TYPE-MOON Wiki
Register
Advertisement
TYPE-MOON Wiki

Souren Araya (荒耶宗蓮, Araya Sōren?) is the main antagonist of Kara no Kyoukai, being the driving force behind the actions of the other antagonists.

Profile[]

Background[]

Souren was a former Buddhist monk hailing from Tamil Buddhism who has lived for around 300 years. He witnessed endless death, and this gave him the twisted purpose of finding a reason for human death. He was excommunicated by his master because he saw the origin of people.

He later entered the Mage's Association Clock Tower in London with Touko Aozaki and Cornelius Alba, and their teacher was Inorai Valualeta Atroholm. At first, Touko and Araya took interest in each other as fellow countrymen and it started off with them exchanging views as two people with similar ideals. Though their paths differed, their relationship was that of rivals aiming toward the same goal.[3] During their school days, Alba asked Touko and Araya for 100 Puppets to get his chocolate factory running to prevent it from going bankrupt.[4] Souren Araya attempted to reach Akasha by tracing the roots of the soul, something that is there but not there, in order to reach a group consciousness.

Personally interested in the Demon Hunter Organization families, he especially set his sights on Shiki Ryougi, with the intention of using his knowledge of her Origin of "Nothingness" as his last resort as a means of reaching the Origin.

During 1995, he encounters Lio Shirazumi with the initial intention of using whatever knowledge he could attain from his Origin, after prompting Lio to awaken his Origin of "Consumption". Lio was the first chess piece Souren Araya prepared, and also the one he saved for last.[5] Having nearly driven Shiki to her death during the 1995-1996 murders, Araya stopped Lio from conducting his murders in order to prevent him from causing further problems for his plan. It is at this point that Araya deemed Lio to be a failure, resorting to using other powered individuals to divert Shiki's attention while keeping Lio at bay.

Araya later approached Fujino Asagami and Kirie Fujou, pressing them to awaken their innate abilities. He planned Fujino and Kirie to fight against Shiki in hopes that they would be able to surpass Shiki's inner potential, but also in part so that the Counter Force would overlook his own operations by being distracted towards the conflict created between the three.

Ogawa Apartment Complex[]

In his attempt to reach the Akasha, he performed an experiment on an apartment complex in Kayamihama, Mifune City. He used Touko's architecture blueprint to create the Ogawa Apartment. The apartment walls had been inscribed with strange patterns which caused people to go into depression leading them to become insane thus driving them to their deaths.

He collaborated with Cornelius who was responsible for the system at the Ogawa apartment and in return; he'll help kill Touko. Araya created the Apartment Complex to create a cyclical loop in which the Puppet residents repeat their last day before death as a means to discover an access to the Swirl of the Root.

Tomoe Enjou was able to escape from the repetitive spiral, something that Araya didn't expect. Before Tomoe left, Araya supposedly implanted an unconscious imprinting in this Puppet to have an interest in Shiki. He plans to retrace the path of the Swirl of the Root by using Shiki's Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. To do so, Araya plans to transplant his brain into Shiki's body.

Appearance[]

Souren appears to be a man of around forty-five years old, but he has lived for hundreds of years. He has a face carved with grief and an unusually robust body for a magus, characteristics that exert immense pressure on his opponents to the point of seeming almost nauseating.[6]

Personality[]

Araya is a tragic figure. Originally a wandering monk, his inability to save the lives of so many gave way to depression. His faith in humanity nearly crushed, he had decided to collect knowledge surrounding the finality of lives as a way of bringing some form of meaning or purpose to the endless cycle of "pointless" deaths around him. Despite his future goals stemming from this exact mentality and reasoning, over many years he would come to forget this, only finally recalling it before his death.

Having become a magus, he had fully internalized what is normally a common goal in magecraft: to locate the Swirl of the Root. Unlike standard magi, he had fully accepted this goal as his true calling, in which he intends to reach the Origin as a means of bringing about the destruction of reality and in doing so, the end of humanity.[7] He believes that by bringing about the destruction of reality he will be able to govern its remnants, believing that it would allow him to view the records of every single individual human's life on Earth. By gaining this power and governance over reality, he wishes to pinpoint what he would consider to be the happiest moment (or at least the peak point) of every single human during their lifetime, with the intention of bringing a sense of contentment and finality in his mind. Araya literally described this goal as seeking "true wisdom within [himself]".

Despite appearing always calm and collected, Araya was not above masking his own true emotions. He kept an image of indifference as a means of preventing his opponents from recognizing his moments of failure and weakness. He is often mentioned to have an imposing appearance; with Kirie viewing him as a man surrounded by a cold dark void, and with Fujino actually feeling fear towards his presence despite rarely ever doing so towards another person. Touko herself commented that he was "a man of hell". She also describes him as a man who's brash nature lends itself to making mistakes in his methodology yet his strong confidence is what allows him to surpass anyone else.

