I lost an arm. It's no wonder Araya was defeated. You possess a remarkable aptitude for killing."

The voice came from right in front of me. I suppressed my urge to attack, focusing my consciousness on my immediate vicinity. If I couldn't see him, I only needed to perceive his lines of death...

"You cannot defeat me," the voice echoed directly in my thoughts.

But before it finished, his death lines materialised before my eyes.

"Found you."

This time, I wouldn't let him escape. Once again, I charged towards the mage.

But... I lost sight of him again.

"This Place." "Inhibits." "Sight."

The voice reverberated through the chapel, which had now plunged into complete darkness. With a single word, the world turned invisible, devoid of light.

"Hm... It appears the effect is weaker on you. Your connection to the Fount places you on the same rank as my words. But that's been accounted for. Here, even Ryougi Shiki cannot perceive death. Though, of course, I can't see anything here either." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 6

Each phrase Kurogiri utters functions as a metaphysical law, rewriting existence through ontological truth. Yet Shiki acts before the world can be rewritten. When he says, “You. Cannot. See Me,” she is already in motion between the words, severing his arm before the concept of invisibility can fully manifest. Kurogiri himself concedes that she acted faster than he could speak.

This, once again, is a manifestation of Nothingness. By remaining undefined, Shiki slips past even rewritten reality, striking before structure is fully imposed upon her.

Next, there is her fight with Lio Shirazumi:

"Who..."

"...Huh?" The monster couldn't comprehend it. Ryougi Shiki's actions, executed with an impassive face and only her blue eyes gleaming, were imperceptible to him. Her movements, as swift as a predator stalking its prey, were beyond the human eye's capacity to perceive. Even with the monster's heightened senses, he couldn't track her movements. The knife that had severed his arm was now aimed at his neck.

"...the hell did you say you'll kill?" - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 7

The moment Lio threatens Mikiya’s life, Shiki becomes fully serious, her speed accelerating to a degree that even Lio, in his monstrous form with heightened senses, cannot track her movements. Her strikes are so swift that, despite Lio’s extraordinary awareness, she is imperceptible to him.

In their third confrontation, Lio fully awakens his Origin and transcends the physical limits of any living creature:

The enemy's prowess had escalated beyond recognition. Unnatural speed and precision surpassed any creature of flesh and bone. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 7

On top of that, at this point, Shiki is gravely injured and numbed by a muscle relaxant, making even standing an excruciating challenge:

The third time, her leg was torn. A sickening squelch followed as concrete soaked with blood. The claws, embedded deep in her bone, stained her foot and the floor, making even standing excruciating. Indeed, merely standing brought agony.

Blood loss clouded her vision, her body teetering on the brink of collapse.

Lio's corpse showed no bleeding; the vibrant crimson staining the warehouse floor was solely hers. With limbs torn and flesh ripped, her life would likely be measured in mere minutes. Or perhaps, as Ryougi Shiki, she could potentially extend that time until help arrived. But she made no move. A sigh escaped her lips as she relinquished the knife, collapsing onto the cold floor.- Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 7

My memory was fuzzy, but it seems I was done in by Shirazumi Lio. My hands were bound, and my whole body felt numb and weak, as if injected with some strange drug. My mind swam, unable to grasp anything concrete.

Handcuffed, I lay on the unforgiving floor, eyes open yet unseeing. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 7

"Awake already, Princess? You're quite the eager one," he sneered.

"Seems the drugs weren't enough. Should've used this from the beginning."

He yanked my arm and plunged the needle deep. Numbness crept in, eclipsing any pain. Paralyzed and chained, I could only glare at him with impotent fury.

"Good. That fiery gaze," he hissed. "That's the Ryougi I remember. Don't worry, it's just a muscle relaxant. Need you nice and still for a while." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 7

With that, I turned away. My body numb from the drugs, my torn left hand throbbing, I moved past Shirazumi Lio like a stranger. He stood rooted to the spot, his breaths ragged as he watched my retreating figure. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 7

Under normal circumstances, this would have been an effortless victory for Lio. Yet, Shiki once again defies this outcome:

The end was shockingly abrupt. As Lio's arm lunged for her neck, she severedit. Without hesitation, she then severed both his legs. With a swift, mercilessmotion, she plunged her knife into his body, which momentarily floated like aballoon, before slamming him to the ground. The knife, a cruel tombstone,pierced his heart. He gasped once, a final breath, and then it was over. Lio's faceremained frozen in shock, too stunned to comprehend the fate that had befallenhim as his life functions ceased. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 7

Shiki literally ignores all constraints and instantly obliterates Lio, faster than Lio himself can comprehend, despite having only one arm functioning. Afterward, she reflects on how she could simply sever the nerves near her bleeding wounds to conserve energy and prolong her life:

Lio's corpse showed no bleeding; the vibrant crimson staining the warehouse floor was solely hers. With limbs torn and flesh ripped, her life would likely be measured in mere minutes. Or perhaps, as Ryougi Shiki, she could potentially extend that time until help arrived. But she made no move. A sigh escaped her lips as she relinquished the knife, collapsing onto the cold floor.

"Ah," she breathed. She extended her breaths, severing the nerves in her bleeding wounds. Perhaps she would be able to conserve enough energy to call for help by resting like this.

"But... what's the point?" she murmured, her gaze drifting skyward.- Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 7

This once again highlights how Shiki’s body is governed by her mental state. As long as she remains aligned with her Origin, her body is reconfigured to perform optimally in any given situation, even in cases where she appears crippled or severely hindered.

This is reflected once again in the final confrontation with Araya Souren. There, Shiki demonstrates her ability to fight with remarkable swordsmanship, even while severely injured:

“Even if Ryougi Shiki is awake, she cannot do anything. You do not need to watch her, as it will be difficult for her to even get up with the wounds she has sustained. Even if she awoke, she still could not move her body.” — Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Despite these injuries, Shiki remains deadly:

Ryougi Shiki looked at the Magus with her sword still in the swinging position. A single line of fresh blood spilled out from her lips. She herself had not received a wound, but it was just the wounds from last night reopening. Ryougi Shiki’s body had a few broken ribs and some organ damage; just walking caused regurgitated blood to flow out of her mouth. Even with such wounds, she still unveiled an impressive dance with her blade. — Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Later, we see this principle again when Araya strikes Shiki with such force that every bone in her body should have been completely shattered:

The shock from every direction flooded Ryougi Shiki’s body with a force strong enough to break every bone in her body.
“Ah.” A voice that was in its death throes escaped from her.
The young lady in the white kimono crumpled towards the ground.
Or rather, she was about to fall. — Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Yet somehow, Shiki recovers from the brink of unconsciousness through sheer willpower and continues attacking:

— Ryougi Shiki disappeared in an instant.
However, Shiki didn’t want to let her opponent get away.
Her consciousness was almost certainly fading away, but the white shape sprang upwards. — Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

 

Finally, the most incredible example of Shiki's combat prowess is her first encounter with Souren Araya, whose Origin of Stillness allows him to move faster than Shiki can perceive:

The mage moves. If Shiki left an afterimage of a white kimono in the darkness of the night as she ran, the man melted into the night as he approached his prey. A demon-like speed that didn't even let you grasp the process of him approaching. He stops, next to the immobile Shiki the mage's black coat flaps in the air.

Shiki was unable to respond to the mage's unfelt approach. She had been looking --- she had been looking at the man advance towards her, but she can't perceive that the man is standing right next to her ---. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Despite this overwhelming advantage, Shiki turns the tide of the battle by unsettling Araya and disrupting his Stillness:

And with that she planted her knife in the floor. Out of the three circles the mage possessed, she had just 'killed' the outermost circle.

"--- Ignorance."

In an anxious manner the mage came forward. Another step, even though he approaches Shiki there is no change in Shiki.... The man's talismans have just shrunk from three to two. The mage clicks his tongue in exasperation. He hadn't considered the possibility that Shiki's Mystic Eyes of Death Perception would be so powerful. To think that she could kill a concept like a ward which had no form, or life, that kind of absolute power ---.- Kara no Kyoukai: Chapter 05

Having caught him off guard and dismantled the tools he believed would contain her, Shiki anticipates his anxiety-driven rush and throws her knife along a trajectory that defies ordinary physics:

-- Even that, is too slow. "Still in that crouched position, Shiki puts her hand behind her. Inside the belt that tightens the kimono is the second knife. As soon as she pulled the knife out to the side from her belt, she immediately threw it at the mage.

The knife blade penetrates the two-fold ward. Like a stone skimming the water the knife bounced twice off the top of the circle, and flew towards the mage's forehead. At the speed of a bullet.

"---?!"

The mage nimbly evades. The knife nicks the edge of his ear and disappears into the corridor, and the ear which had appeared to have evaded the attack has been carved off. Flesh, blood, broken bone. Brain fluid leaks out of the wound.

"--- Ugh."

The mage lets out a groan. Faster than that however --- he felt an impact that skewered his body. Thud, and a white darkness lands upon the mage's body. By the time the mage grasped that this was Shiki, who had charged straight at him after throwing the knife, the outcome of the fight had already been decided. Driving into his body shoulder first, Shiki's single blow had the same force as a cannon shell. Just that alone would have broken a few bones, but Shiki is clenching a silver knife in her hands. The knife is perfectly penetrating the centre of the mage's chest.

"Ug --- gh."

The mage coughs out blood. His blood was a sand-like powder. When Shiki removed the knife she straight away thrusts it towards the mage's neck. With all the strength in her two hands. The fight has already been decided, but she is desperately trying to deliver another critical blow. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

The knife inexplicably alters its path mid-air, striking Araya and further destabilizing him. At the same time, Shiki closes the distance and collides with him, striking with the force of a cannon and breaking his bones despite his superhuman durability. By the time Araya realizes she has already moved again, the outcome of the fight has been decided.

This encounter perfectly illustrates how Shiki’s combat style blends precision, power, strategy, and supernatural ability. She does not overpower Araya directly, nor does she outspeed him in a conventional sense. Instead, she exploits even the smallest opening created by disrupted structure, overcoming an opponent who appears superior on paper.

Her Origin does not simply enhance her physical abilities. It removes fixed constraints on how her actions resolve. In this scene, her movements and attacks do not adhere to ordinary spatial or causal expectations, allowing them to adjust mid-execution to exploit gaps in the opponent’s structure. Rather than overpowering physical law, Shiki acts in moments where outcomes have not yet fully stabilized, making her strikes feel inevitable once initiated.

Beyond her combat ability, Shiki's Origin also defines her core existence and enables her to resist all external manipulation of her essence:

Her subliminal suggestion, urging her victim to fly, wasn’t working on this girl.

Her ability to force the image of flying into a person’s very consciousness was beyond the realm of hunting and was more like full-fledged brainwashing. There was no resisting it. As a result of the inevitable suggestion, whether they believed it would actually happen or not, people simply ran over the edge of the roof, secure in the firm belief that they could fly.

Shiki had brushed this urge aside after only slight dizziness.

Maybe, the woman pondered, it had just been a glancing blow. She resolved to try once more.

It would be much stronger this time.

Not “You can fly” this time. A strong compulsion: “You will fly.” - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 1

Shiki completely shrugs off Kirie’s subconscious manipulation, which forcibly erodes the boundary between a person’s perception and reality, making them act on their subconscious desires as an absolute truth. Kirie’s ability works by implanting the contradiction of "flying" as an undeniable fact in the victim’s mind. When the conscious brain tries to process this impossibility, it collapses under the paradox, leading to self-destruction. Yet, Shiki remains unaffected, experiencing only slight dizziness before discarding the suggestion altogether.

This is because Shiki's essence is defined by Nothingness, a blank state free from imposed definitions or boundaries. She is a self-contained existence, detached from external influences that would rewrite her fundamental nature.

Later on, she resists even God’s Word's Unified Language, a metaphysical language that speaks directly to the concept sustaining an entity’s existence and rewrites it to fit the speaker's statement:

It was God's Word that proved all of them wrong. He showed that it wasn't only our planet that was more powerful in the Age of Gods, but also our language. If God confused the languages of man, then what was it like before that? Indeed, mankind had but a single language of communication back then. Could a language truly give meaning to and speak of every single phenomenon in our world? If it truly existed, then it would have to be a formless language. It would not be a language used to communicate with fellow men, but a language that derived its meaning through a dialogue with the world itself. God feared the word of man, so he confused our tongues and granted us a language with form.

We thought we were being granted wisdom, but we were only robbed of the truth instead.

That lost truth is what God's Word has learned, the original language that was shared among all who dwelled in this world before the Tower of Babel. We call this the Unified Language.

"Isn't that useless then? What's the point of it all if no one can even reply to him?"

"If it were just a normal language, then yes. The fact that he can communicate with beasts and rocks doesn't mean that he's speaking to them directly. Instead, he speaks to the world itself. Think of it like an ontological hierarchy. As long as 'I' exist, there will always be an Aozaki Touko above me that exists within the world itself. If he were to use the Unified Language on me, I would have no way of resisting. If I were to reject his words, that'd be equal to denying the fact that I exist in this world. The very words he utter become an irreversible truth. God's Word is capable of placing all of creation under complete hypnosis. The memories that we humans possess, are also recorded by the world itself. It's a similar concept to the Akashic Records, but this is a wave phenomenon that exists on a lower level than it. You see, one of the possible methods of deciphering it is the Unified Language. That's why Kurogiri's able to gather memories that have already been forgotten. He isn't drawing their forgotten memories out of their brains, but rather from the record the world stores of the past. In the present day and age, he's the only person capable of accessing the various recordings of the past that our world has kept in store. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 6

"You." "Cannot." "See Me."

The mage's voice echoed, resonating directly in my mind. Its truth was undeniable. In an instant, I lost sight of him, and my swung knife cleaved empty air.

"Wha..."

I scanned my surroundings. There was no one else in the chapel, only the presence of another person transmitted to my skin. Kurogiri was indeed right in front of me, yet his form remained unseen.

"...That was dangerous. I underestimated your ability to act faster than I could speak. As a result, I lost an arm. It's no wonder Araya was defeated. You possess a remarkable aptitude for killing."

The voice came from right in front of me. I suppressed my urge to attack, focusing my consciousness on my immediate vicinity. If I couldn't see him, I only needed to perceive his lines of death...

"You cannot defeat me," the voice echoed directly in my thoughts.

But before it finished, his death lines materialised before my eyes.

"Found you."

This time, I wouldn't let him escape. Once again, I charged towards the mage.

But... I lost sight of him again.

"This Place." "Inhibits." "Sight."

The voice reverberated through the chapel, which had now plunged into complete darkness. With a single word, the world turned invisible, devoid of light.

"Hm... It appears the effect is weaker on you. Your connection to the Fount places you on the same rank as my words. But that's been accounted for. Here, even Ryougi Shiki cannot perceive death. Though, of course, I can't see anything here either." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 6

Even after reality is rewritten to make her physically unable to see him, Shiki is still able to strike Kurogiri before the rewrite is able to fully stabilize. This forces the Magus to escalate and outright remove the concept of sight from the area, even for himself. 

He notes that the effect is weaker on her because her existence stands on the same rank as his words. Since Shiki’s Origin is a state free from definition, no language, not even the abstract system reality uses to define itself, can fully overwrite her.

In short, Shiki’s Origin is a self-contained truth that cannot be rewritten or overridden by external forces, regardless of how reality is warped or concepts are manipulated. At times she resists such effects effortlessly, as with Kirie’s power; at others, she overrides them mid-process, using her Mystic Eyes of Death Perception to kill the caster before their alterations can fully take hold. Lesser manipulations, mental interference, telekinesis, or conventional supernatural abilities, are even more easily erased, falling entirely within the domain of her Mystic Eyes.

------

As a small side-note, before moving on her MEoDP, I'll quickly dismantle absurd arguments idiots use to downplay Ryougi Shiki to "normal human level," by taking quotes out of context, such as this one:

That’s right. What makes Ryougi Shiki’s nature so different from Magi like them, was definitely not something like that. Her real nature is the ultimate nothingness that kills things that can’t be killed, even formless concepts.

“The thing that causes death.” That is the ability of Ryougi Shiki.

No weapon could interfere with a sealed world where the space was chained together infinitely with no exit. Because it had no shape, physical weapons that can only interact with physical objects couldn’t clash with it. But, Ryougi Shiki’s power was precisely one that targeted such formless things.

Then..?

“Yes, if you wanted to imprison Shiki, you should’ve trapped her in a box made of concrete.

If Shiki only had the physical strength of a young lady, all you had to do was simply prepare a hidden room enclosed by iron walls. But Araya Souren. You are a Magus, therefore you treat Magecraft as an absolute. Closing off space is meaningless. You used something ambiguous like that, but she can easily cut through that thing.” - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Some people unironically claim with a straight face that Touko was saying Shiki is just a normal human here. Yet the passage very clearly states "IF" Shiki "ONLY HAD" the physical strength of a young woman, then a simple iron cell would have sufficed.

The entire point is that Araya assumed his magical method was absolute, since it was impervious to physical force, but failed to understand Shiki’s true nature, who targets concepts themselves, making notions like physical impacts categorically invalid. Touko is therefore simply saying that if Araya had been operating under the assumption that Shiki was “normal,” then he might as well have used something that normal people cannot escape.

Some others bring up this passage, which, while more reasonable than the Touko one, is still ultimately wrong:

His tightly clenched fist drives into Shiki's stomach. Receiving a blow that could break through a large tree, Shiki's body rises up into the air. With just that one attack Shiki spews out just as much blood as the mage who has had his chest and neck stabbed. With a grating noise, her insides and the bones that were protecting them break.

"---."

Shiki faints. No matter how great a physique she had, her body is still that of a young girl. Even if half the power had been held back, there was no way she could withstand Araya's attack which could break concrete walls. Grabbing hold of her belly with one hand the mage lifts the girl up, and throws her at the mansion wall. It was a brutal action that looked like it should break every bone in Shiki's body, but that too turned into an unnatural event. ... Having been thrown onto the wall Shiki's body was sucked in as if she was sinking into water. Only when the mansion wall had finishing gulping Shiki down, did the mage lower his arm. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

This description is often misread as a statement about Shiki’s literal durability. But that is not the case. If taken that way, the scene would be incoherent. An attack capable of pulverizing concrete would have reduced her to a bloody mist. Humans can die to attacks that cannot even remotely scratch a wall.

Instead, the passage emphasizes a different point: Shiki’s body, while superhuman, is not invulnerable. It remains biological. It still relies on organs, structure, and internal cohesion to function.

Souren Araya’s strikes are enhanced by his Origin of Stillness, exerting force with such consistency and perfection that even a restrained punch, with more than half of his power held back, can still utterly demolish fortified obstacles like trees or concrete walls. No matter how much he holds back, Stillness enforces a completed result whenever he attacks, so a structure as vulnerable as a human body cannot withstand him.

This is easier to understand once you look at the thematic framing of this fight: the novel itself is making a deliberate contrast between Araya and Shiki:

The mage moves. If Shiki left an afterimage of a white kimono in the darkness of the night as she ran, the man melted into the night as he approached his prey. A demon-like speed that didn't even let you grasp the process of him approaching. He stops, next to the immobile Shiki the mage's black coat flaps in the air.

Shiki was unable to respond to the mage's unfelt approach. She had been looking --- she had been looking at the man advance towards her, but she can't perceive that the man is standing right next to her ---. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Earlier, it is stated that while Shiki is superhumanly fast, she still leaves traces indicating that she has moved, whereas Araya does not and is simply there before perception can register him. Likewise here, even if Shiki’s durability is superhuman, Araya’s strikes are so concentrated that no material is able to withstand them in the first place.

It is the difference between fighting at superhuman levels and fighting on one’s own exclusive terms, because Stillness severs Araya from natural laws and their constraints.

That is all the passage is meant to convey: Shiki is superhuman, but not invulnerable, especially against someone as obscenely overpowered as Souren Araya.

Some other dishonest liars claim that Shiki was "threatened by the collapse of a building." This is pure anime-only nonsense. In the actual novel, Araya would have crushed the building himself, with his own power, using his spatial compression ability to its full extent:

The Magus suddenly appeared in the garden, without a moment’s rest from the spatial transition he stuck out his right arm.

Looking up into the night sky, he spread the palm of his hand to crush the circular tower. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

So there’s nothing to say here other than that these people are either completely illiterate or biased beyond reason. They aren’t arguing in good faith: they haven’t even read the novel they’re trying to "debunk".

Seriously, the novel constantly tells you she is a superhuman:

Shiki has the power to see things that normal people can't. Aside from being able to see spirits, she can apparently see the lines that hold an object together.

On top of that, she's a savage at heart with incredible reflexes and physical abilities. If I were to be honest, she's the exact opposite of Mikiyaーshe's someone special. Someone like that is the last person I'd ever want to see with him.

In the first place, I actually only began training with Ms. Touko because of her. If Mikiya's partner was an average girl, I would've been able to eliminate her in a single day. However, I was soon faced with the reality that Shiki was on a completely different level altogether.

Despite all of that, I had to cope with the bitter truth that I still wouldn't be able to match up to Shiki, and so there I was honing my skills day by day. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 6

And this is just a random example out of many. 

Anyways, with that being said, it's time to now focus on her most renowned ability: 

Mystic Eyes of Death Perception:

During her coma, Shiki experienced " " in a state of Stillness, the boundary between existence and non-existence, where only her consciousness remained:

This place was dark, and the floor was pitch black. When I realized that the only thing around me was the darkness, I had accepted the fact that I was dead. I was floating in a sea with no light or sound. Naked, without anything to cover her, the human being called Ryougi Shiki was sinking into the depths.

There was no light here. No, I suspect I had never fallen in the first place. Since there was nothing here.

It wasn’t just that there was no light, there wasn’t even any darkness. Since there was nothing here, nothing was visible. There was no meaning to the concept of falling. Inside the 「　」 within which even form was meaningless, just my body kept sinking. The naked me; I’m a poisonous shade which made me want to turn my eyes away. Because everything 「here」 bore such a poisonous aura

“–––This is death.”

Even the sound of my muttering seemed like a dream.

Then, I observed something like “time”. Time had no meaning inside「　」, but I became able to observe it. As naturally as flowing water, as grossly as putrefaction, I was just marking time.

There was nothing here.

Even if I kept continuously looking in the distance, I couldn’t see anything. Even if I kept waiting continuously for something, I couldn’t see anything.

It was very nice and peaceful.

No, since nothing had meaning, just 「being」here made everything perfect.

This was death.

The world which only the dead could reach. The world which the living could not see.

But, I was still alive–

I thought I would lose my mind.

For two years I sat there in the midst of the concept called “death”. Rather then observation, it was closer to the struggle of battle. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 4

Suspended between life and death, Shiki transcended material reality but had not yet fully dissolved into 「　」. This state represents the origin point of existence, where concepts like light, darkness, or falling hold no meaning. Even time is not experienced, but rather observed as a motionless idea.

This profound experience forms the basis of Shiki’s Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. Her coma granted her the ability to perceive the formless dissolution of reality and consciously apply it:

I, who experienced 「death」for two years while still alive. My body has changed so that I can now view such formless concepts.- Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 4

—My origin is nihil. From nihil I originated, the flesh that I am, the corpse in the womb to which life was somehow given. That is why Shiki can perceive death. For two years, in her comatose state, she was unable to view the outside world, and could do nothing but gaze into the nihil that Ryougi Shiki "is." More than simply seeing, she felt death.

—All that time she was floating there in that ocean which others call the "swirl of the Root." Shipwrecked all alone in the midst of " ".Yes, indeed. If nihil is her origin, then most likely she wills to bring all things to nought. Shiki is able to kill anything without exception, for that reason alone. The personality, Shiki, strives to negate. Why? Because that is the original pattern of her soul. The inclination to nihil, which ardently wishes the death of all creation. - Kara no Kyoukai Epilogue

Shiki “felt” death while still conscious, giving her the unique ability to enact death on creation itself by perceiving the inherent flaws of all things:

"Everything in existence has an imperfection. Especially humans, but even in air, will, and time. It’s natural to have an end if it has a beginning. My eyes can see the death of things. They’re special, like yours." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 3

As Shiki stated herself, everything in existence has imperfections, even abstract things like will or time. There is always some rule binding them, or some limitation they cannot overcome. This allows her to trace the underlying “source code” of their existence and sever it.

Her Mystic Eyes of Death Perception reveal these flaws as lines or points, marking the inevitable end of all things. By tracing these, she instantly brings death to her target:

"Mystic eyes are normally the result of you bringing about some kind of augmentation effect for your eyes through spiritual surgery. But in your case, I think they came about naturally. An ability you originally had was brought to the fore by the accident. By the sounds of it, it seemed that the child called Shiki was always seeing to the heart of everything.

"Every object has flaws. The fancy of wishing everything could be taken apart and remade only exists because there's no such thing as a perfect object.

Your eyes can see those flaws, as if they were a microscope. Your spiritual sight is too strong. You can see those lines that are invisible to us, and that brain of yours that was in contact with death for so long can even understand what they are. In conclusion, you can see death. Not only see it, but you can even touch it. A living organism's lines of death will keep changing position as long as it's alive. The ability to see those lines clearly, there's not much difference between that and mystic eyes that can kill with a look. If you must stab those eyes, I will receive them instead. I will pay you any price you name."- Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 4.

Araya Souren reflects on this principle when discussing Shiki’s ability:

"... Indeed, I was foolish. I should have had all the proof I needed after the events at the hospital. Whether it is dead or alive, if it moves you cut off the root of that motion. That is your ability. Even if I am a stopped organism, as long I exist like this there is a thread that permits my existence. If that is cut I would definitely die. The unique exception is this left arm, but even that can't be hidden forever. No matter which saint's bone it is as long as it functions there will always be a cause for that movement." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

For Shiki, the crucial factor is not life or death, but motion: the influence an entity or concept exerts on reality. As long as something “moves” or changes, it must have a cause (a principle, event, or law) that allows it to act or transition into a new state. Even saintly bones or Araya’s biologically dead body remain sourced from the material world, and thus retain a faint causal thread that can be severed.

Even abstract concepts require interaction with other ideas to gain context and exert influence over reality, which places them within Shiki’s perception. By severing this cause, Shiki erases her target and returns it to 「　」, the source of all causality, where all things exist as pure potential: inert, undefined, and devoid of change or unnecessary interaction.

“That is Shiki's capability. Much like Asagami Fujino, she perceives a unique channel in which things unseen by others become visible. When she ‘looks’ at them, she is seeing a glimpse of the architect’s floor plan for all reality. That is the ‘swirl of the Root.’”

— Kara no Kyoukai Epilogue

Void Shiki helps clarify this further.

When Shiki uses her Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, she glimpses the “floor plan” of reality: the underlying map of how all concepts, phenomena, and entities interact and define one another. This “floor plan” reveals how everything is connected: how a planet operates according to certain principles (X, Y and Z), how entities exist by following specific patterns, and how phenomena are bound by their governing rules.

The Lines of Death she perceives represent the limits and lifespan of these expressions, showing how each object or concept is structured within reality. By tracing these lines, Shiki does not merely cut or destroy. She returns these expressions of existence back into the void; the primordial state where concepts lose definition and collapse into undifferentiated potential:

The constantly shifting, graffiti-like lines visible to Ryougi Shiki. The lines appeared on everything, and by slashing the lines with a knife, the object bearing the lines could be "killed". Since the lines posed no resistance, everything could be killed with the same ease. The Lines of Death are not the lines at which "an object can be easily cut apart", rather, they are the concept of longevity given form. Strictly speaking, it is not "tracing the lines causing the object to fall apart", but "ending the lifespan and killing the object". To put it into simpler terms, it is the erasure of existence rather than physical destruction.- Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Line of Death [Others], p.032

In fact, this ability explicitly extends beyond the physical world into the abstract:

Surely Ryougi Shiki, who saw death, was an unusual existence. However, there were many people in the world who had the ability to kill people. If it were just about killing living creatures, there was no way to beat the various modern weapons that civilization has produced.