Whilst seemingly shown as acting out of genuine kindness based on his actions towards Lio, Fujino, and Kirie, these were done for his own self-benefit as Araya was only concerned with using others in order to reach his goal. For example, he lied to Kirie about being her father's acquaintance and helped pay Kirie’s hospital bills after her family died, in order to prepare everything for victory.[8] Although Araya put great efforts in his plan, he couldn't predict Shiki falling in love with a normal person, or the loss of the first person he scouted, or Tomoe Enjou's existence; who caused his downfall.[8] Though it seems that he hates humans, Touko refutes that notion, claiming that he is only infatuated with the ideal image of humanity and unable to tolerate the humans of the ugly and shameful world. He is not doing it for the sake of humanity, but rather for his delusions of a non-existent ideal.[9] Filling the void left by the hollowness within him, he is an eccentric collector of death.[10]

Development[]

The title of the work, Boundary of Emptiness (空の境界, Kara no Kyoukai?), reflects Araya's character role as he symbolizes the paradoxical spiral, that which divides the inside from the outside and the most important event in the story.[11][6] He embodies the "accident of not knowing what is true and false", and the "accident of not learning the truth that has become common knowledge". Resulting from that, it was determined to be absolute that the paradox would persist until the very end.[6] Lio's role as an antagonist did not fit within the full scope of Kara no Kyoukai, which served as more of Araya's story surrounding his manipulations. As such, Lio's role was supposed to end before Araya had presented himself as the "the evil mastermind". However, in order to provide a resolution to the story of Mikiya Kokutou and Shiki Ryougi, Lio's role as the true serial killer was a vital factor in his becoming the series' final antagonist.[5]

Kinoko Nasu jokingly blames Araya for the American subprime crisis and the delay of DDD Volume 3 sale.[12]

Role[]

Kara no Kyoukai[]

Chapter 4: The Hollow Shrine[]

Before Araya left the hospital, Araya was using an artificial body passing as a doctor in the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine.[13] The ghost that attacked Shiki when she awoke from her coma was Araya's doing.[12]

Chapter 3: Remaining Sense of Pain[]

In the anime adaption, Shiki received Araya's ID card from Touko.[14]

Chapter 5: Paradox Spiral[]

In November 1998, Tomoe brings Shiki to his apartment where he supposedly killed his parents. However Shiki revealed the true nature of the apartment to Tomoe and revealed the real corpses of his family. While they were in Tomoe's real apartment, they were attacked by reanimated corpses. Araya meets Shiki the second time when she kills all the reanimated corpses. Shiki had difficulties reading his death lines because of his Śarīra. Araya subdued Shiki by imprisoning her within a barrier isolated from space. He allowed Tomoe to escape because he knew it would be a matter of time for him to expire.

When Cornelius was knocked out by Touko, Araya intervened and faced Touko. Touko seemingly defeated him with her Projection Machine but Touko soon realized the Araya she defeated was a Puppet. Touko was later incapacitated by the real Araya when he pulled out her heart from behind. However she did not die as Araya kept her in a frozen state: he decapitated her and stored her head in a jar. He didn't kill her because he knew that the next Touko would awake when the current one died. He destroyed Touko's Projection machine by destroying her briefcase. He handed over Touko's head to Cornelius.

When Tomoe entered Araya's workshop through the sewers and found his original brain, Araya revealed Tomoe's true nature as a Puppet. Araya claims that Tomoe's love for Shiki is merely fabricated and that he simply imprinted such a desire in Tomoe's mind. Araya taunts Tomoe to confront him where he'll be waiting at the 10th floor.

Enjou last moments

Araya kills Tomoe.

As Tomoe takes the elevator to confront Araya, he grabs Shiki's knife. Tomoe finds Araya standing before him. He confirms his determination to kill Araya for his sake and his parents' death, claiming that they weren't sinful enough to die in such a cruel way. He charges head-on but Araya uses his Bounded Field to stall him. Tomoe's limbs are slowly torn away as he manages to stab Araya in the chest. He is eventually killed by Araya's power, commanding Tomoe's body to cease existence. Araya found out that Alba died when he met the next Touko.

As Touko provided first aid for Mikaya, Araya asked Touko if she wanted to resume the fight but Touko claimed it was foolish to fight him again inside the building even if she has a chance of winning with her Sealed Box. Araya thought Touko might rely on the Counter Force and told Touko about his barrier alienating it from the outside world. Touko laughs at Araya for his mistake to imprison Shiki within a barrier isolated from space rather than locking her physically. She revealed to Araya that Shiki cut down his barrier, which caused him to suffer pain from inside as the Ogawa Apartment is linked to his body. Due to Tomoe leaving behind Shiki's katana, Kanesada Kuji (九字兼定, Kuji Kanesada?), inside the Ogawa Apartment's elevator, Shiki is able to easily break free upon finally gaining consciousness, and confront and outmatch Araya in battle. Araya realizes that Shiki wasn't using her full potential against Fujino Asagami.

Araya, after jumping from the apartment, tries to crush her by collapsing the apartment complex, but Shiki reaches him as he falls and stabs him on the Line of Death in his left shoulder. Araya's last Puppet body is thus destroyed, having sustained more damage than it can take. Before landing on the floor, he activates a Bounded Field to protect himself and thus saves Shiki as well. Touko has a final conversation with Araya, where Touko asks why he was obsessed with the Swirl of the Root. Araya reveals that after witnessing so many humans die, he wanted to preserve the entirety of humanity in a record. Touko states that his downfall was caused by Tomoe's love for his family as well as his breaking out of the cycle created by Araya. Before his death, Touko surprises Araya by revealing that he shares his name with the collective will of humanity, Alaya. After she asks if he is going to continue seeking the Swirl of the Root, Araya says that he doesn't have any more spare bodies and dies, although he says that when his soul returns to the material world, he will continue his research even if he is alone after hundreds of years. [5] With Araya's death, Lio was able to realize his own desire.[5]

Chapter 6: Oblivion Recorder[]

It was revealed by Satsuki Kurogiri that he was contacted by Araya to help awaken Shiki's forgotten memories.

Abilities[]

Araya, as someone who's lived for centuries by using different bodies as containers for his soul, can be considered more a monster or a living dead person than a human.[15] Even outside of his Bounded Field, he has an incredibly powerful body that is able to punch through concrete and dodge bullets after they have already been fired. Himon Yoruma Mugen Roku (秘紋・夜摩無間禄?) is stated to be his special move.

Magecraft[]

Araya can be considered an average Magus at face value with thirty Magic Circuits, which is not many compared to a first rate Magus like Cornelius Alba. He can still be considered a genius with overwhelming power resulting from the anguish that he ceaselessly accumulated through the ages.[2] He is highly skilled in the creation of Bounded Fields. Souren has the ability to see people's Origin and is capable of awakening one to their Origin, however he must receive consent from the person beforehand. The Origin that he has is "Stillness" (静止, Seishi?), and his awakening of it has made him extremely difficult to kill, since something that is already "still" supposedly cannot be killed. This makes his Lines of Death difficult to see even without considering the Śarīra in his left arm, but he still has very faint Lines of Death around his body and a cluster of Lines of Death appearing to be a point on his chest, showing that he is still able to die. Touko believes that he differs from Magi who would fade away should they ever touch the Root, and that at least some shade of himself will remain in the world and possibly bring great destruction.[9]

He has a ŚarīraWP, the sacred remains of the Buddha, embedded within his left arm. It belonged to an enlightened one who achieved "becoming extinguished, alive", so it has a resistance to the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. The ability to kill it by slashing the Lines of Death would require Shiki to decipher "advanced Lines of Death" that are levels higher than the normal Concept of Death, so she is unable to view such vulnerable parts by looking upon it. They are still just bones in the physical sense, so they are susceptible to burning to ashes and the force of a large impact is able to destroy them even with their natural protection.[16][17]

He is effectively immortal in a sense due to his consciousness surviving even if his body should rot and crumble to dust. He differs from a Puppet Master who prepares bodies they create in advance in case they should die, and instead switches to a spare Puppet body that slowly acclimates to his soul. Unlike Touko, who has to die before switching to her next body, Araya has never experienced death and instead moves his consciousness to another body. The Magic Circuits, the wiring moving his physical form, reaches through the body and sublimates the temporary body into the real thing. With much experience in bringing physical bodies under his control, having gone through many bodies in his life, he can complete the process in half a day. He is a solitary existence, so he cannot flee if his body is destroyed, though after his last Puppet body is destroyed, both he and Touko note that he will eventually return in time since Shiki's Mystic Eyes of Death Perception only destroyed Araya's body and not his existence itself, due to having struck a different Line of Death. [18]

Bounded Field[]

Despite being average as a Magus, his talents relating to Bounded Field construction is exceptional. They are what divides that which is inside from the outside, so he must first complete himself to construct a complete world from his own body. He has no exceptional talents, but was able to become a first-class Bounded Field master by completing himself through the accumulation of ages and sheer determination. Normally something impossible, his accomplishments are like achieving the pinnacle within a field while being completely oblivious of even the name of this subject field.[6]

He personally carries Rokudou Kyoukai (六道境界?), a three layered Bounded Field that completely surrounds his person and hides his presence. All those who enter the perimeter of the outer field are completely frozen in place in accordance with his Origin of "Stillness", and as it is mobile, something normally impossible to accomplish, he can freely use it as a weapon. It is constantly crumbling with the passage of time, and it takes a length of time for Souren to recreate it. He calls the names Fugu (不倶?), Kongou (金剛?), Dakatsu (蛇蝎?), Taiten (戴天?), Chougyou (頂経?), and Ouken (王顕?) when he uses it.