That’s right. What makes Ryougi Shiki’s nature so different from Magi like them, was definitely not something like that. Her real nature is the ultimate nothingness that kills things that can’t be killed, even formless concepts.

“The thing that causes death.” That is the ability of Ryougi Shiki.

No weapon could interfere with a sealed world where the space was chained together infinitely with no exit. Because it had no shape, physical weapons that can only interact with physical objects couldn’t clash with it. But, Ryougi Shiki’s power was precisely one that targeted such formless things.

Then..?

“Yes, if you wanted to imprison Shiki, you should’ve trapped her in a box made of concrete.

If Shiki only had the physical strength of a young lady, all you had to do was simply prepare a hidden room enclosed by iron walls. But Araya Souren. You are a Magus, therefore you treat Magecraft as an absolute. Closing off space is meaningless. You used something ambiguous like that, but she can easily cut through that thing.” - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

What sets Shiki apart is that her power is not mere physical destruction. As Araya noted, she embodies absolute oblivion, something that swallows even thought itself. No weapon can stop her because her power does not operate on the physical layer. It targets the essence of things, their foundational concepts. The collapse of physical form is merely a side effect of those concepts being erased from reality.

This is why her power bypasses durability, defense, resistance, and even states of being. As long as something exists at all, Shiki can kill it. She “reads” the definitions that allow a target to exist and interact with reality, then removes that entry from reality’s underlying map. Once that definition is gone, reality can no longer coherently interpret the target’s existence, and it collapses.

This is also why no defense truly applies. The idea that one possesses defenses, regeneration, immortality, or special abilities is itself a definition granted and enforced by reality. Shiki’s Mystic Eyes strike at that very “source code”, the fundamental rules reality uses to grant existence and power in the first place.

It should also be noted that Shiki's MEoDP allows her to see invisible things, such as spirits, separately from the Lines of death too:

Shiki has the power to see things that normal people can't. Aside from being able to see spirits, she can apparently see the lines that hold an object together. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 6

This gives her an exceptional awareness of the world, making it impossible to conceal one's presence from her sight. Another crucial aspect of her MEoDP is that they are tied to her brain and Origin, rather than her actual physical eyesight:

"Is it the 'mystic eyes of death perception'? It's too wasteful to destroy that, Shiki. Especially seeing as anything you can see will be seen even if you ruin your eyes. You see, a curse is something that comes back if you throw it away."

"... Did you say I will be able to see this even if my eyes can't see? In that case, there's no reason for me to stab them."- Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 4

Even should Shiki become blind or lose her physical eyes, her brain would still be able to use her MEoDP ability. This is why Shiki could still perceive God's Word's lines of death despite him making her blind:

"You." "Cannot." "See Me."

The mage's voice echoed, resonating directly in my mind. Its truth was undeniable. In an instant, I lost sight of him, and my swung knife cleaved empty air.

"Wha..."

I scanned my surroundings. There was no one else in the chapel, only the presence of another person transmitted to my skin. Kurogiri was indeed right in front of me, yet his form remained unseen.

"...That was dangerous. I underestimated your ability to act faster than I could speak. As a result, I lost an arm. It's no wonder Araya was defeated. You possess a remarkable aptitude for killing."

The voice came from right in front of me. I suppressed my urge to attack, focusing my consciousness on my immediate vicinity. If I couldn't see him, I only needed to perceive his lines of death...

"You cannot defeat me," the voice echoed directly in my thoughts.

But before it finished, his death lines materialised before my eyes.

"Found you."

This time, I wouldn't let him escape. Once again, I charged towards the mage. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 6

Now, Shiki doesn't immediately master her MEoDP; her understanding grows gradually because her perception is initially limited by her human experience:

Ryougi Shiki is a living being, and she seemed to have a easier time seeing the end of a living being. This is because as a living being, it is easier to comprehend "the death of a living being". In order to see the Lines of Death of minerals or Concepts, she either has to become minerals, or use her brain and tap into her "imagination".

In summary, the end (lines) of an existence that humans cannot comprehend is not visible. - Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Line of Death [Others], p.032

Because the death of living beings is instinctive and aligned with her own nature, Shiki can perceive it more easily. But to see the death of minerals or abstract concepts, far removed from human experience, she must engage her imagination and push her mind to understand them. Over time and through experience, her perception expands to include more complex forms of death.

Even when Shiki first awoke from her coma and gained her Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, she was already able to perceive the death of the walls around the hospital and even of the air itself:

"The first thing I saw upon waking up from the coma was not the surprised nurse running towards me... it was the line wrapping around her throat. People, walls, even the air itself... there are incredibly fine lines visible on everything."-Kara no Kyoukai: Chapter 04

By the time of Chapter 3, she tells us she is still not entirely used to the eyes:

I suddenly recall the girl that was with Azaka....... That aura of death creeping out of her like capillaries. Since I am not used to my eyes yet, I saw it without any prior preparation.... That was abnormal. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 3

It's only during the fight with Asagami that she experiences her first major evolution in terms of perception:

"... I see. ...... You must be abnormal."

Fujino can only think this. She looks at Shiki and bends. Her vision distorts. The fulcrums created on Shiki's head and leg each rotate in opposite directions and twist Shiki's body like a piece of carpet.

... It should have twisted her.

Shiki, whose left arm is bleeding, nullifies Fujino's "distortion" just by swinging the knife in her right hand. No...... she kills it.

"It's hard to see that without form, but you used your power too many times. Now I can finally see it. Your power is a spiral of red and green. It's really... beautiful."

Fujino does not understand what Shiki is saying. The only thing she realizes is that Shiki will surely kill her now. Fujino repeatedly prays.

Bend, bend, bend, bend!

As Fujino glares, Shiki swings her knife and eliminates the power. The pain in Fujino's stomach is about to go over its limit.

"Who...... are you?"

Shiki answers Fujino's fear with infinitely deep eyes.

"Everything in existence has an imperfection. Especially humans, but even in air, will, and time. It's natural to have an end if it has a beginning. My eyes can see the death of things. They're special, like yours."

Shiki looks at Fujino with those ominous eyes that Fujino felt before.

"That's why... if one exists, I could even kill a God." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 3

Shiki initially struggles to perceive the formless nature of Asagami’s spatial distortion, a conceptual alteration of space’s fabric. But after Asagami repeatedly uses the ability, Shiki finally glimpses its end, reflecting her evolving mastery over her eyes’ perception.

Later in Chapter 1, Shiki kills Kirie’s second body, an intangible entity detached from the material world, existing as a pure mind beyond physical interaction:

"I see. So your mind was up in the sky. But then... why are you alive? If that ghost at the Fujiyoh building was your mind, you should have been killed by Shiki."

Yes, I am wondering the same thing.

That person... I guess the name is Shiki... How was that person able to cut me?

That floating me cannot touch anything. In return, I cannot be touched by anything, but that person killed me as if I had a real body.

"Answer me. The you at the Fujiyoh building, was that really Fujoh Kirie?"

"The me at the Fujiyoh building isn't me. Myself looking at the sky and myself in the sky, ‘that me’ gave up on me and flew away. I have been left behind even by myself."

The woman gasps. For the first time, she showed her emotion.

"So it's not that your personality split up. There was someone that gave you, who had one container, a second container. I see, you controlled two bodies with one mind. This is indeed nothing like before." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 1

Kirie’s second body is not just intangible but abstract: an embodiment of the nothingness of mind itself. Her Origin erodes the boundaries between conscious and subconscious, making her existence fluid and untethered to physical laws. This makes her nearly impossible to interact with physically, yet Shiki’s power can target the underlying concept of her being.

Touko later reveals the profound consequence of this erasure:

“But you’ll feel its influence. Shiki’s got good eyes. If what she saw was a secondary entity, then its collapse will probably reach your real body. I have two or three things I’d like to know before that happens. That’s why I came out here.” - Kara no Kyoukai: Chapter 01

This further proves that Shiki targets the concept of "you" and erases anything related as a result. By erasing the concept of Kirie's existence, she will eventually erase the "other" Kirie as well. This is shown once again against Araya:

There was sweat on his forehead.

Some of his internal organs had stopped functioning and were signaling danger.

“... I was... cut?”

The Magus growled faintly, he couldn’t believe it.

But it was true.

Just now, in this apartment complex, which could be said to be Araya Souren himself, something had been cleanly severed somewhere.

As easy as cutting through butter, without hesitation, the space itself had been cleanly cut off.

Just as the Magus’s consciousness controlled his own body, he had also attuned the activity of the apartment complex with his own consciousness.

This building was inside of his body. The electric wiring was like his nerves, and the water piping was an equivalent to his blood vessels. The pain from his body being cleanly cut inside was not something he could ignore.

As if to prove that point, the Magus’s focus on his consciousness was broken by the pain, and he was forced from the first floor lobby up to his physical body in the tenth floor hallway... As if he were pulled by a giant’s arms, he was forced to return and could not resist.

“... What is... this?”

Muttering, he wiped the sweat off his forehead with one hand.

As though a spider was running down his spine, he felt a chill permeate his internal organs. For the first time in hundreds of years, he remembered what nausea felt like.”

“What are you afraid of, Araya Souren?”

The Magus berated himself for his own weakness. But the abnormalities in his body didn’t stop. The power that had run across every corner of his body just a few moments ago was now gone. Bzzt, bzzt. The Magic Circuits that send commands for his body to move began to disconnect, starting from his fingertips.

–Death was drawing near. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Araya’s very being is merged with his apartment complex, making it an extension of his body. However, this doesn’t mean he gets damaged when the building itself is physically damaged, as he was casually going to destroy it entirely as a last resort against Shiki:

To stop his opponent–

“Do I have to kill my alien world...!?”

The Magus’s left hand opened.

Space compressed for the third time, but it wound down with a slash of Shiki’s katana; he stood there entirely shocked. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

The Magus suddenly appeared in the garden, without a moment’s rest from the spatial transition he stuck out his right arm.

Looking up into the night sky, he spread the palm of his hand to crush the circular tower. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

The reason he felt pain and disruption during this encounter is because when Shiki escaped and cut the sealed void acting as the building’s foundation, Araya felt the “pain” of his existence being reduced. Since the building is one with Araya and Shiki's MEoDP targets the underlying concept of things, her cutting of the building’s conceptual essence affected Araya himself as a side effect.

Speaking of Araya, during their first encounter, Shiki was able to destroy his bounded fields:

In an anxious manner the mage came forward. Another step, even though he approaches Shiki there is no change in Shiki.... The man's talismans have just shrunk from three to two. The mage clicks his tongue in exasperation. He hadn't considered the possibility that Shiki's Mystic Eyes of Death Perception would be so powerful. To think that she could kill a concept like a ward which had no form, or life, that kind of absolute power ---.- Kara no Kyoukai: Chapter 05

Araya is shocked, as his bounded fields are conceptual laws imposed upon the very fabric of space, forcing the laws of reality to bend in order to accommodate those principles. Yet, Shiki is able to kill even these formless and abstract constructs:

Threads of the magus’s web stretched across the ground and space, between planes and dimensions. Any living thing touching those circular lines would have its power stopped. – Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

This passage confirms that the bounded fields are not confined to physical space. They transcend the material world, extending across planes and dimensions, which shows that they do not function as physical obstacles, but as existential definitions imposed upon reality.

In effect, these barriers are reality-warping constructs, forcing existence to behave according to the magus’s internal laws. Shiki’s feat demonstrates that she can contend with such powers precisely because her Mystic Eyes do not oppose the effect within reality. Instead, they sever the underlying law itself, regardless of how abstract or dimension-spanning it is.

Ironically, the more pervasive and large-scale a reality-warping effect is, the more convenient it becomes for Shiki. Because the law is imposed over an entire space or plane, it literally reveals itself to her as lines or points of death throughout that entire area. This means the more reality is forced to obey an abstract rule, the more “surface area” that rule gives her to sever it.

In this fight, Shiki also demonstrates her ability to defeat seemingly immortal entities, such as Araya. Initially, Shiki is surprised to find that Araya lacks the typical "lines of death" that she can perceive on all living things:

This bastard, I can't see him... !

Hiding her inner surprise, Shiki coldly looked the man over. The death she could see on people if she merely wished to, this man doesn't have any. If you felt along a human's body there were lines that put an end to the part they belonged to if they were cut. Whether those were the seams of life, or a weakness in the bonds between the molecules, Shiki didn't know. It just was that she could see them. Without exception everyone she had seen until now had possessed those 'lines of death'. But, upon this man, those lines were too faint.

Strongly, harder than she had ever done before, Shiki glares at the man. Her brain may have overheated, because she observed the opponent till a portion of her consciousness went white, only then could she see it.... In the centre of his body, she can see a hole in the middle of his chest. The line went round and round like a child's doodling, tracing a circle at the same place. The result was what looked like a hole. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Araya’s apparent immortality comes from his Origin, Stillness/Suspension:

The mage's discourse continues."As a reference, I do not die. My origin is 'suspension'. Someone who has woken to their origin becomes ruled by that origin itself. Someone who has already stopped - how can you kill him?" Shiki doesn't reply. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

His Origin makes him “already dead” because his existence no longer participates in becoming. Having reached complete internal resolution, he presents no instability or endpoint for the concept of death to act upon.

However, despite the nature of Araya’s Origin, Shiki, by straining her awareness, is able to perceive a point of death on him:

Strongly, harder than she had ever done before, Shiki glares at the man. Her brain may have overheated, because she observed the opponent till a portion of her consciousness went white, only then could she see it.... In the centre of his body, she can see a hole in the middle of his chest. The line went round and round like a child's doodling, tracing a circle at the same place. The result was what looked like a hole - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

This point is Araya's "weak point" in his own words:

"I realise that spot is my weakness. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5.

It’s a structural weakness that would collapse his body if severed. Over time, Shiki is able to perceive even the faintest of lines on him:

Shiki doesn't reply. She threw away all her emotions, and bent all her energies to finding those faint lines upon the man's body. Ignoring both the paralysing despair running riot in her body and the pain crushing her face, she tries to find that one breach. But before she could. The mage looked over the girl he was holding in the air, and made a decision.

"--- That's right. The face is useless."

An emotionless voice. The mage puts strength into his arm for the first time. Crackle, the sound of bone breaking can be heard. In that instant ---The right arm that attempted to pulverise the face of the girl called Ryougi Shiki, this time it really does get cut off.

"--- Mmm. "

The mage retreats a bit. Having cut off the mage's arm at the elbow while still in that floating position, Shiki pulled off the hand clinging to her face and quickly pulled back. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

This is because, as Araya concluded, having an immortal essence does not equate to having an immortal body too:

"... Indeed, I was foolish. I should have had all the proof I needed after the events at the hospital. Whether it is dead or alive, if it moves you cut off the root of that motion. That is your ability. Even if I am a stopped organism, as long I exist like this there is a thread that permits my existence. If that is cut I would definitely die. The unique exception is this left arm, but even that can't be hidden forever. No matter which saint's bone it is as long as it functions there will always be a cause for that movement." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Although his essence is completed, Araya’s physical body still participates in reality. As long as it exists and interacts with reality, it retains a faint thread that Shiki can eventually perceive.

Even his sacred bones, which contain the essence of an enlightened Buddha, are not immune to this law:

"--- Still inexperienced. I've embedded a Buddha's remains in this left hand. There are no places where you can easily kill it, not even with the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. A simple act like cutting it, Araya Soren will not be hurt by such things." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

The same principle applies: Even though the bones are enlightened, they still have a physical form with causes behind their movement. Thus, they are not entirely exempt from contingency. This proves that, even if something is immortal or lacks a concept of death, Shiki can still kill the physical body they need to operate and function.

This leads to disproving yet another common misconception: that the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception cannot kill Ultimate Ones. The truth is that this is more a matter of formality than an actual limitation. We know she can kill them because she literally defeated Araya Souren, who also lacks a concept of death, by destroying his physical body. Araya himself admitted that the Mystic Eyes do not care about life or death, but about activity and presence. As long as something exists, it can be killed.

“Gaha”, Araya vomited blood. The body, starting from the left side had begun to disappear and turn to ashes. “I didn’t make any spare bodies. If we are to meet again, it will be in the next generation.”

“There will be no such thing as a Magus by then. There won’t be a reunion. You will be alone in the end. Even so, you won’t stop?”

“Of course, I won’t accept defeat." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

We know that Araya is not technically dead, as he will return in a future generation. However, his body was destroyed, removing him from reality for the time being. The same logic applies to Types. Even the quote people use to defend their supposed immunity already draws a hard line:

By the way, the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception can’t kill it. It does not possess the concept of death, so you’ll have to destroy it physically.
— Character Material: ORT

Destroy it physically. This makes it clear that, while Shiki cannot truly kill them in a permanent, conceptual sense, she can destroy their physical bodies, rendering them inactive until they find a way to manifest again. It is not that Types can simply no-sell the Mystic Eyes, as people often interpret that quote. Rather, it means that even if the Mystic Eyes “kill” them, they are not truly erased and may return in a distant future, just as with Araya. That’s all.

As Araya states earlier, Shiki’s Mystic Eyes are designed precisely to impose death on that which cannot die, including abstract and formless concepts. This is no different in principle from how the Black Barrel canonically forces death onto Ultimate Ones. The difference is that the Mystic Eyes are broader in application: they can target intangible or non-physical existence directly, whereas the Black Barrel still relies on physical ammunition that must make contact.

Another common misconception is that having a long lifespan allows someone to resist the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception for a time, potentially letting them catch Shiki off guard and land a decisive blow before fully dying. This idea stems from a scene in which Araya Souren appears to delay their effects and attributes it to his long lifespan:

Her foe isn't yet dead.

"Goddamnit, why... ! "

Shiki shouts as if casting a spell. Why --- why don't you die. Upon the mage's unmoving face that shows no emotion, just his eyes are bright with mirth.

"I realise that spot is my weakness. But just that is not enough. Even if it's the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, you cannot instantly kill this two hundred year old life of mine. This body will die one day, but I was prepared for this happening. It's quite fitting that the price I pay for capturing Ryougi is my death. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

However, this delay is not due to lifespan alone, but rather to Araya’s Origin of Stillness combined with his immense willpower. We know this because Tohno Shiki’s Mystic Eyes, at a point where they were inferior to Ryougi’s, were still able to rapidly kill an 800+ year old Dead Apostle Ancestor, far exceeding Araya’s two-hundred-year lifespan.

The confirmation comes when even Araya’s next vessel is able to delay the Mystic Eyes’ effects significantly, long enough to hold an entire conversation with Aozaki Touko before fully fading away. Yet this vessel was only half a day old:

After destroying what had been Enjou Tomoe, the Magus stood still as he stayed in the corridor. The time was near. It had been half a day since he moved from the body he had been using up to yesterday to his current spare body. Finally, his consciousness felt like it had spread to every corner of this body.
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

It is therefore clear that it was Araya’s unique Origin of Stillness that allowed him to delay the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. Lifespan alone is not sufficient. When Araya spoke of his long life, he was referring to the continuity that supported his immense will, which is what actually delayed the effects of the Mystic Eyes, even in the absence of that supporting lifespan later.

Said will is consistently described as absurd:

... Hellish. What I mean by saying that, Kokuto, is that if the idea of Hell was to gain a will and take the form of a man, my hypothesis is that it would be something like him. To the degree that he couldn't accept others, he was just absorbing misery. His ability as a mage was full of flaws, but his strong ego surpassed everything.

--- It was a coarse guy like that who I fell for." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Araya's overwhelming willpower manifests in a way that even challenges cosmic forces. In the battle with the Counter Force, his ego is shown to be so unyielding that it could overpower the will of billions:

That Counter Force is the consciousness of every human being on earth. Do you really think you can win against the will of nearly six billion people all by yourself?”

“I will win.”

Without any hesitation and without exaggeration, the Magus replied immediately.

A living hell that had collected the deaths of many people. The Magus had imagined each person’s history and the future that should have existed beyond their actual end. No matter how meaningless the death was, he lived as if it were his own.

Touko thought it was an extreme ego, forged like steel, that would win; even if it meant making all of humanity into his enemy.

Araya Souren possessed that. Whether it was true or not wasn’t really an issue, what mattered was his unshakable will to assert it as truth. When he asked this question, Araya Souren must have clearly imagined having to confront the dignity of six billion people; one by one.

Araya had answered that he would win. He imagined the struggle as if it were reality, even after realizing how painful it would be. This strength of will was the strength of the Magus. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

With that being said, we have now seen that, by this point, Shiki has evolved her understanding of Death to the extent that she can erase abstract rules governing reality and impose death on immortal entities by severing their physical anchor on reality. However, her most impressive feat with the Mystic Eyes occurs just before her final fight with Araya, when she destroys his infinite void:

“There is no need for concern. I have not imprisoned her in a room within the apartment complex. I have thrown her into Mugen, the infinite void, that connects the material world to the otherworld.

The primary purpose of this distorted alien world was to create a closed loop. By no means, no matter the method or the impact, could one escape from the darkness of Mugen. Even if Ryougi Shiki were to awaken, there is nothing she could do. Monitoring her is unnecessary. Besides, given her injuries, even standing would be difficult. Even if she wakes, her body will be incapable of moving properly.” - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

“Sure, you didn’t make a mistake. For you as a Magus, this is the best solution. But, what if the assumption itself is a mistake? You isolated Shiki? Not in a room somewhere in this apartment complex, but you isolated her in this apartment complex itself? A Bounded Field that achieves spacial isolation is already on the level of Magic. It’s a miracle that only a Bounded Field expert like you could create.

“Those who are trapped by the sealed space of a Mobius Ring can never get out from the inside. A closed world that’s enclosed by walls that can’t be destroyed by physical impacts, it’s a cage that’s impossible to escape from. You slapped Shiki in there, which gave you peace of mind. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

No weapon could interfere with a sealed world where the space was chained together infinitely with no exit. Because it had no shape, physical weapons that can only interact with physical objects couldn’t clash with it. But, Ryougi Shiki’s power was precisely one that targeted such formless things. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

He had sufficient awareness to understand how she escaped the imprisoned space. Last night, the young lady had lost consciousness after several of her ribs were shattered by the Magus’s blow.

She had just recently awakened within the closed space, in the boundary set between the walls of the apartment complex. Within that impossible space she slashed through the impossible wall.

Infinity is not 「 」. For infinity to remain infinite, the finite has to be defined. Without the finite there cannot exist infinity. Because things have an end, we can observe the thing called infinity.

Ryougi Shiki had been cast into infinity, she saw the impossible finite and cut through it.

Of course, there is no finite inside of the infinite. You can’t slash through what doesn’t exist, so escape from such a cage is impossible. But, if there is no finite then there is no infinite. Whether finite walls exist or not, an endless world holds no meaning before Ryougi Shiki.

If there really is no finite, then it’s not infinite but 「 」. If the finite can be comprehended, Shiki could detect and slash through it.

... The black hole that should have been absolute was just a small dark room to his opponent. The Magus felt ashamed of himself. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5 Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

There’s quite a bit to unpack here. Araya defines this space as an infinite expanse bridging the material world and another realm called the “otherworld.” It doesn’t follow conventional physical laws but is instead a conceptual space governed by abstract principles, embodying infinite potential. Because it has no fixed laws, infinite ideas can occur within it without altering its fundamental nature. Araya believed that by trapping Shiki here, she would be powerless: there is nothing physical or defined for her to perceive.

Araya then imposed the conceptual structure of Stillness onto this void: a Möbius ring, a closed loop where any change not authorized by Souren is denied. This transformed the infinite expanse of Mugen into a downward, trapping spiral with no end. Since the void is formless and folds inward, it has no exit or physical edge to attack: only self-contained nothingness that returns intruders to their starting point. Any action taken within this space is rendered meaningless, as the void enforces its isolation through conceptual boundaries. It doesn’t resist specific phenomena; it nullifies all through recursive containment.

Araya explicitly states that this realm was created to embody the Taiji, and thereby contain it, or, by extension, Ryougi’s Origin, which reflects the same universal principle:

“Wait Araya. I have one question. The original purpose of this apartment complex is to represent the Taiji in order to take in the Taiji, wasn’t it?”

“Indeed. I created this alien world to completely cut off Ryougi Shiki from the outside world. The other various functions are just accessories.” — Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

As established, Taiji represents the totality of existence on a conceptual level. The Mobius Void embodies this by accounting for all possible variables born from the interplay of Yin and Yang. Its identity is to have no end, a conceptual infinity where even infinite potential or infinite universes are trapped within its self-contained loop.

However, there is one fundamental flaw in Araya’s realm: even infinity is an idea contingent on something defined: its opposite, finitude. We recognize infinity precisely because things normally have an end.

Imagine a universe where nothing has an end: in that case, infinity wouldn’t be special; it would be the default state of all things. Instead, it would be the concept of having an end that becomes the unspeakable anomaly.

In other words, if the concept of finitude is removed, infinity itself loses its meaning and significance. This subtle flaw, abstract as it may be, is still a dependency, and therefore something Shiki’s Mystic Eyes can perceive and sever.

Even infinity has a “cause”: it derives meaning from its opposition. This stands in contrast to Nothingness, which has no inherent meaning or definition to begin with, and thus functions as the source from which definitions arise, allowing reality itself to take form.

So, Shiki quite literally "killed" infinity itself: a void that folds all phenomena, all paths, and all outcomes back into nothing, endlessly. If that doesn’t qualify as broken, what does? This reinforces the absolute nature of the MEoDP: there is no escape from it unless one possesses true omnipotence or exists as a pure abstraction that never engages with reality on any level.

In Chapter 6, Ryougi Shiki faces off against God's Word (Satsuki Kurogiri), a magus who wields the power of Unified Language: a primordial speech that does not influence the mind or body, but rewrites the world at the level of concept. When Kurogiri declares, “You cannot see me,” the effect is not hypnosis or invisibility. The world itself is altered so that the concept of seeing Kurogiri becomes invalid. Shiki’s eyes, and even her cognition of reality, are forced to comply:

"You." "Cannot." "See Me."

The mage's voice echoed, resonating directly in my mind. Its truth was undeniable. In an instant, I lost sight of him, and my swung knife cleaved empty air.

"Wha..."

I scanned my surroundings. There was no one else in the chapel, only the presence of another person transmitted to my skin. Kurogiri was indeed right in front of me, yet his form remained unseen.

"...That was dangerous. I underestimated your ability to act faster than I could speak. As a result, I lost an arm. It's no wonder Araya was defeated. You possess a remarkable aptitude for killing."

The voice came from right in front of me. I suppressed my urge to attack, focusing my consciousness on my immediate vicinity. If I couldn't see him, I only needed to perceive his lines of death...

"You cannot defeat me," the voice echoed directly in my thoughts.

But before it finished, his death lines materialised before my eyes.

"Found you."

This time, I wouldn't let him escape. Once again, I charged towards the mage.

But... I lost sight of him again.

"This Place." "Inhibits." "Sight."

The voice reverberated through the chapel, which had now plunged into complete darkness. With a single word, the world turned invisible, devoid of light.

"Hm... It appears the effect is weaker on you. Your connection to the Fount places you on the same rank as my words. But that's been accounted for. Here, even Ryougi Shiki cannot perceive death. Though, of course, I can't see anything here either." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 6

"This is futile. I already explained, you cannot defeat me. Even you, who can kill anything, cannot vanquish words."

It was a truth I'd never contemplated. Words were the one enemy beyond my reach.

"However, that doesn't grant me the power to kill you either. This is the extent of my abilities. Any closer, and you could overpower me with ease. There will be no exchange of lives. I am no warrior. My role is simply to fulfil your desires." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 6

What follows is decisive. Even as the Unified Language takes effect, Shiki acts before the rewritten conditions fully stabilize, severing Kurogiri’s arm mid-utterance. He explicitly acknowledges this, admitting that she moved faster than his words could bind reality. This is not willpower or resistance. Shiki’s existence, directly aligned with the Root, operates on the same metaphysical rank as the Unified Language itself. Conceptual edits must contend with her, rather than simply overwrite her.

Kurogiri therefore escalates. He does not merely obscure himself, but removes the concept of sight from the entire space. The chapel becomes a domain where visibility itself no longer exists, even for him. This is not darkness, but conceptual erasure. Yet Kurogiri openly admits that if Shiki closes the distance again, he will be unable to stop her. Even without sight, she would still kill him, relying on other forms of perception such as sound or instinct.

This confrontation reveals the true nature of Shiki’s power. She does not merely “see” death; she reveals it even when reality has been altered to conceal it.

When Kurogiri claims, “You cannot kill words,” that is mostly a bluff. At that moment, only sight has been erased. Shiki’s Mystic Eyes are constrained by the sensory condition, not nullified. The instant Kurogiri moves, speaks, or produces any detectable presence near Shiki, he becomes vulnerable again to the lines of Death.

This is consistent with Shiki’s prior feats. She has already destroyed abstract, formless constructs such as Araya Souren’s bounded fields, which possess neither life nor physical form. Her Mystic Eyes do not require physicality, nor even life. If something exists and can be perceived in any manner, its origin can be severed.

Kurogiri’s retreat is therefore not proof of superiority, but of restraint. He understands that further engagement would result in his death. The encounter ends in stalemate only because he refuses to push further, not because Shiki is incapable of killing him. She comes within a single action of killing a being whose reality warping surpasses even Ultimate Ones, and only mutual sensory erasure allows him to survive.

Not only that, but Shiki even corrects God's Word on her being unable to kill words:

The mage claimed that even I couldn't kill words. Yet, even words will someday perish. All things fade, vanish, and succumb to death. Without this mortality, the boundary between past and future would blur. It is because things don't return that we cherish them, fiercely guarding against their loss. Why, then, do we deem something non-eternal because it disappears? Even forgotten, the fact that it existed will not change. Only the receiving vessel, our hearts, undergoes change.

I should have spoken. Seeking eternity in oblivion is a futile pursuit.

Things meant to be forgotten are naturally consigned to peaceful slumber, free from further distortion. This act of forgetting, itself, becomes a form of eternity.

Now I understand. SHIKI, the boy within me, had retreated into oblivion.

He carefully laid those truly precious memories to rest, ensuring they wouldn't be warped by my present self.

Even if I cannot remember them, their existence remains irrefutable.

The mage must have known this, but he could not accept it as an answer.

Perhaps lacking a self, he craved eternity in words, the seemingly undying entity, precisely because he possessed nothing truly his own. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 6

This encounter perfectly illustrates why a reality-warper struggles against Shiki: her existence resists redefinition, allowing her to act before alterations fully conclude, and her Mystic Eyes of Death Perception can still reveal death even when her senses are being tampered with.

--------

Summary of Shiki's combat ability:

Shiki’s abilities are rooted in her Origin of Nothingness, a state free from fixed definition that allows for limitless possibility. This core nature manifests both passively and actively, especially in combat.

First, her very existence rejects imposed definition. Because of this, she can resist abilities that attempt to rewrite her position within reality’s structure, such as the Unified Language or Kirie’s power. Effects that rely on redefining what she is or how she should exist cannot fully take hold.

Second, she can actively express this nature through her Origin, reconfiguring her body to perform optimally against any given threat. Her physical capabilities and fighting style are not fixed, but adapt in real time to the situation. This same adaptability allows Shiki to copy, combine, and discard any fighting style she observes, or to instinctively adopt an effective counter to a threat without prior training.

Furthermore, her “blank” core (the absence of a fixed self-definition) allows her to slip past outcomes or imposed structures that should cripple her, enabling her to close distance even against reality warpers. Alterations applied to space or conditions cannot fully pin her down, while attempts to overwrite her concept or existence outright fail. Reality cannot properly impose meaning on her, which translates into her actions redefining themselves mid-execution, her striking faster than a law can assert itself, and her body ignoring effects meant to impose a terminal “dead-end” on her existence, such as crippling injuries or rewritten space.

Later, Shiki acquires the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, which allow her to sever the “idea” that sustains something’s existence. Through this, she can kill anything that can be perceived or meaningfully understood, including abstract concepts, infinite structures, or the laws sustaining reality itself. What she kills is the meaning first; the collapse of physical manifestations is merely a consequence.

Because of this, she can kill even immortal entities by destroying the physical body they require to function, rendering them inactive until the world provides conditions for them to manifest again.

Yet, this is still not her full potential. There is in fact one final aspect of Shiki's power we have to cover, which is her full power state.

Self-Hypnosis Shiki:

Despite her already formidable combat ability, Shiki never fights at her full potential for most of the novel. As she herself states, her melee combat and knife skills are merely imitations, never utilizing the full extent of her family's principle of mental reconstruction:

"What, if you are strong then that's that. There wont be any instances where you go around getting bashed up like me. And you finished off those three guys in an instant. That's an incredible self-created style right there. "

When I spoke, remembering that refreshing instant of when I met this girl, Ryougi seems a bit surprised.

"That's different. I only copied what I had seen. More than that, there's never been an instance where I've used our house's school of fighting."

She nonchalantly spat out that frightening statement, then Ryougi collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Shiki’s true fighting style can only be fully realized when she wields a katana. Her knife and Mystic Eyes are merely substitutes, compensating for the absence of a sword. This state, referred to as her "true nature," makes her usual self seem vastly inferior:

No one really knew her true nature.

It was assumed that Ryougi Shiki’s fighting style used her Mystic Eyes of Death Perception and a knife. But the reality was different. This woman was really a homicidal maniac with a katana in her hand. Compared to what she is now, her usual self was no match. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

But what is the mechanism behind her fighting style? Well, at its core, Shiki’s true combat ability stems from the full application of the Ryougi family’s principle of mental reconstruction, a technique that serves as the foundation of all martial arts. As she explains:

"The thing you train is your mindset, Ryougi adds.

"You remake your body. From your breathing to the placement of your feet, awareness, thoughts, to be able to remake all of them for combat. Even the way of using your muscles changes, so it might feel like you become a different person. I suppose tensing your body and mind as a fight starts, and while you are fighting, is the foundation of all martial arts. However, we followed only that too much, and as a result our path went too far. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

The Ryougi family took this principle to its extreme, developing a technique known as Self-Hypnosis. This ability completely reconfigures the user's biological state, turning them into a living weapon, entirely synchronized with their katana. All unnecessary human functions, such as breathing, are suppressed:

Long ago, when the Samurai drew their swords, they naturally accepted that they would kill and be killed. It was not because they were prepared for it as warriors. From the moment they gripped the handles of their swords, they were awakened.

As a result their bodies were only suited for killing, as a result their minds were only focused on survival.

It was not just about getting in the right mindset before a match. When they drew their swords their brains changed functions. It wasn’t that their bodies switched over to combat mode. It was that their brains changed their bodies for combat.

Thus, the muscles are used in ways no living creature should ever use them, the blood vessels would change the route of circulation they took and and they would even cease breathing normally... Yes, all human functions that were useless in battle would be eliminated, and all parts of them would switch into combat mode.

“That stance. I’m surprised at your transformation through self-suggestion.”

The Magus in pain muttered, and the woman in the kimono replied “Yes.”

... The moment Shiki opened her eyes, Araya understood the true nature of the anxiety that ran through him. The Magus cursed his own ignorance. He didn’t think that there was a family that had passed down this technique to the present day. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

By entering this state, the practitioner dissolves the ego entirely. Distractions vanish, hesitation disappears, and the self ceases to exist as a person. What remains is pure function. This is what the Ryougi family identifies as Nothingness: a state free from definition, granting total freedom of action and movement.

When Shiki employs this technique, she returns to her most fundamental condition, fully embodying her Origin of Nothingness. The katana is not merely a weapon, but the medium through which that state is most perfectly expressed.

Araya perceives this shift firsthand, observing that Shiki’s stance was not just strong but the most fundamental of all:

Up to now she had been holding her katana with one hand, she gently placed her other hand on the handle.

The center of gravity in her waist lowered slightly. With her stance, the handle of her katana was fixed in front of her abdomen and the blade was gently tilted towards the enemy before her.

Her stance was Seigan, the most widely practiced of the many schools of swordsmanship, a battle stance that has a reputation for being basic and one of the strongest. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Seigan is a foundational stance in traditional swordsmanship, embodying balance and readiness. Though simple in appearance, it allows for maximum efficiency, enabling both swift counters and decisive strikes. The simplicity of Seigan aligns with the concept of Nothingness itself: free of excess, containing only the pure essence of battle.

In addition, Araya also noticed that when Shiki entered Self-Hypnosis, she ceased to be "Shiki" in the conventional sense. For a brief moment, Araya catches a glimpse of her true Origin, the presence of Void Shiki:

Now, what was with this woman’s response?

What is this vessel here?

This opponent, when did she stop being Shiki?

“I see... I’ve finally met you...!”

Holding his wound above his shoulder with his remaining left arm, the Magus roared. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

However, this isn’t Void Shiki in her full manifestation (As some idiots claim to downplay). Shiki remains in control, merely channeling her Origin to its fullest extent. Rather than becoming Void, she taps into her essence, pushing herself beyond her mortal limits while still retaining her will. In other words, Void surfaces only in the specific context of swordmanship, and she ultimately obeys Ryougi's will and commands. That is far different from Void herself taking over as the dominant personality with freedom to use all of her powers.

So, what can Shiki do in this state?

Araya saw it.

Strangely to Araya’s sight, the girl who was initially moving slower than his shout was now acting faster than his yell.

Both arms holding her katana jumped up. It was so fast that it gave the illusion of a flash of light.

The katana she posted overhead was then swung down with even greater speed.

The shout of, Shuku, was bisected by the sound of her blade, zan.

The distortion of space right in front of her should have crushed Shiki, but the entire distortion was “killed”. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

She opens her final fight with Araya Souren by already acting in impossible ways, suddenly accelerating like a flash of light despite moving after Araya chanted his spell, and then cut it before it could even take effect. Then:

The Magus put strength in his arm again.

All he had to do was open the palm of his hand and clasp it again. That’s all he had to do, but...

It was too late; before he could, Ryougi Shiki had already started sprinting.

“–––”

Araya didn’t make a sound and not able to think in time, he accepted the blow.

Ryougi Shiki had literally shot forth like a bullet.

She drew near to the Magus to land a blow, staying in the stance she had while cutting through the distortion.

Ryougi Shiki’s katana cleaved in a straight horizontal line before taking a step forward.

The Bounded Field the Magus had relied on dispersed.

... If it were only the outer perimeter, Araya was ready to let it be killed in one blow. Even if she got close, he intended to use the moment when, Shiki was focused on killing the second layer, to decide the match.

However with just one swing, she simultaneously annihilated two Bounded Fields outside of her range. She took a step forward again.

If she swung her katana at such extreme speed, then what was the speed of her footwork? - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Before Araya can act, before he can even think, Shiki launches forward like a bullet. Without changing her stance, she instantly crosses the battlefield and annihilates his Bounded Fields in a single motion.

Then, the most telling passage of all:

With only one step, Ryougi Shiki reduced the distance between them from four meters to zero.

Her body was flowing. The first step she took was simultaneously a step forward and a step towards unleashing a deadly slash. Her body was so quick, it felt more like time was going backwards rather than coming to a stop.

The deadly slash made a run at him.

The Magus jumped backward. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Here, we see the true nature of her movement:

1. From Araya’s perspective, time wasn’t simply stopping: it was going backwards. Her speed transcended normal comprehension.
2. With a single step, she crossed four meters to zero, treating distance itself as nonexistent.
3. Her movement and attack happened simultaneously, with no delay between thought and action. There was no sequence of steps: her intent became reality in an instant.

Despite jumping back, Araya doesn't even register the attack:

The Magus’s right arm fell off as he jumped out of the way. No, not just his arm. Everything

diagonally from the top of his shoulder to his chest had been cut off and fell to the floor.

The Magus had jumped back after he had been completely cut through. It didn’t even register to him that he had been cut. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Araya only reacts after he has already been cut. His brain failed to process the event until after it had already happened. If not for his bounded field slightly slowing Shiki’s movement, he would have been bisected in an instant:

... That blow just now surely would have been fatal. If Shiki’s second deadly slash had killed three Bounded Fields instead of two then Araya’s body would have been bisected in half at the torso.

Fugu, the Magus’s first Bounded Field protected the most immediate surroundings. Its protection forced her steps to be slightly more shallow allowing the Magus to escape a fatal wound.

No, that wasn’t the thing that was surprising.

Shiki was completely different from last night. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

While this might initially appear to be a classic "speedblitz," Araya's speed is not just physical; it’s conceptually amplified by his own Origin. As demonstrated in the section about normal Shiki's combat ability, Araya isolates his will from interference, causing his movements to occur without excess, delay, or intermediary state that perception could register:

"The mage moves. If Shiki left an afterimage of a white kimono in the darkness of the night as she ran, the man melted into the night as he approached his prey. A demon-like speed that didn't even let you grasp the process of him approaching. He stops, next to the immobile Shiki the mage's black coat flaps in the air. Shiki was unable to respond to the mage's unfelt approach. She had been looking --- she had been looking at the man advance towards her, but she can't perceive that the man is standing right next to her ---." — Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

Through his Origin of Stillness, Araya’s actions are expressed as complete outcomes rather than processes. It is not that interference or perception is actively negated, but that there is no unresolved motion for them to act upon. He is not fast in the conventional sense; his decision to act resolves itself directly into result.

For Ryougi to bypass even his heightened perception, distort the flow of time, ignore the span of four meters, and perform feats that defy common sense suggests something far more profound: Shiki’s swordsmanship transcends limitation itself, bypassing not only physical distance but perception, temporal delay, and any intervening constraints. Her movements no longer operate within reality’s rules, but pass cleanly through them with absolute precision.

This occurs because, in her state of self-hypnosis, Shiki fully embodies the void of infinite potential: the undivided source where all possibilities exist before cause, limit, or definition. Acting directly from this origin, her movements are no longer bound by ordinary chains of cause and effect. She does not overcome distance, delay, or restriction; she renders them irrelevant. Each is merely a partial expression of the same void she acts from in totality. In the presence of this perfect swordsmanship, reality’s boundaries lose their authority.

The most ridiculous part? Shiki accomplished all of this while essentially dying:

Even if Ryougi Shiki were to awaken, there is nothing she could do. Monitoring her is unnecessary. Besides, given her injuries, even standing would be difficult. Even if she wakes, her body will be incapable of moving properly.” - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Ryougi Shiki looked at the Magus with her sword still in the swinging position. A single line of fresh blood spilled out from her lips. She herself had not received a wound. However, it was just the wounds from last night reopening. Ryougi Shiki’s body had a few broken ribs and some organ damage; just walking caused regurgitated blood to flow out of her mouth. Even with such wounds, she still unveiled an impressive dance with her blade. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Cough, drops of blood escaped her mouth as she coughed. If it weren’t for the wounds from last night, she might have slashed the Magus without pause and severed his head. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Her body was shattered: broken ribs and internal injuries making even standing an extraordinary feat. Yet she can still use this ability effectively.

Though her Origin allows her to transcend the limits of her body, it can’t completely override the damage she's sustained. This results in crucial gaps in her capabilities, which, as Araya himself admitted, allowed him to narrowly escape certain death.

And in case there was still any doubt, Araya clarifies that what Shiki is doing is not merely "moving fast." He directly compares her to ancient swordmasters, whose mastery over space and time was so profound that it seemed as if they could bend reality to their will. These swordmasters could treat significant distances, such as five and a half meters, as if they were nothing. Araya acknowledges that even in her injured state, Shiki could casually close a distance of nine meters with a single step:

It dawned on Araya. For the old style of swordsman who existed in the past, a distance of just five and a half meters was practically nothing. It was likely this Shiki could have closed a distance of about nine meters in a single step. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

This highlights once again how fixed limits, like measurable distance, are irrelevant to her swordsmanship. In this state, Shiki fully embodies her Origin of 「 」, the nothingness that rejects any fixed definition or structure, unbound by any limit.

Even Araya's Bounded Fields could only barely stop Ryougi, an incredibly significant feat that highlights how her movements transcend space and time. Araya's Bounded Fields are metaphysical laws stretching across planes and dimensions, impacting not just physical matter, but the soul, mind, and even abstract properties:

Touko had already seen through the fact that Araya had constructed three Bounded Fields arrayed around himself.

Fugu, Kongou, Dakatsu, Taiten, Chiyougiyou, Ouken.

Threads of the Magus’s web stretched across the ground and space, between planes and dimensions.

Any living thing, touching those circular lines would would have its power stopped.

... Normally, a Bounded Field was a stationary construct; a boundary that protected something immovable. Instead the enemy was performing something monstrous, carrying them with him; centered around himself as he moved. For that reason they were visible but gave off no detectable presence. In close-quarters combat, Araya Souren could be said to be invincible. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

In an anxious manner the mage came forward. Another step, even though he approaches Shiki there is no change in Shiki.... The man's talismans have just shrunk from three to two. The mage clicks his tongue in exasperation. He hadn't considered the possibility that Shiki's Mystic Eyes of Death Perception would be so powerful. To think that she could kill a concept like a ward which had no form, or life, that kind of absolute power ---.- Kara no Kyoukai: Chapter 05

The fact that Araya’s barriers could only slightly impede Shiki’s attack demonstrates that her movements bypass structure and definition altogether, refusing to be contained within any single constraint. The only reason the Bounded Field affected her at all is that Shiki’s physical body still exists within the fabric of reality, allowing the field to exert some minimal influence through it.

This also means that in this state, Shiki outright ignores reality warping. Araya’s barriers enforce Stillness by passively warping reality’s laws, yet Shiki moves through, unbound by any definition or restriction.

Since all things in the void simply are (unchanging, potential, and without differentiation) Ryougi Shiki’s action, flowing from that same state, likewise simply is. Nothing can impose change or delay upon it, because any limit is only a partial possibility within the greater totality she already embodies.

Skipping towards the end of their confrontation, Shiki demonstrates her ability to predict Araya’s movements before they even happen. She anticipates his teleportation to the garden and leaps from the tenth floor, landing at the spot where he would materialize before he even does:

The Magus suddenly appeared in the garden, without a moment’s rest from the spatial transition he stuck out his right arm.

Looking up into the night sky, he spread the palm of his hand to crush the circular tower.

In that moment.

His body was cut at the shoulder.

“Ryougi... Shiki.”

Looking up into the night sky, the Magus muttered.

“You...”

“Gah.” Red blood spread as it scattered from the Magus’s mouth.

The powdery blood didn’t drip to the ground, nor did it wet the face of Ryougi Shiki who had slashed him. Instead it scattered in the wind.

“It can’t... be.”

Just as he said, he couldn’t believe it.

And it was only natural. When the Magus had appeared in the garden and looked up toward the night sky, what was in his field of vision was Ryougi Shiki; she had jumped from the tenth floor.

This opponent, with no hesitation had jumped from the tenth floor corridor just as the Magus had connected the space from the apartment complex to the garden to move through. He didn’t understand what kind of confidence could have led to such an action? There was no way he could have understood.

Even if she really had predicted that the Magus would appear in the garden, who would think of jumping from the tenth floor?

It was beyond reckless, in the end, it could be classified as a miracle.

Jumping from the tenth floor aiming for just one person? How was such a thing any different from dropping a needle from the tenth floor and expecting it to hit a target?

Nevertheless without hesitation his opponent had jumped.

Even while the Magus’s form remained on the tenth floor, she jumped towards the Araya Souren who had yet to actually exist and would be standing in the garden. And the moment the Magus materialized in the garden his body was cut. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

This ability also comes from her deep connection to her Origin of Nothingness, a state that goes beyond normal time and space.

Nothingness here means the fundamental source beneath everything that exists: the place before time, space, and cause-and-effect fully form. When Shiki taps into this state, she isn’t limited by how things normally unfold. Instead, she perceives the flow of reality before it becomes fixed or certain.

Because of this, Shiki can sense not only what is happening now but also what is about to happen, like reading the blueprint of reality itself. This lets her move with perfect timing and accuracy, even when others see the situation as chaotic or unpredictable.

Her leap from the tenth floor to catch Araya is a clear example: she doesn’t just react after he teleports, she anticipates and intercepts because she understands the hidden patterns that govern his movement.

The significance of Shiki's final diving attack also lies in her ability to shatter Araya's Sarira bones:

He immediately used his arm, protruded to crush the mansion, as a shield, but the entire arm was sliced as he was cut in two from the shoulder to the waist. Despite the protection of the Sarira in his left arm, it seems it couldn't withstand a slash containing the impact of a crash from 10 floors. -Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Those bones are infused with the enlightened essence of a buddha, someone who has achieved a state of liberation from reality's rules and exist in equilibrium with universal truths, allowing it to block even MEoDP:

--- Still inexperienced. I've embedded a Buddha's remains in this left hand. There are no places where you can easily kill it, not even with the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. A simple act like cutting it, Araya Soren will not be hurt by such things." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

He blocked Ryougi Shiki's katana with his remaining left arm. The left arm embedded with the Sarira was still in good condition in his body. Even Ryougi Shiki cannot easily cut the protection of a saint. -Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

For Shiki to shatter the Sarira is hugely significant. It shows that her attacks, even when not directly invoking the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception (As the Sarira was still clearly immune to them at the time of this battle), can cut into an opponent’s essence, not merely their physical form. Araya himself states that her Mystic Eyes are ultimately a substitute for her true nature as a master swordswoman, whose skill transcends space, time, and sequential limits. This unbounded quality applies not only to Shiki’s movement, but to her strikes as well. Her swordsmanship can bypass physical composition and directly wound an opponent’s fundamental concept. By acting from Nothingness, she reveals the shared truth that all things originate from the same void, and therefore possess an underlying nature that can be harmed equally.

The reason the diving slash shattered the Sarira while her regular attacks did not lies in amplification, not technique. The immense force generated by the fall dramatically increased the strike’s output. Martial disciplines teach the use of environment and momentum to enhance an attack, and Shiki’s perfect Self-Hypnosis aligns her action so completely with reality’s flow that the environment itself becomes an extension of her blade. What appears to be a reckless or nonsensical maneuver instead resolves into a flawless, perfect strike:

The deadly slash just now was the finishing blow.

Honestly, it was an astonishingly nonsensical blow, but at the same time it was as perfect a blow as it could have been. Had he received it, he certainly could only perish right? - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

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To summarize: In her Self-Hypnosis state, Shiki achieves the perfection of Nothingness, applying its non-dual, limitless nature directly to her swordsmanship. Space is perceived as zero, time as an eternal “now.” Her strikes do not overcome obstacles; they render them irrelevant.

Physical distance ceases to matter. Her attacks appear instantaneous, or even retroactive, from the opponent’s perspective. Sequential action collapses, allowing her to perform multiple movements without delay. From this boundless perspective, she can also glimpse possible futures and act upon the optimal one, anticipating opponents before intention fully forms.

This unbounded state applies not only to motion, but to attack itself. Her sword slashes can damage an opponent’s fundamental concept, bypassing both physical and metaphysical defenses even without invoking the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. All defined forms and ideas originate from the same void she embodies; defenses are therefore merely partial distinctions, unable to bind an action arising from totality. By aligning perfectly with the world’s flow, she can also channel the environment itself, transforming it into an extension of her blade and producing “perfect strikes” capable of shattering divine protections such as Araya’s Sarira.

How strong is Void Shiki?

Void Shiki is Ryougi's Origin personality, representing the avatar of " " :

—The simple truth is that I was born dead. Perhaps brain-dead would be more accurate. Normally a newborn will have an infant's body, and this body in turn will be quickened by the first stirring of what's to become its intellect. I did not have that; I was born with nothing whatsoever. By rights I should have died immediately. That which is near to " " simply must not be born bodily into the world. You heard this from Touko, didn't you? The world itself wards off anything that might disrupt it. Ordinarily, indeed, I should not have been born at all.

—Ordinarily a creature whose being is poured out straight from " " simply dies in its mother's womb. That was my case. But the Ryougi clan possessed a technique for keeping such a thing alive.

—So I was born, alive, but without so much as a stirring of intellect. " " is utter nullity, and thus an intellectual nullity as well. I should simply have "lived" with no cognition of the outside world.

—But not only did they keep me alive, they woke me up. They did not implant some readymade personality into me. They awakened the " " which is my origin. The outside world was thrust upon me.

I - the void and vacant "I" - was forced to look at it. I found it an eyesore. I found it altogether too troublesome. So I in turn thrust it upon those two.

—It was only natural. The outside world, if you could call it that, was the most wearisome thing imaginable. Because it was, all of it, down to the last of its innumerable atoms, "already known" to me.

—But you do have a will. She seemed to him then such a tragic figure that he had to say it. Again she nodded.

—I do, after a fashion. A personality of the flesh as such arises in every human, but ordinarily it does not come to any kind of self-awareness. Usually, before that can happen, the intellect stirs to life. From out of the body, more precisely the brain, the intellect is produced.

—The intellect borne out of the brain's activity becomes a personality and gains executive function over the fleshly body. At that point any personality which dwelt in the flesh becomes meaningless.

—It's because of this that the intellect tends to treat the brain which gave birth to it as if it were something specially set apart from the rest of the fleshly body, even though it is just one part of the whole.

—Software is useless without hardware, but hardware can't function without software. The personality borne of the intellect forgets this truth: it forgets that it is the body's product, and it imagines that it is the creator of this fleshly, embodied "I" which it finds itself to be. That is the ordinary case. I am different only in that the order in which these things happened was different for me.

—Even so, the fact that I'm here, now, talking to you is entirely due to the personality of Shiki. If she wasn't here, I wouldn't even have language. I am, after all, nothing but flesh.

—I think I get it, he said. Your ability to "know" or "perceive" the outside world is dependent on Shiki's personality.

—Correct. I am simply an unpowered piece of hardware. Without the requisite software I am just an inert box.

—I am a hollow container which only gazes inward, which communes solely with death - in other words with what Magi call the "Root", though I see no value in it whatsoever.

—Mind you, right now I think there might be a little value to it after all. I could heal a wound like this, for instance. I could come to your aid. Disturb the universe a little. But you don't wish for any of that, do you?

—No, he answered. Shiki's specialty is breaking things. It would be asking too much. I'd be afraid for myself. How serious, that reply? He gave a light smile. Like a butterfly scattered in the afternoon light, her gaze left him in a moment. She lowered her hand, softly as the snowfall.

—Quite right. Shiki can only destroy. And to you, after all, I suppose I am she.

—Shiki?

A long pause.

—My origin is nihil. From nihil I originated, the flesh that I am, the corpse in the womb to which life was somehow given. That is why Shiki can perceive death. For two years, in her comatose state, she was unable to view the outside world, and could do nothing but gaze into the nihil that Ryougi Shiki "is." More than simply seeing, she felt death.

—All that time she was floating there in that ocean which others call the "swirl of the Root." Shipwrecked all alone in the midst of " ".Yes, indeed. If nihil is her origin, then most likely she wills to bring all things to nought. Shiki is able to kill anything without exception, for that reason alone. The personality, Shiki, strives to negate. Why? Because that is the original pattern of her soul. The inclination to nihil, which ardently wishes the death of all creation.