He has also constructed Hounouden Rokujyuyonshou (奉納殿六十四層, The 64 Layers of the Hounou Temple?), a Bounded Field that completely surrounds his Magical Workshop, the Ogawa Apartment Complex. The original architect was Touko Aozaki, and it is a shrine for the Taikyokuzu, the diagram of the supreme ultimate. The building can be called the embodiment of his internal world, very similar to the concept of a Reality Marble, which gives him complete control over its internal workings.[19] Touko notes that the Bounded Field has left the realm of Magecraft and has already breached into the realm of Magic. Within the Ogawa Apartment Complex, he gains the ability of instant teleportation anywhere within his Bounded Field, omniscience of any occurrences within the building, and the ability to crush space itself, Shuku (肅?). When inside the Bounded Field, Touko states she feels as if she is inside Araya's body.

The building is a cylindrical ten story building with five rooms on the east and west sides. In order to create this Bounded Field, he collected 64 families and led them to 64 different types of death, symbolizing the 64 hexagrams. Eventually, this condensed into the eight trigrams, then the four phenomena, then the yin and yang (the Ryougi), creating an entirely new "world" separated from the world outside the Bounded Field. The building itself uses repetitive patterns and coloring in order to drive its residents to insanity and eventually murder and suicide. Afterwards, he removed their brains and created identical Puppet bodies for them to control. He used these bodies to create a “miniature world that concludes in a day”, where he would have all of the Puppets act out their daily lives, with each day concluding by having them kill each other.

Souren, hoping for their deaths to deviate from the previous days, revived the bodies by morning, where they would simply restart with the memories of the final day of their lives. The Puppets live on one side, and the other side, hidden by a rotating elevator, is used to store their original corpses. He manages to hide the massive experiment, which would normally cause suspicions from even the smallest irregularity and the trail of information in modern society, by making it out to be a normal apartment. The purpose is to have the building form a taiji, a graphical representation of the Yin-Yang theory, and with Shiki, another Taiji placed inside the Taiji of the building, Araya would be able to reach the Root.

Taijitu is a philosophy that originated in ancient China that attempts to capture the essence of everything on a conceptual level. Activity is defined as Yang, represented in the color white, and stillness is defined as Yin, represented in the color black. It symbolizes opposing concepts such as day and night, light and darkness, and male and female. At the same time, it can also be called a condensed version of the ever-changing, dynamic World. There exists a point of Yin within Yang and a point of Yang within Yin, indicating that the distinction between Yin and Yang is not absolute. In Onmyōdō, the separation of the Taiji as the Yin and Yang is called the Ryougi.[20]

References[]

  1. Haru to Tsuki to Sora to - page 96
  2. 2.0 2.1
    [v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Magic Circuits [Others], p.039 [T]

    Magic Circuits [Others]
    The pseudo-nerves existing in the body of a magus.
    They are the paths that convert life force into magical energy, as well as the paths which connect to the foundations underlying Grand Rituals.
    The number of Magic Circuits is determined at birth. Mage lineages will resort to any means to alter themselves in hope of giving their descendants just one more Circuit.
    This is why magi from older lineages are more powerful.
    In terms of the number of Magic Circuits, and the quality of the lineage, Cornelius Alba is undoubtedly a first rate magus.
    In fact, neither Aozaki Touko nor Araya Souren have many Magic Circuits. Touko has about 20, Araya about 30.
    Still, the two are considered geniuses: Touko has talents that are independent of her lineage. Araya's overwhelming power is probably a result of the anguish that he ceaselessly accumulated through the ages.

    魔術回路【まじゅつかいろ】【その他】
    魔術師が体内に持つ擬似《ぎじ》神経。
    生命力を魔力に変換する為の路《みち》であり、基盤となる大魔術式に繋がる路でもある。
    生まれながらに持ち得る数が決まっており、魔術師の家系は自分たちに手を加えて、魔術回路が一本でも多い跡継ぎを誕生させようとする。
    古い家系の魔術師ほど強力なのはこの為。
    魔術回路の多さ、血筋の品質で言うのなら、コルネリウス・アルバは紛《まぎ》れもなく一流の魔術師。
    実は蒼崎橙子も荒耶宗蓮も、魔術回路はそう多くない。橙子が二十、荒耶が三十といったところ。
    天才と思われがちな両者だが、橙子は血筋以外の才能で、荒耶はひたすら積み重ねた苦悩によって、他を圧倒する力を手に入れたのだろう。

  3. [v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets
    Q: What kind of relationship did Touko and Araya have in the past?

    Q: What kind of relationship did Touko and Araya have in the past? <White Sleep>

    Nasu: They were students under the same master. They took interest in each other as fellow countrymen… or not. Actually, it started off with them exchanging views as two people with similar ideals. Though their paths differed, their relationship was that of rivals aiming toward the same goal.