—That is Shiki's capability. Much like Asagami Fujino, she perceives a unique channel in which things unseen by others become visible. When she "looks" at them, she is seeing a glimpse of the architect's floor-plan for all reality. That is the "swirl of the Root."

—But I can see much further than that. No, rather - I may well be that "swirl" myself.

She was looking him right in the eye, but her tone of voice was insecure, uncertain. As if to let slip, between moments, an utterly incommunicable loneliness.

—The swirl of the Root is a "place" where all causalities interlace, where all things are in potential, and therefore where nothing is whatsoever. That is my true shape. Though I am merely bound to it, I am nonetheless a part of it. And the part and the whole of a nothingness are the same, wouldn't you say?

—So I can do - whatever. Recompose the the laws of nature, revert living beings to their evolutionary forebears. To overturn the system of the world, there's simply nothing to it. It's not a remaking. I simply crush the old one with the new world in its place.

She was faintly smiling as she said that. There was a wry twist to her mouth, as if she was mocking how ridiculous she sounded.

—But it's all so pointless, isn't it? Such a tiresome thing. Such nonsense, you might as well dream it up. As indeed I do. Without seeing, without thinking, without even dreaming

- I dream. - Kara no Kyoukai Epilogue

Void Shiki is not just a person, she is an existence predating identity itself. Born from absolute emptiness, she lacks ordinary intellect or self-awareness and exists primarily as a vessel meant to gaze inward. Fundamentally alien to the world, she should not exist within it. Yet, through the Ryougi family’s awakening techniques, she manifests not a fabricated personality but a direct embodiment of the Root, the primordial void from which all things originate:

The swirl of the Root is a "place" where all causalities interlace, where all things are in potential, and therefore where nothing is whatsoever. — Kara no Kyoukai Epilogue

Because this state contains all possibilities at once, it cannot be reduced to any single definition. The moment it is named or categorized, it ceases to be 「 」:

If you really wished to pronounce this term, call it “Kara.”Its meaning varied depending on each individual’s understanding. To put it in simple terms, it was the Spiral of Origin. However, since the Spiral of Origin was called the Spiral of Origin, it was no longer “ ”.To properly express this term was a source of headache during the production of the drama CDs. -Garden of sinners Pamphlet: Kara no Kyoukai Settings Glossary

This void is also known as the Root, the Spiral of Origin, or Akasha, the source from which all phenomena and magical systems flow:

A mage's ultimate goal, you see, is to reach the 'maelstrom of origins'. It's also called the Akashic Record, but it may be better to just regard the edge of the maelstrom as having such properties attached to it.

The thing called the maelstrom of origins, it is probably the birthplace of everything. All phenomena flow out from it. If you know the origin, the results are naturally produced. To describe it as it is, you could say that it is the 'perfect knowledge'. By creating a standard like perfection or the like, we are ultimately limiting the concept, so even that description is incorrect. But since that the easiest way of defining it, the name stuck.

Essentially, all the branches of magic that have spread throughout this world are nothing more than one branch of a small river flowing out from this maelstrom. This is the reason that every country has their own traditions and legends. The core is the same, but what decorates the exterior is the background of the one who understood that 'river'. Astrology, alchemy, kabbala, spiritualism, rune, the innumerable researchers. Their origins are the same, so in the end they hold the same final destination in mind. Because, they who have touched the tip of the stream that split off from the maelstrom of origins called magic, they have imagined what lay before --- the shape of the beginning.. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

What matters here is not the terminology, but the function: every system of magic, belief, and causality originates from the same source, with cultural differences acting only as external interpretation.

This is why the novel draws a strict distinction between 「 」 and infinity:

Infinity is not 「 」. For infinity to remain infinite, the finite has to be defined. Without the finite there cannot exist infinity. Because things have an end, we can observe the thing called infinity.

If there really is no finite, then it’s not infinite but 「 」. If the finite can be comprehended, Shiki could detect and slash through it. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Infinity is still a defined concept. It exists only in contrast to finitude. Because something has an end, we can conceive of something without one.

If there is truly no definition at all, then it is not infinite, but 「 」

Infinity can be killed because it still possesses structure, meaning, and boundaries.

「 」 cannot, because it exists prior to definition itself.

The moment something is named, understood, or categorized, it leaves the void and becomes subject to death.

Void Shiki’s Origin is the Root itself, and she embodies what the Root’s “personality” might be if it ever gained sentient will. From her perspective, reality is fully known down to the last atom, making all distinctions meaningless. Boundaries and concepts, which define creation, are irrelevant to her. She exists in a perfect harmony where all possibilities coexist.

This makes Void Shiki the most powerful being imaginable without being genuinely omnipotent. As she herself states, she can grant almost any wish, rewrite the laws of existence, or dismantle and remake all of creation under an entirely new set of rules. However, to her, such boundless power holds no true value:

—That is Shiki's capability. Much like Asagami Fujino, she perceives a unique channel in which things unseen by others become visible. When she "looks" at them, she is seeing a glimpse of the architect's floor-plan for all reality. That is the "swirl of the Root."

—But I can see much further than that. No, rather - I may well be that "swirl" myself.

She was looking him right in the eye, but her tone of voice was insecure, uncertain. As if to let slip, between moments, an utterly incommunicable loneliness.

—The swirl of the Root is a "place" where all causalities interlace, where all things are in potential, and therefore where nothing is whatsoever. That is my true shape. Though I am merely bound to it, I am nonetheless a part of it. And the part and the whole of a nothingness are the same, wouldn't you say?

—So I can do - whatever. Recompose the the laws of nature, revert living beings to their evolutionary forebears. To overturn the system of the world, there's simply nothing to it. It's not a remaking. I simply crush the old one with the new world in its place.

She was faintly smiling as she said that. There was a wry twist to her mouth, as if she was mocking how ridiculous she sounded.

—But it's all so pointless, isn't it? Such a tiresome thing. Such nonsense, you might as well dream it up. As indeed I do. Without seeing, without thinking, without even dreaming

- I dream. - Kara no Kyoukai Epilogue

While Shiki with MEoDP can glimps into " ", Void Shiki is so completely attuned to it that she might as well be the Root itself. This grants her virtually unlimited power, yet to her, such power is ultimately inconsequential. Reality is no more than a fleeting dream: a random, transient arrangement within the vast nothingness she embodies. All of creation and its myriad possibilities exist merely as subconscious reflections of her mind, a dream she effortlessly conjures without deeper purpose or concern. Her statement, "I dream," encapsulates this notion: existence is simply an extension of her subconscious, something she manifests and manipulates almost without thought.

Also, when Void mentions "human" wishes, it doesn't weaken her ability either. It's more about context: a more primitive species wouldn't even conceive of the kinds of desires humans have, while a hyper-advanced species would have fewer wishes that couldn't be fulfilled by themselves.

We have already seen that regular Shiki’s MEoDP enables her to kill anything, whether physical matter, abstract concepts like words, or enclosed universes. Yet MEoDP represents only a fraction of Void Shiki’s true power:

Eyes of Direct Death is only one aspect of the powers of this body called "Ryougi Shiki". - Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Mystic Eyes of Death Perception [Others], p.035-036.

We've also seen how Shiki, by channeling Void's perfection into the single act of swordsmanship, can transcend the usual boundaries of existence, perceiving time as now and reducing distance to zero. This ability is a direct reflection of Void's limitless nature. Both Shiki's Self-Hypnosis and MEoDP serve as powerful indicators of the boundless potential inherent in Void’s true power. These abilities are mere glimpses of her unbounded and all-encompassing nature.

However, it's important to clarify that Void is not TRULY omnipotent, just the highest possible non-omnipotent being that can ever exist. This is evident from her own words: while she is profoundly attuned to the nature of " ", she remains part of it and bound to it:

—The swirl of the Root is a "place" where all causalities interlace, where all things are in potential, and therefore where nothing is whatsoever. That is my true shape. Though I am merely bound to it, I am nonetheless a part of it. And the part and the whole of a nothingness are the same, wouldn't you say? - Kara no Kyoukai Epilogue

This is also why she stated she can only grant most wishes to Mikiya: Void can fulfill virtually any wish, except for those that reach the absolute peak, like achieving true omnipotence or altering her foundational nature. But these limitations aren't really relevant within the scope of Kara no Kyoukai's story.

This becomes more noticeable if you imagine a cross-verse scenario where the opponent comes from a setting with a sentient, true omnipotent being. In that case, Void wouldn't be able to overcome them, since her mind, while vastly powerful, isn't absolutely perfect, and she can't resist powers directly backed by a true omnipotent will.

Moreover, Void Shiki desires to obliterate all of creation, as she finds it tiresome and wishes to return it to Nothingness. Despite this, Shiki’s immense mental strength allows her to suppress Void's impulses. While Ryougi Shiki loathes creation, she still values her existence for herself and Mikiya, preferring meaning over total dissolution. Ultimately, as the body, Void is forced to follow Shiki’s will, who, as the mind, gives her the capacity to reason and express herself:

—That said, mine and Shiki's dreams seem to be different. Shiki, you see - she hates to be alone. I know. So pedestrian, isn't it? How tiresome Shiki is. How tiresome reality is. How tiresome - I am.

Her voice, barely even a whisper. She was looking somewhere afar, deep into the night. As if it was of incalculable importance, something never to be seen again.

—But there's no helping it, I'm afraid. I am a body and nothing more, after all. We are the one thing, she and I, so I've no choice but to follow along with her dream.

—Shiki is looking at the outside, while I am looking at the interior. But the interior, Ryougi Shiki's body, is in communion with that "place" they call the Root. So even though I see only the inside of her, I see...everything.

—And that is so painful, so tedious, so utterly pointless that I have to close my eyes to it. I will keep them closed. For me there is nothing otherwise. - Kara no Kyoukai Epilogue

This further shows she isn't 100% omnipotent, as Ryougi wouldn't be able to override an omnipotent's perfect will. However, this limitation in no way diminishes Void's immense power. When actual omnipotence is the only limit, it’s clear that her strength is still insane.

--------

To summarize: Void Shiki is the avatar of 「 」, embodying its non-dual perspective where time and space lose all meaning, and no limited concept can contain her vast existence. As such, she stands as the most powerful non-omnipotent being imaginable, capable of effortlessly editing, destroying, or reshaping all of creation, much like a subconscious mind effortlessly alters a dream. For her, distinctions like "here" and "not here" are meaningless, as she exists unified with all possibilities and realities.

However, Void is not 「 」 itself. She is an avatar, an expression of that absolute source, carrying immense authority and power, but not its full totality. Consequently, she has inherent limitations: she requires a physical body to exist, and a sentient mind to express herself, specifically, the independent consciousness of normal Ryougi Shiki, who can suppress her.

In simple terms:

• 「 」 is the true omnipotent source of all existence.
• Void is a finite being who directly channels 「 」 within reality. She wields god-like power but retains certain constraints: dependence on a physical form and the fact that she is a manifestation, not the entirety, of 「 」.

Thus, while Void has some limitations that 「 」 does not, only a true omnipotent being could exploit these vulnerabilities. Any lesser entity attempting to challenge her would be effortlessly negated by her will, an extension of 「 」’s absolute authority over all finite existence.

Void’s only real vulnerabilities are:

1. Suppression by a true omnipotent being possessing a perfect, absolute mind.
2. Her reliance on the Ryougi body, which can be dominated either by normal Ryougi or by an invader transferring their consciousness into it (as Araya planned) to seize control of her powers. However, this would require immense willpower, as the invader must constantly resist Void’s intrinsic drive to return all things to nothingness. Attempting to possess Void’s body while she is active and hostile is effectively impossible, and normal Ryougi can employ her Mystic Eyes of Death Perception and immense mental strength to repel such attempts. This vulnerability manifests only in rare cases, such as when Void is unconscious or suppressed, and even then, maintaining control is an extraordinary challenge.

Outside of these exceptional circumstances, Void Shiki remains effectively untouchable.

How strong is Araya Souren?

Araya Souren is arguably the most underrated and misunderstood character in the entire franchise. While he may not match Shiki at her absolute peak, his power is immense, placing him firmly as the second most powerful character in the series. Fans often hype figures like the Ultimate Ones or True Ancestors, but few truly grasp just how overwhelmingly strong Araya Souren is. Outside of Ryougi Shiki, there is virtually no one who can stand against him, even before he attains the full extent of his abilities.

Since Araya is the main antagonist (though also considered the true protagonist of the story, according to the guidebook), this section will likely be quite lengthy, perhaps even more so than Shiki's.

Araya Souren’s Origin is Stillness, also referred to as Suspension:

“As a reference, I do not die. My origin is ‘suspension’. Someone who has woken to their origin becomes ruled by that origin itself. Someone who has already stopped—how can you kill him?”
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

“Those who have their Origin awakened are bound by their Origin, huh? I see; my impulse was ‘stillness’.”
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

At first glance, this principle may appear vague, but its core is straightforward once properly framed.

In its common use, Stillness refers to the absence of movement or noise: a state of quiet, peace, and non-interference.

Metaphysically, this translates into the power to create a space without intrusion, where nothing interferes and everything exists exactly as the user intends it to be.

Stillness, then, is the completion of the self. An Origin of absolute coherence and internal integrity that produces this immutable peace, capable resisting all outside forces. Over centuries, Araya accumulates contradictions and resolves them within himself, sealing away excess desire, instability, and every avenue through which the world could introduce decay, death, or failure. His will becomes so internally consistent that it can no longer accommodate what it recognizes as noise:

Although Araya is average as a magus, his talents relating to Bound Field construction are exceptional. A bound field divides what is inside from the outside. In order to construct a complete world from his own body, first Araya must complete himself. Araya, who has no exceptional talents, is able to become a first-class bound field master by completing himself through the accumulation of ages and sheer determination. That which divides the inside from the outside — Kara no Kyoukai is his story.

Araya symbolizes the paradoxical spiral, the most important event in this tale. Talking about the impossible, what Araya accomplished is like achieving the pinnacle within a field while being completely oblivious of even the name of this subject field. – Garden of sinners Pamphlet: Kara no Kyoukai Settings Glossary

This completion produces a decisive separation between inside and outside. The self becomes a boundary that no longer passively participates in reality, but actively filters it upon contact. Anything that enters this domain is evaluated against Araya’s internal coherence. What aligns is internalized and reshaped to fit his principles. What does not align is rejected outright as contradiction. Once fully internalized, the external world loses all authority over it, and anything irreconcilable is placed into complete suspension.

Although the narrative often blurs Stillness with death or stasis, this is misleading. Stillness is not emptiness or inactivity. It is internally dense and selective. From the outside, it may resemble death, because nothing leaks outward. Internally, however, it remains active, ordered, and complete.

In simpler terms, Stillness embodies the principle of division: severance from reality's rules and the establishment of an exclusive, independent ontology fully governed by the user.

Through this principle, Araya constructs a closed world from his own body: a system so perfectly coherent that it contains no exploitable instability. Within such a world, suffering and death do not exist; not because they are denied, but because the conditions that give rise to them never occur. Every component functions exactly according to its nature, without excess or contradiction.

Such internal coherence is not passive. It must be continuously upheld against the total pressure of the world. Araya Souren's willpower, in fact, is consistently described as extraordinarily formidable; so absolute that it is stated to rival even the collective will of humanity itself:

That Counter Force is the consciousness of every human being on earth. Do you really think you can win against the will of nearly six billion people all by yourself?”

“I will win.”

Without any hesitation and without exaggeration, the Magus replied immediately.

A living hell that had collected the deaths of many people. The Magus had imagined each person’s history and the future that should have existed beyond their actual end. No matter how meaningless the death was, he lived as if it were his own.

Touko thought it was an extreme ego, forged like steel, that would win; even if it meant making all of humanity into his enemy.

Araya Souren possessed that. Whether it was true or not wasn’t really an issue, what mattered was his unshakable will to assert it as truth. When he asked this question, Araya Souren must have clearly imagined having to confront the dignity of six billion people; one by one.

Araya had answered that he would win. He imagined the struggle as if it were reality, even after realizing how painful it would be. This strength of will was the strength of the Magus. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Araya is even explicitly described as the physical manifestation of Hell itself:

... Hellish. What I mean by saying that, Kokuto, is that if the idea of Hell was to gain a will and take the form of a man, my hypothesis is that it would be something like him. To the degree that he couldn't accept others, he was just absorbing misery. His ability as a mage was full of flaws, but his strong ego surpassed everything.

--- It was a coarse guy like that who I fell for." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Hell is a closed system where suffering accumulates without release, and Araya embodies this by internalizing all contradiction, pain, and failure rather than dispersing it. That total containment forges an ego dense enough to seal itself off from the world, forming the internally complete system that enables his bounded fields and his Origin of Suspension.

This also explains the dread his mere presence evokes. Hell is not defined by violence, but by inescapability, a state where nothing escapes and nothing yields. Araya’s Origin of Stillness turns his existence into such a system. His will has already withdrawn from the world, and when he enters a space, that absolute containment is felt as pressure rather than hostility:

“Indeed. In fact, it’s been two years since we met like this.”
A heavy voice that almost seized the listener’s brain.
—Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

The door—through which no visitor should have come—opened.
Silent, yet accompanied by a presence unlike any other, a man entered. He was tall, broad-shouldered, his grim face cloaked in shadow like a philosopher eternally pondering an unsolvable question. He looked as if he had always been this way.
His gaze was stern and sincere, but carried a sense of finality so intense it bordered on terror. The atmosphere grew so stifling it felt like the room had become a vacuum. Even she, who did not fear death—only the brevity of life—found herself sensing death’s presence in this man.
—Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

Because nothing yields in his presence, it is perceived as closure; an encounter with an endpoint rather than an ongoing process.

What, then, are the concrete abilities of Araya Souren’s Origin? Like Shiki’s Nothingness, Araya’s Stillness manifests in both passive and active forms. In its passive state, Stillness defines his existence so completely that reality registers him as already ended:

The mage's discourse continues."As a reference, I do not die. My origin is 'suspension'. Someone who has woken to their origin becomes ruled by that origin itself. Someone who has already stopped - how can you kill him?" Shiki doesn't reply. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Even Shiki’s Mystic Eyes of Death Perception fail to find a flaw within him:

This bastard, I can’t see him…
The death she could see on people if she merely wished to, this man doesn’t have any… upon this man, those lines were too faint.
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

This is the direct result of Araya being a completed existence. He no longer exists in a state of becoming, compromise, or drift. His self is fully resolved, admitting no contradiction or excess that reality could exploit. An existence that refuses all unnecessary motion is perceived by reality as “dead,” not because it has ended, but because it no longer participates unless perfect alignment is preserved.

This is why the Mystic Eyes find no point of death within him. There is no instability, seam, or endpoint to expose.

As a consequence, Araya’s mind and spirit are completely sealed. Any attempt at external interference is rejected outright, as there is no internal opening through which influence can enter.

In this state, Araya effectively lacks a concept of death. Much like an Ultimate One, his existence no longer contains a terminal condition for the Mystic Eyes to reveal. Death is not being resisted or concealed; it is simply absent as a valid category.

After completing himself, Araya severed his existence from all reality external to the self. His essence and will can no longer be altered, diminished, or meaningfully interacted with unless he deliberately permits it.

However, Araya’s Stillness still has one fundamental limitation: his physical body.

While his mind, will, and existential identity are fully sealed by Stillness, his body is not self-originating. It is biological, sourced from the world rather than from himself, and therefore remains partially subject to reality’s laws. This is the one domain Araya cannot fully resolve or internalize.

As a result, his body has aged, decayed, and failed repeatedly over the course of his long existence:

Araya Souren was not like some Puppeteer who had died after preparing a completely identical copy. He still had not experienced death. His body had rotted away several times over the years, each time this happened he maintained his consciousness and so far continued to live on. Araya Souren was only one person. If this body perished, there would be no refuge next time. Things had to be handled carefully. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

This body will die one day, but I was prepared for this happening. It's quite fitting that the price I pay for capturing Ryougi is my death. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Despite this, Araya’s will is able to forcibly sustain it beyond natural failure, overriding decay and restoring activity even after lethal damage:

He still had not experienced death. His body had rotted away several times over the years, each time this happened he maintained his consciousness and so far continued to live on. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

His blood has dried into a powder and his organs no longer function normally:

> “The mage coughs out blood. His blood was a sand-like powder. When Shiki removed the knife, she straight away thrust it toward the mage’s neck with all the strength in her two hands. The fight had already been decided, but she was desperately trying to deliver another critical blow.” — Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

> “The powdery blood didn’t drip to the ground, nor did it wet the face of Ryougi Shiki who had slashed him. Instead, it scattered in the wind.” — Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

Even severed parts remain animate and ready to act independently from his main body:

> “Simultaneously, his right arm that had been cut off sprung up by itself. The arm slithered like a snake across the floor, and pounced at Ryougi Shiki’s neck.”— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

In this state, Araya does not survive because his body lives, but because his Stillness refuses cessation. The body functions as a vessel animated by will, not by life.

However, this endurance is not infinite. If the body is damaged beyond the point where motion can be sustained, Araya’s soul will exit reality entirely, resulting in his defeat. For this reason, he relies heavily on bounded fields to protect his vessel and periodically transfers his consciousness into prepared spare bodies:

It had been half a day since he moved from the body he had been using up to yesterday to his current spare body…
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

This limitation is also why Shiki is eventually able to perceive his Lines of Death. She is not targeting Araya’s existence itself, which is sealed by Stillness, but the thread that permits his body to continue moving:

"... Indeed, I was foolish. I should have had all the proof I needed after the events at the hospital. Whether it is dead or alive, if it moves you cut off the root of that motion. That is your ability. Even if I am a stopped organism, as long I exist like this there is a thread that permits my existence. If that is cut I would definitely die. The unique exception is this left arm, but even that can't be hidden forever. No matter which saint's bone it is as long as it functions there will always be a cause for that movement." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

In other words, Shiki does not kill Araya’s soul or existence. She kills the physical mechanism that allows it to act within reality.

This means the only way to defeat Araya Souren is to destroy his physical body so completely that it can no longer function as a host. Lesser damage is insufficient, as he can endure dismemberment and injuries that would normally be fatal, sustaining motion through sheer will and Stillness.

Any indirect or non-local method of attack instead (such as mind control, soul manipulation or even abstract reality warping) is passively rejected. Araya no longer participates in the same causal layer as such effects, and his immovable will admits no external point of interference.

Additionally, Araya Souren’s Stillness mask his presence completely, rendering him undetectable even at close range. This is not conventional stealth, but an ontological absence: Araya does not merely hide his presence, he withdraws it from participation. As a result, even direct observation fails to register him as an active threat:

The girl --- Shiki, only became aware of this man's existence after coming this close. The distance between them is not even five metres. She herself can't believe that she didn't perceive an "enemy" until he got so close to her.

No --- that wasn't all. She can't feel this man's presence although she is looking right at him, that fact steals away all of the composure she had maintained till then. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Even Touko, who had been watching from the sidelines, reacted to the voice.

From behind Alba there was a man.

He bore a facial expression that was filled with anguish and wore a black overcoat.

Though no trace had given away his existence prior, he appeared so naturally it was like he had been there the entire time - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Araya does not announce himself through presence, intent, or pressure. His Origin sever the interpretive links by which awareness normally detects an entity. Until he chooses to act, he exists as a completed state rather than an approaching one. When he appears, it is not perceived as movement, but as a fact that was always already the case.

What has been described so far is merely Araya existing. Even at rest, his Stillness already collapses the range of possible interactions with him to a minimum. When expressed offensively, however, his Origin aligns perfectly with close-range physical combat.

At its core, combat is the suppression of interference and contradiction. It is a matter of asserting one’s will over the immediate surroundings against constant pressure from everything else. On a primal level, it is Stillness enacted through the body. Araya has directly experienced this state in an era before civilization, morality, or abstraction imposed limits on human action:

"What came to mind was only a vast, burned wasteland. No matter how many steps I took, there were only endless corpses. The gravel spread along the riverbank was not stone but fragments of bone. The stench of death carried by the wind sought to fill all of existence; never ceasing. It was an age of conflict. A time before weapons were invented, where those who lived only today would fight with their own hands." - Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

"Wherever I went, there was conflict, and the bodies of the dead were, without exception, discarded in cruel abandon. The weak in villages were commonly slaughtered by flocks of strong humans. It didn’t matter who killed whom. On the battlefield, good and evil held no meaning. All that mattered was how many had died and how many could not be saved." - Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

 

This predates recorded history itself. A world of pure survival. No ideology, no technique, no civilization: only kill or be killed.  Before organized warfare, formal tools, or codified ideology, humans fought with bare hands, stone, or whatever was immediately available. There were no institutions to absorb violence and no systems to regulate it. Conflict was constant, local, and personal, with survival determined moment by moment rather than by strategy or moral framework.

By enduring and surviving in this environment, Araya perfected his body until it became a flawless extension of his will, acting without hesitation, misalignment, or excess.

As a result, Araya is explicitly described as the greatest combatant of the modern era, not because he is "skilled", but because he exists outside modern conceptions of martial skill entirely:

"Therefore, the way that Araya had to eliminate Touko was to engage her in hand-to-hand combat after closing the distance. Araya was a man who had survived turbulent times. In terms of fighting with his body as a weapon, someone from the modern era couldn’t hope to oppose him." - Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

Skill exists to compensate for weakness, limitation, and fragmentation. Araya has none. Martial arts, assassination techniques, and combat disciplines are attempts to approximate a state he naturally embodies. This is why a “fighter,” as understood in the modern sense, cannot hope to oppose him.

Ideology and civilization later muddled combat with hesitation: maybe I’m overreacting, maybe this is inconvenient, maybe I should stop. Those layers of abstraction dilute the act. What remains underneath is simply will pressing against resistance. Araya’s era had none of these. It imposed no weapons, no abstractions, and no moral frameworks to soften effectiveness. His combat is not learned technique, but the direct expression of Stillness through a body shaped by absolute necessity.

And yes, this includes even lineages such as the Nanaya. They, like all combatants in the current era, must deliberately return to this mindset through specific conditions: a designated target, a predatory situation, and a trained mental frame that strips away hesitation. Their Stillness is conditional and situational. Araya’s is not. He does not enter this state, invoke it, or prepare for it. He exists within it constantly, across all contexts, with no separation between daily existence and combat.

As a result, his fighting style is complete. It contains no inefficiency that can be outskilled and no flaw that can be exploited, rendering even the most renowned warriors and assassins fundamentally inferior.

This power is further amplified by Araya’s Origin, which actively restructures his body to align with the concept of Stillness:

“When those instincts surface, they also bring a slight change to the physical body. Not in terms of appearance, but its internal makeup… people don’t even realize it’s happening until it’s over.”
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 7

As shown elsewhere, such transformations surpass ordinary physical limits:

“Unnatural speed and precision surpassed any creature of flesh and bone.”
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 7

In other words, Araya’s body continuously reorganizes its internal structure to express Stillness beyond fixed biological constraints. This process is not driven by physiology, but by an abstract directive that precedes the physical world itself.

We see this most clearly in his confrontation with Ryougi Shiki:

The mage moves. If Shiki left an afterimage of a white kimono in the darkness of the night as she ran, the man melted into the night as he approached his prey. A demon-like speed that didn't even let you grasp the process of him approaching. He stops, next to the immobile Shiki the mage's black coat flaps in the air.