  4. The BAMBOO BROOM DIARY - 2009/1/27: Skipping updates is like fire.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3
    [v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Shirazumi Lio [Person's Name], p.033-034 [T]

    Lio Shirazumi [Person's name]
    A twenty years old youth. Kokutou Mikiya's senior during high school, and he was more or less familiar with Shiki. He had handsome features, but did not stand out due to his quiet personality. He was one of the three who made contact (with Araya/Shiki?).
    He quit school for some reason shortly before graduation.
    Lio was the first chess piece Souren Araya prepared, and also the one he saved for last. However, the magus was defeated by the Counter Force before Lio could take the stage.
    Although Shirazumi Lio lost his commander, he considered it a fortunate turn of events. With the obstructive Araya out of the way, Lio was able to realize his own desire.
    He made his face to resemble Shiki, and chose the same clothing as Shiki. Only his hair was left golden, which conjured the image of a lion.
    The obsession with the Anima was in his nature. Or, it was a gender identity disorder that he was not aware of. ... As far as his attraction to Shiki was concerned, it might be that he was attracted to the male personality rather than the female one.
    Lio was something that fell out of Kara no Kyoukai Shi, which was the story of Araya. He was supposed to make his exit before the evil mastermind presented himself. However, in order to provide a resolution of the story of Kokutou Mikiya and Ryougi Shiki, the serial killer must stay.

    白純里緒【しらずみ―りお】【人名】
    二十歳の青年。黒桐幹也の高校時代の先輩。式とも多少面識がある。整った顔立ちをしていたが、大人しい性格のため目立つ事はなかった。接触する三人のうちの一人。
    ある理由から卒業間近に学校を辞めてしまった。
    荒耶宗蓮が用意した最初にして最後を飾るはずだった駒だが、彼の出番を待たずして魔術師は抑止力の前に敗れ去る。
    司令塔を失いはしたが、それは白純里緒にとって幸運な事だった。目障りな荒耶が消えた事で、彼は己の欲望を叶える為だけに行動を開始する。
    顔を式に似せ、服装も式と同じものにするが、髪だけが金なのは獅子《しし》をイメージしての事。
    アニマ嗜好《し こう》は天性のものと思われる。或《ある》いは、自覚していなかった性同一性障害では。……となると、式に惹《ひ》かれたのは式にではなく識《シキ》にだったのかもしれない。
    『空の境界式』という荒耶の物語から外れてしまったもの。本来なら黒幕の前に退場するべきだったもの。が、黒桐幹也と両儀式の物語を締めるには、殺人鬼である彼が残っていなくてはならなかったのだ。

  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3
    [v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Araya Souren [Person's Name], p.026-027 [T]

    Souren Araya [Person's Name]
    A man looks to be about 45 years old. Magus.
    A face carved with grief, a robust body unusual for a magus. These characteristics exert immense pressure on his opponents that seems almost nauseating.
    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.
    Araya embodies the "accident of not knowing what is true and false", and the "accident of not learning the truth that has become common knowledge". As a result, it is absolute that the paradox will persist until the very end.

    荒耶宗蓮【あらや―そうれん】【人名】
    外見、四十代半ばの男性。魔術師。
    苦悩が刻まれた貌と、魔術師にあるまじき強靭《きょうじん》な体が、対峙《たいじ 》した者に嘔吐《おうと 》感に似た重圧を与える。
    魔術師としては平凡だが、『結界』作りに関しては屈指《くっし 》の冴えを見せる。
    結界とは内と外を分けるもの。それ自体で完結した世界を作り上げる為には、まず自身を完成させなくてはならない。
    特殊な才能を持たない荒耶は、歳月と信念を積み重ねる事で自己を完成させ、一流の結界師となった。
    外と内とを隔《へだ》てるもの。『空の境界』は彼の物語でもある。
    物語中最大の事件・矛盾螺旋《むじゅんら せん》を象徴する人物。
    何があり得ないかと言うと、彼は学んでいた学問の名前も知らずに、その教えを極めていたようなものなのである。
    間違いを知らないままでいられる偶然、当然の事実を他人から教えられなかった偶然。故に、その矛盾は、最後まで抱えるべき必然。

  7. [v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 5: “Paradox Spiral” Movies Q & A Pamphlets
    Q: When all’s said and done, what was the Root that Araya sought?

    Q: When all’s said and done, what was the Root that Araya sought? <Canon>

    Nasu: The end of history, and a record of humanity’s merit. Which is to say, it’s the “observation of everything, from start to finish”.
    Takeuchi: Hmm… It’s the same with novels, manga, and anime, right? If you don’t read or watch all the way to the end, you can’t properly evaluate the work.
    Nasu: That’s putting it too plainly, but you have the gist of it. Only, there’s no guarantee an individual will reach that “end”…

  8. 8.0 8.1
    [v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets
    Q: It seems as though Kirie’s father and Araya were acquainted somehow, but what sort of relationship did they have, specifically?