Shiki was unable to respond to the mage's unfelt approach. She had been looking --- she had been looking at the man advance towards her, but she can't perceive that the man is standing right next to her ---. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

The narration deliberately contrasts Araya’s movement with Shiki’s. Shiki leaves afterimages and traceable motion; Araya leaves none. Though Shiki watches him directly, she cannot comprehend that he has moved at all until he is already beside her. It gives the impression that he was always at his destination.

This is why the novel likens him to a demon or ghost: entities that do not approach, but suddenly are. Through Stillness, Araya’s movement is complete. It contains no excess, no intermediary state, and no imprecision for reality or perception to register. Movement is defined as going from point A to point B, and Araya fulfills that definition so perfectly that nothing in between exists to be observed.

This is reinforced elsewhere, where his motion is described less as running and more as gliding:

He took my hand and burst forth in a dash, while Shiki trailed behind us. However, his legs moved so fast that it felt like we were gliding through the air. As soon as we exited the grounds of the Ryougi estate, he let go of my hand. I realised I would be able to return home safely if I left without any second thought. - Kara no kyyoukai chapter 7

Araya does not move in the conventional sense. He arrives. Reaction speed becomes meaningless because Stillness leaves no unresolved variables to react to. There is no approach, only the sudden realization that the endpoint has already been reached.

This same principle applies to Araya’s physical strikes:

"The mage's left hand comes racing in.... The outcome of the fight had already been decided. His tightly clenched fist drives into Shiki’s stomach. Receiving a blow that could break through a large tree, Shiki’s body rises into the air. With just that one attack, Shiki spews out as much blood as the mage who has had his chest and neck stabbed. With a grating noise, her insides and the bones protecting them shatter.

"---."

Shiki faints. No matter how great a physique she had, her body is still that of a young girl. Even if half the power had been held back, there was no way she could withstand Araya’s attack, which could break concrete walls. Grabbing hold of her belly with one hand, the mage lifts her up and hurls her at the mansion wall. — Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Despite deliberately holding back to avoid killing Ryougi, Araya still delivers force sufficient to collapse large, rigid structures. This is often misread as a statement declaring his power is literally capped at wall/tree level. That is not the point. Origin-awakened beings do not operate under fixed physical statistics to begin with.

What the passage highlights instead is the defining trait of Stillness in combat: perfect concentration. Most attacks lose effectiveness through excess, dispersion, or misalignment, allowing opposing structures to absorb part of the impact. Araya’s strikes do not. His force is distributed with absolute coherence across the target’s entire structure, striking every stress point simultaneously. The result is not gradual damage, but immediate collapse by design.

Because of this, durability ceases to be a meaningful defense. A structure fails not because it is weak, but because it is forced to absorb perfectly aligned force everywhere at once. Even a restrained blow becomes sufficient to reduce fortified obstacles to ruin.

In this sense, Araya’s punches are less “attacks” than state changes. They do not batter an opponent down; they render the target nonfunctional in a single, decisive application of Stillness.

The only reason Ryougi Shiki is able to land a decisive hit on Araya Souren in this fight is because Araya is momentarily forced into hesitation, which runs directly contrary to Stillness.

An Origin only functions fully when its user is aligned with its directive. Stillness demands absolute completion and decisiveness. However, Araya’s plan to reach Akasha requires Shiki’s body intact. He cannot simply crush her, even though doing so would be trivial for him in combat:

Hmph, if you were so prepared, why were you cornered and brought to the brink of death by Shiki?”

“... Capturing someone alive is troublesome. I would’ve crushed her if I had gone full force. But this time will be different. I will use all my strength against someone I must kill.”

“So, you wanted Shiki’s body that badly? She’s your only path forward after all. It must have been very difficult to nearly kill her without dying. Just hope that doesn’t turn out to be a bad choice.” - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

.. In any case, if this method was inadequate then he was at a dead end. Araya thought.

That his own weakness was his fear of failure, and that had been his greatest enemy all along. If he had simply killed Ryougi Shiki from the beginning, he would never have been backed into a corner like this.

Anyhow, the curtain would now fall. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

By restraining himself, Araya introduces contradiction into his actions. He is no longer acting with total closure, but calculating outcomes and avoiding excess. This hesitation weakens the expression of Stillness.

Shiki exploits this opening. By destroying the bounded fields Araya believes will contain her, she forces him to advance prematurely, driven by anxiety rather than certainty. She then compounds this by altering her attack trajectory at the last moment, disrupting his expectation of a fixed outcome:

--- Even that, is too slow. "Still in that crouched position, Shiki puts her hand behind her. Inside the belt that tightens the kimono is the second knife. As soon as she pulled the knife out to the side from her belt, she immediately threw it at the mage.

The knife blade penetrates the two-fold ward. Like a stone skimming the water the knife bounced twice off the top of the circle, and flew towards the mage's forehead. At the speed of a bullet.

"---?!"

The mage nimbly evades. The knife nicks the edge of his ear and disappears into the corridor, and the ear which had appeared to have evaded the attack has been carved off. Flesh, blood, broken bone. Brain fluid leaks out of the wound.

"--- Ugh."

The mage lets out a groan. Faster than that however --- he felt an impact that skewered his body. Thud, and a white darkness lands upon the mage's body. By the time the mage grasped that this was Shiki, who had charged straight at him after throwing the knife, the outcome of the fight had already been decided. Driving into his body shoulder first, Shiki's single blow had the same force as a cannon shell. Just that alone would have broken a few bones, but Shiki is clenching a silver knife in her hands. The knife is perfectly penetrating the centre of the mage's chest.

"Ug --- gh."

The mage coughs out blood. His blood was a sand-like powder. When Shiki removed the knife she straight away thrusts it towards the mage's neck. With all the strength in her two hands. The fight has already been decided, but she is desperately trying to deliver another critical blow. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

The result is the only moment in the story where Araya appears physically vulnerable.

Crucially, this vulnerability does not arise from inferiority, miscalculation, or lack of power. It arises because his objective contradicts his fighting style. Stillness requires decisive finality; capturing Shiki alive requires restraint. The moment Araya chooses the latter, he abandons the former.

This scenario would not occur against any other opponent. Against anyone else, Araya would never need to hesitate, and Stillness would remain absolute.

Though already a god-tier character through this absolute, reality-bending physical combat and the passive pressure of Stillness separating his existence from natural laws, Araya Souren also possesses a signature ability that externalizes his Origin directly into magecraft. Much as Ryougi’s Mystic Eyes complement her fighting skills, Araya’s Stillness finds its most complete expression in Bounded Fields.

Bounded Fields:

Bounded Fields are conceptual wards applied to a defined territory. Once enacted, the area is redefined and separated from the outside world, allowing it to operate under a different internal logic. Even weak bounded fields can distort perception or obscure presence, creating a subtle disconnect from external reality.

"Try listening to what someone is saying. A ward itself does no harm. That word, it originates from Buddhism. A ward is always something that isolates an area from the outside world, although it has somehow come to represent a technique by which a magician protects his or her body.

Understand? I said this just before, but the best wards don't feel weird to a normal person. Let's call it 'an idea which forces itself on the unconscious mind.' The best of the best reach the stage of 'disconnection of space'; but to go that far you are looking at magicians rather than sorcerers. Currently there's only one magician in this country, so basically that kind of ward just can't be formed." — Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 4

Bounded fields function by projecting ideas onto the unconscious layer of reality, where interpretation precedes objective fact. This layer governs how space, causality, and presence are experienced rather than how they exist in theory. Just as a vivid dream can override logic through subconscious authority, a bounded field rewrites the local interpretation of natural law.

Importantly, bounded fields do not erase the outside world. They bracket it. They establish an ontologically self-contained space where external rules lose authority and only the internal definition applies.

Araya's Origin grants him unparalleled mastery over this art, to the extent that he can remove their usual limitations and carry bounded fields with him as mobile domains:

Touko had already seen through the fact that Araya had constructed three Bounded Fields arrayed around himself.

Fugu, Kongou, Dakatsu, Taiten, Chiyougiyou, Ouken.

Threads of the Magus’s web stretched across the ground and space, between planes and dimensions.

Any living thing, touching those circular lines would would have its power stopped.

... Normally, a Bounded Field was a stationary construct; a boundary that protected something immovable. Instead the enemy was performing something monstrous, carrying them with him; centered around himself as he moved. For that reason they were visible but gave off no detectable presence. In close-quarters combat, Araya Souren could be said to be invincible. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Although Araya is average as a magus, his talents relating to Bound Field construction is exceptional.

A bound field divides what is inside from the outside. In order to construct a complete world from his own body, first Araya must complete himself.

Araya, who has no exceptional talents, is able to become a first-class bound field master by completing himself through the accumulation of ages and sheer determination.

That which divides the inside from the outside, Kara no Kyoukai is his story.

Araya symbolizes the paradoxical spiral, the most important event in this tale.

Talking about the impossible, what Araya accomplished is like achieving the pinnacle within a field while being completely oblivious of even the name of this subject field. - Garden of sinners Pamphlet: Kara no Kyoukai Settings Glossary

As the glossary notes, Araya reaches the pinnacle of bounded field mastery not through technical study, but through the accumulation of ages and absolute internal coherence.

A boundary defines the limits of all things. It separates distinct existences and preserves internal coherence. Once boundaries are breached entirely, structure collapses into noise and nonsense. By completing himself, Araya separates his existence from reality itself, gaining the ability to define and enforce limits within his surroundings while preserving his own internal coherence.

He embodies the principle without conceptualizing it as a discipline ("achieving the pinnacle within a field while being completely oblivious of even the name of this subject field"). In effect, Araya does not cast bounded fields. He extends himself.

This is why Araya can carry them with him. A bounded field normally protects something immobile. Araya himself is the immobile center. The fields move because he moves, and anything entering their orbit is immediately evaluated and suspended.

In the anime adaptation, Araya’s bounded fields are depicted as simple horizontal circles projected on the ground. While visually striking, this is a simplification. The novel describes a far more abstract and telling structure:

Shiki saw it.

The three circular shapes stretching out from under the black man's feet.

--- Her body, was heavy... ?

The three circles that protected the mage, they resembled a diagram displaying the orbital path of a star. Three thin and long circles are overlapping each other as they rise up from the floor to the air. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

They resemble orbital paths or a gyroscopic system, akin to an armillary sphere: completed orbits that strike by presence alone. This imagery is deliberate. The fields do not merely block or repel. They define a closed domain, enforcing Stillness by arresting motion, power, and causality the moment something crosses the boundary.

In close-quarters combat, this makes him functionally invincible. Opponents are not struck down through superior technique, but rendered nonfunctional simply by entering his completed world.

Crucially, The novel explicitly confirms that Araya’s bounded fields are not physical constructs, but abstract concepts: 

The mage clicks his tongue in exasperation. He hadn't considered the possibility that Shiki's Mystic Eyes of Death Perception would be so powerful. To think that she could kill a concept like a ward which had no form, or life — that kind of absolute power —. — Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

Araya never even considers the possibility of the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception being capable of affecting them, because bounded fields are not objects that exist in space. They are not things you can locate, strike, or dismantle. They simply are, in the same way the law of gravity or inertia simply exists.

This is why they cannot normally be destroyed. There is nothing to destroy and nothing to target in the first place. Attempting to attack them is akin to trying to strike the idea that grass is green.

The novel further emphasizes their nonlocal nature:

Threads of the magus’s web stretched across the ground and space, between planes and dimensions.

Any living thing, touching those circular lines, would have its power stopped. — Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

Bounded fields are therefore not limited to physical space. They stretch across planes and dimensions, enclosing and redefining existence itself within their bounds. Functionally, they act as passive reality-structuring ideas, forcing reality inside them to behave according to Araya Souren’s internal world. Any living being or moving phenomenon that touches their boundary is denied agency, allowing Araya to analyze it and decide how to proceed.

A helpful way to understand Araya Souren’s bounded fields is to think of them less as defensive barriers and more as trigger zones or mode shifts in a video game. Entering such an area does not involve colliding with a wall; instead, it activates a new set of rules. Healing may be disabled, time may slow, damage may be amplified. Nothing physically blocks the player, yet what is possible within the space is fundamentally altered.

Araya’s bounded fields function in the same way. They are invisible rule sets that redefine what can occur within their domain. Crossing the boundary does not result in impact, but in reassignment: agency is suspended, motion is evaluated, and all action proceeds according to Araya’s internal order rather than external reality.

And they aren't immune to just physical or elemental phenomena. Even if the opponent is one of the rare types that can alter the abstract laws of reality, they cannot breach the fields. This is because they are extensions of Araya's own being:

Although Araya is average as a magus, his talents relating to Bound Field construction are exceptional. A bound field divides what is inside from the outside. In order to construct a complete world from his own body, first Araya must complete himself. Araya, who has no exceptional talents, is able to become a first-class bound field master by completing himself through the accumulation of ages and sheer determination. That which divides the inside from the outside — Kara no Kyoukai is his story. – Garden of sinners Pamphlet: Kara no Kyoukai Settings Glossary

And Araya's inner essence is severed from natural law, to the point reality reads him as "dead" and his presence cannot even be perceived unless he decides to act:

This bastard, I can’t see him…

The death she could see on people if she merely wished to, this man doesn’t have any… upon this man, those lines were too faint. The mage's discourse continues."As a reference, I do not die. My origin is 'suspension'. Someone who has woken to their origin becomes ruled by that origin itself. Someone who has already stopped - how can you kill him?" Shiki doesn't reply. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

The girl --- Shiki, only became aware of this man's existence after coming this close. The distance between them is not even five metres. She herself can't believe that she didn't perceive an "enemy" until he got so close to her.

No --- that wasn't all. She can't feel this man's presence although she is looking right at him, that fact steals away all of the composure she had maintained till then. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Essentially, these barriers impose this very same "N/A" essence on the surrounding reality, sourced from an existence that doesn't simply have "better reality warping", but that exits the game board entirely.

This is what makes them so dangerous. 99% of reality warping operate by editing the laws of reality, competing through versatility or superior understanding of how those laws can be altered. Araya’s bounded fields are fundamentally different. They do not participate in reality’s laws at all. They exist apart from them.

As a result, attempting to undo them through reality warping fails by default. Such attempts assume that interaction is possible in the first place. Araya’s fields automatically reject all external laws, whether natural or imposed, before they can even take effect. Only an absolute power like the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, which can target meaning itself regardless of form or properties, is capable of killing these wards.

This is the true power of Araya Souren.

As a direct feat supporting their scope, these boundaries could halt even Touko's projected familiar:

“Ouken.”

The cat completely stopped its devouring of Alba’s body… The cat was caught in one of the three Bounded Fields that the man in black was carrying with him and thus could no longer move.

— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5 

Touko’s familiar is not a conventional living creature. It is a projection generated by a device concealed within her bag:

It is not used as a bag, and is stuffed with a projector-like mechanism.

A projection machine that perjures a magical creature of shadow. - Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Orange Bag [Others]

“A shadow-puppet familiar is it? I see. That would explain why it could nullify all attacks. Even if the ether body projected into the atmosphere was destroyed, as long as the projector, the true body, kept running, it could revive endlessly... It’s a shame, I have to remove such a genius.” - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Because the familiar is a projection, destroying or erasing its manifested body does not defeat it. Its true source remains intact and can simply generate a new manifestation. This also allows it to ignore conventional limits of motion or speed. Rather than traversing space, its position is continuously redefined relative to its true body, giving the impression of instantaneous movement or phasing.

This is why it remains completely unaffected by Alba’s flames exceeding 1000°C:

Instantly, the black cat starts running.

Crossing the marble floor as if it were sliding along, it runs up the stairs. ...Even so, the cat's feet do not move. Only its eye moves as its sitting shadow races towards the red coated human.

Sucking dry all the oxygen in the lobby in an ins tant, the sea of flame instantly erased the black cat from the world. That was only to be expected, too. These thaumatergical flames that were well over a 1000 degrees Celsius. Any animal that entered them would soon be melted like butter and turn from a solid to a gas. Passing through the liquid stage wouldn't have taken the time required for a comma.

But Alba saw it.

The impossible shape of the black cat, suddenly appearing once all the flames had burned themselves out.

"--- That can't be right." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Yet Araya’s bounded fields suspend it instantly.

This is not because the familiar is physically constrained, but because bounded fields do not operate on physical interaction. They impose a conceptual restriction. Within their bounds, agency itself is denied. The projection is caught not as an object, but as an active phenomenon subject to definition.

"But the familiar's paralysis was just an act, it was able to move later on"

Yes, but the familiar is able to move again only because its true source lies outside the bounded field. By generating a new projection from beyond the boundary, it can reassert itself despite the field’s rules. This is not something a normal opponent can replicate. It requires an external anchor completely independent of the enclosed domain.

This feat confirms the nature of Araya’s bounded fields: they do not merely block movement or overpower targets. They suspend existence-as-action within their bounds, regardless of whether that existence is physical, projected, or immaterial.

------

After establishing the general scope of Araya Souren’s bounded fields, we can now examine their individual mechanical functions. Araya has developed six distinct laws that his fields can impose on reality:

Touko had already seen through the fact that Araya had constructed three Bounded Fields arrayed around himself.

Fugu, Kongou, Dakatsu, Taiten, Chiyougiyou, Ouken.
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

1. The first law, Fugu, forms the innermost layer of Araya’s defense and governs his immediate surroundings:

Fugu, the Magus’s first Bounded Field protected the most immediate surroundings. — Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

At its core, Fugu enforces the foundational separation between Araya and the outside world. It negates progress and forward momentum directed toward him. Any action whose purpose is to reach Araya is halted at the boundary:

Before that, the mage intoned.

"Fugu"

The air changes.

Shiki's body suddenly stops.

As soon as she stepped over the outermost line of that circle, Shiki's body lost all of its momentum. Like a jeopardised butterfly caught a spider's web. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Maybe it was because he underestimated Enjou Tomoe? Tomoe’s mind only registered one line, not three like that time with Shiki.

The line covered an area of about one meter, just before the Magus.

Enjou Tomoe didn’t know of a way to avoid it.

So he confronted it directly.

His body suddenly came to a stop. The toes that were kicking off the ground lost their power.

There was nothing he could do, really. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

No force originating from a living being is allowed to meaningfully interact with Araya. If an entity attempts to advance toward him, its movement is arrested, as if caught in a spider’s web or trapped in a silent gravitational well. The more effort applied to reaching him, the more completely that motion is bound. This applies not only to physical movement, but also to teleportation, ranged attacks, or reality-altering effects whose explicit function is to target Araya.

However, Fugu does not actively attack or suppress phenomena indiscriminately. It only binds progress directed toward Araya himself. Actions that are not aimed at him are allowed to proceed normally. This includes lateral movement, retreat, or actions directed at oneself.

This distinction is why Enjou Tomoe is able to bypass the field through self-harm:

“Because I was here.”

He shot forth.

One leg had broken with a loud sound.

Thanks to that, he started collapsing forward allowing him to move.
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

Enjou’s action was directed at his own body, not at Araya. Fugu therefore had nothing to act upon. The resulting forward displacement occurred as a secondary consequence of that self-directed action, allowing him to close the distance despite the barrier.

The same principle applies to Ryougi Shiki’s thrown knife:

The knife blade penetrates the two-fold ward. Like a stone skimming the water the knife bounced twice off the top of the circle, and flew towards the mage’s forehead. At the speed of a bullet.

“—?!”

The mage nimbly evades. The knife nicks the edge of his ear and disappears into the corridor…
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

In this case, the knife was not initially aimed at Araya, but at the bounded field itself. Only after the ward was destroyed did the knife abruptly change trajectory and become a direct attack on Araya, which is why he was completely caught off guard. This maneuver is only possible because Shiki’s Origin allows her to defy fixed outcomes and redefine actions mid-execution. It is not a bypass that ordinary opponents can replicate.

Fugu’s role becomes even clearer during Shiki’s Self-Hypnosis state:

Fugu, the Magus’s first Bounded Field protected the most immediate surroundings. Its protection forced her steps to be slightly more shallow allowing the Magus to escape a fatal wound.
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

Even when Shiki’s swordsmanship transcends distance, sequence, and conventional limits (refer to her dedicated section for a detailed breakdown), a direct sword slash is still an action aimed unambiguously at Araya. As such, Fugu is able to bind it. The fact that this restraint is only partial speaks to the exceptional nature of Self-Hypnosis, but the fact that it functions at all is highly significant.

In short, Fugu automatically halts any action whose purpose is to reach or strike Araya, provided that action can be clearly identified as such. Because the field exists extremely close to his body, attacks aimed at the barrier itself are effectively indistinguishable from attacks aimed at Araya and are likewise stopped. Only highly indirect actions, self-directed shifts, or uniquely elusive fighters like Ryougi Shiki can exploit the narrow logical gaps in its function.

This is why Fugu is the first barrier. It is the weakest in terms of scope, yet by far the hardest to bypass, because it does not overpower actions, but denies them the very condition of being directed at Araya in the first place.

2. The second barrier, Kongou, is notably unclear at first glance, as the novel never explicitly demonstrates its effect beyond activation:

“Kongou.”

Piercing the air with one hand, the mage shouts while facing Shiki.

Shiki found a line coming up from the floor.
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

However, its function can be inferred from both its placement and its name. Kongou refers to adamantine or diamond, a Buddhist symbol of absolute indestructibility and immutability. Unlike Fugu, which establishes the initial separation between Araya and external actions, Kongou stabilizes that separation as a permanent condition.

Kongou is therefore a true defensive barrier. It does not merely block attacks or repel force. It renders all external actions incapable of producing an effect once they reach Araya’s boundary. An action may still be performed, but it cannot meaningfully alter, damage, or influence anything beyond Kongou. In this sense, interaction itself is nullified.

This makes Kongou fundamentally different from Fugu. Fugu prevents actions from reaching Araya in the first place. Kongou ensures that even if an action reaches the boundary, it cannot do anything. The result is an unchangeable, immutable division between inside and outside.

3. Dakatsu is the final barrier in the passive system Araya carries around himself, and the outermost layer opponents must contend with once his bounded fields are fully deployed. Unlike Fugu, which defensively halts actions specifically aimed at Araya, Dakatsu actively suppresses all motion within its domain:

“Dakatsu.”

All movement is being cut off around the mage.

Shiki saw it.

The three circular shapes stretching out from under the black man’s feet.

— Her body, was heavy… ?

The three circles that protected the mage, they resembled a diagram displaying the orbital path of a star. Three thin and long circles are overlapping each other as they rise up from the floor to the air.
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

Within Dakatsu’s bounds, motion itself is denied. The victim’s body becomes unbearably heavy, not because of increased mass, but because action is continuously pressed into non-action. This effect applies not only to living beings, but to phenomena as well. Anything that attempts to move or exert influence is forcibly stabilized into stillness, enforcing Araya’s internal order onto the surrounding space.

After Fugu withdraws Araya from interaction by halting directed intent, and Kongou stabilizes his internal state, Dakatsu completes the system by projecting that finished order outward. It does not wait for interference to occur; it suppresses it preemptively, before it can meaningfully manifest.

The only actions that can momentarily slip past Dakatsu are purely reflexive or instinctual responses, especially those enhanced by an Origin awakening such as Shiki’s:

At the moment the tips of the mage’s fingers touch her face, Shiki twisted her head as if recoiling from them. Just like that, she shifts her body to the side and stabs the mage’s arm with her knife.
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

Even then, such movements are fleeting. They do not break Dakatsu’s control, but merely spike through it for an instant before suppression reasserts itself. Sustained action remains impossible.

Crucially, Araya demonstrates the ability to invoke Dakatsu even after his bounded fields have been destroyed, by channeling it directly through his body:

“—Dakatsu…!”

He used his remaining left arm to block Ryougi Shiki’s katana…

Simultaneously, his right arm that had been cut off sprung up by itself. The arm slithered like a snake across the floor, and pounced at Ryougi Shiki’s neck.
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

This is possible because Araya’s bounded fields are not independent constructs, but externalizations of his completed self:

A bound field divides what is inside from the outside. In order to construct a complete world from his own body, first Araya must complete himself.- – Garden of sinners Pamphlet: Kara no Kyoukai Settings Glossary

The laws they enforce originate from his being. When the fields are erased, their effects can still be applied through direct contact, albeit with reduced scope.

In this instance, the severed arm reintroduces Dakatsu locally, briefly immobilizing Shiki through crushing suppression. That momentary denial of motion creates an opening for Araya to press the advantage.

Now, The remaining three laws are active invocations, which can only be deployed once Araya’s passive system of bounded fields is fully established.

4. Taiten is a corrective law that negates any action whose result contradicts Araya’s internal order:

At the moment the tips of the mage’s fingers touch her face, Shiki twisted her head as if recoiling from them. Just like that she shifts her body to the side and stabs the mage’s arm with her knife. Tung, the knife made a dull noise as it severed the mage’s left wrist.

“Taiten.”

The mage pronounces. The knife blade definitely passed through the mage’s wrist, but it doesn’t fall from the arm. The edge passed through it cleanly as if cutting a turnip, but the mage’s hand doesn’t even have a wound upon it.
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

Notably, Araya invokes Taiten after the strike has already landed. The wound leaves no trace, as if it never occurred. This indicates that Taiten does not merely block damage, but retroactively invalidates it, restoring Araya’s body to the state dictated by his Stillness.

"But Araya mentioned the Sarira in this scene, saying Shiki was naive to attack them".

--- Still inexperienced. I've embedded a Buddha's remains in this left hand. There are no places where you can easily kill it, not even with the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. A simple act like cutting it, Araya Soren will not be hurt by such things." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

This is an understandable point of confusion. However, we later see the Sarira function as a passive defensive blessing, negating attacks through resistance rather than correction:

He blocked Ryougi Shiki’s katana with his remaining left arm. The left arm embedded with the Sarira was still in good condition in his body. Even Ryougi Shiki cannot easily cut the protection of a saint.
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

What occurs during the Taiten invocation is categorically different. The attack is not resisted; it is undone. Araya’s remark about the Sarira simply means that, even without Taiten, the specific location Shiki struck was a particularly poor choice. The negation itself, however, is the result of Taiten.

Taiten therefore functions as a corrective principle: within Araya’s closed domain, outcomes he does not accept are denied retroactively, as if they never took place.

5. Chiyougyou is a law that invalidates agency and will itself. It manifests as overwhelming dread and despair when Araya makes direct contact, most notably through his right hand:

“Chiyougyou.”

His right hand moves. The right hand that he pushed forward in anticipation of Shiki’s movements after she escaped his left hand, it has a solid grasp upon her. Grabbing the girl’s face with one hand, the mage lifts Shiki’s body into the air. Even if Shiki was a girl he looked like a ghost or a monster as he lifted up a human with one arm.

“Ah —.”

Shiki’s voice was shaking. There is no awareness in that moan-like sound. All that can be felt from this man’s hand is a crushing despair. That lanced through her flesh to reach her brain, and from there it rode down her spine to invade her whole body.
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

Where Dakatsu applies external suppression by denying motion, Chiyougyou applies internal pressure. It crushes the target’s will directly, flooding the nervous system with despair and forcing complete submission. The effect does not merely paralyze the body; it collapses the mental and volitional foundation required to act at all.

Chiyougyou is therefore reserved for the rare opponents capable of momentarily resisting Araya’s passive system. After their actions are corrected by Taiten, Chiyougyou presses them fully into non-action by suppressing the very will that enables resistance. Powers derived from intent, instinct, or awakened Origins cannot be meaningfully expressed once agency itself is crushed.

The only reason Ryougi Shiki is able to escape is because she perceives the Lines of Death on Araya’s physical body. This absolute truth allows her Origin to act before Chiyougyou’s suppression can fully take hold:

Shiki doesn't reply. She threw away all her emotions, and bent all her energies to finding those faint lines upon the man's body. Ignoring both the paralysing despair running riot in her body and the pain crushing her face, she tries to find that one breach. But before she could. The mage looked over the girl he was holding in the air, and made a decision.