    Q: It seems as though Kirie’s father and Araya were acquainted somehow, but what sort of relationship did they have, specifically? <Sky Blue>

    Nasu: Saying that he was an acquaintance of her father was just a little white lie. He needed a pretense to take over handling the payment of Kirie’s hospital bills after her family died. His face might be scary, but Araya really was Kirie’s secret guardian angel.
    Takeuchi: What a great guy…
    Nasu: Preparing for everything is the secret to victory. Well, even Araya’s great efforts couldn’t account for Shiki falling in love with a normal person, or the loss of the first person he scouted, or finally, in Chapter 5, that utterly worthless guy who… whoops! I’ve said too much.

  9. 9.0 9.1
    Kara no Kyoukai Volume 5: Paradox Spiral

    Touko shook her head, an act of pity rather than denial.
    "I can't deny it. At this stage the Counter Force isn't going to move. You might actually succeed this time.
    Further, I have no idea what will happen if someone such as yourself, who hates mankind so deeply, touches the Root. If it were a normal magus, he'd move on to that other world and forget all about ours, without a doubt. But you, you're different. Even if you touch the Root, some shade of yourself will almost certainly remain on this side. This entire country might even be annihilated as a result. Because, if somebody like you that hates humans seriously intends to save humans, the only possible result is the ultimate end of all suffering: death.
    But, Araya. You don't really hate humans. You're merely infatuated with the ideal image of humanity you harbor within your heart. That's why you cannot tolerate the humans of this ugly, shameful world. You'll save humanity? Ha! Don't make me laugh. You don't want to save humanity. You just want to save your own delusions of a humanity that never even existed."

    彼女は首を振る。そこには否定より、むしろ哀れみの色が感じられた。
    「そうとも、抑止力はもう働かないさ。だから、おまえは今回ばかりは本当に成功するかもしれな い。
     人間という存在を憎むおまえが根源に触れたとき、どういう結果になるかは知らない。大抵の魔術師なら根源 に触れた後はあちらの世界にいって、私達のいる世界の事なんて忘れてしまうだろう。けれどおまえは違う。確 実にこちら側に影を残して、結果としてこの国ぐらいは消えてしまうか。人間嫌いのおまえが本気で人間を救お うというのなら、それは苦しみ抜く末に到達する死でしか有り得ないだろうから。
     だがな荒耶。おまえは人間を憎んでいるんじゃない。おまえは、おまえの中の人間の理想像を愛しているだけ なんだ。だからあまりに醜い苦界の人間が許せない。人を救う? は、笑わせるな。おまえは人を救いたいんじ ゃない。おまえは、荒耶宗蓮というものが幻想している人という形を救いたいだけなんだよ」
     彼女の言葉に、魔術師は答えない。
     二人の接点は、今度こそ本当に、一点の曇りもなく断ち切られた。

  10. [v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Compulsive Hoarding [Others], p.032 [T]

    Compulsive Hoarding [Others]
    It is hard to say whether this is an individual's nature or just a bad habit. Many characters in the story were eccentric collectors.
    It was probably because they were hollow, and needed something to fill the void.

    蒐集癖【しゅうしゅうへき】【その他】
    持って生まれた性質といおうか悪癖といおうか、本編の登場人物には偏執的《へんしつてき》なコレクターが多い。
    からっぽだから、何かカタチのあるもので空虚を埋めたいのだろうか。

  11. [v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Kara no Kyoukai Shi [Others], p.029 [T]

    Kara no Kyoukai Shi [Others]
    The publication of Kara no Kyoukai on the homepage in 1998.
    The title Kara no Kyoukai (Boundary of Emptiness), reflected the character Araya Souren.
    As a result, the story on the homepage finished at Paradox Spiral.
    The story of Kara no Kyoukai already ended at Paradox Spiral.
    The subsequent two chapters were the epilogue of the story between Ryougi Shiki and Kokuto Mikiya. They were released in summer 1999 as copy-shi (a kind of doujinshi).

    空の境界式【からのきょうかいしき】【その他】
    九八年、HP上で公開された『空の境界』の事。
    大タイトルである空の境界は、荒耶宗蓮という人物の物語でもある。
    その為、HP上では矛盾螺旋の段階で一応の幕とした。
    空の境界という物語は矛盾螺旋で終わっている。
    続く二編は両儀式と黒桐幹也の物語の幕となるもので、こちらは翌九九年夏にコピー誌として配布した。

  12. 12.0 12.1
    [v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets
    Q: When Shiki was attacked by ghosts in the hospital, was that because it’s a place that naturally attracts that sort of thing? Or, was it Araya’s doing?