"--- That's right. The face is useless."

An emotionless voice. The mage puts strength into his arm for the first time. Crackle, the sound of bone breaking can be heard. In that instant ---The right arm that attempted to pulverise the face of the girl called Ryougi Shiki, this time it really does get cut off.

"--- Mmm. "

The mage retreats a bit. Having cut off the mage's arm at the elbow while still in that floating position, Shiki pulled off the hand clinging to her face and quickly pulled back. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

She does not overcome the despair through willpower; she bypasses it by striking at a deeper, inescapable fact of existence.

6. The final law, Ouken, is the most terrifying of Araya Souren’s abilities:

"Ouken"

Suddenly, a short rhyme was sung out.

The cat completely stopped its devouring of Alba’s body.

Even Touko, who had been watching from the sidelines, reacted to the voice.

From behind Alba there was a man.

He bore a facial expression that was filled with anguish and wore a black overcoat.

Though no trace had given away his existence prior, he appeared so naturally it was like he had been there the entire time.

The man in black grabbed Alba with both hands and effortlessly pulled him from the jaws of the cat and dumped him on the floor. The cat was caught in one of the three Bounded Fields that the man in black was carrying with him and thus could no longer move. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

At first glance, this may appear similar to Dakatsu, but notice what happens in this scene: the shadow familiar is not resisting, struggling, or being crushed by external pressure. Araya is able to casually reach inside it, interacting with its interior as though its resistance no longer exists at all.

This is because Ouken does not suppress motion. It suspends existence.

Ouken is the law that allows Araya to internalize a target into his personal order. Once this occurs, the target becomes “completed” in the same sense that Araya himself is completed: a resolved existence that no longer participates in contradiction, progression, or becoming. From the outside, this appears as absolute stasis. In truth, what has been removed is not motion, but the need for motion.

A being affected by Ouken ceases to function as an active entity in reality and instead becomes a completed idea, unaffected by worldly definitions. It can be contemplated, but it cannot meaningfully interact. It no longer expresses purpose, intent, or process unless those are required by Araya’s internal system.

This is why Araya can effortlessly extract Alba from within the shadow familiar. From the perspective of Araya’s completed order, the act of devouring Alba is not a defining requirement of what a “shadow familiar” is. That function is therefore unnecessary, and unnecessary functions are discarded.

In effect, Ouken causes something to "switch" ontology. The target ceases to be something that exists outside Araya and becomes an inside concept, governed entirely by Stillness. Once internalized, it obeys the same principle as Araya himself: no excess motion, no contradiction, no participation beyond what is strictly required. You can think of it as a gentler counterpart to the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. Instead of erasing something by imposing death, it completes it, removing the need to suffer, change, or die by ending its participation in those processes.

This also makes Ouken the only law whose effect is permanent. Even if Araya leaves and his bounded fields no longer envelop the target, it would remain in this state, as Ouken suspends existence itself, leaving nothing for reality to undo.

-----

So, to summarize: Fugu denies approach, Kongou denies effect, Dakatsu denies motion, Taiten denies outcomes, Chiyougyou denies will, Ouken denies becoming itself. Each law progressively filters and edits opposition out of existence, until they are perfectly aligned with Araya's own logic.

However, despite his wards being already absurdly powerful, there remains one last layer to Araya's capabilities; the Sarira:

The Sarira:

The Sarira are sacred relics of an enlightened Buddha embedded within Araya Souren’s left hand:

“— Still inexperienced. I’ve embedded a Buddha’s remains in this left hand. There are no places where you can easily kill it, not even with the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. A simple act like cutting it, Araya Souren will not be hurt by such things.”
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

He blocked Ryougi Shiki’s katana with his remaining left arm. The left arm embedded with the Sarira was still in good condition in his body. Even Ryougi Shiki cannot easily cut the protection of a saint.
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

As revealed, Araya’s left arm is fused with the physical remains of a Buddha: a saint who attained Enlightenment, transcending the cycle of life and death. As a result, the Sarira possess no ordinary point of death. Even metaphysical attacks such as the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception struggle to act upon them, because Enlightenment represents a state that transcends worldly definitions and simply is.

In this sense, Enlightenment can be understood as a pure form of completion, closely aligned with the ideal of Stillness that Araya’s Origin pursues. The Sarira therefore function as an extraordinarily powerful localized defense. Upon contact, external actions are not resisted so much as rendered meaningless. A sword ceases to function as a sword, fire ceases to function as fire, and even the Mystic Eyes lose their usual authority.

Within the sanctified coherence of the Sarira, foreign definitions are simply not admitted. There is nothing to act upon, because the Sarira no longer participate in anything outside their own existence.

This is why even Self-Hypnosis Shiki struggles against them. Her Origin of Nothingness embodies unlimited possibility and indeterminacy, whereas the Sarira represent absolute coherence and resolved being. The two are conceptual opposites: freedom through indeterminacy clashing against completion through transcendence.

Despite their sanctity, the Sarira share the same fundamental limitation as Araya himself: their reliance on a physical anchor to exist within reality:

“— Indeed, I was foolish. I should have had all the proof I needed after the events at the hospital. Whether it is dead or alive, if it moves you cut off the root of that motion. That is your ability. Even if I am a stopped organism, as long I exist like this there is a thread that permits my existence. If that is cut I would definitely die. The unique exception is this left arm, but even that can’t be hidden forever. No matter which saint’s bone it is as long as it functions there will always be a cause for that movement.”
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

Araya himself acknowledges that the Sarira cannot resist the Mystic Eyes indefinitely. The Eyes do not attack power, protection, or sanctity; they sever the fact of existence itself. As long as the Sarira function within reality, they must possess a minimal causal thread. That dependency can eventually be exposed.

This is why Self-Hypnosis Shiki is ultimately able to shatter the Sarira. It is not because she overpowers their sanctity, but because her own embodiment of Nothingness temporarily cancels out their abstract protection, reducing the interaction to one where physical force becomes relevant. This circumstance is uniquely specific to Shiki.

Against any ordinary opponent, the Sarira remain an absolute defense. Only powers capable of striking directly at the fact of existence itself can meaningfully challenge them, and even those do so with extreme difficulty.

Fun fact: Buddha from Fate/Extra is literally inferior to his later self whose remains Araya embedded in his arm, yet he is already this powerful:

A Bodhisattva is a god of universe scale and power, and can easily manage things on the scale of the Solar System. - Fate/Extra Material

Despite bearing the name and authority of a Buddha, he still participates in reality as an embodied existence. He has not attained true Enlightenment in the absolute sense, which would require transcending even physical existence and becoming a purely abstract state. Yet even in this incomplete condition, he wields authority on a cosmic scale, capable of governing the cosmos and its natural laws.

This contrast highlights the significance of the Sarira. They are not the remains of a Buddha who still acts within reality, but relics of one who has already escaped it. Their authority does not come from control over laws, but from having surpassed the need for them entirely. As a result, the Sarira do not merely resist external force; they override it through sanctified completion, explaining their extraordinary defensive power.

------

Summary of Araya Souren's combat abilities:

Araya Souren is a completed existence that does not operate on the same terms as the universe, but on his own. His Origin severs him from natural laws entirely, passively shielding him from all non-local or indirect methods of attack, including reality warping, conceptual interference, and death-inducing effects. Such phenomena fail because Araya no longer participates in the causal framework they rely on.

The only vulnerable component of his existence is his physical body, which nevertheless possesses the following properties:

1. A body restructured by Stillness.
   His physical form continuously reconfigures its internal structure to transcend fixed biological and physical limits, guided by an abstract directive rather than natural function. As a result, his movements leave no graspable process, and his attacks concentrate force so perfectly that any structure struck collapses by design. Even without his Origin, his fighting style already surpasses modern martial arts, as his body has been refined into a perfect instrument for his intent to kill.

2. The Sarira embedded in his left hand.
   His left arm houses the Sarira, sacred relics of an enlightened Buddha. As a completed existence that transcended reality itself, the Sarira negate all interaction originating from within reality. Upon contact, attacks lose meaning entirely. Weapons cease to be weapons, fire ceases to burn, and even metaphysical abilities are nullified.

3. Passive protection via mobile bounded fields.
   Araya is constantly surrounded by bounded fields that enclose existence within his internal order. These fields suppress motion, activity, and will, functioning as abstract laws with no form or life. They do not interact with external phenomena; they reject them outright. As a result, they cannot be dismantled or overridden, as they do not recognize interaction unless Araya himself permits it.

This makes Araya easily the most powerful character in the verse already (Excluding Shiki). Seriously, envision he fights a Type:

-A Type cannot meaningfully harm Araya through abstract or reality-warping abilities. Such powers fail by default, as Araya does not obey any laws external to his own. His bounded fields further subsume or reject any imposed phenomenon before it can take effect. Their only way to deal damage at all is to directly strike his physical body.

-If the Type then attempts to engage him physically, it is immediately arrested and neutralized by his bounded fields. At that point, Araya can either cripple its physical form with a single strike or invoke Ouken to remove it from active existence altogether.

-Any attempt at resistance is invalidated by Taiten, which negates contradictory outcomes retroactively, while Chiyougyou suppresses the opponent’s will itself, preventing further action.

-Even in the near-impossible scenario where an opponent somehow bypasses his bounded fields, any direct attack is blocked by the Sarira. Araya then counters with his Stillness-enhanced combat, granting him demon-like speed that “doesn’t even let you grasp the process of approaching” and perfectly concentrated force capable of shattering solid structures even while deliberately holding back the majority of his strength.

-----

Yet, believe it or not, this still isn't the full extent of Araya's capabilities.

Everything discussed so far describes Araya Souren as a combatant, but his Origin was never meant to end in battle; it was meant to prepare a space where interference becomes impossible:

True Sorcerer Araya Souren (The Mobius Ring):

Araya’s greatest achievement in the story goes far beyond combat or even personal invulnerability. His Origin of Stillness ultimately culminates in the creation of not merely an independent domain, but an independent creation or cosmos. Through the refinement of bounded fields to their absolute extreme, Araya reaches a mystery that transcends magecraft entirely.

Touko Aozaki foreshadows this outcome when she explains that bounded fields, when perfected, can cross a fundamental threshold:

Understand? I said this just before, but the best wards don't feel weird to a normal person. Let's call it "an idea which forces itself on the unconscious mind". The best of the best reach the stage of "disconnection of space"; but to go that far you are looking at magicians rather than sorcerers. Currently there's only one magician in this country, so basically that kind of ward just can't be formed.
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 4

Later, Touko explicitly identifies Araya as having achieved precisely this impossible state through the bounded field surrounding the Ogawa apartment complex:

“Sure, you didn’t make a mistake. For you as a Magus, this is the best solution. But, what if the assumption itself is a mistake? You isolated Shiki? Not in a room somewhere in this apartment complex, but you isolated her in this apartment complex itself? A Bounded Field that achieves spacial isolation is already on the level of Magic. It’s a miracle that only a Bounded Field expert like you could create.”
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

The narration reinforces this conclusion here too:

No, it wasn't magecraft. A mystery that used a twisted dimension of this level was already no longer on the level of magecraft.

This was — that was right, a mystery of a province unreachable with today's knowledge. There was no doubt that this was an act of absolute power that human hands could not reach, magic.
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

The text is deliberate and unambiguous. Araya does not merely push magecraft to its limits; he crosses into the domain of True Magic, achieving a result comparable in category to that of acknowledged Magicians such as Aoko Aozaki (the "only one magician in this country" Touko mentioned). A lot of people stubbornly deny this, but the text speaks for itself. Denying this is denying the story outright.

To understand why this matters, it is necessary to clarify the distinction between magecraft and True Magic.

Magecraft, regardless of scale, operates within the world’s existing framework. It rearranges, accelerates, or exploits possibilities that reality already permits. Even its greatest rituals obey the principle of equivalent exchange: something is gained only by transforming something else. Magecraft may appear miraculous, but its results remain achievable in principle through sufficient time, resources, or technology.

Although magecraft gave the impression of omnipotence, it fundamentally produced Mystery through the principle of equivalent exchange.

It was possible to transform one thing into another, but it was impossible to produce something from nothing.

However, the essence of magecraft as a discipline was to challenge that “Nothingness,” and endeavor towards the impossible. Large-scale spells such as the so-called Grand Sorceries, Grand Rituals were really purposeless if not for attempting to reach “ ” (kara) or True Magic.

Kara no Kyoukai was a story of one magus’ attempt at challenging “Nothingness. - Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphelt - Magecraft [Other]

The art we call sorcery, it's definitely something outside our everyday reality. In the end, though, it's still nothing more than making something that is possible normally happen under extraordinary circumstances. Should I give you an example?

Take making it rain, for example. Whether it's through science or magic, the result is indistinguishable. It's just that the method is different; the amount of effort that goes into it is nearly the same. Sorcery may appear to be the work of an instant, but the preparatory steps required are extensive. If you take the time and money spent, it’s nearly equivalent to making the rainclouds with science. In the past, that really was something close to a miracle. By today's standards, however, it's not a miracle or anything of the sort. Previously, any mage that could turn a whole village to ashes was hailed as a wizard, but these days if you have money, that's something anyone can do. All that is required is to throw one missile.” - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

True Magic is categorically different. It performs what the current reality deems impossible. It does not rearrange the world’s rules; it bypasses them entirely. A Magician does not imitate reality or push its limits. They produce results the world itself cannot account for.

This distinction is not a matter of power, but of ontological status.

And it is precisely this boundary that Araya Souren crosses.

Araya’s normal bounded fields are not True Magic yet because they sever interaction, not existence. They reject external laws and overwrite causality within their bounds, but they still remain defined relative to an outside reality, even as they reject its authority.

True Magic begins only when this dependence disappears entirely. When space itself is disconnected, no boundary remains that can be described as “inside” or “outside,” and no higher-order reality exists to reject or override. Araya’s mobile bounded fields approach this limit, but only the Ogawa apartment complex crosses it by becoming a space the world cannot reference at all.

In fact, as stated directly in the text, the bounded field surrounding the Ogawa apartment complex exists beyond the reach of physical law itself:

A twisted dimension of this level should be completely separated from the physical laws of the outside world. Preparations for opening the path were finished long ago, Aozaki." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

This is decisive. The laws of physics are the governing parameters of Gaia’s reality, defining how phenomena interact, persist, and decay. Yet Araya’s realm explicitly discards them. Not by denying or replacing them, as his bounded fields do, but by rendering them irrelevant altogether.

Araya achieved this state by first guiding the original residents of the building to collapse according to their own inherent nature. Once they died, he connected their brains to puppets constructed by Cornelius Alba, which were programmed to relive those same deaths endlessly. Through this process, Araya was able to observe every possible manner in which a human life could fail:

"This is just an experiment. I wanted to find out if a human could indeed meet an end other than their own. A human must die. But for every human there is only a foreordained death. The death that one person meets, there is only one kind. One who dies in a fire will die by fire no matter what form their death takes, and one who is murdered by their family is murdered by their family no matter how hard they struggle. Even if they confront the first death and run away from it, the second, and the third death will come only through the foreordained method. This limited death, we call it our lifespan. A human has even his way of dying decided for him. However if you were to repeat the same end a couple of thousand times, even that spiral would develop errors. It doesn't matter if the error is a trivial one. Just being unlucky enough to be hit by a car on the way home from work is sufficient.

 --- but. As of now the result is the same. It appears that one's destiny does not change with only around two hundred repetitions." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

From this, Araya discovered that all forms of collapse are hard-coded into a being’s fundamental nature. Simply attempting to brute-force one’s way out of suffering through repetition proved pointless, as death merely reasserted itself through different methods until the predetermined outcome was enforced. Quantity alone changed nothing.

As a result, Araya shifted his approach. Rather than increasing the number of deaths, he refined their classification:

What’s important is not the quantity of death. It is the quality of death. Tracing back to the source, the forms a death can take can be categorized into broader distinctions. Dissecting the possibilities of death into every possible route, I arrived at the sixty-four possibilities present here. Here I have gathered the people who shoulder those varieties of death. Therefore, this place is a microcosm of the whole world. By experiencing their suffering, I am able to comprehend their suffering. I am able to simplify the eight divine signs into four simple forms and arrive at Ryougi, the Two Forms.” - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Within this building that repeats the spiral of daily life, the original form of all the deaths that humans experience is swirling around. The records that the physical body called Araya Souren contained until now, this building has succeeded him as their container. This place was him, his will itself.

... So, that meant that she was inside his body.

Touko observed the atmosphere filling the lobby as she muttered to herself. The strained air wasn't for Araya's benefit. Rather, it was the soundless hatred of all the residents who had been murdered by this building.

This amount of hatred that threatens to crush even her, day by day, Araya keeps expanding it. To borrow his words it wasn't the amount he was increasing but the quality. Since in the end, all those hundreds of deaths were but one identical way of dying.

Murder born from love, in other words family, lover, mother, father, child.

Murder born of hatred, in other words family, lover, friend, upperclassman, stranger.

Various ways of dying for various reasons.

Repeated everyday, a conclusion that keeps getting clearer.

--- Death, becoming denser.

This building is a spell. An altar constructed to solidify Araya Soren's will. In order to carry out magecraft of a grand scale you needed not only an incantation and your own prana, but also the sacrifice of other lives and the strength of the land itself. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Quality over quantity. Instead of mindlessly accumulating death, Araya analyzed why death happens and categorized all of the underlying causes behind seemingly disconnected outcomes. By experiencing the suffering of these different forms of dying, Araya gradually resolved them within himself, refining his understanding until he could perfectly distinguish which paths lead to collapse and which allow a being to exist without contradiction.

As a result, the building became a microcosm of the world, a space where every possible law reality uses to enforce entropy is recorded, analyzed, and corrected. A containment lab for every method the world can use to destroy order. Ultimately, by distilling those 64 archetypes of death, Araya traced to the Taiji itself:

A temple of Taiji. It could be called the artificial manifestation of the inner landscape of Araya Souren, who did not have a Reality Marble. — Garden of sinners Pamphlet: Kara no Kyoukai Settings Glossary

If you use this building a path will definitely open. Since its the realization of the Taeguekdo, a hole would certainly appear. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

I have created a world that concludes within a single day. However it can’t become a Ryougi – the Two Forms – just because life and death are next to each other. If it isn’t the life and death of the same people, it is insufficient as a place to enshrine you. It’s incomplete as a spiral where you come to life after you die. If the condition is for them to be incompatible while mixing with each other, there’s no solution but to connect the two. Therefore, in the Yin I prepared their corpses, and in the Yang I prepared their daily lives.” - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

The Taiji represents the totality of existence, the conceptual “map” explaining how Yin and Yang interact and express the potential of the One. This is the blueprint reality is based on, but also what reality is unable to indefinitely sustain without causing death and suffering:

Taiji [Others] A philosophical concept originating in ancient China, the Taiji is a graphical representation of the Yin-Yang theory. It captures the essence of existence on a conceptual level: what is active is defined as Yang (white), and what is passive is defined as Yin (black). The Taiji symbolizes opposing concepts such as day and night, light and darkness, male and female, and so on. It is also a condensed version of the ever-changing, dynamic nature of the world. Furthermore, there is a dot of Yin within Yang, and a dot of Yang within Yin, indicating that the distinction between the two is not absolute. Darkness exists even within light. The Taiji represents the "One" at the beginning; the division of the "One" into Yin and Yang is referred to as Liangyi, or "Ryougi." - Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Taiji

This is a continuation on the subject of the Taiji, but the division of the chaotic 「　」 into two is Ryougi. In order to further stabilize this, and in order to increase the number of classes available, they divide it into four phenomena. They then further increase the complexity by cutting it into eight trigrams. Like this, they keep dividing by a base of two. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

By understanding all the possible ways something can die, Araya eventually learned how to construct internally consistent elements that would no longer fall to contradiction, existing exactly as they are intended to be. He applied this understanding to every possible expression of the Taiji, effectively completing each form of existence and sealing it from suffering and death, allowing for the construction of a completed cosmos that embodies his understanding:

“Wait Araya. I have one question. The original purpose of this apartment complex is to represent the Taiji in order to take in the Taiji, wasn’t it?” “Indeed. I created this alien world to completely cut off Ryougi Shiki from the outside world. The other various functions are just accessories.” - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

To summarize, Araya studied and corrected all forms of instability so completely that he was able to apply Stillness to existence itself. Yin and Yang interact within this space without contradiction, without excess leakage, and without friction or unnecessary inefficiency. The result is a replica of the Taiji fully independent from the outside world, which is itself imperfect and thrives on contradiction and instability. Araya thus gained the ability to create his own personal creation, a realm where every possible endpoint of phenomena has already been accounted for and removed, allowing everything within it to function so perfectly that no external force can exercise authority over it.

This means that within this dimension, Araya is functionally a god: a sovereign existence with absolute authority over what may exist, act, or occur. The apartment complex does not merely obey him. It is him. Within this closed world, every phenomenon, law, or configuration that manifests does so only insofar as it is internally consistent with his completed order.

The reason Araya keeps the physical layer of the complex nearly identical to the mundane world is not limitation, but discretion. A reality that openly diverged from the outside world would immediately attract the Counter Force. Yet even this seemingly ordinary configuration is fully sealed by Stillness. It cannot be altered, reinterpreted, or meaningfully interfered with from within or without. Should Araya wish, he could restructure the space freely, each configuration existing as a complete and contradiction-free state.

An immediate demonstration of this authority is shown when Araya erases Enjou Tomoe from existence with a casual gesture, not through an “attack,” but through a denial of continued being:

The Magus swung his arm.

The body in the form of Enjou Tomoe was completely annihilated with that one swing.

It was shattered into pieces, not even the head remained. As if it had been that way from the beginning, in the same way the Magus had said it, worthless, it turned into dust and disappeared into the void. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

This is not destruction in the conventional sense. Enjou is not defeated; he is rendered invalid within Araya’s world.

The same authority applies even to inert objects. Araya does not need motion or force to affect them:

As Araya glared at the bag, it shattered into pieces.
— Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Because the building is equivalent to his own body, even the atmosphere responds to his intent:

The man looks at the woman below him. With just that, the air in the lobby changed dramatically.

Was this what they meant when they said "the air froze over"?

The tranquil atmosphere disappears. As if the building itself was getting tense after welcoming its true owner.

The air in the lobby becomes tense.

A pressure that makes you wonder if space itself is not responding to the mage's killing intent and crumpling into itself.
— Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Touko herself explicitly recognizes the implication:

“Yeah, I still haven’t changed my theory. But this is amazing. I forgot, this place is inside your body isn’t it? Not just the building, but even the air itself is infused with your magical energy. If that’s the case then you can easily crush the space within. So I’ve already walked into a large spell.”
— Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Simply existing inside this space induces nausea and visceral discomfort, as though entering a living organism:

The walls of the apartment’s lobby were united in a cream color and were spotlessly clean. Yet I felt so unnerved looking at it that I thought I would faint if I stopped clenching my teeth. No, this was already close to disgust. My insides were twisting around so much that I thought I would go crazy. Although the air outside was so cold, the air inside the apartment building was lukewarm. It was probably only due to the internal heating being set too high, but it was like I was feeling somebody’s steaming breath. The tepid atmosphere that wrapped around my skin, it was somewhat similar to being inside a living thing’s womb. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

This is because ordinary architectural logic does not apply:

Even though Touko herself had said it, she had failed to understand the meaning to the very end.

This apartment complex was Araya Souren himself. The walls, the floors, common sense regarding buildings did not apply to Araya. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Just as his consciousness governs his body, it governs the complex:

Just as the Magus’s consciousness controlled his own body, he had also attuned the activity of the apartment complex with his own consciousness.

This building was inside of his body. The electric wiring was like his nerves, and the water piping was an equivalent to his blood vessels. The pain from his body being cleanly cut inside was not something he could ignore. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

As a result, Araya can exist anywhere within the complex simultaneously and teleport through it without transition:

He could exist in any location within the apartment complex and could manipulate any space within at will. This place was an alien world that embodied Araya Souren. Within the confines of this property, he could instantaneously teleport anywhere. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Finally, Araya demonstrates direct manipulation of space itself through Shuku (“Silence”), crushing a localized region of space as a completed act:

“... Silence.”

A short murmur.

The Magus’s open palm clenched tightly. It was a motion like crushing something in the palm of one’s hand.

Simultaneously, Touko’s body shook with a violent impact. Her coat, which blocked all forms of magical interference with her Magic Circuits, was shredded to pieces and fell to the floor.

There had been an attack, it was an invisible impact.

Struck equally across her body from every direction, she then fell to her knees.

Touko instantly understood what the impact had been.

... Araya crushed the space in which Touko had been standing. It was as if her entire body had been pressed down upon.

Touko’s tongue was silenced in disbelief. She had no knowledge of what Magecraft enabled such a small gesture to manipulate space.

“... I got hit. Dammit, how many ribs did he break?”

Swallowing the blood pooling in her mouth, Touko assessed the damage to her body. Unlike Shiki, Touko had no physical training, she had no way of knowing how many of her bones were broken. All she understood was the fact that her coat had saved her. If she were to take a hit like that again, she would certainly be crushed.
— Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

The distortion of space right in front of her should have crushed Shiki, but the entire distortion was “killed”.
— Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

This is not a simple spatial distortion like Asagami Fujino’s power. Rather than twisting space along a vector, Shuku applies omnidirectional compression, reducing the volume of space an entity is permitted to occupy. The result is not merely force, but spatial denial. This is why Touko’s protective coat is dissolved immediately, as if it did not exist. Its very presence within Araya’s space was denied.

Depending on scope and intent, this compression manifests as overwhelming concussive pressure, as seen against Touko and later Shiki:

The shock from every direction flooded Ryougi Shiki’s body with a force strong enough to break every bone in her body.
“Ah.” A voice that was in its death throes escaped from her.
The young lady in the white kimono crumpled towards the ground.
Or rather, she was about to fall.
— Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Or it escalates into outright erasure, as demonstrated against Touko’s projected familiar:

“What?”

With a faint look of surprise, Araya turned around in an instant. Without hesitation, he spread his outstretched palm and clenched it tightly once more.

Onn, a sound like a tremor could be heard.

Touko saw it, the space in front of Araya was collapsing further and further inward.

The black cat leaped upward before it could be compressed. As if gravity had reversed, the cat landed on the ceiling and then glared at the Magus below.

“That’s enough.”

From beneath the black coat another arm extended, the fist tightly clenching.

The black cat and the spot on the ceiling on which it rested were crushed.

Bang, one corner of the ceiling caved in and the black cat was crushed, compressed beyond recognition, and disappeared.
— Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

The familiar is explicitly described as being “compressed beyond recognition,” illustrating that Shuku can reduce the available space of existence itself to the point where continued being is no longer viable.

Araya has also shown that he can freely increase the scope of these compressions. He first targets the precise region of space the familiar occupies, then escalates when it evades him by crushing the entire ceiling it rests upon. Later, we see that this authority extends even further: as a last resort against Shiki, Araya attempts to compress his entire world itself. This confirms that Shuku is not limited in scale, and that Araya can compress space across any area he designates, up to and including the totality of his domain:

To stop his opponent–

“Do I have to kill my alien world...!?”

The Magus’s left hand opened.

Space compressed for the third time, but it wound down with a slash of Shiki’s katana; he stood there entirely shocked.
— Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

The Magus suddenly appeared in the garden, without a moment’s rest from the spatial transition he stuck out his right arm.