    Q: When Shiki was attacked by ghosts in the hospital, was that because it’s a place that naturally attracts that sort of thing? Or, was it Araya’s doing? <Path of Carnage>

    Nasu: Of course, it’s all Araya’s fault. The American subprime crisis and the fact that DDD Volume 3 still isn’t on sale are both Araya’s fault too. Look, I’ve got the evidence right here. Araya Souren’s name is right here on the imprint at the back of DDD Volume 2…!!
    Takeuchi: DDD not coming out is probably about 80% because of your own procrastination, though. You’re blaming Araya too much.
    Nasu: Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! (He’s running away…)

  13. [v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 4: “The Hollow Shrine” Movies Q & A Pamphlets
    Q: What was Araya doing while he worked at the hospital where Shiki was staying? Was he going around making strange, enticing offers to everybody he ran into?

    Q: What was Araya doing while he worked at the hospital where Shiki was staying? Was he going around making strange, enticing offers to everybody he ran into? <Hirai>

    Takeuchi: That guy really works hard, huh? With so many irons in the fire it’s a wonder he could keep track of it all!
    Nasu: Since he was probably using an artificial body designed for passing as a doctor, he might have actually been a little bit sociable! And he worked in the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine.
    Takeuchi: There it is! Dr. Araya’s Origin Therapy! They say it can destroy a person’s troubles together with their personality!
    Nasu: Improving a person’s character with drugs or wiping away their earthly passions with sermons are both strictly forbidden by the law.

  14. [v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 3: “Remaining Sense of Pain” Movies Q & A Pamphlets
    Q: Why did the ID cards Shiki received have “Araya Souren” as the name?

    Q: Why did the ID cards Shiki received have “Araya Souren” as the name?
     
    Takeuchi: I wondered that too. It made it seem like Araya must have already had his fingers in everything that happened, even then.
    Nasu: I wasn’t trying to imply that at all! …Just think of it as a random coincidence. Blame the Counter Force or something.

  15. [v] Kara no Kyoukai - Chapter 7: "A Study in Murder (Part 2)" Movies Q & A Pamphlets
    Q: This might be a stupid question, but was the reason that killing Araya didn't count as murder because he was ultimately a human(?) that existed "outside the boundary"?

    Q: This might be a stupid question, but was the reason that killing Araya didn't count as murder because he was ultimately a human(?) that existed "outside the boundary"? <Tomomaro>

    Nasu: There's no one who deserves to be killed.
    Takeuchi: That's so whitewashed it's blinding. I'm tired of listening to your theoretical ideals.
    Nasu: Anyway, magi don't count. Or should I say, Araya might as well be a monster. He's a living dead person. Even if you kill a dead person, it's not like that's a crime… wait, wouldn't that be desecration of a corpse…?

  16. [v] TYPE-MOON Fes. Official Pamphlet 10th Anniversary Q & A Booklet:

    Q: Since Saber and Gilgamesh have physical bodies in Fate/Stay Night, can Shiki see lines on them?

    Q: Since Saber and Gilgamesh have physical bodies in Fate/Stay Night, can Shiki see lines on them? (@LestatDusk)

    A: Not just when they have a physical body, the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception are effective even when they're in spiritual bodies. For Shiki [Ryougi], if the opponent can be recognized as "living" (not "life", but "live"), she can see the lines of death. For example, the ghosts in Overlooking View were dead, but they were "living" in the sense that they can interfere with the current world.
    Also, why she didn't succeed against the Sarira in Araya's arm is because it belonged to an enlightened one who achieved "becoming extinguished, alive." To kill it by the lines of death means she has to decipher advanced "lines of death" levels higher than the normal concept of death. But what's sad about bones is that rather than having to do that, they'll turn into ash if you burn them. If you have time to be using Death spells, level up and beat it physically.

    Q:セイバーとギルガメッシュは、フェイト/ステイナイトでは肉体をもっているので、シキは彼らの死の線を見ることができますか?

    A:肉体を持っているどころか、霊体のままでも直死の魔眼は効果アリ。式にとって“生きている(ライフではなくライブ)”という認識が当てはまる相手なら死の線は見えています。たとえば俯瞰風景の幽霊たちは死んでいるけど、現世に介入できる時点で「生きている」。
    また、荒耶が埋め込んでい仏舎利に後れを取ったのは、アレが”いきながら入滅した”覚者のものだから。死の線で殺すには、通常の死の概念よりなん段階も高度な”死の線”を読み解かなければならない。でもそんなことをするより焼いてしまえばあっさり灰になるのは骨の悲しさ。ザキ系の呪文を使っている暇があるならレベルをあげて物理で殴れ、である。

  17. Kara no Kyoukai Volume 5: Paradox Spiral

    "―――Juvenile. This left hand has a Buddhism relic buried within. Even with Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, you cannot perceive the parts vulnerable to death. Mere severing will not harm me."