Looking up into the night sky, he spread the palm of his hand to crush the circular tower.
— Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Crucially, Shuku affects even Touko’s projected familiar, which does not obey conventional spatial rules due to being an image continuously updated relative to its true body. Yet it is still destroyed, because Shuku does not target the entity itself, but the space that allows it to exist at all. As long as something exists within Araya’s world, it occupies space, and that space can be compressed.

Touko herself notes that this is possible because Araya’s power saturates every inch of air within the complex. Shuku is therefore not a “technique” in the conventional sense, but an instinctive act, equivalent to clenching a muscle. Araya is not casting a spell so much as removing an irritation from his own body.

Speed, power, durability, or evasive ability are irrelevant here. What is quietly and inexorably destroyed is the very space that permits those traits to be expressed. By compressing existence itself, Araya preserves his order by denying the possibility of resistance altogether.

However, these are only the immediate and direct powers Araya wields within his world. The defining structure of this world lies deeper. Its true form is modeled after a Möbius Ring: a closed, self-referential loop:

“Sure, you didn’t make a mistake. For you as a Magus, this is the best solution. But, what if the assumption itself is a mistake? You isolated Shiki? Not in a room somewhere in this apartment complex, but you isolated her in this apartment complex itself? A Bounded Field that achieves spatial isolation is already on the level of Magic. It’s a miracle that only a Bounded Field expert like you could create.
Those who are trapped by the sealed space of a Möbius Ring can never get out from the inside. A closed world that’s enclosed by walls can’t be destroyed by physical impacts — it’s a cage that’s impossible to escape from. You slapped Shiki in there, which gave you peace of mind.”
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

No weapon could interfere with a sealed world where the space was chained together infinitely with no exit. Because it had no shape, physical weapons that can only interact with physical objects couldn’t clash with it. But, Ryougi Shiki’s power was precisely one that targeted such formless things.
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

A Möbius Ring is a conceptual structure in which inside and outside, forward and backward, collapse into a single continuous surface. There is no boundary where one state ends and another begins. No exit exists, because there is no “outside” to exit into.

Translated into Araya’s world, this is what he means when he describes space as being “infinitely chained together.” This is not a statement about size, but about behavior. Every location within the complex, even in its mundane configuration, is part of a continuous loop. Any space can lead to any other, endlessly, without ever reaching an exterior. One may walk, move, or transition indefinitely, yet never escape, because the distinction between inside and outside does not exist at all.

There is only Araya’s will, expressed as space.

This structure is also what guarantees the immutability of the laws governing the complex. Any attempt to introduce contradiction, collapse, or external alteration is absorbed into the loop itself. Every possible route of interference is already accounted for, folded back into the structure, and forced to converge upon itself. No matter how reality is warped, its outcomes are recycled until they resolve back into Araya’s order.

This is why, as stated explicitly in the text, no weapon can interfere with this world. Its walls are not physical. They are not even spatial in the conventional sense. They are formless boundaries, identical in principle to the bounded fields Araya carries around himself, but scaled to govern the totality of existence within the domain.

The result is a closed ontology: a world that rejects not only physical intrusion, but even non-physical interference. Nothing can meaningfully act upon it unless Araya permits it, because there exists no external frame of reference from which such action could originate.

This is further reinforced by the substrate of Araya’s world: Mugen, the infinite void.

“There is no need for concern. I have not imprisoned her in a room within the apartment complex. I have thrown her into Mugen, the infinite void, that connects the material world to the otherworld.

The primary purpose of this distorted alien world was to create a closed loop. By no means, no matter the method or the impact, could one escape from the darkness of Mugen. Even if Ryougi Shiki were to awaken, there is nothing she could do. Monitoring her is unnecessary. Besides, given her injuries, even standing would be difficult. Even if she wakes, her body will be incapable of moving properly.”
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

Infinity is not 「 」. For infinity to remain infinite, the finite has to be defined. Without the finite there cannot exist infinity. Because things have an end, we can observe the thing called infinity.

Ryougi Shiki had been cast into infinity, she saw the impossible finite and cut through it.

Of course, there is no finite inside of the infinite. You can’t slash through what doesn’t exist, so escape from such a cage is impossible. But, if there is no finite then there is no infinite. Whether finite walls exist or not, an endless world holds no meaning before Ryougi Shiki.

If there really is no finite, then it’s not infinite but 「 」. If the finite can be comprehended, Shiki could detect and slash through it.

... The black hole that should have been absolute was just a small dark room to his opponent. The Magus felt ashamed of himself.
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

As stated, Mugen is an infinite void that connects the material world to the otherworld (the abstract void). It is the true existential form of Araya’s world, with the apartment complex serving merely as its physical manifestation or vessel.

Mugen is described as an “absolute black hole” or “endless darkness,” but it is crucial not to conflate it with the Möbius Ring structure itself. Many do, but the text is clear: Mugen connects different layers of reality (material world and otherworld), something a closed loop alone cannot do, since it is closed and leads to nothing outside itself. Rather, Mugen is the substrate upon which Araya imposes the closed-loop logic of his world. Its infinity is bound into recursion, ensuring that no phenomenon can act meaningfully or escape resolution.

Just as an Origin reshapes its user’s physical body around an abstract directive, Mugen represents the completed, conceptual state of Araya’s world, from which he molds and configures its physical reality at will. Its role as a bridge between the material world and the otherworld refers precisely to this status as a threshold between the concrete and the abstract.

This is why it appears as endless darkness. Nothing within it is yet defined. It contains the potential for all things, awaiting imposition. In Araya’s case, that imposition is exclusive to him. Any other force is endlessly folded back to its starting point, unable to establish definition or momentum.

By binding Mugen to Stillness, Araya turns it into the source of his closed world, granting it infinite potential without motion. A completed world, in this sense, is one where no becoming is required and no limit is imposed. In other words, it perfectly corresponds to Mugen’s nature.

Crucially, Araya can use this void to swallow intrusions directly through the walls of the complex:

Grabbing hold of her belly with one hand the mage lifts the girl up, and throws her at the mansion wall. It was a brutal action that looked like it should break every bone in Shiki's body, but that too turned into an unnatural event.
...
Having been thrown onto the wall Shiki's body was sucked in as if she was sinking into water. Only when the mansion wall had finishing gulping Shiki down, did the mage lower his arm.
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

The only reason this fails against Shiki after she awakens is due solely to the nature of her power. Infinity, while endless, is still a definable concept, and therefore distinct from Nothingness, the source of all definition.

By acting from that source, Shiki is capable of killing anything that can be comprehended, regardless of scale, structure, or abstraction. This is something only she can exploit. Any other opponent would remain trapped in Mugen indefinitely, as escape would require killing the very concept of infinity itself, which possesses no flaw to manipulate or exploit.

The final point to address is another common misconception: this closed world is not inherently tied to the apartment complex itself. The complex is only a vessel. The world it contains is explicitly stated to be the manifestation of Araya’s inner landscape:

A temple of Taiji. It could be called the artificial manifestation of the inner landscape of Araya Souren, who did not have a Reality Marble.
— Garden of sinners Pamphlet: Kara no Kyoukai Settings Glossary

It is compared to a Reality Marble because both project an internal reality outward. But there is an important difference: a Reality Marble is temporary because it must constantly compete with and eventually lose to the World’s laws. Araya’s closed world, by contrast, is fully disconnected from the World due to Stillness. There is no competition. As a result, it is stable and permanent.

This follows directly from how Araya’s bounded fields function in the first place. They are not learned techniques, but extensions of his own completed state:

Although Araya is average as a magus, his talents relating to Bounded Field construction are exceptional. A bounded field divides what is inside from the outside. In order to construct a complete world from his own body, Araya must first complete himself.

Araya, who has no exceptional innate talents, becomes a first-class bounded field master by completing himself through the accumulation of ages and sheer determination. That which divides the inside from the outside — Kara no Kyoukai is his story.
— Garden of sinners Pamphlet: Kara no Kyoukai Settings Glossary

Araya does not “train” in bounded fields. He resolves contradiction. Mastery follows naturally. His closed world operates on the same principle, only at a vastly greater scale. By accumulating and resolving contradictions across existence itself, he completes his understanding of reality and externalizes it as a closed-loop world.

Once this structure is internalized, the building is no longer essential. It merely served as a suitable host. Araya can project this closed world onto any space capable of sustaining separation, whether another building, a compound, or any sufficiently bounded area.

This is subtly foreshadowed by Ryougi Shiki herself:

Indeed… This academy, isolated from the outside, was a different world.

A memory suddenly sprang to mind. In the past, there had been a man who created a foreign world by prohibiting entry to an apartment building. How convoluted. If he had simply erected walls around the perimeter, mirroring this academy or the Ryougi mansion, that alone would have severed the connection between his world and the outside one.
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 6

The observation is crucial. Any sufficiently isolated space can function as a “different world,” because the human mind already resets context at every threshold. Araya’s True Magic simply literalizes this phenomenon, granting him the ability to seal any large enough space into his own internal order.

Therefore, even outside the apartment complex, Araya is not deprived of this ability. If necessary, he can establish his Möbius Ring elsewhere, provided the space can sustain separation.

The apartment complex was never the source of his power. It was merely the first place where that power was made visible.

-------

Well, that was quite lengthy, but that is because the source material itself is dense on this subject, and for good reason. Let's now summarize Araya's True Magic:

Araya’s Miracle is an evolved bounded field achieved by recording, classifying, and resolving every possible form of death, instability, and contradiction that the Taiji can use to erode order. The Taiji itself functions as the blueprint for how duality expresses the One’s infinite potential. By internalizing this refined Taiji mechanism, Araya learned how to create an actual cosmos: a world in which every conceivable element is internally consistent and no longer subject to death or decay. The result is an eternal order that no external reality can interfere with, because every possible contention has already been anticipated, accounted for, and corrected.

This world has four defining traits:

1. It is fully severed from natural law.
   Reality within this domain is entirely malleable to Araya’s will. He can manifest any possible configuration of space-time without opposition, constrained only by the law of non-contradiction itself, which is the very principle Stillness is founded upon. This grants him the ability to erase any being within this space from existence outright.

2. It is equivalent to Araya’s own body.
   His consciousness governs the world’s structure, activity, and layout. He is aware of all events occurring within it, can teleport instantly to any location, and can crush space itself via Shuku, compressing regions down to the point of non-existence.

3. It is governed by a Möbius Ring logical structure.
   The world is endlessly self-referential and inescapable. No matter where one goes or what action one takes, all paths loop back into themselves. Progress toward an “outside” is impossible, because no such outside exists.

4. It is founded upon Mugen, the infinite void.
   Mugen is the substrate from which abstract concepts are converted into tangible existence. Araya can draw from it to reshape the physical configuration of his world or use it to trap opponents within endless darkness. Even this infinity is still governed by the Möbius Ring structure, meaning it recursively negates all possible phenomena and actions, rendering escape or resistance impossible.

If Base Araya was already a god-tier, this evolution into a True Magic user solidifies him as being unbeatable within the verse, outside of Ryougi Shiki herself. Let's once again envision him fighting a top tier of the Type-Moon verse, such as Archetype Earth, whether she enters his apartment complex or Araya himself directly casts the Möbius Ring over the surrounding area:

-Archetype Earth cannot warp reality within this space. Araya’s laws are categorically disconnected from the laws she manipulates and are actively protected by the Möbius Ring’s closed logic.

-Her only remaining option would be physical confrontation. However, Araya can simply compress her to non-existence with Shuku, erase her directly as he did to Enjou, or absorb her into Mugen. And this is the best case scenario for her, as it assumes generous narrative constraints where Araya has to avoid triggering the Counter Force by keeping his reality still similar to Gaia's; without such limits, nothing prevents him from restructuring his reality to suppress her existence the moment she enters it.

-Should Archetype Earth attempt to retreat, space itself folds infinitely to prevent escape. At that point, Araya can instantly teleport to her location and eliminate her. 

-It is also crucial to remember that within this world, Araya fully retains all of his baseline combat capabilities: his personal bounded fields, the Sarira, and his Origin-enhanced close-quarters combat, further compounding the impossibility of overcoming him.

Why Araya’s True Magic Is the First Magic:

As we have already seen, Araya’s evolved bounded field is explicitly described as True Magic multiple times in Kara no Kyoukai. This naturally raises the question: which of the Five Modern Magics does it correspond to? By simple logical exclusion, it can only be the First or the Fourth. The Fourth remains entirely undefined, while the First is directly described in the Kara no Kyoukai guidebooks through the concept of Ether Lump:

Ether Lump

Ether, the Fifth Imaginary Substance as coined by the Association. It is a necessary medium that gives shape by mixing with the Four Elements.

It is shapeless, but it is a critical element in the functioning of magecraft.

Ether is bound to become one of Earth, Water, Fire and Wind, but in the hands of a novice, it would fail to become one of the Four Elements and materialize. This is ether lump.

Ether lump is completely useless. In some sense, creating ether lump is analogous to creating “Nothingness.” Looking at it from this perspective makes it sound like “True Magic” In fact, ether lump is originally the First Magic’s———

Garden of sinners Pamphlet: Kara no Kyoukai Settings Glossary

An Ether Lump is a failed element: something that should exist, yet does not properly do so. It occupies a threshold state between existence and non-existence. On its own, it registers as useless or “nothing,” yet it still retains the potential to manifest one of the Four Elements when structured by sufficient understanding.

It is referred to as the First Magic’s “———” precisely because it is its foundation. By refining the incomplete state that Ether Lumps only gesture toward, one does not merely create empty pseudo-elements, but reaches a genuine state of Nothingness: a condition in which all phenomena are possible once structure is imposed.

This should sound immediately familiar.

Stillness is the perfected endpoint of this same principle. By resolving all contradiction, Araya Souren completes himself and enters a state that registers as “dead” to the outside world, while simultaneously retaining the potential to manifest anything within the structure imposed by his internal order. This mirrors the paradoxical nature of Ether Lump exactly: absence that is not void, emptiness that contains all potential.

Araya’s closed world “creates Nothingness” by severing itself from external reality and establishing an exclusive ontology. In doing so, it performs the defining miracle of the First Magic: creation from nothing, not by rearranging what exists, but by reaching the state that precedes all existence and allowing form to arise from it.

If Araya’s miracle is explicitly True Magic, demonstrably creates Something from Nothing, and operates through the same paradoxical foundation described as connected to the First Magic, then denying it as the First Magic is not interpretation: it is a rejection of the text itself.

I will now address below some counterarguments I can see people making. While all reasonable, none of them disprove Araya being the First Magician. On the contrary, they support the notion. I will proceed in order:

1. "But side materials stated that the First Magician died long, long ago, how can it be Araya?"

The quote in question:

"In the past, when civilization was young, most magi were also magicians, but now only five remain. …Well, that’s what they say, but there are actually only four still alive. The magician who handled the First Magic already died a long time ago. Of the remaining four, two have disappeared, and two are bothersome people who cause trouble wherever they go."

Rather than contradicting the idea that this refers to Araya Souren, this passage actually reinforces it.

After completing himself, Araya became an existence that is effectively considered dead from the perspective of the outside universe:

The mage's discourse continues. "As a reference, I do not die. My origin is 'suspension'. Someone who has woken to their origin becomes ruled by that origin itself. Someone who has already stopped - how can you kill him?" Shiki doesn't reply. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

This “completion” is achieved by sealing all unnecessary motion, leaving reality with no meaningful point of interaction through which to acknowledge his existence. Once Araya awakened to his Origin, he existed entirely apart from the flow of becoming.

Touko explicitly reinforces this interpretation by stating that Araya is no longer properly human, but a living concept whose actions are merely the outward phenomena of a completed theory:

"Though she had disdain for him, she did not hate this Magus, who had become more of a concept. If she had made one wrong step… No, if she had not made a wrong step, she surely would have ended up like this too. Neither a human nor a living being, but merely the embodiment of a theory resulting in a phenomenon." – Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

This framing aligns perfectly with another source that clarifies what is meant by “the First Magician died long ago”:

“Why they’re still called the five magicians comes down to perspective. It’s about whether you count the dead as having ceased to exist or whether you see them as ‘alive’ in some way, as long as some trace of them persists.”

— Tsukihime Plus Period, Magic [Term]

Here, “death” does not mean erasure. It means no longer participating in change. A being is considered dead once it stops producing new effects the world can act on.

Any “trace” that remains is not a living presence, but a completed result left behind.

This is why the user of the First Magic is said to have “died long, long ago,” while still possibly existing depending on perspective.

2. "Well, alright, but Araya said his lifespan amounted to 200 years, so it cannot be a 'long, long' time ago"

While that isn't necessarily correct (200 years IS a lot), this is a very common misconception, largely caused by the anime adaptation omitting key internal monologue that clarifies the issue. In truth, Araya is far older than 200 years.

His memories clearly place him in an era long before organized civilization, ideology, or even weapons existed:

"What came to mind was only a vast, burned wasteland. No matter how many steps I took, there were only endless corpses. The gravel spread along the riverbank was not stone but fragments of bone. The stench of death carried by the wind sought to fill all of existence; never ceasing. It was an age of conflict. A time before weapons were invented, where those who lived only today would fight with their own hands." - Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

"Wherever I went, there was conflict, and the bodies of the dead were, without exception, discarded in cruel abandon. The weak in villages were commonly slaughtered by flocks of strong humans. It didn’t matter who killed whom. On the battlefield, good and evil held no meaning. All that mattered was how many had died and how many could not be saved." - Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

Weapons already existed 200 years ago. Araya’s memories, however, depict a time before even civilization itself had properly formed, when humanity acted purely on its most fundamental survival instincts. This places Araya not centuries, but thousands of years in the past, at the dawn of humanity.

So what, then, does the “200 years” refer to?

It refers only to the current physical vessel that Shiki destroyed.

Araya himself clarifies this:

I realise that spot is my weakness. But just that is not enough. Even if it's the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, you cannot instantly kill this two hundred year old life of mine. This body will die one day, but I was prepared for this happening. It's quite fitting that the price I pay for capturing Ryougi is my death. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

He explicitly states that this body would die someday and that he had already accounted for that outcome.

Indeed, we later learn that Araya prepared spare bodies in advance:

After destroying what had been Enjou Tomoe, the Magus stood still as he stayed in the corridor. The time was near. It had been half a day since he moved from the body he had been using up to yesterday to his current spare body. Finally, his consciousness felt like it had spread to every corner of this body.

— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

Even when not switching vessels, Araya can restore his body through sheer will:

Araya Souren was not like some Puppeteer who had died after preparing a completely identical copy. He still had not experienced death. His body had rotted away several times over the years, each time this happened he maintained his consciousness and so far continued to live on. Araya Souren was only one person. If this body perished, there would be no refuge next time. Things had to be handled carefully. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Thus, Araya as a will and consciousness dates back to prehistory, while the body he inhabited during the events of Kara no Kyoukai was merely a 200-year-old vessel, either a decayed one restored by his will at the time, or one of his prepared spares after an even more ancient body failed.

3. "Well, alright. But Araya only achieved True Magic by the time of KnK. So the one who wielded it from long ago must have been someone else."

Not really. Araya did not technically "gain" True Magic with his complex. He simply externalized his own internal state on a greater scale:

"A Bound Field divides what is inside from what is outside. To construct a complete world from his own body, Araya must first complete himself."

"Araya, who has no exceptional talents, became a first-class Bound Field master through the accumulation of time and sheer willpower." – Garden of Sinners Pamphlet: Kara no Kyoukai Settings Glossary

Araya does not simply use boundaries. He is the boundary. His Bound Fields are projections of his own ontology onto the outside world. His complex was simply the refined mechanism that allowed him to fully manifest his True Magic on the outside world.

Therefore, in a holistic sense, Araya is considered the First Magician from the moment he awakened his Origin of Stillness, as it “completed” him (causing him to register as dead to the outside world due to no longer requiring participation in it as a severed existence) and granted him the power to “create Nothingness”: refined, self-sustaining creations that operate according to his own exclusive ontology. His complex simply made the result he already achieved internally fully visible.

And since we now know that Araya has existed since prehistory, there is no doubt that his awakening occurred long, long ago.

4. “Well, but according to MNY, the First and Fifth are called ‘results’ of reaching Akasha, while the others are achieved as attempts at reaching Akasha. Does Araya fit even that requirement?”

Indeed, he does.

What that statement means is that the Second, Third, and Fourth are powers refined toward Akasha. The First and Fifth, by contrast, arise when someone reaches Akasha first and only afterward acquires the means to express what they touched. In other words, alignment precedes ability.

This pattern describes Araya perfectly.

Araya’s complex is explicitly described as a pathway to Akasha, but it is also described as the manifestation of his inner landscape:

If you use this building a path will definitely open. Since its the realization of the Taeguekdo, a hole would certainly appear. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

A temple of Taiji. It could be called the artificial manifestation of the inner landscape of Araya Souren, who did not have a Reality Marble. — Garden of sinners Pamphlet: Kara no Kyoukai Settings Glossary

This is not a contradiction. It means that his existence itself had already become aligned with an aspect of Akasha, and the structure he built was merely the external crystallization of that alignment, rather than a means of producing it (Aka the Second through the Fourth).

Aoko’s Fifth follows the same pattern. She does not master a spell through study and then touch Akasha. She touches Akasha through a pathway, returns, and simply knows how to wield the Fifth. The power follows the contact. Same structure, opposite alignment.

Furthermore, note that in the same scene, Touko warns Aoko that the First might “bite back” at her. Why is that?

Because the First and the Fifth are not rival techniques, but opposing results of contact with Akasha.

The Fifth embodies entropy: acceleration, heat, cost, irreversible expenditure, outcomes enforced through the universe’s accounting. The First embodies completion: stillness, coherence, the resolution of contradiction, where entropy has nothing left to erode.

That is why the First can “bite back” at the Fifth. Entropy requires instability to function. Stillness removes the very conditions entropy feeds on. They are not merely opposed. They are structurally hostile.

5. "But wait, Araya's entire goal was reaching Akasha, so this cannot be true. He could have only achieved the Fourth as attempt to reach it"

This is an understandable argument, but it is wrong.

The issue lies in assuming that all forms of “reaching Akasha” refer to the same thing. In reality, there are two fundamentally distinct ways of reaching Akasha.

The first is reaching an aspect of Akasha. This is what all True Magicians do. That is precisely why they are not nigh-omnipotent and instead wield highly specific, discrete powers. They do not act from the totality of the Root, but from particular functions derived from it. Zelretch accesses an aspect related to parallel worlds and time; Aoko accesses an aspect aligned with entropy, acceleration, and expenditure; and so on.

Araya, in this sense, has already reached Akasha. Through his completion, he accessed the aspect related to potentiality itself, allowing him to generate and sustain an autonomous ontological domain. From the standpoint of True Magic, this alone satisfies the requirement of having “reached” Akasha: his alignment precedes his power, and the power follows naturally from that alignment.

The second way of reaching Akasha, however, is the one Araya is actually interested in: accessing its totality.

This is not something True Magic alone can accomplish. It is something only those born with a colorless soul can achieve, such as Ryougi Shiki, whose Origin is Nothingness. Araya himself explains this distinction explicitly:

“So then, why is it that those who have managed to reach the Root exist? The answer is simple. There are simply people who are able to reach it. No matter what wisdom you learn, Magecraft is ultimately only an acquired skill that comes later. That’s what talent is. You’re born with it or you aren’t.”

“Humans from the time they’re born are already connected to the Root. Humans have become increasingly complex, diversified, and distanced from the Root; rarely is anyone born with a connection to the Root. There are colorless souls born that are connected to ‘　’. Such beings are likely the only ones who can reach the Root.”

“…So all you have to do is find them, and it took me ten years to find one.”

“I see. So that’s how you came to the conclusion to destroy Ryougi Shiki.”

— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

As shown here, Araya only considers beings like Ryougi capable of reaching the One, the totality of the Spiral of Origin. Zelretch, Aoko, and the other magicians do not possess such an Origin. This makes it clear that Araya is not talking about gaining True Magic in general, but about something categorically different: direct access to Akasha in its entirety.

Araya’s True Magic allows him to access and shape potentiality without interference, but this is primarily an internal state. While he can project it outward through his bounded fields, those fields only ever encompass a limited area, nowhere near the scale of the world itself.

And Araya’s ultimate goal requires far more than that:

“Human beings can’t be saved. As long as they live, there will inevitably be those who remain unrewarded…”

“That’s why I decided to record death. To record the end of everything, to examine the entire structure of the world from beginning to end.”

“If the meaning of humanity’s happiness could be understood, then when the world ends, even those who died meaninglessly could be granted meaning retroactively.”

“That alone is the one and only universal salvation.”

“And that’s why you want to touch the Swirl of the Root? Everything is recorded over there. Even if it weren’t, you could reduce everything to nothingness. You want to eliminate all the filthy humans for your sake.”

— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

Recording all of human history across past, present, and future requires access to the Akashic Records, which is another function of the One that his True Magic does not give him access to. Erasing all of reality into Nothingness instead would require extending his bounded fields to encompass the entire cosmos, which is clearly impossible. This is why Araya still seeks Akasha, despite already possessing True Magic: the True Magic he attained does not align with his objective.

However, from the perspective of True Magic classification, he has long since reached Akasha in the relevant sense. His completion aligned him with an aspect of the Root, and from that alignment he naturally acquired the formal power to express it. This fits exactly with how the First and Fifth are described: as results of reaching an aspect of Akasha first, rather than as powers refined through repeated attempts to reach it.

By contrast, the Second, Third, and Fourth are powers developed toward Akasha, refined until they approximate one of its aspects.

And so, once again, every structural, mechanical, and conceptual detail about the First Magic as it existed prior to Fate points toward Araya as its wielder.

Bonus: Addressing Generic Dumb Arguments

Because Araya Souren has been widely misunderstood for years, gaslighted as a vaguely strong magus that could be contested by low tier fodders like Kirei or Kuzuki, a number of recurring arguments continue to circulate denying his status as a god-tier, often relying on inconsistent or even dishonest interpretations. This section collects the most common claims and dismantles them systematically.

Some of these objections collapse immediately, while others are more understandable but remain incorrect when examined against the source material.

1. Araya, outside of his complex, is stated to be equal to Alba so he is weak (Yes, this argument exists):

This claim is based on a single passage:

This opponent was of a completely different level than Alba. Their abilities might be comparable in theory, but within this building Araya Souren held supremacy over everyone. Seeking protection by putting her back against the wall, she was conscious only of what was in front of her. After all, to focus on anything else would risk leaving an opening - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

This passage does not state parity. It states similarity in classification. “Comparable in theory” refers only to the fact that both Araya and Alba are magi using magecraft, and therefore operate under the same general principles. It is not a claim of equal effectiveness, skill, or power.

In practice, the same chapter repeatedly demonstrates that Araya stands entire leagues above Alba, even without accounting for his closed world.

First, Araya is explicitly described as surpassing modern fighters in hand-to-hand combat, something Alba has no experience in at all:

"Therefore, the way that Araya had to eliminate Touko was to engage her in hand-to-hand combat after closing the distance. Araya was a man who had survived turbulent times. In terms of fighting with his body as a weapon, someone from the modern era couldn’t hope to oppose him." - Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

This alone establishes a fundamental difference in capability. Alba is a ranged combatant who relies on high-temperature flame magecraft, whereas Araya is a close-quarters combatant whose physical ability predates the modern era.

More importantly, even Alba’s specialty is outclassed by Araya’s magecraft.

Alba’s flames, while exceeding 1000°C, are still elemental and destructive in a conventional sense. Araya’s magecraft, by contrast, transcends physical elements entirely and functions as law manipulation, extending across planes and dimensions:

Threads of the Magus’s web stretched across the ground and space, between planes and dimensions.

Any living thing, touching those circular lines would would have its power stopped.