    「―――未熟。この左手には仏舎利を埋め込んである。いかな直死の魔眼を用いても、死に易い部分など視えま い。単純に断ち切っただけでは、荒耶は傷つかない」

  18. Kara no Kyoukai Volume 5: Paradox Spiral

    The Magus stood motionless in the hallway after destroying that thing called Enjou Tomoe.
    It was almost time. Half a day had passed since he switched from the body he was using up until yesterday to the spare he was using now, and his consciousness finally permeated every cell of it. Of course, Araya Souren had not prepared identical bodies in advance in case he died, like some kind of Puppet Master. In fact, he has never experienced death at all.
    Though his body has rotted and crumbled to dust from age several times, his consciousness alone survived unbroken. Araya Souren has remained a solitary existence through to the bitter end. Therefore, there was no refuge to flee to should his current body be ruined. He would have to act carefully.
    However, there was no longer any reason to wait. The will of the soul called Araya Souren had much experience bringing physical bodies under its control. Already the Magic Circuits, the wiring that moves his physical form, reached as far as his fingers and toes. The process was complete. The Magus' temporary body had been completely sublimated into the real thing.
    And so, in order to accomplish his original goal, the Magus began to move.
    But, before that, he sensed something amiss within the apartment building.
    "---Were you defeated, Alba?"
    Muttering disinterestedly, the Magus shut his eyes.
    Inside the dark hallway, as if sinking into a fathomless sea, Araya fell into a trance.

    臙条巴だったものを破壊した後、魔術師は何をするでもなく廊下に留まっていた。
    頃合いが近い。昨日まで使用していた体から予備である今の体に移って半日。ようやくこの肉体の隅々にまで 意識が通じるようになった。
    荒耶宗蓮は、どこぞの人形師のように自分とまったく同じモノを用意しておいて死んだわけではない。彼は未 だ死というものを経験していないのだ。
    肉体は長い年月の果てに幾度か朽ち果てたが、そのたびに意識だけを継続して今まで生き長らえてきた。荒耶 宗蓮はあくまで一人。この肉体が滅びれば、次こそ逃げ場はない。事は、慎重に行なわなければな らなかった。
    だが、もはや待つまでもない。荒耶宗蓮という魂が持つ意志が、この何代目かの肉体を完全に支配下においた 。肉体を動かす魔術回路の配線は爪先までおよび、魔術師はようやくこの仮初めの肉体を本物の肉体へと昇華し たのだ。
    魔術師は本来の目的を果たすべく行動を開始する。
    けれどその前に、彼はマンション内における異変を感じ取った。
    「――――敗れたか、アルバ」
    感情なく呟いて、魔術師はその双眸を閉じた。
    明かりのない廊下の中、深い海の底に潜るように、荒耶は自身を昏睡させた。

  19. [v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Ogawa Apartment [Place name], p.028 [T]

    Ogawa Apartment [Place name]
    The stage of Paradox Spiral. A ten-story apartment with a complex structure. The designer was Aozaki Touko.
    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. The name of the Boundary Field here was Hounouden Rokujyuyonshou ("The 64 Layers of the Hounou Temple").

    小川マンション【おがわまんしょん】【地名】
    矛盾螺旋の舞台。まわりくどい構造をした十階建てのマンション。設計者は蒼崎橙子。
    太極図《たいきょくず》の伽藍《が らん》。固有結界を持たない荒耶が人工的に作り上げた、彼の心情風景の具現といえる。
    結界名、奉納殿《ほうのうでん》六十四層。

  20. [v] Kara no Kyoukai Special Pamphlet - Encyclopedia: Taiji [Others], p.035 [T]

    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).
    As an aside, the magi in this story were all practitioners of Western magecraft who were incompatible with Chinese philosophies.

    太極【たいきょく】【その他】
    古代中国で生まれた思想、陰陽《おんみょう》説を表す図。
    万物の状態を概念的に捉《とら》えたもので、能動的・活動的であるものを陽(白)、その逆になるものを陰(黒)と分けている。
    昼と夜、明と暗、雄と雌と相反するものを象徴しながら、影響しあい流れあう世界の縮図とも言える。
    また、陽の中には一点の陰、陰の中には一点の陽があるが、これは陰陽の区別は絶対的なものでなく、明の中にも暗がある、という事を示している。
    太極は始まりの一であるが、この二つに分かれた陰陽を両儀という。
    余談ではあるが、本編における魔術師たちは中国の思想とは相容《あいい 》れない西洋魔術の術師である。

Main characters: Shiki RyougiMikiya KokutouTouko AozakiAzaka Kokutou

Secondary characters: Cornelius AlbaDaisuke AkimiFujino AsagamiKirie FujouLio ShirazumiMana RyougiMisaya OujiMitsuru KamekuraSatsuki KurogiriShizune SeoSouren ArayaTomoe Enjou
Minor characters: Akitaka SuzurigiGakutoHideo HayamaKaede EnjouKaname RyougiKaori TachibanaKeita MinatoMother of MifuneOtoko HotaruzukaRisu MiyazukiTakayuki EnjouYuuko Andou
Terms: AkashaCounter ForceDemon Hunter OrganizationDragon SmokePsychicMystic EyesMystic Eyes of Death PerceptionUnified Language

Advertisement