... Normally, a Bounded Field was a stationary construct; a boundary that protected something immovable. Instead the enemy was performing something monstrous, carrying them with him; centered around himself as he moved. For that reason they were visible but gave off no detectable presence. In close-quarters combat, Araya Souren could be said to be invincible. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

The difference between the two is made especially clear in their respective encounters with Touko’s projected familiar:

Instantly, the black cat starts running.

Crossing the marble floor as if it were sliding along, it runs up the stairs. ...Even so, the cat's feet do not move. Only its eye moves as its sitting shadow races towards the red coated human.

Sucking dry all the oxygen in the lobby in an ins tant, the sea of flame instantly erased the black cat from the world. That was only to be expected, too. These thaumatergical flames that were well over a 1000 degrees Celsius. Any animal that entered them would soon be melted like butter and turn from a solid to a gas. Passing through the liquid stage wouldn't have taken the time required for a comma.

But Alba saw it.

The impossible shape of the black cat, suddenly appearing once all the flames had burned themselves out.

"--- That can't be right." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

“Ouken.”

The cat completely stopped its devouring of Alba’s body… The cat was caught in one of the three Bounded Fields that the man in black was carrying with him and thus could no longer move.

— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

Although the familiar later pressures Araya due to its unique nature, the contrast is clear. Alba destroys it temporarily through raw output. Araya neutralizes it by denying its ability to function at all.

Taken together, these passages make the gap between them explicit. Araya surpasses Alba in melee combat, magecraft sophistication, and combat methodology, even without relying on his closed world.

The original quote does not imply equality. It merely acknowledges that both are magi operating within magecraft’s general framework. Interpreting it as a statement of parity requires ignoring the very chapter it appears in.

2. Araya struggled with Touko, so he is weak.

One: Araya actually stomped Touko and was only caught off guard by her familiar at the end due to its unique nature. It was a one-off cheap shot, not a struggle.

Two: Touko’s projected familiar is itself an extremely powerful entity. It would defeat the vast majority of characters who are not Types, True Magicians, or Origin-awakened beings. It cannot be damaged by conventional, non-conceptual attacks, does not move according to normal speed, and does not properly exist in space. As a projection of a distant true body, it continuously reforms and cannot be meaningfully destroyed or predicted. The fact that Araya was able to defeat it in direct combat is not an anti-feat. It is a significant feat.

Three: This wasn't even the real Araya, but a mere doll body that would be nowhere near as powerful as the real deal:

That was... a puppet?”

As Touko spoke she spat out more blood. The Magus who had suddenly appeared behind her replied,

“Of course.”

“I may not be as skilled as you in making puppets, but I too have inherited the techniques of my predecessors. You know the name of the esoteric priest who crafted human figures, don’t you?” - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Four: Even non-doll Araya himself was already weakened by that point, having to adapt to his new spare body and fully spread his Magic Circuits and consciousness over its structure, which he only does much later after erasing Enjou:

The combined efforts of Ryougi Shiki and Aozaki Touko had completely destroyed the body he had been using up to this point. The body that was now active was just a spare he had prepared. It would take time for him to fully adapt to it. Even though he would soon transfer to the body of Ryougi Shiki, any misstep with this body he was not used to could lead to irreparable failure. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

After destroying what had been Enjou Tomoe, the Magus stood still as he stayed in the corridor. The time was near. It had been half a day since he moved from the body he had been using up to yesterday to his current spare body. Finally, his consciousness felt like it had spread to every corner of this body. Araya Souren was not like some Puppeteer who had died after preparing a completely identical copy. He still had not experienced death. His body had rotted away several times over the years, each time this happened he maintained his consciousness and so far continued to live on. Araya Souren was only one person. If this body perished, there would be no refuge next time. Things had to be handled carefully. However, there was no longer any need to wait. The will of the soul known as Araya Souren had placed this latest of his bodies under his control. The wiring of the Magic Circuits that moved his body extended down to his toes, the Magus had at last sublimated his temporary body into a real one. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Five: EVEN with all of those handicaps, Araya was actually holding back in order not to completely annihilate Touko’s body. Despite his intent to kill her, he specifically wanted to preserve her brain and catalogue its knowledge:

All that remained to die was her brain. Without the flow of blood, her brain would soon deteriorate. The knowledge and techniques she had accumulated would be completely lost. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

We know he held back because Touko could survive Shuku with significant physical damage, yet immediately afterward Araya demonstrates that he could have used it at full intensity to erase her from existence:

From beneath the black coat another arm extended, the fist tightly clenching.

The black cat and the spot on the ceiling on which it rested were crushed.

Bang, one corner of the ceiling caved in and the black cat was crushed, compressed beyond recognition, and disappeared.

— Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

And he already displayed an even more effortless form of existence erasure:

The Magus swung his arm.

The body in the form of Enjou Tomoe was completely annihilated with that one swing.

It was shattered into pieces, not even the head remained. As if it had been that way from the beginning, in the same way the Magus had said it, worthless, it turned into dust and disappeared into the void. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Even his mere glare could shatter Touko's bag:

As Araya glared at the bag, it shattered into pieces.

— Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

So it is quite obvious that he could have obliterated her far more quickly, but doing so would have made recovering her knowledge impossible, as her brain would have been destroyed.

In short, a massively weakened Araya, acting through an even weaker proxy, stomped a familiar that would defeat most characters bound by physical laws (Nrvnqsr Chaos, Akiha, 30% Arcueid, etc.) and only ran into trouble because it caught him off guard once. And he could have erased Touko at any point if he did not care about preserving her knowledge. This is not an anti-feat; it is an extremely strong demonstration of his power.

3. Araya would lose to Touko's sealed box demon, so he is weak.

We know virtually nothing about this creature, so there is no reason to assume it is weak. On the contrary, the little we do know implies that it is endless or infinite in terms of size:

“That impudent talk, so it really is you? Then will you oppose me again?”

“No way, I have no chance of winning in this apartment complex.”

Her answer was absolute, she looked away from the Magus’s consciousness.

“Are you sure? The monster in that box might be able to defeat me.”

“I refuse. This guy’s endless, if I let him go carelessly this entire apartment complex itself could disappear. If I did something so flashy the Association would not stay silent. This time, I’d be in a position to be pursued by the Association. I went through a lot of trouble to disappear, so I’m not going to do anything that’ll get me found by those guys.”

However, there is no actual evidence in this exchange that the demon could defeat Araya if read closely.

Touko already states outright that she has no chance of winning inside Araya’s closed world. Araya then provokes her by suggesting that her new demon might be able to defeat him. Touko refuses, not because she believes it would succeed, but because she has no control over it due to its endless nature, and unleashing it would cause unacceptable collateral damage and attract the Mage’s Association.

At most, the demon could destroy the physical form of the apartment complex. But the true form of the complex is not a building at all. It is Mugen, an infinite void of Nothingness:

“There is no need for concern. I have not imprisoned her in a room within the apartment complex. I have thrown her into Mugen, the infinite void, that connects the material world to the otherworld.

The primary purpose of this distorted alien world was to create a closed loop. By no means, no matter the method or the impact, could one escape from the darkness of Mugen. Even if Ryougi Shiki were to awaken, there is nothing she could do. Monitoring her is unnecessary. Besides, given her injuries, even standing would be difficult. Even if she wakes, her body will be incapable of moving properly.”
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

Ryougi Shiki had been cast into infinity, she saw the impossible finite and cut through it.

... The black hole that should have been absolute was just a small dark room to his opponent. The Magus felt ashamed of himself.

— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

So without additional info, there is no reason to believe the demon could truly destroy Araya’s world, especially given its Möbius Ring structure:

Sure, you didn’t make a mistake. For you as a Magus, this is the best solution. But, what if the assumption itself is a mistake? You isolated Shiki? Not in a room somewhere in this apartment complex, but you isolated her in this apartment complex itself? A Bounded Field that achieves spatial isolation is already on the level of Magic. It’s a miracle that only a Bounded Field expert like you could create.
Those who are trapped by the sealed space of a Möbius Ring can never get out from the inside. A closed world that’s enclosed by walls can’t be destroyed by physical impacts — it’s a cage that’s impossible to escape from. You slapped Shiki in there, which gave you peace of mind.”
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

No weapon could interfere with a sealed world where the space was chained together infinitely with no exit. Because it had no shape, physical weapons that can only interact with physical objects couldn’t clash with it. But, Ryougi Shiki’s power was precisely one that targeted such formless things.
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

No physical attack can destroy the complex. The demon’s supposed advantage rests entirely on its “endless” size, but the complex itself already folds space infinitely inward.

Furthermore, Araya can actively swallow beings into Mugen from within the complex:

Having been thrown onto the wall Shiki's body was sucked in as if she was sinking into water. Only when the mansion wall had finishing gulping Shiki down, did the mage lower his arm.

— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

So even if the demon were unleashed...it would simply be swallowed by the walls of the complex, which are formless and directly connected to Mugen and the Möbius Ring.

Appealing to the demon’s infinity does not help. Mugen itself is infinite as well, and conceptually so, not merely physically. It is designed to contain all possible phenomena born from the interaction of Yin and Yang. That includes infinite realities and infinite phenomena, each infinite in their own right. A single infinitely large demon does not exceed that framework.

Finally, Araya’s demeanor matters. He later shows clear fear and concern when facing Self-Hypnosis Shiki, so this is not a character who remains calm regardless of threat. His casual attitude here strongly suggests he did not view the demon as a genuine danger.

Touko herself admits she cannot win. Her statement that the complex could disappear can just as easily be read as an acknowledgment that even in the best-case scenario, releasing the demon would create consequences severe enough to make it not worth attempting.

Either that, or Touko simply underestimated the complex's true power. The novel even explicitly notes that Touko never truly grasped the nature of Araya’s realm:

“Even though Touko herself had said it, she had failed to understand the meaning to the very end.”

“This apartment complex was Araya Souren himself.”
— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 5

Without further information, there is no real evidence that the sealed box demon could defeat Araya. The claim rests entirely on speculation, not on anything actually demonstrated or stated in the text. And, again, not enough is known about this demon to claim it is weak in the first place.

4. Araya cannot defeat a counter guardian, so he is below Types.

"--- Are you trying to open the road to the origin?

But, how? Even if you don't set out a magical ward to testify that you aren't a mage, you can't fool the will of the dominant race. The only ones you can fool by using a technological ward are other mages. If you use this building a path will definitely open. Since its the realization of the Taeguekdo, a hole would certainly appear. But the first thing to come out of that hole will be a Counter Guardian. As long as we are who we are, there is no way we can stand up to that."

“The Counter Force is already at work. There’s the fact you’re present in this town. There was the man who committed theft here by chance, as if possessed by something for no reason. There was the woman who was the victim of a random murder in this area, although no such incidents had occurred here before. The Counter Force has acted three times even though I have restrained myself to this extent. But that’s enough. I’m not able to draw any closer to the Root. I will not let the past failures be for naught. I have tried to open a path undetected by the Counter Force, but that thing’s eyes can’t be fooled. Even if I have the means to defeat the Counter Force itself, it will just appear with even more power. There is only one conclusion, I lacked the talent.

For the first time --- the voice carries a sound which is close to emotion. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

This passage can be misleading at first glance, and it initially misled even me. However, once Stillness is properly understood, it becomes clear why this is not a statement about combat capability, and why it would never come up in an actual fight.

Araya and Touko are speaking specifically in the context of opening a pathway to Akasha. The Counter Force intervenes to prevent such attempts, as most clearly demonstrated elsewhere, such as with Aoko.

Stillness works by isolating all external interference and contradiction, creating a completed internal state that nothing can intrude upon. However, this is also the catch: it must remain closed.

The moment Araya opens a pathway to Akasha, he creates a breach in his closed world. His isolation is broken. At that point, the source of his power no longer applies, and the Counter Force can send its agents through that opening.

If Araya closes the pathway in order to eliminate them, he simply returns to square one. As long as he attempts to open the path, the Counter Force will continue to interfere.

This is not a matter of strength, but of structure.

Think of having a perfectly sealed fortress during a siege. The enemy army can erode at its walls, but never take it down or get inside. But if you were to open a gate to let reinforcements in, the enemy could slip through and remove the advantage. That is essentially Araya’s situation here.

Notice that Araya explicitly states that even defeating the Counter Force itself does not matter, because it will simply reassert itself with greater force. The problem is not winning a battle, but the impossibility of completing his objective while under constant interference.

This is why Ryougi Shiki is necessary. She does not need to open a pathway. She is the pathway. Through her Origin, access to the Root is internal and requires no breach.

By bringing her into his closed world and transferring his brain into her body, Araya could access the One without compromising his Stillness, because the pathway would now exist on the inside.

In short, the Counter Force is something Araya avoids strategically, not something that can defeat him directly. In a direct confrontation, it would be folded. But because his plan requires him to temporarily lower the very condition that grants him power, he must avoid alerting it altogether.

5. Fate retcons

Some idiots will still claim that Araya cannot have the First Magic, simply because a Fate gacha game recently said it was founded by Yumina. But that's literally modern TM canon (check the premise at the start of the thread), where they changed even the One's nature and Ryougi's characterization. Retconning which True Magic Araya used would be the very least of their concerns at that point.

Fate doesn’t care about respecting the original novels, and Nasu even explicitly said in an interview that his older self who wrote them is 'dead', and that he doesn’t mind altering lore; as long as “the river will flow” (i.e., as long as he keeps pumping out content and making money).

The worst part? A simple comparison of feats between the so-called wielders of the First and Araya shows that... Flat Snark’s big shtick is making a bounded field that changes physical laws into fairy-tale logic. This, frankly, is inferior to Araya’s regular barriers already, which reject physical laws altogether and preserve only his internal logic. Yet even Araya’s barriers are not normally classified as True Magic. Why? Because abilities of this kind still modify an existing framework of reality rather than severing it entirely.

Flat Snark’s powers, which project a new internal logic via bounded fields, are still confined to the rules they create. He struggles to convert modern objects, can’t fundamentally alter his fairy-tale-like rules to work in wholly different ways, and so on. In contrast, Araya’s apartment complex achieves complete conceptual disconnection from the natural order: an essential trait of True Magic. Within that domain, he’s not merely rewriting reality; he’s severing it, gaining absolute freedom to establish or erase any rule. This is why Alice is only ever said to be “close” to True Magic, while Araya is explicitly linked to it in the narrative.

Edit: Some will point at Grand Order introducing Flat Snark's ability to project an age of gods texture...as if that was remotely relevant. A texture, even a divine one, is still a single configuration of reality painted onto the existing system. It does not suspend reality itself, nor does it allow for the creation of all conceivable laws and realities arising from the interplay of Light and Darkness, which is what Araya’s Closed World achieves. Nor is it protected by abstract boundaries that loop all contradiction back into zero, as the Möbius Ring does. Such an irrelevant objection honestly.

6. Avalon is above Araya

This is a bizzarre idea I have only seen recently. It's so odd that there isn't much to say even: Avalon is, quite literally, a dollar store imitation of Stillness. 

All it does is place the user in an isolated realm that shut out all physical interference...like Araya already does with his closed world. But Araya doesn't just sever himself, he also has the freedom to mold his own independent reality in whatever way he wishes. His world's true form is literally an infinite void of potential, allowing him to create any phenomena. His world even embodies the taiji, which is the totality of existence.

Avalon, on the other hand, is still a realm tied to a specific origin (the land of fairies) and cannot change its own internal laws or nature into a completely different reality. It's not the actual concept of Stillness, which is not tied to anything ouside itself. It doesn't just isolate from the outside; it outright creates its own exclusive ontology, with the totality of the Taiji at your disposal and protected by the Mobius Ring logic.

You may bring up how Avalon is stated to block True Magic, but that is clearly stated to be the result of Avalon itself being True Magic as well:

An “absolute defence” that can even repel the assault of True Magic, it is a True Magic in itself. No one can harm the tranquil King that stands in the land of Avalon. -Fate/complete material III: World material -Theory of Magic - Magecraft: Effects on the Level of True Magic, p.049

It was a Noble Phantasm reaching the realm of True Magic. Avalon shut out all physical interference, operation of parallel worlds, and multi-dimensional communication (up to the sixth dimension). -Fate/side material-Encyclopedia: The Everdistant Utopia [Noble Phantasm], p.063[T]

Unleashing the true name of Avalon will deploy a Bound Field that provides the greatest defence. A Noble Phantasm that annuls the interference of True Magic; its existence is equivalent to True Magic. - Fate/complete material III: World Material -The Servants of the Fifth Holy Grail War: Saber, p.020-021[T]

So it's not that Avalon is superior to all True Magic in general, but that it is True Magic on itself that embodies the concept of isolation, allowing it to block other True Magic that falls under the requirement of "outside trying to affect the inside". It doesn't mean it auto-negs all forms of True Magic. Stillness is the genuine, pure division of the inside from the outside that is also explicitly True Magic (The First). Avalon is contingent on Stillness to even function.

Avalon is not going to block it because there is nothing to block in the first place. Araya's closed world is a perfected version of Avalon that accounted for and perfected all possible interference and unwanted motion. Avalon itself would literally be subsumed as an unnecessary expression of Stillness. 

The most damning evidence? Let's look again at that last quote:

Unleashing the true name of Avalon will deploy a Bound Field that provides the greatest defence. - Fate/complete material III: World Material -The Servants of the Fifth Holy Grail War: Saber, p.020-021[T]

Avalon is a bound field. Literally subordinate to Araya, who mastered that ability as a natural consequence of embodying their very concept entirely. So no, Avalon isn't doing shit to Araya. If anything it just further proves how Stillness negs most of the verse even in a diminished manifestation.

-----

Araya has now been fully examined. However, there is one final iteration of him that the narrative only sets up rather than depicting directly, yet which unquestionably exists within the framework of the story. It is worth addressing this final state before concluding the discussion.

Prime Araya:

After his final confrontation with Ryougi Shiki, Araya Souren’s last physical body was destroyed. This was his final vessel; he had prepared no backups. As a result, his physical existence ceased, but not his consciousness. His soul, already “stopped” within Stillness, remained unfazed:

Araya Souren was not like some Puppeteer who had died after preparing a completely identical copy. He still had not experienced death. His body had rotted away several times over the years, each time this happened he maintained his consciousness and so far continued to live on. Araya Souren was only one person. If this body perished, there would be no refuge next time. Things had to be handled carefully. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

The mage's discourse continues."As a reference, I do not die. My origin is 'suspension'. Someone who has woken to their origin becomes ruled by that origin itself. Someone who has already stopped - how can you kill him?" Shiki doesn't reply. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Even in "death", Araya remains conscious. Both he and Touko confirm that this was not a final end, but merely another turn of his spiral:

“This body is at its limit.”

“Starting over again? How many times has it been? You never learn.”

That was the spiral. Araya’s sour look didn’t break down until the very end. Touko had a clear look of disdain aimed towards him; she threw away the cigarette she had pinched between her fingers. In the end, she had lit the cigarette but hadn’t brought it to her mouth even once. Though she had disdain for him, she did not hate this Magus, who had become more of a concept. If she had made one wrong step. No, if she had not made a wrong step she surely would have ended up like this too. Neither a human nor a living being, but merely the embodiment of a theory resulting in a phenomenon. Now that she thought that, it was sad.

“Gaha”, Araya vomited blood. The body, starting from the left side had begun to disappear and turn to ashes. “I didn’t make any spare bodies. If we are to meet again, it will be in the next generation.”

“There will be no such thing as a Magus by then. There won’t be a reunion. You will be alone in the end. Even so, you won’t stop?”

“Of course, I won’t accept defeat." - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

The phrase “next generation” is intentionally ambiguous. It may refer to a future era, a reincarnation cycle, or the eventual re-emergence of his will under different circumstances. What matters is this: Araya’s soul does not perish. Deprived of a vessel, he persists in suspension, awaiting a return in some far future. And in Kara no Kyoukai, where does a soul go when severed from the body without truly dying?

The answer is the state Ryougi Shiki experiences during her coma:

This place was dark, and the floor was pitch black. When I realized that the only thing around me was the darkness, I had accepted the fact that I was dead. I was floating in a sea with no light or sound. Naked, without anything to cover her, the human being called Ryougi Shiki was sinking into the depths.

There was no light here. No, I suspect I had never fallen in the first place. Since there was nothing here.

It wasn’t just that there was no light, there wasn’t even any darkness. Since there was nothing here, nothing was visible. There was no meaning to the concept of falling. Inside the 「　」 within which even form was meaningless, just my body kept sinking. The naked me; I’m a poisonous shade which made me want to turn my eyes away. Because everything 「here」 bore such a poisonous aura

“–––This is death.”

Even the sound of my muttering seemed like a dream.

Then, I observed something like “time”. Time had no meaning inside「　」, but I became able to observe it. As naturally as flowing water, as grossly as putrefaction, I was just marking time.

There was nothing here.

Even if I kept continuously looking in the distance, I couldn’t see anything. Even if I kept waiting continuously for something, I couldn’t see anything.

It was very nice and peaceful.

No, since nothing had meaning, just 「being」here made everything perfect.

This was death.

The world which only the dead could reach. The world which the living could not see.

But, I was still alive–

I thought I would lose my mind.

For two years I sat there in the midst of the concept called “death”. Rather then observation, it was closer to the struggle of battle. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 4

Shiki exists on the threshold between life and death. Her body remains alive, but her mind drifts within a formless conceptual space. This space, where nothing moves, nothing interferes, and everything simply is, is Stillness.

Stillness is, quite literally, the abstract plane. It corresponds to the same pre-manifest layer associated with the Spiral of Origin, where all concepts exist in pure potential, unshaped by context or causality. It is the realm prior to manifestation, where form has not yet crystallized into matter and contradictions do not yet arise. When a soul dies, it returns here, either to be reincarnated or to dissolve back into the One, the Root.

In this state, a soul is suspended in possibility. It awaits definition. It is Stillness.

Just like Shiki, Araya now lingers in this conceptual realm of Stillness. However, unlike Shiki, who retained a living vessel that eventually allowed her to awaken, Araya has no such anchor. His physical body has been destroyed, and he prepared no replacement.

As a result, he exists now as a conscious soul suspended in pure possibility, fully immersed in his Origin. Neither reincarnated nor extinguished, he persists as a sealed phenomenon: unable to die, yet unable to manifest, until some future vessel or metaphysical condition redefines his existence and grants him form once more.

What many seem to miss is that this transformation would greatly increase Araya’s power should he return in a distant future. Previously, Araya’s total completion was still constrained by one thing: his physical body. Although his inner state had already reached Stillness, he could only act through a body that existed in space. As a result, he was forced to externalize his internal order through mechanisms the body could express, most notably bounded fields.

Those bounded fields were not the source of his power. They were workarounds.

They were attempts to recreate, in localized spaces, the conditions of Stillness that his mind itself had already achieved. This is why each bounded field had to be treated as a separate “world,” requiring careful construction and containment. Ryougi Shiki herself references this idea:

Indeed… This academy, isolated from the outside, was a different world.

A memory suddenly sprang to mind. In the past, there had been a man who created a foreign world by prohibiting entry to an apartment building. How convoluted. If he had simply erected walls around the perimeter, mirroring this academy or the Ryougi mansion, that alone would have severed the connection between his world and the outside one.

— Kara no Kyoukai, Chapter 6

Maintaining even a single bounded field required isolating all contradiction within a defined location. Araya’s understanding, though vast, was still mediated by space.

That limitation no longer applies.

After his physical destruction, Araya’s consciousness now exists directly within Stillness itself. He is no longer reconstructing its conditions indirectly. He is experiencing them as his native state. In doing so, he has internalized how reality appears once motion, causality, and interference are fully resolved.

This is precisely what the official materials were already pointing toward:

“A bound field divides what is inside from the outside. In order to construct a complete world from his own body, first Araya must complete himself.”

“Araya, who has no exceptional talents, is able to become a first-class bound field master by completing himself through the accumulation of ages and sheer determination.”

— Garden of Sinners Pamphlet: Kara no Kyoukai Settings Glossary

Bounded fields were never the essence of Araya’s power. They were the expression of a completed inner state, filtered through the constraints of embodiment. Once the body is gone and completion remains, the need for spatial scaffolding collapses.

The practical consequence is decisive and unavoidable.

Araya no longer needs bounded fields or specific areas to isolate. He no longer needs to carve out Stillness from reality. Instead, he can allow his order to bleed outward, collapsing motion and contradiction directly into the void he has already experienced.

His closed world can now manifest wherever his perception reaches, no longer bound to fixed spatial construction. This is what makes his potential return vastly more dangerous than before.

Simply put: Araya achieved Stillness as an internal state. While he still had a body, projecting it outward required recreating its conditions in a specific area, which is what bounded fields were for.

After losing his body and directly experiencing Stillness as reality itself, that limitation no longer exists. He now understands, from direct immersion, what reality must be like to match his internal state. He no longer needs to recreate those conditions; he can apply them.

Before, Araya enclosed the outside within his inside. Now, he can impose his inside directly onto the outside.

As a result, Araya has effectively become a living embodiment of eternal stasis: a consciousness that halts meaning, devours motion, and reduces everything it touches to silent, inert possibility. A spiral that can never end, only grow. The only remaining limit is whether he finds a context or vessel through which to interact with the world again.

Conceptually, if someone or something were to connect with his Origin, or provide him an anchor to manifest, it would be equivalent to reawakening an ancient Stillness that swallows reality itself.

Conclusion:

As you can see, Kara no Kyoukai isn’t just the most powerful Type-Moon series by a wide margin: it’s also one of the strongest fictional settings overall. It features multiple conceptual powerhouses capable of completely obliterating most other settings, thanks to their ability to fundamentally redefine reality itself.

Even with its self-contained lore, Kara no Kyoukai stands far above the rest of Type-Moon, especially the more recent series, which made the egregious retcon of " " being merely a random physical plane. Even the original Tsukihime and Notes, while powerful in their own right, ultimately fall short and, in many ways, depend on KnK's lore to uncover some of the most profound nuances of their strength. For instance, KnK’s lore surrounding Origin-awakenings provides much-needed context and clarification for characters like Nanaya Shiki, Kishima Kouma, and Archetype Earth, all of whom lack substantial connections to cosmic forces, aside from Archetype Earth's superiority over beings known to manipulate abstract laws.

In reality, aside from some additional details to already established concepts, the only significant contribution other TM series make to KnK is Base Ryougi Shiki defeating Archetype Earth in Melty Blood. However, even that feat is not a big deal, since her own feats in KnK against Mugen (an infinite void of potential) and God's Word (a reality warper far more versatile than Archetype, whose only option when facing Shiki was to literally flee) already made it clear Types are utterly outmatched by Ryougi at her peak, making Archetype Earth’s death in Actress Again if anything just a natural consequence of facing someone far beyond her capabilities.

In Fate/Extra, the Moon Cell is shown to deliberately weaken entities that are too powerful to maintain fairness in the Holy Grail War. Gilgamesh, for example, loses 90% of his treasury just to manifest in the Near Side. This nerfing would logically apply to Shiki as well, yet despite that, she killed 99 Servants and still required the Grail War’s champion to finally defeat her. Furthermore, Fate/Extra CCC demonstrates that awakening to one’s Origin is such an overwhelming power-up that a normal Servant would be disintegrated instantly unless it's channeled through specialized Mystic Codes. Even in nerfed settings, KnK characters consistently operate on a tier above most of the Fate verse.

Ultimately, it’s the gaslighting, the initial lack of access to the original light novel, and Nasu distancing himself from his earlier work, combined with Ufotable retconning KnK out of the ass with the anime, that has led to the absurd idea that Shiki or Araya would lose to Fate characters, when even Lio solos 90% of the verse.